Fire commission attorney Terence Hannigan, left, confers with Commission members Ron Peters, Al Rubin and Michelle Catan after today’s hearing. In the background is City Attorney David Merzig. (AllOTSEGO.com photo)
COOPERSTOWN – State Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma was unable to achieve common ground on delaying the dissolution of the Town of Oneonta Fire District, Town Supervisor Bob Wood said this evening.
Wood said the judge directed his clerk, Steve Judd, to convene a second meeting with Town Attorney Robert Panaschi, fire commissioners’ lawyer Terence Hannigan, and a representative of the City of Oneonta, to again attempt a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Judge Coccoma has advised the parties he intends to issue a decision by month’s end.
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
ONEONTA – The life of Philip W. Bresee, 93, who passed away July 24, 2018, will be celebrated from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Carriage House Event Center at 790 Southside Drive in Oneonta. Bring a story, a picture or a memory to share. Light refreshments will be served.
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
COOPERSTOWN – An online survey of 374 Otsego County people released today found twice as many say their home are in bad shape vs. “excellent” shape.
The survey, by the county Planning Department and Otsego Rural Housing Assistance, found 14 percent of respondents believe their homes are “excellent”; 27.6 percent ranked their homes as “poor” or “needs immediate attention.”
More than half of respondents (58 percent) rated their homes as “average.”
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
BOWL DECORATING – 6 – 9 p.m. Create bowls on potters wheel or paint pre-made bowl to be sold at CANO’s Chili Bowl Cook-Off, raising money to support local art, music, literature programs. Community Arts Network Of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Ave., Oneonta. 607-432-2070 or visit www.canoneonta.org/event/chili-bowl-decorating-ages-21-byob/?instance_id=1059
BUMP IN THE NIGHT – 5:30 p.m. Tour historic village in lantern light. Visit sites with tales of ghostly happenings, see performance of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell Tale Heart.” Hour long tour departing every half hour to 8 p.m. Children must be accompanied by adult, small children recommended for early tours. Cost, $15/non-member. The Farmers’ Museum, Cooperstown. 607-547-1450 or visit www.farmersmuseum.org/ghost-tours
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
Town Supervisor Bob Wood and Town Attorney Robert Panaschi confer at right. The two men at left are Oneonta City Attorney David Merzig, who was present as an observer, talking with fire commissioners’ lawyer Terence Hannigan. Behind them are, from left, Fire Commissioners Ron Peters, Al Rubin and Michelle Catan. In the county’s Courtroom One in Cooperstown, Hannigan and Panaschi were awaiting a mediation session with Judge Coccoma at 3 p.m. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
State Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma says he will issue a decision on the fire district’s dissolution by the end of the month.
COOPERSTOWN – State Supreme Court Judge Michael V. Coccoma convened a session between lawyers for the Town of Oneonta and the town Fire District commissioners at 3 p.m. today to see if he could mediate an agreement satisfactory to both sides on whether the fire district can dissolve at the end of the year as it intends.
If the fire district dissolves, left open is the question: Can the city’s Oneonta Fire Department can continue providing fire protection to the town’s Southside and other town neighborhoods?
Coccoma said state Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks, his boss, has been urging judges to implement ADR (alternative dispute resolution) to avoid lengthy litigation.
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
COOPERSTOWN – A funeral mass is planned for William Rohan Kraham, 94, a decorated bomber pilot during the D-Day invasion who then pursued a legal career specializing in aviation, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Catholic Church.
Interment will follow in the Kraham family plot at St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index.
Mr. Kraham, a Cooperstown native and longtime resident of Gaithersburg, Md., died of heart failure on Feb. 23, 2018, at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, St. Mary’s County, Md.
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
WRITERS SALON – 7:30 p.m. Begin with Open Mic session followed by presentation by poetry, fiction author George Hovis. Community Arts Network of Oneonta, Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Ave., Oneonta. 607-432-2070 or visit www.canoneonta.org/event/writers-salon-george-hovis/?instance_id=1042
OPENING RECEPTION – 7 – 9 p.m. Celebrate opening new business with complimentary champaign & hors devours. Henry March Gallery, 83 Main St., Cooperstown. E-mail info@henrymarch.com or visit www.facebook.com/henrymarchgallery/
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
Bernie Zeh tells Common Council a new fire-safety regulation has damaged his business by excluding all but one local company. Liz Rose of Peter Clark Rentals, left, seconded Zeh’s concerns. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
ONEONTA – During last evening’s Common Council, Bernie Zeh Jr. petitioned Council to hear his grievance.
Zeh said his business, ABM Fire Equipment, Hartwick Seminary, is suffering unfairly due to a recent regulation that requires fire-sprinkler inspectors to obtain a Level II inspectors certificate from the National Institute for Certification in Engineering and Technologies (NICET).
“We were not notified of this change,” Zeh said.
Common Council passed the new code at a January 2016 meeting.
“It wasn’t until August 2017, when a customer called us to say the city would not accept our report that we were even made aware that there had been a change,” said Zeh.
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
POETRY SLAM – 8 – 10:30 p.m. Open mic open to 10 students followed by featured slam poet Hanif Abdurraqib, author of poetry collection ‘The Crown Ain’t Worth Much,’ essayist, cultural critic from Columbus Ohio. Free, open to public. Waterfront room, Hunt College Union, SUNY Oneonta. Visit oneonta.campuslabs.com/engage/event/2674946
HEATSMART LAUNCH – 6:30 – 8 p.m. Launch event of Heatsmart Otsego, featuring guest speaker Jay Egg, discussing basics of Geothermal energy, how far it can go toward renewable energy future, more. Foothills Performing Arts Center, Oneonta. 607-547-4488 or visit occainfo.org/calendar/heat-smart-otsego-launch-event/
SHARE: News of Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Otsego County, NY.
