News Briefs: December 5, 2024

HMM Receives State Grant

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum received a grant award of $40,000.00 from the New York State Council on the Arts to support the nonprofit arts and culture sector. The museum hosts one of the only operating water-powered mills in the country, earning it a place on the National and NYS Registers of Historic Places. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org or call (607) 278-5744.

Local Authors Hold Signing

SCHOHARIE—Local authors Dana and Libby Cudmore will sign copies of their new books at the Apple Barrel Store and Café, 115 NY 30A in Schoharie, from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, December 8. Dana’s fourth book, “The Cave Electrician’s Widow: The Tragedy at Howe Caverns and Dramatic Courtroom Fight for Justice,” was published in April by Purple Mountain Press of Oneonta. Libby is a national award-winning author whose second novel, “Negative Girl,” was published in September by Datura Books of London.

Glimmer Globe Seeks Entries

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Art Museum’s Glimmer Globe Theatre will accept submissions of plays, poems, prose and short stories for its 2025 “NEXT! Readings of New Works by Regional Playwrights” and “Write Out Loud” performances through Sunday, January 19. “NEXT!” is one of the few opportunities for upcoming playwrights in Central New York to workshop staged readings before an audience and has helped boost several regional dramatists over the last seven years. Glimmer Globe leadership will judge submissions individually and anonymously, selecting those of exceptional quality for the live performance in the late winter. All submission guidelines may be found at fenimoreartmuseum.org/submissions.

Ag. Dept. Announces Grant

ALBANY—New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that $8.5 million is available to assist food producers, processors and distributors in bringing New York-grown products to market. Proposals are due by Friday, February 28, 2025. Informational webinars will be held on Tuesday, December 10 (farmers and producers), Wednesday, December 11 (processors) and Monday, December 16 (distributors and strategic retail partners). Information on webinars, eligibility and program details may be found at nyfvi.org.

CCE To Host Flower Webinar

VOORHEESVILLE—Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Capital Area Agriculture and Horticulture Program will hold a webinar series on winter cut flowers on Tuesdays from January 7 through February 4. Horticulture experts from across the state will speak on the latest techniques and varieties for flower cultivation. Session 4, on January 28, will begin at 9 a.m., while all other sessions start at 1 p.m. The series costs $20.00 per session or $60.00 for all five. For more information, or to sign up, visit https://pub.cce.cornell.edu/event_registration/main/events_landing.cfm?event=2025CutFlowerWebinarSeries_201

Farm Has New Leadership

WEST EDMESTON—Unadilla Community Farm announced an exciting new direction as it celebrates its fifth year as a 501c3 nonprofit and its eleventh growing season with its multi-story “Food Forest.” Stolen Lands Community Land Trust, with assistance from The National Black Food and Justice Alliance, purchased the 11-acre property as its new flagship location. This will preserve the farm’s non-profit operations and educational programming, and permanently remove the Food Forest from the speculative real estate market. The farm also welcomed new leadership from several first-generation farmers in the Stolen Lands network to its management staff and Board of Directors.

“The incoming board and program leadership at Unadilla Community Farm consists of first-generation farmers from the tri-state region, united through the Stolen Lands cooperative and connected to organizations like the Workers Revolutionary Collective and the Northeast Farmers of Color,” a release announced. “With experience in animal husbandry, crop management, education, non-profit administration, and community organizing, these farmers have established impactful initiatives, including nonprofits, mutual aid networks, urban food distributions, and animal sanctuaries. Committed to fostering cross-cultural learning and mutual abundance, the new team aims to enhance Unadilla Community Farm’s impact on working-class communities through inclusive practices and sustainable agriculture.”

Unadilla Community Farm showcases and teaches climate-resilient agriculture while increasing food access and access to herbal care for low-income, low-access communities. Transformed from an abandoned corn field, the food forest currently provides more than 160 varieties of perennial, cold-hardy crops, including over 350 fruit and nut trees, more than 480 berry-producing shrubs, one-third of an acre of culinary and medicinal herbs, and over 4,600 square feet of bed space for annual vegetables. With support from generous recurring donors, foundations, and grants, 100 percent of the farm’s produce is donated to food pantries, mutual aid groups, and herbal clinics through its Food Access and Herbal Aid Programs, which amounted to over $120,000.00 worth of produce donated this season. For more information, visit unadillacommunityfarm.org.

