News Briefs: September 26, 2024

Rummage Sale To Return

COOPERSTOWN—The First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown will hold its 137th annual rummage sale from Thursday, September 26 to Saturday, September 28. It is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 9-11 a.m. on Saturday. Several other churches and community groups contributed to the sale. All sales are by donation and will support the church.

CCESO Annual Meeting Slated

ONEONTA—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties will hold its annual meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16 at the Craven Lounge in SUNY Oneonta’s Morris Conference Center. There will be a brief business meeting and hors d’oeuvres, as well as opportunities to meet staff members and win door prizes. A live Zoom broadcast of the meeting will be available. To RSVP for the free event or receive the virtual meeting link, e-mail neh57@cornell.edu or call (607) 234-4304, ext. 111.

Genre Painting To Be Featured

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Art Museum will open a new exhibition, “The Art of the Everyday: American Genre Painting,” for the fall season on Saturday, September 28. It highlights more than 30 works from the museum’s extensive collection, offering depictions of everyday life by a variety of artists. Painters such as William Sydney Mount, E. L. Henry, Eastman Johnson and Thomas Waterman Wood used genre painting to address complex issues of American society in the early 19th century. “The Art of the Everyday” is on display through Sunday, December 29.

Faculty Named News Champs

ONEONTA—The University of Vermont’s Center for Community News recently announced its third annual Faculty Champions awards to honor the best journalism professors across the country. Among the 52 awardees are 14 faculty members from SUNY schools involved with SUNY’s Institute for Local News.

According to a release, news-academic partnerships can play a key role in preserving local journalism and news environments. University-led student reporting programs provided more than 10,000 local news stories to struggling media enterprises across the country last year. SUNY ILN works with individual campuses and media organizations to develop new programs, make strategic investments in news deserts, and coordinate system-wide learning opportunities.

Local Faculty Champions include Andrew Bottomley and Gayane Torosyan at SUNY Oneonta and Peter Brusoe at SUNY Delhi. For more information, visit https://legacy.drup2.uvm.edu/ccn/faculty-champions-and-fellows.

CAA Fall Exhibits To Open

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association will host an opening reception for its fall exhibitions from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, October 4. “Within a Mile: Contemporary Art in Historic South Worcester” exhibits a diverse group of artists in multiple media from the scenic Delaware County hamlet. “Otsego and Beyond: Photographs by Mark Zeek” will display more than five decades of work by the celebrated local photographer. The exhibits are on view through Friday, November 1, during normal gallery hours, Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. CAA will also hold its biennial “Luck of the Draw” fundraiser from October 4 through 19.

Angel Network To Hold Mixer

COOPERSTOWN—Angel Network of Cooperstown will hold a “Mix, Mingle and Make a Difference” event to share information about their community service projects from 6-8 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1. The free event will be held in The Otesaga Resort Hotel Ballroom. There will be complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, a silent auction and door prizes. For more information, visit https://angelnetworkofcooperstown.org/.

Annual Art Auction Party Set

DELHI—The West Kortright Center will hold the closing party for its annual art auction at River Rock Events, 739 County Road 18 in Delhi, from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, October 12. There will be music, light snacks, and drinks, with all proceeds going to benefit WKC and its mission to support local artists. All works on sale were donated by regional established or emerging artists. Bidding is not required but is highly encouraged. An inventory sneak peek and early bidding will be available at www.westkc.org on Tuesday, October 1.

Woodsmen To Be Highlighted

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum will host an Exploration Day to focus on wood, trees, forests and conservation from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 5. Museum staff will demonstrate traditional sawmill, carpentry and cooper techniques. SUNY Cobleskill’s Woodsmen Team will show off their lumberjack skills throughout the day. Otsego County Conservation Association and other local sustainability organizations will have information on invasive species management, outdoor safety, and hiking opportunities. Additionally, Lucas Novko will perform historic blacksmithing demonstrations. Vendors and food trucks will be on hand, and Max Rainwater will perform live music from noon to 3 p.m. For more information, visit hanfordmills.org.

PEO To Host Raffle, Sale

ONEONTA—Philanthropic Educational Organization’s Oneonta BH Chapter will hold a basket raffle and thrift sale to support women’s scholarships on Sunday, September 29. Doors will open at the Sixth Ward Athletic Club, 22 West Broadway, at 1 p.m., with the drawing held at 2:30. Local treasures and refreshments will be available for purchase. The barbershop quartet 4Ever Young will perform live music.

Film Days: Save the Date

COOPERSTOWN—Glimmerglass Film Days will return for its 12th season Thursday, November 7 through Monday, November 11. It will once again offer its signature combination of independent films, filmmaker talks, art, books, parties, guided walks and collaborative efforts with other local organizations. This year’s theme, “Boundaries,” will explore physical, human, spiritual, environmental, and geopolitical limits and boundaries of all kinds. A full schedule and tickets will be made available in early October.

