Cooperstown Crier - Your Source for Hometown News - Cooperstown, Baseball Hall of Fame

Columns

July 3, 2009

This Wonderful Life: The perfect weekend to visit — or live here

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.

Text Only
Columns
  • From Fly Creek: Cheers for the Blue Rabbit!

    My handwriting’s always been an embarrassment. Way back in elementary school, while most of the others were developing a clear, sometimes graceful hand (especially the girls), my penmanship showed no improvement.

    Continued ...
    7 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: This and that ...

    We have found the weather so far this year to be on the unusual side. And while we have no problem with the fact that we have received very little snow, we are of the opinion that what we have had instead is not particularly to our liking either. In fact, we are very hesitant to venture out much as we live in fear that the rain will turn to mixed precipitation which will freeze into a sheet of ice. And we are definitely opposed to encountering a sheet of ice underfoot. In fact, we are so hesitant that we now have taken to canceling our participation in events based on what just might be a dubious forecast.

    Continued ...
    7 days
  • Book Notes: Feinstein’s latest is sheer enjoyment

    Most people who follow sports have probably heard of John Feinstein. As a nationally known author, sportswriter, pundit and broadcaster, he has brought a unique angle to sports journalism. His groundbreaking book on Bobby Knight’s 1986-87 Indiana University basketball team, “A Season on the Brink,” still resonates today as an all-time classic.

    Continued ...
    7 days
  • Book Notes: No Trekkie should miss Shatner’s books

    It would be hard to find a television phenomenon as popular as “Star Trek.” Even though it was only on television for three seasons and 79 episodes (1966-69) it attracted viewers and devotees that still follow it passionately 45 years  later. The fanatical supportspawned several movies and television spinoffs. Star Trek conventions continue to this day. There has never been anything like it.

    Continued ...
    10 days
  • Up on Hawthorn Hill: Making sense of things

    A book I have been reading investigates the various ways over time that we have made sense of the world. It carries the reader through to the present via several seminal classical texts and ultimately aims to suggest a strategy for “ finding meaning in a secular age.”

    Continued ...
    10 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: ‘Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist.’ − John Adams

    Last week we were asked if we would be interested in previewing a documentary, “The Empire State Divide,”produced by the Foundation for Land & Liberty. And we were more than happy to do so as we understood the documentary dealt with the problems that continue to face family farms.

    Continued ...
    10 days
  • From Fly Creek: Now wait a minute!

    On the ninth day of Christmas, driving down Cooperstown’s Eagle Street, I saw something  astounding! No, not “nineladies dancing, eight maids a-milking, seven swans” etc. I saw one jogger jogging. And puffing on a cigarette.

    Continued ...
    21 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: Goals of the past and goals of the future

    We have long subscribed to the concept that we are always more successful if we, number one, set a goal and then, number two, meet it. And this was our thinking when we decided before Christmas to watch at least part of every college football bowl game. It was perhaps an odd, if not completely nonsensical, goal.

    Continued ...
    21 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: Not to our liking ...

    It is with sadness that we note the recent death of Steve Nagel. The son-inlaw of our late husband’s cousins, Alice and Harvey Eckler of Fly Creek, Steve was married to the Ecklers’ oldest daughter, Gail. We had the pleasure of spending Christmas Eve with the Nagels and the Ecklers in Fly Creek, greatly enjoying the delicious food and delightful conversation.

    Continued ...
    28 days
  • Up on Hawthorn Hill: Of birds and faith

    I watch birds quite a bit. Every five days or so I send in  a report to Cornell as partof its annual Project Feeder Watch program. The data, collected from volunteers from all over the country, enables scientists to track population trends. I would spend quite a bit of time checking out the visitors to our feeders anyway. Participating in the feeder program makes a personal pleasure that much more meaningful. It is rare that aesthetical and scientific endeavors work in tandem.

