By MICHELLE MILLER
Staff Writer

It is hard to say what stories trump others because all issues and topics covered affect each reader in a different way. Some subjects and events are covered on an annual basis while some hit the press for the first time this year. Instead of ranking stories one through 10 as done in the past, let’s all hop into a time machine and reminisce by theme.

Baseball in Cooperstown Hall of Fame Weekend:

The village would not be known as the home of baseball without the National Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend.

This year, about 21,000 people came from near and far to see former Boston Red Sox slugger Jim Rice and all-time base stealer and runs scored leader Rickey Henderson get enshrined.

The Baseball Writers Association of America voted Rice into the Hall of Fame in his 15th and final year of eligibility. Henderson was elected during his first appearance on the ballot. Although Henderson might have been the more popular vote, he did not take the spotlight at the induction ceremony.

Red Sox Nation came out in force to celebrate Rice’s milestone. Boston fans outnumbered and outvoiced the Oakland rooters, with fans chanting, ``Let’s go, Red Sox!’’ and ``We love you, Jim,’’ to Rice during the ceremony at Clark Sports Center.

Henderson, however, had the Oakland Athletics’ banjo man, Stacy Samuels entertaining the crowd with songs such as ``Hey Rickey,’’ and ``Sweet Caroline.’’ Samuels said he has been playing at the Oakland home games for 25 years.

Hall of Fame Classic:

This year Hall of Fame began what they hope will become a new baseball tradition, The Father’s Day Classic.

Many fans were not pleased to hear an almost 70-year summer tradition, the Hall of Fame Game, would be replaced. Major League Baseball pulled the plug on the Hall of Fame Game because of difficulties with scheduling teams to come to Cooperstown so Hall of Fame officials partnered with the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA) to put on a legends baseball game featuring retired players and Hall of Famers on the village’s historic Doubleday Field.

The game was about more than wins and losses. The Classic was fashioned more like an old-timers game, which allowed fans to interact with players and children to take the field. Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller, 90, was the starting pitcher.

Baseball franchise is coming to town:

In May, the board of trustees approved in principal a proposal to bring a New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) franchise to Cooperstown. Team owner Tom Hickey of Fly Creek asked area residents help name his minor league team. The name Hawkeyes was selected after receiving more than 60 entries — some coming as far away as Austin, Texas and Dearborn, Mich.

The Hawkeye’s first season will begin next summer. Hickey said the team will have a roster of 25 players and be made up of top collegiate prospects who aspire to play in the majors, but do not yet have a contract. The team will be recruited from a nationwide search for players looking for a place to play over the summer before the baseball draft.

The level of play will be similar to that of single- or double-A minor leagues.

Parking

Paid parking:

Parking has always been an issue in the small village. This year officials said paid parking in the Doubleday Field Parking lot went much more smoothly than the prior year because of improved signage. Tickets and complaints were down, according to officials. In July, Village Treasurer Mary Ann Henderson said the village was on its way to surpassing expectations for the paid parking season.

By September, paid parking in the Doubleday Field parking lot generated almost $114,000 during its second season ù approaching twice the $60,000 in revenue anticipated in the budget. With most of the glitches worked out and a successful season under its belt, the board of trustees will have to decide whether to expand paid parking to downtown streets.

Board gets downtown parking report:

In November, the board of trustees briefly discussed a report from the planning board on the impact of the zoning law on parking and redevelopment in the business and commercial districts.

Earlier in the year, the trustees asked the planning board to look at parking requirements in the business district and whether they have been an impediment to the redevelopment of the upper floors of business district buildings.

To compile the information needed, 40 buildings on Main and Pioneer Streets were surveyed.

In order to comply with current zoning law requirements those buildings would need 547 spaces for the retail shops, offices and apartments. The buildings had a total of only 68 parking spaces and 22 of the 40 properties had no spaces.

Demand for parking by residents of downtown apartments and employees of downtown businesses far exceed the number of spaces available, the report states.

The zoning law’s parking requirements do not have a major impact on redevelopment or property renovation in the business district, the planners concluded.

Landlords can renovate and convert properties to other uses without a permit so the village has no means to enforce parking requirements. In the case of those businesses that require a special use permit, the zoning board of appeals routinely waives the parking requirement.

The only time the ZBA will not waive the requirement is for a short-term rental which needs one parking space for each guest sleeping room.

Village board reverses vote on parking:

During a meeting held in September, four trustees, three of whom confessed they didn’t understand what they were voting on a month earlier, reversed the board’s previous decision to dedicate parking behind the firehouse to fire department members only.

Results of a bad economy

Police coverage:

The state of the economy has fallen into a hole so deep it may take years to dig itself out. In August it was announced that round-the-clock police coverage village residents had grown accustomed to was about to end because of the $38,000 cut in the department’s budget this spring.

Police Chief Diana Nicols predicted there would an increase in crime. She was right. Police warned residents about more burglaries and unlawful home entries. According to Nicols, a suspect questioned by the state police he and an accomplice targeted Cooperstown becaue they believed there would be no police officer on duty at night.

The board of trustees voted in October to restore funding sufficient for the police department to provide 24-hour coverage into January.

Food demands

Demands for food has been growing both nutritionally and locally. Ellen St. John, co-director of the Cooperstown Food Bank, says she has seen more people in need of assistance this November than any other month she has been working at the food bank. According to organizers, the food bank provided help for 3,417 people in 2005 and 6,169 people in 2008 and will probably break that total this year.

A couple of years ago, the food bank had to cut its services because it was serving a record number of families. Because of the high demand organizers decided it was more feasible to provide food to families living in the Northern Otsego County because nearly all funding is from the community and churches of the Cooperstown area. Although the food bank has reached peak levels again, providing to 170 plus families, St. John said she does not foresee any more cuts in the future.

Administrative changes at local schools

CCS:

Cooperstown Central School eliminated its high school principal position. Middle school Principal Michael Cring is now the secondary principal and Amy Kukenberger, who served as an interim principal in Gary Kuch’s absence, is now the school business administrator and building administrator. Kukenberger was a science teacher prior to that. Cring was relieved of his duties as athletic director.

The district looked into the feasibility of moving the sixthgrade to the elementary school and having elementary school Principal Theresa Gorman be responsible for an additional grade.

However, after much debate, discussion and research, the district decided to leave the middle school in tact at the high school.

In June, CCS Superintendent Mary Jo McPhail will retire. The district is currently using a private consultant, Alan Pole, with the firm of Castallo & Silky to help find her replacement. Members of the Board of Education hope to offer the position to someone by April 2.

CV-S:

New administrators took over the rains at Cherry Valley- Springfield Central School. Robert Miller took over as superintendent and Barry Gould was hired as buildings principal. Nicholas Savin, who served as the district’s superintendent for the past six years, was hired to take over superintendent duties at ONC BOCES.

Miller was no stranger to the students at CV-S. He served as an assistant principal and taught some math courses at the district prior to his new roll.

Gould was no beginner when it came to being a principal and was no stranger to the area either. Gould served as the middle/ high school principal at Cooperstown Central School for 24 years.

Milestones

Presidential inauguration:

The presidential inauguration of Barack Obama drew millions of people and more than 75 CCS students were able to be a part of history in the making in Washington D.C.

This was the second time CCS students have had the opportunity to make the trip to see the Presidential Inauguration. CCS teacher Jennifer Pindar has planned both trips.

Otesaga:

The Otesaga Hotel Resort opened for its first guests on July 12, 1909. a century later, general manager John Irvin and his staff hosted a season-long birthday celebration, which began in April.