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\I tes. ] itfe- MSI >kJ/ Semfing Otiegor &efimm WenmQQ CmmUes March W, 1998 Two Sections 14 Pag .SO Cents Newsstai atev5?lttgforw o s e a | tm&M t^ il e f Iswef taMSs. Caleiaan, M. th^ Ifne l^u b fican U c k t BleeUoas sbs n 0 o» to 9 |>.inV March 12 io fits i i a hall on ChesmatSbaei. Marr to speak C 0 0 A S T 9 W - W o n a ) Bi^eb^l Hali-hf Faa» PeesMent DonaM Jr- is the pesf spealter at the Tiiesi^. March 12 mee^og of the D^^i^towo Merchants Ass(K$iatioii. the tneetiiig begins at 7 p-tn. at the Tuoatsliff. and the piihlie is invited; Mirr is slated to dis cuss the coiniog season, the Hall of Fame, and its ef&icts on the oteiehait^ of Coepeistowo and the sonountfing area. s G x e ^ i i ^ ' s ^ • M a - garnn w ^uaiwi antf scteefllig wifl tada pls^e B t e li the C^i^rstowo School. If prent$mmruti|i!^^ attend tkt Mareh llfsaKnt oii- enmdoti iseeditg, they s M d call the ^hool olSce ^ 547- 9^6 as sum as goss&le to s ip their chad op for the eegistm- tion/sisseningfmgim Where possible, f iaente should alsosEOP hf s^ool to ' pick up (I b le^mitioii pciEl to iBcompIetsIphQr tote^siiptan ^ y . lids tegtelt^Qaf^k the child's ^sords and birth certfote. mnsi he broughtlQ ohie^st^sday. Anyone who hsmwisbfoihitd that iseligible to stag ssfeqol |o _ _ ______ _ 'MatioufllBank , ■ 14*15 'featuring- the. h aak'a ^ .................................. This semce^ailownoscs^^to. - pay Mila without w iting . checks, .M y i«g\ stamps ;or #tdd« UiXl,»U*K >*('»*** --.^ScreenPhone’^ o t w i tl i a p e r - .vsonai computer »nd modem. ,., The staff m. the Otsego invites the public, to stop:!^. 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, March 14 o r 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday for., .r e f t e s h m e a t s ^ d a f ^ ^ Y \ . stxation of Wilfaer OnUne for . computer. Health Partnership report offered I nsipe Around the Tor Gfliendar Classjfieds«»u.t. 0bifBarlBS..«,«. Qpinteh..* ..... ... ,«„8 ........... .7 __ 1244 ........... .4 Begional News...«u....>u...»...2,3 Social. ................. »••-••• 5 SpQriSu»..M.UHUH.HU»«.«.«w9, 10 CHA presented COOPERSTOWN - The 1995 Community Health Assessment, mandated by the- state Department of Health annually, was presented to the Otsego County Board of Representatives Wednesday by Dr. Carol Lewis of Bassett Healthcare and the Otsego Public Health Partnership. Lewis said that, in the past, the Four ate elected to HOF By DAN SHERIDAN COOPERSTOWN - Having two inductees from the East Coast may well boost attendance for the Aug. 4 Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, as well as pull in the crowds for the Hall of Fame Weekend. It fell to the Veterans Committee to elect members to this year’s class of Hall of Famers. as the Baseball Writers Association of America failed at their January meeting to elect any members to the Hall. This year's c|ass includes feisty Baltimore manager Earl Weaver. Philadelphia pitcher Jim Banning, Negro League pitcher Bill Foster and tum-of-the-ceniury manager Ned Hanlon. (See page 9 for the foil story on the inductees.) The merchants had some con cerns following the non-vote by the Baseball Writem Association, but those have been alleviated by this week’s elections. “We’te pleased to learn that two of the four individuals that have been inducted will obviously attract people to Coopei^town,\ said Vincent Russo, president o f the Cooperstown Merchants Association. \Bunning and Weaver, by virtue of tiie fact that they are well known as being involved in Baltimore and Philadelphia will bring people here.” Russo said that the merchants “obviously had some concerns” fol lowing the January vote, but the CMA realized that there would probably be “old-timers\ voted into the Hall of Fame. Bill Guiifoile, vice p r e s i ^ t of the Hall of Fame, was contacted in Florida for his comment on die Veterans Committee vote. “We’re very pleased,” he said. \We telieve that the [Kople dect»l are very ^serving. It vsnD be nice to have some i n d u c e fw tlw ceremony.” Guiifoile admitted that Hall of Fame officials “maybe were a little bit worried” after the Baseball Writers vote. “We’ve had three non-vo^s in the last 10-11 years,” he said, “wten tiu! V e te r a C o m m i t did not iMuct anyone. We felt tiia! Siey would come up with somebody tMs year, though.! don’t think that tii@re can be much criticism about die people cfected.” Guiifoile also noted dmt Iiaving two inductees fipm the East Coast couTd have an effect on the number of people who make the trip to Cooperstown this year. Calls fiave picked up since the vote at the Otsego CounQf Chamber of Commerce, according to Executive Director Rob Robinson. “! tfiink ftat It was a good choice,\ Robinson $^d o f the fm i f t t e m . “Ihe comhlhatisa pf W Wepiver,. widi the flamhoyaai way ihai he does business Will be a big plus, and Jim Bunsini is also a choice. That gives es two baseball markets, and with B ^ s g being a congressman from Kentuc!^ alto plays into ihe Cincinnati market.” He said that while die Chamber of ° Commeroe oihiciats were not exact ly worrfed, *1 think concerned would be 8 better term. We were jtist waiOfig th- see what happened with the Veterans Comndttce. i t c f c was the possibility that there would be no ceremony, and that would have teatfieilpobiem * * - report was prepared tiirough a sub- contiactor, but ahis year, state fund ing ailowed the data to be compiled using local, sta^ and national infor mation. Ttie state requires that the county status of sovenil categories under Family Health and Disease Prevention be compared with nation^ data acid tire U.S. Healtiiy People 2000 objectives. Data was compiled for this report by Lewis; rhoicias A. Pearson, MD, PhD, director of the Bassett Research Instittite; Deni Wicks, RN, director of Patient Services; Anne Gadotnski. MB, MPH, atten^ding pediatneian and research scientist at Bassett; and Barbara McLaud, MEd, communiQr organizer for OPW. “We’re getting a feeling for what people in the county feel are health problems,” Lewis said at Wednesdays board meeting. “ We’il continue working on it and updating it for next time.” She noted that the report has been issited to ail county-libraries and col leges, Opportunities for Otsego, BOCES, town offices, STOP DWl Coordinator Richard Devlin, school superintendents, die Department of Public Health and the Salvation Said Kathy Abernethy, county director of Public H e a l^ “The Connmunity Health Assessment appraises the heattii status of the coiiununily and gaps in service ^ZIF\ Out like a lion Winter sborated back wiflt a v®i^ance, dropping almost a foot of snow on Co^^stown and Ibe surrotmding area, forcing n^idenls to break out Hie snow blowers and shovels once again. Parking concerns merchants By DAN SHERIDAN Editor COOPERSTOWN - Concerns aboui the dying downtown segment o f Cemperstown has caused a group o f merchants toesiplainthediie strdts of tie village in a tetter titat was foxed and hoitd-thsUvened t o namsrous roemheis ofEhecomnumity. The lettett, which went out Thursday, expladns with fm:ts and figures gleaned from the v illa s clerk’s office and the National Baseball Hall of fame and Museum. In piticufor, paildng is the m ^or concern, with tlic pairing regula tions becoming Unereasingly disturb ing and causing untold doltan> to t » tost by v illas nKtchasls. according to the letter, si^ed by a plethora o f the business cofflumndty menbers. “We’ve be«n concented