3/15/08 - Alderman Jim Partigianoni dies at age 78

Bob Ellis/staff photographer
An umpire for over 50 years, Jim Partigianoni makes a call at first from a fold-out chair during the annual Old Timers Fast Pitch Game at Meldrim Field July 18. Partigianoni died Friday at age 78.

(As published by Cortland Standard, Aimee Milks reporting)

CORTLAND — An avid politician, a family man and baseball nut are some of the terms many people in the Cortland community would use to describe Jim Partigianoni.

Partigianoni, commonly known to everyone as “Parg,” died Friday morning at the age of 78 from a heart attack while he was visiting one of his five daughters in Michigan.

“He was chopping snow off the sidewalk as he was on his way to the library … and had a heart attack,” said Kathy Oliver, one of Parg’s daughters who lives in Tennessee. “He loved to read, he always had to know all the news.”

Born and raised in Cortland, Parg was very active in the community, umpiring baseball and softball games and serving on the city Common Council for six years.

“I often asked him to resign so it wouldn’t wear his heart out, but that’s where his passion was,” Oliver, 50, said of her father’s position on the Common Council. “He wanted to revive Cortland.”
Mayor Tom Gallagher said Parg just loved what he was doing.

“Probably out of all the aldermen, he was the most available and in contact with his constituents,” Gallagher said. “It was his second love after umpiring … he truly was a dedicated public servant.”

Gallagher said the Common Council meeting Tuesday night is canceled out of respect for Partigianoni.

In recent years one of Parg’s pet projects was the East End Community Center, which opened in early 2005.

“He loved the idea of the East End Community Center,” Gallagher said. “He was a big part in getting that started.”

“He really loved his community center there,” Oliver said. “He felt like it gave people a place to go.”

Parg’s wife, Carol, his five daughters — Pam, Kathy, Jamie, Colleen and Kelly — and his 12 grandchildren survive Parg, who had recently been in and out of the hospital for his health.

“I am so proud of him,” Dominick Partigianoni, Parg’s older brother said Friday evening. “He did it all, with his whole heart, and everything he did was conscientious.”

When their father died and his mother worked hard to hold the family together, Dominick remembers the entire clan piling into the back of a panel truck to go pick beans for the Halstead Canning Co. And no one picked beans like Jim Partigianoni.

“For some reason or another, bean picking was a talent for me,” Parg said with a laugh in a 2004 Cortland Standard interview.

He held the record for most beans picked in one day, 617 pounds, and regularly picked 450 pounds a day.

“He was one of the best pickers, bean pickers. He really was,” Dominick said. “That bought our coal for the winter, bought our school clothes and paid our taxes.”

Parg served in the U.S. Army as a tank gunner and tank commander from 1948 to 1954, stationed along the border with the Soviet Union.

“He told me many times about how the Russians harassed him,” Dominick Partigianoni said.
The deafening blasts of the artillery took a toll on Parg’s hearing and his booming voice developed as a result. Whether calling a player out, making a point during a Common Council meeting or talking on the telephone, Parg could always be heard — he was loud.

After the army, Parg worked at Smith Corona as a fabrication supervisor until his retirement in 1994.

Oliver said she talked with her father earlier in the week.

“He sounded great,” she said. “He was excited to go visit my sister. We were talking about his health and the hospital, my sister, and politics … that’s probably why he was going to the library, to get on the Internet and read about the primaries.”

Oliver added that her father was a passionate family man who loved when the entire family was together.

“He was very sacrificial, he gave up a lot to send five kids to college,” she said.

“I just think he’s one of those generous people I know,” added Jamie Brown, Parg’s daughters who lives in Cortland. “He’s always looking out for the underdog.”

Brown recalled a fond memory of one of their family trips when they were going to see her sister Kathy in Wooster, Ohio.

“It was late at night and we were a little disoriented so we stopped for directions,” she said with a little chuckle in her trembling voice. “My dad rolled down the window and meant to say, ‘Which route to Wooster,’ but said, ‘Which woute to Rooster.’ He just had a way with his words.”

