Hometown Oneonta 04-18-24

Glimmerglass Festival Unveils New infirmary, health Program

By DArLA M. YOUNGS

Less than a mile north of the Glimmerglass Festival main campus lies Malton Place which, since the summer of 2000, has been used to house apprentices and staff. Now Malton Place, once the Deer run Motel, will also be the site of a new infirmary for Glimmerglass employees.

On Friday, April 5, festival officials unveiled what they call “an unprecedented partnership.” Glimmerglass Medical & Wellness LLc, a local provider of institutional health and wellness programming and concierge primary care services, will offer regular weekly hours at the Glimmerglass Festival campus. The infirmary “will ensure easy access to healthcare services for Glimmerglass staff, apprentices, and performers,” offering first aid, triage of illness, acute-care escalation, and identification of episodic needs that a primary care provider should address, at no cost to Glimmerglass employees.

The impetus for the new infirmary centers around healthcare disparities in what is commonly referred to as the “gig economy.” Theater and music professionals live a gig-to-gig life, getting paid for jobs as they are completed. According to TechTarget, the gig economy is based on flexible, temporary or freelance jobs, which has the benefit of allowing for a more flexible lifestyle but, at the same

time, alters the traditional economic relationship between workers, businesses, and clients.

“This collaboration pioneers a unique, comprehensive health and wellness program tailored for opera and theater professionals,” officials said in a press release. “The program is a model for the opera and theater industry, addressing the healthcare disparities and lack of access to health insurance that industry professionals with atypical schedules and inconsistent employment often face.”

Kira Delanoy, director of communications for the Glimmerglass Festival, explained further.

“healthcare disparities in this population are based on access to care when traveling for work, non-traditional work schedules, and navigating a multitude of in- and out-of-state insurance carriers and their respective policies,” she said.

The infirmary space is currently under renovation, continued Delanoy, who described the location as ideal.

“The new infirmary is designed to provide a comfortable and functional space for employee first aid, immediate examinations, and escalation to acute care if needed,” Delanoy said in an email on Monday, April 15. “The space will include appropriate equipment, storage, and office furniture provided by [Glimmerglass] Festival, as well as additional equipment donated by

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By TErESA WiNchESTEr and rOBErT BENSEN

Doyle watched the jaws of the excavator demolishing her house. it had been firedamaged, the entire north wall blown off, mattress and furniture spilling out of the sagging floors. She shouted as the jaws of the machine tore into the roof again and again, “You animal! You animal!” Then she paused. “This is such fun,” she said. “it should have happened a long time ago.” Gone is the house at 16 richards Avenue built in the 1930s. Gone are the new windows Doyle had put in, the new porches, and

the solar panels on the garage roof. The wreckage was hauled away, the yard filled with topsoil and leveled. it is now a vacant lot. The March 25 demolition took place nearly four months after the December 9, 2023 gas explosion that took the life of Doyle’s next-door neighbor, Desmond Moan, who lived at 18 richards Avenue. The explosion had blown his house to smithereens. Shockwaves were felt for miles around, the sound of it reportedly heard as far as 15 miles away. The blast shook houses throughout the entire neighborhood, rocked some off their foundations, shattered walls and windows—and the

Photo by robert Bensen Clare Anderson witnessed the demolition of her house at 20 Richards Avenue on March 27. Behind her are the excavator and what remains of the home of Desmond Moan, who died on December 9 when a gas explosion leveled his house.

Photo by robert Bensen

The home of Barbara Doyle, 16 Richards Avenue, as it stood on January 4. After condemnation, the house was razed on March 25.

Photo provided DR. JEFFREY BAILEY

BOCES Seniors Take Third in Contest Against College Students

By MONICA CALZOLARI ALBANY

Five Otsego Northern Catskills

BOCES highschool seniors competed with college students from multiple engineering programs in New York State and tied for third place, winning $5,000.00 for their invention.

New York State Industries for the Disabled, or NYSID, hosted its tenth annual, statewide competition on April 8. Each year, engineering students

showcase specific inventions to help those with disabilities.

ONC BOCES is the first and only high school to compete in the history of this annual competition, called CREATE, or Cultivating Resources for Employment with Assistive Technology.

According to its website, “NYSID’s academic challenge encourages assistive technology innovation for New Yorkers with disabilities in order to remove barriers from the workplace. CREATE offers student engineers the opportunity to put

their knowledge to use in the context of a real-life experience during their capstone projects.”

One problem being faced today is that nearly 70 percent of people with disabilities in New York State are unemployed. NYSID is working to improve that.

It was Creekside Industries, a division of The Arc Otsego, that approached ONC BOCES to ask for help last December. Nils Anderson, an instructor in the Mechatronics/ Robotics Program, visited Creekside Industries on Brown Street in Oneonta to assess their needs.

Anderson learned that New York State has mandated that feminine products be available in all school bathrooms. Creekside Industries identified a shortfall in the ability to keep up with the increased demand for feminine products that must be sleeved and work in dispensing machines. Creekside employs individuals with disabilities. Some had difficulty sealing the plastic sleeves around tampons.

The ONC BOCES team—comprised of Nick Troiano, Trevor Campagna, Owen Gustafson, Tyler Sorensen, and Michael Sprague— developed a robotic device to automatically crimp the plastic around the tampons.

Anderson explained, “The robot was designed to crimp 20-25 tampons at a time. The team estimates that, in an eighthour day, Creekside can produce between 80,000-90,000 sleeved tampons per day using this invention.”

Maureen O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of NYSID, said, “NYSID is a private, not-for-profit based in Albany with a 45-year history.”

O’Brien is NYSID’s first woman CEO and has been at the helm for five years.

“We’ve had 96 inventions in 10 years through NYSID’s CREATE program,” she said.

By inviting aspiring

engineers from multiple schools to partner with businesses to solve real-world problems, NYSID is encouraging innovation.

“We believe here at NYSID that individuals of all abilities bring particular strengths to each challenge, particularly neurodivergent or intellectually disabled individuals. They see the world differently,” O’Brien explained.

O’Brien said, “Individuals with disabilities are an important part of our workforce in New York State.”

She wants businesses to know that “providing accommodations needed is not all that difficult.”

In fact, the five high-

school seniors from ONC BOCES have proven this, having figured out how to solve the problem Creekside Industries presented.

O’Brien said, “By exposing young engineers to these industry challenges, they become better equipped to create products with this experience and the diverse thinking of many.”

“The Mechatronics/ Robotics Program has only been established in the past five years by ONC BOCES. I do a capstone project with my seniors every year and it usually involves building a machine. When Creekside Industries asked for our help, we

Continued

Photo by Nils Anderson

Nick Troiano, Trevor Campagna, Owen Gustafson, Tyler Sorensen and Michael Sprague invented an automated crimper to help Creekside Industries employees with disabilities to wrap feminine products more efficiently.

Pro-Life, Pro-Healing

COOPERSTOWN—You may have noticed the

3,000 pink and blue flags adorning the front of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Cooperstown. April is Abortion Recovery Awareness Month. According to Heartbeat International, 82 percent of women do not know where to go for hope and healing following an abortion. The flags represent the number of children aborted every day. This demonstration is part of St. Mary’s prolife ministry. Church officials said the flags will remain up through the end of the month.

‘Empty Bowls’ Fundraiser is This Saturday

By EMILY HILBERT COOPERSTOWN

Soup’s on! That’s what people will be saying this Saturday during the annual Empty Bowls Luncheon to benefit the Cooperstown Food Pantry.

As the ground finally starts to thaw and we start to feel that spring breeze pass by, there is no better time to get the community together for a worthy cause. What was begun in the early 1990s by potters “looking to raise money for their local food pantry and soup kitchen,” according to a press release, has blossomed to become a much-anticipated event for locals.

More than 300 unique, hand-thrown bowls have been donated by local potters for use during the event; the Smithy Clay Studio donated their space and kiln use. As for the food itself, area

restaurants, caterers, and generous individuals have signed up to donate a wide variety of soup and bread.

But how does it work? Have no fear, first-time attendees—it’s a fairly simple process. The luncheon will take place this Saturday, April 20 from noon to 2 p.m. at Christ Church Parish Hall, 69 Fair Street, Cooperstown. Once there, a suggested donation of $20.00 will be collected and guests will get to pick any bowl they want—short or tall, they will have them all. Everyone will be able to find a bowl they love, whether plain or decorated. Next, head to the line to grab some bread and soup. That’s it! Once done, diners get to take their beautiful bowls home with them “as a reminder of ‘empty bowls’ and hunger in Otsego County.” There will also be a raffle. All proceeds from the

event will go to benefit the Cooperstown Food Pantry. For more information on the food pantry, or to volunteer or seek assistance, visit www.cooperstownfoodpantry.org or contact CFP Executive Director Will Kleffner, at (607) 547-8902. Signed up for soup donations? Drop-off is from 10:30-11:30 a.m.

Organizers ask that those brining soup to try

to arrive with the soup already warmed through, as the church has a stove but space will be limited.

