Published: April 03, 2008 03:08 pm         

Letters for April 03, 2008

Paid parking as bad idea

Dear anyone who deals with Cooperstown on a daily basis, As you may have heard in previous newspaper articles in prior weeks, there has been much discussion and rumors regarding paid parking in Cooperstown. As a concerned individual who works for a local business, where there is limited parking to begin with, I feel that straining the parking situation even further by implementing a price tag will adversely affect the town’s revenue and business employees.

Since the town board of trustees have yet to set forth the way they are going to collect money, most likely by sidewalk meters, there is little to worry about yet. The board has come up with the semi-thought-through idea of having a parking pass for residents. Problems with this idea: Why should residents of Cooperstown have to pay for a parking pass, to park outside their own home, if they were not the ones to think of the idea? What about the commuters that must travel to work everyday? Will the fine for not putting 50 cents per 15 minute increment in the meter be as much as staying more than two hours in a parking space on Main Street?

The Freeman’s Journal stated that a draft for Trustee Review in 2007 said that paid parking will take place. In my own opinion, it is every nook and cranny in downtown Cooperstown, where all the businesses are located, to side streets going back to Bassett Hospital. Everyone knows from last summer, that tourists will do whatever it takes to get a parking space closest to Main Street or the Clark Sports Center.

As an employee of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, we receive a trolley pass for the summer. There is one problem with this as well, and that is space. Trolley parking lots only have a limited number of parking spots, and you either have to be very early or very smart to find a space to park.

I believe that there should be a designated space for Cooperstown employees only, with services to drive the people who park there to a central location in downtown Cooperstown, or an “employee” pass to park in Cooperstown without question. Cooperstown needs businesses to survive, and the people who work for these businesses need to be taken into consideration.

This letter was written for Mr. Jaquay’s Participation in Government class.

Braden M. Hanlon
Roseboom

Let’s save Game

Some traditions are worth keeping. The Hall of Fame Game is one. The Baseball Hall of Fame memorializes baseball’s traditions. Continuing to play a major league game at the home of its history is what keeps the Hall of Fame vibrant and current.

The Hall of Fame Game also has a very positive effect on the local economy as the Game highlights a destination tourism spot in upstate N.Y.

It seems clear that minor economic stress to the teams playing each year is the only reason for the discussion of discontinuing play of the Hall of Fame Game.

Major League Baseball is a closed shop monopoly that started of humble beginnings. These mega corporations must show sensitivity to the sport and the pioneers that paved the way for them, so that they could make a living and nice returns on investment off this sport. Most important, they must play the Hall of Fame Game for their fans. The sport is an American tradition; it is fun, and a good social event, which is why many Americans don their gloves, bats and ball cap to play the game.

Don Barber
Candidate for N.Y.
Senate District 51
Brooktondale

I-Pods should be allowed

In school, we are told that all electronics must be off and immediately put into your locker. For cell phones, I can see where the school could do this, although I do not agree. I-Pods, on the other hand, should not be so constricted. During study halls and open periods, such as between classes, i-Pods should not be a problem as long as they are not disruptive. I know for myself and others, concentration is easier when listening to music. I myself find that I work harder and more efficiently and become less disruptive in study halls, as boredom is limited when you can entertain yourself quietly with music. The rules and restrictions the school is putting into effect are getting out of hand and need to be less picky, especially when dealing with older students.

I am writing this letter for Mr. Jaquay’s Participation in Government class.

Sabrina Proctor
Cherry Valley

Start school later

I am a high school senior at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School. I believe that high school students should be going to school later.

According to Dr. Richard Schwab, of the University of Pennsylvania, “teenagers need more sleep than adults (eight to nine hours vs. seven to eight) and their circadian rhythms are phase shifted so that their ideal bedtime is midnight to 1 a.m.” James B. Maas, PhD, a Cornell University psychologist, comments, “Almost all teenagers, as they reach puberty, become walking zombies because they are getting far too little sleep.” But high school students at CV-S have to be in class no later than 8:10 a.m. For some students, this means getting on a bus at 6:55 a.m. for an hour-long bus ride.

High school students should start an hour later and be in school an hour longer. According to teenagers who were surveyed, their best test-taking time is between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. According to a survey in Philadelphia, 78 percent of high school students had trouble getting up in the morning.

Only about 16 percent said they felt like they got enough sleep. Another 70 percent think their grades would be better if they got more sleep. In Connecticut, the legislature is considering a law that would keep public schools from starting before 8:30 a.m. Massachusetts is also considering this law.

This would change busing schedules for schools that have all students in one building, and cost taxpayers extra money. I believe this problem could be resolved by sending pre-school children to school with elementary students. Their buses run separately for morning and afternoon sessions, and they only stay in school for a couple of hours. Their day could be extended to a full day, and a later bus could be run for grades nine through 12. This change could definitely happen without costing extra taxpayer money, and would have a positive effect on high school students’ grades, improving the overall performance of the school.

This is a letter for my Participation in Government class at Cherry Valley- Springfield Central School. The class is instructed by Mr. Jaquay.

Nick Jordan