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THURSDAY-FRIDAY, JANUARY 10-11, 2013 Dave Morell, ONC BOCES preengineering teacher, shows off the display case his class prototyped for Cooperstown Bat Co.
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Here Come Many Brides, To Foothills
e-Engineers Turn Ideas Into Real Things At Occupational Center Oneonta, careers & tech education teacher, held up the result. It’s a clear plastic tube MILFORD that contains the bat, and at im Haney, each end are nifty, ivoryCooperstown Bat Co. colored plastic caps, each proprietor, had long bearing a sharply inscribed contemplated how to best Cooperstown Bat logo. display the souvenir bats Hang it on a wooden wall his customers revere. rack, and wow! It has He had a number of impact. Haney spoke to the class over the fall. “You guys can help me with this,” he reportedly told students. The preengineers took his plans, then fleshed out the design on their classroom computers using the computer language Python. The push of a button sent the plans to a $25,000 Ethan Drugatz shows off UPrint SE Plus, a 3D the prototype of his glass- printer that produced free sunglasses. a plastic prototype in short order. ideas. The challenge was 3D is, of course, height, how to turn the best conwidth and depth. You can cept into reality. hold the resulting object, Then he heard about wiggle it, drop it, see if it a novel pre-engineering fits where it’s supposed to. program Otsego Northern If it falls short, students Catskills BOCES launched go back to their computer this school year with the screens, adjust the plan, help of a $300,000 grant and send the adjusted obfrom Cooperstown’s ject to the UPrint. Scriven Foundation. In no time, Tim Haney’s The other day in a idea, the result of years of bright, computer-popuruminating, was reality, lated room at the Northready for production. ern Otsego Occupational “It opened my eyes Center here, David Morell, Please See STEM, B4
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he 5th Annual Foothills Bridal Fair kicks off the Springs bridal season with vendors, music, tastings and fashion show. Noon-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13. Foothills Performing Arts Center, 24 Market St., Oneonta. Info, (607) 431-2080.
By JIM KEVLIN
BEAT THE FEVER: “Chicken Run.” Rated G. Part of the Cabin Fever Film Series. Free. 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11. Fenimore Art Museum auditorium, 5798 Route 80, Cooperstown. Info, (888) 547-1450, ext. 453. SEE EAGLES: Visit rivers and reservoirs in Delaware County where eagles concentrate to feed. 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Gather at Dietz Street parking lot, Oneonta. Info, Andy Mason, (607) 652-2162, andymason@earthlink.net. PROMENADE LEFT: The Doubleday Dancers evening of square dancing. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 11. Cooperstown Elementary School, 21 Walnut St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 264-8128.
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Pre-engineering students Ben Gebl, left, and Ethan Drugatz, both of the Cherry Valley-Springfield School District, watch an NAO Robotics model go through its moves. This semester, the Otsego Area Occupational Center class will experiment with programs that make robotics possible.
Robotics Team Studies New Task: Pyramid Climbing BY LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
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Brittany Young, Oneonta, models one of Rainbow’s Ends’ bridal gowns during the 2012 Bridal Fair at Foothills Performing Arts Center.
ew year, new robots, new challenge. Ten new members and 10 Otsego County 4-H FIRST Robotics Team veterans gathered at the Masonic Temple Saturday, Jan. 5, and – via simulcast – joined teams
from around the world for the unveiling of this year’s challenge. In April 2012, the local team competed at the FIRST National Robotics Competition in St. Louis, Mo., with its basket-shooting robot, Robokronos. This year’s challenge, Ultimate Ascent, challenges teams to build a Frisbee-throwing, pyramid-climbing robot. “The Frisbees are either red, white or blue,” said team founder Paul Agogolia. “The red or blue
is based on your alliance – two alliances, three teams each – but any team can go for the white Frisbees.” The red or blue Frisbees must be thrown at targets of various point values on top of the pyramid, while the white discs have to be thrown to a goal at the end of the playing field. At the end of two minute, 15 second match, the robots will then have to climb the pyramid, getting more points the Please See ROBOTICS/B2
HIT THE HILLS: Snow tubing. $5 per person per day; no park admission fee. Under 13 with adult. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, Sunday, Jan. 13 Glimmerglass State Park, 1527 East Lake Road, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-8662, www.friendsofglimmerglass.com. CONCERT SERIES: The Cooperstown Concert Series presents Annie & The Hedonists. Tickets: Adults $20, Seniors & College $15, Students $8, 12 and under free. 7:30 p.m. The Otesaga, Lake St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-1812, info@cooperstownconcertseries.org. LECTURE: Dr. Patrick Dietz discusses the difficulty of providing mental care in extreme environments. 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 13. Village Library, 22 Main St., Cooperstown.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL • HOMETOWN ONEONTA • www.allotsego.com • @allotsegonews EVERY HOUSEHOLD, EVERY WEEK IN ONEONTA, WEST ONEONTA AND COOPERSTOWN
The SNOW is finally FALLING!
WINTER SNOW TUBING!! NOW OPEN SAT. & SUN. 11-4 Glimmerglass State Park $5 per person/day Free parking Warming room Tubes provided
Cross country skiing Snow shoeing Hiking & ice fishing Weather permitting • go to friendsofglimmerglass.com for more info