Photo by Tara Barnwell

ON STAGE

Embracing a Dual Emergence

It’s time for the cicadas, those red-eyed insects that make a lot of noise for a few weeks, then disappear, many for many years. Brood XIX, the Great Southern Brood, and Brood XIII, the Northern Illinois Brood, will emerge together in the next few weeks or so, a rare event as the two broods are adjacent to each other. The last time these naïve little insects showed up at the same time was in 1803, the year Thomas Jefferson doubled the size of the country with the Louisiana Purchase, and a mere five years before the initial publication of “The Freeman’s Journal” in Cooperstown in October 1808. The next time these two broods align and emerge together will be in the spring of 2146.

Cicadas, so called because of the onomatopoeic sounds they make, have been featured in literature since the time of the “Iliad,” Homer’s epic poem of the Trojan War which was finally written down in the late 8th or early 7th century B.C. They also appear as art motifs in the Chinese Shang dynasty, which came to an end around the 11th century B.C. People eat them in China, Myanmar, Malaysia and central Africa.

These little guys are true bugs. Just over an inch long, they look like small candy bars with transparent wings. They are black or orange, with prominent, wide-set red eyes, short antennae and big membranous front wings. The males produce exceptionally loud sounds by rubbing their drum-like tymbals (cicadas’ timbals are membranes in their abdomens). The exclusively North American Genus, Magicicada, spend most of their lives underground, as underground nymphs, and their emergence, after either 13 or 17 years depending on their brood, is synchronized. The brood emerges together, probably a ploy to reduce their loss to predation as their vast numbers will satiate any predator—and they do have predators, birds, bats, wasps, spiders, fish, reptiles, and mammals—long before that bad guy extinguishes the entire brood. They are well camouflaged, closely resembling the bark of trees on which they live; they can also play dead.

These two North American broods, XIX, a 13-year brood said to be the largest of all periodical broods, and XIII, a 17-year brood, will tunnel out of the ground and blanket lawns, streets, houses, gardens, forests, fields, and anything else in their way. This time, more than a trillion cicadas will appear in 16 states in the Southeast and Midwest. Laid end-to-end they would cover upward of 15.5 million miles—to the moon and back 33 times. For about a week they will finish maturing, quietly, and molt. And then it will happen. The male cicadas, seeking to attract a female, will begin to buzz with a slowbuilding cacophonic crescendo that can both challenge the decibels of an airplane flying overhead and cause hearing loss in humans who venture too close to their perches.

It’s noisy, but these little bugs don’t bite, sting or carry any disease, they don’t stray too far from whence they came, they only buzz during the daytime hours and they are with us for only a month. They are natural tree gardeners, aerating the soil beneath the trees when they emerge, pruning the branches with slits in the bark for their eggs and providing nutrients from their dead, reputedly quite smelly, bodies. They are neither great flyers, great jumpers, nor—worse—great landers, cascading to the streets and sidewalks only to be squished by cars and bikes and pedestrians and then shoveled and scraped away.

Just as they are good for the ecosystem of our deciduous forests, cicadas are good for our gardens. Do not spray them—it won’t kill them all, but it might kill everything else—and do not throw the dead ones away. They make excellent fertilizer. Their visit, although intense, is temporary and we would do well to let them be. Around here, the next cicada emergence is in 2035, when Brood VII, the Onondaga Brood, awakens from its 17year nap. It won’t be as big as the group this spring, but it will be plenty noisy just the same.

CARDELLE

‘Cabaret’ from the Crew POV

Cabaret,” directed by Drew Kahl, with music by John Kander and Fred Ebb and book by Joe Masteroff, is the spring musical coming to SUNY Oneonta the last full week of April. The show is a stage musical that premiered in 1966, which came from the 1951 play, “I Am a Camera,” that was based on Christopher Isherwood’s book “Goodbye to Berlin.” All these works, as well as the 1972 film version of “Cabaret,” directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minelli and Michael York, are set in Berlin in the years leading up to Hitler’s election.

The cast of “Cabaret” were exciting and fun to watch in rehearsal. Even as one sits in the audience, knowing the dark cloud of fascism that hangs over the fun and decadence happening on stage, even as the characters on stage begin to feel the first rain drops from that cloud, the singing, dancing, and gaiety continues. I had many questions for the cast about the roles they played, and the dancing and singing they needed to learn, but for this production I decided to interview the crew. As I watched them bustling about, silently looking on during the vocal warm-ups and director’s notes from the previous rehearsal, stepping in to cover for an absent cast member, I thought it might be interesting to see this production from the crew members’ eyes.

Then I heard the stage manager, Katelyn (Litwak), say to the director, Drew (Kahl), “It’s just Act II tonight, so we’ll need a gorilla. I’ll go do rock-paper-scissors with Sophia and Tatum.” Yup. Definitely

wanted to get the crew’s perspective this time.

After rehearsal, I sat with Drew, Katelyn, Tim Iversen (music director), Sophia Milton (assistant stage manager), and Tatum Sasser (assistant stage manager). Not surprisingly, the two directors spoke to the bigger picture of the production and how they have thought through the acting and musical numbers.

Tim, who teaches at Cooperstown Central School, talked about how useful his involvement with SUNY O’s musical productions over many years has been to his teaching. Working as music director at the college level has allowed him to bring a more professional environment to his high-school productions. On the other hand, the three managers, all students at SUNY O, were brimming with enthusiasm for the daily logistics of lighting, sets, props, stage directions, and cast management.

I began by asking, “Why this play?” a question that prompted a passionate discussion between the director and musical director. Drew immediately spoke to a primary theme of the musical: the importance of being aware of the political climate in which one is living and not putting one’s head in the sand. As we are in an election year when discussions of nationalism and authoritarianism are rampant, he liked that this musical would speak to the audience directly.

“I think one of the things that annoys me frequently when I watch musicals is that often the book

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR … IN THEIR OPINION

In Response to Shaughnessy

I am writing in response to your letter of April 8, 2024 [“Open Letter to RSS ED DeVita”]. Members of the RSS senior leadership team, including myself and CEO William DeVita, met to discuss the contents of your communication. As the organization’s point person on the 27 Market Street project, it is appropriate that I respond accordingly. As active leaders, service providers and business investors in the Oneonta community since 1987, we continue to be interested in engaging residents, business owners, community leaders and others who, like RSS, have Oneonta’s collective interests at heart. We take great pride in the work we do, and the impact we have in the communities we serve. Oneonta is no exception. We are privileged to provide vital support that assists individuals and families—our friends and neighbors—in living fulfilling lives while also building a stronger community.

Our collective vision for 27 Market Street is inspired by those ideals, and we’re encouraged that much of the public

discourse has been productive. In convening dozens of oneon-one and group meetings, making multiple presentations to the Common Council, and participating in various public forums, we have listened to ideas, shared information, answered questions and concerns, and worked collaboratively with all who have an interest in the project. We have had many great conversations and look forward to many more in the months to come.

Throughout this process, we have been dedicated to providing transparent communication, on our website and elsewhere, based on factual and accurate information. We remain committed to sharing pertinent material that is grounded in facts, including helping prepare responses to more than 140 questions about the project. At the same time, we will always refrain from spreading information that is false or misleading, perpetuates rumors or innuendo, or worst of all, marginalizes, attacks and denigrates members of our community.

Above all, we respect the views of all who participate in this process. We invite you to join us in an open and

honest dialogue, based on facts, that promotes the best interests of all members of our community.

Christine Nealon Rehabilitation Support Services Director of Strategic Partnerships

Economy Good, Thanks to Biden

Thanks to Joe Biden, you have to marvel at America’s economic recovery.

Not long ago it was widely thought to be on the brink of recession. Instead, the economic recovery since the pandemic has been amazing.

The gross domestic product has grown so much that 2023 was one of the “boomiest” years on record.

And it continues to defy expectations. At the start of this year, economists had been forecasting annualized growth in the first quarter of 1 percent; that prediction has since doubled.

The labor market is in great health, too. The unemployment rate has been below 4 percent for 25 consecutive months, the longest such spell in over 50 years.

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Photo by Drew Kahl The SUNY Oneonta cast of “Cabaret,”from the crew’s perspective.

90 YEARs AGo

April 1934

40 YEARs AGo

President Reagan has approved a series of measures, including pre-emptive strikes and reprisals designed to get the upper hand on terrorism worldwide, administration officials revealed. one of the key elements of the policy is an effort to switch from defensive action to offensive, partly by increasing the ability of U.s. operatives to gather intelligence in order to stop terrorist activities before they occur. While the U.s. government has been increasingly concerned with terrorism for several years, new impetus to deal with it occurred when 241 U.s. servicemen died in the truck bombing of a U.s. Marine headquarters bombing in Beirut, Lebanon, last october 23. An anonymous White House official said Reagan did not scrap an existing prohibition against assassination attempts by U.s. government agents. “The general idea is that we don’t allow terrorism to go unpunished,” the source said.

April 1984

30 YEARs AGo

Cornel West, a scholar of Afro-American studies and the author of the book, “Race Matters,” will speak on Wednesday, April 27, at 8 p.m. in the Hunt Union Ballroom at the state University College at oneonta. In his book, West argues that the major obstacle to harmonious race relations in the United states is nihilism—a sense of worthlessness that he sees as growing among American blacks. West is co-authoring a new book with Michael Learner titled “Blacks and Jews: Conflicts and Coalescence.” West will be leaving Princeton University after the school year to teach at Harvard University where he will divide his time between the Department of AfroAmerican studies and the Harvard Divinity school.

