News Briefs: December 7, 2023

Kids’ Choir To Open Concert

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Children’s Choir will appear as a featured special guest opening act at the Cooperstown Concert Series presentation “Bach to the Future Holiday Rocks” concert at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, December 15. The choir, a newly-established group made up of local children aged 7-11, will perform a set of rock, pop and holiday songs. The headlining act, which is billed as “a whimsical twist on classical and holiday music favorites re-imagined as rock, jazz and world rhythms,” will play both traditional instruments and unique innovations such as a “Drumitar” and a six-string electric violin. Tickets are available at https://cooperstownconcertseries.org/. For more information on the Children’s Choir, contact Dana LaCroix at (607) 304-1359 or cooperstownchildrenschoir@gmail.com.

Fraley Wins Excellence Award

COOPERSTOWN—The late Gerry Fraley has been elected the 2024 winner of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Career Excellence Award. He will be honored with the prestigious recognition for “meritorious contributions to baseball writing” at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s induction weekend, July 19-22. Fraley covered the Phillies, Braves and Rangers for nearly 40 years and pioneered the use of daily notebooks in beat coverage. According to a release, he formed close relationships with players, coaches, scouts, executives, and umpires to become one of the most trusted voices in the industry. His writing style, the release continues, was “crisp, insightful and punchy, matching his feisty temperament.”