f® a long tSme, nans,\ sai4 o«5 tins fcttsf s authors. ERen White Weir of ffomescapes. “T6e merchants’ group , flft^t oigmiized 1$ hying to focus (M dte dfeteflomSon of Main Street Mow we beSeve? ftst wa sne ai 8te cios^osds. W e'sj at fte pohit wheiis several busintesses m in je(^8r<% o f not being hero neat year.” Slates thi letter hi ite opening paiagfflpli, “M e si«:h t e t e sM(l in teoenEyea{S ^ o o t due (hs^Ilne o f Coe|8sstsT»rs l a t e Stoeet, few may i^afigetot fe’s steottebeebnte ® f i r i ^ i w e setloa Isaot taken, tho core o f our historic village is abouHote imeUiev^y to.l.” According to the aiidiors, less dhan half of the atoieffoats on Main Street hous# \traditionar stores which sei:vcJ*|!je isseds^f local peojlet* fen* yeSafs ago, say weretsafits/ almost |!f ^torisfoonts wereiraditiowt.- ' ' Metclismta 'ott Main Street aro experieneing 20p«erroiit«o#pe«ient arie s d e c te w . | t e v t e y e » s , « i i second floor space on Main Street. The Hail of Fame, according to the meichants, has experienced a drop of 40 percent attendance in tiie last two y e m The business com munity is also .concerned that the Route 28 expansion • most rtoently witii the buildiag o f a McDonald’s Restauiant - will “cennibalize ^wotowo. The new McDonald’s alone could siphon off a ntiUion tol- lars a year from local rostaurants.\ Another concern is the New York State Historical Association’s planned giD sf»p and testaiiiant. which merchant say could take even more business away from ^wntowQ ^ o p s and eateries. The K^orteffis,®xxa#igte®efet- t». te tite sunoR^ {s^iog dknxaiown. Vin(«ni Etisro. prsittea of the Citoperstewn M e tetots AstocMcm. ifkggtwgi fosipsEktog is a imjct fic- t(x in the cteclii^ of Sheet. ^ although he advocates discusilng ‘ ways to t e p t v e parting. \Certmnly.” Ite said, “the bnmd scope of du: I i » spoils to issues fiat the Mcmitouts AmMtwi has been talking about % a year and a hdf. thte is. tiie ^ lino ol non-tourist related asSvitles in Coi^mofen.\ 1(3 said that t ^ ^mrstown Meo^haitis Assctoitteon Is ||e .proper fom m 'Rffdissu^lngteM M aSBm problems, noting fiat the CMA will meet gt 1 f.«i. 1^esd^ %i ,H8 tbnfficliff, with die featwed speaker Donali Mm Ir., president ol the Basebdom ^ofFam c. Accofdmg to. numbers garnered the Hsdl o f Fmne. it attract^ 28S*flOQ vlsit«i fte«n May to October last but there were only about ^13,0^ tound-trip riders m 'tk i^Iige'teolfeys. ItehseM s . f BktttglittQ:fl£Coaflt Suites. tteM&attt 225,000 people pe&eJ downiowrt. fstol a aibiteiti? figure, t o t osn parked downtown during that time. “Qiininating tiiose 90,000 parked cars,\ says the letter, “will enable local shoppers, merchants and employees to reniro to Main StreeL” Tito two-hour parking regulations, merchants say. promote a two^tour visit to tIu Hall o f Fame, then the vts- itore leave. Those who park longer teroive a ticket, leaving “a ^ teste, but the tickete go largely unpud.\ The solution offered includes finee trolleys, SS discount coupons for the Hall of Fame (os trolley passengeis and a $S insrease for admission to the Hall of Fame. That efifoctively raises ilto {mce of p a i ^ g down town to visit die Hall of Fasto by $S. Estimates are that the savings could increase visitation by 20 per cent. and dm increase in |»ice f(K thote paridng dbwntown would pay for the ttoQey system. The Hall of Fame was issued a cop) of thcTctlcr far canildetalloa, but most of the officials are present ly in Florida and will not return until Monday. Richaxd Linn, village administra tor, said after temiing the missive, “I foifik that it’s refreshing. It’s an interesting idea, but if thcKe who aulhisated foe letter would step for- ward, it would Ire appreciated.