News Briefs: February 8, 2024

Immigration Law Topic of Talk

COOPERSTOWN—The Race, Equity, and Justice series will continue on Sunday, February 25 at 6 p.m. with a session titled “Immigration Law 101,” led by Reina Fostyk and Tasha Gottschalk-Fielding of Cornell Law School’s Farmworker Legal Assistance Clinic. This session, held in the ballroom at 22 Main Street in Cooperstown, will help make sense of the current legal structure and is timely as Congress, President Biden and others weigh in on potential changes.

Series speakers work throughout the Mohawk Valley Region as part of a unique partnership between the Cornell clinic, the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown and the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown. This is a chance to hear about the immigration assistance being offered locally, especially for minors who are in the U.S. without one or both parents. The public is invited to learn how national issues play out in our local communities—this series is free and open to the public.

Vets Club To Host Fish Dinner

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Vets Club will host a fried beer-battered haddock fish dinner on Friday, February 9 from 5-7 p.m. at the club, 279 Chestnut Street. The dinner, which is open to the public, includes French fries, coleslaw, dessert and beverage with dine-in meal at a cost of $14.00 per dinner. Take-out is available. Call (607) 432-0494.

HWA Meeting Set for Feb. 21

BINGHAMTON—The New York Forest Owners Association and Cornell Cooperative Extension will present a talk on the hemlock wooly adelgid, an invasive, aphid-like insect that poses a significant threat to New York’s hemlock trees. Camille Caceci from the Finger Lakes Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management will guide volunteers through the location, identification and reporting of HWA infestation.

HWA is native to Asia and can stunt or kill North American hemlocks by drinking their sap. Hemlocks are critically important in the ecology of the northeastern U.S. Training a large number of volunteers to detect and track HWA will be a key step in protecting the native hemlock.

The presentation will be held at the CCE office, 840 Front Street in Binghamton, at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 21. Doors will open at 6:30. For more information, visit the Finger Lakes PRISM at https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/invasive-species/resources-regulations/prism.

Sunday Series Continues

COOPERSTOWN—On Sunday, February 11, Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown will present Dr. Howard Ashford, assistant professor of history at SUNY Oneonta, speaking on the topic “Victor, Not Victim: A Historical Reframing of African Americans and Black Power.” Dr. Ashford is the author of “Mississippi Zion: The Struggle for Liberation in Attala County, 1865-1915.” His topic flows from research for this book.

Dr. Ashford will discuss how understanding African Americans requires centering them within their respective narratives. “Mississippi Zion: The Struggle for Liberation in Attala County, 1865-1915” opens a historical discussion to analyze why it is necessary to understand African American power and its role in the creation of the Jim Crow society that dominates their narrative today. This FoVL “Sunday Speaker Series” presentation, in celebration of National Library Lovers’ Month and Black History Month, will run from 3-4 p.m. in the Village Hall third-floor ballroom at 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. This event is free and open to the public.

CCE Hosts Seed Starting Class

COOPERSTOWN—Readers who want to learn how to grow their plants from seed can learn from the experts as Master Gardener Volunteers Kim L’Heureux and Carol Phelps teach “Seed Starting for Beginners and Novices” at the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown, on Saturday, March 2 from 10 a.m. to noon.

Participants will learn what supplies are needed to get started and how to grow seedlings at home with less stress. Following the March 2 workshop, Master Gardeners have scheduled a series of “troubleshooting” office hours from March to May to help guide participants to success.
Space is limited. Those interested should register by Wednesday, February 28 at www.cceschoharie-otsego.org or by calling (607) 547-2536, extension 235. A $5.00 donation is suggested to cover materials.

Student Host Families Sought

NEW YORK STATE—World Heritage International Student Exchange Program, a non-profit public benefit organization, seeks local families to host exchange students in the upcoming school year. Students come from a wide variety of countries, are between 15 and 18 years of age, and are enthusiastic to experience American culture, life, and school. They also share their own culture and language with their host families, providing everyone with a rich experience of intercultural exchange. Host families may be single parents, couples or individuals.

Exchange students are provided with pocket money for small expenses, as well as full health, accident and liability insurance. They are carefully selected based on academic and personal criteria. World Heritage also offers qualified American students the opportunity to spend a school year, semester or summer abroad. For more information on applying as an exchange student or host family, contact Program Director Debra Garbon at 1 (800) 888-9040, www.world-heritage.org or info@world-heritage.org.

Orchard Is Site of Workshop

MIDDLEFIELD—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties will host a tree and small fruit pruning workshop at the Middlefield Orchard, 2274 State Route 166, from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday, March 9. Laura McDermott, team leader and small fruit/vegetable specialist with the CCE Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture team, will demonstrate proper techniques for pruning, which is critical for healthy and successful orchard trees and fruiting bushes. Gardeners and farmers will receive pruning instruction, information on climate-appropriate variety selection, and pointers on disease and pest control.

Space is limited and pre-registration is required. Registration will be accepted until Thursday, March 7 or until the class is fully enrolled. Visit https://cceschoharie-otsego.org/events/2024/03/09/tree-small-fruit-pruning-workshop or call (518) 234-4303, extension 119 or (607) 547-2536, extension 226. The class costs $10.00, payable by cash or check to “CCE Schoharie-Otsego,” which can be sent to or dropped at 173 South Grand Street, Suite 1, Cobleskill 12043 or 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown 13326.

Auditions Set for ‘Twisted’

HERKIMER—Herkimer College will hold auditions for Starkid’s production of “Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier” on Monday, February 19 and Tuesday, February 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sarkus-Busch Theater located in the Robert McLaughlin College Center, room 247. Faculty, staff, students and the greater community are welcome to audition. “Twisted: The Untold Story of the Royal Vizier” is described as a hilarious and unexpected journey through the classic fairy tale world, providing a unique perspective on the characters and promising laughs and surprises at every turn. The production will be held at Herkimer College from Thursday, April 11 through Sunday, April 13. For more information, and to download audition songs, visit www.herkimer.edu/twisted