League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area

ague here?”

No sooner said than done! A nucleus of interested women gathered at Ann’s house, a steering committee chaired by Peggy Herman was formed and advice obtained from the Oneonta League and the League of Women Voters of New York State, The minutes of a February 1970 meeting state that the third meeting was held at Doris Ellsworth’s home with 22 women in attendance and further, “The 22 people present voted that they did wish to get started.” Dues, set by the LWVNYS at $7.50 plus $1.00 for the local organization, were to be collected by April 1st and a three-member nominating committee named, “to draw up a slate, to be presented at the next meeting, of five women to constitute a Board, offices to be arrived at as all becomes more clear.” A few months later on April 22, 1970, the first Annual Meeting was held at which a letter from LWVNYS was read congratulating the group on their 22 paid-up members and informing them that the group was now officially the Cooperstown Unit of the League of Women Voters. Three more members had already been added and the first slate of officers was elected composed of Peggy Herman, chairman; Marge Roberts and Alice Spinney, vice-chairman, Jane Huber, secretary, and Irene Williams, treasurer. The following year at the annual meeting the chairman was able to report that membership had grown to 32, interesting programs had been presented by the various study groups and the Community Survey (which was required before becoming officially recognized as a League) had been completed. And by the annual meeting on April 24, 1972, preliminary requirements were completed and the group was now the Cooperstown Area Provisional League of Women Voters with 54 members! Perhaps the Environmental Quality was the most active of the study groups. Excitement was high when they were promised a freight car for the collection of glass to be recycled. They were undaunted when told that a Provisional League was only supposed to study - not take action. The Otsego County Conservation Association agreed to act as a co-sponsor, with most of the work and enthusiasm coming from the League At that point, it seems, things began to fall apart! Large quantities of glass had been collected, the freight car was two weeks late in arriving and by the time it was in place spring vacation was at hand and the annual trek to Myrtle Beach by many League members was on. One notes a somewhat desperate note in a plea by Ann Rath for “anyone with any time to please stop by the center and help crunch glass.” It’s easy to understand why the Cooperstown League has always strongly supported returnable bottle legislation.

1974 marked the culmination of four years of hard work when Know Your Town, the publication that was the result of the community survey, and a requirement for becoming a League, was published. Members worked hard to raise the $600 to meet publishing costs. Then, on October 29, 1974, we were officially the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area. (That same year, it should be noted , the League of Women Voters of the United States voted to admit men as full voting members and our League proudly welcomed its first male League member that year. And although the question arises year after year, the name is still the League of Women Voters.) A look at the calendars in the League bulletins over the ensuing years show that the League members held candidates’ nights, registration drives, and studied! Members looked at village planning, women and the law, healthcare, financing education in New York state, meeting basic human needs, alternatives to incarceration, education, reproductive rights, judicial reform, cross endorsements in elections, clean air and clean water, public authorities, and county government. In addition to all these studies we updated Know Your Town and reprinted it in 1986 as Four Towns and a Village. The League continued to be a leader in Cooperstown in recycling. Once again with support from OCCA, and under the enthusiastic guidance of Dottie Hudson and Martha Clarvoe and the natural resources committee, the League began holding recycling days and meeting with schools and community groups to explain how to set up a household for recycling. League members volunteered to be recycling households to test the feasibility and management of recycling. There were recycling days for newsprint and bottles held in the parking lot of the Cooperative Extension building on Lake Street and recycling trucks for newsprint set up at the county garage area. Then to show how willing individuals were to recycle, on a cold Saturday in January, more than 15 tons of mixed paper were brought to the town landfill. Another collection was set for May 1991 which resulted in 320 carloads - 22 tons of mixed paper. These materials were recycled at Marcal Paper Company in New Jersey thanks to Emily & Nick Marcalus. Six months later, the transfer stations in Cooperstown and Oneonta were accepting newsprint and mixed paper for recycling. Today, Otsego County recycles more than either of the other two members of the Montgomery, Otsego, Schoharie Authority, which is responsible for trash collection in the area. Each year the League’s Natural Resource committee lobbies MOSA to add one more item to the recyclable list. Tires and batteries are our next goal! Our League grew in stature in the community and on the state level. Kathy Lloyd headed the LWVNYS study on alternatives to incarceration. Joyce Hickling worked on the state level to develop the historic women doll series. Mary von Ziegesar is currently the state public relations chair. To accomplish all these activities, members fund-raised in every way they could. There were George parties, bake sales, barbecue dinners, casserole sales, attic sales and just plain asking. But is wasn’t all hard work. In 1986 we introduced our major “fun” raiser, the annual Winter Doldrums party for members and supporters. Held in the midst of winter, it provides a respite from the gray and gloom when all anyone wants is Spring. In 1994 membership had grown to 127 members who now pay dues of $35 a year for individual and $50 for household memberships. The ideas continue to flow and action is still the byword. In 20 years much has changed but as League members we go forth remembering the spirit and fortitude of the women who fought for the right to vote and for those who helped found our organization - nationally and locally. We know they always had in mind the last words of Susan B. Anthony, “Failure is impossible.”

This history was written by League member Dufie Bushnell
Edited and updated by Patty MacLeish