NORWICH – Evan T. Williams, supervisor of the Town of Otselic, said his rural community of 1,050 residents would indeed feel the ramifications of less United Way funding this year for the local food pantry.

“This will be a large problem for us,” he told Chenango United Way Director Elizabeth Monaco following her annual presentation to the Chenango County Board of Supervisors in Norwich yesterday.

Monaco said she is very concerned and was indeed “weepy” upon learning the news that for the first time in 30 years that Chenango County would lose about $26,000 in federal Emergency Management Agency food and shelter funds. She anticipates the cut will impact the United Way’s goal of raising $444,000. Of the five surrounding counties, only Broome’s funding for food pantries and soup kitchens survived.