The Freeman's Journal • Hometown Oneonta • AllOTSEGO.com

A water-color painting by Alix Hallman Travis, entiled Trains in the Arkville Yard.

ONEONTA

Join the Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts (UCCCA) tonight, Aug. 27 from 6-8 p.m. at the Wilber Mansion for an Opening Artist Reception.  Featured professional artists include Alix Hallman Travis and Beckie Kravetz.  Travis will be showing paintings and sketches while Kravtez will be showing masks and sculptures.  Wilber Mansion is located at 11 Ford Ave. and the event is free and open to the public.

Carol Blazina

ONEONTA

Carol A. Blazina of Oneonta, SUNY Oneonta’s retired vice president for community relations, has been named to the College Council by Governor Paterson.

Blazina, who worked at SUNY Oneonta for 44 years, receiving the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service in 2001.

She fills the vacancy created by the resignation of John Henry Young. Her term will run through June 30, 2011.

A crowd responded to The Otesaga's invitation, "We dare you to spend the evening with us," packing the ballroom for the premiere of Syfy's "Ghost Hunters" Otsesaga episode. (Tara Barnwell photos)

A cheer went up with Bob Faller, The Otesaga's director of marketing, appeared on the screen.

COOPERSTOWN

An “oohing” and “aahing” crowd packed The Otesaga’s ballroom last evening to view the Syfy channel “Ghost Hunters” premiere of  “The Otesaga Hotel Episode,” which purportedly found ghosts haunting the third and fifth floors of the 102-year-old hotel.  Spooky!

Between flashlights mysteriously flashing off and on, and the sound of shadowy children running up and down the halls (when no children were registered!), the audience cheered and shivered at the images on a big screen at the ballroom’s north end.

Syfy’s “Ghost Hunters” team visited the resort hotel twice over the winter.

Brookwood's Craftsman-style Garden House was built in the late 19th century by Katharine Jermain Savage and Frederick dePeyster Townsend for their children.

COOPERSTOWN

The Cook Foundation has merged with the Otsego Land Trust, and the foundation’s 22-acre Brookwood Garden is moving under the trust’s control.

Both boards of directors voted on the measure Monday afternoon.  For details, see this week’s Freeman’s Journal, on newsstands this afternoon.

The view from Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park, Westford, which is hosting a free hot-dog lunch on Sunday.

WESTFORD

Have a free hot-dog lunch and visit the new Sunset Pavilion in the Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park, 1-2 p.m. Sunday.
The park is at 135 Davis Road, Town of Westford, only a few minutes from Cooperstown.  No park entrance fee; music by Skip West & Band.

COOPERSTOWN

The American Red Cross is planning two blood drives in Cooperstown later this month:

• Thursday, Aug. 26, 12:30-6:30 p.m., Bassett Hall Auditorium, intersection of Beaver and Pioneer.

• Saturday, Aug. 28, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., National Baseball Hall of Fame.  Anyone who donates will receive free admission on that day.

Senator Seward

ONEONTA

New York Uprising, a reform group chaired by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, today declared state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, a “Hero of Reform” after he pledged his support for its agenda.
In addition to Koch, Uprising’s trustees include former mayor Rudy Giuliani, former governor Mario Cuomo, former state controller Ned Regan and Felix Rohatyn, architect of New York City’s financial rescue in the 1970s.
Seward has pledged support for financial and ethics reform, and for establishment of an independent commission to conducting redistricting next year.

For details on New York Uprising, click here

FLY CREEK

The Glimmmerglass Opera Orchestra is performing “everything from Mozart to Barber to a Klezmer Consort” at 7:30 this evening at the Fly Creek Grange.