Dropping the presidential address to graduates at SUNY Oneonta’s 130th Commencement Saturday, May 11, new President Barbara Jean Morris continued to signal she’s open to new approaches. Earlier in the week, she’d issued a 13-word mission statement, replacing a 407-word one, and communicating it to the campus community through an e-mailed video. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Representing the rest of the Susquehanna SPCA residents, Baby can’t restrain her excitement as Staffworks President Anita Vitullo, left, announces she will match donations to the $2 million “Shelter Us” fund drive dollar for dollar up to $250,000. Board member Merilyn Gould, there with fellow board member (and husband) Peter, couldn’t quite get Baby to settle down. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Anthony Eardley, former Oneonta Stallion football player, has qualified to compete on the TV show, “American Ninja Warriors.” Filming begins Monday. Meanwhile, he’s working out in his parents’ backyard at 1 Tilton Ave. (Ian Austin /AllOTSEGO.com)
HOW SWEET IT IS! Jacob Russell raises his fist in triumph after he and Patrick Dewey completed the Boston Marathon Monday in 3:28:53, in the top 30 percent of runners overall. The two are running pals from their Cooperstown Central days. Jacob is graduating from Harvard next month, and Patrick from Edinboro University in Pennsylvania. (Max Prager photo/Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com)
Melissa Ackerly of Delhi, right, and Alexandria Murphy of Oneonta were among the bereft customers peering through the window Monday, April 7, for a final look at their beloved Friendly’s, open since 1962. The Oneonta restaurant was one of two dozen the company closed Sunday, April 6, in Upstate New York and New England as it rethinks its marketing, menu, store design and changing demographics of its customers, according to a statement by President George Michel. Already, crews were taking out the ice-bins and removing counters. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
It was in with the new Thursday, March 28, at the annual meeting of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce. The new executive director, Tara Burke, left, was introduced, and Stacey Grady, Springbrook director of development, was elected board president, succeeding Danielle Henrici, former Fenimore Art Museum education directors. New board members elected included Scott Barton, right, proprietor of the Hickory Grove Inn and the Lake N Pines Motel on West Lake Road, and Jess Lanza who has added a new men’s line at Kate’s Upstate, Cooperstown, which he is operating with wife Kate. For slide show of the event at Brewery Ommegang’s new cafe, click here. (Jim Kevlin/www.AllOTSEGO.com)
Advertisement — One Cent Reward. Ran away from the subscriber, on the 23rd instant, an indented apprentice boy, named Barnabas Bebee, 16 years of age. Whoever will take up the said runaway shall receive the above reward, but no charges – all
persons are forbid harboring or trusting
him on my account.
April 5, 1819
175 YEARS AGO
The Bell Plough – This Plough is manufactured at Amsterdam, Montgomery County by the inventor, Mr. George Bell. It was tested at the Ploughing Match, held by the Otsego County Agricultural Society last Fall and pronounced an excellent work better than any other Plough on trial, and would have taken the premium for Ploughs but for the fact of the owner being deficient in not having a certificate of the inventor to ensure an entry for origination. The Ploughs are for sale by Sullivan and Wood in Cooperstown, and by the Subscriber in Springfield about two miles south of Willoughby’s Tavern, and eight miles north of Cooperstown, where they can be seen in practical operation. Thomas Pegg, Springfield, April 1, 1844.
April 1, 1844
150 YEARS AGO
Our first real spring day was Saturday last, when Master Robin promptly made his appearance and gladdened the hearts of the early risers by his sweet song. The Blue Bird was here before him this year, having made his notes heard as early as the ninth. During the winter a small flock of birds, strangers to most of us, have made Cooperstown their home. They are the Pine Grosbeak, well known in Canada and still more northern climes.
The Motive Power invented by Mr. M.V. Rowley of Worcester is attracting a great deal of attention as a valuable machine and it will soon be introduced east and west. It is found to answer an excellent purpose in pumping water, churning, &c.
Two ladies in Lancaster, Massachusetts lately started out with petitions, one for signatures asking the legislature to give women the privilege of voting and the other praying the legislature to allow women to remain in their proper sphere. The latter ran ahead by about 26.
April 2, 1869
125 YEARS AGO
Local Briefs – The fact that Captain Watkins is offering his steamer and stage line for sale, calls to notice more prominently the fact that it is a matter of importance to business interests that a line shall be opened from the Catskills, viz. railroad, stage and boat to Richfield Springs. A well-managed line would be very popular and do a handsome summer business.
In the drama “Rio Grande” which will be reproduced by local talent in Village Hall, April 20, under the auspices of Phinney Hose Co., Miss Luce of Richfield Springs will take the part of Sophia, the Colonel’s daughter; Edward V. Conliss that of Colonel Lawton, and Everett Grout, Johnny Bangs. The boys are bound to bring this play out
in good style.
April 5, 1894
100 YEARS AGO • 1919
75 YEARS AGO
Sgt. Walter Eggleston, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Eggleston of Cooperstown who is stationed in England with a Tank Destroyer Division, was recently promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Mrs. Eggleston is doing responsible work in the Curtis Airplane factory in Philadelphia.
