Cheers

May 20, 2008 07:13 am

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o ... To Bill Erario, who brought Livestrong Day to Oneonta last week.

Erario painted the Hartwick College wall yellow, and invited the community to add names of people affected by cancer to the wall.

Livestrong Day is an annual day of awareness and fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which has advocated for cancer research and support for more than 10 years.

Erario's project was especially fitting with this year's Livestrong Day mission, which was an emphasis on grass-roots activity. Erario called his actions a "first step," and said he wants to help people learn more about cancer research and treatment.

Few of us can say cancer has never touched our lives in some way. The actions of people like Erario remind us that hope and support are out there, and that no one is alone in his or her fight against this disease.

o ... To the 100-plus Hartwick College students whose academic and artistic projects were showcased at the inaugural Community of Scholars Showcase on May 9.

The showcase featured programs, exhibits and activities highlighting students who received scholarships, awards or other honors. Though the school has a relatively small student body of less than 1,500, its diversity was on display at this event, which included glass-blowing demonstrations, a chamber music performance and a student-created musical.

In addition, students presented research with local connections, including projects on regional sustainability, water quality and plant life, as well as the economics of Oneonta's real estate market and the culture of AIDS in the Oneonta area.

The event is a wonderful way to showcase the hard work of students and foster connections between the college and the larger community.

Jeers

o ... To Oneonta Mayor John Nader's reshuffling of the Common Council committee structure, which gave every appearance of being a purely political move.

Nader dissolved the Personnel Committee, assigning its duties to the Finance, Operations and Legal Affairs Committee, and removed an alderman from the Finance Committee, leaving him with an all-Democratic committee for handling expenditures and legal affairs.

We're all for efficiency in government, and can understand Nader's desire to eliminate redundancy. However, his explanation that three-person committees work better than four-person ones falls flat when other four-person committees are left standing.

Two aldermen affected by the changes _ Sixth Ward Alderman Veronica Diver and Third Ward Alderman Erik Miller _ have challenged the mayor on several policy and procedural issues. It certainly doesn't look like an accident that they have been excluded from the committee that will handle these very issues.

Whether or not it was intended as a political move, the fact that Nader's actions can be perceived as such makes them questionable. Aldermen should be free to speak their minds without fears of reprisal from the mayor.