The Freeman's Journal 01-18-24

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Volume 216, No. 3

AllOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S DAILY NEWSPAPER/ONLINE

Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, January 18, 2024

Newsstand Price $1

CFOC Announces Otsego Refugee Resettlement Fund

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SPRINGFIELD egun in October 2021 by volunteers, the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition was founded to bring refugees to Oneonta. With representatives from area nonprofit organizations, businesses, and educational institutions, as well as local individuals and members of the faith community, the coalition successfully brought two refugees to Oneonta in the summer of 2023.

According to a press release, the coalition has now been asked by Welcome Corps, the entity that oversees refugee resettlement, to apply for five more people.

This requires more fundraising by the coalition, which applied for and received $4,850.00 in the Community Foundation of Otsego County’s fall award cycle.

When asked if it could help further, CFOC proposed opening a fund with ORRC that would help with additional fundraising through CFOC’s news releases, website stories, social media, and both e-mail and printed newsletters. The coalition then approved opening the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition Fund. Now, with this fund in place and accepting donations, the coalition is preparing to apply for more refugees.

“The Community Foundation has been thrilled to work with the ORRC and the results have been impressive,” said CFOC Executive Director Jeff Katz.

“With the creation of the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition Fund, we can work more effectively to raise funds to bring more people to Otsego County.”

A coalition representative wrote, “We thank the Community Foundation for the role it has played in helping us get started. We literally couldn’t have done it without them.”

Those who wish to donate directly to the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition Fund can do by going to https://cfotsego.org/our-funds/ and clicking on the “Donate to the Otsego Refugee Resettlement Coalition Fund” button.

More information on the ORRC can be found at https://refugeotsego.org/.

INSIDE ► leaders looking ahead Continued, page 2 ► Heartworks going to the dogs, page 3 ► MLK to be honored at breakfast, page 3 ► winter thoughts from dick derosa, page 4 ► HELIOS PARTNERING WITH BASSETT, page 5 ► COOP VOLLEYBALL TEAM DOMINATES, page 6 ► ONEONTA city, tOWN RELEASE wATERFRONT SURVEY, page 6 Follow Breaking News On

AllOTSEGO.com

Photo provided

In Fond Memory of Bruce Andrews COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Concert Series recently made donations to two area food banks in memory of Bruce Andrews, a long-time supporter of the organization. Officials donated the entire $2,600.00 raised from tickets sales to the “Caravan of Love Concert” held November 27 in memory of Andrews. The funds were divided equally between the Cooperstown Food Pantry and the Schuyler Lake Food Cupboard. Cooperstown Concert Series is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization currently celebrating its 54th season. The organization has a long history of serving the local area not only through its presentation of performing arts but also by giving back to the community through monetary donations and good-will donations alike. More information can be found at cooperstownconcertseries.org.

Above, Cooperstown Concert Series Board President Arthur Weinstock presents a check for $1,300.00 to Will Kleffner, executive director of the Cooperstown Food Pantry.

New Minister Joins Unitarian Univeralists

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ONEONTA he Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta has hired Reverend Stacey Mitchell as its new minister, filling a vacancy.

According to a press release, Rev. Mitchell is an ordained minister within the Unitarian Universalist denomination, receiving her Master of Divinity at Union Theological

Seminary in New York City.

She served as a chaplain resident at University Medical Center in New Orleans and also served a UU congregation in New Orleans, where

Photo by C. Edwin

REV. STACEY MITCHELL

she was ordained.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Rev. Mitchell’s career, before engaging in Unitarian Universalism ministry, has included working for the international peace organization The Fellowship of Reconciliation, serving as head of finance for a well-known Buddhist monastery Continued on page 9

Winter Carnival To Feature Blizzard Bash, Tesla Light Show

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COOPERSTOWN he Cooperstown Winter Carnival Committee released details about this year’s event in a press release on Tuesday, January 16. The 56th Cooperstown Winter Carnival kicks off on Thursday evening, February 1 and continues through Sunday, February 4.

Organized by members of the community under the umbrella of the Cooperstown Lions Club, the iconic New York tradition will feature indoor and outdoor events for all ages, most of which are free to the public.

This year’s theme—“It’s a Winterful Life,” submitted by Marcia Nye—celebrates the whimsical winter season and embraces the many elements that make Cooperstown special to residents and visitors alike.

This year’s carnival begins at The Otesaga Resort Hotel with an opening night featuring hot chocolate, fireworks and a commemorative address by Cooperstown

Illustration provided

This year’s Winter Carnival theme is “It’s A Winterful Life,” compliments of Marcia Nye.

Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh. Winter festivities continue throughout the weekend, with special events such as the Fenimore

Quilt Club Show, Family Movie Night, the Friends of the Village Library Book Sale, a village scavenger hunt, sledding in Lakefront Park, a visit from the Utica Zoo, a Snowpal Making Contest, free ice skating, restaurant specials, and retail events, plus appearances by Princess Cinderella and Princess Rapunzel and more.

The weekend wraps up with the first-ever Cooperstown Winter Carnival Blizzard Bash. This special free event and tailgating party brings the community together to celebrate the final day of the 2024 Winter Carnival, including face painting, prizewinning games, a pie-eating contest, a bouncy house, and a special visit from the baby goats of NY Goat Yoga. To keep things warm, there will be a bonfire and warming station with music provided by DJ Raphael and food available to purchase from Brewery Ommegang’s food truck.

Continued on page 7

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST PRINT CIRCULATION 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

A-2 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

Otsego County Leaders Already Looking Ahead: Part II OTSEGO COUNTY he new year is now underway, and Iron String Press continues to reach out to area officials—Otsego County’s movers and shakers—to find out what they are most looking forward to accomplishing in the months ahead. We’ll print their responses this month, as they are received, continuing with the following entities and those at their helm.

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Hartwick Institute of Public Service As one of the codirectors of the Hartwick Institute of Public Service, what I am most looking forward to accomplishing in the months ahead is to continue to strengthen democracy across our region by serving as a hub of collaboration and innovation between state and local government, civic engagement, and legal studies. We

SITE WORK ESTIMATOR Clark Companies, a specialized general contractor focused on the design and construction of outdoor athletic facilities, located in Delhi, NY has an immediate opening for a Site Work Estimator.

This position reports to the Director of Design/Construction, responsibilities/ duties include but not limited to the following areas:

Responsibilities include but not limited to: • Perform detailed quantity take-offs by analyzing plans and specifications.

• Utilize on-screen take-off software to accurately quantify required materials.

• Perform quality control review of take-off information provided by co-workers.

• Prepare project budget estimates utilizing minimal subcontractor assistance based on limited preliminary site information.

• Solicit and analyze quotations from subcontractors and material suppliers.

• Qualify and level supplier/ subcontractor proposals according to project details.

• Prepare accurate, detailed estimates of construction costs.

• Analyze construction estimates and identify value engineering and other cost savings opportunities.

• Effectively communicate with clients, designers and co-workers.

Required qualifications and skills:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Dedicated, well organized with attention to detail.

• Ability to plan accordingly, prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Proficient in MS Office applications.

• Experience with AutoCAD and/or Insite Earthwork Software preferred.

• Ability to work independently, with little or no direct supervision.

• Detail oriented with the ability to focus on quality and accuracy.

have a robust array of programming planned for 2024, including a panel featuring high school and college students focused on how to engage young people in our democracy, public service internships with the United Way, Otsego County Court, and the Oneonta Mayor’s Office, and monthly meetings with Hartwick students and Oneonta and Otsego County government officials. Additionally, because 2024 is a presidential election year, we will all continue our vigorous voter registration effort in preparation for the New York primaries in April and the election in November. In tandem with registering voters, we also have a variety of programs designed to inform young people about all of the down ballot races and measures. We hope that our efforts will help to educate the next generation of public servants and inspire legal professionals and government officials to meaningfully

engage in democracy in our region.

—Co-Director Zachary McKenney, Assistant Professor of Sociology Helios Care We at Helios Care are most excited about our collaboration agreement with Bassett Healthcare Network, to serve more patients sooner and to mirror their service area, reaching into Chenango and Herkimer counties.

This is an exciting and innovative endeavor to serve our communities, to provide care in the home, and to allow aging in place. By taking care of the patient, we will help address the disparities of care and identify patients’ social determinates of care which are pervasive in our region.

We are also engaged in a grant from the federal government with BHN and other communitybased organizations to develop a more tightly integrated service model to address how others can assist with aging in place

The

job scene To place effective employment ads, call 607-547-6103

Join Our Team of Dedicated and Caring Professionals Classroom (Toddler) Teacher FT Head Start Positions with school breaks and summers off: Assistant Teacher OFO is a family-oriented organization offering competitive wages, excellent benefits and opportunities for professional growth. For details on our current openings, our benefit package summary, and TO APPLY, visitwww.ofoinc.org/jobs The leader in developing innovative solutions to promote healthy lives, thriving families, and caring communities since 1966.

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—President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Ayres Otsego County Conservation Association Here at the Otsego County Conservation Association, we are excited to continue expanding our reach in the community over the next few months by providing more education and stewardship opportunities.

