News Briefs: March 27, 2025

Coop Girls Fall in Semifinals

TROY—The Cooperstown Central School’s girls basketball season came to an end with a 59-37 loss to Section II champion Stillwater in the state Class C Final Four on Thursday, March 20. Eighth-grader Lanie Nelen scored 13 points, followed by senior Polly Kennedy with nine points and six rebounds. Senior Brenna Seamon had seven points and six rebounds. The Hawkeyes finished the season with a 21-5 record. Kennedy, Seamon, Mia Kaltenbach and Bella Reich will graduate this spring.

ADK Club Offers Scholarships

ONEONTA—The Susquehanna Chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club will provide full scholarships for two teenagers to participate in an Adirondack teen program of their choice this summer. All costs except transportation will be covered. Participants must reside in Otsego, Delaware or Chenango counties and must meet any additional requirements for the workshops. Visit https://adk.org/youth-teen-programs/ for a list of offerings and https://susqadk.org/adk-teen-workshop-scholarships/ to apply. Awards will be announced by the end of April.

Hartwick Athletes Make List

ONEONTA—Hartwick College placed 91 student-athletes on the Fall 2024 Empire 8 Conference President’s List, including seven members of the field hockey team: Caroline Aspuru, Makayla Bales of Sidney, Tessa Cox, Makenzie Kensel, Kayla Kinkel, Erica Leeson and Natalie O’Malley. To qualify, athletes must maintain a 3.75 GPA or better in full-time academic work and display positive conduct on and off campus.

Five Hawks on the women’s swimming and diving team made the President’s List, including Anna Bischoff of Oneonta, Savannah Evans, Kate Gucciardi, Emma Lupe and Allison Neelands.

The softball team had two honorees, Brianna Blake and Kylee Cucci, of West Edmeston.

Madilynne Smith of Morris and Lawrence McCumiskey of Delhi were among the six cross-country and track and field athletes on the list.

Franklin Stage Receives Grant

FRANKLIN—The Franklin Stage Company received a New York State Council on the Arts Support for Artists Grant for the commission of a new play, “The Civilities,” by Syracuse-based playwright Kyle Bass. Bass is the author of “Possessing Harriet” and “Toliver and Wakeman,” which FSC produced in 2019 and 2022, respectively. His new work is set at Cornell University in 1936, the 75th anniversary of the American Civil War. It follows Blessah Hart, a Black graduate student of history and anthropology, as she meets elderly white poet and Confederate veteran M. Silas Jackson, who has resided in Ithaca for nearly 60 years. “The Civilities” explores profound questions of race, heritage, civility, and the tensions between history and literature as means of conveying truth. Further details on FSC’s 2025 summer theater season will be available soon. Visit franklinstagecompany.org/ for more information on their admission-free community theater.

Gardeners To Host Workshop

ONEONTA—Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Otsego Master Gardener Volunteers will host writer, gardener and naturalist Gert Coleman for a journaling workshop from 1-2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. Coleman teaches nature writing workshops across the state and will demonstrate the practical and mental benefits of garden and nature journaling. The $10.00 workshop fee includes a journal, informational handouts and refreshments. It will be held at the Rowe House, 31 Maple Street, and has limited space available. Registration is required at cceschoharie-otsego.org by Thursday, April 3. For more information, call (607) 547-2536, extension 228.

Ramadan Is Focus of Event

COOPERSTOWN—Welcome Home Cooperstown will host its next monthly community meet and greet at the Village Hall from 5:30-7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1. All members of the community are invited to attend, welcome area newcomers, and share information and connections. In addition to general information on the Cooperstown area, the April event will focus on the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Running from February 28 to March 29 this year, Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a period of fasting, prayer, reflection and community. There will be a brief overview of the month and related cultural traditions by Dr. Amjad Qabbani, Izees Abdallah and Amin Abdallah, as well as live music by the 18 Strings folk trio and refreshments provided by Melissa Manikas State Farm.

Pelvic Health Class Slated

COOPERSTOWN—Bassett Healthcare Network will host a free class on pelvic health during perimenopause and postmenopause at the Clark Sports Center from 5-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6. Physical therapist Amy Taggart and occupational therapist Lauren McCarthy Whaley will provide an overview of pelvic floor and pelvic girdle anatomy, the effects of menopause, pelvic floor therapy, and symptom management strategies. Visit bassett.org/event/2025/05/06/free-course-managing-the-effects-of-menopause-on-your-pelvic-floor to register.

Historic District Topic of Talk

COOPERSTOWN—Friends of the Village Library will host Otsego 2000 Executive Director Ellen Pope and former Executive Director Martha Frey for their next Sunday Speaker program on March 30. The free talk will run from 3-4 p.m. in the third floor ballroom of the Village Hall, 22 Main Street. Pope and Frey will discuss the Glimmerglass Historic District, established 25 years ago, and the role it plays in economic development and environmental protection.

ArcoStrum Duo To Perform

COOPERSTOWN—Award-winning violin-guitar duo ArcoStrum will perform at the Fenimore Art Museum at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5 as part of the Cooperstown Concerts series. Tickets are available at www.cooperstownconcerts.org and may be available at the door.

The group includes Strauss Shi, three-time international First Prize-winning violinist, and TY Zhang, Grand Prize winner of the Guitar Foundation of America’s International Concert Artist Competition. Former classmates at Julliard, the pair share a passion for redefining their art form for the 21st century.

Hicko To Address Historians

COBLESKILL—The Town of Cobleskill Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Cornell Cooperative Extension Building, 173 South Grand Street, Suite 1, at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 7. The keynote speaker will be Maryrose Hicko, registrar at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. She will discuss her work overseeing new acquisitions and the museum’s 3D collections. The talk is free and open to the public. The Historical Society is also open to new members, with $10.00 annual dues.

Earth Week Cleanup Slated

ONEONTA—Keep Mohawk Valley Beautiful will host an Earth Week Kickoff event at 4 Dietz Street at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. City of Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek will deliver brief remarks before supplies are distributed for a city-wide litter cleanup. For more information, contact info@mvedd.org.

SUNY Delhi Wins Awards

DELHI—SUNY Delhi’s Student Life Division recently received four awards for creativity, innovation and appeal to a diverse student body from the National Association for Campus Activities, Mid-Atlantic Region. The Student Programming Board earned the Spirit Award and Outstanding Community Impact Award, and its president, Julia Romanowski, won the Student Leader Award. The SUNY Delhi Broncos Vote Committee was recognized with the Excellence in Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility Award.

Sessa To Perform at West Kortright Center

EAST MEREDITH—The West Kortright Center will present a concert by Brazilian musician Sessa at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 19. He is known for his minimalist style, legendary stage presence, and small backing group consisting of a women’s choir and Afro-Brazilian percussion. Tickets are $25.00 in advance, with a 10 percent discount for WKC members and 50 percent off for children 12 and under. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit westkc.org.