Your Opinion: April 14, 2011

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April 14, 2011

Your Opinion: April 14, 2011

michelle miller The Cooperstown Crier Thu Apr 14, 2011, 01:03 PM EDT

Paid parking could provide revenue

What’s so wrong with paid parking on Main Street? Many summer resorts have it, why not us? Or would this be an inconvenience to shopkeepers who feel that paid parking would hurt their business?

The revenue from paid parking could provide the shortfall so badly needed for street repairs throughout the village.

There is a danger though. Word could go throughout the country that tourists should avoid Cooperstown because of this awful menace, paid parking. To counter this, merchants could put a sign in their window advertising, “Free Parking with a purchase of $25 or more.” Shopkeepers could run a tab at the village office calling whenever a tourist made such a purchase. Thisplan would help not only the merchants, but also the village by raising additional revenues.

Revenue from paid parking, over the long haul, could bring our streets back to something that looks like a real street rather than a plowed field. Paid parking may be the only way we can get our streets repaired. In a few years, if all goes well, we can consider putting a second deck over our present Main Street. Ramps could be constructed, on the east from in front of Woodside Hall and from in front of the old jail in the west. This would increase our revenue twofold and have an additional benefit.

Not only would we have additional parking, but we would have room for more souvenir and memorabilia shops on the second floor of each building on Main Street.

Think what this would mean for our economy.

Perhaps you have other ideas about how to get out streets repaired. If you do, let us know. If we can find some way to fix our streets, tourists will no longer look at our community as the village with lousy streets, rather as the town with tidy byways.

Bob Lettis

Cooperstown

Carnival organizers say thank you

I would like to take a moment to thank all of the people who assisted me in making the 2011 CrayoCarnival a success.

More than 150 volunteers assisted in the day’s success and we are grateful to Beth Lesko and Joanne Crowson for setting this up and thankful to each of the people who signed up for the task.

The Cooperstown PTO made near $10,000 to put back into our school, and I would like to thank Peg Odell and Mary Raffo for overseeing the ticket counter. We saw more than 400 people out to enjoy the day, raffled off more than 100 baskets thanks to the committee of Cari Lifgren, Gillian Spencer, Betsy Danes, Susan White, Carrie Thompson, Leslie Friedman and Gwen Snyder. Strolled all over the world in the “Stroll of Nations” which Kim Jastremski and her great group of volunteers made possible.

Heard music from DJ Patrick Dewey who always does a great job mixing the old with the new and playing something for everyone. Challenged each other for a cake in the “Cake Walk” where Ms. Gorman is always a popular emcee. We had more than 60 cakes donated to the cake walk by faculty and staff of Cooperstown Central School and area families.

The food court offered a great array of food, both local comforts and international delights thanks to the many donations and the food court chairs Sheri Holohan and Kara Grady. A yummy end to the day was made possible by many kindergarten families who donated goodies to the “Kinder Goodies” table.

Thank you to the Kinder Goodies chairs Shannon Davis and Rose McCabe for making it happen. Of course we cannot forget the wonderful people who come in and clean at the end of the day, Nancy Potter and her crew of runners and the custodial staff at Cooperstown Central School. Thank You!!!

A huge thank you goes to an anonymous donor who underwrote our entire cost to NY Bounce House, who provides our inflatables, games and prizes, a first for the Crayon Carnival. We are very grateful to them and the many organizations, families and businesses that gave financial contributions to the Crayon Carnival, including the Underwriters Bassett Healthcare Network, The Clark Estates, Inc.; and the New York, Susquehanna & Western Railway Corporation and our sponsors, Barnyard Swing Miniature Golf, Caruso Orthodontics, Cooperstown Dreams Park, Leatherstocking Group, Inc., NYCM Insurance and SEFCU Insurance. Many school families, artists, local businesses and organizations also gave wonderful items for our raffle. Special thanks for the generosity of Glimmerglass Opera, Cooperstown Baseball Day Camp at Beaver Valley, Tracy Helgeson, Ashley Cooper, Melissa Yao, Rose Mc- Cabe, Sunny Leinhart, Alyssa McGoldrick, Cheryl Wright, Hyde Hall, Annmarie Bascio, Oneonta Tennis Club, the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the Smithy-Pioneer Galley, the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, Cooperstown Natural Foods, Miss Dawn’s Salon, Reid’s Barbershop, the Cooperstown Chamber Music Festival and New York State Historical Association. Thank you to all of you!!

Alicia Chase

Crayon Carnival Chair