LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

1-8-10

Former Trustee Disputes ‘Citizens Of 2009’ Choice
To the Editor:
It was with dismay and disappointment that I read the New Year’s edition of The Freeman’s Journal.
It is their right to choose whomever they want as person/persons of the year.  But to deify the four men who were chosen and present them as the saviors of Cooperstown is a direct insult to every one of us who ever served as a trustee for the Village.
They were elected to do a job and they are doing what they think is right, just as all past trustees have done.  If they can put Cooperstown “on a firmer financial footing,” good, that’s what they were elected to do. 
That’s what all of us in the past were doing our best to achieve.  But to be so divisive in the way they are going about it and to imply that they are the only ones concerned is blatantly incorrect. 
The paper also incorrectly stated that “Grace Kull, rattled by the parking dispute declined to run again”. Nothing could be further from the truth.  I declined to run again because I had served six years as a Trustee and if I ran again I would be 90  years old at the end of my third term.
There were other things that I wanted to do with my life. And I have. In this past year I have raised $5,000 to dig a well in an undeveloped country which will supply clean water to over 250 people for 20 years.
As far as being rattled by the parking dispute, let me state unequivocally, that I am proud to be one of the four who had the courage to stand up for what we believed in.  If anything rattled me, it was the reaction of some of the citizens of the village who were angered by our vote and acted with a mob mentality and personally attacked us. 
The biggest insult was the attempt to humiliate us by the merchants on Main Street who put  signs in their windows saying “Shame on You” and putting our names on the signs.  I was not and am not ashamed that I voted to try to get some much needed  revenue in a manner which is perfectly acceptable by many cities and villages that depend on tourism and by the tourists themselves.
The only other dependable source of income is to raise taxes and that is unfair to the small tax base in Cooperstown. One of the most vocal against paid parking was Neil Weiller, who led the merchants in their anti-paid parking campaign.
You can disagree with someone’s point of view, but civilized people do it in a civil manner.  Not by personal attacks. 
One of the other points made in the newspaper is that these men “ask questions until they get answers”  Why is it that they all voted to ban parking behind the fire house and then re-voted to allow the parking because, and this was in the newspaper, “They didn’t understand what they were voting for the first time” 
Why didn’t they understand?  Why didn’t they ask questions then?  As trustees you are expected to understand what you are voting for, and it is inexcusable that these men admitted that they didn’t understand what they were voting for.
The implication is that no other trustees ask questions or try to understand the issues.  That is a great injustice to Lynne Mebust and Jeff Katz.  I worked with them on the board and can attest to the fact that there are no two people more concerned with the welfare of the village and who delve deeply into the issues, get the facts and act on them. 
It is unfair for The Freeman’s Journal to print articles pitting the four “Men of the Year” against the two of them, who I believe act honestly and prudently and always in the best interest of the citizens of the Village.
When you go to the polls to vote in the next village election, don’t be swayed by biased opinions.  Look at all the issues and the exemplary records of Lynne and Jeff. 
Lynne has been one of the best trustees Cooperstown has been fortunate to have and Jeff, who has many years experience as a trustee and acting mayor, is the logical person to be the next mayor of Cooperstown.
Remember what Dr. Phil says, “No matter how flat a pancake is, it always has two sides”
GRACE KULL
Cooperstown

If Natural Gas Drilling Can’t Be Done Safely, Don’t Drill
To the Editor:
For the past two years I have been trying to check out the reasons for the support of gas drilling.
First of course, is that our farmers are not being paid enough to even meet their costs. However, here is a reported statement from a couple shopping in Cooperstown, ”We just leased our land. We had our doubts, but the country needs alternative energy.”
Natural gas is an ancient fossil fuel – formed just as coal and oil, also causing CO2 climate change. The industry and oversight should be spent on real alternative energy: hydro, wind, biofuels and solar.
U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy, D-20th, said he supports safe drilling.  Right now, that is wishful thinking.  Past drilling in the west, in Texas and even in Pennsylvania shows drilling will endanger the source of our most critical water.
Bob Homovich of Delaware County said that gas drilling is no different than quarrying blue stone or harvesting trees or farming the land. That might be so, if gas grew on trees; unfortunately the gas is in rock, a mile beneath us and our natural aquifers and is not renewable.
Lee Fuller, a gas spokesman, wrote in another newspaper that only .5 percent of the fluid pumped in the ground will be chemicals. These have been shown to be bioaccumulative substances, carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxicants, neurotoxicants and hormone disruptors. This is nothing he would want his children to drink.
Furthermore, along with bringing up heavy brine the fluid that returns can be radioactive. The wells will be lined with concrete and steel vulnerable to weathering and fractures over time. Our water will unavoidably be at risk.
I have read and heard interpretations of the dGEIS proposed plan by geologists, biologists, chemists and lawyers. Many of us question the financial and human resources the state has to protect our water, air and community.
If there is no safe drilling, there should be no drilling.
DOROTHY HUDSON
Cooperstown