April 1994

20 YEARs AGo

President Bush’s efforts to ban gay marriage are driving gay rights activists to plan protests and other attention-grabbing events in New York City this summer during the Republican convention. “This is an issue that has really swept the country from coast to coast and is dominating public discussion about civil rights,” said Kevin Cathcart, director of Lambda Legal, a gay rights group. Bush publicly backed a constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriages after the high court in Massachusetts ruled it is unconstitutional to prevent gay couples from marrying.

April 2004

Tobacco Waste Harmful to Environment

Earth Day offers the chance to raise awareness of behavior and practices that harm the environment but were not realized previously. Most people know tobacco use is bad for your health, but not as many know that tobacco waste is terrible for the environment. Cigarette butts, the most littered items in the world, and ecigarette waste are not biodegradable and contaminate our waterways, soil, and wildlife with toxic chemicals and plastics. Worse, almost no tobacco waste can be recycled and disposing of it further harms the environment.

Every year, 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide, 65 percent of them deliberately. According to the Public Health Law Center, that weighs 850,000 tons or about 30 times the weight of the statue of Liberty. PHLC also reports that “in just western New York, approximately 1 billion cigarettes are smoked annually. In 2019, 339,716 cigarette butts, 44,822 cigar tips, and 1,868 other tobacco product waste items were collected from the Great Lakes Basin, including Lake Erie. Cigarette butts are among the most commonly found objects in sewer overflows that feed into the Hudson River.”

Cigarette butts do not biodegrade because they contain cellulose acetate, a type of plastic. The PHLC reports, “over time, cellulose acetate breaks down physically into thousands of microplastic fibers, which are ubiquitous and have been found in the stomachs of birds and fish and even deep in the ocean.” In November 2022, the United Nations Environment Programme designated cigarette filters as a form of single-use plastic and held negotiating sessions to ban or strictly regulate

By MERL REAGLE

all single-use plastics so as to reduce pollution and save the ocean. New York state proposed similar legislation, the Tobacco Product Waste Reduction Act, which “would prohibit the sale of cigarettes using single-use filters (cigarette butts) and ban the sale of single-use electronic cigarettes” in the state. It has failed to advance in the past and was reintroduced for the 2023-2024 legislative session.

E-cigarette waste is not as widespread as cigarette butts, but is even more harmful for the environment. E-cigarettes, or vapes, have three main components—lithium battery, heating part, and cartridge—none of which is biodegradable. Worse, lithium batteries are prone to explosions and fires and the concentrated nicotine liquid in cartridges can be very harmful to human skin and, if ingested, even fatal to small children and wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency categorizes nicotine as hazardous waste because it can be fatal to humans; the EPA and other federal agencies

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Photo provided e-cigarette waste (left) is not as widespread as cigarette butts, but is even more harmful to the environment.

SMITH AWARDS: SUNY Oneonta recognized 206 students in early April for their academic excellence. Taking place each spring semester, the Susan Sutton Smith awards are given to first-year students, as well as sophomores and juniors who maintain a grade point average of 3.9 or higher. The award ceremony was accompanied by a lecture, given this year by Associate Professor of Biology Dr. Kiyoko Yokota, faculty recipient of the Susan Sutton Smith Award. The following students were also honored for their achievements: Madison Hayes and Camilla Tabor, Cooperstown; Faith Logue, Hartwick; Triana Hawkins, Mount Vision; Christine Tom, Tiffany Gardner, and Leighlyn Revere, Oneonta: Kylie Mussaw, Otego. Asma Butt and Christopher Prentice, Sidney; and Grace Kelley, Worcester.

GRADUATES HONORED: SUNY Oneonta held a Fall Commencement on December 10, 2023, with more than 250 students receiving their bachelor’s degrees. The following students graduated: Aubrie Malesky of Davenport; Michael Croft of Hartwick; Olivia Card of Maryland; Jerred Brodie of Mount Vision; Maria Ackerman of New Berlin; Sherry Georgeson-Hahn, Trey Lambrecht, and Nanlyett Yulfo Matos of Oneonta; Leah Hamm of Otego; and Christopher Ogden of West Oneonta.

LINCOLN LEADS: Tiffani Lincoln of Oneonta has been chosen among 22 other students who will represent Kutztown University and their Women’s Acrobatic and Tumbling Team for the 2024 season.

COLD DAY, CHILI NIGHTS: The 19th annual Chili Bowl Cook-Off and Fundraiser for the Community Arts Network of Oneonta was held on Saturday, February 10. This was a professionals-only event, with restaurants competing for bragging rights. The winners are as follows. People’s Choice: first place, Paper Birch Properties; second place, Azul, and third place – B Side/Autumn Café. Judge’s Choice: first place, SUNY Oneonta (Guinness entry); second place—Azul; and third place, Schneider’s Bakery.

ROBERTS RISES: Eric Roberts of Morris, a member of the 152nd Engineer Company, received a promotion in March to the rank of sergeant in the Army National Guard. Promotions are not just based on a soldier’s strength, but their overall performance, leadership, professionalism, and future potential. Promotions are reserved for soldiers who meet these qualifications and demonstrate they are the best of the best.

GOOD AS GOLD: Golden Artist Colors of New Berlin has announced the introduction of 18 new colors across its Heavy Body, Fluid and OPEN SlowDrying Acrylic product lines. The expansion includes the highly anticipated introduction of Azo Gold to all three types of acrylic. Golden Artist Colors, located in rural Chenango County, is a leading innovator in artists’ paints and pigments.

POWERS EXCELS: Maya Powers of Worcester has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa’s Pi of New York chapter at Elmira College. Phi Beta Kappa is the oldest academic society in the country and recognizes high scholarly achievement. The society “reflects a demonstrated interest in and commitment to the value of learning, to the vital traditions and principles offered by a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences,” said Professor of American Studies and History Dr. Charles Mitchell. In addition to her induction, Powers, a junior at Elmira College, was also recognized as an outstanding member of her class and received a Phi Beta Kappa award.

STELLAR COMMUNITY SERVICE: SUNY

Delhi’s O’Connor Center for Community Engagement is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. The OCCE manages the campus’ career closet and food pantry, and creates community service opportunities through training and by developing partnerships and programs that connect the campus to the rest of the community. According to Barbara Jones, vice president for student life emeritus, the OCCE was founded

Gone, But Not Forgotten

LAURENS—The Linda Reeves Memorial Zumbathon on January 20, organized by two local Zumba instructors, Holly Deleski and Tracy Bender, raised $2,500.00 for the American Cancer Society. Deleski and Reeves became certified as Zumba instructors in July 2013 and taught Zumba in Laurens for 10 years. Many of the participants in this photo have been exercising together for years and knew Reeves very well. When she died of cancer on August 17, 2023, many attended her wake and funeral. For the past five or so years, Deleski, Reeves and Bender co-led the Zumba class that still meets three times a week at Laurens Central School. This team has raised money for the American Cancer Society in the past. They hosted a Zumbathon in 2022 in conjunction with the Laurens Central School’s Coaches and Cancer fundraiser. Pictured above are, front row: Natalie Hooper, Marjorie Bailey, the three sons of Christina Lopez, Monica Calzolari, Jenny Morell, Angela Deleski, Amy Van Cott, and Riley Van Cott; and, back row: Christina Lopez, Jaden Scorzafava, Bridget Bender, Tracy Bender, Mary Crouthamel, Wendy Decker, Regina Baker, Melissia Koren, Susan Thurgood, Treena Halstead, Holly Deleski, Sherry Hotaling, and Christine Watson. Not pictured: Erica Cruz Hernandez, a guest Zumba instructor, and her three children.

in 1999 “on a shoestring budget. Jones added that “it’s hard to believe it was 25 years ago. I always felt that the O’Connor Center was the heart of the college and the Student Life division. It’s an amazing program that brings people together.” John Padovani, interim vice president of student life at SUNY Delhi, added, “Commitment to service is a very special part of our campus culture…Every year, our students and volunteers put in many hours of community service, forming a wonderful connection between our campus and the local community.”

ONEONTA HONORED: SUNY Oneonta has been recognized as having one of the top 100 online graduate programs in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2024 rankings. The literacy education and educational technology specialist programs were among those listed, which includes colleges and universities country-wide that, according to U.S. News, “have strong traditional academic foundations based on student-instructor access, graduation rates, and instructor credentials” and “excel at educating distance learners while offering robust career and financial support.” Dr. Gabriel Aquino, dean of graduate studies at SUNY Oneonta, said of the honor, “SUNY Oneonta is proud to be recognized among the top 100 best online Master’s in Education programs. We hope that the flexibility of our offerings makes it easier for those interested in extending their professional teaching certifications.” These programs offered by SUNY aim to be a flexible, convenient and affordable path for those wishing to attain a New York State professional teaching certificate.

