2 New Justices May Step Aside In Bullying Case

INSIDE: PREVIEW FOOTHILLS’ JAN. 15 WEDDING SHOW AT OUR
SEE B3-4
OUNDED
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1808 BY
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Cooperstown’s Newspaper
O
M C O PE
Wedding Guide
For 202 Years
RICHFIELD SPRINGS • CHERRY VALLEY • HARTWICK • FLY CREEK • MILFORD • SPRINGFIELD • MIDDLEFIELD
Volume 204, No. 1
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, January 5, 2012
COOPERSTOWN
AND AROUND
Newsstand Price $1
SEWARD: OTSEGO COUNTY ‘LAGS’
‘Summit’ Will Consider
Economic Development
The Freeman’s Journal
Cooperstown sisters
Krystal and Kerrie
Tandle poses for photos
at First Night Oneonta.
(More photos, B2)
Word Near
On Possible
Inductees
SOLEMNITY&SMILES
COOPERSTOWN
F
ormer Cincinnati Reds
shortstop Barry Larkin
is among possible
prospects for induction into
the National Baseball Hall
of Fame this July.
The Hall of Fame will
announce this year’s class
Monday, Jan. 9, at the traditional press conference in
New York City.
Larkin finished third last
year to the two inductees,
second baseman Roberto
Alomar and pitcher Bert
Blyleven.
Maddie’s dad takes the oath.
DOCTORS DUE: The
first class of Bassett medical school students to spend
a year at the Cooperstown
campus were due to arrive on
Wednesday, Jan. 4.
SUPPORT GROUP: A
support group for men who
have recently divorced, separated or suffered loss is being
organized, to meet weekly
at the Christ Church hall on
Fair Street. Call 282-0140
and ask for Dave.
DRILL HEARING: Eight
Delaware County environmental groups have organized “A People’s Hearing
On Gas Drilling” 1-5 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 7, at Okun
Theater, SUNY Delhi. A
transcript will be taken and
submitted in the official hearing record on DEC’s fracking
regulations.
By JIM KEVLIN
ONEONTA
I
f state Sen. Jim
Seward, R-Milford,
was taken aback by
100+ businesspeople
questioning Home
Rule when he met with
them Wednesday, Dec.
21, he regained the
initiative at a second
round of meetings
Monday, Jan. 2.
His 51st District
covers six counties and
Otsego County, he
The Freeman’s Journal
told the second gatherSenator Seward
ing of 102 business- signs in at a secpeople at the Carriage ond meeting of
House on Southside, businesspeople
has been lagging in
Monday, Jan. 2.
terms of economic-development initiatives.
“We have a lot we need to do in terms of
economic development in this county,” said
the 13-term veteran. “We need to talk to our
county Board of Representatives. We need to
beef up our infrastructure. We are woefully
Please See SEWARD, A2
2 New Justices
May Step Aside
In Bullying Case
Jim Kevlin/The Freeman’s Journal
Shutterbugs at County Judge Brian Burns’
Tuesday, Jan. 3, multiple swearing-ins in Cooperstown included, from left, Rosemary Abbate, wife of the village Democratic chair; Village Trustee James Dean, and Maddie Sandler,
daughter of incoming Otsego town Council
Member Bennett Sandler. (More photos, A2)
Kuch Is Former CCS Principal
Hubby – and Quaker pastor
– Jim appropriately held the
Bible for incoming Otsego
Town Supervisor Anne Geddes-Atwell.
Cooperstown Court
Clerk Mary
Ann Travis is
also Roseboom town
justice. She
chats with
Judge Burns
and Cooperstown/Otsego
justices Gary
Kuch and Leslie Friedman.
Cherry Valley Town
Justice Fredy A. Herr
takes oath.
COOPERSTOWN
T
he Town of Otsego’s two new justices
said they are considering whether they
must recuse themselves in the five
hazing/bullying cases involving Cooperstown
Central School football players they are
scheduled to hearing at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan.
30.
Town Justices Leslie Friedman and Gary
Kuch, who are also Cooperstown village justices, had barely been sworn in Tuesday, Jan.
3, when they were asked the question, but
they said they already were aware this was
something they are going to have to decide.
Kuch, now Worcester superintendent of
schools, had been CCS high school principal
Please See JUSTICES, A2
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION
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