With the expansion of our community connections series, the creation of our new Earth and Me conversation series, and more community hikes, programs, and lectures, we are energized to reach more people; hopefully motivating our community to protect our local environment. We are also very excited about some of the big events we have coming up. Earth Festival is on April 20 at Milford Central School and, this year, we are excited to add a new countywide science fair for all K12 students. We will also host Drive Through Drop Off on April 27 at Brewery Ommegang. We are currently finalizing the list of hard-to-recycle items, so be sure to check out our website for more details. Speaking of the website, if you haven’t been in a while, stop by and check out the new design: www.occainfo. org. We look forward to seeing you all at one of our upcoming events.

—Executive Director Amy Wyant Otsego Lake Association For 2024, the mission of the Otsego Lake Association remains the same: to educate, advocate, and actively participate in protecting the health, beauty, and well-being of Otsego Lake by facilitating the implementation of the Otsego Lake Watershed Management Plan.

The last part of the mission statement is where OLA will spend

Experience/Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Engineering or equivalent preferred.

• Commercial construction knowledge/ experience, particularly related to site work.

• Application/knowledge of commonly used concepts, practices and procedures in site construction.

Salary range $90-115K, DOE. Great benefit package includes but not limited to; health, dental, vision, 401(k), Profit Sharing, Flexible Spending, and paid time off. To apply, submit application online at www.clarkcompanies.com, apply in person at 41155 St. Hwy 10, fax your resume to (607) 746-3107 or mail to Human Resources, P.O. Box 427, Delhi, NY 13753. Clark Companies is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

Authorization to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment. We do not sponsor employment visas.

$17/hour starting wage $1500* sign-on bonus *DETAILS UPON HIRE*

its energy in 2024— supporting work to develop and implement a comprehensive lake management plan.

With volunteers and funds, OLA will continue to support lake water testing, scientific research, and work with partners—including the Otsego Lake Watershed Committee and the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station.

Harmful algal blooms and other risks to our lake can be addressed, but it will take planning to gather the resources and people to manage these threats.

This task will be in addition to our ongoing work: supporting boat washes, helping the volunteer dive team, maintaining no-wake and monitoring buoys, promoting buffer strips, and providing lake information to our community.

—Co-President Jim Howarth Otsego Lake Watershed Supervisory Committee The Otsego Lake Watershed Supervisory Committee goal is to actively develop systems and programs to protect and sustain a healthy watershed area.

Our focus in 2024 is to both improve our efforts with septic assessments and to be a leader with our town and community colleagues in developing a comprehensive lake/watershed management plan.

The grant application for this effort was approved, with the Village of Cooperstown as the administrator. The development and implementation of a comprehensive lake/watershed plan is a collaborative effort between the village and the Towns of Otsego, Middlefield, and Springfield, as well as county and community groups who focus on the health of our watershed.

We look forward to a robust team effort with many organizations and local leaders taking part.

—Chairperson Bertine McKenna Otsego Land Trust Since 1988, the Otsego Land Trust has worked with local landowners to conserve more than 12,000 acres of forests, farms, fields, and wetlands in perpetuity. A healthy natural environment contributes directly to the quality of life in the Upper Susquehanna region and builds climate resiliency for the benefit of future generations.

We are privileged to own and manage the Brookwood Point Conservation Area, one of the few free public access points on Otsego Lake. The north side of the 22-acre preserve opened last year with the installation of two new pedestrian bridges. In 2024, we will be developing a new accessible trail on the north side, leading to an expanded canoe and kayak launch area on the lake in collaboration with Otsego Area Rowing and Canoe and Kayak Rental and Sales.

Delta Architects and Continued on page 8

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-3

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

SUNY Hosts Breakfast Keynote Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. ONEONTA n Monday, January 29, SUNY Oneonta will host a breakfast keynote and panel discussion titled “Reflections on the Legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” featuring Dr. Jelani Cobb, an American writer, author, educator, and dean of the Columbia Journalism School. The event is being held from 8-10 a.m. at the SUNY Oneonta Center for Racial Justice and Inclusive Excellence in Lee Hall and is free and open to the public with advanced online registration at https://forms.office. com/r/2uQQrCwY9a In the spirit of community, attendees are encouraged to bring donation items to contribute to the university’s Food Pantry. Additionally, the SUNY Oneonta Office of Equity and Inclusion will recognize the winners of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day essaywriting contest open to area elemen-

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Photo by Caspar Ewig

Christina Bourgeouis and Jacquie Brophy display their handiwork, which they will donate to the Susquehanna SPCA next month.

Heartworks: Where a Dog in Need Gets a Quilt, Indeed

By CASPAR EWIG FLY CREEK hen Margaret (Bunny) Wolff read that the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was assuming custody of pets taken from a recent seizure and that their shelter was full, she rightfully assumed that the animal shelter would be in sore need of blankets for the newcomers. As owner and operator of Heartworks Quilts and Fabrics in Fly Creek, she was in an excellent position to do something to fulfill that need.

“Over the years,” Bunny said, “Heartworks has amassed a core of dedicated quilters who I knew would love to volunteer for such a task.”

And so the store, as well as several of its quilting customers, donated the fabric and Bunny created some representative patterns before putting out a call for volunteers to quilt blankets of various sizes, to be donated to the SQSCPA for cats and dogs in their care.

She was not disappointed.

On Saturday, January 13, Jeannine Bonhoff, Betty Giffin, Pam Deane, Tigi Armour, Christina Bourgeois, Jacquie Brophy, and Rick Syke—the rooster in the henhouse—met and inaugurated the first day of the animal shelter quilt-in.

“After my retirement, I joined the quilting group and enjoy making something that helps the community,” said Jacqui Brophy, “and since I have two rescue dogs, helping the SQSPA was a natural.”

Heartworks is not new to sponsoring this sort of undertaking. In the past, its fabric and quilting volunteers have created blankets for use by local deputy sheriffs, EMT departments and rescue squads of local fire districts to comfort children that were placed in their care. Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute was given four large quilts which are now displayed at the reception area to represent each season of the year.

“And we made 1,900 masks for use by Bassett Hospital during the COVID pandemic,” Jeanine Bonhoff, a long-time resident of Fly Creek, pointed out.

The project will continue throughout January. Quilters will meet again Friday and Saturday, January 19 and 20, and will wrap up the endeavor on Saturday, January 27.

“Any quilters or other needle workers who wish to join us on those other dates are more than welcome,” Bunny pointed out, emphasized that quilting can be just as much a man’s pastime, and that Rick could use some company.

The quilters expect to complete between 50-100 quilts, and presentation at the SQSPCA is planned for some time in February.

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AllOTSEGO.

dining&entertainment Catskill Choral Society brings you

The Joy of Singing.

Love to sing? C

ATSKILL CHORAL SOCIETY will hold

auditions Thursday, January 25 between 5 and 6:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Society, 12 Ford Avenue, Oneonta for our spring concert of Carl Orff ’s beloved Carmina Burana led by G. Roberts Kolb.

All voices are welcome and tenors and basses are always needed.

Sight reading not required. Rehearsals are Thursday evenings from 7 to 9:30 pm at Unitarian Universalist Society in Oneonta.

To schedule an audition, please email auditions@catskillchoralsociety.com Bringing the hills alive with music for half a century.

tary, middle, and high-school students.

This event is sponsored through the collaborative efforts of the SUNY Oneonta Office of Equity and Inclusion, OEI Capek Family Fund for Inclusive Excellence, Activities Council, University Advancement and Hartwick College.

Dr. Cobb is an accomplished writer and speaker on how race, politics, history, and popular culture intersect in America. He was featured in the Netflix documentary “13TH,” which explores the origins of mass incarceration in America. He is a staff writer for “The New Yorker” and author of several books, including “The Substance of Hope: Barack Obama and the Paradox of Progress” (Walker, 2010) and “To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic” (2007), which was a finalist for the 2007 National Award for Arts Writing from the Arts Club of Washington.

Glimmerglass Festival To Host Midwinter Talk SPRINGFIELD— Glimmerglass Festival Artistic and General Director Rob Ainsley will preview the 2024 season at a midwinter “Talking Opera” program at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, February 6. Ainsley and other Glimmerglass Festival and Guild of WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU! Promotions, births, events, new hires, milestones, grand openings, awards, meetings, opinions, results of sporting events, personal bests, weddings and more.

Photos welcome, too. info@allotsego.com

Glimmerglass Festival staff will discuss the upcoming season lineup, including “The Pirates of Penzance,” “Pagliacci,” “La Calisto,” and “Elizabeth Cree.” It will be hosted on Zoom using a link available at https:// www.glimmerglassguild. org/. Ainsley will give

an update on the youth opera, “Rumpelstiltskin and the Unlovable Children,” and provide additional insight about this year’s artists and productions. The program will be recorded for future viewing.

Town oF oTsego solar energy InFormaTIonal meeTIng

Wednesday, February 7 at 7 p.m.

• FeaTurIng guesT speakers •

Steve Helmin, former Town Council Member of Glen, NY & Keith Schue, Technical Advisor and Electrical Engineer Discuss the future of solar energy in the Town of Otsego

Town Building, 811 Co. Hwy. 26, Fly Creek send questions to ddalton@stny.rr.com

Perspectives

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

A-4 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL

hawthorn hill journal

EDITORIAL

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Some Early Winter Musings...