STUDENT SENATE SOARS: In early March, six SUNY schools were invited to participate in a weekend-long event known as the Model Senate, an intensive training opportunity for students to learn about the government and legislative process of New York State. This year, the theme of the event was centered around Daniel’s Law, a bill that discusses the presence of police in cases where mental health and substance use is concerned. Three students from SUNY Delhi, Khamil Almonte, Dominick Dalton and Yasmeen Kablaoui, were in attendance. All students were assigned their own senators and constituencies to

All

research, and the event ended with them debating bills on the Senate floor. The students, with their advisor, Laura Pehrsson, finished out the weekend by attending the SOMOS Conference and Gala on Saturday night. According to a press release following the event, “Participation in the Model Senate experience reflects the commitment of the criminal justice program at SUNY Delhi to provide real-life learning and leadership development opportunities to prepare students for careers in law and the criminal justice system.”

AGING SERVICES EXPAND: The Kennedy Willis Center on Down Syndrome, which has spent the last decade advancing research in the areas of aging and dementia services for people with Down syndrome and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, has announced it is expanding its partnership with LIFEPlan CCO NY and Advanced Care Alliance of New York. Brittany Goodrich, director of the Kennedy Willis Center, said, “We want to ensure the delivery of quality care across a person’s entire lifespan—but what we consistently hear from families and providers is the unfortunate gaps in available services and training programs that support age and cognitiverelated changes for older populations. Establishing readily-accessible resources and collaborating with leading provider organizations like LIFEPlan CCO and ACANY will reaffirm the commitment to comprehensive and long-term quality services for people and their caregivers.” LIFEPlan and ACANY, which have been in a strategic partnership since 2021, will work with Kennedy Willis Center officials to expand inclusive services through a network of highly trained human service and healthcare professionals.

DELHI STUDENTS AWARDED: Marissa Lombardi of Goshen and Daniel Luna of the Bronx were recently given the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence at SUNY Delhi. “It is with deep admiration that I commend you all for your work to elevate your communities, inspire your peers, and shape a better tomorrow,” said SUNY Chancellor John B. King. Jr. This award is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a student within the SUNY system.

BRIGHAM RECOGNIZED: Laurel Brigham of New Berlin is among a group of students at SUNY Delhi chosen to receive a Division of Student Life Leadership Award. The award is reserved for students who are “contributing to the campus community, overcoming obstacles, or exemplifying the values of the Student Life Division,” said a press release. Brigham is pictured below with Rebecca Harrington, SUNY Delhi assistant director of Student Rights and Responsibilities. (Photo provided)

Photo provided

Photo provided LINDA REEVES

Photo provided

About Animal Advocacy ALBANY—Every year, the New York State Animal Protection Federation meets in Albany at the New York State Capitol building to advocate to legislators about laws that impact companion animals. This year, the NYSAPF met on Tuesday, March 12. Susquehanna SPCA Executive Director Stacie Haynes (in green, above) met with local legislators including Senator Peter Oberacker, Assemblyman Brian Miller and Assemblyman Chris Tague. Haynes, who is president of the New York State Animal Protection Federation, also had the opportunity to meet and thank Governor Kathy Hochul for her support of critical legislation passed recently, including the Shelter Standards Bill and the Puppy Mill Pipeline Bill.

infirmary

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the Hamilton College Theatre Department. The space chosen for renovation also offers complete privacy for patients and a small, comfortable waiting area,” she said.

According to officials, the Glimmerglass Festival Medical and Wellness program was informally piloted during the 2023 season. Dr. Jeffrey Bailey, DNp/FNp-BC, founder of Glimmerglass Medical & Wellness—in partnership with Glimmerglass Festival’s safety department—provided medical support and consultation for staff and performers, “showcasing the power of collaboration in creating a healthier and more vibrant working environment.”

The new infirmary will be staffed by GM&W practitioners, and Dr. Bailey will serve as director of the new wellness program, the mission of which is to have workers leaving Glimmerglass Festival better than they did upon arriving for the season. program goals include: providing continuity of care to a group of people with limited access to consistent and affordable healthcare; meeting the needs of individuals where they are, rather than imposing healthcare goals; and providing resources to empower people to make healthy choices.

Officials said the program is intended to reduce absenteeism and productivity loss due to lack of access to appropriate medical care, reduce emergency room visits, thereby reducing stress on the local healthcare system, and support the local economy with partnerships with local practitioners and businesses.

The Glimmerglass Festival Medical and Wellness program also includes a weekly primary care “Opera Doc” clinic led by Dr. Bailey. Services at the Opera Doc clinic are offered for a copay, in partnership with Bassett Healthcare Network’s Richfield Springs clinic, further enhancing accessibility, officials said. Along with these medical supports come fitness classes, including yoga and stretching, held both at the Glimmerglass campus and at Herkimer College as well, where Glimmerglass Young Artists reside during the summer season.

“The new Health & Wellness program is the result of the generosity of many who have donated time, resources, equipment, and funding,” Delanoy said. “Beth and Gary Glynn’s generous financial support has covered all startup costs associated with the new program and funded its operation during the 2024 season. Dr. Jeffrey Bailey has been instrumental in partnering with [Glimmerglass] Festival to create this new program, donating countless hours of time and knowledge to the project. This project also would not have been possible without the steadfast support of our Board of Trustees, who support our pursuit of innova-

tive ways of running our unique festival.”

The new program also includes an educational component, with a seminar series and weekly newsletter covering a wide range of topics, such as sleep hygiene, healthy eating, summer colds, and other wellness topics.

Delanoy said the program emphasizes preventative care, focusing on general health and wellness.

“While absence through illness is not uncommon during a busy festival season, this program’s mission [is] to mitigate absenteeism,” Delanoy said.

Common issues that have kept performers off the stage range from summer colds and allergies to sprains, strains, bumps, and bruises, she added.

“For nearly five decades, Glimmerglass has been the driving force behind the American opera and theater scene, nurturing performers, musicians, and artisans who have risen to prominence in the industry. With this new partnership with Glimmerglass Medical & Wellness, we are taking the next step in this long history, offering holistic support to the professionals who make each season’s magic possible,” said Glimmerglass Executive Director Andrea lyons.

Currently a primary care provider at the Hamilton College Johnson Center for Health and Wellness, Dr. Bailey holds a bachelor’s degree in evolutionary biology of the human species, a master’s degree in nursing, a master’s degree in oncology, and a clinical doctorate in nursing practice as a Family Nurse practitioner, all from Columbia University. He is also a performing arts professional with more than 30 years of experience working as a dancer, choreographer, and director.

“This new program is groundbreaking. We are introducing health and wellness benefits to Glimmerglass employees that surpass many institutional wellness programs available at Fortune 500 companies,” said Dr. Bailey. “partnering

with Glimmerglass to provide this program has been about giving back to my local community by supporting an organization that brings so much beauty and joy to our region. it is also about giving back to the performing arts community where i began my professional life. i hope we can make the world a little better for the people in both communities.”

The Glimmerglass Festival Medical and Wellness program launches this month with the first seminar in its educational series, a class about navigating state health insurance marketplaces while working within the gig economy.

For more information about the Glimmerglass Festival, visit www. glimmerglass.org or email info@glimmerglass. org. For more information about Glimmerglass Medical & Wellness llC, visit https://www. gmwcare.com/.

Village

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Nos. 131.-1-20.00 Hwy Dept.; 131.00-1-18.00 Blue lot; no known tax number, linden Avenue from Blue lot to NYS Route 28)

• leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, inc. (2.7226 acres; Tax Map No. 131.00-113.00—section from Village line to southern end of Blue lot) improved public safety is the impetus for the annexation which, put simply, “is the incorporation of one territory into the territory of another.”

The transfer of jurisdiction over this acreage will allow the Village of Cooperstown police Department to patrol and have authority over properties housing highway vehicles and fuel storage. it will enable the village to improve pedestrian safety in that area by maintaining and clearing sidewalks and crosswalks near the high school and village-owned parking lots. The annexation will also allow the village to control the entirety of linden Avenue, including roadway maintenance, paving and plowing.

Officials said the Village of Cooperstown will assume all liability for the sidewalks and

streets, “thus reducing the liability exposure to Town of Otsego residents.”

“The Village owns most of the property in that area and has always maintained linden Avenue,” said Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh in a telephone interview on Tuesday, April 16. “We installed sidewalks on the east side of the street, which we clear in the winter—school children should be kept safe—and there are six crosswalks that we paint each year.”

Tillapaugh said the joint Annexation Resolution signed by town and village officials last week is the final step in what has been a long, complicated process stalled by, among other things, the COViD-19 pandemic.

An initial survey of the west side of what is known as the linden Avenue Extension was conducted six years ago, Tillapaugh said, with a second survey following to include the leatherstocking Railway Historical Society, at their request. in addition to the final joint resolution, Tillapaugh said New York State officials recommended that all parties sign a petition of intent first.

“All involved property owners signed petitions and individually passed their own resolutions,” Tillapaugh said.

This past February, Tillapaugh presented the completed packet— including all petitions and resolutions—to the Otsego County Board of Representatives for the county’s seal of approval. Tillapaugh stressed that there are no tax implications as a result of this process.

“The village has been caring for these areas for the past 14 years,” she said. “Our jurisdiction to

do so, envisioned almost 14 years ago, has simply been formalized.” Tillapaugh also addressed the advantages of the annexation, were those properties to be developed in the future.

“There is potential for development, but the highway department land is a brownfield,” Tillapaugh explained. “The Town of Otsego doesn’t have the resources to implement a remediation grant, but the village does.”

