Hartwick

In Memoriam Stephen L. Sheldon, 67 July 1, 1955 – May 17, 2023

By: Staff 05/23/2023 12:08 pm

In Memoriam

Stephen L. Sheldon, 67

July 1, 1955 – May 17, 2023

HARTWICK—Stephen Lee Sheldon, a lifelong area resident, passed away Wednesday, May 17, 2023, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown. He was 67.

Born July 1, 1955 in Cooperstown, Steve was one of four sons of William Lee and Grace Patricia (Davidson) Sheldon. He attended Cooperstown Central School and graduated with the Class of 1973.

On November 10, 1979, he was joined in marriage to Jane Marie Morris in a ceremony at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown. They moved to Hemlock Hill Farm in 1986 and raised four loving and strong-willed children in an idyllic country setting. Steve was a dedicated family man, always wanting to know how his children and the extended family were doing.

In Memoriam Wayne K. Bush Sr. 1941-2023

By: Staff 04/13/2023 1:51 pm

In Memoriam

Wayne K. Bush Sr.

1941-2023

MOUNT VISION—Wayne K. Bush Sr., a life-long area resident, passed away at his home in Mount Vision Tuesday morning, April 11, 2023. He was 82.

Born January 16, 1941 in Laurens, Wayne was a son of Walter K. and Olive W. (Spoor) Bush. He attended schools in Laurens and Hartwick.

On June 12, 1960, he married Joan L. Raimo in a ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Hartwick. They enjoyed 40 years together until she passed November 12, 2000.

He was first employed for Lyncoach & Truck Co. in Oneonta. He then went to work as a welder for the Delaware and Hudson Railway at their yards in Oneonta. After 28 years with The D&H he started W.K. Bush & Son Welding in Hartwick, which is now owned and operated by his son, Wayne Jr. He also had a trucking business that hauled livestock for farmers throughout the State of New York.

Internet Breakfast Café Opens In Historic Store

By: Staff 02/18/2023 8:00 am

Internet Breakfast Café
Opens In Historic Store

Coffee, Community the Inspiration

The long-awaited Freight Wheel Café offers free wi-fi and printer access, with space to eat, work, and socialize.

By MAE LOEWENGUTH
HARTWICK
An analyst from Bassett Healthcare and an environmental advocate have been working since 2009 to restore what was once known as O.S. Burch & Son, a dry goods/general store. The historical building, dating back to 1864, is now known as the Freight Wheel Café.

Owners Martha and Paul Clarvoe met and were wed in the state of Maryland. They later decided it was time to get back to nature—eventually choosing upstate New York, where they settled and raised three children.

In Memoriam Paul Mullins, 73 April 17, 1949 – January 28, 2023

By: Staff 01/31/2023 11:19 am

In Memoriam

Paul Mullins, 73

April 17, 1949 – January 28, 2023

HARTWICK—Paul Patrick “Moon” Mullins, 73, of Hartwick, entered into eternal rest surrounded by his loving family Saturday evening, January 28, 2023, at his home.

A native of Canada, Paul was born April 17, 1949 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, one of nine children of Patrick Joseph Mullins and Bridget “Betty” (O’Brien) Mullins.

After graduating from high school, Paul enlisted in the United States Air Force on March 25, 1968 and proudly served his country during the Vietnam War. While he was stationed in Japan at the USAF Hospital at Tachikawa Air Base he met Cooperstown native Mary Giovanna Curcio, and the two were married September 21, 1971 in Tokyo. Paul earned the rank of Sergeant, was transferred to the USAF Reserves in 1972, and received his honorable discharge in 1974.

In Memoriam Dwaine R. Sharratt, 67 October 6, 1955 – November 19, 2022

By: Staff 11/28/2022 10:55 am

In Memoriam

Dwaine R. Sharratt, 67

October 6, 1955 – November 19, 2022

HARTWICK – Dwaine R. Sharratt, who owned and operated Beaver Valley Campground with his wife, Juli, and their children, passed away Saturday morning, November 19, 2022, at his home in the Town of Hartwick from the neurodegenerative disorder Multiple System Atrophy. At the age of 67, he has now completed the final pages of the book of his life.

