Jay Egg of Geothermal is keynoter at the Otsego Chamber’s “Energy Summit.”
COOPERSTOWN – With a week to go, 125 people have already signed up for the Otsego County Chamber’s “Energy Summit: Infrastructure & Economy,” and the day has expanded from the original six hours to a nine-hour program to accommodate a growing roster of speakers.
Planned Thursday, Jan. 31, at The Otesaga, the summit will be able to accommodate about 200 people. To register, call 432-4500, extension 104, or email karen@otsegocc.com.
After announcing the original concept, the phone started ringing with suggested speakers, Chamber President Barbara Ann Heegan said in an interview a few minutes ago, and she kept adding speakers to ensure “a balanced agenda.”
DAR New York State Regent Nancy Wallace Zwetsch, Penn Yan, was in Otsego County Dec. 15, joining 40 local Daughters of the American Revolution at their annual holiday luncheon at The Otesaga. The regent, the DAR’s top state official, briefed attendees on a project to digitize the state archives in Albany. Jim Atwell of Cooperstown shared remembrances of times past; Sue Straub of Fly Creek led the group in holiday songs. Attendees include, from left, Theresa Willemsen, state chaplain, National vice chair/Northeast Division; Nancy Fish Hanna, Astenrogen Chapter regent; Priscilla Smith Davis, state custodian and library chair; Kate Brust, Fort Plain chapter; Mrs. Zwetsch, and Lisa Michaels Smith, Otsego Chapter regent.
Greg Hall, left, gets in some sleigh-driving practice with his horses Monty and Andy ahead of tonight’s Santa Parade in downtown Cooperstown. With him are Reilly and Finbar Doyle, center, and Carolyn Roth. At 5 p.m., Hall will drive Santa and Mrs. Claus to their cozy Pioneer Park cabin, but until then, he’s giving free sleigh rides from the Otesaga every half hour. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
If Boise, Idaho, and Bozeman, Mont., could create vibrant economies based on knowledge workers, so can Oneonta, business consultant Al Cleinman told today’s Workforce Summit at The Otesaga. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Senator Seward said he would support Cleinman’s “Come Home” initiative, and expand it to include “Stay Home.”
COOPERSTOWN – After a rousing salute to “knowledge-based industry,” a local businessman with a national clientele, Al Cleinman, today announced he intends to lead a “Come Home to Oneonta” campaign.
Cleinman was addressing the Workforce Summit at The Otesaga, where attendees learned we have more jobs than people. The day was organized by the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce and the office of state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, who immediately warmed up to Cleinman’s idea.
The idea is to lure back some of the 75,000 living Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta graduates – executives, consultants, business owners and tech employees who can work anywhere – to reposition the local economy.
Almost 200 well-wishers turned out this evening to applaud honorees at the Otsego County Chamber’s 19th annual Banquet & Celebration of Small Business at The Otesaga. From left are Chamber board chair Nick Savin; Arc Otsego’s Pat Knuth and ReUse Center Manager Bill Hardy, who won the Breakthrough Award; Charlotte and Chris Chase of Directive, a 25-year-old computer services business, which won the Small Business Award; Hartwick College’s Kelsey Prest and SUNY Oneonta’s Emily Ahlqvist, Interns of the Year, and Chamber President Barbara Ann Heegan and state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Other members of “Team Fetterman” joined the latest honoree, county Judge John Lambert, after today’s luncheon at The Otesaga. Front row, from left, are Mark Rathbun, Jack Vineyard, Pat Hazzard, Frank Miosek, Lambert, Bobby Hall, Ted Kantorowski, Brenda Wedderspoon-Gray, Dave Adsit, Brenda Jaeger and Bruce Andrews. Second row, from left, Mike Perrino, Ed Hazzard, Bud Lippitt, Dave Bliss, Sharkey Nagelschmidt, Bob Snyder and Ted Spencer. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
By JIM KEVLIN • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
John Lambert and Jane Forbes Clark pose for photographs today after she presented him with the Fetterman Award.
COOPERSTOWN – It was a lesson in the right attitude.
County Judge John Lambert, honored as the latest recipient of the Clark Sports Center’s Fetterman Award today at an Otesaga luncheon, was able to relate a first-hand story about Patrick Fetterman, a fabled director of the Clark Gym.
It was at a Biddy Basketball Tournament in St. Johnsville more than three decades ago. Lambert was in sixth grade; Fetterman was coaching, when one of the Cooperstown players made everyone’s concern explicit: “They’re cheating with the clock,” he said.