BOCES

Continued from page 2

were happy to assist,” Anderson added.

“i am very proud of these five students. They did this project in a very short period of time. They only had about two months to build the prototype. They put in a lot of hours,” Anderson said.

The $5,000.00 prize money is split between Creekside industries and ONC BOCES to cover the costs associated with building the prototype.

2024 Winners include:

1st place: NYiT—

Gamified Silk Screen Cleaner ($15,000.00)

2nd place: NYiT— SafeChef Cutlery System ($10,000.00)

3rd place (tie): Cooper Union—Be a Companion Automated Wheelchair locking Device and ONC BOCES—Automated Crimper ($5,000.00 each)

The five BOCES students competed with college engineering students from the New York institute of Technology and Cooper Union. past winners included engineering students from the University of Rochester, Binghamton University and others across the state.

Watt To Present at CANO

ONEONTA—Community Arts Network of Oneonta will host opera singer and memoirist Kathleen Watt for its April Writers Salon event at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 18. At the height of her career, Watt faced a devastating diagnosis that changed her life forever. She will share her story and read from her award-winning memoir, “Rearranged.” CANO will also host a creative writing workshop with Cooperstown writer, journalist and poet leslie Berliant from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Both events are free and open to the public, and will be held at Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue.

Psychic Fair Returns April 27

ONEONTA—SHiFT New York psychic and Holistic Fair will return for its 18th year on Saturday and Sunday, April 27 and 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. it will feature a wide variety of psychic reading, energy healing, metaphysical and spiritual events, classes, and vendors. There will also be workshops including aura photos, herbal remedies, jewelry, hypnosis, sound healing and more. One-day or two-day passes are available at the door, or in advance for a discount. Fair organizers recommend that participants pre-book sessions with practitioners in order to guarantee a spot. Visit https://shiftnewyork.com/ for more information. There will also be a psychic medium event at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. This SHiFT Fair will take place at Oneonta Quality inn, 5206 State Route 23. Visit AllOtsego.com for more news briefs.

Explosion

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lives of multiple residents of Richards Avenue.

i thought we had been hit by a bomb. There was a pile of rubble and a huge hole in the ground,” said Richard Baird, who for 12 years had been renting a room at 17 Richards Avenue.

Baird immediately called the home’s owner, Melanie Castine, who was grocery shopping at the time. She said that Baird told her to come home right away, the house across the street had blown up. She asked him two more times to repeat what he had said, unable to believe what she was hearing.

“indeed, it had,” Castine said. “And then i realized so had mine. And so had a lot of others in the area.”

Just before the explosion, Baird was watching television in the front room, which had a large front window.

“The window exploded inward. i was thrown to the floor. The explosion lifted the entire house up. Melanie’s dog, Frodo, was thrown across the house. There was glass on top of me. i was lucky no glass went into me,” Baird said.

A Fireball Bigger Than the House

As he was getting up, Baird looked out on Moan’s house.

it was a fireball bigger than the entire two-story house,” he said.

The adjacent house at 20 Richards Avenue, belonging to Clare

Anderson, was also on fire. “i grabbed Frodo and went to my other neighbor’s, down the street. i watched Clare’s house as it caught on fire. Clare came to join us,” Baird said.

like Baird, polly Bailey, living at 15 Richards Avenue with her husband, Charlie, and grandson Tyler Coffin, also thought a bomb had been dropped.

“it happened at 5:30 on the dot. We were watching the news. i had just stood up to ask about dinner. i was thrown across the room,” she said.

“Oh, my god! putin’s dropped a bomb!” This was Bailey’s immediate impression.

“i ran outside,” she continued. “Desi’s house was gone, shattered everywhere. There was a man running down

the street, screaming, ‘That’s my brother’s house. i was just talking to him on the phone.’”

First Responders

Arrive

Both Baird and Bailey said that police and fire services arrived with surprising speed.

The Oneonta fire and police departments, Otsego County Office of Emergency Services, Otsego County Sheriff’s Office, New York State police, and other local and state agencies assisted in the response. Mutual aid arrived from laurens, Otego, Milford, Franklin, Schenevus, West Oneonta and Worcester fire departments.

Standard emergency protocols were enacted. Town of Oneonta Codes Enforcement Officer paul Neske acted as incident commander. Residents were quickly evacuated so that emergency services could address the situation. Even after the fire had been extinguished, evacuees could not go home immediately. Many spent the night at the Hampton inn on River Street in Oneonta. Some stayed there for several days.

One mile away, at his home on County Highway 48, Town Supervisor Randal Mowers felt the shock.

“i thought my house had been hit by a truck,” Mowers said.

Arriving at the scene, Mowers saw the gravity of what had happened.

“people were going in every direction,” he said. “it turned our life upside down at Town Hall. We stayed there for two days.”

Mowers declared a state of emergency that night. The town hall remained open as a command center for two days to ensure access

to internet and phone service.

“Someone was present around the clock. Brooks’ [Barbecue] sent about 50 chicken dinners and coffee for the emergency crews. They didn’t charge a thing,” Mowers said.

Three extensions of the state of emergency were subsequently declared on December 14, 19 and 24.

Official Reports Given, Rumors Run Rampant

What caused the explosion? Everyone wanted to know. Rumors flew: Moan shot himself. He shot himself and the bullet hit a gas line. He shot at an intruder. He shot at an imagined intruder. He told his brother there was an intruder in the basement. The gas from the line filled the house and the furnace ignited it. There was a faulty gas line. The new gas line installed last summer was faulty. Rumors grew by the hour.

At least two neighbors find the idea of Moan’s suicide unthinkable. And no one heard a gunshot.

“He didn’t act like he had problems. Desi was socially adept, gregarious, kind, perfectly articulate and mildmannered,” said Baird.

Someone had reported smelling gas to NYSEG about 7:30 that morning but nothing had been found. NYSEG inspectors had apparently visited the area throughout the day. One inspector was inside 14 Richards Avenue when Moan’s house blew up. Hit by debris from the explosion, he nonetheless began evacuating people from their homes.

Just after 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 10, via a media release, Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin announced that the state Office of Fire prevention and Control, assisted by his own

office, had determined the cause of the explosion was accidental, resulting from human error. At a public meeting held Monday, December 18, at the Town of Oneonta Town Hall, Otsego County Undersheriff Cameron Allison related the determination that Moan had discharged a firearm within the house, damaging a branch of the residential gas line, resulting in a gas leak. The ignition source was said to be the furnace in Moan’s basement.

cation form to identify residents’ needs. The Sixth Ward Athletic Club offered a free pasta and meatball lunch on December 12. Also on that date, Elm park Methodist Church held a prayer vigil.

Marcia Hoag and Kelly Allmendinger of The lord’s Table at St. James’ Episcopal Church organized a December 21 fundraiser, held at the American legion, garnering just over $3,000.00.

The Friends of Christmas gave gift cards and monetary donations and offered a meal at First United Methodist Church on December 23.

“The community raised $20,000.00 in cash and gift cards,” leonard said, adding that FSA continues to offer support and advocacy and is still accepting after-blast donations. Checks may be sent to 277 Chestnut Street, Oneonta, NY 13820. payments may also be made through paypal at www.FSAOneonta.org. All donations should be earmarked “Richards Avenue.”

Aftermath Prolongs Difficulties

More than four months later, uncertainty about the future dominates the lives of those displaced. limbo has become their way of life. Residents are experiencing mental, physical and practical aftershocks. For one resident, the explosion led to a primary blast injury that resulted in a stroke.

“i didn’t have the trauma of the moment, but i have the trauma of the aftermath,” Castine said.

Community Relief Services Mobilize Following the blast, immediate relief to residents came from numerous sources, among them the Otsego County Department of Social Services, Otsego County Department of Mental Health’s Mobile Crisis Assessment Team, Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Catholic Charities.

patricia leonard, executive director of the Family Service Association in Oneonta, said she was called the morning after the disaster and immediately started making personal hygiene bags and offering clothing and gas cards donated by community members. She also created an appli-

On April 4, Castine was at her home sorting through her possessions for the packout. The house’s interior looked as if a tornado had hit. “Stuff” was everywhere. Castine was affixing blue tape to items for “keep” and yellow for “discard.”

Almost everything in her boarder Richard Baird’s room had to go in the trash. Baird had no insurance and Castine’s did not cover his belongings. it’s traumatic to be here, to be in this space in this condition,” she said. in spite of the trauma, Castine manages to keep a sense of humor.

“Before, i used to have dust bunnies. Now,” she said, “i have dust Buicks.”

Speaking of her postexplosion experience, Bailey said, “At first i thought just the front door had blown off, but

Continued on page 9

photo by Robert Bensen Melanie Castine stands in the front room of her 17 Richards Avenue home, which sustained heavy damage as a result of the December 9, 2023 gas explosion.

photo provided by Otsego County Sheriff’s Office The leveled home of Desmond Moan, 18 Richards Avenue (center), flanked by the homes of Clare Anderson (left) and Barbara Doyle (right) after the fire was extinguished on December 9, 2023.

photo by Robert Bensen The shattered home of Desmond Moan, as it appeared on December 11, 2023. The 18 Richards Avenue residence was leveled by a gas explosion on December 9, taking Moan’s life.

