The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/30393
Casual Chit Chat: Mayor Dick Miller Each week, we have a casual conversation with a member of the community. This week, Oneonta Mayor Dick Miller and Cassandra Miller chit chat, casually. Pitbull is headlining this weekend’s OH-Fest. Have you ever listened to his music? I have no idea what the Pitbull’s music is. He’s a hip-hop, R&B, reggaton artist. I have no idea what any of those things mean. I don’t recognize the names of any modern artists or connect them to what kind of music they play. Who are your five favorite musicians? It’s impossible for me to say. For example, when they said Gordon Lightfoot was scheduled to play at Foothills, I knew the name, but I didn’t know what music was his until someone said he sang “Read My Mind.” I can sing all the words to “Read My Mind,” but I didn’t know it was his song. I enjoy all kinds of music, but it’s not something that is really my thing. I can tell you that Brandt Snedeker used a 9 iron on the 18th Hole at the Heritage yester- day, but I can’t tell one musical artist from another. What’s your favorite sport? I play a lot of golf. I love lacrosse from a spectator point of view. My son coaches lacrosse at St. John’s University. He’s 40, so I’ve been watching la- crosse for 26 years. I love the game. OH-Fest is kind of like a big-end of the semester celebration for SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students. How did you celebrate the end of the school year when you were in college? There was nothing as organized as OH-Fest. There were a lot of parties. We had a great time, but I don’t remember the student association putting on events. We made our own fun. We’d rent a farmer’s pasture and have a cook-out, get kegs of beer, and have a demolition derby. It was in Middlebury, Vt., in the ’60s. 8 O-Town Scene April 28, 2011 How does your day begin as Mayor of Oneonta? I get up, take the dogs for a walk. They’re Brussels Griffons _ remember the dog in the movie “As Good As It Gets”? That’s the type they are. I come to the Latte Lounge and get a cup of coffee, and then I take that cup of coffee to Center Street Deli and read The Daily Star and the New York Post, shoot the breeze with my friends there. Then I take my step-daughter to school, and by 7:45 a.m. I’m doing something related to the city or Foothills. Contributed Miller’s dogs, Sheila and Gordon When you’re not performing your mayor duties, what is a night out for you? A night out is falling asleep on the couch. I like to go out to dinner with friends, go to athletic events at the colleges. Both Andi and I enjoy being home. She’s been in nursing school for the last two years and has spent a lot of time studying. What’s the best part about living in Oneonta? People. I find the people here to be incredibly friendly, very forthright, unpretentious. People who love living. That doesn’t mean they don’t have complaints. But, people who live here disproportionately really like it, and that’s contagious. What did you study at Middlebury College? I started out as a freshmen with the intention of becom- ing a physician. But I got my mid-semester grades and had four Ds and an F. The F happened to be in biology. I talked to my advisor, who said I should drop the F. I asked what was the path of least resistance, and was told that was to major in geology or sociology. I picked sociology, and it turned out to be the right thing for me. If it was just up to you, what would you put in the Bresee’s Department Store space? I think the fundamental plan of up- scale apartments with some interest- ing retail on the bottom floor is the right plan. Virtually everyone who sees it looks at it the same way, so the real question becomes pricing. Retail _ my main aim is to have whatever businesses can be successful. Suc- cessful businesses up and down Main Street would mean a successful Main Street. For example, I’m 68 years old, and I can’t relate to Maxwell’s, but it’s a successful business, so I’m all for it. What are your favorite city of Oneonta events? I think every event is fun. The Halloween parade is great fun. The Grand and Glorious Garage Sale is great fun. Fourth of July, the Christmas tree lighting. All great fun. OH-Fest, although I don’t participate di- rectly, is rather a spectacular event, particularly what the students do throughout the day. How do you describe Oneonta to people who haven’t heard of it before? I describe it as a healthy college town conveniently located to Albany. Beautiful surroundings where people really like one another. Your wife, Andi, is British; what British ways of life have entered the Miller house? There’s a lot of tea _ she and her children all like tea. There are occasional phrases _ I have grandchil- dren and they don’t have diapers, they have “nap- pies.” We have a British flag we fly along side the U.S. flag. Are you looking forward to the royal wedding be- tween Prince William and Kate Middleton on Friday? It’s not a big deal for me, but I think Andi’s getting up at 3 a.m. or some- thing to watch. Obviously, she’s very interested in it.