Turn Off Your Lights and Look Up

he holidays are gone, it’s getting colder, the winds are howling, it snows more and ice is threatening our lakes. It’s time to turn off the festive lights of the past few weeks and get on with 2024. It’s also time to think about lights.

Although there is mention of shocks and electric fish as early as 2750 BCE, in Ancient Egypt, electricity probably began for us with Benjamin Franklin’s extensive research in the mid-18th century, part of which included an experiment with a kite, a damp kite string, a metal key, and a storm-threatened sky that revealed the electrical nature of lightning. But it was during the 19th century that electricity came into its own in the U.S., expanding even more with our fast-developing 20th-century industrial economy. Today, electricity is a massive consumer of fossil fuels, leading to serious environmental concerns and an increasing number of demands to figure out how to control its damage to the climate. Some answers lie in solar, wind, and hydropower; others lie in less and better lighting and light fixtures, light timers and sensors, and a reevaluation of existing lighting plans (some of which may even result in no further need for lighting).

Light pollution—caused by inefficient and/or unnecessary use of artificial light at night, both indoors and out—represents perhaps the most drastic change human beings have made to their environment. Not only is it unhealthy for us, disrupting sleep and circadian rhythms, causing anxiety, headaches, and low melatonin production, and risking diabetes, obesity, and breast cancer, but it also disrupts entire ecosystems, affecting many animals, a large number of which are nocturnal, including migrating birds, who depend on a dark sky to navigate, amphibians, insects, mammals, and plants. A side effect of our industrial modernization, light pollution is most severe in the densely populated areas of the U.S., Europe and Asia. In fact, about 83 percent of the world, including 99 percent of Americans and Europeans, live under light-polluted skies, called skyglow, an orange smog-like occurrence that is caused by the over-illumination of the sky by light that is emitted directly upward, mostly in cities, shopping centers, and stadiums. Skyglows cause the sky to be five to 10 times brighter than a naturally dark nighttime sky.

Eighty percent of us here in North America cannot see the Milky Way. Many cities and towns now have light-pollution abatement programs and have begun to install properly spaced down-cast lights, full cutoff fixtures that measurably reduce the chance for light to escape above the plane of the horizontal and thereby contribute to skyglow. These lights save energy as they are better focused, preserve the flora and fauna by reducing excess light, reduce crime and increase safety by more adequately illuminating areas, and reduce health risks.

Here in Otsego County, we are a lucky part of the 20 percent who can still see the moon and the stars in our gigantic dark night sky. From the fields, the lakes and even from our windows, we can see the Milky Way, multiple galaxies, Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, eclipses of the moon and, in August, the Northern Lights.

It would be noble of us to share our exquisite night sky. The International DarkSky Places Program, founded in 2001, encourages communities, parks, and protected areas world-wide to preserve and protect dark skies and the nocturnal environment through responsible lighting policies. There are upwards of 200 DarkSky Places—parks, sanctuaries and reserves in 22 countries and on six continents—with protected land, a zero light-pollution policy set by the government, and starry night skies. These places remind us that the night sky serves just as much importance to our culture and history as our day-time sky.

Many DarkSky parks, sanctuaries and reserves in the U.S. are in the south, midwest and west; there are only three in the northeast; there are none in New York State.

Let’s look into it.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

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“The Freeman’s Journal” welcomes letters to the editor that reflect the writer’s thoughts on an article or other item appearing in the paper.

They must include the writer’s name, address, e-mail and telephone/ mobile number; the opinions expressed must be the writer’s own.

Hostile, offensive, factually incorrect or excessively inflammatory content will not be published. The length must be no more than 250 words.

The editors reserve the right to accept, reject or edit letters for clarity and space. Please send letters to: info@allotsego.com.

founded in 1808

a publication of Iron String Press, Inc. Publisher / Advertising Director

General Manager / Senior Editor

Sales Consultant

Office Manager

Tara Barnwell

Darla M. Youngs

Randy Christian

Larissa Ryan

Columnists and Contributing Writers

Terry Berkson, Monica Calzolari, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Elizabeth Cooper, Maureen Culbert, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Karolina Hopper, Ian Kenyon, Wriley Nelson, Tom Shelby, Dan Sullivan, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin

Web Architect Xander Moffat

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Jill Ann Poulson

Editorial Board

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Published Thursdays by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: 607-547-6103. Fax: 607-547-6080.

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Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of William Cooper is in the Fenimore Art Museum

richard derosa

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ur first real snowfall. A good day to take stock, read, share a few thoughts and, when the snow stops, crank up the snowblower to get at those places our wonderful, always dependable snowplow guy cannot get to. A bit of shoveling here and there as well. I used to tackle our long driveway with my tractor, which has a sizable blower, but have turned that task over to someone younger who can do in minutes what takes me an hour or so in the wake of a moderate snowfall. Comes a time in one’s life to let go of a few things. The letting go part is tough at the time. But over time, the freeing up that letting go enables seems very right, as some quite enjoyable replacements fill the gap.

These days, each of us has a lot to think about. Why is it that warfare maintains such a time-honored place in our collective lives? Doing harm to one another seems genetically embedded. Predation is a necessity for any species. But we seem to go about it as if it were some sort of genetically inviting game to play.

I was struck by a puzzle clue yesterday, a quotation attributed to John Steinbeck.

The clue: “A symptom of man’s failure as a thinking animal.” WAR is the answer.

Waging war seems to be one of our grandest, most valued performances. Not much to brag about there.

There are all kinds of warfare. The ideological and political warfare raging across our country these days is as disturbing as it is, unfortunately, quite predictable. We talk a lot about the virtue of compromise and finding ways of getting along with one another, but when push comes to shove, we hunker down into our own hidebound, self-righteous bunkers. Self-righteousness, as exhibited by all too many of our politicians, does an egregious disservice to the still very valid notion that public service is a noble cause. Not too much nobility abounds in the commons. Reading history, which has been my focus of late, reminds one that all has not been hunky dory ever and that feuding, mean-spiritedness, and downright nastiness have always been part and parcel of American political life.

Nothing new under the sun. Never will be—unfortunately.

I want to share a few quotes from John Meacham’s extraordinary biography of Thomas Jefferson, a great American mind, but a man nonetheless not without his human frailties, many of

which he was quite aware of, as is the case with each one of us. As I indicated earlier in this essay, letting go is damn hard and all too often we hang on all too tightly to some flaws and character traits best cast to the wind. Being human is tough. At one point, Meacham quotes Benjamin Rush, a friend of Jefferson who is responding to some of Jefferson’s earlier thoughts on politics, faction and political parties in general. Rush writes: “Many are the evils of a political life, but none so great as the dissolution of friendship, and the implacable hatred which often takes their place.” One could quote endlessly from an infinity of texts that opine on the worrisome aspects of politics, faction and, ultimately, the ages-old problems that arise from deeply held assumptions about human life and the deeply held beliefs and behaviors that characterize them.

In a brief observation of the perils of party and politics, Jefferson warns that “politics and party hatreds destroy the happiness of every being here.” Hatreds abound about the land unabashedly. Are things worse now than ever before? I think so. Not because human beings are any different or because politics and its accompanying shenanigans are all that different. The amplification of the inhumanities showered upon one another are due primarily to social media. It is every coward’s go-to bullhorn.

Now, of course, we must contend with AI. Another episode of humankind’s capacity to morph every potentially useful tool into a kind of Jekyll and Hyde monster. Funny thing is, I still believe that our better angels, and it may take a while, will rescue us. No other choice but to hope.

Meanwhile, a beautiful white blanket mantles our hillside. Goldfinches are scarfing up all the sunflower seed and thistle seed they can eat. A pair of ravens, sable black against the snow, sits quietly together a bit down from the upper garden. Like most families, we have our worries and joys. One hopes that 2024 might just be the year we turn the corner on the inhumanities we have heaped upon one another. And I turn 80!

Dick deRosa’s Hawthorn Hill essays have appeared in “The Freeman’s Journal” since 1998. A collection, “Hawthorn Hill Journal: Selected Essays,” was published in 2012. He is a retired English teacher.

Letters to the editor … In their opinion

Scalon Needs To Start Showing Up As an Otsego County resident but also as someone who has run, and is currently, running for office, I firmly agree with County Representative Basile and former County Representative Lapin’s statements about incumbent County Representative Donald Scanlon’s absence from the committee that he has been in charge of.

The incumbent needs to take off his blinders from his eyes and the plugs from his ears to be there for his constituents and to be seen and heard at the committee meetings he has been in charge of.

There is a quote from “The West Wing” that resonates with this: “Decisions are made by those who show up.” The incumbent needs to learn from this lesson.

John G. Hamill IV Oneonta

Farms Can Report Weather Damage I am canvasing our communities for reports of damage or increased risk to agricultural

operations resulting from the recent and significant weather events that have caused damage to infrastructure and left many without power to their homes and farms throughout parts of New York State.

If you operate an agricultural business in Schoharie or Otsego county that has experienced weather-related damage or increased risk, please contact me at ejk247@ cornell.edu or by phone at (518) 234-4303, extension 119 (Cobleskill office) or (607) 547-2536, extension 226 (Cooperstown office). The information you share will help direct resources in the New York State Emergency Operations Center in Albany, as well as help the governor’s team determine state disaster declarations.