Explosion

Continued from page 8

walls, ceilings, food from the kitchen shelves, books…it was like a hurricane had hit. Everything was destroyed.”

Insurance Nightmares

Dealing with insurance companies, Bailey said, has been “a nightmare.”

“We won’t even be back in our house by Christmas [2024]. There are no local insurance people. Everything is done by phone. We have asbestos. No contractor can begin to work until the asbestos is removed. Contractors are booked out until the end of the year. Out of five contractors, two have returned calls. Nobody seems to know the process. I wish there were a guidebook,” she said.

Bailey said that her insurance does not want to cover the cost of asbestos removal.

“That takes away $40,000.00 from house money,” she said, money needed for rebuilding.

Castine echoed Bailey’s frustrations with insurance companies.

“Insurance is the worst part of the ordeal, besides being displaced. I don’t know how long this will go on. Months? Years?” she wondered.

Also like Bailey, Castine is faced with asbestos concerns. Her insurance will cover asbestos removal for damaged areas of the house only, she said. But she will not know if she can renovate the house until several costly steps have been taken.

“If there is asbestos, abatement will have to occur. After the asbestos is taken care of, I can contact contractors for estimates to remove drywall. After the drywall is removed, an engineer will assess for structural damage. Then I will know if I can rebuild,” she said.

A Place To Stay, For Now

Castine found the packout company assigned by her insurance company to be “pushy.” It offered neither climate-controlled storage nor access to the Matterport photos— 360-degree photos that document contents and measure room dimensions. Without asking her permission, the company dropped a container pod on her property, and, she said, “harassed” her to schedule the packout when she had the flu.

Castine then hired a

family-owned business in Otego, ServiceMaster by Burch. “They have been fantastic. They took Matterport photos and submitted them, along with the estimate, to the insurance company for approval. They also made the photos accessible to me, so I can compile a list of my losses. They offer climate-controlled storage and have been diligently contacting the insurance company on my behalf,” Castine said.

Between December 9 and late March, having neither heat nor electricity at her house, Castine had been unable to work there. Her new company set up a generator for her. Still, she has been able to work there only four days. Much of the wrecked furniture and debris has now been cleared, though broken glass from the front window still lies on the sill or has been swept to the floor’s mopboard. When the front door was blown in, its metal lock was ripped out of the wood. A piece of wallboard has been removed to check a front stud, which has a long split from having flexed inward, indicating structural damage.

The engineer hired by Castine concluded that her house had been lifted from its foundation and dropped back down. The insurance company engineer, Castine said, did not think the foundation had been damaged.

Despite all these stresses, Castine has appreciated the generosity of the community. Besides acknowledging the community services described above, Castine said she was touched by an unknown neighbor’s donation of a $30.00 gift certificate to Undercover Eggplant, a nearby eatery—one of her favorites.

Castine found a new dwelling by posting on Facebook.

“A local family saw the post and offered me a small, one-bedroom

apartment. They were so kind. There was no security deposit or pet fee. I was given the key immediately. It was such a relief,” she said.

Her insurance is paying for the rental apartment. She is still paying a mortgage on her home.

“Life has not been good since the explosion,” Baird said.

He currently has temporary housing but must be out by May. Affordable housing is hard to find, he said. He is on limited income and his family is helping him. He worked as a nurse for seven years, but he is now disabled and has an auto-immune disease. Since the blast, he has experienced tachycardia, or racing heart.

“I’m still dealing with symptoms [of trauma] on a daily basis. I don’t want to go out too much,” he said.

The Baileys and their grandson have temporary housing on Ceperley Avenue.

Bailey says she feels “blessed” to be staying at the home of Kathy Greenblatt.

“They said we could stay as long as we need to, but I get depressed and stressed just waiting and working with the insurance companies,” she said.

To compound the hardship of the gas explosion, Bailey’s daughter, Leia, Tyler’s mother, died on December 12.

“We lost our house and our daughter in three days’ time,” she said.

The explosion rocked more than the foundation of her house, “It shook my faith,” said Bailey, who, with her husband, was for 25 years a pastor at St. Matthews Church in Unadilla.

A Neighborhood Scattered

Richards Avenue is located in the normally tranquil section of Oneonta known as West End. People seek out housing there due to its solidly constructed single-family units— mostly built in the 1940s,

according to realtor Jo Bordinger, who grew up in West End and described it as “an Ozzie and Harriet neighborhood.”

Castine agrees with that assessment.

“It’s a great neighborhood. People walking their dogs, kids on bikes. I know my neighbors— or did. It was a closeknit community. It’s sad so many people are not coming back.”

According to Leonard, 10 households have had to relocate. Three more houses, in addition to Doyle’s and Anderson’s, are to be razed. Other displaced residents must decide whether to return, have their home razed or consider reconstruction.

Clare Anderson, whose house was condemned and razed on March 27, does not plan to rebuild and is living with family in Saratoga Springs. Doyle also plans to live elsewhere. One couple has moved to another part of Oneonta and intends to sell their house “as is.” Phyllis Eggler, who was living at 19 Richards Avenue, is now at Saint James Manor, a retirement community in Oneonta.

And Desmond “Desi” Moan is gone forever. Bailey is apprehensive about the future of the neighborhood.

“Who’s going to live on a street where there was a gas explosion? I wonder, do I want to look out on that [site of Moan’s leveled house]. It’s very sad. It was a wonderful neighborhood,” she said.

On Stage

Continued from page 4

becomes the excuse for singing songs. I think the story has to be compelling and it has to be played through the music. What’s interesting is watching the music resonate off the book scenes but resonate in a current sense, so the lyrics mean something to the audience,” Drew continued.

“This production is not ‘pretty,’ it’s not about the ‘pretty voices.’ It’s about telling the story. The songs in this show are not sung to be pretty, they’re sung by the character to tell the story,” Tim agreed.

“It’s one of the reasons this musical has always been on that short list of musicals I love...I like a musical that has teeth. This one bites,” Drew concluded.

Next, aimed at finding out what I don’t know about what I don’t know, I asked the crew members what about their responsibilities might surprise the audience.

“The chaos. They [the audience] literally only see this [indicates the main stage]. Our job is to make sure that everyone and everything is in the right place, and that comes with chaos. We want the show to go on, because the show must go on! We want the show to go on correctly,” Tatum explained.

Then Tatum began waxing eloquently about the “fly system,” so I had to slow them down and find out what, precisely, a “fly system” is. At which point Tatum did what I can only describe as “geeking out.” “The fly system

is my baby...our fly system lives on stage right. The fly system is where you can bring in scenery from—I call it the sky—but it is just the fly wall. You pull a rope and it flies scenery in from the top, and then you can pull the other rope and that flies it out, and there is actually a lot of preparation that goes into the safety; who is running the flies and who has rigged the flies, the rigging is important, the counterweights…”

I stopped there because, while what they said was really interesting, Tatum could clearly go on for a long time about fly systems and we have limited space here.

All three of the managers—Katelyn, Tatum, and Sophia— bring their own personality to their crew jobs, each having an area about which they can geek out, and it is fun to listen to them all. Katelyn, who assured me she is not a “fly junkie” like Tatum, instead is an “everything junkie.” Before starting college, she had only done acting in theater.

“I think it is really cool to sit in the booth, seeing everything, and watch the whole process from the beginning to the end. I sit in the booth with my headphones on, talking to the crew. I am actively watching everything going on, following my script while watching the stage. I’ll have all the cues for all the different shifts that happen throughout the show, all the notes for lighting change, for a scene change, if there’s a sound cue that has to happen. I have all of that written in my script.”

This script Katelyn has, the stage manager’s script, is called the Bible of the show, the “Prompt Script,” I learned. She, as stage manager, has to develop it over the course of their rehearsals, noting everything that should be happening on stage. If, for any reason, the stage manager can’t be there, it is this script that saves the day for, as Tatum already mentioned, the show must go on! As a senior, Katelyn has developed systems (involving spreadsheets and a whole lot of transparent sticky notes, apparently) for herself that, according to Drew, makes her a wonderful stage manager who, in the midst of the chaos described by Tatum, makes sure that what happens on the stage looks effortless and ordered.

“To watch you evolve from an assistant stage manager who wouldn’t say ‘boo’ to a goose, to someone who would say, ‘This is what’s going to happen and it’s going to work this way’ to not just to your peers but a room full of faculty who won’t shut up and listen, is really important. Katelyn is a really valuable person,” Drew, a faculty member himself, said.

Sophia, a freshman, had been the stage manager for “All in the Timing” in the fall. She reflected on the difference between her current role and the job of the stage manager.

“I love being involved in a way that’s not on stage. I’m not an actor.

I like seeing how everything works, being there from pre-production to all the way through…

For this play I am in the wings, whereas in the fall I was in the booth, so it’s a different job, a different role,” Sophia said. “I’ll be moving set pieces, talking to the actors backstage, as opposed to being in the booth talking to just my assistant stage managers and calling cues. I like that part, helping with props, moving around, moving tables, telling the rest of the crew what to do, doing all the other things backstage.”

