Letters of Support

Nancy Iversen is running for reelection as county representative after several successful years as a town board member. I have known Nancy Iversen for 20-plus years. In the years I have known her, she has been a community leader. She taught and cared for our high school students, and she volunteered in many organizations for the betterment of our region. Nancy regularly volunteered to assist with Envirothon competitions. She is a gardener as well as an accomplished teacher. Using her gardening skills and experience, Nancy helped design the Memory Garden at the Cooperstown Central School, the Community Garden in Cooperstown (behind the Great American), and continues to serve as a Cornell Master Gardener. She is also on the Cornell Cooperative Extension board of directors. She has volunteered at Lake Festival events and belongs to the Otsego Lake Association, as well as the Pierstown Grange. In all of these endeavors, Nancy is not just present but engaged. She is a leader.

Who is Tim Johnson? What community or public service involvement has he had?

My vote will be cast, emphatically, for a proven leader.

Velma F. Armstrong

I have known Nancy Iversen for over 30 years, and we were teaching colleagues at Cooperstown High School for many of those years. She is a hard-working, dedicated person in all that she does. She was always someone I could count on to help out with functions at the school, and demonstrated an honesty and diligence that was appreciated by all.

Recently, she has studied carefully the situation and problems of Canadarago Lake, and did not support a resolution that would have only given "lip service" to the issue. My family has a small camp on that lake, and we were flooded out with many others last year, so this issue is a major one for us. With the Governor’s thoughtless veto of the formation of a Lake Association, such as Otsego has, which would have been the governing entity, the county inherited the job. As I read the entire resolution with the three factors that were a problem for some of the "no" votes on the resolution, I was once again reminded of the thoroughness with which Nancy approaches issues, and her reluctance to spend money carelessly and without considerable investigation into all the aspects. She took time to be sure that I understood the reason, and I appreciate that. She has clearly visited all the areas of concern, and sees that the solution needs more work to be complete and financially responsible.

The letter in the paper last week was unnecessarily harsh, and certainly did not describe the woman that I have known for so many years and admire for so many reasons. I do not think that party affiliation is important on the local level, but integrity is, and so is leadership, dignity and refusal to get into the mud-slinging that is so much a part of all politics now.

I am happy to count Nancy among my friends, and support her candidacy for Otsego County Representative without any reservations.

Jan Kerr

Nancy Iversen, candidate for re-election to the county board from the town of Otsego, is a solid performer with our best interests at heart.

I thought that the smear letter from Bill Ross that The Daily Star printed on Oct. 26 was in poor taste. I worked with Nancy Iversen for several years on the Watershed Supervisory Committee after she retired as a first-rate biology teacher in our public schools. She was always thoughtful, fair and dedicated, and aided in getting our program for testing of septic systems around Lake Otsego under way. With the county board she has supported (1) helping our environment and (2) a fair share of bed-tax money for Cooperstown. I recommend her highly for re-election.

Theodore Peters Jr.

This letter supports Nancy Iversen for re-election to the Otsego County Board of Representatives. Re-election is an important recommitment. It means that Nancy Iverson has experience on the county board and is willing to build on that experience to work for the programs that this county needs.

Nancy Iversen supports a better, fairer distribution of bed tax funds collected in the county. She helped develop the Tourism Compensation Grant Program for local municipalities with costs related to tourism. Nancy Iversen supported the inclusion of baseball camps in the collection of occupancy tax.

Nancy Iversen has the vision that Otsego County needs. She will continue to work for a well-qualified professional county administrator who can bring greater efficiency to the budget and the governance of Otsego County.

Nancy Iversen supported raising the occupancy tax from 2 percent to 4 percent and will continue to push for half of these taxes to go directly to Cooperstown to help pay tourism expenses and infrastructure.

Nancy Iversen will push for some portion of the bed tax for the assessment, protection and management of our environmental resources in Otsego County and she supports an office of environmental resources management.

Nancy Iversen will continue to work for resolution of the Canadarago flood problem. She supports a comprehensive plan for Otsego County that will help prevent similar problems while conserving environmental resources.

Nancy Iversen knows we must be planning well in advance of the MOSA contract expiration in 2014 and will push for a thorough analysis of options well before MOSA expires.

Nancy Iversen supports the use of optical scans as the most transparent and recordable balloting system and will continue to push our election commissioners to demand these for Otsego County.

For experience, character and vision in government, re-elect Nancy Iverson to the Otsego County board on Nov. 6.

Charles J Hudson

A letter written to the editor of your paper signed by Mr. Bill Ross last Friday was critical of Nancy Iversen, representative in District 8.

Shirley Ross is a member of that household and is also Otsego County Republican chairman and a county employee in the election office that is supposed to be nonpartisan.

I have been involved in politics in the town of Otsego for 40 years and have never observed this type of participation by either party chairman, Republican or Democrat.

Nancy is a very knowledgeable person who was a biology teacher in the Cooperstown school system until her retirement. She is a lady of great character and she and her family have lived in the Cooperstown area for years.

Please give her your vote on Nov. 6. I already have on my absentee ballot and am very proud of it.

Stuart P. Taugher

It has been my pleasure to serve as District 8 representative on the Otsego County Board. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, residents will have the opportunity to return me to the county board. I believe I am the better of two candidates.

I have already climbed the county government learning curve; I have both experience and knowledge of the nuances of Otsego County government. I have worked hard to solve problems rather than point a finger at those who may have created them. I have been forthright and honest, even when skirting an issue may have been more convenient or expedient. I have had the courage to make and support difficult decisions. I have found new and creative ways to bring needed funds into the town of Otsego and the village of Cooperstown. I have been responsive to residents and to municipal leaders who have asked for help or have shared their concerns. I've worked hard to earn the respect and confidence of town of Otsego residents.

Please allow me to serve as District 8 representative for a second term. You may visit www.nancyiversen.com for more information on issues facing Otsego County and how I have responded to questions asked of me. Please make every effort to vote on Nov. 6.

Nancy Iversen

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