Locals: People & Businesses in the News

PROJECT PROUD: Over the past four years, Pierstown Grange members have completed a major foundation replacement project at the Grange. “Due to drainage problems, the north foundation wall was compromised and the entire foundation needed work. Contractors demolished everything that existed in the Grange Hall downstairs, including the kitchen, furnace, bathrooms, and handicapped ramp to the upstairs. The project—including an expansion for a new kitchen and handicapped accessible bathrooms—is now complete, except for the handicapped ramp, at a cost of $234,000.00. The project has been funded from our treasury balance, funds from generous community members, ongoing fundraisers, and a $70,000.00 loan from an anonymous lender. The Matching Grant Campaign was suggested to reduce the loan balance. The Pierstown Grange Building Committee thanks all the members and friends who donated so generously and to matching donor Susan Drake,” wrote Diane Richardson. Above, Pierstown Grange President Gail Lewis and Susan Drake at the check presentation for the matching grant loan reduction campaign. (Photo provided)

MCKENNA HONORED: The American College of Healthcare Executives of Upstate New York, a regional professional affiliation for healthcare executives, announced recently that Dr. Bertine Colombo McKenna has been recognized as the Senior Health Executive Awardee. The recognition is an honor from McKenna’s peers celebrating her leadership and contributions to others in the healthcare profession. “We were extremely grateful for the service Bertine provided to our chapter board,” said Chapter President Matthew Van Pelt. “Bertine was instrumental in the strategic development of our chapter to help us develop programs and resources to benefit healthcare executives across upstate New York.” The award is given annually to senior-level executives, to highlight their accomplishments to the healthcare community. The American College of Healthcare Executives has also awarded Dr. McKenna the Healthcare Regents Award and the American College of Healthcare Executives Distinguished Service Award.

SERVICE STAR: On November 8, the Distinguished Service Award was given to Right Worthy Diane Graf (right, center) of the Otsego, Hartwick, Arbutus Chapter #201 Order of the Eastern Star, Otsego Schoharie District, at the Masonic Temple, 77 Main Street, Cooperstown. Graf has been a dedicated sister and member since 2004. Shown with Graf is Right Worthy Sister Karen Prager, matron of the Otsego, Hartwick, Arbutus Chapter #201, and Right Worthy Bruce VanBuren, district grand lecturer. (Photo provided)

ACTIVE ARTIST: Victoria Villaverde of Oneonta was one of two SUNY Oneonta students whose artwork was on display at the Community Arts Network of Oneonta last month as part of the “Hartwick X SUNY Oneonta Student Show.” Villaverde and fellow SUNY Oneonta student Clayton Davis have had their artwork on display in multiple SUNY Oneonta exhibitions. Both are art and design majors, and Villaverde will graduate in December.

DOG DAYS: There were 49 entrants across seven categories of friendly competition in the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ first Barktoberfest event in September. The day started at 10:30 a.m. with the “Steps for Pets” Community Dog Walk (1.5-mile) from Cooperstown Elementary School to the Barktoberfest festival site. Barktoberfest was 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the dog show running from 2-3. Attendance across the day’s events was approximately 350-400—with 60 individual community supporters who contributed time, money or in-kind services, products, expertise, and equipment—plus an additional nine local businesses for paid services. The event was made possible in part by a 2023 Community Event grant from Otsego County government and sponsored by Leatherstocking Region Federal Credit Union, Morris Garage, Leatherstocking Cooperative Insurance Company, T-Squared Custom Millwork, and Three Hour Farm. Event space was kindly provided by The Farmers’ Museum. Dog show top three finishers in each category were: Most Fabulous Fella—Poncho, Roger, Rambo; Loveliest Lady—Sandy, Belle, Lily; Best Rescue—Kellie, Fudge, Oliver; Special Senior—Bea, Truffles, Bogey; Best Trick—Brooklyn, Dexter, Bella; Best Dog/Owner Lookalike—Roger, Buster, Kovu; Dog With Waggiest Tail: King, Dexter, Bruno.

OMBUDSMAN AWARDED: Schenevus resident Fiona Dejardin has been named 2023 Ombudsman of the Year by the New York State Office for the Aging. Dejardin is an active volunteer in Otsego County. According to NYSOFA, she works tirelessly for members of the community and many organizations, including significant volunteer hours with the Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. In addition to her weekly visits at facilities, NYSOFA said Dejardin is always ready to go out to a facility when a case gets called into the office. Her compassion for the residents is always present and they look forward to her visits. The staff is very receptive to her quiet, diplomatic way of getting to the bottom of residents’ concerns. She works with the resident council to educate and empower them to speak up and make a change. She works tenaciously to help residents in her facilities. The seasoned residents will tell new residents: “If you have a problem, just turn to her—she gets results.”

