Cooperstown Resident Wins Rare National Civic Volunteer Award

Cooperstown Resident Wins Rare National Civic Volunteer Award

via Google Maps, Rich McCaffery, Facebook

We all have people in our community that we seem to see at every fundraiser, volunteering their time tirelessly, again and again. What would we do without these selfless individuals who seem to thrive on giving back in so many ways? These people are the lifeblood of any community since without them, so many good things could not take place.

There is an individual in Otsego County that has served in seemingly countless ways over the years, so much so that he has been nationally recognized for his too-many-to-count stints volunteering for the Village of Cooperstown - Rich McCaffery.

According to CivicPlus, McCaffery has been awarded the 2021 Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award (STACVA). These awards are given out each year to
recognize 100 extraordinary public service volunteers in localities with a population under 25,000. The idea is to highlight how important civic volunteers are in communities. Examples of civic volunteerism include positions on local government boards, councils, volunteer firefighters and EMTs, and advisory committees that support key local government functions.

The 100 individuals who are chosen to receive this award get offered a free volunteer web portal for their community from CivicPlus to promote volunteerism. Click here for the full list of winners for 2021.

Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh nominated McCaffery for the national award because of his numerous contributions of volunteerism to his Cooperstown community.

McCaffery beat out some tough competition for this prestigious award. The Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award program had to consider the nominations of more than 700 volunteers from communities in 47 states to decide which 100 would win the award.

A heartfelt congratulations to Rich McCaffery on all his years of service and here's an important message to everyone else who is not currently volunteering in their community: take the time to consider volunteering in your own community because volunteers are needed now more than ever during this challenging time!

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The New York State Thruway is in the process of overhauling all 27 of the rest areas. Although they are only working on a handful at a time, the renderings have been revealed. Not only will they be more of an open concept, but some will also have dog parks and all will have better food options. Look for Shake Shack, Panera, Starbucks, Panda Express, Chik-fil-A, Popeyes, Dunkin, Burger King, and a new fresh concept Applegreen convenience stores. Taste NY farm markets will be at each rest area along with play areas and picnic areas. There will be amenities for commercial truck drivers including more truck parking, showers, fitness centers, and laundry facilities.

Gallery Credit: New York State Thruway Authority

13 Of New York State's Most Wanted Criminals- March 2025

Below are individuals wanted by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's (DOCCS) Office of Special Investigations who have been designated as its Most Wanted Fugitives. They should be considered armed and dangerous. This list is current as of 3/01/2025:

NEVER attempt to apprehend a fugitive yourself. If you have information on the location of any of these fugitives, you can contact OSI 24 hours a day / 7 days a week to report it. All leads and tips are treated as confidential information.

If an immediate response is necessary, such as you see the wanted person at a location, please call “911” and report it to the police.

Gallery Credit: Dave Wheeler

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Filed Under: Village of Cooperstown
Categories: Articles, Local News

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