To Oneonta Public Transit and the Arc Otsego for keeping the bus route between Otego and Oneonta going.
"Because of budget constraints, we had to take a look at all our routes," OPT Director Paul Patterson said in discussing the need for the change. The Otego route was underperforming, but if it was eliminated it would be a hardship to some, he said. Patterson began discussing alternatives with county officials last fall, he said.
Agencies participating in the discussions that resulted in the agreement included Otsego Express _ the county bus system _ as well as the OPT, state Department of Transportation, Birnie Bus and The Arc Otsego.
In many places, public transportation in rural areas is nonexistent.
The loss of the route would have greatly impacted those who rely on the run. We are glad to see this type of cooperation, and hope that it continues.
To all of the participants of the eighth annual Regional Spelling Bee held at the State University College at Oneonta on March 6.
Isabella Penola, a home-schooled student from Cooperstown, won the competition and will represent the region at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., in May. More than 100 parents, relatives, friends and teachers were in the Goodrich Theater for the competition, where 24 students from across the region competed. The event was sponsored by The Daily Star, Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego BOCES, Otsego-Northern Catskills BOCES and SUNY Oneonta.
We congratulate Isabella on her victory, and applaud all of the students who participated at all levels.
The Foothills Board of Directors for taking a step back and reassessing it's mission.
Its most visible step is to change the name of the venue on Market Street in Oneonta to the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.
In recent weeks, the center has also retooled its staff and is focusing more on presenting outside events rather than producing them, board Chairman Doug Reeser said.
Foothills is no longer seeking an interim executive director. The board of directors is instead considering the hiring of a fund development director with an expertise in grant writing or having a committee to perform those duties, Reeser said.
A shake-up at Foothills in early January resulted in the firing of four employees, including then-Executive Director Jennifer McDowell. Two other employees resigned in support of their colleagues.
One of them, Geoffrey Doyle, has rejoined the organization.
Such disarray could have been a death blow to the center. But it appears the board is working hard to keep the organization afloat.
We hope the board has learned from the missteps in the past and can now move forward in making the center a true center of the community.
