Advertisement. Advertise with us

Letter from Mary Ann Whelan

Transfer Station Dispute Continues

The recent letter in response to criticisms of the Northern Transfer station by the Oneonta division manager overstates the virtues of said facility. It is inconceivable that anyone could take “great pride” in that facility when Casella is ranked in the bottom 25 percent on ZoomInfo with regard to management, and at the bottom of seven competing businesses.

Casella is located in Vermont and it is difficult to believe that the division manager has ever been on site (she could not be reached for comment). I would be interested in the compliments allegedly received: Perhaps they could be published? There has been no detectable interest in cleaning up the litter along the “fence” until the publication of a complaint. The division manager implies that despite hiring efforts they have been forced to rely on their other “staff members” and says it is “no small task,” but that is because they aren’t hired for enough time to attend to it.

Her comment about the County Board responsibility is off point: I was informed by the prior county solid waste management person that it was their responsibility beyond the rail, but that he had been unable to come up with the necessary funds. The busted-down snow fence, meant to keep trash from blowing into the field below it, has been (ineffectually) present for at least three years. Somebody please fix it. It would probably take about 20 minutes to
pull up and perhaps another hour to replace.

Recycling does not go into a covered dumpster as claimed. It goes into a rusting-out bin that has holes in the sides and permanently open areas where the recyclables are put in, as anyone who takes their recycling there knows. When the weather comes from the right direction rain and snow get in: This Monday, for example, I photographed some snow-covered material. From those bins it is transferred to covered storage at the site (the adjacent ground being covered with trash) and then hauled away to a recycling center, but wet cardboard is not recyclable.

The area where one stands to put the recyclables into these bins is muddy or menacingly icy, depending on the season.

The site was much better managed under MOSA, and Casella’s contract should be reconsidered.

Mary Anne Whelan
Cooperstown

Posted

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Related Articles

Lapin: Re: Scanlon No-show

As a former representative, I can attest to the importance of committee meetings. It is here that legislation is drafted, initiatives are proposed, and issues facing the county are addressed.…

Hamill: Scanlon Needs To Start Showing Up

The incumbent needs to take off his blinders from his eyes and the plugs from his ears to be there for his constituents and to be seen and heard at the committee meetings he has been in charge of.…

Hamill: Best Wishes for Clark Oliver

Letter from John G. Hamill IV Best Wishes for Clark Oliver As a fellow Democrat, Ward 1 resident, and City of Oneonta resident, I sincerely thank former County Representative Clark Oliver for what he has accomplished, achieved, and the work plus effort he has put in during his time and service as a County Board representative. I must admit that dedicated leaders are hard to come by, but Clark Oliver definitely has been a dedicated leader for our county. Mr. Oliver will do the same excellent job in his new role in our state government as he has done as…

Putting the Community Back Into the Newspaper

Now through March 30, new annual subscribers to “The Freeman’s Journal” and AllOtsego.com (or subscribers who have lapsed for two or more years) have an opportunity to help their choice of one of four Otsego County charitable organizations.

$5.00 of your subscription will be donated to the nonprofit of your choice:

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market, Cooperstown Food Pantry, Greater Oneonta Historical Society or Super Heroes Humane Society.