All three managers talked about learning from one another, how to stay focused throughout the process, and how to tell the actors—their peers, classmates, and friends—where to be, what to have, and when they’re being too loud backstage. I was struck by how many of the skills they were learning would serve them well no matter the profession they choose to pursue after graduation. These students have opted not to be in the limelight; rather, they take great pleasure in making sure that those in the limelight shine, even if doing so means they need to remind those same people to keep their voices down while waiting in the wings while others enjoy the spotlight. The “Cabaret” crew is a small, mighty group of five who trust one another as teammates, a quality that is essential to producing a great show.

My last question was what they each do when they are not backstage, and I got a wide array of answers:

Katelyn: as a dual major (theater/ psychology), interns at non-profits, working on programs with the homeless population, foster care, and in the court system;

Sophia: hangs out with theater people and talks theater;

Tim: teaches music, plays music, makes music, discusses music and tours places like Italy with his band;

Drew: raises sheep, works as an actor and voice coach, renovates his farm; and,

Tatum: loves music, plays drums, does vocal percussion, and plays a game on Spotify. (A game that is so cool I have to explain it here. You pick a random word, go onto Spotify to search that word, and then listen to whatever song or playlist comes up.)

If you get the chance to watch this production of “Cabaret,” you won’t see four of the five crew members in action (Tim is the piano player up above the stage), but they are vital to the audience’s enjoyment of the show. “Cabaret,” directed by Andrew Kahl and performed by SUNY Oneonta students, will be performed from April 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. and on April 27 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $10.00 for general admission; free with a SUNY Oneonta student ID.

Rachel Frick Cardelle covers performing arts at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College.

Photo by Robert Bensen The home of Melanie Castine at 17 Richards Avenue is boarded up and unoccupied. Castine is still dealing with her insurance company on issues of salvaging belongings, asbestos concerns and structural damage.

Photo by Robert Bensen

The home of Clare Anderson, 20 Richards Avenue, was leveled by an M. Cristo wrecking crew on March 27.

Waste

Continued from page 5

have restrictions on disposing of it safely. However, few methods for disposing of e-cigarettes according to federal safety regulations exist nationwide. With no safe or accessible ways to dispose of their vapes, or even awareness they need to do so, vapers often throw them in the trash or on the ground.

This problem is exacerbated by the tobacco industry, which began selling disposable flavored vapes to get around the 2019 federal ban on flavored vape sales. The PHLC reports that “about 53 percent of e-cigarettes sold today are disposable, meaning they cannot be refilled and reused after the initial cartridge runs out.” Users then throw them in the trash like other

LegaL nOtice

NOTICE TO THE VOTERS OF OTSEGO COUNTY

Official Results for the: April 2, 2024

Democratic & Republican Primaries

DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Joseph R. Biden

807

Marianne Williamson

42 Dean Phillips 27

DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, 19TH CD

Anne P. Hart

476 Shawna Black 453

Daniel J. Torres

444

Patricia B. Giltner

455

Timothy A. Perfetti 434

Max H. Della Pia

427 Wanda K. Hayek

453

DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION, 21ST CD

Michael Monescalchi 271

Jason Clark

256

Sara Idelman

270

Michael J. Zagrobelny

248

Lynne Boecher

265

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Vivek Ramaswamy 6

Chris Christie 38

Nikki R. Haley

162

Donald J. Trump

901

Otsego County

disposable products. Currently, waste management companies eliminate littered disposable vapes by incinerating them, which is dangerous and releases pollutants and high amounts of carbon into the air.

The tobacco industry currently does not pay for the high financial or environmental costs of disposing of its products, leaving the rest of us to manage them. Schools nationwide have been especially burdened by this. Young people try to secretly dispose of vape devices by flushing them down toilets or stuffing them into pipes, which ruins the plumbing. When schools confiscate e-cigarettes from students, they then have to manage the large amounts of hazardous waste and pay for their safe disposal. The PHLC reported that in New York State, “Monroe

County school officials confiscated and collected over 226 pounds of ecigarettes in 2022,” and rural Putnam County schools, “approximately 90 pounds of vape devices each year.”

The state has also been trying to manage the large amount of ecigarette waste since it banned flavored nicotine e-cigarette products in 2020 to address the vaping epidemic, including retail stock that can no longer be legally sold. At the same time, the 2020 laws’ loopholes and limitations in enforcing them have meant distributors continue to ship flavored vapes to retailers, who can then evade enforcement and continue selling them illegally, leading to more e-cigarette waste. Currently, the state Senate and Assembly have proposed legislation to address the

loopholes this year. Preventing, managing and ultimately eliminating tobacco waste is complex, with no easy solutions. Earth Day can be used to make everyone aware of the severe impact tobacco waste has on the environment. Schools, local governments, and organizations can work together to create and implement solutions that curb and reduce the supply of tobacco products, and therefore, tobacco waste. To get involved, contact TFCDOS Youth Engagement Coordinator Nicole Schuck at Nicole. Schuck@sphp.com and Community Engagement Coordinator Jennifer Hill at Jennifer. Hill003@sphp.com.

Jennifer Hill is community engagement coordinator for Tobacco-Free Communities: Delaware, Otsego & Schoharie.

LEGALS

Letters

Continued from page 4

Thousands of new, well paying, manufacturing jobs, particularly in central and upstate New York, are returning to rural areas for the first time in several decades!

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NOTICE IS HEREbY GIVEN that license, number 2238452 for beer, cider, liquor, and wine, has been applied for by the undersigned to sell beer, cider, liquor, and wine, at retail in a seasonal restaurant under the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law at 4874 State Hwy 28, Cooperstown NY 13326 for on premises consumption.

Hickey Golf Inc. d/b/a Dugout Bar & Grill

2LegalApr.25

LegaL nOtice SUPPLEMENTAL SUMMONS SUPREME COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF OTSEGO NEWREZ LLC D/B/A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, Plaintiff, -againstUNKNOWN HEIRS OF THE ESTATE OF ELEANOR M UTTER DECEASED their wives, husbands, heirs-at-law, next of kin, distributees, executors, administrators, assignees, lienors, creditors, successors in interest and generally all persons having or claiming under, by or through said ELEANOR M. UTTER, by purchase, inheritance, lien

Board of Elections 140 Co Hwy 33W, Ste 2 Cooperstown, NY 13326 607-547-4247 www.voteotsego. com

or otherwise, of any right, title or interest in and to the premises described in the complaint herein, and the respective husbands, wives, widows or widowers of them, if any, all of whose names are unknown to plaintiff, LEGACY MORTGAGE ASSET TRUST 2022-SL1 MORTGAGEBACKED NOTES, SERIES 2020-SL1, U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, Defendants.

INDEX NO.: EF2023-839 FILED: 3/28/24

TO THE ABOVENAMED DEFENDANTS: YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED to answer the complaint in this action, and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance on the plaintiff’s attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service or within 30 days after completion of service where service is made in any other manner than by personal delivery within the State. In case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.

TO THE ABOVE NAMED DEFENDANTS: The foregoing

Summons is served upon you by publication pursuant an Order of the Brian D. Burns, a Justiceof the Supreme Court, of Ostego, dated March 15, 2024 and entered March 19, 2024.

NOTICE OF NATURE OF ACTION AND RELIEF SOUGHT

THE OBJECT of the above captioned action is to foreclose a Mortgage in the amount of $65,000.00 recorded in the Otsego County Clerk’s/City Register’s Office on March 7, 2006 in Book 1478 of Mortgages at Page 822 covering the premises known as 4 ROSE AVENUE, ONEONTA, NY 13820. Thereafter, the Mortgage was assigned to NEWREZ LLC F/K/A NEW PENN FINANCIAL, LLC D/B/ A SHELLPOINT MORTGAGE SERVICING, by an Assignment of Mortgage dated December 14, 2022 and recorded with the Otsego County Clerk on December 20, 2022, in Instrument No. 2022-6834. The relief sought in the within action is a final Judgment of Foreclosure and Sale directing the sale of the premises described above to satisfy the debt secured by the Mortgage described above. Otsego County is designated as the place of trial on the basis of the fact that the real property affected by this action is located wholly within said County.

NOTICE YOU ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR HOME

If you do not

respond to this summons and complaint by serving a copy of the

Education Law of the State of New York, for the presentation of the budget document. NOTICE IS ALSO GIVEN that the Annual Meeting and a vote, by voting machine, will be held on Tuesday, May 21, 2024 at The Foothills, 24 Market Street, Oneonta, at which time the polls will be open from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., EST, for voting on the following items:

To adopt the annual budget of the Oneonta City School District for the fiscal year 2024-2025 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable real property of the District,

To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education, each to serve three (3) year terms, commencing on July 1, 2024 and expiring on June 30, 2027, to succeed Susan Kurkowski, and Michael Iannelli, whose terms expire on June 30, 2024.

To elect one (1) member of the Board of Education, to serve the remainder of a vacated seat previously held by board member Shari Johnson Ploutz the term for this seat is July 1, 2022 and expiring on June 30, 2025.

To transact such other business

Inflation has already come down dramatically from 9 to 10 percent right after the recession to just above 3 percent, with more progress to come. No wonder Uncle Sam is putting the rest of the world to shame. Since the end of 2019, the economy has grown by nearly 8 percent in real terms, more than twice as fast as the euro zone’s and 10 times as quickly as Japan’s. Britain’s has barely grown at all. The state of our economy is good. The recovery unbelievable.