Dejardin has lived in New York State for the past 37 years, including 28 years as a professor of art history at Hartwick College and as the director of the Yager Museum of Art and Culture for six years. She and her husband of 36 years live in Schenevus in a home surrounded by gardens that she tends to herself. She is a master gardener and volunteers to share her skills through Cornell Cooperative Extension. Her hobbies include lamp-work, bead making, jewelry making, ceramic hand-built objects, art, museums, reading, cats, and traveling. Dejardin has been a volunteer for 12 years doing a lot of important work that keeps her very active. According to the announcement, she has been an ombudsman for nine years. “My work as an ombudsman is one of the most rewarding activities of my life,” she says.

DEAN’S LIST: Emily Johnson of Richmondville has been named to the Ithaca College Spring 2023 Deans’ List. Founded in 1892, Ithaca College is a residential college dedicated to building knowledge and confidence through a continuous cycle of theory, practice and performance. Home to some 5,200 students, the college offers more than 90 degree programs.

BUFFALO BOUND: Madeline Hansen of Oneonta and Jazmin Lapilusa of Mount Vision are enrolled in the University at Buffalo Honors College for the 2023-24 academic year. The Honors College program supports and challenges academically gifted students to help them develop their interests across the disciplines. 1,661 of UB’s 19,118 undergraduates are enrolled in the Honors College, and the newest class is the largest one in history. Honors students enjoy many benefits designed to foster academic and personal success, such as personalized advisement, faculty mentorship, priority registration, access to unique funding opportunities, specialized living communities, and a network of global honors alumni. The University at Buffalo is New York State’s flagship and the largest and most comprehensive institution in the SUNY system.

NEW POSITION: Richfield Springs resident Nicole Southard has been promoted to Central New York regional manager at Wayne Bank’s Bank of Cooperstown office. In her new role, Southard will continue to manage the Cooperstown Community Office, and will now oversee the Bank of Cooperstown Oneonta Community Office, as well as the Bank of the Finger Lakes Community Offices in Geneva and Penn Yan. Southard joined the bank in 2011 as a part-time teller and has held several positions during her tenure, most recently as community office manager. Jim Donnelly, president and chief executive officer of Wayne Bank, said, “Working with the bank for over 12 years, Nicole is very knowledgeable of the daily Community Office retail operations and is well-deserving of this promotion. Her expertise and commitment to our customers and local community have played a key role in helping to grow the Cooperstown market. Nicole’s new position will allow her to work more closely with not only the staff in both the Cooperstown, Oneonta, and Finger Lakes markets, but now also the customers as well.” Southard holds an associate’s degree from SUNY Cobleskill. She resides in Richfield Springs with her husband, David, and their dog, Hank.

TOPS IN TOURNEY: Winners of the recent Otsego County Chamber of Commerce Third Annual Pickleball Tournament were: Women’s Division—Teri Basdekis and Maria Morgan; Men’s/Open Division—David Weaver and Brent Patry; and Mixed Division—Maria Morgan and Joe Sutaris.

ON STAGE: SUNY Oneonta alumna Gabi Rose Feliciano is on tour with the Jonas Brothers. Majoring in Music Industry at SUNY Oneonta, Feliciano joined every ensemble imaginable and developed a passion for playing live shows. Now she’s performing in front of 40,000 people a night. Learn all about her career path, time at Oneonta, and what inspires her: https://suny.oneonta.edu/people/gabi-rose-feliciano

CHOBANI KUDOS: The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that Chobani has been named an SBA Legacy Business. Chobani is one of 68 Legacy Businesses that got their start with help from the SBA and that were recognized nationwide as part of the agency’s 70th anniversary celebrations. “Chobani is the perfect company to receive our Legacy Recognition in New York State,” said SBA Atlantic Regional Administrator Marlene Cintron, who oversees SBA in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. “Their business model has proven that you can do business within a community and build each other up by providing excellent products, service, and commitment to its workers and those who are food insecure. This ethic will ensure that Chobani will be celebrated and emulated for decades to come in many states of the union. Chobani is leading the way.” Chobani was begun in New Berlin by founder and Chief Executive Officer Hamdi Ulukaya with an SBA 504 loan, five employees and a mission to make better food for more people.
Today, Chobani is a next-generation food and beverage company with a mission of making high-quality and nutritious food accessible to more people, while elevating communities and making the world a healthier place.

“On behalf of my brothers and sisters at Chobani, we are honored to be an SBA Legacy Business. Small businesses are the light of each community, and every business has the potential to reach the next level. Chobani is just one example of the magic that can happen when small businesses are given resources to see their dreams come to reality. The SBA loan we received in 2005 not only gave us the capital to become the number one yogurt brand in America, but allowed us to build the modern food business we are today, delivering high-quality, nutritious products at incredible scale, and flexibility to invest back into the communities we call home,” Ulukaya said.