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May 21, 2012

Stories from our past

Anonymous Daily Star The Daily Star Mon May 21, 2012, 03:30 AM EDT

May 21, 1912

The Telephone Merger

General Manager Fraser of the Otsego and Delaware Telephone company annouces that the canvassers of the company will commence work this week securing contracts for the combined telephone companies of the city, the Home Telephone company having passed from independent control to the Friendship company, which will transfer it to the Otsego and Delaware company, which operate the combined exchanges as soon as the work of connecting all the telephones of the city with that company's exchange can be completed. ...

The combined exchange will continue the direct party line to business places at $42, the two party line to business places at $36, the direct party lines to residences at $30, the two-party lines to residences at $24 while the four-party lines to residences will be advanced from $15 to $18, with the same rate in force on the farmers' lines. This is an advance of $3 annually upon four-party lines in the city and the farmers' lines. The change will, it is believed, be accepted as a reasonable one.

May 21, 1937

Valley Protests Highway By-Pass

Otsego Village Against Plans for Reconstruction of Route 20 Next Year

Cherry Valley will not be located on historic Route 20 when the state decides to reconstruct a section of the highway.

This was indicated yesterday when Col. Stuart Greene, state superintendent of public works, insisted a by-pass be made in spite of objections from the Cherry Valley Turnpike Association.

Gol. Greene maintains a year after the by-pass is in operation residents of Cherry Valley will thank him, just as they did in Wappingers Falls on Route 9 and other communities which main roads have by-passed in the last few years.

The new road will stimulate travel around the village of Cherry Valley and, according to the state, the by-pass will shorten the route and remove several curves.

T.M. Townsend of Waterville, president of the Cherry Valley Turnpike Association, conferred with Col. Greene in protest against the state's plan, and suggested an alternate by-pass bringing the main road nearer the village than the original. The new road, a four lane turnpike, would be in sight of Cherry Valley under either plan.

"I can understand why the people of Cherry Valley think this by-pass would be a tragedy," explained Colonel Greene. "They always do the first time a by-pass is proposed, but the year after it is operating they come and thank us. ...

"There are two main principles of sound engineering. The first is a roadway should be the shortest distance between points and ... whenever possible a highway should by-pass centers of dense population.

"If the people of Cherry Valley will think about it they will realize travelers who want to stop in Cherry Valley will stop anyway and leave the by-pass to take the old route but those who haven't any intention of stopping in Cherry Valley aren't going to stop just because the road goes through."

May 21, 1962

Survey Shows Taxes High

Old School Buildings Costly

A comparison of full value school tax rates in 60 upstate cities showed Oneonta ranking 11 from the top according to a study issued this week by the Citizens Expenditure Survey, a private tax research organization.

The rate for Oneonta, the survey reported, is $16 per $1,000 full value for the fiscal year ending in 1962. The actual tax rate paid, however, is based on assessed value. For 1961-'62 the actual tax rate for school purposes was $34.78 per $1,000 assessed value compared with $33.92 for 1961-'61. This was an increase of 86 cents.

Asked why Oneonta registers as high as it does on the list of 60 cities, School Supt. Harold V. Hager said the school district is paying for replacement of aging buildings and equipment.

Some of the reasons why Oneonta placed higher than 49 other cities according to Dr. Hager are:

ONE _ Valleyview School has been constructed and is being paid for.

TWO _ The new Center Street School annex has been built and the older school at that site has been altered and renovated.

THREE _ There is constantly replacing of outmoded equipment in the school system.

FOUR _ the new cafeteria which serves as a school has been built.

FIVE _ there have been alterations to the Academy Street School. Construction of fire towers and installation of new laboratories in the school has cost money.

SIX _ half-day sessions at the Junior High School account for additional money needed for extra teachers and money needed to carry the out-of-town students back and forth to school on the bus.

May 21, 1987

Gas prices lower than last year

Gasoline princes are cheaper than last year this holiday weekend and stations should have ample supplies for all drivers, according to the state Department of Energy.

"Upstate, prices on the average are about 0.3 cents to 0.8 cents a gallon lower than this year," said Jim Atkins, a department spokesman. "That's not to say prices are cheaper now than last year. Last year's prices plummeted quite a bit. Prices hit this level on the way down last year and hit that on the way up this year. There has been an upward trend since last fall '86."

Downstate prices are on the average 1.4 cents to 4.3 cents a gallon more expensive than last year.

Atkins said historically prices increase before Memorial Day and continue to rise through the summer until after Labor Day when they start to decline.

Self-service credit card prices at Hoyle's Mobile station in Oneonta are 97.9 cents for regular leaded, 98.9 cents for regular unleaded and 108.9 for super unleaded. There is a 5 cent per gallon cash discount.