\ He coaid m say if foe Parking Commi^e would be given foe let- tsr, nor If file Issue woidd be fos- cussed at fos March 18 meeting of the viHage tnssterea. If just one'ftM of those visiting choose to ptek downtown, the trol ley systefo could see mi influx of May to October. *1 haj^item to be doing okay because bf a lot of different rea- toni** sali i^eir of fer shop, “but 1 fen’t Wiht to be tU alone on Main Itreet. We’ro concerned with the MiiriSSteiet We have a vej^ jg^firaut ol hand.” areas. This document is an excellent base to gauge individual and collab orative work by public, not-for-prof it mid private agencies to address the . health needs of our residents and community as a whole.” The CHA describes the Otsego Public Health Paitnership and uses a new public health tool for assess ment call APEX-PH. For more information, call V^icks at 547-4230, Lewis at 547-6045 or (800) 558-6747. Bus line officials to meet ByDANSBERIDAN Editor COOPERSTOWN - Officials from the two bus lines in Otsego County are trying ti) work out prob lems between them, key among them transportation of Medicaid clients, scheduling of routes and transfers. Brad Thomas of Otsego Express and Jack Snyder o f Oneonta Piiblic Transit are slated to meet to work out problems, said Diane Carlton, transportation director for the coun ty and director of the county Hanning Department. One of tile n m n issues, tise sadd. is the bus routes, alcliougih the stete Depar&nest o f Tftmsportatinn dis agreed witi) Carlton’s assessment of the situation. Carlton said that for tire [mst six years, it was decided that Otsego Expxess would be allowed to lians- pbit clients into die city of Onsmita as Iffiig as the runs did nttt ccHiflict witb Eunsalmig the ^ n re route OPT. “Tlie plan was af^roved.” sl» said, “railing for connfoia^ services. It allowed (Otsego Express) to go into the city, and to cun along Route 28 as tong as it ran diiferent hours.” She said that DOT chang^l its regulations this summer, but DOT officials disagreed. ,, Sue O'Connor, a spokes{»ison in foe Commuiucation^ Office of DOT, commented, “ I have checked around, and we never ctmnged any of the regulations.” Carlton, however, reraaiked, “DOT changed the whole nil® of the game. All of a sudden, they changed the ballgaioe.” DOT officials would not coiameot further on those charges, and Carlton said that she has not been able to contact u | ^ r echelon offi cials at the state office. The county Board of Representetives, at its Wednesday ntocting, decided not to decide on a policy (foange by OPT and Otsego Bxiness. I^g r ^ s iv e Transpomtion Systems, which owns Otsego E x [ ^ s , oidknamed “Gus foe Bus,\ dectfed on Its own to.nin just intra- dQr chentele focHn cow on, although that change was not approved by the comiQf, eifoterby the foil feard or by foe^Transpostation Comniittee. (M foe altered policy, Cariton said. “There is no agraemenL The change was out done with Luuiuy ui .com rxiitlec approval. I found out about it two we«^ ago, two days after they changed it. The policy was d«:ided by PTS itseE\ He noted that another problem with the cunent set-up is that people . transferring from CBsego Express to OPT buses are being asted to pay fiiD fore on bmli fines instead of gaining iransfts passes. That is anotiter reason for the meeting felweito foe officials lor btifoEies. Because o f regulattons, Gus do®s not suto at foe CVS drug stcare to Oaepnta, the stepping point fof € P T teises. Timi forces peopte.toi httvs p walk into the city ^ i n the.dhy fee. said Rep. Kaht ^liobnoveti Winsoi noted fo^ foe caunty^ line is oncc again malfeg an opplivtouon to the CH3T for Its routes, altitou^ foe o ri^m l tppliettidn has not ixasn decided upon as y e t \Ktis is!#teevi;.decisisai emfee