Born October 6, 1955, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dwaine was the son of Lloyd Donald Sharratt and Veronica “Ronnie” Louise (Justin) Sharratt.

He was raised in Richfield, Minnesota, and graduated from Richfield High School in 1974. He captained his high school gymnastics team, played football from peewee through high school, and played baseball from tee-ball well into adulthood.

In Memoriam Dorothy M. McLean, 81 January 26, 1941 – October 14, 2022

By: Staff 10/21/2022 2:48 pm

In Memoriam

Dorothy M. McLean, 81

January 26, 1941 – October 14, 2022

HARTWICK – Dorothy “Dot” M. McLean, 81, of Hartwick, passed away unexpectedly, Friday, October 14, 2022 in Cooperstown, NY.

Dot was born January 26, 1941 in Hobart, NY, the second daughter of the late Leslie and Mary Jane (Whispell) Kelsey.

Dot married Arnold “Cork” McLean on September 20, 1958, and together they raised their children in the Hartwick area. She was a great supporter of all family activities and never missed the annual McLean Family Reunion or an opportunity to square dance with Cork and friends. She loved taking photos and was considered the family photographer, if you were looking for a captured moment go to one of her many photo albums. She was a lover of country music, spent hours watching the hummingbirds from her kitchen window and never passed a covered bridge without taking a photo. She could be found supporting area craft shows over the years and also enjoyed volunteering at the SPCA Thrift Shop on Friday mornings, where she made many new friends.

Hartwick Resident Publishes Debut Novel, Reflects on Recent Storm

By: Staff 10/07/2022 4:00 pm

Hartwick Resident
Publishes Debut Novel,
Reflects on Recent Storm

In the wake of Hurricane Ian, with massive recovery efforts now underway, a new novel by Hartwick resident Jeff O’Handley is particularly relevant.

“Powerless,” Mr. O’Handley’s debut work, was published by Breaking Night Press in August. The inspiration for the story came, ironically enough, while driving through a hurricane.

“I had to pick my daughter up at her friend’s house. At one point, an image popped into my head of the road flooded out. I asked myself, ‘What if I couldn’t get to the house to pick her up?’ It was a terrible thought,” Mr. O’Handley said. “It also seemed like it would make a great story. Once I started writing, it took a lot of twists and turns and changed quite a bit, but that’s where it started.”

In Memoriam: Karen Burgess, 64 October 18, 1957 – July 19, 2022

By: Staff 07/22/2022 3:57 pm

In Memoriam

Karen Burgess, 64

October 18, 1957 – July 19, 2022

HARTWICK – Karen Burgess (née Stefanachi) departed our world on July 19th, 2022, due to complications from heart surgery while surrounded by loved ones. She was 64.

Karen was born October 18th, 1957, in Rockville Centre to Eugene and Barbara Stefanachi. She grew up in Uniondale and attended Uniondale High School where she excelled in art and being that effortlessly cool chick. During a summer visit to Cooperstown, she met Mike Burgess on Main St., who she instantly recognized as ‘that cool guy she had seen around town.’ They married in 1977 and moved to Hartwick in 1983 with their three young daughters.

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO: Electric Vehicles and Green Energy Fair 05-21-22

By: Staff 05/20/2022 5:00 pm

HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO for SATURDAY, MAY 21

Electric Vehicles and
Green Energy Fair

14-19eventspage

EV CAR SHOW – 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. HeatSmart Hartwick presents car show featuring Electric Vehicles, their owners, car dealers, and information about purchasing an EV and the benefits of ownership. There will also be booths from solar panel installers, clean heating and cooling, other initiatives to fight climate changes. Husky Park, Wells Ave., Hartwick. 607-293-6654 or visit doas.us/hartwick-ev-car-show/

In Memoriam Gerald D. Monroe, 76 September 13, 1945 – May 8, 2022

By: Staff 05/10/2022 3:38 pm

In Memoriam

Gerald D. Monroe, 76

September 13, 1945 – May 8, 2022

COOPERSTOWN – Gerald Douglas “Jerry” “Jiggs” Monroe, 76, of Cooperstown, passed away Sunday morning, May 8, 2022, at the Samuel S. Stratton V.A. Medical Center in Albany following a valiant battle with cancer.