‘New Bloc’ Parking Space Vote Questioned
To the Editor:
Your naming of the “new bloc” of trustees as persons of the year was an interesting piece of journalism. But I’d like to nominate your editorial advocating the preservation of fire department parking spaces for use by a Main Street landlord as your journalistic work of the year.
Your reasoning that firefighters can still park in the disputed spaces “if they are vacant” was breathtaking. Also impressive was your argument that the spaces aren’t critical because firehouse neighbors “wouldn’t begrudge” any vacant spots in their own lots “when volunteers respond to an emergency.”
The “new bloc” apparently agreed with this logic and voted to leave volunteers to their own devices when rushing to park on their way to saving lives and property.
If this is the “professionalizing of village government” we can look forward to from these four, as your article suggests, perhaps they’ll take your reasoning a little further and close the firehouse altogether.
Everyone has a neighbor with a garden hose who’d be happy to lend it in a pinch. Certainly the struggling downtown merchants deserve more free parking for their customers and that firehouse is taking up valuable space.
DAVID KULL

Leo Club Underappreciated Asset In Village
To the Editor,
Sunday, Dec. 13, nine Cooperstown High School students gathered around my kitchen table to stuff, seal, address and stamp hundreds of envelopes for the Friends of the Village Library annual appeal mailing.
I am sure there were about a dozen things these kids would rather have been doing, but they cheerfully worked, organizing the job among themselves as they went.
They did this volunteer work as a community service because they are members of the Leo Club, the junior arm of the Lions Club.
You’ve probably seen these young adults around Cooperstown: They recently unloaded the Christmas trees for the Lions Club sale; they hold food drives at the Great American; they help serve meals at the Vets Club; they fold and sort clothing that’s been donated for needy families; they go around the village raking lawns in the Autumn, along with many other tasks throughout the year.
These kids meet early in the morning – getting to school an hour before the other students once a week – to discuss, plan, and organize service and fundraising opportunities that they can help with in our village.
The Friends of the Village Library would like to express our gratitude to the Lions Club (especially to David Pearlman and Paul Weber, who supervise the Leos) for encouraging young people to embrace the spirit of volunteering that is so important to our community.
Specific thanks to Tory Anania, Emily Brown, Ben Breiten, Georgia Saphir, Tiffany DeMell, Shyah Miller, Robbie Katz, Jacob Miller, and Natalie Grigoli – great workers, and good kids.
KAREN KATZ
President
Friends of Village Library
Cooperstown

Leo Club Underappreciated Asset In Village
To the Editor:
As many of you may have noticed, the Christmas trees were quickly gone from the lot on Chestnut Street  where the Cooperstown Lions Club held its annual sale. 
This was our earliest sell-out in many years and we have many people to thank for that. 
First and foremost are the members of the community who have continued to support our charitable work by buying trees from the Lions. 
The money we raise returns to our community through the support we provide individuals and organizations in our area. 
Specifically, we send our gratitude to Vinny Russo, for the generous use of his property; Susan O’Handley and the staff at the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, for their help throughout our sale; local newspapers, for announcing our sale; Greg Hall and Bill Devenpeck for plowing us out; Brian Clancy and the village crew for their help on the site, and last, but certainly not least, the Cooperstown Leo Club for the great job they did helping to unload and display our entire shipment of almost two-hundred trees.
We wish everyone a Happy Chanukah, a Merry Christmas and a healthy and joyous New Year.  We’ll be back with more trees in 2010.
PATRICK FRANCK
Tree Sale Chairman
Cooperstown Lions Club

Friends Of Cooperstown Hawkeyes To Organize
To the Editor:
On behalf of Cooperstown’s new baseball team, I would like to thank all those who have supported our efforts to bring a high-quality baseball experience to Doubleday Field.
As many of you know, our very successful “name the team contest” concluded recently. Out of approximately 80 entries from across the United States, Cooperstown’s David Pearlman submitted the winning entry, the “Cooperstown Hawkeyes.”
We are currently attempting to select a team logo from several excellent entries developed by our local BOCES students. The selection process will conclude within the next two weeks; however, the expertise and professionalism demonstrated by all of the BOCES contestants has been truly gratifying.
Over the last several months, several community members have approached me and asked about how they could play a more active and direct role in team affairs. We would welcome all members of our community who wish to become involved with the team.
The first meeting of the Friends of the Cooperstown Hawkeyes, will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, in the meeting room at Cooley’s Stone House Tavern, 49 Pioneer St.
The meeting topics will include the general direction of the team as well as many specific aspects of team organization and administration. Everyone is welcome to attend.
The Cooperstown Hawkeyes are looking forward to a great inaugural season.  Thank you for your support and participation.
THOMAS J. HICKEY
Owner, Cooperstown Hawkeyes