Democrats Carry Day At Cooperstown Polls

Ellen Tillapaugh Leads Ticket
Both Sides Say Police Merger Idea Key Issue


By JIM KEVLIN : COOPERSTOWN

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, who led the victorious Democratic ticket, shares congratulations with runningmates Jeff Katz, left, and Dr. Walter Franck, during a victory celebration at the Abbates.  Her husband, Gary, former CCS high principal, is behind her.

Everyone agreed that the village Democratic and Republican parties had put together the strongest slates in years.
But when the dust settled on Election Night, Tuesday, March 15, the Democrats had carried the day decisively, winning all four open seats on the Village Board.
And both elated Democrats and disheartened Republicans agreed:  The election swung on Mayor Joe Booan’s idea of exploring whether to contract with the Otsego County Sheriff’s Department for police services and close the village’s department.

• For the two three-year trustee vacancies, Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch lead the ticket with 434 votes; incumbent Jeff Katz was second (279), followed by the Republicans, Matt Schuermann (226) and Jim Potts (216).
• For the one two-year term, Walter Franck got 429 votes; Phil Lewis’ 233.
• For the one one-year term, it was Jim Dean with 366 to Joan W. White’s 194.

“Shared services: It’s still the best road for us to go down,” said the mayor, standing on candidate Jim Potts’ front porch on Leatherstocking Street as the Republican gathering was breaking up.
“A lot of elderly were concerned about the police,” said Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, who garnered the most votes that day, at a victory party at chairman Richie Abbate’s Westridge Road home.
“People would mention the mayor, and they would mention the police issue,” Dean said of his experience going door to door.
But Democrat Walter Franck, the second-largest vote-getter, said the mayor had been thinking “out of the box,” and more of that kind of thinking is warranted.
When the polls closed at 9 p.m., the machine counts were quickly available.  With 168 absentee ballots to be counted, Kuch, Franck and Jim Dean clearly had winning margins.
Not so in the Katz-Schuermann race; they were separated by only 53 votes.  The absentee ballots were opened and counted, a time-consuming process, with Abbate standing by. At 10:32, the phone rang at the Westridge Road home.  Abbate was at the other end.  Katz had it.
The group gathered around the kitchen table broke into smiles and applause.
Strictly speaking, the Democrats will dominate the seven-member Village Board that will be sworn in April 4 – Booan and Deputy Mayor Willis Monie are the sole Republicans.  The one other incumbent, Lynne Mebust, is a Democrat.
However, Kuch, Franck and Dean each immediately declared that village residents are sick of the partisanship of the last couple of years, and they vowed to approach each issue with open minds.
“People are looking for new ways to bring people together,” said Franck.
“All this is new to us,” added Dean, noting that, except for Katz, it is the first time these Democrats have won elective office.
Both the ascendant Democrats and Booan said they planned to focus on the repair of streets, roads and infrastructure, the mayor’s prime focus.
For his part, Katz said “I’m happy to be reelected.  I do love the job.  I do take it seriously.”
He said he believes the mayor has been secretive, both in his approach to the police-service issue and in preparing the budget.
For his part, the mayor was conciliatory, saying it is his responsibility to work with whomever is elected trustee, and he intends to do so.
“It’s my job to lead the trustees,” he added.  “And I’m going to do that.”
All the Democrats had high praise for their chairman, saying he had worked to put together a strong ticket, and made sure the subsequent campaign was organized and disciplined.
“I didn’t like the direction the village was taking,” he explained.

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
Successful candidate Jim Dean, left, reflects on the evening’s events as the final tallies are phoned in.

Please, Trustees New And Old, Get Along For Good Of All

Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
IN THE FINAL HOURS:  With Election Day at hand, Kate Donnelly, Lindsey Trosset, Margaret Schuermann and Kate Trosset helped host the Republican rally Sunday afternoon, March 13, at the redone Agway on Railroad Avenue.

 

Congratulations to Jim Dean, Walter Franck, Jeff Katz and Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, the successful trustee candidates on Tuesday, March 15, in the village elections.
But everyone should offer appreciation and thanks to Phil Lewis, Jim Potts, Matt Schuermann and Joan White for ably competing. 
Regrettably, not everybody can win.  But it’s been widely recognized that the combined slates comprised the most impressive field of candidates in memory.
Well done to you all, and to the Democratic and Republican chairs, Richie Abbate and Mike Trosset respectively.

•

Now the work begins, and it is formidable.
Mayor Joe Booan has taken a new approach this year to budgeting, and the result must be filed with Village Clerk Teri Barown by Monday, March 21.
In recent years, department heads submitted their budgets, and trustees have gone through the compiled document line by line, cutting here, adding there, then starting again when the percentage increase appeared to high.
This time, the mayor met individually with department heads, who surely have the best understanding of the tasks at hand and the resources required to accomplish them; Booan brings the rigour of priorities.
The mayor appears to be aiming for a stable tax rate yet again, at the same time intending to push forward much-needed repairs to streets, sidewalks and other infrastructure, central to his successful campaign in 2010.
Booan will present what is truly a “mayor’s budget,” subject, of course, to review and revision by the whole Village Board before a final document is adopted by the end of May.