Singing Juliet’s Waltz, Alyssa Martin of Greensboro, N.C., represented the Glimmerglass Young Artists Program at today’s Rotary luncheon at The Otesaga. Ben Schaefer of Des Moines, Iowa, sang Figaro from “The Barber of Seville.” Kyle Naig, also of Des Moines, accompanied on piano for both. Listening Rotarians at the table in front of Martin include, from left, Marge Landers, Irene Fassett, Hugh McDougall, Mike Otis and the Rev. Dane Boston. (Parker Fish/AllOTSEGO.com)
Pathfinder Village honorees and luncheon attendees include, front row, from left, Charleen Orendorff, Enrichment Services, (30); Cindy Holbert, Residential (30); Eva Pickens, Ancillary (35); Dan Osborn, Ancillary (35); second row, from left, Stephanie Beams RN, Nursing; Paula Schaeffer, Enrichment Services (20); Cody Ray, Adult Day Services (10); Destiny Curl, ADS (5); Michael Cornell, ADS; Nancy Olsen, Residential; Diana Cadwell, Residential; Cheryl Winton, Adult Day Services (5), CEO Paul C. Landers ; third row, from left, Taylor Brose, Residential Services; Barry Benjamin, Maintenance (15); Kris Tilbe, Maintenance.
EDMESTON – Pathfinder Village celebrated the longevity of 16 employees – 280 years combined – at a luncheon Tuesday at The Otesaga.
Honorees included Senior Director Dan Osborn and Eva Pickens of the Ancillary Department, who each have served 35 years. Those celebrating 30-year anniversaries included Pathfinder School Teacher Nancy Kelly, Direct Support Professional Cindy Holbert, and Assistant Director of Enrichment Services Charleen Orendorff.
The Otsego Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution honored four winners of the annual Flag Essay Contest at the May meeting at The Otesaga. The Flag Essay Award went to Paul Crowell, front, son of Melodee and Dan Crowell, Fly Creek. Good Citizenship Awards went to Zeyneb Henderson, left, daughter of Layla Henderson, Milford; Megan Wilmot, center, daughter of Teresa and Gerry Wilmot, Cherry Valley; and Thomas Knight, right, son of Susan and Eric Knight, Cooperstown.
Mike Toulson, lead singer of the band “Flux Capacitor” and Cooperstown High School math teacher, rocks out as Cooperstown Senior Christopher Mateunas (In the red vest) looks on. The senior class filled the Otesaga ballroom for a night of elegant fashion, and plenty of dancing. (Parker Fish/AllOTSEGO.com)
Lining up for a portrait in front of Otsego Lake’s famed vistas as the 60th Cooperstown Ballroom Cotillion began last evening at The Otesaga are, from left, Henry Michaels, Ashton Jicha, Theodore Ignatovsky, Ben van der Riet, Gavin Henry, Luca Gardner-Olesen, Declan White and Sam Vezza. At left, mom and daughter combination, Jean Marie and Jessica Cocivi, battle high winds as they pose for photos. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
PUBLIC MEETING – 7 – 8 p.m. Help enhance Huntington Park. Tina Winstead, Library Director, presents the conceptual design and the community is invited to give ideas and feedback. Help create a beautiful and welcoming park. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Call 607-432-1980 or visit www.facebook.com/hmloneonta/
ART STUDIO – 3:30 p.m. Young artists and their families are invited to explore basic art techniques, from acrylics to water colors. All welcome. Arkell Museum, 2 Erie Blvd., Canajoharie. Call 518-673-2314 or visit www.arkellmuseum.org/events-calendar
Guest of Honor Gerry Miller, fifth from right, a long-time Bassett surgical staff member, poses with family at the Valentine’s Soiree.
COOPERSTOWN – The Friends of Bassett’s second Valentine’s Soiree attracted 400 celebrants and raised $160,000 for a new state-of-the-art operating room at the Cooperstown hospital.
The live auction and raffles contributed more than $20,000 of the total proceeds.
A life-size Oscar looks on approvingly at this evening’s honorees at the Otsego County Chamber’s 18th annual Banquet & Celebration of Small Business, now underway at The Otesaga. Center right, Springbrook President Patricia Kennedy and Finance Committee chair Bill Mirabito accepted the Breakthrough Award. Center left, Barbara Roberts and Joan Fox accepted the Small Business Award on behalf of their Keller Williams realty network. Hartwick College’s Allison Homler, left, and SUNY Oneonta’s Matthew Coville, right, were Interns of the Year. A new format – an evening of networking – was tested this year: The awards were presented first, then the 250 guests went through a buffet line and circulated, introducing themselves of other guests, chatting and snacking. The big Oscar was created by Ian Austin of Oneonta for the Fox Hospital’s recent annual gala, but is now making the circuit of the season’s social events. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Veteran Republican consultant Roger Stone, top photo, left, shares insights with, from right, Otsego County Republican chairman Vince Casale, Lynne Krogh and Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. last evening at the annual county Republican Dinner at The Otesaga. Stone, who has recently published “The Making of The American President 2016,” said the Netflix movie based on the book has caused a spike in sales. Controversial dating back to his days as an operative for President Richard M. Nixon, as well as his friendship with President Trump, Stone’s appearance also stirred a protest across Lake Street from the resort hotel, led by Maguire Benton, president of the Otsego County Young Democrats, in photo at left. With him are Toni McGrath, right, and Anita Pratt, both of Delmar, where they belong to a “huddle,” a group seeking to apply lessons learned at the Women’s March in Washington in January. (Jim Kevlin/AllOTSEGO.com)
