BY JIM AUSTIN
THE COOPERSTOWN CRIER
Noon came and went Tuesday without its passage being marked by the traditional blast of the village’s two sirens. The night before, the board of trustees voted to pull the plug on the midday whistle and restrict the use of the sirens to announcing an emergency situation.
Trustee Dr. Walter Franck had been asked in April by Mayor Jeff Katz to research the sound of the noon whistle, particularly from an environmental point of view. In May, Franck did not attend the board meeting, but provided the trustees with the results of his investigation. All four measurements were within 109 to 117 dBA a measure of permissible exposure limit.
Franck said the Occupational Safety and Hazard Administration would deem the noise level produced by the sirens to be “not permissible,” he wrote in an email. “These data convince me that the use of the whistle, at current levels of loudness, is environmentally hazardous for our citizens,” his email stated.
Monday night, Franck brought up the siren and made a motion to halt its use except for emergency purposes.
People near the sirens are being exposed a noise level that Franck described as “toxic and damaging to their hearing.” He said he believes it would not be responsible to continue to use the siren for anything, but emergencies. To use something that can harm people to carry on a tradition would be wrong, he said.
“I think there are other ways to mark the noon hour,” Trustee Ellen Tillapaugh said.
Trustee Frank Capozza, a member of the fire committee, said he hadn’t met anyone who complained about the noon whistle.
“I’ve heard a lot of people complain about it,” Franck replied. “It’s not a safe sound.”
Franck said he is not trying to abolish tradition and the village could seek some sort of middle ground, but if there is none it should be shut off.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Brian Clancy said the siren is old and there is no way to turn down the sound to a less intrusive level.
The board split 4 to 3 while approving Franck’s motion.
Mayor Jeff Katz said he will contact churches in the village about the possibility of ringing bells at noon.
Local News
Noon whistle silenced
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Dreams Park, then and now, required a work ethic
courtesy of Cooperstown Dreams Park This photo shows an aerial view of Cooperstown Dreams Parkin 2011.
Campers coming to the Cooperstown Dreams Park each year not only come to play on fields near a historic setting, they come here to apply and improve upon their baseball skills and work ethic. Long before the Dreams Park came to be, those fields held another function that required a good work ethic, in that of farming.
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Ford's state title a first for CCS
Creative visualization works. Just ask Lucy Ford. She didn't know it as creative visualization at the time, but it may have helped her win a state championship anyway.
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Fly Creek artist's collages are on display
"Chromatones," collages by Fly Creek artist Amy Cannon, will be on display through Aug. 5 at The Garage at 689 Beaver Meadow Road in Cooperstown.
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Marchi leaves Manor for new job
COOPERSTOWN -- Amid Otsego County's effort to sell the debt-plagued Otsego Manor, the nursing home's administrator, Edmond Marchi, has resigned to take a $107,000-a-year job running a similar facility in Schenectady County, officials said today.
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Deowongo Island dedication planned
Otsego Land Trust and the Canadarago Lake Improvement Association are inviting the public to participate in the community dedication of Deowongo Island as a shared public space on June 22.
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Some businesses remain short-staffed this year
Businesses in the Cooperstown area are gearing up for another summer season. As more tourists visit the area businesses, more employees need to be trained and ready to answer their call.
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CCS names top four students
On Sunday, June 23, 74 Cooperstown Central School seniors will put on caps and gowns to conclude one phase in their lives and prepare to embark on another. Among those walking to the tune of "Pomp and Circumstance" will be the top four students.
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Farmers' Museum announces results of 17th annual benefit horse show
On Sunday, June 9, equestrians from around the region participated in the 17th annual Farmers' Museum Benefit Horse Show, held at the Iroquois Farm Showgrounds on River Road, just outside the village of Cooperstown.
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Hands-on learning for homeschool students being offered
The Farmers' Museum, the Fenimore Art Museum and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum have teamed up to offer a day of hands-on learning for homeschoolers and their families.
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MCS announces valedictorian, salutatorian
The top two students at Milford Central School have been named.
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Drillers appeal frack-ban ruling
The courts are expected to take less time to determine if towns have the legal right to keep out hydraulic fracturing for shale gas than state officials are taking to determine if the controversial form of drilling should be allowed in New York.
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DOT ends lakeside chemical spraying
State officials have agreed to stop spraying chemical herbicides along a stretch of state Route 80 that runs along the west bank of Otsego Lake, the source of drinking water for some 2,000 people, Cooperstown Mayor Jeff Katz said Monday.
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Three local men are arrested in arson case
Three local men have been arrested on felony charges after investigators determined that fire was set at an unoccupied home in Hartwick to collect more than $50,000 of insurance money, Otsego County deputies said Monday.
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CV-S names top students for Class of 2013
The top two students at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School have been named.
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Students participate in pre-engineering competition
The New Visions Pre-Engineering students brought home the gold at the SkillsUSA State Competition held in Syracuse.
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Musician's 100th birthday to be celebrated
The B-Side Ballroom and Supper Club at 1 Clinton Plaza, Oneonta, will host the Gallodoro 100th Birthday Bash featuring New York City saxophonist, Chad E. Smith at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 20.
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Performance set at Lake Front Restaurant
Nashville-based singer and songwriter Erin Thomas will appear at 7 p.m. at Lake Front Restaurant in Cooperstown tonight. Her husband, 1995 CCS graduate Brian Horner will play saxophone with her.
Continued ... - Thursday, June 6, 2013
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Smithy has lots to offer this summer season
The Smithy Center for the Arts, at 55 Pioneer St. in Cooperstown, is working year-round to fulfill its mission of bringing the arts to all members of the community, inviting them to be appreciators and creators of virtually all art forms, according to Danielle Newell, the Smithy’s executive director.
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Shakedown Street is coming to village
For one weekend only, the Chestnut Street parking lot will be known as Shakedown Street. The open-air market famous at Grateful Dead shows is expected come to Cooperstown on July 13 and 14 for the Furthur concert at Doubleday Field on Sunday, July 14. Furthur is the Grateful Dead legacy band that features original Dead members Phil Lesh and Bob Weir.
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