•

That’s just the beginning of the beginning.
It surfaced at last month’s Village Board meeting that there is no salary scale, per se, for village employees.  A system of reviews and raises needs to be put in place, so workers have a sense of what they can expect if they perform above, below or at par.
Also, the trustees need an understanding of what a standard benefits package is these days, to guide decisionmaking.  The trustees may decide to be more generous than the standard, and this may be fine; but they need a starting point.
At the League of Women Voters’ candidates night, resident Stephanie Bauer observed that the candidates included a predominance of “bosses,” an interesting point.  Among those elected, Dr. Franck managed a $30 million-plus budget at Bassett, and that experience is needed.
Understanding how large operations work is good, not bad.  People with an understanding of best practices in large entities is what’s needed right now.  The Village of Cooperstown, with its $5 million budget ($1 million raised locally) is relatively small, but certainly well beyond the Mom and Pop stage.

•

Pointing this out, and noting that village has been unclear at various points about how much money it may or may not have, has been considered implied criticism by some.
In that light, consider an story on NPR’s “Planet Money” the other day, about Gordon Mann, a consultant to the State of Pennsylvania, who individual towns and cities can call in when they realize their finances are out of control.
Allentown, York, Johnstown, Easton, Scranton and Reading have all turned to Mann.  In Reading, “hundreds and hundreds” of checks were found in a shoe-box in the zoning office; no one had gotten around to cashing them.
The point is that we can do better than that.  Why shouldn’t Cooperstown be the trailblazer in this area, as it has been in so many others?
To do this, mutual respect is necessary.  Please, trustees, new and old, embrace a new beginning.  Accept, for the shortterm, that everyone’s motivations are above board.  Avoid one-upmanship.  Instead of criticizing or clashing, bite your tongue; if it’s still an issue at the next meeting, make your point then.
Happily, this very sentiment was made emphatically by successful candidates and Mayor Booan on election night.
While Cooperstown has generally been well-served by its community leaders over the decades, we’ve hit a bit of a rough patch lately.  With this brainy and varied Village Board in place, let’s start making up for lost time.

Diane Greenblatt, left, and Rosemary Abbate roll meatballs for the Democratic Party’s spaghetti dinner Monday, March 14, at the Vets’ Club, to benefit the Cooperstown Food Bank.

LETTER: LEADERSHIP, TREAMWORK, EXPERIENCE, & WORKING TOGETHER.

To the Editor:
I am writing in response to Grace Kull’s letter regarding her experiences with the Cooperstown Police Department. While I find it admirable that the police department responded quickly and kindly, it would seem to me that the better option would have been a call to our 911 call center so that they could have dispatched the appropriate help. Ms. Kull’s experience has no relevance on the debate regarding the future of our police force.
The threats to the Village of Cooperstown are no graver than they were 50 years ago. Certainly, times have changed, but our community is still a close-knit assemblage of caring, neighborly people who work together for the betterment our all. Back then we had two officers who handled the policing needs of the village. Then our two officer force had one police car (and it wasn’t a gas-guzzling SUV). We did not have 24/7 village police force coverage, but we knew, as we would today, that the sheriff was close by and the State Police force was also at our disposal. We felt secure, and we were kept safe.
Obviously, it is comforting knowing that we have a local police force available in the event of the unforeseen, but today the real threat, with government budgets near collapse, is that the village government cannot continue to spend all of its resources (your tax dollars) on payroll and benefits while it neglects its roads and infrastructure.
Nor can we continually turn to the taxpayers of the village and ask them to dig deeper into their already strained personal budgets. School districts, state and federal governments (not to mention prices at the gas pumps) are all already doing that. We cannot kick this can down the road any further. The day has come to make the tough decisions, find ways we can save, and reallocate resources while causing the least amount of pain.
There is a slate of candidates for trustee who are especially skilled in fiscal management and have the fortitude to make these tough decisions, and to help Mayor Booan return the village government to fiscal soundness. Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White have vowed to restore the priorities that will allow the village to fix roads, maintain sidewalks and repair infrastructure while making sure that village residents are safe and secure.
Vote for the winning team. Vote for Matt Schuermann. Vote for Jim Potts. Vote for Phil Lewis. Vote for Joan White.
I am not resident of the village but I have lived in the Town of Otsego all my life.  You need put in office the residents who care about the Village of Cooperstown and want to keep it a nice place to live.
I would hope you would vote for LEADERSHIP, TREAMWORK, EXPERIENCE, & WORKING TOGETHER.
SHEILA M. ROSS
Fly Creek

LETTER: Vote for What is Best for our Village and its Future

Dear Editor
                      
    It wasn’t all that long ago that I wrote in support of maintaining 24/7 police coverage in Cooperstown.  I thought anything less was a pretty foolish idea then, and dissolving our entire department is even more foolish now.  With the juggernaut of hydrofracking in Otsego County looming on the horizon, and the unpredictable burden this will put on our Sheriffs Department, turning over the protection and safety of our village to an outside agency, regardless of their prowess (this is not an attack on the Sheriff and deputies), is shortsighted, and the process so far employed is certainly questionable.  Very cogent arguments for keeping our own police force have been made by several writers over the past few weeks.  But I think the most important aspect of this is that our village trustees have control of our own department, and ultimately, have no control over county law enforcement.  When the chips are down, we will have to rely on an agency we basically rent.