Jerry, or Jiggs, as many people knew him, was born September 13, 1945, in Cooperstown, a son of Walter J. and Ernestine (Tabor) Monroe. He was raised in Hartwick and attended Hartwick High School.

On November 22, 1965, Jerry was inducted into the United States Army. He proudly served his country during the Vietnam War as part of Company E, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry, 4th Infantry Division, and received a Purple Heart for injuries received in the line of duty. On November 12, 1967, he received his honorable discharge from the military.

Following his military service he was employed for 37 years as a gunsmith for Remington Arms in Ilion.

Gaslighting Hartwick

By: Ted Potrikus 04/14/2022 9:00 am

Gaslighting Hartwick

Editorial: April 14, 2022

The saddest truth, in the end, is a person died several weeks after a horrible in-home accident, and to the family of Flora Polulech, The Freeman’s Journal/Hometown Oneonta sends our sympathy.

Late in the afternoon on Friday, April 8, New York State Police issued a press release finally admitting they found a January 2, 2022 incident to be a sad and tragic accident. It’s called a “Friday news dump” — late on a Friday afternoon is the perfect time to send out a press release that the issuer would rather see lost in a weekend news cycle, the timing exceptionally matched here to a heavy load of state budget news out of Albany. It’s like a newspaper using the Legal Notices page to bury a correction to a howling error on a front-page story.

Remember this: the State Police issued a guns-a-blazin’ press release on January 3, 2022 “looking for person(s) who burglarized then injured an elderly homeowner in Hartwick.” Police asserted with provocative certainty that “the suspect(s) unlawfully entered a residence on Poplar Avenue and caused physical injury to an elderly victim.” Frightening stuff indeed.

That gaslighting bulletin put local residents on edge and kicked off rampaging speculation as to who did what to whom and the extent to which the victim was harmed. One month later, on February 2, we asked State Police to

Hartwick incident an accident

By: Ted Potrikus 04/11/2022 11:41 am

NYSP determines Hartwick incident to be an accident

New York State Police issued a statement late in the afternoon on Friday, April 8, announcing “no criminal activity occurred” in a January 2 incident in Hartwick and “the victim’s injuries were the result of an unfortunate fall.”

The Freeman’s Journal / Hometown Oneonta first reported in our February 3 edition that sources with direct knowledge of the investigation already had determined the unfortunate incident to be an in-home accident. New York State Police told The Freeman’s Journal / Hometown Oneonta at the time they had determined the January 2 event “appears to be an isolated incident.”

According to the April 8 statement from the New York State Police, “Investigators spent months conducting interviews and examining evidence, ultimately leading to the determination that the woman’s physical injuries were caused when she fell inside her home. The investigation has determined that no criminal activity occurred in the home and the victim’s injuries were the result of an unfortunate fall. Sadly, the woman passed away several weeks after her fall. She is identified as 86-year-old Flora Polulech.

The New York State Police offers our sympathy to the fall victim’s family, and are glad to report that no crime occurred and there is no threat to the community. We also thank the Hartwick community for their patience while we fully investigated this incident to ensure accuracy and public safety.”

Green Cow relocates to Hartwick

By: Ted Potrikus 03/10/2022 11:25 am

Green Cow still open but mooooves to Hartwick

The Green Cow Butcher Shop may have moved out of its shop on Railroad Avenue in Cooperstown, but they are still all-local and still in the community!

