News Briefs: August 9, 2023

Oneonta Block Party Scheduled This Saturday

ONEONTA—The City of Oneonta will host a “welcome home” block party at the corner of Dietz and Main streets from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 12. Local organizations will have tables with community resource information and all residents are encouraged to attend, mingle and welcome new neighbors. The party will feature a Q&A with Mayor Mark Drnek, street painting by artist and Common Council member Emily Falco, and street games and activities. Caribbean cuisine and lemonade will be available for purchase from local businesses, including Drippy Sips Food Truck, Capresso Caribbean Kitchen, Cabral’s Caribbean Store, Junior’s Jerk Hut and King’s Kakery. The rain location will be the Oneonta Family YMCA, 20-26 Ford Avenue.

Hanford Mills Museum Announces Agricultural Exploration Day

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum will continue its Exploration Day program with an agriculture-themed day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, August 12. Museum staff will demonstrate the steel attrition mill by grinding corn. The machine is the same one that the Hanfords purchased and started operating in 1912. It is powered by the 1926 Fitz overshot waterwheel. The recently reopened Learning Lab will offer hands-on plant-related activities for children. Intelligent Green Solutions will be on-site with information about home and business solar power. Pamela Cooley will teach and demonstrate basic clothes mending skills, including darning and patching; visitors should bring damaged but salvageable articles of clothing. There will be live music by Cooperstown folk singer-songwriter Will Walker from noon to 2 p.m.

Hanford Mills Museum operates an authentic water- and steam-powered historic site, including a sawmill, a gristmill, and a woodworking shop. It is located at 51 County Highway 12 and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.hanfordmills.org or call (607) 278-5744.

Schenevus Kidapalooza Debuts at Eastern Otsego Farmers Market

SCHENEVUS—Eastern Otsego Farmers Market will host the inaugural “Kidapalooza” at the market on Saturday, August 12. The event will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 8498 State Route 7 in Schenevus. It will feature arts and crafts activities, vendors, the JAMS food truck, bounce houses, farm animals, a free make-your-own sundae station, face painting, and more. For more information, visit the EOFM Facebook page.

CV-S Sophomores Hold Bottle Drive Through August 20

CHERRY VALLEY—The Cherry Valley-Springfield Class of 2026 will hold a can and bottle drive fundraiser from Sunday, August 13 to Sunday, August 20. Donations can be dropped at any time at Dan’s Cans, 2336 County Highway 31, just south of East Springfield. All proceeds will support the class.

Catskill Community Players Issue Casting Call

ONEONTA—The Catskill Community Players will hold auditions for their fall performance, “The Savannah Sipping Society,” on Sunday, August 13 at 3 p.m. and on Tuesday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m. Roles are available for four women, ages 50-70, at all levels of experience. Auditions will be held at the First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street, via the Church Street entrance. Those who wish to audition should bring a schedule of conflicts from August 21 through November 5 for rehearsal-planning purposes. All who audition will be asked to read pages from the script, which will be provided. To preview a script, contact Director Lissa Sidoli at sidoli19@yahoo.com. The play will be presented November 3 and 4 at 7:30 p.m. and November 4 and 5 at 2 p.m. at the Wieting Theatre in Worcester. “The Savannah Sipping Society,” a comedy by Jones, Hope, and Wooten, focuses on four unique women—all needing to escape day-to-day routine and unsettling life events—who are brought together by fate at a yoga class and an impromptu happy hour. For more information on the Catskill Community Players, visit www.catskillplayers.org or find Catskill Community Players on Facebook.

Springbrook Celebrates New Location Opening on Saturday

CORTLAND—Springbrook will celebrate the grand opening of its new Community Services location in Cortland at 3:30 p.m. on Monday, August 14. The event will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 29 Central Avenue. U.S. Representative Marc Molinaro, who has served the 19th district in Congress since earlier this year, will speak at the ceremony. Springbrook’s community services include programs such as self-direction, housing navigation and employment services. The services aim to support people with developmental disabilities in all areas of their lives.

Director of Community Services Kimberly Corbett said, “Having been a part of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Cortland and surrounding counties for more than 20 years, I am thrilled to add value to the local service delivery system, collaborating with friends and partner agencies to improve the health outcomes and quality of life for the people we serve.”