            But there is also the “elephant in the room” that our mayor is hoping residents will ignore.  In several articles, a prepared public statement at the last meeting and a taxpayer-supported mailing to village residents, Mayor Booan has denied that his only recently public crusade has anything to do with his personal animosity toward our very capable Chief of Police.  With apologies to William Shakespeare, “The lad doth protest too much, methinks."  When this comes to public referendum, which we should demand, vote for what is best for our village and its future, not for the few dollars this scheme might  save.

David Pearlman

LETTER: Ideal Candidate? Jame Dean

To the Editor:

If ever there was an ideal candidate for a one year term in Cooperstown, it's Jim Dean. The Village needs Dean this year more than ever. The DEC will issue its hydrofracking regulations this year - in as little as 120 days. The Village is not prepared - it has no road use ordinance - so a frack truck convoy could go down any Village street  - Lake Street, Main Street, you name it, none are protected.  Jim Dean has been an outspoken opponent of hydrofracking, and this is the year to be focused on it.  Most Village residents live in the township of Otsego - and Otsego has no road use ordinance. Jim Dean is an articulate advocate for such ordinances. Absent those protections, the roads coming into Cooperstown - East Lake and West Lake, River Road - could turn into frack truck freeways. We need strong leadership on these issues. This year more than ever. Or the Village could end up without a police force when it is overrun by frack truck convoys. No need to wait and see on any of this. Or will see that you shouldn't have waited. Be safe, not sorry. Vote Dean.

James Northrup

LETTER: Ask Not to Duck the Issue of Hydrofracking

To the editor,

In regard to the March 4 editorial asking the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce not to duck the issue of hydrofracking:

Brewery Ommegang first asked to address the chamber board on this issue early in December, 2010. In response to our request to go before the entire board, the chamber said it requires this to move through the committee system. The chamber's Business Action Committee subsequently heard a presentation from both Ommegang and Gastem on Jan 24.

However, the Feb 27 Business Action Committee meeting, which was to further address the issue, was canceled with less than one day's notice and rescheduled for a month later. The reason given was that further perspectives from land owner's coalitions and environmentalists were not available. Otsego County environmental advocates as well as members of our business coalition of 200+ members have been and remain available.

This is urgent. Gastem is preparing to drill multiple new wells in Middlefield in the near future, and other companies may be right behind them. Once drilling begins it is much more complicated and expensive to address. From our perspective the Otsego County Chamber is wasting valuable time.  Whether it's deliberate or not makes no difference, as the drilling companies are moving ahead and they are not going to reschedule their drilling.

We too ask the Otsego County Chamber to get out in front on this issue, to address it openly and widely, and to do so sooner rather than later. We too encourage the Otsego County Chamber to acknowledge the timeliness of the issue and to move with a greater sense of urgency.
Thank you,
Larry Bennett
Brewery Ommegang

Voters Go To Polls Tuesday In Watershed Village Race

Mayor Booan’s Dream Team, Strong Democratic Slate Vie


COOPERSTOWN

Eight candidates – four Republicans, four Democrats – are vying for four seats on the Village Board in the Tuesday, March 15, elections.
The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. in the firehouse on Chestnut Street.
There are two three-year terms being sought by Democrats Jeff Katz and Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch, and Republicans Matt Schuermann and Jim Potts.  (Vote for two.)
There is one two-year term being sought by Democrat Walter Franck and Republican Phil Lewis.  (Vote for one.)
And there is one one-year term being sought by Democrat Jim Dean and Republican Joan White.  (Vote for one.)
At the League of Women Voters’ debate Monday night, March 7, only Katz said he supports expanding paid parking to Main and Pioneer streets, a controversial subject for the past three years.
Given the temper of the times, all the candidates spoke of reducing expenses, with the Republicans pointing out that village revenues have risen 65 percent in nine years.
Some political observers see Tuesday’s vote as a bit of a referendum on Mayor Joe Booan’s administration to date.  
The ONC BOCES administrator, one of a bloc of trustees seeking to better understand village finance, was elected to the top job last March on a pledge to improve village streets and sidewalks.
Controversies over the past year have included paid parking, management of village police and an effort to bring the Gateway project, seven years in the making, to a conclusion.

LETTER: Please support Jeff Katz with your vote.

To the Editor
I have served on the Village of Cooperstown Zoning Board of Appeals for over
20 years. In that time I can only remember 3 or 4 Trustees who ever attended
any of our meetings. Jeff Katz is one of those people.
Jeff came to gather information, listen to public comments and become
informed on whatever issue was before us. That is how seriously he takes his
responsibility as our Trustee. Jeff researches, listens, questions and
discusses issues thoroughly before he makes a decision.
Jeff has served as our Trustee for the past six years. In that time, he has
gained an invaluable depth of knowledge and experience of how the Village
functions. Going forward, this experience combined with his proven
commitment to hard work and openness to considering all ideas, even new
ones, will be a great asset to our Village government. Please support Jeff
Katz with your vote.
Sincerely,
Susan Snell