Renamed Little Lakes Ranch (after where the meat is raised), customers will find the store located at Trinity Meat, a sister company and custom slaughterhouse in Hartwick.

“We enjoyed having our retail operation in Cooperstown,” Andy Pomeroy, General Manager of Trinity Meats said. “By moving to Hartwick, we’ve reduced our overhead costs so we can offer a more competitive product.”

“We’ll have all of the same products The Green Cow had, but more,” Mr. Pomeroy said. “We are more streamlined and in control with this new operation. We’ve been able to expand our product line in our smokehouse, which is on premise, and that will include bacon, sausage and snack sticks.”

Another convenience for the community will be the delivery service they offer. “We’ll be delivering in Cooperstown and Oneonta on a weekly basis; order online and we deliver it right to your door. It’s never been more convenient.”

“Because we are self-sufficient and do everything on-premise, we can hold our prices down. The largest processors control the price of beef right now; we can set our own pricing structure,” Mr. Pomeroy said.

“At Trinity Meats, we also butcher private party animals; about 90 percent of our time is on private party. That’s nice to be able to offer that service to our community as well,” he said.

“We are 100% grass fed and finished,” Mr. Pomeroy said. “That keeps our calves on the mother’s milk for eight to nine months. Grain-fed cattle are with their mothers for two to three months. By leaving them on their mother’s milk as we do, that marbles the meat, puts more fat into, it so it enhances the flavor”.

“Our main objective here is to sell the beef that comes locally from Little Lakes Ranch, process it and get it to the consumer as fast and fresh as we can. It’s important we stay connected to our customers as much as possible,” Mr. Pomeroy said.

In Memoriam David S. Wilshere, 78 August 28, 1943 – February 4, 2022

By: Staff 02/07/2022 9:51 am

In Memoriam

David S. Wilshere, 78

August 28, 1943 – February 4, 2022

COOPERSTOWN – David Sprague Wilshere, a long-time resident of Cooperstown who served as caretaker of Doubleday Field for many years, passed away late Friday night, February 4, 2022, at his home on Curry Road in Hartwick with his wife, Meme, by his side. He was 78.

Born August 28, 1943, in Iowa City, Iowa, David was a son of Vernon S. “Whitey” Wilshere, a left-handed pitcher who played for Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics in the 1930s, and Betty Jean Munden Wilshere, a painter and Emergency Room RN at Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown.

When he was four-years-old, David and his family moved from the mid-west to his father’s hometown of Skaneateles, where David attended a one-room schoolhouse. In 1953, they moved to Cooperstown and settled into their home on Chestnut Street.

A graduate of Cooperstown High School, Class of 1961, David excelled in sports and was a letterman in baseball, football, wrestling and track.

In September of 1961, David enlisted in the United States Navy, and proudly served his country during a tour of duty at the NATO base in Naples, Italy. During this time his wife and daughter joined him. He received his honorable discharge from active duty in the military on August 10, 1964, and was released from the reserves in August 1967.

Ryan Scott Bennett, 30 September 6, 1991 – December 8, 2021.

By: Staff 12/13/2021 1:06 pm

In Memoriam

Ryan Scott Bennett, 30

September 6, 1991 – December 8, 2021.

HARTWICK – Ryan Scott Bennett, 30, passed away unexpectedly at his home in Hartwick on Wednesday, December 8, 2021.

He was born September 6, 1991, at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, the son of Deborah Lynn Ubner Bennett. After graduating from Cooperstown Central School with the Class of 2010, he attended Herkimer County Community College.

Most recently he was employed as a cook at Stagecoach Coffee in Cooperstown.

Ryan valued the time spent with his family, whether on holidays or ordinary days, whether at the beach, the park, or home on the couch playing video games. He enjoyed going places and outdoor activities with his Mom and daughter. Ryan adored his daughter Aubree, taking great pride in her achievements and supporting her goals.

News of Otsego County

In Memoriam

July 1, 1955 – May 17, 2023

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