Please also note that Cornell Cooperative Extension maintains an extensive and readily-available library of preparedness and response extension resources. Resources relevant to this most recent weather incident include our “Winter Storm Resources” and our “Flooding Resources.”

Erich Keena Agriculture and Food

Systems Program Manager, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties “The Freeman’s Journal” and “Hometown Oneonta” welcome the opinions of our readers in the form of letters to the editor. We are interested in our readers’ thoughts on articles or other items appearing in the papers, or on timely general issues with local relevance in such areas as health, environment, education, etc.

Submissions must not be in bad taste and must refrain from attacking individuals without supporting documentation or a rational and legally defensible justification. Unsigned letters will not be published.

We reserve the sole discretion to decide whether or not a reader submission will be published. If a letter is selected for publication, it is understood that the author agrees to give us the right to publish it in both print and digital form.

All columns and letters on the opinion page are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iron String Press, “The Freeman’s Journal” or “Hometown Oneonta.”

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL A-5

THURSDAY, January 18, 2024 news from the noteworthy

HELIOS CARE

Helios Care, Bassett Begin Collaborative Journey Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library

210 YEARS AGO

January 22, 1814

85 YEARS AGO

Cooperstown winter sports fans enjoyed the first favorable weather conditions of the season and several hundred made use of the new ski tow on Drake Mountain. The new tow is sponsored by the Cooperstown Winter Sports Association. The site is about six miles from Cooperstown and about one mile north of the Pierstown Grange Hall. The tow has a pull up the side of the mountain about a quarter mile in length and is operated by a tractor. Ice skating at the community rink at the entrance to Doubleday Field and at the Cooper Inn rink was also enjoyed by large numbers over the holiday weekend.

January 18, 1939

60 YEARS AGO

Two graduate programs leading to the master’s degree to be offered through the combined resources of Oneonta State University College and the New York State Historical Association in Cooperstown have been approved by the Board of Trustees of the University of the State of New York. The two programs, known tentatively as the “History Museum Program” and the “American Folk Culture Program” will fill a longstanding need in the museum profession, according to Dr. Louis C. Jones, director of NYSHA. January 15, 1964

35 YEARS AGO

Steps are being taken to improve village streets this spring. Work will commence on Elk, Fair, Leatherstocking, Main and Spring streets. Most of the heavy construction work will take place on Leatherstocking Street, since one side of it has never been curbed. Several new storm sewers will be installed along with curbing. Sewers and catch basins will also be installed on Railroad Avenue.

January 18, 1989

20 YEARS AGO

After a nearly 25-year hiatus, the Cooperstown Volunteer Fire Department’s annual “Fireman’s Candlelight Ball” is slated to make a triumphant return later this month at The Otesaga Hotel. Department Chief A. Fred Lemister says the January 24th Ball is “an important and sacred way for the department members to allow a very important component of their service to flourish. It’s a little way of allowing firefighters and their spouses to have a night to themselves,” he explained. “It’s about camaraderie, fraternity and friendship.”

January 16, 2004

Solution: “I’d Like To Buy All 5 Vowels” (January 11)

I

n order to improve community well-being and strengthen local healthcare resources, Helios Care is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with Bassett Healthcare Network. This marks a significant step toward fostering a healthier and more connected community, bringing together two entities dedicated to the well-being of individuals and families in the region.

Helios Care is pleased to announce working with the Bassett Healthcare Network providers to identify and support seriously ill patients to gain earlier access to care that allows them to stay at home, wherever that may be. As reported last month, Helios Care is now in a collaboration with Bassett Healthcare Network to work to provide a more integrated and transparent connection so patients and their families can access the care they need, both palliative care and hospice, at the time they need these services.

To clarify what this means, Helios Care remains an independent provider and will work programmatically to provide a more seamless transition of care from one entity to another. The collaboration between Helios Care and Bassett Healthcare Network signifies a milestone in innovative care that is community-driven. The collaboration between the two organizations has the goal to streamline processes and reduce barriers to quality care where and when patients need it. This is an agreement that was reached to provide a more integrated delivery model with Bassett partnering with Helios Care for palliative and hospice care.

This collaboration will prepare both parties for anticipated changes in the reimbursement system.

As a result of this new vision for hospice delivery, the Department of Health recently granted Helios Care a Certificate of Need Waiver to provide palliative and hospice services in two more counties to more fully support the patients in the Bassett Healthcare Network and the region.

Additionally, Helios Care is not limited to serving only Bassett patients. As an independent organization, it can serve all the residents of five counties—Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie, and now Chenango and Herkimer—whenever they are referred by any medical practitioner as well as by family, friends, and self-referrals.

Currently New York State is the last in the nation for hospice utilization and this model is intended to improve hospice services in underserved communities. Helios Care is forging a new way of integrating our service through a collaboration as opposed to an affiliate or subsidiary model. Helios Care is at the innovative forefront of this new healthcare shift and believes this may become a model for how other organizations provide quality healthcare across the birth to end-of-life continuum.

This collaborative journey reflects our shared vision of a future where everyone has access to the care they need, fostering a thriving and connected community for generations to come.

Dan Ayres is president and chief executive officer of Helios Care.

By MERL REAGLE

I Got a Call from the Y… Make room for one more ACROSS 1 Food fish 5 “Waterloo” singers 9 “___ lover, not ...”

12 False alarm 17 Heap 18 Bumbler 19 Tube tops 21 Pushed 22 How the best pickpockets work, according to Ambrose Bierce 25 “Don’t ___ because I’m beautiful” 26 Preset path 27 Woman with cuffs 28 Antibiotic’s brand name 30 “Sweet Dreams” singer 34 Do the floors 35 Once around 36 Salon bottleful 37 Fat in a pat, maybe 38 Oktoberfest exclamation 41 Ear-buzzing bug 45 Rick’s term for Ilsa 119 More lemony, maybe 47 Jeopardy! bonus 51 Organism needing oxygen 120 Landmark musical work of 1924 53 “Eureka!”

124 Just 56 British gun 125 Closing passage 57 Raze, with “down” 126 Legendary chanteuse 58 Noted crimefighters 127 Bird or escapade 61 Euro spewer of note 128 Gets thinner 63 Ness’s dept.

129 Dino’s name 64 Cafe order 130 Evergreen trees 65 Nasty cut 131 She, in Milan 67 Julia Dent’s guy DOWN 74 Corn cover 1 Trunk tire 75 “___ Joe’s” 2 Athlete’s on-air greeting 76 Plato’s plaza 3 Book of memories 78 Croatia’s capital 4 God 82 The Longest Day author 5 Feb. honoree 85 Melville opus 6 Face Frazier 86 Look pregnant 7 Make a mess of 88 Lead-in to “log” 8 To Europe 89 Lusters 9 Hosp. area 90 Subject of Hollywood Rajah 10 Pastoral Kenyan 94 Before, earlier 11 Great grade 96 Exxon, earlier 12 It’ll get you into a lather 97 Egyptian slitherer 13 Francois of perfume fame 98 Grad 14 With, to 13 Down 99 FedEx competitor 15 Do followup 102 Gehrig contemporary 16 First eviction site 104 Adrienne’s wall 20 Latakia’s land: abbr.

105 Type of allergy treatment 21 Chased (away) 112 Unsubtle 23 Farmer’s place?

117 D.C. type 24 Music, Nashvillestyle 118 Chopper topper 29 Author Williams

31 “The Old ___ Bucket” 79 Obadiah preceder 32 News service 80 Rise 33 Suit color 81 Régime de terreur victim 37 Arena shout 82 Coquettish 38 Help, in a way 83 Be in debt 84 “The wise ___ knowledge 39 Family aright” (Prov. 15:2) 40 Mother of Ares 86 Blue cartoon character 41 NAFTA forerunner 42 India’s first prime minister 87 Ark passenger 91 A Barber and a Butler 43 Whirling, old-style 92 Hard to see 44 Morning show 93 Bacardi, e.g.

46 Fancy fabric 95 Go bad 48 Sch. near Phx. 100 Litter darlings 49 “Am ___ believe ...”

101 Red Baron chaser 50 Bear Dance performer 103 Arctic bird 52 Shelley’s middle 105 Blood of the gods 54 “Greatest ___” 55 When the ghost appears, in 106 Gettysburg general Hamlet 107 1950s platter 59 Tankard contents 108 California white oak 60 Mal ___ (seasickness) 109 Map book 61 Flavor intensifier 110 Comes down in buckets 111 C ity of far northern 62 Beat California 65 Crease player 112 Slangy doctrines 66 Against 113 “The First ___” 68 Sit in (for) 114 First guy in space 69 Window unit 115 City near Provo 70 Put your foot down 116 Circle section 71 Say “uh-huh” 121 ___ Romana 72 The Highwayman poet 122 Missile wobble 73 “Across” word?

123 “Weather permitting” and 77 Rug-fiber brand name others 78 Dreyfus’s champion

A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA News briefs

Welcome Home Cooperstown Will Resume COOPERSTOWN—Welcome Home Cooperstown monthly meet and greets at the Village Hall are returning for 2024. The events, intended to welcome newcomers to the community and to share information and make connections, take place on the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. The first meet and greet of the year will take place on Tuesday, February 6 at 22 Main Street, and all members of the community are welcome to attend.