Fall Craft Fair Is Saturday

OTSEGO—Pierstown Grange, 137 Wedderspoon Road, will hold its Fall Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 28. In addition to vendors and the ever-popular White Elephant Treasure Tables, there will be a bake sale and other refreshments. The Grange will also offer information on the National Grange’s Reaching Rural Surgical Seniors program. For more information, call (607) 435-4656.

Van Atta, Others To Address Dems

ONEONTA—Delaware County Democratic Committee Vice Chair Kim Van Atta will address the Oneonta Democratic Club’s monthly meeting at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 5. She will speak about new Get Out the Vote strategies and the New York State Coordinated Campaign’s work with local candidates and officials. Common Councilmember Elayne Mosher Campoli, State Senate candidate Michelle Frazier and Rory McClenahan from the state Democratic Committee will also present at the meeting. It will be held at Get Fresh on the Main cafe, 254 Main Street, and is open to the public. To RSVP, contact Garymaffei@gmail.com or the Oneonta Democratic Club Facebook page.

Hartwick Unveils New Initiatives

ONEONTA—Hartwick College relaunched itself as “The Life Balance College” for the fall 2024 semester. This transformative new initiative will emphasize academic success, physical and emotional wellness, career readiness, and financial health for all students. It includes personalized faculty and peer-to-peer support, J-term travel courses, and up to $10,000.00 in merit-based scholarships. Hartwick will also transition to a transparent tuition model of $22,000.00 for tuition and fees, and $16,000.00 for room and board starting in fall 2025. Students will also have access to $250.00 in Life Balance Credit, for engaging in wellness, community or career development activities, each semester. For more information, visit https://www.hartwick.edu/about-us/stories/hartwick-college-unveils-bold-new-positioning-the-life-balance-college-and-progressive-tuition-transparency/.

Henrici Performs Poe Classics

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Art Museum will present “Tell-Tale: Stories and Poems from the Macabre Mind of Edgar Allan Poe” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 5 and 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 6. The program, created and performed by local actor and director Michael Henrici, features full theatrical performances of Poe’s most chilling stories, including “The Tell-Tale Heart,” “The Cask of Amontillado,” “The Pit and the Pendulum,” “The Raven,” “Annabel Lee,” and more.
Tickets are available at FenimoreArt.org; contact m.tamburrino@fenimoreart.org for special group or school rates.

Kinney Requests Nominations

GOUVERNEUR—Kinney Drugs will honor American Pharmacist Month and Employee Stock Ownership Plan Month with a chain-wide Favorite Pharmacist and Employee Contest. Customers are strongly encouraged to vote for their favorite neighborhood pharmacist or other employee by visiting https://www.kinneydrugs.com/. Each voter will be entered in a drawing to win a $500.00 Kinney shopping spree, and the winning employee’s chosen charity will receive a $1,000.00 donation. Nominations and votes are due by late October. Kinney Drugs is 100 percent employee-owned.

CAA Announces Sewing Class

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association will offer a children’s beginner sewing class for ages 7-12 on six Fridays from October 4 to November 8. Instructor Betsy Foster will demonstrate essential sewing techniques, from basic hand-stitching to sewing machines. It runs from 3:15-5 p.m., and all materials are included. To register, contact gallery@cooperstownart.com or (607) 547-9777.

Ghost Tours Set To Return

COOPERSTOWN—The Farmers’ Museum’s ever-popular “Things That Go Bump in the Night” ghost tours will return on October 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26. There will be six one-hour tours each night, beginning every half-hour from 5:30-8 p.m. A talented guide and interpreter will lead each eerie lantern-lit tour of the museum grounds. There will be tales of supernatural mysteries in the 19th-century historic village and a dramatic performance of Edgar Allan Poe. Reservations are required at FarmersMuseum.org. Tours are recommended for ages 10 and up.

Fundraiser Underway

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek Volunteer Fire Company announced that local painter Susan Kenyon will be the artist for their third annual Holiday Card fundraiser. This popular event features one work donated by an area artist each year. Kenyon’s oil painting “Winter Moon” will be this year’s card. She is a self-taught impressionistic painter with more than 30 years of experience and a season-long Fenimore Art Museum exhibit under her belt. Pre-order forms are available on flycreekfire.com and on the Fire Company’s Facebook page. Pre-ordered cards and cards for purchase will be available for pickup at the firehouse on Saturday, October 5. The original oil painting will be sold in a silent auction on the same day. Cards will also be available for purchase at the Fly Creek General Store and Stagecoach Coffee. All proceeds benefit the FC Fire Company.

Workshop Announced

COOPERSTOWN—The Otsego County Board of Representatives will hold a 2025 budget workshop at noon on Wednesday, October 2 in the basement of the County Office Building, 197 Main Street in Cooperstown. The public is strongly encouraged to attend.