Roxbury Arts Group Turns 45

ROXBURY—The Roxbury Arts Group is celebrating its 45th anniversary as one of the Catskill region’s leading community cultural organizations. Founded in 1979 under the leadership of Nancy Harding, the group now serves 14 schools across four counties, assists dozens of regional artists and offers a broad range of programming each year. For more information or to make a donation, visit https://roxburyartsgroup.org/.

Lung Assoc. Releases Study

NEW YORK—The American Lung Association released its seventh annual State of Lung Cancer report on Tuesday, November 19 in conjunction with Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Although it remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in New York and nationwide, the 2024 report reveals some positive news. The survival rate has increased by 26 percent over the last five years, and New York State ranked in the top five states for early diagnosis, surgery, and survival. However, it ranked 11th out of 51 in lung cancer screening at 19.3 percent, and 20th out of 47 on the proportion of cases that receive no treatment. Black New Yorkers were considerably less likely to be diagnosed early. New York State requires insurance coverage of comprehensive biomarker testing, removing an important cost barrier for the most modern and effective treatments. To view the full report, visit lung.org/solc.

CAA Open Late for CFM Stroll

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association will be open for extended holiday hours, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., in conjunction with Otsego 2000’s Farmers’ Market Holiday Stroll on Tuesday, December 17. In addition to the wide variety of work by member artists featuring in the Holiday Show and Sale, there will be Prosecco and chocolate to fuel an evening of shopping. All attendees during the Holiday Stroll can enter a door prize raffle to win a 2025 CAA Family Membership. The Holiday Show and Sale will be open through Saturday, December 21.

Art Garage Events Planned

MIDDLEFIELD—The Art Garage gallery, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, will display its holiday season exhibition through Saturday, January 25. “Multiples” features work by five local artists in a wide variety of artistic media. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Saturday and by appointment throughout the week; call (607) 547-5327 or (315) 941-9607 to schedule a viewing. There will be an artist showcase and talk day by ceramics artist Marcie Schwartzman on Saturday, December 14. Light seasonal refreshments will be served.

EMS Food Drive Is Saturday

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown EMS will hold its seventh annual holiday food drive at Price Chopper, 113 Chestnut Street, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. All monetary and in-kind donations will directly support the local food pantry. Canned goods, peanut butter, jelly, pastas and sauces, and personal hygiene items are in particularly high demand. The Scriven Foundation will match all monetary donations up to $10,000.00, with an additional anonymous donor pledged to add another $5,000.00.

Light Show Starts This Week

MORRIS—Otsego County Fair will host a drive-through “Holiday of Lights” show at the fairgrounds, 48 Lake Street in Morris, from 6-8 p.m. on December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 22 and 23. Santa and the Grinch will attend, and children will receive presents. There will also be a gourmet hot chocolate bar and wagon rides starting at 7 p.m. on Saturdays. Admission is $10.00 per car. For more information, visit the Otsego County Fair Facebook page.

Development Grant Unveiled

UTICA—The Workforce Development Board of Herkimer, Madison and Oneida Counties announced a new grant program to develop a stronger childcare sector workforce in the Greater Mohawk Valley region. It is an 18-month research and planning project to build a successful balance of pay, benefits, skill attainment and regulations. Data and feedback will be collected from childcare workers, users and marginalized communities in Oneida, Herkimer, Madison, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Fulton and Montgomery counties. For more information, contact (315) 207-6951 ext. 103 or mkmoylan@working-solutions.org.

Milk Council Meet Slated

SYRACUSE—The New York Department of Agriculture and Markets’ Milk Marketing Advisory Council will conduct a meeting at the New York State Fairgrounds, 581 State Fair Boulevard in Syracuse, at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, December 6. A virtual attendance option will be made available before the meeting. The agenda, meeting information and recording may be viewed at https://agriculture.ny.gov/milk-marketing-advisory-council.