Miss Thelma Mae Campbell, younger daughter of Mayor and Mrs. Harry G. Campbell, returned Wednesday evening of last week from Buffalo where she was inducted as a volunteer in the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. She is remaining at her home in Cooperstown until she is called for basic training at New River, North Carolina. Miss Campbell was graduated from Cooperstown High School in 1941.
April 5, 1944
50 YEARS AGO
In Cooperstown – Mark K. Armstrong, son of Mr. and Mrs. William Armstrong of this village, has been named to the Dean’s List with first honors at Holy Cross
College in Worcester, Massachusetts, for the fall semester.
Howard Marlette of Mt. Vision was the speaker at the regular weekly luncheon meeting of the Rotary Club held Tuesday of last week at the Hotel Otesaga. Mr. 17Marlette presented a talk, illustrated with color slides, on his experiences while a member of a “People to People” tour of Europe last year. He visited a number of countries in Western Europe and also Russia and Poland in the Eastern Bloc, viewing farm operations there.
April 2, 1969
25 YEARS AGO
At the March meeting of the Otsego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, three students were honored for essays they wrote on topics concerning American history. Ashley Young, a fifth-grade student from Cherry Valley-Springfield, read her essay on “What the Flag of the United States Means to Me.” Michael Bosley, a fifth-grade Student from Cooperstown Central School, read his essay on the same topic. Chrissy Pasquale, a 7th grade student from Milford Central School, read her essay entitled “Coming to America in Colonial Days (1607-1776). Clara Chase, Chair of the American History Committee of the DAR, presented each student with a certificate and a monetary prize.
Cooperstown teachers Harry Peplinski, Nancy Iversen, and Thomas Good were recently enlisted by Stanley Hall, President of Leatherstocking Consultants, to develop laboratory equipment lists for the teaching of general science, biology, chemistry and physics for the International College located in Beirut, Lebanon.
April 5, 1994
10 YEARS AGO
The Centennial of the Otesaga Hotel – The Otesaga Hotel’s history dates back to March 1908 when brothers Edward S. Clark and Stephen C. Clark purchased the Holt-Averill property in Cooperstown as the site for a summer hotel. The property’s ten acres included 700 feet of Otsego Lake shoreline. Percy Griffin of New York City was the architect, and construction began in July 1908. The hotel opened on July 12, 1909, and was “conceded to be the finest summer hotel” upstate. It was named “O-te-sa-ga,” an American Indian phrase for “Place of Meeting.” The hotel originally had 179 sleeping rooms, including 26 rooms on
the top floor for staff. Today, it has 135
air-conditioned guest rooms and suites.
In Hometown Oneonta, a $225,000 DRI grant was awarded last week for a “transformative” project downtown. Beyond that, nobody – even the developer – seems to know what the plan is. In The Freeman’s Journal, read about 6-foot-8 John Owens, a member of a dynasty of CCS athletes who helped take the Hawkeyes to the state champion Final Four this weekend in Binghamton. On AllOTSEGO.com, Dwight and Aileen Pier tell the story of their success on Liquor Deport’s 20th anniversary on Southside, and fifth anniversary in its mega-store. All this and more, on newsstands today.
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal & HOMETOWN ONEONTA – Karen Katz applauds Congressman Delgado’s arrival, flanked by her husband, former mayor Jeff, and Otsego 2000’s Ellen Pope. In the foreground is Randy Velez, Catholic deacon.
By LIBBY CUDMORE • HOMETOWN ONEONTA & The Freeman’s Journal
Nikki Bower knows sometimes good food can be messy. She and husband Sean were early local adopters of a growing barbeque wedding trend when they married in 2016.
Editor’s Note: This article appeared in the Thursday-Friday, Jan. 10-11 print editions in anticipation of yesterday’s 2019 Wedding Expo at Foothills. For photos of the event, see this week’s print editions, on newsstands Wednesday afternoon.
ONEONTA – Nikki Bower reminds you to always eat barbeque with care.“I’m not a girly-girl, so wearing a wedding dress all day was hard for me,” she joked. “I was trying to eat responsibly, but I got barbeque sauce all down the front of my dress!”
Nikki and her husband Sean, married June 25, 2016, were on the cutting edge of the latest in wedding trends – forgoing filet mignon and lobster tails for some good old-fashioned barbeque.
Plus much more news of the week, from Governor Cuomo blocking a $3.5 million grant to bring natural gas to the county, to Hartwick College naming a new provost, to veteran Trustee Bruce Maxson retiring from the Cooperstown Village Board. Available this afternoon at newsstands across Otsego County.
…Plus editorials, features, obituaries and much more in this week’s editions of Otsego County’s community newspapers, Hometown Oneonta and The Freeman’s Journal, on newsstands this afternoon.
With pet lovers as far away at the U.K., read full story, plus exclusive photos, in this week’s edition of The Freeman’s Journal and Hometown Oneonta, on newsstands now.