LETTER: Hargrove, Kevlin Seek To Advance Personal Agend

To the Editor,
Over the past several years I have become accustomed to the biased opinions and inaccurate facts frequently expressed by Mr. Hargrove and Mr. Kevlin on the editorial page of The Freeman’s Journal.
In my opinion, both Mr. Hargrove and Mr. Kevlin went too far in the March 3 publication by distorting or omitting significant facts in regards to the Gateway project, the paid-parking debate, and the important issue of hydrofracking in our region in order to advance their personal and political agenda.
In regards to the gateway project, Mr. Hargrove states that the current trustees “have solved an eight-year fiasco orchestrated by the Democratic party.” The facts are that during the previous eight years we had a Republican Mayor and a politically balanced group of village trustees.
To anyone who has followed this issue, it was very clear that concessions, by several involved groups, were going to have to be made for this project to proceed to the next phase.
As would be expected, these groups waited until close to the deadline to make concessions in order to get the best possible benefit for their respective organizations.
To imply that one political group caused this process to drag on so long is completely inaccurate and misleading. If anything, the communication between groups became more confrontational and divided during the past year.
In regards to paid parking, Mr. Kevlin states that “at the time and in retrospect, it was a mistake to take that vote that night” because it showed “arrogance in the face of public opinion.”
Mr. Kevlin fails to mention that over 20 other public meetings had occurred during the previous months to discuss paid parking in the village prior to the trustees taking this vote. During most of these meetings, the majority of village residents in attendance supported the paid-parking plan.
Most important, Mr. Kevlin fails to mention that paid parking at the Doubleday lot has clearly been a success and is probably one of the reasons that village taxes did not increase last year.
Just this year, the current trustees voted down the possibility of expanding paid parking to Main and Pioneer streets immediately after the one and only public meeting about this issue, despite public comments that were evenly split.
To me, this vote seems far more arrogant and self-serving and possibly goes against the wishes of a majority of the village residents.
Lastly, the issue of natural-gas drilling in the region is clearly a village issue. In the recent past, village trustees voted not to sell water to a drilling company. Future laws and votes to safeguard our village from potential problems related to drilling – polluted air and water, traffic through the village, decreased property values, and other public safety issues – will likely be needed in the very near future.
Public maps available on the Internet show extensive amounts of leased land along Routes 33 and 166. Drilling in these areas will affect many businesses both inside and outside the village as noted by the article appearing in the Feb. 17 issue of The Freeman’s Journal.
Bassett and other larger employers might struggle with recruitment and retention. Ommegang, the Middlefield Orchard and farmers in the area that rely on the clean environment in our region might leave. Tourism might decrease significantly, affecting the downtown businesses. If the village trustees are not proactive about trying to minimize damage to our region from drilling, the consequences might be severe for the village.
JOHN DEWEY
Cooperstown

LETTER: They’ll Serve Present, Future

To the Editor:
In  a few days, as a village resident, homeowner, business owner and taxpayer, I will confidently cast my vote for those I consider to be a Dream Team – Matt Schuermann, Phil Lewis, Jim Potts and Joan White.  
These four individuals embrace the elements necessary to oversee the intricate functioning of local government and necessary decision-making skills to ensure the healthy future of our village.  Individually, they have their fingers on the pulse of all walks of life within the community.  
Matt Schuermann is not only a business owner, but also a  husband, father and friend who is community active on all levels.  As a mortgage broker, Matt meets people as they first consider moving into the community, listening to their concerns and answering their questions about our schools, churches, health care, shopping, social life – community life in general.  Thanks to his three young daughters, he is involved with the youth of the community and their parents.  Matt is also an eager volunteer for various organizations. 
Joan White represents longevity in our community.  Joan is a retired business woman, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and dear friend.  Not only has Joan raised her family in Cooperstown,  she has served on various boards, presided over numerous committees and is an eager volunteer whenever called upon.  Anyone who knows Joan White, understands that Joan is steadfast in her love of community.  Joan is affectionately referred to as “the energetic pitbull” of project control.  Assign Joan a project and it will be addressed expertly, efficiently, leaving no stone unturned.  And it will be completed with flare – on time.  Joan is a diligent, intelligent woman whose interaction within the community is generational.
Jim Potts represents the man on the street, a man who takes an interest in everyone and what they have to say.  Jim is husband to Kim, father to Ally and friend to many. Jim is a long-term resident of Cooperstown who takes pride in the fact that he keeps himself well informed on community issues.  Jim does not shy away from controversy, nor does he jump to hasty conclusions.  Jim will listen, research, discuss and only then address possible courses of action. 
Phil Lewis represents one of the many young people who grew up in Cooperstown, went off to college, graduated, got married and decided to return “home” to raise his family.  He and his wife are active participants and ready volunteers within the community.  Phil is committed to keeping the village a safe, comfortable and affordable place for our retired residents, as well as our young families.  Phil is a resourceful, intelligent businessman, with innovative ideas, who is eager to explore issues and address future growth of the village with all interested  residents.
This foursome will bring intelligence, diligence, resourcefulness and innovative strategies to the table.  Most important, they share a love and respect for the village of Cooperstown and its residents – PAST, PRESENT and FUTURE. Be smart: Put your trust in their capable hands.
DONNA THOMSON
Cooperstown

LETTER: 4 Will Be Connected, Accountable

To the Editor:
On March 15, the Village of Cooperstown will elect new village trustees.  We would like the Village of Cooperstown residents to consider the very capable and strong leadership abilities of Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White for positions on the Village Board of Trustees.
These candidates are deeply rooted in the culture, community and values of this village that we hold dear, and we believe that these individuals will do the homework to fully understand the issues that affect this village.
We have observed a rare level of persistence and determination when dealing with issues of Village government. They have the energy it takes to make tough decisions and are deeply committed to improving the infrastructure of this historic village in fiscally sound manner.
We believe that these individuals will work well collectively, as board of trustees, to develop a blueprint that will lead this remarkable community to a sound future.
And because of this we believe that Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White will remain connected and accountable to their constituents putting the interest of taxpayers first and politics second in their decision making.
M.J. & STEVE HARRIS
Hartwick

