Community Speaks Out For and Against Sign Law Amendment
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
COOPERSTOWN
Approximately three dozen people gathered at the Cooperstown Village Hall on Monday, September 23 for the Board of Trustees meeting and public hearing on proposed changes to the village’s sign law. The public hearing, where it was standing room only, comes as a result of an inquiry by Joan Parillo regarding possible placement of Hometown Heroes banners in the village. The banners can be seen in communities throughout Otsego County and New York State, and have become a popular way of honoring the service of individual veterans, but the village’s current sign law would prohibit the hanging of such banners on public property.
Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh opened the public hearing at 6:35 p.m. by reading the guidelines for public comment. Nineteen individuals respectfully addressed the assembly, including both residents of the Village of Cooperstown and those residing in the immediately surrounding areas.
Comments ranged from support of the current sign law and concerns that the banners might be too distracting and therefore likely to cause accidents, to those in favor of the proposed amendments so that veterans could be further honored here in the village, to the need for funding for veterans services.
Village resident Thomas Russo, whose father served in the Marines in Korea, said he wished this had not become a divisive issue, “but it has.”
“I am sure that we are all in favor of honoring our veterans, though we may disagree on the best way to do that,” Russo said. Russo feels there are too many banners and signs in the business district now and suggested honoring veterans in a more permanent way.
“My father believed as I do that the government owed veterans its support…owed them more than an ephemeral token of respect,” Russo continued. “As for me, I intend to continue to honor veterans by refusing to vote for anyone who thinks that being captured makes one less of a hero or who refers to them as suckers and losers.”
Floyd Bourne, commander of Cooperstown VFW Post 7128, said his organization would be willing to assist folks in the purchase and hanging of the banners, if the sign law amendments are passed. Both the VFW and the American Legion are tax exempt, Bourne said, and would be willing to take a lead role in the initiative.
“There are lots of representatives here tonight from the VFW. We feel strongly about this and are asking for a little respect. It’s not too much. It really isn’t,” he continued.
