The Ellsworth family
has paid school taxes
on the property at
105 Pioneer Street in Cooperstown
for just shy of one
hundred years. And while
we rather doubt that is a record
for the longest run by
a single family, we feel it is
not an insubstantial record.
Fortunately, we have only
been responsible, at this
point, for the school taxes
for twenty-eight of those
one hundred years. However,
those twenty-eight years
have been, unfortunately, at
the more expensive end of
the tax run.
It is no wonder then that
we have tended over the
years to try and pay attention,
as a member of the public, to
what transpires at the school.
Except for the occasional big
school issue which will bring
people out of the woodwork,
we feel we have been joined
in watching the school by
a mere handful of people.
Granted, the handful can
be a very vocal as anyone
who has attended a school
board meeting well knows.
But nonetheless it remains a
handful. We, of course, always
hope there will be others
who will see the need to pay
attention to what is happening
at the school and join us.
And this year we have felt
the need to pay attention is
greater than ever.
Thus we had been sorely
disappointed that we were
still joined by a mere handful
until we realized there is a
new player on the scene that
has the ability to watch the
school in a way that no one
else can. We of course refer
to this very newspaper which
seems to have taken on the
cause of keeping the public
informed on school issues.
In September, they covered
the decision to keep the
sixth grade at the middle/
high school as well as the
superintendent’s resignation.
This was followed in
the October 29 issue with an
article detailing the hiring
of a consultant to help with
the superintendent search as
well as a piece entitled ``CCS
enrollment is steadily declining.’’
In that it was reported
that the enrollment at CCS
has declined from a high of
1,350 in the mid 90s to 988
for the current year, a drop of
almost 27 percent. Yet in the
90s, there were just under 100
full time teachers. This year
there are 91.
In the Nov. 19 issue,
there was an article which
explained that community
members could participate
in a survey ``...to assist in developing
a profile of desirable
attributes and qualities of
the next superintendent...’’ In
that same issue there was an
editorial encouraging people
to not only participate in the
survey but to also attend the
Public Budget Forum to be
held on December 2.
This was followed by an
article on Nov. 25 on the
budget process in which
CCS Board of Education Vice
President Mary Leonard was
quoted as saying, ``Albany is
taking a very long time and
we have to be ready for some
very dramatic cuts.’’ It would
not exactly be what one
would want to hear about the
school budget.
On Dec. 10, the paper
published three articles about
the school. One explained the
plans for the superintendent
search, while the other two
dealt with budget issues. One
of these was a very detailed
report on the public budget
forum held on December 2
and the other was a most
ominous piece entitled
``Lawmakers caution schools’
funding will be less next year.’’
On Dec. 17, there were
two articles and an editorial
all relating to school issues.
One article, entitled ``MCS
uncertain about future as it
plans 2010-11,’’ talked about
the difficulties being faced in
preparing a school budget.
The discussion included a
quote from Tom Brennan,
Milford Central School BOE
President who said: ``The
state is suffering and districts
will share that pain.’’ The other
article addressed the issue of
rural school mergers which
had been discussed not only
at the Public Budget Forum
on December 2 but also at
a BOCES meeting held on
December 1 to discuss issues
facing the 19 school districts
in the BOCES.
However, we thought the
editorial, entitled ``CCS needs
to reduce spending’’ absolutely
hit the nail on the head.
It pointed out that the school
board has an opportunity in
the current contract negotiations
with both the Faculty
Association and the Service
Unit ``...to stem the tide
of escalating costs.’’ It also
pointed out that ``Those
contract negotiations offer
another opportunity to
reduce, or at the very least,
hold the line on salaries and
benefits. School employees
should not mistakenly believe
they are immune to the
economic impacts that have
hit many district residents. T
he board of education has to
make it clear that these contract
negotiations will not be
business as usual.’’
We could not agree more.
And we certainly hope that
both sides in the negotiations
understand the financial
problems facing many
residents of the district.
And the paper has continued
its coverage of school
issues into 2010. The Jan. 7
edition contains a must read
article entitled ``Schools face
gap when funds run out’’ as
well as an excellent editorial
entitled ``Merging might be
the answer.’’
We must admit that until
we sat down and compiled
all the articles and editorials
which have appeared in the
paper this school year, we
really did not realize how
much, and how well, information
has been presented.
We salute the paper for a
job well done and trust that
they will continue to keep
the public informed as the
school goes forward with the
superintendent search, the
contract negotiations and
the 2010-11 budget.
There is little doubt that
the decisions that the Board
of Education makes regarding
all of these issues will
have a profound impact
on all the residents of the
district.
In closing, as one of those
handful of people who have
watched the school for years,
we are reminded of a quote
by Dale Carnegie in which
he said:
``Most of the important
things in the world have
been accomplished by
people who have kept on
trying when there seemed to
be no hope at all.’’
It would seem that the
time has come when there
needs to be more than just a
handful of school watchers.
PLEASE NOTE: Comments
regarding this column may
be made by mail at 105
Pioneer Street, Cooperstown,
NY 13326, by telephone at
607-547-8124 or by e-mail at
cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills: School watchers an important group
- Columns
-
-
In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
Continued ... -
Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
Continued ... -
Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
Continued ... -
Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
Continued ... -
Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
Continued ... -
In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
Continued ... -
Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
Continued ... -
Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
Continued ... -
From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
Continued ...
-
In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
