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We have found the events of the past week have been such that we are quite tempted to rerun some former column instead of writing a new one, hoping against hope that no one notices. To say that the creative muses are burned out is perhaps an understatement. In fact, we fear that we may be reduced to talking about the weather.
We must admit that we have no qualms about talking about the weather. In fact, it is usually a fairly safe topic of conversation. And no matter what the weather is, there always seems to be some aspect of it which evokes either great joy or great depression.
And, of course, we are always amused by the fact that our great joy or great depression regarding the weather is seen by many as being rather backwards since we tend to enjoy rainy days much more than sunny ones.
And once again this year, June seems to be filled with delightful rainy days, just like the Junes were back when we first found ourselves on the Cooperstown scene in the 1970s. During that time we used to spend much of each June visiting our mother-inlaw, Enid Ellsworth, here in Cooperstown.
And each year it seemed that one of the main topics of conversation was whether or not Willow Brook would flood the basement of the bank building. Fortunately we believe that some years ago now Willow Brook was contained in such a way as to eliminate the flooding of the bank basement. However, it seems that the rainy June weather is still with us. And so is our desire on a rainy day to curl up with a good book.
However, much as we might like to spend our time doing nothing but reading, we realize that is probably not as productive as we could, or should, be. Thus we find ourselves being pushed to do other things, such as helping out at the recent fund raising spaghetti dinner held at the Vet’s Club for the benefit of Patrick Baker. And while we did spend a fair amount of time at the dinner, we hasten to point out that we were not allowed to have anything whatsoever to do with the food. This, of course, was a good decision on the part of the organizers.
Instead we greeted the diners, explained about the dinner donations and sold tickets for the raffles. We were most touched by the kind words of support from many, many of the people who attended the dinner. We were particularly struck by one gentleman who appeared and asked us about the transplant for which money was being raised. We explained what we knew after which he explained he was a double transplant recipient and wanted to make a donation to the cause. We offered him dinner but he explained that he was in town for a wedding and was on his way from the wedding rehearsal dinner to the actual rehearsal.
Nonetheless he took the time to talk with Patrick and his family about the transplant process as well as the network of support available to transplant recipients. We would like to extend our thanks to this gentleman, whoever he was, for his valuable contributions to both the dinner and the Baker family.
We also wish to thank all those people who attended this dinner for their support of the fund raising efforts. We also wish to thank those businesses and individuals who donated goods and services to the dinner. The list includes the Bistro, Cooley’s, Church and Scott, Danny’s Market, DiMaggio’s, Doubleday Cafe, Hellers Farm, Lakefront Restaurant, New York Pizza, Nicoletta’s, Pioneer Patio, Schneider’s Bakery, Winnie Denny-Smith, and Joyce Weir.
A big thank you also goes out to those businesses and individuals who donated items for the raffle, including Cooperstown Clubhouse, CVS, Catherine Lake Ellsworth, Ellsworth and Sill, Essential Elements, Family Dollar, Friendly’s, Diane Howard, Matt Kepner, Kathleen Koffer Allstate, Diane Koffer, Legends are Forever, Polar Scoops, Pioneer Sports Cards, Safe at Home Ballpark Collectibles, Cindy Seward, Seventh Inning Stretch and Straws and Sweets.
And finally, we extend a big thank you to the Vet’s Club which donated the use of its facility for the fundraiser.
Unfortunately, because the need is so great, the fundraising for Patrick Baker will continue.
The next such event will be held on June 22 at Applebee’s in Oneonta. With the presentation of a voucher, 10% of the check, excluding tax and tip, will be donated to the Cooperstown Rotary Foundation to benefit the liver transplant fund. Vouchers are available for this Applebee fundraiser from Jessica Baker. She can be contacted by telephone at 607-435-2671 or at work at the Bank of Cooperstown.
And, of course, it is still possible to make a donation directly to the Patrick Baker Transplant Fund at the Bank of Cooperstown, 73 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
In closing, we believe it was Benjamin Franklin who said: ``Do well by doing good.’’ It was good advice then. And it is good advice now.
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 email at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills: Staying involved and doing well...
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From Fly Creek: For help with the smug
I’ve been having much fun lately, friends, writing a short book called “Saints for Special Needs,” completely fictional characters whomight get us thinking about humanity—and ourselves, in particular. Here’s a sample. Let me know your reaction. (Oh, and I have a fine cartoonist to illustrate the book!) [Almost every culture has a place for “the wise fool,” the vacant sort of person who, in fact, has a witty and trenchant view of humanity, and may even see into its future.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Still more from 1986
Early August found us asking the question, “Does anyone know when Edgewater was builtand by whom?” The answer, much of which came from Ralph Birdsall’s history of the village, appeared in the Aug. 13 column as follows:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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?”
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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.
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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.]
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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From Fly Creek: For help with the smug
