ONEONTA – Assemblyman John Salka, R-Brookfield, who represents Oneonta, has told local foes of Riverside Apartments that the state has denied funding to RSS’ 64-unit housing project at River and Duane streets, according to an email from Donna Harmer to fellow members of Sixth Ward Neighbors United.
BURLINGTON – It saddens us to announce the death of Dean Charles Bolton, a loyal, native Burlington Son, on the rainy morning of May 24, 2019.
All of us share a common desire to be remembered when we are gone, and hope that our lives somehow made the world a better place. Upon our demise, it is customary to write an obituary, a brief re-telling of who we were, where we came from, and what we contributed to society. It is also expected that some memory, personality trait or talent be mentioned in which to personalize the fact that we had among us a most extraordinary man who loved life and did everything he could possibly do to continue living it.
Jeff Idelson, Baseball Hall of Fame president, left, and Hall board Chairman Jane Forbes Clark, right, stand with members of 30 Major League Baseball teams who made up the roster for the 2019 Hall Of Fame Classic game at Doubleday Field this afternoon in Cooperstown. Despite some sprinkles, professional ballplayers gave their fans a great game as well as T-shirt give-aways, children’s competitions, as well as signing autographs and memorabilia. At right, Maria Noto, Cooperstown, backed by the Cooperstown Sign Language club, sings the National Anthem at the beginning of the afternoon’s game. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Proprietor Trish Rost, top photo, center, is joined by members of her team, Lauren Koffer, left, and Keiko Shieber, in front of the new Cooper’s Barn, which opened Friday on Route 28 in Hartwick Seminary, serving ice cream, milk shakes, hotdogs and more. Trish is partnering with Bob Snyder, Cooperstown, in the venture. The barn-red paint replaces the tan you may remember on Penguin Ice Cream, which the Hitt family operated for 14 years. Inset left, Dakota Hitt, granddaughter of the former owners, tries out the new offerings this morning; with her is mom Crystal. Try it out before the Dreams Park crowds arrive Friday. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Cooperstown’s Pete Henrici, the retired CCS teacher and proprietor since the 1970s of the Baseball Nostalgia shop in the Doubleday parking, points out one of his business cards from the early days, which is part of Shoebox Treasures, a new exhibit – two years in the making – that opened this morning at the Hall of Fame. Inset is this morning’s ribbon cutting, with Hall President Jeff Idelson and Chairman Jane Forbes Clark flanking Bill Janetsheck and two other main donors to the exhibit. Hall of Famers visible in the background are, from left, Barry Larkin, Rollie Fingers and Bert Blyleven. Other locals attending included the father-son partnership Will and Willis, who run Willis Monie Books, and helped curator John Odell assemble the exhibit, which Jane Clark noted included as least two one-of-a-kind cards – a 1923 Casey Stengel and the rarest of all, the Honus Wagner card from 1909. The 11th annual Hall of Fame Classic, featuring Hall of Famers and MLB stars, stars at 1:05 p.m. Tickets available at Hall. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
F
rom the starting line in front of Doubleday Field a few minutes ago, Cooperstown’s Frankie Panzarella, top photo, center, and his pal Justin Wolfe, left, led the 8th annual BASE Race 5K “Fun Run” now underway through the streets of the village, the first activity in a day of Hall of Fame offerings. At 10 a.m., ribbon-cutting on the new exhibit on baseball cards, “Shoebox Treasures,” will happen at 25 Main. The 11th annual Hall of Fame Classic, featuring six Hall of Famers and many MLB standouts, begins at 1:05 p.m. at Doubleday; tickets are still on sale at the Hall. Between Frankie and Justin is Bradley Weldon of Cooperstown, who is running with Ashlyn Wolfe, an assistant Otsego County Dairy Princess. Inset, the Hall’s Shirley Tyler, who is emceeing, chats with the two celebrity starters, Grant Balfour, who played with four teams, from the Twins to the A’s, and, with back to camera, Ryan Rowland-Smith, who played with the Mariners and Diamondbacks. Both are rare Australian players who made it into the Majors. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
LAURENS – Richard S. Westcott, 75, a 35-year NYSEG lineman who was active in Laurens community life, passed away on Monday, May 20, 2019 at Chase Memorial Nursing Home in New Berlin.
Richard was born in Little Rock, Ark., to Sylvester M. and Luella A. (Towsley) Westcott.
He worked for Sampson Floors for seven years, and as a SUNY engineer before joining NYSEG.
By JENNIFER HILL • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – The 23-year-old killed upon crashing his car head-on into Deputy Sheriff Jim Mateunas’ cruiser in Springfield Center Tuesday afternoon likely did it deliberately, BCI Capt. Scott Heggelke, Troop C, said this afternoon at a joint press conference with Sheriff Richard J. Devlin, Jr.
Matthew E. All had led state police on a high-speed chase, which ended at the intersection of 20 and 80 when his Buick LaCrosse collided with the sheriff’s 2017 Chevy Tacoma with Mateunas inside. The impact was so great it sent the cruiser flying at least 200 feet.
COOPERSTOWN – In county court today, District Attorney John L. Muehl offered Gabriel Truitt, 33, a chance to plead guilty to one of two counts – second-degree murder – in the Dec. 29 arson death in Oneonta of former city firefighter John Heller.
“I offered that on the record,” said Muehl, “to try to save the (Heller) family from going through a trial.”
LEGENDS GAME – 1:05 p.m. The 11th annual Hall of Fame Classic 7-inning game w/6 HOF legends & players from all-30 MLB teams will play 7-inning game. Tickets $11-12.50. Pregame Home Run Derby at noon. Doubleday Field. Info, 607-207-9519, www.BaseballHall.org
ONEONTA – JoAnne M. Blanchard, 91, a library aide at Valleyview Elementary School until her retirement, passed away May 23, 2019 at Fox Nursing Home.
She was born Aug. 19, 1927 in Carbondale, Pa., the daughter of Joseph and Mary (Mannion) Lavin.
By JENNIFER HILL • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
ONEONTA – Sheriff’s Deputy Jim Mateunas was parked in the westbound lane of Route 20 in his Chevy Tacoma with his emergency lights flashing when Matthew All, fleeing state police in hot pursuit, plowed into the deputy’s cruiser at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday at 115 mph, according to a just-completed press briefing at the Oneonta State Police Barracks.
Earlier reports had the cruiser on the side of the highway. There was no evidence All braked or tried to avoid the collision, County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. and Capt. Scott Hegelke of Troop C’s BCI unit said during the briefing.
The impact of All’s Buick LaCrosse pushed Mateunas’ SUV 200 feet, the equivalent of twice the length of the Oneonta barracks building on Oneida Street.
The autopsy showed All, 23, of Sharon Springs, was not intoxicated. The briefing revealed All and Robin Church, the woman he was arguing with in front of the Richfield Springs State Police Barracks before the chase ensued, had been co-workers at some point, and he had been “harassing” her for a year.
COOPERSTOWN – The first pitch of the 11th Hall of Fame Classic Legends Game, bringing six Hall of Famers and other MLB stars to town, will be thrown at 1:05 p.m. Saturday (tomorrow) in Doubleday Field.
Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage will manage their respective teams, while Hall of Famers Bert Blyleven, Trevor Hoffman, Tim Raines and Alan Trammell will lend a hand in the dugout and in the coach’s boxes.