LETTER: 4 Offer Common-Sense Values, Cooperative Spirit

To the Editor:
With the approach of the 2011 Village of Cooperstown Election Day on Tuesday, March 15, I write to encourage our neighbors and friends in the village to seriously consider electing four remarkable and dedicated candidates for positions on the Village Board.
Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White have each and together clearly shown that they are both well prepared and well equipped to take on the varied challenges that presently face our village government.
Their long and deeply established roots in this community make them uniquely qualified to help shape a future for the village that remains consistent with the cooperative spirit, common-sense values and quiet efficiency which have for so many decades been the very foundation of productive village government.
Their active and long-standing presence in the midst of the business and cultural life of the community imparts to each of them a sound and studied perspective that will enable them to conduct the affairs of the Village Board with a solidly informed grasp of the issues and a rational approach to controlling spending and taxation, ensuring the efficient delivery of village services, protecting the integrity of the cultural, historic and environmental assets of the Village and developing and managing an intelligent and reasonable long-term strategic plan for a future of sound and effective management of the affairs of the village.
I urge all of your readers who live or have businesses in the Village of Cooperstown to become familiar with these exceptional candidates in hopes that they will agree with my view that these natural and proven leaders can provide the time-tested insight, experienced management and much-needed teamwork that this very special community needs to rely upon in its Village Board.
Please cast your important vote for Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White, so that they can get right to work building a sound, strong and secure future for the village.
J. MICHAEL MOFFAT
Cooperstown

LETTER: Trosset: Four Will Put UNITY Back In COMMUNITY. Go Coop!

To the Editor:
I thank the trustee candidates from both political parties for their service.  It takes a love for this village to run for office and you clearly demonstrate that affection.
I commend both campaigns for their respect for each other and to the village itself.  Absent a few unneeded venomous letters to the press, the process has proceeded with class and dignity.  Our forefathers would be proud.
Our village, however, is not about the candidates.  Rather, it is about its residents.  More specifically, it is about our village’s next generation. 
I describe Cooperstown to many as being “a great          place to raise a family.”   This past week the Cooperstown girls and boys basketball teams unified this village behind the rally call of “GO COOP.”   Each team caused proud community members to travel miles to support our teams.
 This past fall, the tremendous performance of Cooperstown High’s musical “Cats” impressed all of us.   A village universally vested in its children’s goals, either it be academic, athletic or in the arts, is truly special and very much unique.  
I strongly support the Republican candidates, namely Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White, because their focus is our future.
 They want our village streets improved and our Main Street storefronts engaged. They do not want to tax away the middle-income resident and the cash-strapped visitor.  They prefer, as it was in the recent past, when residents could invite friends from afar that would marvel at the strong personal relationships between us.
It is this team that will put the UNITY back into COMMUNITY.   Join me on March 15 and vote for our neighbors – Matt Schuermann, Jim Potts, Phil Lewis and Joan White.  Our kids deserve it. 
Thanks, and “GO COOP.”
MICHAEL E. TROSSET
Chairman
Village Republican Party

LETTER: Democratic, GOP Chairs’ Final Say

To the Editor:
I would like to thank the village residents for inviting us into your homes, accepting our phone calls, reading our ads and mailings, and visiting us on our web site, Many Voices One Village.com, and on Facebook. 
As a special thank you, the Cooperstown Democratic Party would like to invite you to dinner for some mouth-watering spaghetti and meatballs, cooked by the Democratic Committee and served by our candidates. Come by the vets’ club 4-7 p.m. Monday, March 14; donations will go to the food bank.
 The Village Democratic Party and the candidates had pledged to run a positive campaign, related to the issues and our vision for the future of the village.  I believe we achieved that goal ensuring that you, the residents, were informed of the Democratic positions and qualifications for these most trusted positions.
Our team of candidates for village trustee have outstanding backgrounds with a wealth of knowledge that the village can be proud of. 
Again, you can see Jeff Katz, Ellen Tillapaugh, Walter Frank and James Dean’s qualifications outlined on our website, Many Voices One Village.com.
While the challenges are great, I am convinced that this talented team we have assembled will pull this village together and make great strides in bringing all sides and positions to the table for fair and open discussions. 
If we all pull together and pledge our total commitment and effort for Walter Franck, Ellen Tillapaugh, Jeff Katz and James Dean we will succeed in achieving this important goal.
Thank you.
RICHARD D. ABBATE
Chairman
Village Democratic Party

LETTER: What Mythical Village Is That, Anyhow?