Harley Bieber, 72, of Dryden, had been an umpire with Parg for 35 years.
“Jim loved officiating. Of all the things he loved in his life, I think umpiring was close to the top if not at the top. He’s going to be dearly missed in the sports world,” said Bieber, who was recruited to umpire by Parg. “ He got a tremendous amount of respect from everyone. He really stressed professionalism; being fair and just. I think that was his whole life — being fair and just, not just in umpiring.”

Gallagher said the Common Council will appoint another Democrat from the 7th Ward who will serve until someone is elected in the November general election.

“He was a real pillar on the council, he always had the best interest of the city on his mind,” Gallagher added. “Besides that, he was very entertaining.”

Funeral arraignments have not been finalized. Parg would have turned 79 on April 21.
———
Staff Reporter Evan Geibel contributed to this article

My condolences to the Partigianoni family. Jim was a great man.

2/29/08 - County to study attorney’s office

(As published by Cortland Standard, Evan Geibel reporting)

Cortland County will look into the possibility of revising the current county attorney system in order to remove politics from the appointment of the county attorney.

The Legislature decided Thursday night to hire local attorney and Cortlandville Town Justice Fran Casullo to conduct a needs assessment of the county’s use of attorneys, to recommend any possible revisions and research any possible legal barriers to an overhaul.

Casullo would be paid $90 an hour, not to exceed $5,000.

Legislator Tom Williams (R-Homer), who contacted Casullo about the project, said Casullo would not be interested in the position once it was created.

County Attorney Mark Suben told the Legislature that a lawyer should conduct the investigation because he would be interviewing other attorneys, and it takes a lawyer to understand certain legal nuances.

Legislators have said that they want to de-politicize the office, in which appointments at the beginning of each new term of the Legislature and has been used as a political tool.

Casullo will not be examining the offices of the district attorney office of the district attorney or public defender.

County Administrator Scott Schrader said the county regularly hires two law firms to handle personnel matters, a third law firm to handle workers’ compensation claims, and three full-time attorneys who work in the Department of Social Services. That department also has two paralegals.

The county attorney’s office consists of the county attorney and two assistants, and also employs a paralegal.

Also, Thursday night’s meeting, legislator Tom Williams pulled from consideration a resolution he had proposed that would have asked the state Legislature to enact legislation allowing counties to create the position of conflict attorney.

2/28/08 - Traffic safety panel looks at Church St. truck traffic

(As published by Cortland Standard, Evan Geibel reporting)

The Cortland County Traffic Safety Board discussed the impact of truck traffic on the southernmost section of Church Street Wednesday, but decided there was little to be done unless the city of Cortland changes its ordinances.

Cortland County Legislator Kathryn Wilcox (R-5th Ward) said residents are upset with the volume of tractor-trailers on the road, which is divided into narrow driving lanes by a grassy median.

Wilcox said the trucks often drive up onto the median as they turn onto the street and sometimes become stuck behind parked cars, honking their horns until the car is moved.

The trucks are heading to Marietta Corp. on Huntington Street to deliver their product, which Deputy Police Chief Frank Catalano said is in line with the city’s ordinance.

Although the sign at the entrance to south Church Street prohibits all truck traffic outside of local deliveries, Marietta constitutes a local delivery.

Wilcox wondered if the intent of the ordinance was to prohibit 18-wheelers and allow smaller delivery trucks, but Catalano said the language is not that specific and the tractor-trailers are entitled to deliver their product.

Pendleton Street to the east and south Main Street to the west are both truck routes and feed onto Huntington Street, and are wider and more able to accommodate large truck traffic, the board agreed.

But moving the trucks off Church Street could increase the traffic passing by Randall Elementary School on Huntington Street on its way to Pendleton Street.

This topic hit close to home with me, as I live on the 8th Ward side of Church Street. I have had several conversations with my past Aldermen and Legislators, as well as the Cortland Police.