The February 6 event will include general information about the Cooperstown area and institutions, as well as a celebration of Library Lovers Month. There will be a bookmark craft for families and a story read by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh. Local musician Luke Gheen will provide entertainment and refreshments will be served.

Members of the Welcome Home Cooperstown committee include interested citizens and representatives from the Village of Cooperstown, Bassett Healthcare, Cooperstown Central School, and the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, with support from the Friends of the Village Library and the Community Foundation of Otsego County. All are welcome to attend and participate in the work of building a stronger, more diverse, and welcoming community.

Input Sought for Waterfront Revitalization ONEONTA—The City and Town of Oneonta are developing a joint Local Waterfront Revitalization Program to establish community goals and strategies for future waterfront and downtown development. The public is invited to share what types of waterfront and economic development projects they deem most important. The survey will be available between January 15 and February 26 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W2TJM8Z.

Middle School Musical Is This Weekend COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Central School Thespians will present Roald Dahl’s “Willie Wonka Jr.” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, January 20 and again on Sunday, January 21 at 2 p.m. in the N.J. Sterling Auditorium at the Cooperstown Junior/Senior High School. All are welcome to attend this wonderful family show, told entirely by seventh- and eighth-graders. Tickets will be available at the door: $25.00/family ticket; $10.00/adult ticket; $5.00/ student ticket. Senior citizens are admitted free of charge.

Beekeeping Short Course Set for Feb. 24th COOPERSTOWN—The Leatherstocking Beekeepers’ Association will conduct its annual “Introduction to Beekeeping Short Course” for beginners from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 24 at the Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, just outside the village of Cooperstown.

According to a media release, local beekeepers will discuss honey bee biology, needed equipment, tools, clothing, diseases, pests, seasonal management, how to work the bees, starting out, siting an apiary, hive products, and origins and history of beekeeping. The $45.00 course fee includes a beekeeping book, lunch and snacks. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to decide if managing bees is a craft they wish to pursue.

The required registration may be completed by e-mailing beekeepers2023@ gmail.com or calling Mike at (518) 390-0068.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

Cooperstown Volleyball Team Continues Dominant Run COOPERSTOWN ooperstown Central School volleyball continued a successful season with a series of victories and strong tournament performances in the early weeks of January. The Hawkeyes swept Owen D. Young 25-18, 25-7 and 25-22 in a non-division home match on Friday, January 5. Senior Sophia Hotaling put away 28 digs and five kills, including the final point of the tight third set.

Junior Mia Pelcer added five aces, five kills and four digs. Senior Violet Gentles made seven kills, seven digs, a block, and an ace; senior Ava Lesko had six digs and three aces.

Cooperstown placed third of eight teams in the Mount Markham Tournament on Saturday, January 6. The Hawkeyes lost in the playoff round to East Syracuse-Minoa. Gentles earned all-star honors.

The Hawkeyes came back from a 2-

C

Gallery Releases Call for Artists CHERRY VALLEY roposals for exhibits for the 2024 season are now being accepted by 25 Main Collective.

Each show will run four-five weeks in the collective space at 21 Main Street or in the café space at 25 Main Street, or a combination thereof.

In a press release, organizers said they are looking for a range of artists to apply, including but not limited to visual art, sculpture, fiber arts, mixed media, ceramics, and more. Priority will be given to artists who have never shown their work at 25 Main Collective, or those working in a new medium not yet displayed at the collective.

Exhibit openings will be held from 5-8 p.m. during Cherry Valley’s First Fridays. The following dates are currently available: February 225; April 5-28; May 3-26; June 7-30; July 5-28; August 2-25; September

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0 deficit to defeat Remsen 3-2 on the road on Monday, January 8. Hotaling recorded 67 more digs, as well as 10 aces and two kills. Junior Grace Sperry had 23 kills and three blocks. Senior Lucy Hayes made 22 assists, seven digs and four kills.

Cooperstown swept another opponent in a Center State Conference Division II home match against Clinton on Wednesday, January 10. Hotaling had 23 digs, five aces and two kills.

Sperry had five kills; Hayes made 11 assists, three digs, an ace and a kill.

Lesko made six digs and three aces.

The team brought their season record to 10-1 and 6-1 in their division with a sweep of Westmoreland on Friday, January 12. Hotaling once again put up a strong showing, recording 33 digs, three aces, an assist and a kill.

Junior Alexis Wolfe made six digs, five assists, three aces, a block and a kill.

Junior Josie Furnari made five digs.

6-29; October 4-27; November 1-24; December 6-31.

Those applying to exhibit should include a written description detailing their theme or central idea. Artists may propose their own group show—all proposed group artists must supply pictures and contact information—or 25 Main Collective may choose to combine their show with other applicants. Photos of at least five pieces are required, including medium shots and closeups, if relevant. Pieces photographed could be those the artist would like to present or representative of past work, if creating brand-new pieces. Applicants must also provide a curriculum vitae/ resume—including gallery shows over the last five years and contact information—and their availability and preference for display dates.

The deadline for applications is Continued on page 7

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7

Carnival

Continued from page 1 The Blizzard Bash will end with a mesmerizing Tesla Car Light Show, which will transform vehicles into a captivating mobile spectacle featuring synchronized and choreographed light sequences using headlights, taillights, and interior lights to create a visually stunning performance.

The Cooperstown Winter Carnival Blizzard Bash will take place on Sunday, February 4 from Photo provided 3-5 p.m. in the Doubleday Field parking lot, with Award Puts Wind Beneath Wings of Angel Network limited parking spaces COOPERSTOWN—On Monday, December 4, Cooperstown Rotary Foundation Board members available for the tailgate presented a $1,000.00 check to the Angel Network of Cooperstown. CRF Chair Ellen Tillapaugh thanked party. The tailgate party the Angel Network for all their incredible support of families and children within the Cooperstown Central is “bring your own” food School District. Above, from left: CRF members Ellen Pope, Bertine McKenna, Marjorie Landers, Ellen and drink. To register for Tillapaugh and Tom Lieber (behind Landers) present their donation to Angel Network Vice President a space, e-mail cooperMiriam Murray and Angel Network members Treasurer Matthew Monahan (behind Tillapaugh) Martha stownwintercarnival@ Clarvoe (behind Murray), Vice President Alicia Chase, Tabetha Rathbone, Secretary Erin Rawitch, and gmail.com. A complete Shelby MacLeish. list of 2024 Cooperstown Winter Carnival events can be found at www.

OCCA Planning County-wide Kids Science Fair cooperstownwintercarCOOPERSTOWN nival.com. Organizers Continued from page 6 tsego County Conservation Association has announced it will add a noted that all events are countywide science fair to the lineup for the 19th annual Earth Festival The deadline for appli- subject to change due to on April 20. All Otsego County students in grades K-12 are welcome to cations is February 29. participate. The Earth Day Science Fair gives participating students a chance to Those unfamiliar with research any topic in environmental science or earth science that they wish to 25 Main Collective are learn about in detail, organizers said in a press release. invited to stop by at 21/25 Participation in, and preparation for, a science fair will develop several valu- Main Street, Wednesday able skills, including but not limited to reading, logical thinking, writing, spelling, through Sunday, from 11 math, and scientific thinking, the release reads. Participants must research their a.m. to 4 p.m. questions and learn and apply the scientific method to create a valid experiment.

Application materials Shelby MacLeish, OCCA assistant director, sees the science fair as a way to and questions should bring county students together. be directed to Noelle “We are excited to see what topics interest our students and cannot wait to hear Adamoschek at 25mainabout their research and conclusions. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” MacLeish said. collective@gmail.com Earth Festival 2024 will take place on Saturday, April 20 at Milford Central School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Earth Festival is an environmentally focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist.

OCCA is currently seeking applications for vendors and presenters.

For more information or to register for the science fair, visit https://www. occainfo.org/ science-fair, or call OCCA at (607) 547-4488.

Artists

O

inclement weather.

The Cooperstown Winter Carnival is produced under the umbrella of the local Lions Club and the volunteer-run committee relies on donations to fulfill its mission of bringing winter fun to Cooperstown.

Those interested in supporting this event can donate at www.cooperstownwintercarnival. com or purchase a Winter Carnival collector’s pin at various venues around Cooperstown, including Tin Bin Alley, All About the Girls, Kate’s Upstate, The Local Bird, Bridgette & Main, the Cooperstown Beverage Exchange, and J. Gorman Fine Jewelry.

All proceeds will be put toward future Winter Carnivals.

PREFER TO READ YOUR NEWS ONLINE? Subscribe to AllOtsego.com Call (607) 547-6103 for more details and pricing.

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A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Leaders

Continued from page 2 Engineers are working on the landscape plan and the required state permitting in anticipation of the summer season.

Private property owners play a key role in preserving the landscape and environmental resources of the region.

With a conservation easement, landowners can protect their land from future development and create a sound legacy for future generations. We are working with landowners to conserve hundreds of additional acres and with farmers to protect more than 1,000 acres of working lands this year.

Our conservation work

supports agriculture and tourism as mainstays of the economy.

We continue to advocate for conservation of the former BSA Camp Henderson on Crumhorn Lake in Milford. The 666-acre site adjacent to Susquehanna State Forest is one of the largest undeveloped properties in private hands. Crumhorn Lake and the forested uplands on Crumhorn Mountain are vital to the ecological health of the region and have the potential to expand access to nature for residents and visitors.

