County Highway Crew Installs

First Solar-Powered Stop Sign

The county Highway Department has installed its first solar-powered stop sign, county Highway Supt. Bill Mason announced today.  It is at County Routes 11 and 14 southwest of Hartwick hamlet, where east-bound traffic from New Lisbon goes down a sharp incline just before the intersection.  This is the third such sign in Otsego County, after one at Center and Church, Oneonta.  At the encouragement of crossing guard Thomas “Stretch” Redding, a second was installed two years ago in front of Cooperstown Elementary School.  “We selected this location to try first because of issues with fog at this ‘T’ intersection,” said Mason.  “First, we enhanced the ‘Stop Ahead’ sign post, then the ‘Stop’ sign post (the red stripe), then removed several trees right at the top of the ‘T’, then we added this new sign.  We will try a couple of these this season and see how they hold up.”