The City Police offered this to Kathie (in BLUE)

"This issue comes up all the time as a result of there being a large industry on Huntington Street. According to City Code Article XI (Truck Route System):

All trucks, tractors and tractor-trailer combinations having a combined gross weight of vehicle plus load in excess of five tons are hereby excluded from all highways within this City, except from those highways listed in Subsection A, EXCEPT this exclusion shall not be construed to prevent the delivery or pickup of merchandise or other property along any highway from which such vehicles and combinations are excluded.

Thus, vehicles are permitted to use feeder streets to conduct commerce within the city limits and the police are not authorized to prohibit this activity. This section of the City Code was Adopted August 5, 1969 and amended September 4, 1990."

This is the email I sent to Kathie Wilcox prior to the meeting:

Thanks for the follow up. We had met with Chief Nichols several years ago about truck traffic and the parking issues around the park. As far as the parking, we were told to call if there were issues as they occurred. Normal police partols around game time(s) have never happened, and oftentimes patrol cars will drive by illegally parked cars without ticketing during the season.

I certainly understand that the City Police department is busy and appreciate their efforts. I also think that we need to be proactive in taxpayer issues and that occasional "reminders" to neighbors, including local business and visitors to our parks, will show that we are a community that cares about our families and our safety. Whether this needs to be done by the police department, or through communications of elected officials including the Mayor and ourselves should be discussed at the CCTSB.

It appears that the Code related to truck traffic -as usual - does not have any enforceability the way I read it. This is what Chief Nichols had explained at our meeting without providing a hard copy of the text. Since Marietta is a "local delivery", then they can basically take any roads they want to get to the building. It doesn't matter if they are getting supplies from Texas, California, or the corner gas station, the delivery is local - to Marietta.

I have seen a decrease in the amount of truck traffic after Marietta began to utilize the Rubbermaid plant. Most of the trucks between Marietta and Rubbmaid will travel down Pendleton Street. It seems very silly to even have that section in the code as the exception nullifies the intent of reducing truck traffic on feeder streets.

I would like to read the entire section, but the Codes haven't been on line for over a year. From the City of Cortland web page http://www.cortland.org/city/fire/code.htm,

"The current on-line version of the code has been removed from the website as the Zoning chapter is not the current version. The Zoning Chapter is under further revision and will be made available when complete. For information regarding current regulations please contact the Zoning Officer or the Code Enforcement Office."

Maybe you can request a copy at the meeting, in whatever form it is in. If the updated Code hasn't been issued, maybe we can work on better wording and provide a tool for better enforcement.

2/27/08 - Habitat opens office in East End Center

(As published by Cortland Standard)

CORTLAND — Habitat for Humanity of Tompkins and Cortland counties has opened up an office in the East End Community Center. It will serve as a base for the non-profit’s informational and recruitment activities. As an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the agency is an ecumenical housing ministry dedicated to the elimination of substandard housing and homelessness worldwide. It counts on volunteers and donations to build and rehabilitate modest homes in partnership with families in need.

Founded in 1987, the local Habitat for Humanity has built or rehabbed ten houses in the two counties. In Cortland, it completed a new three-bedroom house in 2007 for a family of five and is finishing up a rehab for an extended family. This spring, the group is planning to break ground for a new, environmentally “green,” energy efficient house on the corner of Tompkins and Delaware streets in Cortland. We are currently looking for a family for that house.

In the Habitat office, you will find Phil Allmendinger, an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and resident of Dryden. Phil will be recruiting local volunteers to help grow the organization so more houses in each county can be built.
It needs people who would like to work on family selection and support, development/fund raising/public relations, construction and volunteer supervision, and site selection.

If you want to learn more about Habitat for Humanity or want to volunteer or make a donation, please call Phil at (607) 220-3947, visit the Web site: www.tchabitat.com or make an appointment to visit Phil when he’s at the new office.

Congratulations and good luck! This is a great asset to the community!

2/20/08 - County to settle with William St. homeowners

(As published by Cortland Standard, Evan Geibel reporting)

The county will settle with the owners of a home that had been included in the failed south Main Street public health building property purchase if the Cortland County Legislature agrees with a Budget and Finance Committee’s recommendation.

The committee approved a $12,475 settlement for James and Yvonne Cole of 11 William St., based upon negotiations originally conducted by former County Attorney Ric Van Donsel and recommended at a Nov. 29 meeting of the committee.