Public support will help to ensure that the Boy Scout tradition of respect for nature continues.

Connect Anywhere, Anytime.

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CALL TODAY (877) 651-1637

Legal

Legal nOtice Notice of Democratic Party Caucus Village of Cooperstown A caucus of the enrolled members of the Democratic Party in the Village of Cooperstown will be held in the Board Room on the ground floor of the Village Hall, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown, NY on January 25, 2024, at 7 pm. The purpose of the caucus is to nominate candidates for the following offices (or any offices that may become vacant) to be voted upon at the General Village Election on March 19, 2024: Mayor: 2-year term Trustee: 3-year term Trustee: 3-year term Lynne Mebust Chair, Cooperstown Democratic Committee Legal nOtice NOTICE TO BIDDERS Sealed bids will be received as set forth in instructions to bidders until 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, February 08, 2024 at the NYSDOT, Office of Contract Management, 50 Wolf Rd, 1st Floor, Suite 1CM, Albany, NY 12232 and will be publicly opened and read.

Bids may also be submitted via the internet using www.bidx. com. A certified

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

Public programs throughout the year offer multiple opportunities to connect with nature.

Check our website for details, www.otsegolandtrust.org, and join us in celebrating our local landscape.

—Executive Director Gregory Farmer SUNY Oneonta I look forward to celebrating the 135th anniversary of SUNY Oneonta’s founding this year. Since its establishment as the Oneonta Normal School, our institution has provided transformative education and contributed to the region’s growth. I look forward to commemorating this anniversary by strengthening the synergy between these two worthy pursuits.

This winter, the university is excited to extend our educational opportunities to the community through the unveiling of a new downtown Oneonta location: Our Expanded and Community Learning (EXCL) Center. All will be welcome to find out

LEGALS

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cashier’s check payable to the NYSDOT for the sum specified in the proposal or a bid bond, form CONR 391, representing 5% of the bid total, must accompany each bid. NYSDOT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

but not limited to D/M/WBE’s and SDVOBs.

LATURE AND GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

Electronic documents and Amendments are posted to www. dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/constnotices. The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that all Amendments are incorporated into its bid. To receive notification of Amendments via e-mail you must submit a request to be placed on the Planholders List at www. dot.ny.gov/doing-business/opportunities/constplanholder.

Amendments may have been issued prior to your placement on the Planholders list.

NYS Finance Law restricts communication with NYSDOT on procurements and contact can only be made with designated persons. Contact with non-designated persons or other involved Agencies will be considered a serious matter and may result in disqualification. Contact Robert Kitchen (518)457-2124.

Contracts with 0% Goals are generally single operation contracts, where subcontracting is not expected, and may present direct bidding opportunities for Small Business Firms, including,

The New York State Department of Transportation, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat.

252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted programs of the Department of Transportation and Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, Title IV Program and Related Statutes, as amended, issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all who respond to a written Department solicitation, request for proposal or invitation for bid that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability/handicap and income status in consideration for an award.

BIDDERS SHOULD BE ADVISED THAT AWARD OF THESE CONTRACTS MAY BE CONTINGENT UPON THE PASSAGE OF A BUDGET APPROPRIATION BILL BY THE LEGIS-

more about our workforce program, continuing education and lifelong learning courses at this new site.

Building upon our community partnerships, we aim to broaden opportunities for students to remain in our region to pursue healthcare careers through our work with Hartwick College and the Bassett Healthcare Network. We are also expanding our successful directsupportprofessional training program together with Springbrook, thanks to a new grant.

Looking even further forward, we are committing wholeheartedly to our role as environmental stewards. We will expand our work in energy storage, clean energy and composting.

And our student and faculty working at the Biological Field Station based in Cooperstown will anchor our ecological protection efforts.

SUNY Oneonta’s 135th year will be among its most exciting.

—President Dr. Alberto Cardelle

Please call (518)457-2124 if a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the letting.

Region 09: New York State Department of Transportation 44 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901 D265154, PIN 935845, FA Proj Y0019358-453, Otsego Co., I-88 Crack and Seat, Exit 18 to 19, Towns of Maryland & Worcester., PLA Candidate, Bid Deposit: 5% of Bid (~ $1,500,000.00), Goals: DBE: 5.00% 2LegalJan.18 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a NY Limited Liability Company.

Name: TIN BIN ALLEY LLC. Articles of Organization filing date with Secretary of State (SSNY) was 11 January 2024.

Office location: Otsego County.

SSNY has been designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served and SSNY shall mail copy of process to 114 Main St, Cooperstown, New York 13326.

Purpose is to engage in any and all business activities permitted under NYS laws.

6LegalFeb.22

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Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of BARREL SEE LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 11/27/23, Otsego Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to Aidan Sawyer 211 County Rd 52 Cooperstown, NY 13326 General Purpose 6LegalFeb.22 Legal nOtice NOTICE OF FILING: APPLICATION FOR AUTHORITY (FOREIGN LLC).

ADESACOLE LLC

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as agent upon whom process against may be served and shall mail process to Gina M. Colone: 17 River Street, Oneonta, NY 13820.

General Purpose 6LegalFeb.15

Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to 426 Chestnut St., Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalJan.25

Zachary Bailey: 231 Harris Hill Rd. Morris, NY 13808.

Purpose: any lawful purpose.

6LegalJan.18

(SSNY) on June 3, 2023.

Office Location: Otsego County SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 810 Mooney Road, Worcester, NY 12197 Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalJan.18

Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of TRAVELING TOOLS HANDYMAN SERVICES LLC Arts of Org. filed SSNY 11/30/23, Otsego Co. SSNY design agent for process & shall mail to Zenbusiness Inc. 41 State St #112 Albany, NY 12207 General Purpose 6LegalFeb.1 Legal nOtice

Application for authority filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 11/29/23.

Office Location: Otsego County.

SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail copy of process to DOYINSOLA HALIMAT OGBEIFUN : 14 Tilton Ave., Oneonta, NY 13820.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalFeb.22

Articles of Organization filed with SSNY on 11/28/2023.

Office location: Otsego County.

SSNY designated agent with service of process address: PO Box 1469, Richfield Springs, NY 13439.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalFeb.1

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Notice of Formation of Friends of the Feral TNR – Otsego LLC, Arts of Org. filed with Sec. of State of NY (SSNY) 11/27/2023.

Cty: Otsego.

SSNY desig.

Village of Cooperstown Watershed Management First and foremost, the Plan. Spearheaded by the Village of Cooperstown Watershed Supervisory is looking forward to Committee and supported hearing which projects are by many local enviselected by the governor ronmental groups, the as our community’s New Watershed Management York Forward projects! It Plan (9E Plan) will was just last March that we provide a data-driven path learned that Cooperstown forward, for the stewardwas selected as our ship of Otsego Lake. region’s first NYF recipThe Welcome Home ient and would receive Cooperstown committee $4.5 million. Several has met and planned municipal projects and an exciting year of first private projects were Tuesday celebrations placed on the Priority List centered on cultural holiby the Local Planning days as well as Pride Committee for consid- Month, with the month eration. Village projects of December featuring a included improvements reprise of our fabulous to Hoffman Lane, Pioneer Stroll the Street event.

Alley, and Fowler Way Your village leaders and a field upgrade at look forward to the year Doubleday. Whichever ahead and welcome projects the state selects, your suggestions and the village will need to involvement! budget accordingly for the —Mayor Ellen start of our June 1, 2024 Tillapaugh fiscal year.

We also await notificaSubscribe to tion on five other grants AllOtsego.com for new submitted to New York from “The Freeman’s State and to the federal Journal” and government.

“Hometown Oneonta,” The village has and for additional already been notified of news content each week. a successful NYS grant Call (607) 547-6103. for development of a

Notice of Formation of Golden Swan Trading LLC.

Notice of Formation of NMBR 9 HOLDINGS, LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/7/23.

Office in Otsego

Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of CHASE ORGAN COMPANY LLC Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 12/11/23.

Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to 1529 Co Hwy 39, Worcester, NY 12197, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalJan.25 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) Name: Bailey’s Plumbing and Heating LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State Of New York (SSNY) on 11/06/2023.

Office Location: Otsego County.

SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against may be served.

SSNY should mail process to

Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of D&L RV RENTAL, LLC Art. Of Org. Filed Sec. of State of NY 12/1/2023.

Off. Loc. : Otsego Co. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY to mail copy of process to The LLC, 170 Hughes Road, West Winfield, NY 13491, USA. Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

6LegalJan.18 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Segina & Associates, LLC. Filed with SSNY on 11/10/12.

Office: Otsego County.

SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 1390 County Highway 11, Mount Vision, NY 13810.

Purpose: any lawful.

6LegalJan.18 Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of The Turk’s Plantation LLC Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York

Legal nOtice Notice of Formation of Ceasar Dante LLC. Filed with SSNY on 1/29/2014.

Office: Otsego County.

SSNY designated as agent for process & shall mail to: 1950 E. Main Street S. 205a Mohegan Lake NY 10547.

Purpose: any lawful 6LegalJan.18 Legal nOtice Notice of formation of Firefly Meadow Farm, LLC. Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 08/17/23.

