... To the Cooperstown Board of Trustees, for restoring funding to the police department.
The board voted unanimously to restore $2,000 per month to the police budget, enabling the department to provide 24-hour coverage for the village.
While Police Chief Diana Nicols pointed out that funds are still below last year's levels, and warned that the motion only covers the department through January, we are relieved the trustees took this step.
As we wrote in an Aug. 29 editorial, "Emergencies happen according to no paradigm ... . Having to wait up to 45 minutes for response to an emergency is unacceptable."
o ... To the organizers of the memorial service for Marine Sgt. Kevin P. Coulman and other servicemen who died in Beirut, Lebanon, 26 years ago.
Rich Marini, an alumnus of the State University College at Oneonta and fraternity brother of Coulman, helped organize this year's event, along with current members of the Iota Tau Kappa fraternity.
Coulman is one of 24 men from New York state who died in an attack on the Marine headquarters on Oct. 23, 1983. For years, students, alumni, veterans organizations and community members have commemorated the anniversary of the attack by gathering at the memorial wall that stands in Neahwa Park in Oneonta.
This year, Marini added to the commemoration by presenting a $100 grant to an Iota Tau Kappa brother. Marini said he hopes to make this an annual tradition in Coulman's memory.
We applaud those who honor these men, and all those who lost their lives defending our country.
o ... To those who organized and attended a variety of candidates' forums over the past several weeks.
The League of Women Voters of the Oneonta Area hosted three events featuring candidates for city, town and county offices. Besides being open to the public, the forums were televised and included a call-in phone number for home viewers to pose questions to their candidates.
The Oneonta mayoral candidates put together public forums of their own, and candidates for county and town offices throughout the area have been appearing before the public at several venues.
We cannot overstate the value of these events. It's important to give voters a chance to see candidates face-to-face, ask them questions and hear them square off on important issues.
This process helps voters become more engaged in the electoral process, and gives candidates a chance to hear from their prospective constituents firsthand.