County Administrator Scott Schrader took issue with another settlement whose approval Van Donsel had recommended, and the Cole property was caught up in the controversy.

Budget and Finance Committee chair John Troy (D-1st Ward) said he didn’t see any hurdles for the settlement when it is brought to the full Legislature for a vote on Feb. 28.

“The Cole property kind of got swept under the table, but the county attorney and Scott Schrader both recommended the settlement on the property,” Troy said Tuesday afternoon.
Schrader was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

“Under the circumstances, it appears to me to be fair and reasonable,” current County Attorney Mark Suben said Tuesday morning.

The Coles had originally requested $20,000 after the county backed out of purchasing their home for $90,000. The Legislature had decided to purchase a total of nine properties on and near south Main Street in December 2006 with the intent to construct a public health facility to house the Health and Mental Health departments.

It then backed out of those agreements in January, prompting a lawsuit in which a judge ruled the county had violated a valid contract to purchase the properties.

While the county has agreed to purchase the two commercial properties involved in the deal, three of the residential property owners sought settlements from the county for damages incurred after the original purchase fell through.

2/20/08 - Study to look at creation of law department

Local attorney will examine ways to improve, restructure county attorney office

(As published by Cortland Standard, Evan Geibel reporting)

In an attempt to remove some of the politics from the appointment of the county attorney position, the Cortland County Legislature’s Budget and Finance Committee approved a proposal Tuesday morning that would hire a local attorney to investigate possibilities for a more formal law department.

The committee decided unanimously to retain Fran Casullo to conduct a study of the current county attorney system and possible ways to improve it. The full Legislature will vote on the proposal Feb. 28.

Casullo would be paid $90 an hour at a cost not to exceed $5,000 under the proposal.

Budget and Finance Committee Chairman John Troy (D-1st Ward) said that the idea for a professional, non-politicized law department had originated in a Cortland Standard editorial last year, and he had endorsed the possibility at the end of the year.

“That’s a position where politics shouldn’t be involved,” Troy said Tuesday afternoon. “If we can save the taxpayers money along the way and get more efficiency, those are definitely pluses.”
Budget and Finance member Tom Williams (R-Homer) said he did some research and approached Casullo about the idea, and the latter was enthusiastic.

Casullo is a member of the law firm Pomeroy, Armstrong & Casullo and the town justice for Cortlandville, where Williams is employed as code enforcement officer. Williams said Casullo also served as the assistant county attorney in the past and is acquainted with the office’s structure and duties.

The goal was to find someone outside of county government, and Williams said he doesn’t “see him (Casullo) as being possibly interested in the job, if it was created.”

The county attorney is appointed by each incoming Legislature at the start of its two-year term, usually at the organizational meeting at the beginning of January. The appointment has become a political football, some legislators say. Current County Attorney Mark Suben said that an investigation into a possible restructuring of the department is warranted.

“Given what I know about how this position has been filled and how the assistant positions have been filled — an unbelievably political process — I think it would be very prudent for the Legislature to look into this to have some continuity,” Suben said Tuesday morning.

2/20/08 - Small downtowns face challenges

Businesses are sometimes short-lived, shoppers hard to attract

Bob Ellis/staff photographer
Some of the area’s downtowns, such as McGraw’s which is shown Monday, are contending with the difficulties of remaining economically vibrant.

(As published by Cortland Standard, Christine Laubenstein reporting)

In 1990, developer Mark Henline came to McGraw, a quiet village where he could develop properties at his own pace.

He has succeeded in remodeling the interiors of 30, 34 and 36 Main St., but he hasn’t been so successful at getting business tenants to last long in his buildings, despite low rents.

“It’s a constant battle,” Henline said, noting the latest example is Forever and Always Chocolate, which folded after just a few months at 36 Main St.

While the city of Cortland often gets attention for its downtown challenges and efforts, small towns and villages such as McGraw have to work just as hard, if not harder, to retain and attract downtown businesses and shoppers.