Office location: Otsego County, NY. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY may mail a copy of any process to the LLC, 959 County Rd 7, Otego, NY 13825.

Purpose: Any lawful act under NY LLC Law. 6LegalJan.18

THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-9

THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2024

Minister

Continued from page 1 in Canada, and working for the environmental group the Sierra Club.

She is also a board member of Centro Mujeres, a non-profit supporting access to women’s health in Mexico.

Rev. Mitchell said, “I believe that Unitarian Universalism has a special place in our world today, as a people of faith, where our liberal covenantal faith includes

our Fourth Unitarian Universalist Principle, which states that we engage ‘in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.’ Our faith embraces justice, equality, and compassion in this search for truth and meaning in our interdependent world. I look forward to engaging in this search for truth and meaning within our spiritual tradition in our congregation and the greater Oneonta community. Together may we work to drive out the hate of this world, to

manifest love, and to shine light where there is darkness.”

The Unitarian Universalist Society of Oneonta was incorporated as a Universalist congregation in 1877.

Its historic building, built in 1894 and dedicated as Chapin Memorial Church, was added to the State and National Registers of Historic Places in 2002.

The UUSO’s mission is to be a welcoming community, nurturing spirit and working for a just and sustainable world. The

congregation strives to provide a visible, positive place for the greater community to gather in love and acceptance.

Because beloved community is inclusive, the UUSO champions those who have been historically excluded, and seeks to fulfill its responsibility to the interdependent web of life.

All are welcome to services on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at 12 Ford Avenue. More information is available at www. uuso.org.

Call 877-516-1160 to schedule your free quote!

OBITUARIES

Photo provided

GRACE LOUISE FABIAN

Grace Louise Fabian 1938-2024

Douglassville, PA—Grace Louise Fabian of Douglassville, Pennsylvania passed away on January 1, 2024.

She was born on January 26, 1938 in Syracuse, New York, the daughter of Clarence Eddie Jones and Myrtle Blanche (Scaife) Jones.

Grace received her Training Certificate in Bible from the Practical Bible Training School and earned her Bachelor of Arts in cross-cultural studies from the State University of New York.

She earned her master’s degree in human resource leadership from Azusa Pacific University in 1990. Finally, in 2010, she received a Doctorate of Divinity from Davis Bible College.

Grace worked for Wycliffe BibleTranslators for 52 years. She worked among the Quixteco people of Mexico for 10 years. In 1969, she and her husband moved to Papua New Guinea to serve among the Nabak people, to translate the precious scriptures they treasured so dearly. In spite of her husband’s tragic death in 1993, Grace pressed on to complete the translation with a grand dedication ceremony in 1998. After retiring from Wycliffe, she published a memoir of her life, titled “Outrageous Grace.”

Grace was a studious Bible translator and a persevering missionary.

Her entire life was a testimony of the grace of God sustaining her wherever the will of God took her.

Her gentleness was her strength, and her determined spirit overpowered her momentary feelings of inadequacy as she looked to her shepherd for constant guidance.

Grace is survived by her dear sisters, Kathryn Jones and Mary Macie; her four children, Jonathan Fabian, Dietlinde Hoffman, Heidi Cassise, and Kurt Fabian; as well as 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

She is predeceased by her sister, Arloween (Jones) Keller, her husband, Edmund Fabian, and her sister Carmilla (Jones) Ritchey.

Calling hours with the family were held at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 13 at the Hopewell Church, 2286 Hopewell Road, Elverson, Pennsylvania.

A Memorial Service followed at 1 p.m. at the Hopewell Church.

In lieu of flowers, and to honor Grace Fabian’s legacy, please consider making a donation to help complete the Nabak audio Bible at GraceFabian.com.

Photo provided

dorothea a. mancke

Dorothea Ayers Mancke 1923-2024 W appin g ers F alls — D o r o t h e a A. Mancke peacefully passed away on January 7, 2024 in the home of her daughter, Nancy McManus, with family by her side at the age of 100 years young. She was born in the Bronx to Arthur Wacker and Ethel Buggeln Wacker in 1923.

Dorothea is predeceased by her husband, Henry G. Mancke, brother Arthur Wacker, daughter-in-law Norma Mancke and grandson Scott McManus.

She is survived by her children, Dorothea Mancke in Sahuarita, Arizona; Henry A.P. (Susan) Mancke in Ithaca, New York; Nancy (Thomas) McManus in Wappingers Falls, New York; grandchildren Brian (Jennifer) Mancke, Bradley (Aubrey)

Mancke, Robert Mancke, and Kathleen (Joseph) McManus-Fayo, Heather Thomas, Abby Thomas (Eric Chapman), and John Thomas; and greatgrandchildren Sullivan, Adia, Ruby, Azalea, Enzo, Connor, Inara, Julia, Emma, Eva, and Theo.

Dorothea is celebrated as Mom, Grandma, Grams, Grandma Dot, Momma Dot, and Mrs. Mancke to many and loved by all; her smile and beautiful blue eyes will be remembered fondly.

When she was 8 years old, Dot and her family walked on the George Washington Bridge the day it opened. She graduated from Walton High School in the Bronx, with graduation held at Carnegie Hall. Dot went on to work at the American Bank Note Company while taking college courses.

Dorothea married Henry Mancke in 1948 when he returned from serving in WW2, honeymooning in the Appalachians.

She was the last surviving member of her Lutheran Church Youth Group. They renamed themselves The SAMS, The Society for the Advancement of Merriment. They tried to meet every year for almost 80 years for a weekend in the autumn.

The SAMS and their spouses would have hors d’oeuvres, Manhattans, whiskey, wine, and dinner, tell bawdy jokes, and share HUGS with all.

Many of their children and grandchildren would join them for an afternoon of frivolity and dinner.

Dorothea and Henry moved upstate, involving themselves in community activities. Dot was a member of the Charlotte Valley Rebekah Lodge #393 I.O.O.F. 19551978, Past Noble Grand in 1960-1961, District Deputy President 19661967. She joined the Oneonta Martha Chapter #116, Order of the Eastern Star in 1963, maintaining

leWiS, HurleY & pietrobono

membership for the rest of her life. Dot held many chairs, including Worthy Matron 1972-1973, with Henry (32° Mason) as her Worthy Patron.

Mrs. Mancke was a 4-H leader for the Rainbow Valley 4-H Club, instructing both daughters and other girls in the neighborhood on all things sewing, cooking, manners, and presenting themselves with confidence.

Dot was a founding member of the Pindars Corners Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary, and was certified as an EMT in 1970. She was a 50+-year member of the Davenport Board of Elections. Dot was also involved with the Davenport Historical Society.

Mrs. Mancke and her husband, Henry, were advisors to the Luther League at the Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Oneonta, New York for many years. Together, they chaperoned the youth group to the National Luther League Convention in Atlantic City in the mid ‘60s.

Dorothea went back to work in 1969 when her children became selfsufficient. She started at SUNY Oneonta as a camera woman, then working in the control room in the TV studios, working her way to become the media assistant. Dot then transitioned to be the assistant and eyes for Professor Dr. Ray Rainville in the Psychology Department, until her retirement in 2009.

After retirement, Dorothea loved to cruise, enjoying a trip through the Panama Canal, and another time parasailing in the Bahamas when she was 80 years young.

She spent many winters visiting her daughter in Arizona.

Grandma Dot was a volunteer at many JDRF events to honor the memory of her grandson, Scott. At walks, she

Heller & Skinner

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155 Main Street Worcester, nY 607-397-9711 www.hellerskinnerfh.com

Proud to be family-owned John & Kathleen (Heller) Pietrobono

would be the person you saw to get a T-Shirt; at galas, she would be the first to bid on a basket of wine. And she told everyone about all the years she would volunteer in Death Valley at the JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes and hand out medals and cold wet rags to the finishers.

Dot loved lighthouses and was able to take a day cruise on the Hudson River to learn lighthouse history, feeling the wind in her hair and having a big smile on her face the whole time. And she loved to ride the carousel at The Farmers Museum in Cooperstown for her birthday for many years, even climbing on a horse at the Bear Mountain Carousel for her 95th birthday!

Grandma loved making her special Thanksgiving stuffing and her tomato conserve relish with family, and she loved pansies in the spring and mums in the fall.

The family would like to thank Hudson Valley Hospice for their care and support. Jennifer, Dawn, Alison, Colleen, Dee and Amanda—you are the best.

A Celebration of Life of this wonderful soul

will be held in the spring.

Please feel free to make a donation in her name to a charity of your choice, Hudson Valley Hospice or the JDRF. Arrangements are under the direction of Straub, Catalano & Halvey Funeral Home, 55 East Main Street, Wappingers Falls, New York. To send the family a personal condolence, please visit www.

StraubCatalanoHalvey. com.

Louis W. Nicholson 1933-2024

OAKSVILLE—Louis William Nicholson, 91, passed away Tuesday, January 9, 2024. A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. (viewing at 10 a.m.) on Saturday, January 20, 2024 at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, Cooperstown.

Arrangements by Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home.

MeMories to Cherish every life has a story. everyone deserves a final appreciation.

For more information send email to info@Allotsego.com, or call Larissa at 607-547-6103.

Grandma loved her farm, her family, and playing her old guitar.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special.

Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home 14 Grand Street, Oneonta • 607-432-6821 www.grummonsfuneralhome.com

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what’s haPPENIN’ in OtsegO COunty _________ Send calendar items to info@allotsego.com

A-10 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

►Friday, Jan. 19 GENEOLOGY—1 p.m.

Family Genealogy Discussion. Bring family photos, family trees, scrapbooks and more to share.

Held third Thursday of each month. Springfield Library, 129 County Road 29A, Springfield Center.

(315) 858-5802 or visit http://libraries.4cls.org/ springfield/programs-andevents/adult-programs/ POTTERY—1:30-4:30 p.m. Open Studio. Experienced potters are invited to work on personal projects. No instruction provided. $30/session. Held Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays. Also held Thursdays 6-9 p.m. The Smithy Clay Studio, 1 Otsego Court, Cooperstown. Gallery@SmithyArts.org or visit https://www.smithyarts.org/ LIBRARY—3-5 p.m.

“Genealogy Workshop” with Digital Services Librarian Brian Lee. Registration required. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta.

(607) 432-1980.

THEATER—7 p.m.

Audition for a part in “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis, an alternate history of the 30s and 40s which posits what might have happened had FDR lost the presidency to a fascist. To be performed in May. Auditions also being held for August production of “Bad Seed,” about a psychopathic pre-teen girl.

Continues 1/20 at 1 p.m.

Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. Visit https://www.biggerdreamsproductions.org/auditions SCREENING— 7-9 p.m. Doors open at 6:30. “Cabin Fever Film Series: Asteroid City.” Free with suggested donation.

Light concessions available. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400 or visit https:// fenimoreartmuseum.org/

BOOK DISCUSSION— 7:30 p.m. “The Evolution of Beauty” with Linda Melchionne. Registration required. Presented over Zoom by the DelawareOtsego Audubon Society.

(607) 397-3815 or visit https://www.facebook. com/DelawareOtsegoAudubonSociety/ THEATRE—7:30 p.m.

“Shrek: The Musical Jr.” Tickets, $15/adult. Also held 1/20 and on 1/21 at 3 p.m. Presented by Orpheus Theatre at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1800 or visit https://www.orpheustheatre.org/shrekjr

►Saturday, Jan. 20 WINTER RACE— 10 a.m. “Frozen Toes 5 Miler.” Start the new year racing season with a fun run through the snow and ice. Will not be canceled for weather. Race takes place on perimeter of Sports Center property.

Race begins at 10 a.m.

Registration required.

Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. (607) 547-2800 or visit https:// www.clarksportscenter. com/ ART FUN—10:30 a.m.

“Library of Colors: Finger Painting Day.” All ages welcome. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661 or visit https://www.facebook.com/harrislibrary/ FOODIE CHALLENGE— 1-5 p.m. “The Ultimate Chowder Challenge.”

Taste up to 16 different chowders from local cooks, amateurs, and professionals, and decide which is best. Tickets, $15/person for unlimited chowder samples. High Burl Brewery, 2803 State Highway 80, Burlington.

(607) 965-1247 or visit https://www.facebook. com/HighBurlBrewery/ SEWING CLASS— 1:30-3 p.m. “Threads

what’s haPPENIN’ in OtsegO COunty _________

Past to Present.” Learn to CONCERT—7 p.m. Solo sew each Saturday with guitar concert/recording what’s Linda Hovey. Hand sewinghaPPENIN’ with Wyatt Ambrose. $15 in OtsegO COunty or learn a new machine. admission. Community Held each Saturday. The Arts Network of Oneonta, Green Giraffe, 179 Main Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Street, Unadilla. (607) Avenue, Oneonta. Visit 369-3234. https://www.facebook.

DRUM CIRCLE— com/CANOneonta/ 2 p.m. New group to enjoy ►Sunday, Jan. 21 drumming together. The Green Earth, 4 Market KICK OFF—1 p.m.

Street, Oneonta. Visit “Otsego County 4-H the Oneonta Drum Circle Quiz Bowl.” Learn about group page on Facebook. animals and general ANTIQUES—2 p.m. agriculture in interactive “What’s In Your Attic?” presentations, handsAntiquer Brian McMurray on activities, and farm leads open discussion on visits. Includes practice identifying and evaluatquestions in preparation ing finds from our attics. for quiz event scheduled Bring small objects, phofor 3/16 in Oxford. Open tos of larger items and to all Otsego County questions. Kinney Memo4-H members. Springrial Library, 3140 County field Community Center, Route 11, Hartwick.

129 County Road 29A, kodonnell@stny.rr.com Springfield Center. (607) DINNER CONCERT— 547-2536 or visit https:// 6 p.m. “Burns Night www.facebook.com/otseDinner 2024.” Traditional Scottish dinner, live gocounty4H SPEAKER SERIES— music, whisky tastings 3 p.m. Maureen Murand the poetry of Robert ray presents on The Burns. Tickets $40. St. Road Scholar Program.

James Church, 305 Main Free, open to the Street, Oneonta. leatherstockingdistrictpb@gmail. public. 3rd Floor Ballroom, Village Library of com or visit https://www.

Cooperstown, 22 Main facebook.com/LeatherStreet, Cooperstown. stockingPB (607) 547-8344 or visit THEATER—7 p.m. https://www.facebook.

“Willy Wonka Jr.” by com/VillageLibraryOfCooRoald Dahl. Presented perstown/ by the CCS Thespians.

JUSTICE—6 p.m.

All welcome. $10/adult.

“Know His Story: HuContinues 1/21 at 2 p.m. manizing Black Men Auditorium, Cooperstown through Narrative” with High School, 39 Linden Dr. Howard Ashford. Part Avenue, Cooperstown. of the Race, Equity and (607) 547-8181 or Justice series. Includes visit https://www.cooperpizza and drinks. Upper stowncs.org Floor, Village Library of CONCERT—7-11 p.m.

Cooperstown, 22 Main “Let’s Beat the Winter Street, Cooperstown.

Blahs with A Good Band (607) 547-9371 or visit and A Great Time!” Live music featuring “Waitin on https://www.facebook. com/ctownfirstbaptist Bob.” BYOB and snacks.

Cherry Valley Community Center, 2 Genesee Street, Cooperstown.

_______

AllOTSEGO.

THURSDAY, January 18, 2024

►Monday, Jan. 22 BREAKFAST WITH THE BOARD—8-9 a.m.

Casual meet and greet with Cooperstown Village Board to discuss local projects, agenda items, more. Includes coffee and donuts. All welcome.

Held fourth Monday of each month. Village Board Room, Village Hall, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.

PLAY & LEARN— 10 a.m. Supervised play session for children under 5. Cooperstown Village Library, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown.

(607) 547-8344 or visit https://www.facebook. com/VillageLibraryOfCooperstown/ SENIOR WALK— 10-11 a.m. Seniors walk with the Connections group on the track and gym floor. Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail. com or visit https://www. facebook.com/otsegocountyOFA/ CONNECTIONS— 10:30-11:15 a.m. Open Tai Chi. Connections at Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. connectionsatcsc@gmail.com or visit https://www.facebook. com/otsegocountyOFA/ SENIOR MEALS— Noon. Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal each Monday and Wednesday. Suggested donation is $3.50 for seniors, $10 for guests accompanying a senior.

Today, enjoy a lunch of baked fish, rice pilaf, spinach and chocolate ice cream. Cherry Valley Facilities Corporation Café, 2 Genesee Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 547-6454 or visit https://www. facebook.com/otsegocountyOFA/ CONNECTIONS— 12:30 p.m. Card Making with Gloria. Connections at Clark Sports Center,

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►Tuesday, Jan. 23 YOUTH—9:30 a.m.

“Baby & Toddler Story Time.”Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

COMMUNITY HIKE— 9:45 a.m. Hike with the Adirondack Mountain Club. Bring appropriate equipment, water, and be aware of fitness level.

This week’s hike held at Hamden Rail Trail.

Contact hike leader Tom Austin, (607) 435-8107, or visit https://susqadk. org/ CRAFTY TUESDAY— 10 a.m. Rubber Cement Watercolors. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661 or visit https:// www.facebook.com/harrislibrary/ FLY CREEK QUILTERS—10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Fly Creek Area Quilters meet to cut, sew, tie, bind and have a good time working on quilts. Fly Creek Methodist Church, County Route 26, Fly Creek.

ONLINE SECURITY— 1 p.m. “Protect Yourself from Scams and Frauds.”

Learn about the latest scams and how to protect yourself. The Gathering Place, 5506 State Highway 7, Oneonta. (607) 267-4732 or visit https:// www.facebook.com/otsegocountyOFA VIRTUAL TOUR— 2 p.m. “Thaw Collection of American Indian Art.” Associate Curator Julia Madore presents this collection showcasing Native American artistry and craftsmanship. Free, $10 suggested donation.

Registration required.

Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown. (607) 5471400 or visit https://fenimoreartmuseum.org/ SOUP’S ON—4-5 p.m.

“Homemade Soup To Go.” Free, all welcome.

No age, socio-economic or church membership requirement. Continues Tuesdays through 3/19.

Elm Park United Methodist Church, 401 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-6552.

WINTER CRAFTS— 5:30 p.m. “Night Sky Canvas Painting.” Registration required. Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 5478344.

►Visit allotsego.com/ otsego-county-events-calendar/ for the full calendar.

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