... To past and current members of the Sidney Center United Methodist Church for not letting the burning of their building on Oct. 1 squash their spirit.
Members celebrated the church's past and its future during a special service Nov. 15 at its temporary home at the Fireman's Hall on Main Street.
"The structure is gone, but our congregation is working toward becoming a church again," Trustee Carol Bennett said.
Their strength in the face of adversity should be congratulated.
o ... To our local soccer teams that won their sectional titles and went on to play in the state tournaments earlier this month.
The Oneonta boys soccer team earned a Section Four Class B title, beating top-seated Owego, 3-0. The Yellowjackets lost to Marcellus, 2-1.
The Cooperstown boys won their Section Three Class C title for the first time in 18 years with a 1-0 victory over Bishop Grimes. The Redskins fell in state play to Marathon, 1-0.
The undefeated Margaretville boys team handed Cherry Valley-Springfield its first loss of the season, 2-1, to give the Blue Devils the Section Four Class D title. They lost to defending state champ Hamilton in the state quarterfinals, 2-0.
On the girls side, the Schenevus Dragons earned the Section Four Class D title, beating previously undefeated Davenport, 2-0. The girls lost to McGraw in overtime on Nov. 14.
Although all four teams lost in the quarterfinals, their accomplishments should not be undervalued. We applaud all the players, coaches and fans for a wonderful season.
Jeers
... To Frank Onoff, who pleaded guilty in federal court Nov. 13 to charges related to an asbestos-abatement scam. The scam was a decade-long scheme in which asbestos was removed illegally and left behind in numerous buildings and homes, most of which were in the Syracuse area. Locally, the Oneonta Job Corps was a target in 2003.
The scheme involved Paragon Environmental Construction Inc., for which Onoff was the asbestos-removal supervisor, and Certified Environmental Systems Inc. It also included providing false air-test results to make it appear as though the removal had been done correctly.
This maliciousness could end up having long-ranging effects on the people in these buildings, if they were exposed. According to the National Cancer Institute website, asbestos has also been classified as a known human carcinogen by several government health agencies. Though prison time and fines pale in comparison to the possible effects of the crime, we hope Onoff and his fellow scammers are punished to the fullest extent of the law.