Springbrook provides at-home care, residential and educational services, day services, and clinical, therapeutic and behavioral support to more than 1,100 people with developmental disabilities across New York State. It is Otsego County’s third-largest employer, with more than 1,300 local employees.

Fenimore Library To Offer Free Books, Periodicals

COOPERSTOWN—The Research Library of Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum will offer a selection of surplus books and periodicals free to the public from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, August 14 through Friday, August 18. There is no charge or limit. All materials will be located under a tent in front of the library, which is adjacent to the main building of Fenimore Art Museum. A list of available materials can be found at fenimoreart.org/book. For more information, contact the research library at (607) 547-1473 or h.shear@fenimoreart.org.

Oneonta Travel League Soccer Tryouts Announced

ONEONTA—Oneonta Soccer Club will hold a special tryout for fall travel league at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 15. It is open to boys and girls born in the 2011-2014 birth years, as the teams will be competing in the BCSA U13 league. Most games will be on Sundays between September 10 and October 29. The OSC travel program is intended for athletes who are interested in a higher level of play than recreation soccer. It will develop individual and team skills in competition with clubs of a similar caliber. Travel requires a greater commitment than recreational soccer, and players trying out should possess a basic understanding of the game’s principles. “We prefer to view the tryout as a chance for prospective players to meet coaches and current players to see if it’s a good fit for families,” a release said. Players should bring cleats, shin guards and a water bottle to the tryout. Register via the OSC Facebook page to secure a spot.

Library To Host Kindergarten Event Next Thursday

COOPERSTOWN—The Village Library of Cooperstown will hold its annual “Lemonade on the Lawn” event for kindergarteners and their families at 10 a.m. on Thursday, August 17. Children can do craft activities, enjoy snacks and lemonade with peers, and sign up for their first library cards.

State To Hold Public Meeting on Power Line

DELHI—The New York State Public Service Commission will hold an in-person public information forum and public comment hearing regarding a proposed power line project at the Delhi Village Hall at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 17. New York Power Authority and Clean Path, LLC applied last fall to construct, operate, and maintain a 178-mile, 1,300-megawatt high-voltage direct current transmission line and its associated facilities, connecting the Fraser substation outside Delhi to the Rainey substation in Queens. The project will include an underground transmission line running through existing state and city rights-of-way, submarine transmission lines in the Hudson, Harlem, and East Rivers, six landfall stations before and after each submarine line, and converter stations at Fraser and Queens. Those wishing to comment on any aspect of the project or proceedings on the record may do so at the meeting. A half-hour information session will be held before the public statement hearing begins.

Interested community members who cannot attend or do not wish to speak at the meeting can submit comments to the PSC by Friday, October 20. Comments submitted by telephone, Internet or mail should refer to “Case 22-T-0558.” Visit www.dps.ny.gov, contact Hon. Michelle L. Phillips, secretary of the Public Service Commission, or call 1 (800) 335-2120 to comment.

County Hazardous Waste Day Set for Saturday, August 26

MIDDLEFIELD—Otsego County’s Household Hazardous Waste Day will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 at the Meadows Office Complex, 140 County Highway 33. The day’s schedule is divided by last name; residents with names beginning A-H are set for 8-9:30 a.m., I-Q names are welcome 9:30-11:30 and R-Z should arrive 11:30 to 1 p.m. Paints, pesticides, solvents, mercury, chemical cleaners, batteries, antifreeze, hobby and pool chemicals, fluorescent light bulbs, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and other classes of hazardous waste will be accepted. Motor oil, explosives, ammunition, tires, electric vehicle battery cells, propane tanks and microwaves will not be accepted.

AmeriCU Announces Large Statewide Expansion

ROME—AmeriCU Credit Union announced on Wednesday, July 26 that the New York State Department of Financial Services had approved its expansion into 15 additional counties in the North Country, Mohawk Valley, Central New York and Cortland-Ithaca regions. After the expansion, AmeriCU will be present in 24 counties with a combined population of 2.2 million. Since its founding in 1950 at Griffiss Air Force Base in Rome, AmeriCU has grown to serve more than 160,000 members. As a credit union, it is a not-for-profit financial institution owned by its members. To learn more, visit www.americu.org.