News Briefs: May 23, 2024

Regatta Is This Weekend

OTSEGO COUNTY—The General Clinton Canoe Regatta, the world’s longest single-day flat-water canoe race and a wide variety of accompanying events, will take place from Friday to Sunday, May 24-26. Admission and parking at General Clinton Park in Bainbridge are free Friday night, when there will be a generation gap race and extensive local food, wine, and ale tastings. Saturday’s events run from 9 a.m. to at least 10 p.m. and feature sprint races, artisan and flea markets, chainsaw woodcarving, hot air balloon rides, and much more. The main race begins in Cooperstown at 6 a.m. on Sunday. There will be live music, food vendors and artisan sales throughout the weekend. For a full schedule, visit https://www.canoeregatta.org/events.php. Regatta officials recommend a number of race viewing areas, including along the Susquehanna in the Village of Cooperstown, the Crumhorn Boat Launch and near the Southside Dam in Oneonta. Visit https://www.canoeregatta.org/SpectatorGuide.php for a complete list.

Agriculture Funds Available

NEW YORK STATE—Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education announced that $5.9 million in total funding is available for three grant programs. Awards of up to $250,000.00 are available through the Professional Development Grant, Research and Education program, and Research for Novel Approaches program. Preproposals are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6. There will be Q&A sessions in June and July to help applicants determine which grant program is right for their proposed projects. For more information or to register, visit https://northeast.sare.org/grants/get-a-grant/.

Museum Plant Sale Returns

COOPERSTOWN—The Farmers’ Museum will host its annual Heritage Plant Sale directly outside the museum’s main entrance from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, May 25 and 26. Gardeners can jump-start their season with heirloom variety seedlings grown with organic soil and fertilizer. Many of the varieties on sale were propagated from well-established rootstock by Patrick MacGregor, museum manager of interpretation.

Democrats Host Candidates

MIDDLEFIELD—The Town of Middlefield Democrats hosted a meet and greet with three candidates at Templeton Hall in Cooperstown on Wednesday, May 15. Congressional candidate Josh Riley, State Assembly candidate Janet Tweed and State Senate Candidate Michele Frazier addressed an audience of roughly 50 people and answered questions about local issues. Otsego County Democratic Committee Chair Caitlin Ogden and Jon Lipe from the state party also spoke.

Master Gardener To Speak

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—Carla Hegeman Crim, resource educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension in Delaware County and head of the Master Gardener volunteer program, will address the Garden Club of Richfield Springs at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20. She holds a PhD in plant physiology from Virginia Tech, completed four years of postdoctoral research at Cornell and has been gardening for more than two decades. Crim will discuss Birdsong Farm Community Garden. The talk is free and open to the public and will be held in the Memorial Room of the Richfield Library.

HHRMC Announces Raffle

ONEONTA—Hudson Highlands Retread Motorcycle Club will host its annual basket raffle to support nonprofit organizations at Southside Mall from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 15. It will feature a wide variety of prizes and will benefit Helios Care. Participants do not need to be present to win.

Early Voting Info Released

OTSEGO COUNTY—Early voting for the June Democratic and Republican primaries will be held at the Otsego Town Building, 811 County Highway 26 in Fly Creek, from Saturday, June 15 through Sunday, June 23. The polls will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. all other days. Democrats in the towns of Cherry Valley, Decatur, Maryland, Middlefield, Otsego, Roseboom, Springfield, Westford and Worcester have a primary for the 102nd State Assembly district. Republicans in the Town of Richfield have a primary for an unexpired council member seat.

‘Dine Out for a Cause’ Grows

ONEONTA—“Dine Out for a Cause,” a community fundraiser to support Helios Care, will expand with the addition of two new participating businesses in June. This popular program allows local restaurants to set aside a fundraising day and donate a portion of that day’s proceeds to Helios. The Gatehouse Coffee Shop in Morris will participate on Thursday, June 6, followed by Sal’s New Classic Pizzeria in Oneonta on Tuesday, June 18. For more information, or a complete list of participating restaurants, visit https://www.helioscare.org/events/.

Inclusive Businesses Lauded

ONEONTA—Five local businesses were recognized for their dedication to diversity and inclusion at Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta’s second annual Oneonta Inclusive Business Award Ceremony on Tuesday, May 7. Nominations were solicited from the campus communities of both schools. This year’s winners included Bearded Dragon Games, Brave Maidens, Champs Barbershop, M.E.B. Records and United Food Market.

‘Talking Opera’ Continues

OTSEGO COUNTY—The Guild of the Glimmerglass Festival will continue its “Talking Opera” programs, featuring presentations by Glimmerglass artists and production workers, throughout the summer. General and Artistic Director Rob Ainsley’s overview of the five 2024 mainstage productions was recorded in February and is still available for viewing at https://www.glimmerglassguild.org/.

Music Director Joseph Colaneri will present a program on “The Pirates of Penzance” at Fenimore Art Museum on Friday, June 7, followed by a discussion of “Pagliacci” on Friday, June 28. Three additional “Talking Opera” programs will be held at the First Baptist Church, 21 Elm Street in Cooperstown. Director Mo Zhou and Choreographer Eric Sean Fogel will discuss “La Calisto” on Thursday, June 13, followed by a program on “Elizabeth Cree” by Conductor Kelly Kuo and Director Alison Moritz on Thursday, June 20.

Director Joshua Horowitz and Costume Designer Erik Teage will speak about their world premiere of the youth opera “Rumpelstiltskin and the Unlovable Children” on Tuesday, July 30. All Talking Opera programs will be recorded and posted on the Guild website. Refreshments will be served.

Camp Registration Opens

ONEONTA—Hartwick College will once again offer a summer environmental education day camp for 6- to 10-year-olds at the Pine Lake Environmental Campus. The four-day camp will focus on nature-based educational and art activities. It will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, July 29 to Thursday, August 1, and costs $65.00 per day or $250.00 for the week. For more information or to register, visit http://hartwick.meritpages.com/news/hartwick-college-announces-summer-camp/

Orpheus Stages ‘Anastasia’

ONEONTA—Orpheus Theatre’s Starstruck Players youth troupe will present “Anastasia: the Musical Youth Edition” with a cast and crew of local youth talent in June. Performances will take place at the mainstage of Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 7 and 8 and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 9. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.orpheustheatre.org/.