Henline sees the problem as twofold: many businesses that come in have low cash flow or unpolished business plans, while the more savvy businesses and investors aren’t convinced the investment is worthwhile. “People have never taken the area seriously because Cortland is right there,” Henline said. He said he hopes his latest tenant, China Wok at 30 Main St., will buck the recent trend.

In Dryden, a fair number of businesses have moved from downtown to other locations in the village where they could build or rent new buildings in such areas as along Route 13.

It’s good those businesses are still around, but too bad downtown is suffering in the meantime, according to Mayor Reba Taylor. “I think a thriving downtown is always a good thing,” Taylor said, noting it provides a more personal shopping experience. Recreating a busy downtown climate might be a lost cause, Taylor said, with the current driving culture.

But things could change somewhat if downtown Dryden had better parking, or at least signs to show people where public lots are located, Taylor said. A Chamber of Commerce or business association could be talking about that and related issues, she said, but interest doesn’t seem to be there.

“I have tried on numerous occasions to get some sort of business association together,” Taylor said. “I have never had any luck. ...We’ve brought people together a few times when collecting money for Christmas (for holiday decorations) in December, but nothing seems to last more than a year or two.”

Certain business associations in small towns, including the Homer Business Association, Cincinnatus Business Association and Marathon Area Progress Association, have contributed to their respective downtowns.

The Marathon Area Progress Association, whose main goal is to provide networking opportunities, information and support to its members, has helped keep downtown Marathon businesses around town.

Businesses include a drug store, a diner, a pizza shop, a Chinese eatery, a grocery store, a convenience mart, hair places, a spa and a bank.

“We don’t have too many empty storefronts, and if they’re empty it’s by the owner’s choice,” said association President Rosemarie Fralick. “If anything we have a shortage of space.”

The challenge, in Fralick’s eyes, is bringing more shoppers downtown. Often Marathon residents shop in Binghamton and Cortland, on their way home from work or another engagement, or during a special trip.

One solution could be working with the village to get on-street parking spaces marked following the state’s upcoming reconstruction of Route 222, Fralick said.

Another answer could be advertising downtown’s benefits, said Fralick, who owns Advanced Awards at 25 Cortland St.

She said the Marathon Area Progress Association, at its March meeting, hopes to plan an upcoming print advertising campaign to highlight downtown Marathon’s offerings.

“We want to tell people this is what you can get in Marathon, especially with gasoline at $3 a gallon,” Fralick said. “You don’t have to get something in Cortland; you can save time and money by shopping in Marathon.”

The village of Homer has been able to boost its foot traffic downtown through various downtown events, including its annual WinterFest, where businesses stay open until 8 p.m. Friday, and until 5 p.m. Saturday, and special tourism initiatives.

“You’ve got the theater out in Little York that draws people,” said Rob Garrison, manager at Homer Men and Boys’ Store. “They bring tours through and funnel folks downtown to Homer.”
Ads in various Cortland County brochures and people spreading the word about downtown Homer’s unique shops, including Bev & Co. and Main Street Antiques, have also helped, Garrison said.

He said significant foot traffic has contributed to downtowns stability, with longtime businesses continuing to thrive and filled storefronts. “Since I’ve been here, for the last 15 downtown years, downtown has been pretty stable,” Garrison said. “Most of the businesses have been in business quite a few years and have loyalty.”

Cincinnatus Supervisor Dale Betts said he wished Cincinnatus had a Homer Men and Boys’-type store, a pharmacy or some other addition to its downtown. While the businesses there, including True Value, Cincinnatus Market Place and Magros Italian Pizza, are thriving, choices are definitely lacking.

“We would love to have more business in town, but the town budget and trying to keep taxes as reasonable as possible doesn’t permit us to be out there doing a major campaign and bringing businesses in,” he said.

Bates said he hopes the Cincinnatus Business Association can succeed in its goal of trying to improve the areas quality of life, which could in turn improve the business climate. Also, high gas prices could improve the market for new businesses, he said.

“That may bring a revitalization to commercial marketing in small communities,” Betts said. “We’ve heard that there’s some stores, like the family dollars stores, are interested in moving into small communities. That may happen.”