    Continued ...
    28 days
  • Book Notes: Biography captures the real Stephen Colbert

    It would be hard to find a comedian as unique as Stephen Colbert. As the host of “The Colbert Report”  on Comedy Central he hasmanaged to leave his mark on the nation’s consciousness in both a serious and humorous sort of way. His unusual wit has allowed him to become American icon. It would be difficult to find another entertainer quite like him.

    Continued ...
    28 days
  • From Fly Creek: Christmas and varied blessings

    I’m still astounded! The last farmers’ market before Christmas, I was sitting up front, directly under the ceiling heater, shmoozing with the hoi-polloi. (That’s  an awkward linguistic mix,but let’s let it go.) As I sipped my hot coffee, a gloved hand came to rest on my shoulder and a warm voice said, “Merry Christmas, Jim.” I looked to my left—it was Santa Claus!

    Continued ...
    35 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: Always a learning experience ...

    We must admit that we thoroughly enjoyed our 2011 Christmas celebration. We partook of Christmas Eve dinner at the home of Alice and Harvey Eckler of Fly Creek and Christmas Day dinner at the home of Sandy and Al Bullard of Milford. We had our usual Christmas Day brunch at home on Pioneer Street, although we must admit it was a tad bit later than usual as, what we enjoyed most about Christmas, namely our granddaughter Abby, took a great deal of time opening her Christmas presents.

    Continued ...
    35 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: Coming up ... 2012

    Difficult as it seems, 2011 is fast coming to an end. And it is always our hope that as a year draws to a close, the issues which have been in the forefront during the year will be resolved. Unfortunately, we suspect that will not be the case this year. Instead, we are fairly certain that many of the issues that plagued this year, will continue to plague next year. Thus we will find ourselves still musing about the same issues we have spent time with already. And  while we have not come toany conclusions about many of the issues, we do think they would all likely benefit from both sides thinking critically about perspective, risk assessment and possible solutions.

    Continued ...
    42 days
  • Up on Hawthorn Hill: Circularity

    When she was a puppy my dog Gabby would run in what I described then as “circles of joy.” She celebrated her15th birthday a few weeks ago and despite the inevitable frailties that old age imposes upon all of us, she is doing pretty well.

    Continued ...
    42 days
  • Book Notes: Grisham doesn’t disappoint

    John Grisham is one of this country’s most popular authors. Every time he publishes a book it’s an instant best-seller. He appeared on the scene about 20 years ago with his tense legal thrillers, “A Time to Kill” and “The Firm,”and hasn’t stopped producing top-notch novels since.

    Continued ...
    42 days
  • From Fly Creek: Still singing, beyond our hearing

    This column from Christmas 2001 still speaks deeply to me, and perhaps will to you, too. Take it, please, as my Christmas gift.

    Continued ...
    49 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: The 2011 Cooperstown Carol

    Since 1984, with the exception of one year, 1999, we have looked forward at the end of the year to going through all the issues of the paper in order to glean those news items which have been worthy of note throughout the year and which should make their way into our annual Cooperstown Carol.

    Continued ...
    49 days
  • In These Otsego Hills: Dear Santa ...

    Although we tend to think Christmas is for children and thus rarely think about what we might like to have, this year we have decided to let Santa know what might be left under the tree with our name on it. Of course, we fully understand if our list is a bit  long, a bit expensive and a bitlate. However, we have just finished reading our November issue of Health and so have just realized what we need that we do not currently have.

    Continued ...
    52 days
  • Up on Hawthorn Hill: Irony abounds

    These are querulous times. Dissent and disagreement, as uncomfortable as they sometimes are, are essential components of a viable democracy. Democracies are always messy because everyone has a right to speak his mind and because whenever a majority is able to gain the numerical upper hand it pretty much runs the show. Several political philosophers have written quite persuasively of what they characterize as the “tyranny of the majority.” Get enough people on your side and you have the opportunity to get your way so long as you are able to maintain power. I suspect that most thoughtful people would agree that wisdom is hard to come by.

    Continued ...
    52 days

New Today!