Advertisement. Advertise with us

Allstadt, Russell Fossil-Fuel Debate

Topic Of Column In New York Times

James B. Stewart
James B. Stewart

COOPERSTOWN – Under the headline, “Much Ado in Cooperstown, N.Y., Over Vote to Dump Fossil Fuel Stocks,” New York Times business columnist James B. Stewart has assessed the multi-week debate in The Freeman’s Journal/Hometown Oneonta between Lou Allstadt and David Russell on the Village Board’s decision to divest fossil-fuel stocks from one of its pension portfolios.

“The trustees of Cooperstown, N.Y., hardly expected their village (population 1,834) to emerge as a flash point in a national debate over climate change and socially responsible investing,” Stewart, author of the 1992 best-seller, “Den of Thieves,” on the collapse of Drexel Burnham Lambert, and an eminent business columnist, wrote in an article that went up on www.nytimes.com this afternoon and is due for publication in Friday’s print edition.

Stewart is familiar with Cooperstown through attending the Glimmerglass Festival, and was at The Otesaga last summer to hear the festival-sponsored discussion of the Salem witch trials that featured New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin.

CLICK HERE TO READ JAMES STEWART’S COLUMN

Posted

1 Comment

  1. Interesting doings in my old home town. As a native son of Cooperstown I would like to proffer the perspective of another native son, truly one of the first in our sometimes forgotten neck of the woods – James Fenimore Cooper. While the esteemed novelist is credited with creating the first “western”, narrating the American origin story as an unrelenting push to the sunset of European manifest destiny. But he is uniformly neglected as one of the earliest progenitors of the nascent environmental and ecological movement whose mantle was soon thereafter carried with such distinction by Thoreau and his fellow transcendentalists. Cooper’s avatar and ethical champion throughout THE LEATHERSTOCKING TALES, – Hawkeye, nee Natty Bumpo is the American original. Born a native son of the King’s colony, his opinions and actions clearly state a position of conservation, ecological and cultural consideration, and a close moral and ethical management of natural resources as ” treasured gifts” from the common maker above. Cooper’s position is consistent and perfectly clear throughout the five novels, decrying the “wasty ways” of the settlers of his father’s town (and attendant region) as they slaughter “a thousandfold flock of(carrier) pigeons” or gill-netting hundreds of the “salmon of the lake” ( Otsego Bass) by the hundreds, just because they could. But, today’s townspeople should judge for themselves; Read the books. They are terrific! One adapts quickly to the circumambulating loquacity of our early nineteenth century author. But the stories and images of our town and lake and the land that was lost are wonderful. Our most honored native son, Cooper would have certainly assented to the positive, ethical position of the Trustees abstaining from an “immoral gain against the gifts of him above.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

In Memoriam: A. George Eccleston, 71 August 28, 1951 – December 26, 2022

In MemoriamA. George Eccleston, 71August 28, 1951 - December 26, 2022 NEW BERLIN – A. George Eccleston, 71, of New Berlin, NY, passed away Monday December 26, 2022, in Cooperstown, NY, with his family by his side. George was born in Cortland, NY on August 28, 1951, the son of the late Clifford and Dora Watts Eccleston. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by two sisters Emily and Kathy and brother Ron.…

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO: 05-29-23

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for MONDAY, MAY 29 Otsego County Remembers The Fallen ONEONTA MEMORIAL DAY PARADE —10 a.m. Commemorate our country’s fallen soldiers. The day will begin with a parade (line-up at 9 a.m. and step off at 10), to commemorate Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo. A riderless horse will be included as a salute to the fallen, with CWO3 Shawn Hubner, who serves in the deceased’s unit, hand carrying the battalion colors from Fort Wainwright to Oneonta and marching in the honor guard. After the parade will be a ceremony of remembrance at 11 a.m. on the Veterans Memorial…

In Memoriam: Virginia L. Stocking

In Memoriam Virginia L. Stocking December 2, 1922-May 17, 2023 SPRINGFIELD CENTER—Virginia L. Stocking, beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, passed away on May 17, 2023 at the age of 100.  Virginia was born in Cooperstown on December 2, 1922 to Earl and Catherine Richards. She spent most of her childhood in East Springfield and graduated from Springfield Central School in June of 1940. She married Glenn C. Stocking on April 9, 1944. Virginia and Glenn devoted their lives to each other and to their family.  In addition to spending time with her family, Virginia enjoyed playing the organ,…

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.