Time Out Briefs: May 25, 2023

Unadilla To Hold Memorial Event

UNADILLA—The Unadilla Memorial Day/Decoration Day ceremony will be led by Deacon Joseph DeGeorgio at Unadilla Village Hall at 10:30 a.m. on May 29. It will begin with a wreath-laying ceremony at the Veterans Monument on Main Street, followed by a parade to Saint Matthew’s Church Cemetery. Later in the day, there will be additional services at Evergreen Hill Cemetery. A wreath for those who died at sea will be dropped from the I-88 bridge. All veterans are invited to march in the parade. No uniforms are required.

Dance School Announces Classes

WEST BURLINGTON—The Otsego School of Dance and Performing Arts announced its summer program of week-long instructional day camps and group, solo, duo and trio classes. For more information or to register, visit https://otsegodance.com/. The dance school is located at 5364 State Highway 51 in West Burlington.

‘Star Power Painting’ Blasts Off

COOPERSTOWN—The first show of the Art Garage summer season, “Star Power Painting,” features Deborah Geurtze, Tracy Helgeson and Lilian Voorhees, three accomplished artists familiar to Art Garage aficionados. An opening reception on Friday, May 26 from 5-7 p.m. will be followed by gallery hours on Saturday, May 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided at the reception and all are welcome. Guests are asked to park on the gallery lawns, not on the town road. Admission is free.

Geurtze, who divides her time between the Adirondacks, the Capital Region, and Boston’s North Shore, will feature richly-textured large landscapes layered with loose and luscious brushstrokes. Helgeson, originally from Minnesota but now settled on a farm near Springfield, offers iconic rural tableaux with a kind of soft-focus magic realism, her brushwork all but invisible. Lilian Voorhees, whose work is perhaps least known by the general public, will present a new body of work comprising richly abstract compositions devoid of the natural world influences that are subtly discernible in her previous work.

The exhibition will be on view for six weeks, through July 15. Free public programs offered in conjunction with the show include Thursday artists’ talks on June 8 and June 15 with Voorhees and Geurtze, respectively, and an artists’ panel discussion on Wednesday, July 6, all beginning at 5 p.m. The programs are free, though reservations are recommended to assure a seat in the limited space by calling (607) 547-5327.

Żółtowski Promoted by FCO

COOPERSTOWN—The Governing Board of Fenimore Chamber Orchestra has promoted Music Director Maciej Żółtowski to the position of artistic director, effective immediately.

“We are immensely privileged to have a conductor of Maestro Żółtowski’s talent and achievement affiliated with Fenimore Chamber Orchestra,” said Thomas Wolf, chair of the Governing Board. “We look forward to a long and fruitful association, as we plan our second season and beyond.”

Żółtowski studied violin, composition and conducting at the prestigious Frédéric Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. He has received numerous international awards and is well-known worldwide as a conductor, composer, and orchestra builder. He is also the co-founder and co-director of the Conductor’s Academy and the Audite International Conducting Competition, whose projects have included more than 20 masterclasses with professional orchestras for students coming from every part of the world. These have been arranged with partners in the U.K., Russia, Poland, Hungary, Estonia and Brazil.

Fenimore Chamber Orchestra was founded last summer and has presented four well-received concerts in Cooperstown. Their debut season concludes with a concert titled “Souvenir de Florence” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 17 at Christ Church, 46 River Street, Cooperstown. For more information, visit fenimoreco.org.

Guild Barn Sale Set for June 3-4

MILFORD—The Guild of Glimmerglass Festival, a volunteer organization that promotes and supports the opera house, will hold a barn sale fundraiser at 3975 State Highway 28, Milford, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 3 and 4. The guild will accept donations of like-new furniture, furnishings, books and collectibles. Contact John Anagnost, (607) 232-6083, for drop-off information. All donations are tax-deductible.

GOHS Program To Highlight D&H

ONEONTA—The Greater Oneonta Historical Society will kick off this season’s History After Hours series on Thursday, June 8 from 5-7 p.m. with “History After Hours: All Aboard!” The program will offer a variety of activities for adults and children of all ages at the Oneonta History Center, 183 Main Street. The evening is centered around the new D&H Railroad special exhibition, including an opportunity to get hands-on with some featured D&H objects from the GOHS collection and a chance to taste some of the D&H train car fare from the early 1900s. Children will also have the opportunity to craft a miniature, light-up railroad crossing sign and train treat. All History After Hours events are free and open to the public. To learn more, visit www.oneontahistory.org.

Sailing Club Has Summer Classes

COOPERSTOWN—The Otsego Sailing Club will offer sailing lessons for children, adolescents and adults this summer. There will be five one-week sessions of Beginning Opti Sailing for children ages 5-10 starting the week of June 26. Opti boats are designed for this age group. There will also be land-based camp activities. The camp runs from 1-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Adolescent classes, on Single-Handed Opti boats (ages 11-14) and Laser Sailing boats (ages 13-18) run for two weeks, beginning June 26. Daily lessons will run from 9-11:30 a.m. Adult lessons, using Flying Scot sailboats, begin May 29 and continue until July 14. These sessions will run from 6-8 p.m. For more information or to register, visit www.otsegosailingclub.com.

Cooperstown District Election Results Announced

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School District announced the results of its May 16 elections. Christopher Franck and Lynne Mebust were elected to the Board of Education with 232 and 248 votes, respectively. Write-in candidates received eight votes. The board’s 2023-2024 budget, totaling $22,603,443.00, passed 235-42. Although most program, administrative and capital expenditures increased year-over-year, the new budget decreased employee benefit expenditures by about $350,000,00. Voters also approved a proposal to lease two 63-seat passenger buses and a 30-passenger wheelchair-equipped bus for five years.

Proposals for two capital reserve funds also passed. The “2023 Transportation Reserve Fund” will receive unallocated funds and state transportation aid with the intention of gathering $5,000,000.00 over 10 years to finance vehicle acquisition, including the purchase of electric school buses. The 2023 Capital Reserve Fund will finance general improvements, construction and renovation of district buildings, facilities, and grounds. This fund will draw on the District General Fund, unallocated state aid, other reserves and other legally available district funds. Finally, voters approved an annual appropriation of $163,947.00 to the Village Library of Cooperstown and $84,470.00 to the Kinney Memorial Public Library. Cooperstown Board of Education elections are held annually on the third Tuesday in May.