To the Editor:
The Democrats’ campaign for village election is a joke.  Last week, they placed an ad with a photo of police on bicycles from someplace unknown.  The week before there was a photo of pipes at some unknown drill site.  Who is creating the ads, somebody from Seattle or Scranton?
If they want to use photos in ads for village election, they should have used pictures taken in COOPERSTOWN.  How about a few shots of closed store fronts or a few hundred shots of potholes.  Oh, and let’s not forget the sidewalks on Main Street.
Maybe the local Democratic leaders and their candidates don’t want you to think about the real problems here at home.  Maybe they want to distract you from the damage they do.  They gang up against the mayor for researching ways to save our village money so he can fix our streets and lower taxes.  They sympathize with a village employee who constantly makes trouble.  They don’t listen to our residential wants and business needs.
The local Democratic leaders and their candidates have no plan for Cooperstown.  They have nothing to offer but fear.  They scare us about a crime wave in Cooperstown if public safety is more efficient.  They scare us with poisoned water if we don’t vote for democrats.  How phony can they get?
Maybe the local Democratic leaders and their candidates are simply desperate.  The Republicans clearly showed their platform in mailings and ads with real content and real solutions.  The local Democratic leaders and their candidates have shown us nothing but scare tactics.
I’m sure that at any moment now we will get the pleasure of them littering our village with their names on signs.  What a JOKE!
ANDREW VILACKY
Cooperstown

LETTER: Revenues Not Problem; Expenses Are

To the Editor:
Mayor Booan’s efforts to research cost savings shows that he comprehends what we need to do to fix our streets.  The mayor’s vocal opponents are constantly crying that the village needs more and more revenues through paid parking and higher property taxes.  However, an examination of village finances over the years reveals that insufficient revenues are not the problem.
Over the last nine years, revenues have increased 65 percent.  In 2001-02, the size of the village general fund budget was $1,926,501.   Nine years later, it is $3,180,863.  Again, that is a 65 percent increase for village government.  So why have our streets deteriorated so badly over that time?
The answer is that village government has not controlled spending on items unrelated to street reconstruction.  For example, in 2001-02 employment benefits totaled $217,684 per year.  Nine  years later they total $636,196 per year.  That is an increase of almost 200 percent in nine years.       
The mayor’s opponents continue to push for paid parking on Main Street and higher property taxes.   In other words, they want to increase revenues because it’s easy, instead of managing spending because it’s hard.  Unless village government changes the way it spends money, more revenues simply spell more trouble over time.   
More efficient government is our only way out.  If village government had held general fund spending increases over 9 years to a rate equal to inflation, we would have an additional $800,000 each budget year.  Mayor Booan is doing exactly what we need him to do – he is researching ways to deliver services more efficiently in order to set aside money for street reconstruction projects and lower taxes. 
The candidates endorsed by the Republican Party are promising to “streamline operations so we can pay for fixing our infrastructure” and “hold down property taxes by controlling village spending.”  Their platform shows that they understand what our mayor is trying to do and together support his efforts.  Anyone sincerely interested in the future of Cooperstown should likewise support them on March 15. 
ERIC HAGE
Cooperstown

LETTER : From Love Of Community Into Prejudice

To the Editor,
I am proud to be able to write to you supporting the Democratic slate of candidates for the village board this year. Each of them has exhibited the experience and dedication to this village that has earned them a place on the board.
If there were any doubts among your readers I would invite them to read the qualifications of each (both the Republicans and Democrats have mailed extensive information to every household; give all of it a thoughtful examination).
Your readers know what Jeff Katz has done to bring good government and good ideas to this community. Ellen’s long, long record of community service is unmatched. Dr. Franck has touched the lives of every single person living here whether a relative newcomer or a lifelong resident.
And, I am taking you to task on your “personal favorite.” James Dean has gone to the mat, over and over again, with bravery that challenges each one of us.
Yet you endorsed someone else recommending to him other service, out of the public eye.  If he is your personal favorite, then match his courage and endorse him.
Democracy in action is not a spectator sport, nor is it neat and tidy; the mayor needs to hear ideas and opinions from every quarter of this community – he needs to hear and respect opposition to function in the best public interest.
Which brings me to the final and most sensitive point. There is a sense, evident in some of the letters to the editor in your paper, that “Democrats” are to blame for dissension within the village.  There is a strong impression that “outsiders” have ruined life, as they knew it.
This is carried in the Republican advertising headline, which reads, “Live here, grow here, stay here.” The unwritten conclusion to that headline is “all others keep out!”
Let me suggest that Cooperstown already has serious, deep-seated issues concerning who belongs here and who doesn’t. It seems to me that this attitude has crossed the line of love of community into a territory of prejudice that is both dark and dangerous.
I am not asking for any public confessions but my hope is that each resident will engage in a moment of self-reflection. If for no other reason, shouldn’t we be setting a better example for the children of the village – our children and grandchildren?
SALLY R. ELDRED
Cooperstown

LETTER: Potts Brings Integrity, Experience, Gets Results

To the Editor:
Please accept this letter as our recommendation for James Potts to serve as a trustee on the Cooperstown Village Board. Jim is a dedicated and loyal member of our management team at NYCM Insurance.
As vice president of the Special Investigations Division for our company, Jim oversees all areas of fraud detection, investigation and coordination within our organization.
As our officer in charge of special investigations, Jim was charged with the formation and direction of the division when it was created. He is responsible for managing staffing levels, budgets, operational objectives and extensive regulatory and legal requirements. In short, he manages his division as a results-driven entity across a wide spectrum of responsibilities that ultimately protects the assets of our company and policyholders.
He is a founding member, officer and standing board member of the state Special Investigations Units. He is also currently on the boards of the state Anti Car Theft and Fraud Association, Alliance Against Insurance Fraud and the state Department of Criminal Justice Services as an industry representative.
He is a veteran of the Air Force, holds several professional designations and completed his BBA with a financial services minor while at NYCM.
Jim possesses a high degree of integrity and skill as an officer at NYCM Insurance. Jim’s honesty and common sense approach in the way that he deals with issues will serve the Village Board well. He has a unique skill set as an investigator and manager who is used to viewing problems from all angles.
Jim has excellent communication skills which, along with his straightforward approach, allow him to achieve both short- and long-term goals. We wholeheartedly recommend Jim for the Cooperstown Village Board of Trustees.
V. Daniel Robinson
Chief Executive Officer
Albert Pylinski
Chief Financial Officer
New York Central Mutual
Fire Insurance Co., Edmeston

