Have you noticed what’s happening?
The community has rallied. People are stepping up, pitching in, and making a difference.
We’ve had some difficult days, no one would argue that, but our hometown is battling back. And you can see it.
Despite the continuing construction of the roundabout at the entry to the city, there are more people enjoying downtown this summer than in recent years.
That’s partially a result of a new partnership with the Cooperstown All Star Village, which has contracted with Oneonta Public Transit to run a shuttle from downtown to the sports complex every half hour.
But it’s also because downtown is increasingly a fun and welcoming place to visit. More than two dozen merchants are displaying original, eye-catching face-in-the-hole boards featuring unique photo opportunities that visitors are finding hard to pass up.
One of our great community partners, FOR-DO has donated an information kiosk that has been decorated by young people from Club Odyssey with an illustrated map of downtown. Brochures, posters and fliers tell the tale of all our city has to offer.
You’ll find that kiosk in Muller Plaza, where Tuesday through Saturday the space is transformed into an “old school” playground with games and toys that recall a much more innocent time.
Kids on pogo sticks bound about as others run through sprays of water, or toss bags in a game of corn hole, or navigate the squares on a giant chess board.
Their parents and other visitors share umbrella-shaded tables. Cards and puzzles are set at each table, and in this foodie town, folks are happy to discover “menus” featuring every single dining option in the city.
One of the most exciting additions to our downtown was dedicated just two weeks ago — the Al Gallodoro Memorial Stage. This jewel box venue is an undisputable work of art, with its pergola roof casting an impressionistic recreation of album art in undulating shadows on stage, plaza and performers.
The Gallodoro stage is a visible result of volunteerism, donation, and partnership, as Kevin Wood, architect Andrew Thomas, and the city worked together to bring this gift to Oneonta and its future generations.
Geoff Doyle, of the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, has put together an outstanding lineup of entertainment that will keep the plaza rocking through the summer and into the fall. (Of course, our Thursday concerts in the park continue, and their popularity grows with every year.)
Several merchants on Water Street, led by Jim Seymour, and supported by the city and Peter Clark Rentals, will bring even more entertainment to our Saturday nights. Twinkling string lights, food trucks and live performances are going to make Water Street a destination.
A continual promoter of Oneonta, OtsegoMedia, is producing a series of videos that recap the week’s events and preview what’s coming. They’re also maintaining and updating a community calendar on www.exploreoneonta.com. You’ll want check that out and bookmark it.
Among the highlights you’ll find on the calendar are the Blendos Basketball Tournament, and the City of the Hills Festival. Both events are the product of hours of volunteer effort, and are weekend-long transformations of our downtown
Our police are playing a key role in Oneonta’s turnaround, too. Officers on foot and bicycle are a welcome presence on Main Street.
An increasingly attractive downtown is a clarion call for housing development and new retail opportunities. And I am as pleased as I can be to tell you that we have several announcements to come on that front, one of which we’ll be making today!
Make no mistake, this progress is the result of our combined effort. So, come downtown and support our East End and West End shops and restaurants.
Oneonta’s turnaround — its renaissance — is a testimony to a community working together. Never giving up. And never saying never.