The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/31966
Scene the O-Town Vol. 1, No. 32 www.otownscene.com 102 Chestnut St., P.O. Box 250, Oneonta, NY 13820 (607) 432-1000, ext. 255, editor@otownscene.com EDITOR Cassandra Miller ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR OF THE DAILY STAR Adrienne Wise PUBLISHER Armand Nardi CONTRIBUTORS Sam Benedict, Tammy Doyle, Genevieve Pedulla, Emily Popek, James Derek Sapienza, EDITOR OF THE DAILY STAR Sam Pollak Mark Simonson, Sam Spokony, Andrew Stammel, Jennifer Tighe and Hope Von Stengel. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sean Lewis The O-Town Scene is published Thursdays by The Daily Star Inc. Free copies are distributed throughout Oneonta, as well as parts of Otsego, Delaware and Schoharie counties. Member of The Associated Press and CNHI News Service Editor’s Note A lot of people “find” themselves in college; I spent most of the time losing myself and trying to be a lot of things I wasn’t. I was in a sorority for a week, a gospel choir for a couple of months and involved in other activities that didn’t neces- sarily feel in tune with my personality. The only times I felt like myself were doing as- signments for the newspaper (prophetic, right?), exploring new parts of Boston and laughing with my smart, witty, fantastic friends. I think it wasn’t until after graduation when I was on my own in a foreign country that I really started being authentic. I didn’t have to live up to anyone’s expectations, because there was no one to model my experience after. And being a “real” person in the “real” world has been won- derful. I’m excited for the SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students who are graduating in the next couple of weeks and starting lives that are truly theirs. This week’s Casual Chit Chat interviewee, Lady Ostapeck, seems to have found herself decades ago, when she moved to Fly Creek, bought an old camera and started taking Victorian-style portraits of people. I met with her at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, where she about to be discharged for nothing serious, and we talked for more than two hours. When I got to her room, she was sitting on her hospital bed in a bright orange and lime green flowered dress, a black suede and gold chain around her neck with keys to Nader Towers in Oneonta. She 2 O-Town Scene May 19, 2011 recently moved there after many years living in her farmhouse, where she still keeps all of her props and costumes from sittings. When she saw me, she gasped, saying: “Oh, my goodness. What a great dress! Turn around, and let me see all of it.” She made me feel special. Before I’d even asked a question, I un- derstood why everyone who knows Lady who I’d told I was interviewing her loved this charming woman. Having someone bring out the best in you is extremely appealing, and it’s something that comes naturally to Lady. During our conversation, we sat so close our legs touched, because Lady, 93, has trouble hearing. She made many comments that touched me and made me smile. One of the things was that she knew the secret to everything. She leaned in close, and whispered: “It’s a four- letter word _ not that four-letter word. It’s L.O.V.E.” She said that once someone knows you love them, they feel at ease and are more self-assured. She said everyone she has done a portrait for loves her because she loves them and allowed them to be whoever they were deep down _ a Hungarian princess, a sea captain, a famous ballerina, the queen of England. Lady is magical, and I feel honored to have had her undivided attention for those two hours. Parts of our conversation are on Page 7. Lady will also give a talk and book signing at the Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta at 7 p.m. Thurs- day, May 19. _ Cassandra Miller