LETTER: Franck Has Balanced Thoughtful Approach

To the Editor:
Among the many qualified candidates for village trustee, Dr. Walter Franck stands out for his thoughtful and balanced approach to problems.
He will bring a willingness to listen, careful consideration of issues and measured decisionmaking to his role as a trustee.
These are skills well demonstrated in his highly successful leadership career at Bassett and these are skills that will benefit our village with Walter Franck as a trustee.
WILLIAM F. STRECK, M.D.
Cooperstown

LETTER: If You Don’t Know Democratic Slate, Meet Them At Spaghetti Dinner

To the Editor:
Your vote counts.  Make a difference!  Village residents will vote on Tuesday March 15. There are important issues before us and they are not simple ideas like having political signs on our front lawns or not. 
The economic downturn has hurt, and hurt our neighbors who own businesses on Main Street.  The blessing and the burden of tourism in our community and the challenges and choices that come with having a major medical center cause a strain on local taxpayers. 
The Board of Trustees has important choices to make for all of us.  There is an important difference in candidates that must be pointed out. 
James Dean is a local businessman and a true thinker who asks questions to discover alternatives before arriving at solutions. 
Walter Franck is a beloved and dedicated physician with significant experience dealing with and supervising hundreds of people and many millions of dollars.
Jeff Katz, the senior member of the Village Board, has demonstrated a financial understanding of village economics born of experience and polished with financial acumen. 
Ellen Tillapaugh, born and raised in Cooperstown, is a community activist with a demonstrated history of looking at all sides of an issue before deciding on an answer. 
If you know these people as I do you will support them for the position of village trustee.  If you don’t know them, you can meet them when they work at the free spaghetti dinner on Monday March 14, at the Vets Club.  The Cooperstown Democratic Committee is paying for, cooking and serving a complete dinner for FREE.  Donations will be accepted, with 100 percent of the money (or donated canned goods) going to the Cooperstown Food Bank.
I hope to see you Monday at the dinner and I hope on Tuesday that you will vote for DEAN, FRANCK, KATZ AND TILLAPAUGH!  You will make the difference!
JOAN M. NICOLS
Cooperstown

LETTER: Tillapaugh: I Am Ready To Serve My Hometown

To the Editor:
As I have walked around the village over the past few weeks while campaigning for a trustee seat on the Village Board, I have enjoyed meeting new residents and visiting with long-time friends. 
I have listened to your concerns. Many of you know me and are aware of my years of leadership in local organizations and my service to our community. You know I will work objectively and thoroughly for solutions with all who are elected to serve.
From my experience with the League of Women Voters, I have a strong non-partisan basis, which will be beneficial on the board.
I am ready and willing to serve my hometown community and I feel fortunate to have undertaken this political journey with Walter Franck, Jeff Katz and Jim Dean – a very strong slate of candidates.
Walter’s fiscal and administrative expertise at Bassett Hospital will be an asset to our community.  Jeff has served diligently and conscientiously as a trustee for six years, and has successfully raised revenue from non-tax sources.  Jim’s passion and advocacy for the environment and the village will also serve us well. 
Please consider all we have to offer our community when you vote on Tuesday, March 15, to vote. 
ELLEN TILLAPAUGH KUCH
Cooperstown

LETTER: Franck: Increase Revenues, Lower Costs

To the Editor:
Our beautiful, beloved village is facing trying times. We live in an economically challenged region of New York State at a time when global and national economies are suffering. We have empty stores on Main Street; we lost Hoffman Lane Bistro and Agway, among other businesses we valued.
This occurred despite the fact that our two major industries have continued to draw many visitors to our village. Bassett has never been busier, with 350,000 visits to its Cooperstown clinics alone, and over 10,000 patients admitted to its inpatient service; our museums continue to draw thousands of families to our community.
We are burdened by substantial federal, state, county, village and school taxes. Village-specific revenue-generating programs have been developed. Yet our net income is insufficient to maintain some of our basic infrastructural needs, the best example being the many streets that await repair.
We must continue to explore, in depth, any and all means to increase our revenues and/or decrease our costs, without imposing further financial hardship on our villagers. We must do this, and maintain the security and safety of our village and our environment.
For 28 of my 38 years at Bassett I have been the chief of medicine. In that role I have been intimately involved in the evolution of Bassett as a financially sound system that is secure and provides services needed throughout our region. Bassett’s budget is now about $379 million. As chief of medicine I was accountable for a little over 10 percent of the hospital budget. My job included program development, revenue enhancement, cost control and strategic planning. This experience is what I can provide Cooperstown residents in its government.
In the course of the past six weeks I have come to exchange ideas with very talented colleagues. Jeff Katz is incredibly knowledgeable about the administrative and financial issues required for effective village government; Ellen Tillapaugh has had a stunning array of civic interests and responsibilities and is one of the most impressive individuals I have met; Jim Dean’s passion and commitment to our community and environment is one which I heartily endorse and support. We have developed professional working relationships, which, if translated into village government, could serve our community well.
Please consider us carefully when you vote March 15.
WALTER FRANCK, MD
Cooperstown

