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OTSEGO.life PAGE B-1
THURSDAY-FRIDAY, SEPT. 26-27, 2013
WHY?
HAPPENIN’ OTSEGO
BEST BETS
In Search For Answer, Bubble-Gum Collection Grew To 900 Items By LIBBY CUDMORE ONEONTA
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or Grace Smith, gum isn’t just a way to blow a bubble or freshen breath – it’s a deeper question: “Why?� “What person, what company got a pitch to make parkingticket bubble gum?� she asked. “And then a bunch of guys in suits said yes!� She has those bubble-gum parking tickets – as well as bubble-gum checks, badges, records and cassette tapes, gum in toilet-shaped containers and green gum you had to pick out of a plastic nostril. In all, the collection contains more than 900 items. They used to be displayed the Walnut Street Bed & Breakfast, when Grace and her husband Duncan ran it. She bought her first piece in 1974 in Nashville, Tenn., while out on a walk with her brother. “We stopped in a 7-Eleven and there was a pack of gum that looked exactly like miniature tacos,� she said. “They had tiny shredded lettuce, meat and cheese. And I just thought, ‘Who made this? Who decided this?’ And I bought it for 49 cents.� She started looking for gum and found it everywhere. “It was heyday of gum, up through the ’80s,� she said. “There were tons of different kinds and shapes – animals, food, sports, ones that were disgusting flavors. “I have the entire history of music and technology. I have gum that comes packaged in computers, beepers, cell phones.� She even has some not meant for humans. “Duncan found a bubble-gum flavored Please See GUM, B3
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Ian Austin/
It’s hard to leave hungry at Cooperstown’s second annual Harvest Festival, with 300 feet of food. This was last year’s.
All Invited To Share Coop’s Harvest Table
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ull up a seat at a 300 ft long table and share a meal with neighbors and friends at the 2nd Annual Harvest Supper. Bring table settings and a dish to pass. 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29 on Main St., from Fair to River Streets, Cooperstown. Info, kristenmgriger@gmail.com. Before you dine, say grace at the Christ Episcopal Church’s Ecumenical Harvest Service. 3 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church, 46 River St., Cooperstown. Info, Linda Van Cleef, (607) 547-9555. FILM FEST: The Jackie Robinson biopic “42� kicks off the Baseball Film Festival, featuring 11 films on game fandom, broadcasters and more. Tickets free with reservations and museum admission. 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 28-29. Baseball Hall of Fame, 25 Main St., Cooperstown. Info, schedule, www.baseballhall.org. ART SHOW: Opening reception for the Otsego Land Trust’s “Water, Water Everywhere� photography contest. Also opening, an exhibit of work by local second graders. 5-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27. Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-2366.
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Ian Austin/
She doesn’t usually chew gum these days, but bubble-gum collector Grace Smith agreed to blow a Bubble Yum bubble for this shoot.
Homeowners, Experts Prepare For Invasion Of The Tree-Eaters By LIBBY CUDMORE
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hey might not be as big as Godzilla, but the Emerald Ash Borer and the Asian Longhorn Beetle can still cause plenty of damage. “The insects Be afraid. Be VERY afraid. The emerald ash borer, left, are on a march,� said David Cox, Cooperative Extension ag- and Asian longhorn invasions are due. the tree’s circulatory system,� ricultural program leader. “And its larvae in the tender vascular system of ash trees, has already said Don Smyers, executive diit’s going to be a problem.� been sighted in Unadilla. “As rector, Otsego Schoharie branch The Emerald Ash Borer, the infestation grows, it cuts into of Cornell Cooperative Extenwhich quickly makes a nest for
sion. “It’s like a tourniquet, cutting off the flow of water and nutrients in both directions.� “When ash trees die, they die quickly,� said Janet Aldrich, Cooperative Extension senior extension educator in Hamden, Delaware County. “They can collapse quickly, and it’s a public liability.� An indication of the local worry came Wednesday, Sept. 25, when 25 city officials, arborPlease See INVASIVES, B4
SEASON OPENS: Koresh Dance Company opens Oneonta Concert Association’s 86th season with two shows. $25 adults, $6 students. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27 and 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28. SUNY Oneonta, Fine Arts Building, Info, (607) 433-7252. CELEBRATE OCTOBER: 1st Annual Oneonta Oktoberfest features comedians, live band, games, beer, food and much more. $10, must be over 21. 12-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept 28, Damashke Field, Neahwa Park, Oneonta. FINAL DAY: Last chance to see “The Hudson River School: Nature and the American Vision,� exhibit in its last day in Cooperstown. 10 a.m.5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 29. Fenimore Art Museum. 5798 State Route 80, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-1400, www.fenimoreartmuseum.org.
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