o ... To the local events honoring
service men and women on Veterans
Day.
From school programs featuring
stories and songs to solemn
memorials, there was no shortage
of events last week recognizing
the sacrifice of men and women in
uniform.
In Oneonta, close to 200 people
gathered in Neahwa Park at the
site of the future Veterans Memorial
Walkway, where flags were
formally burned and tribute was
paid to veterans near and far. That
afternoon, students at Oneonta
Community Christian School spoke
to a veteran, whose stories from
Vietnam emphasized the grim realities
of war.
These are just examples of the
ways area residents honored veterans
last week, but there are also
those who work to honor and serve
veterans all the time, not just on
Veterans Day.
Our thanks go to all those who
have served their country.
o ... To the Delhi Zoning Board
of Appeals, which recently approved
variances that would allow
a Tractor Supply Store to open in
the former Great American building.
We know the proposed business
has its detractors, who have argued
that Delhi doesn’t need a store
such as Tractor Supply. But it’s
hard to say no to a business that’s
eager to open up shop in a building
that has stood vacant for more than
a year.
If the village turned Tractor
Supply away, it might have a long
wait to find another tenant for such
a large space, especially during
tough economic times.
The project still has several
hurdles to clear, including winning
the approval of the Planning
Board. But if all goes well
_ which we hope it does _ the
store will open in the spring.
We wish developer Francis
Jenkins luck, and hope the village
leaders are able to help the project
move forward.
o ... To the Otsego County Chamber,
for presenting a Pandemic
Preparedness program.
The Chamber’s Nov. 11 program
offered information about
dealing with swine flu in the
workplace.
Representatives from A.O. Fox
Memorial Hospital and Bassett
Healthcare, as well as the American
Red Cross, were involved with
the program. The presentations
looked at health and hygiene as
well as how to handle absenteeism
and how to formulate a pandemic
flu plan.
None of us knows how long the
swine flu pandemic will continue,
or how severely it will hit our
area. The best thing we can do
now is continue to take precautions
against the spread of flu, and
prepare ourselves for a variety of
scenarios.