LETTER: Dean: Let’s Be Honest, Open, Fair, Thrifty, Creative

To the Editor:
I would like to take this opportunity to share some of my thoughts and feelings about the village we love and call home.
As a village resident and local businessman for 34 years, I believe that I have a good sense of the economic health of Main Street and the village in general. As a supporter of Main Street and other local businesses, I have concerns about the economic future of the village. We do not live in a vacuum, and we may not always be an oasis in a tumultuous, changing world. We cannot save or hope our way into the future, but must plan our way forward. In short, we are going to have to work for our living. 
Planning our way forward starts with identifying and protecting the assets we have, building on them and working toward a sane and sustainable future based on the facts and wise investment and decision-making as we move ahead.
I support keeping the village police department under local control. I would also support some reduction of the force, if possible, to make that goal even more secure. I do not support the outsourcing of our local police department.
I support our Main Street businesses, the face of our community.  Main Street makes its living from the efforts of all of us. It is a symbiotic relationship, not a confrontational relationship. We are going to sink or swim together. 
We need our fellow Americans as tourists and visitors to help us support the safe, tranquil, healthy, life that we have almost taken for granted. We also owe our visitors a great value, a memorable, and a safe experience when they come to visit with us.
I support inviting more people to come join us in our great small town experience. I would invite them to bring their families, their hopes, dreams, creativity and businesses to help us all to grow and thrive. Young families are the future of Cooperstown.
We owe ourselves the future that we planned on enjoying for many years to come.
There are, and will be, issues that need ongoing attention for everyone to keep moving forward. I do not anticipate any difficulty in being honest, open, fair, thrifty, and creative in working through and resolving all upcoming issues without prejudice or personal agenda. I will explain my current positions on every matter clearly to anyone who asks in. I will invite opposing positions on any issue and I will support the position that is in the best interest of the village of Cooperstown. I will not have any predetermined outcomes that I will defend to the end. Life is a process, and I am only one of many voices. I do not expect to like everything that I may ultimately support but I will do so if it survives an honest discussion of the honest facts.
The Cooperstown quality of life is likely the major reason why most of us live here. I am, as many of you are, very concerned about the environmental, economic, and quality of life impacts that gas drilling would have on our community and our State. I believe that as New York State goes, so goes the village of Cooperstown.
I am very happy with all of my fellow candidates Ellen Tillapaugh, Jeff Katz and Dr. Walter Franck and I am asking that we all be given your careful consideration when you vote in the village elections on Tuesday March 15.  I respectfully ask for your support.  I will promise to earn your trust and confidence.  Please feel free to call me, on my cell, at 607-435-0255 with any questions or concerns.
The place is here, the time is now, and the decision is ours.
JAMES R. DEAN
Cooperstown

LETTER: Potts: I Will Listen To Your Views

To the Editor:
With the upcoming election for the Village Board fast approaching, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has encouraged me so far. 
It was not lightly that I agreed to the appointment from Mayor Booan just a couple of quick months ago.  It is my sincerest hope that I rewarded that show of confidence in me by representing both the village and its diverse group of residents both fairly and to the best of my ability.  I view the chance to serve as a privilege and an honor, and while I was given this first chance, I want to earn the next, from you, in the election.
As an interested resident, I have attended meetings, had great discussions and debate with both other residents and our elected officials.  Voicing an opinion is one thing, but being responsible for a vote that changes a policy or village law, is quite another.
I have not, nor will I, take that responsibility lightly.  This is especially important in the months to come as we already are and will be facing some large and important challenges that in one way or another, will impact all village residents.
Frankly, I did not feel my opinions, or a majority of others, had been heard or heeded on recent problems. In short, that is what made up my mind to accept the mayor’s appointment.  What is an elected or appointed trustee without the ability to listen and be influenced by public concern?  At the very least I would be ineffective, and at worst, I would violate the trust I ask you to place in me with a vote for village trustee.
JIM POTTS
Cooperstown

LETTER: Katz: It’s Been A Privilege To Serve

To the Editor:
It has been a privilege to serve this village that became our home almost eight years ago, when Karen and I moved our three boys, Nate, Robbie and Joey, from a busy suburb and relocated them to Cooperstown.
In my six years experience as trustee, two of those as deputy mayor, I have shown measurable accomplishment as I’ve served on virtually every committee. On those committees and boards I have worked diligently, doing thorough research to approach old issues with new information, or come up with fresh, innovative ideas to present and act upon.
Specific issues come and go, but how one approaches the process stays the same. I have always been consistent in my approach, honest and open in my discussion, with one overriding principle: what is for the good of the residents of this village.
While there are many different constituencies, and they all must be listened to, the residents are who we are elected by and who we represent.  A good elected official never has a personal agenda, never makes up his or her mind before they do the hard work and gain the knowledge it takes to make a reasoned decision. I never lose sight of that in my work as a trustee.
If re-elected, I pledge to continue to fight for this village we all love and to use my years of governmental experience and deep knowledge of village affairs to do the thorough job it takes to be the type of trustee the village deserves.
JEFF KATZ
Cooperstown

ELECTION 2011

Take a look at your Village Candidates, and what they have to say about this 2011 election!