Cooperstown knows how
to do holidays. Other towns
may attempt quaint and
heart-warming holidays,
but Cooperstown just happens
to have both the small
size and the community resources
to outshine even a
Hollywood rendition.
Take Halloween. Every
Oct. 31, children from all
over Cooperstown and the
surrounding villages and
hamlets gather on Main
Street, in costume, to parade
up Main Street, toward
Chestnut and onward
to the Fire Station, where
they are treated to some
good-natured tricks and no
small amount of candy. For
the youngest children, the
march to the Fire Station
may signal the end of trickor-
treating done mostly in
daylight. Meanwhile, older
kids and their families fan
out through the maze of village
streets, knocking on
one decorated door after
another, teaming up with
classmates and walking
until they just can’t ring
one more bell.
It is my assertion that
Cooperstown should have a
Welcome Committee that
gives newcomers with children
a literal welcome wagon
that they can take out
on Halloween (and to the
Farmers’ Market and the
Christmas Parade), so little
ones will have a smooth
ride home or to the car.
Christmastime is even
more outrageously quaint,
with Santa himself (not
some polyester-bearded
``helper’’) heralding the beginning
of the season in the
annual Christmas parade.
Surrounded by village
youngsters, Santa and Mrs.
Claus take the opposite
route into Cooperstown’s
Main Street, riding a sleigh,
drawn by jingling horses
from Railroad Avenue down
to the corner of Main and
Pioneer streets, where the
park holds a small outpost
of Santa’s North Pole HQ.
Throughout the season,
children can visit him there,
and post wish lists in his
mail box.
It’s enough to make
Frank Capra himself call
us corny. And then there is
July Fourth — Independence
Day.
Cooperstown wasn’t actually
born on the Fourth of
July, but it might as well
have been for the way it
embodies (and delivers) a
picture-perfect country celebration.
I remember my first
Fourth of July in Cooperstown.
Visiting from Florida,
where early July turns
everything into sweltering
sandpaper, we were enchanted
by the lush, green
hillsides and the fact that
we had to wear sweaters
for an early evening excursion
on the lake.
As we gathered under
afghans and quilts, watching
the sky overhead deepen
from cornflower to violet
to an inky shade of purple black
just a few shades
lighter than the silhouettes
of treetops on surrounding
hills, it felt like settling into
the warm lap of the landscape.
At dark, fireworks
soared overhead with whistles
and shrieks, then exploded
like rogue stars, filling
the sky and echoing
around the basin of the
lake.
While the lake rocked
us, the hills hugged us
tight, and we knew we had
found a new home.
Elizabeth Trever Buchinger
could tell Frank Capra
a thing or two about a
wonderful life. You can connect
with her at www.moremindfulfamily.
wordpress.com.
Columns
This Wonderful Life: The perfect weekend to visit — or live here
- Columns
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Mother's visit was a benchmark for this year
Last week, my mother made the 25-hour plane trip out to Thailand to visit her son, me, after nine months of having only choppy Skype sessions and scattered emails to give her an idea of what I look and act like since having left home last August.
Continued ... -
Local Voices From Around the Globe: World traveler calls Euro-Tour experience of a lifetime
While I've had a great time throughout my entire exchange, I can say hands down that the month of April brought me the best memories of my exchange if not some of the best of my entire life. What kind of wonder would bring me to say this? Simple. Euro-Tour.
Continued ... -
Maryland port attacked
Havre de Grace, May 3. "This morning, a little after the break of day, a British armed force, under cover of armed vessels which anchored in front of this town ... landed below a small breast work which had been roughly thrown up, and in which were one 9 and two 4 pounders, manned by 50 militia.
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Memoir reflects on 'roller-coaster life and career'
Apparently, the third time wasn't the charm. The way Reynolds described him, the third husband was worse than the first two combined and that's saying a lot. Eddie Fisher literally walked away from Reynolds and their two infant children to chase a sex goddess. At least he got his just desserts when Elizabeth Taylor tossed him aside for Richard Burton.
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Imagine what might have been ...
A while back we got a telephone call from a reader of this column wanting to know why we had not written a column in support of Otsego Manor continuing to be owned and operated by Otsego County. And even though we have followed the debate over this issue in the newspaper, we readily admitted we did not feel we knew enough about the situation to take a stand.
Continued ... -
Herpes virus brings harness racing to a halt
I've been going to harness horse race tracks my entire life. My family has been in the business for years.
Continued ... -
Time, if not traffic, moves on ...
It is with sadness we note the passing of two people who we have known since moving to Cooperstown in 1982.
Continued ... -
Canadian capital captured
Dear Sir, I have just returned from Fort Niagara, where I saw a Captain of the United States' navy. He is just from little York, the capital of Upper Canada, and gives the following account, which is confirmed in official dispatches from Gen. Dearborn to Gen. Lewis ...
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Local Voices From Around The Globe: Exchange is like a life in a year
All exchange students realize the credibility of this statement. Like all lives no exchange is the same, all are incredible unique exchanges. The metaphor of life, from baby to old age, extends to every part of the exchange.
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Movie depicting legendary Jackie Robinson does not disappoint
Going to the movies is not something I do often. I can count the number of times I have gone on my fingers, unless you include trips to the drive-in. And even so, it took me years before I made it to one of those -- going for the first time two summers ago.
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'Dubious' about weather, Hawkeyes 'suitable' nickname
Unfortunately, it seems to us that this spring has, thus far, been anything but spring like. In fact, we are still more than happy to stay bundled up in our polar fleece.
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'Who's on Worst?' reveals the ugly in baseball
The Baseball Hall of Fame celebrates the greatest players, managers and owners from our national pastime. Any of us who have watched Major League baseball have inevitably seen some of these immortals practicing their craft. But we have also likely witnessed a sample of their opposite brethren, players who shouldn't have been in the Major Leagues. Has there ever been a definitive source that "celebrates" the non-accomplishments of the worst that Major League baseball has to offer?
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Swallow talk and bluebird vigilance
I assume the swallows have returned to Capistrano. They have returned to Hawthorn Hill as well.
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Life in Hungry has taken a turn for the better
I can truthfully say spring has finally arrived in Hungary. It's almost time to wear shorts and sandals, for summer will be just around the corner. This brings me great happiness and great sadness, my adventure is coming to a close. Really what a time it was, I don't think I can compare it to anything else.
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The importance of speaking up ...
Over the years we have come to understand that, in writing a weekly column, it is not possible to always please everyone. And such was the case with our column that ran at the end of March in which we wrote about our experience as in inpatient following a total hip replacement.
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Public schools created
The Common School Act of 1812 marked the start of New York's public school system. Much of the credit for this was due to the radical Otsego County politician Jedediah Peck (1747-1821). To quote the NY Education Department:
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Book takes readers on path for equal rights
One of the most troubling aspects of our history is race relations. It takes a long time to achieve true equality in a society when the heritage of one ethnic group is slavery and Jim Crow laws. Even today African Americans are more likely to be stereotyped as athletes than doctors, lawyers or entrepreneurs. The path to a "color-blind" nation is still a work in progress.
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Experiencing India at every new turn
Come, sit down. Hold this and, wait ... ah, there you go. Obeying these commands, I found myself seated on the pavement, wearing a turban and attempting to make sounds out of a recorder-like instrument for the black cobras in the baskets not two feet away from me.
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Will I be American or will I be Thai today?
When would someone have the ability to present themselves as a native of a country of their own choosing? When they’ve lived eight months as an exchange student, of course!
Continued ... - Second host family makes Hungary feel like home
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Local Voices From Around the Globe: Mother's visit was a benchmark for this year
