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March 5, 2010

Anonymous The Cooperstown Crier Fri Mar 05, 2010, 03:12 PM EST

This year’s village election offers an interesting look at a pervasive aspect of small town politics _ newcomers versus native sons or daughters.

The Republican ticket has three native son candidates running against three Democrats who are not Cooperstown born and bred.

During the Candidates’ Night Monday, Republicans frequently offered reminders of their heritage as if it bestowed upon them a better understanding of the village. While they may have a better understanding from a historical perspective, it does not necessarily mean they are better prepared to cope with the issues facing the village today and the in the future.

The dichotomy that exists in small town and villages is not hard to understand, but is a deterrent to building a cohesive community. The fact that someone was born and raised in a community should not mean that they have a standing that cannot be attained by someone who is a newcomer, but that is often the implication.

People have fond memories of growing up in small, tight-knit communities where everyone knows everyone and nothing bad ever seems to happen. As people age, they often have a nostalgic yearning for earlier times when life seemed simpler and more meaningful than it does in today’s fast-paced digital world.

They wonder what happened to the good old days and why things aren’t the way they used to be and frequently, the blame is laid at the doorsteps of all the newcomers in the community.

The truth is, it’s not the newcomers, but the ever-changing world in which we live. Things aren’t the same, no matter where you are.

Cooperstown has Bassett Hospital, the county’s largest employer, and is home to some world-class museums. Those institutions and many of the village’s other attributes attract numerous professionals whose skills represent an enormous resource to the community.

An excellent example was seen recently when Deputy Mayor Jeff Katz worked with his neighbor Chuck Knull, a trademark attorney, to establish a program for licensing the use of Doubleday Field and its new logo and charging location fees for the use of the field. It is a program that is already bringing in new revenue. Knull provided his expertise at no charge to the village; asking only that the village pay filing fees.

And there many more examples of newcomers who voluntarily contributed time, energy and skills by working with village government or one of the village’s many community organizations. Those contributions go a long way to making the village a better place to live.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of one’s heritage, but it should not be viewed as some sort of entitlement. It is time to erase the dividing line and work to build a stronger more cohesive community with the realization that we’re all in this together.

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Littering a major problem The annual observation of Earth Day is April 22, and the Earth Festival that has been held in Milford for the past five years is this Saturday.
April 8, 2010
Mayor, board deserve praise Hats off to the mayor and village board for their work on formulating a budget for the coming year that calls for a reasonable tax rate increase while maintaining services and planning for capital improvements.
April 1, 2010
It’s time to be creative For the last few weeks, we’ve devoted a lot of space in the paper to the dire news coming out of Cooperstown Central School regarding their projected budget for next year. With state aid decreasing, teachers and programs may be eliminated next year to make up the shortfall.
March 25, 2010
Time to work together The election is over and we offer our congratulations to Joe Booan, Alton Dunn III, Lynne Mebust and Leslie Friedman for their victories.
March 18, 2010
Katz is our choice for mayor Next Tuesday’s annual village election has a full slate of candidates for mayor, trustee and justice. Our choice for mayor is Jeff Katz, the senior member of the village board and the current Deputy Mayor.
March 12, 2010
We’re in this together This year’s village election offers an interesting look at a pervasive aspect of small town politics _ newcomers versus native sons or daughters.
March 5, 2010
Jump is annual highlight Our hats go off to all jumpers who took the plunge into freezing-cold water during the 15th annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump held on Saturday.
February 26, 2010
Classic changes should enhance fans’ experience After last year’s inaugural Hall of Fame Classic, we wrote an editorial outlining some changes that we felt would make the game more appealing to baseball fans. Coincidentally or not, we’re pleased to see museum officials have addressed most of those concerns for the second Classic, which is scheduled for Father’s Day, June 20.
February 21, 2010
Every little bit helps The village’s attempt to capitalize on some of its unique baseball heritage is a step in the right direction. The plan to take advantage of the village’s iconic Doubleday Field by licensing the commercial use of images of the field and marketing a newly developed logo creates a welcome new revenue stream.
February 12, 2010
Village should speak up Two weeks ago, Congressman Michael Arcuri said what should be obvious to everyone _ our water supply is our most valuable resource.
January 30, 2010
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