Thanks, Joe. Sherwood Guernsey Williamstown, MA (Schoharie born)

as may properly come before the meeting pursuant to the Education Law of the State of New York. Voting at said Annual Election will be by use of voting machines.

ALL VOTING WILL TAKE PLACE AT: THE FOOTHILLS 24 MARKET STREET, ONEONTA, NEW YORK Petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education to fill two (2) expired terms of three (3) years and one (1) vacated seat for one (1) year shall be filed with the Clerk of said School District at the District Office, no later than May 1, 2024 between 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Each petition must be directed to the Clerk of the District, must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District and state the residence of each signer; the name and residence of the candidates.

NOTICE, is also given that any person, otherwise qualified to vote, who is currently registered for any general election, pursuant to Section 352 of the Election Law, shall be entitled to vote without further registration pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law.

Military voters who are qualified voters of the School District may apply for a military ballot by requesting an application from the District Clerk. For a military voter to be issued a military ballot, the District Clerk must have received a valid ballot application no later than 5:00 p.m. on May 3,

2024. In a request for a military ballot application or ballot, the military voter may indicate their preference for receiving the application or ballot by mail, facsimile transmission or electronic mail. The School District will transmit military ballots to military voters on May 3, 2024. Completed military ballots must be received by the School District by 5:00 p.m. on May 21, 2024, in order to be counted.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that

the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District has fixed May 7, 2024 as the date on which the Board of Registration of said school district will meet at 31 Center Street, in Oneonta, New York, in said school district, for the purpose of preparing a register for each school election district for the Annual City School District Election to be held on May 21, 2024. Said Board of Registration will meet for said purposes on May 7, 2024 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.

At such hours and place, any person who has not permanently registered by May 7, 2024 or who did not register for the general election held on November 7, 2023, or who is permanently registered, but at the time of such registration resided in a school election district other than the one in which he or she presently resides or has not voted in an intervening election, must in order to be

entitled to vote at said election, present himself or herself personally for registration.

The register so prepared pursuant to Section 2014 of the Education Law will be filed in the Office of the Clerk of the School District at the Board of Education Offices at 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York 13820 and will be open for inspection by any qualified voter of the district beginning May 8, 2024, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. on weekdays and each day, except Saturday or Sunday, prior to the day set for the election, May 21, 2024, and at the polling place on the day of the vote.

Copies of the proposed budget may be obtained by any resident of the Oneonta City School District each day of the week other than Saturday, Sunday or a holiday, during the period of seven days immediately preceding the date of the public hearing to be held on May 8, 2024.

Copies of the proposed budget will be available on said days at the Board of Education Office, 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS GIVEN that the Board of Education of the Oneonta City School District shall provide for early voting and absentee ballots for the election of Board of Education member, the school budget and any other referenda stated in this notice. continued Pg. 11

Matthew D. allison

1958-2024

MILFORD—Please join us for a memorial service to celebrate the life of Matthew Allison (December 11, 1958August 21, 2023). We will gather together on April 27, 2024, from 1-3 p.m. at 232 Eddie Martin Road, Milford, to remember Matt, who is greatly missed. Please bring your fondest memories of Matt to share with families and friends.

timothy eric

Brown

1979-2024

ONEONTA—Timothy Eric Brown, 44, our beloved son, brother, nephew, cousin and friend, went to be with our Heavenly Father on Wednesday, April 10, 2024 due to complications after a lengthy illness. Tim was born May 20, 1979 in Cooperstown, New York. Timothy grew up in Oneonta and graduated from Oneonta High School in 1997. He was active in sports and loved playing both football and baseball. He also received the Oneonta

Boys Club Boy of the Year award in 1996.

Tim was a lover of all things nature. His kind heart led him to bring home many stray animals while growing up. He and his dogs were inseparable. Timothy was an avid hunter and fisherman. His best days were spent in the mountains, amongst the trees, chasing coyotes or hunting down ginseng. Tim was a true friend to many, and he loved those friends like family.

Timothy will always be remembered by his heartbroken family, including his parents, Bruce and Robin Brown; his son, Matthew Brown; his brothers and their wives, Bruce and Nicole Brown, Andrew and Jerianna Brown, and Jarrett and Ashley Brown; his beloved nieces and nephews, Ethan Nisius and Mason, Austin, Kinlee, Arianna, and Carter Brown; as well as many well-loved aunts, uncles, and cousins. Tim was such a light in this world; his smile will never be forgotten.

OBITUARIES

2024 from 6-8 p.m. at the Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street, Oneonta, New York.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date at the family home in Oneonta.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society, https:// donate.cancer.org/.

Funeral Home

from Pg. 10

Applications for early voting and absentee ballots for said annual election are available at the Board of Education Offices, 31 Center Street, Oneonta, New York. Completed applications are to be submitted to the Clerk of the Board of Education at said address no later than May 14, 2024 if mailed, and May 21, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. if personally delivered. Early voting and absentee ballots are to be submitted no later than 3:30 p.m. on May 21, 2024 the day of said election, to the address of the Clerk of the Board of Education. A list of all persons to whom early voting and absentee ballots have been issued will be available in the office of the District Clerk from 8:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. on each of the five days prior to the day of the election, except weekends, and on the day set for the election. Any qualified voter may challenge the acceptance of the ballot of any person on such list, by making his/her challenge and reasons therefore known to the Inspector of Election before the close of the polls. AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that any other proposition not requiring official notice in the call of the Annual

Timothy was predeceased by his grandparents, Robert and Vivian Brown and Elwood “Bo” and Rolande LeBourveau.

Meeting may be voted upon at said election, subject to the provisions of Section 2035 of the Education Law, provided a proposition is filed with the District Clerk on or before April 26, 2024 at 3:30 p.m. prevailing time; said proposition must be typed or printed in the English language; must be directed to the Clerk of the School District: must be signed by at least one hundred (100) qualified voters of the District; and must state the name and residence of each signer. The School Board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, or any proposition that fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition.

PROPOSITION 1 – PURCHASE OF SCHOOL BUSES

Shall the March 20, 2024 bond resolution

authorizing the purchase of (1) one 66 passenger school bus, (1) one 30 passenger bus and (1) one 7-passenger van for student transport for the City School District of the City of Oneonta, at a maximum cost of $349,185; authorizing the issuance of up to $349,185 bonds (five year maxi-

mum maturity); providing for a tax levy therefor in annual installments; pledging the District’s faith and credit for debt service; delegating powers with respect to bonds and notes; and providing for an estoppel procedure, be approved?

PROPOSITION 2 – Capital Reserve Fund Proposition RESOLVED, that the Board of Education of the City School District of the City of Oneonta, is hereby authorized to expend $2,000,000 from the Capital Reserve Fund on the capital improvement project approved by the voters on December 18, 2023 which will reduce the amount of bonds to be issued therefor.

Dated: March 21, 2024

Oneonta, New York

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE ONEONTA CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT

Regina Ranieri McGuinness Regina Ranieri McGuinness, District Clerk

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Notice of formatioN of VRH3, LLC.

Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State

Friends were invited to greet the family on Monday, April 15,

Please visit www. bookhoutfuneralhome. com to offer a memory or condolence to Timothy’s family.

Arrangements are by the Bookhout Funeral Home, Oneonta.

Dignity, Respect, Tradition

Dignified and Caring Service since 1925 Peaceful grounds. Home-like atmosphere. Suitable for large or small gatherings.

Peter A. Deysenroth

82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown | 607-547-8231 www.cooperstownfuneralhome.com

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

LEGALS

on 04/02/2024. The office of the LLC is to be located in Otsego County. The Secretary of State has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

The Secretary of State shall mail a copy of any process against the LLC served upon it to: The LLC, 31 Bloom Street, Gilbertsville, NY 13820.

The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act.

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Notice of formatioN of Sal Pal Enterprises LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 03/27/2024.

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 496 Eggleston Hill Rd., Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

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Notice of formatioN

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.

Photo provided TIMOTHY ERIC BROWN

►Fri., April 19

KNITTING CIRCLE 9:30 a.m. to noon. Bring a knit project and work with the group. Beginners welcome. Held every Friday. Harris Memorial Library, 334 Main Street, Otego. (607) 988-6661.

SENIOR MEALS

11:30 a.m. Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal each Tuesday and Thursday. Suggested donation is $4 for seniors, $10.60 for guests accompanying a senior. Today’s lunch is Salisbury steak, noodles, corn and frosted cupcakes. Nader Towers Housing, 2 Mitchell Street, Oneonta. (607) 547-6454.

BLOOD DRIVE Noon to 6 p.m. Elm Park Methodist Church, 401 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. RedCrossBlood.org

COOKING 3-5 p.m.

“Healthy On A Budget.”

Learn budget-friendly options for whole grains. Registration required. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

CRAFT FRIDAY 3:30 p.m. “Make a Thaumatrope!” A thaumatrope is an optical illusion that combines two images with movement, the first form of animation. Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 3977309.

BIRDING 7 p.m.

“A Florida Birding Photo Journey with Rick Bunting.” Presented by the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society virtually and in person at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 3973815.

CONCERT 7 p.m.

Cooperstown Concert Series presents “Empire Wild,” a classic crossover trio for the season finale. Tickets, $20. The Otesaga Resort Hotel, 60 Lake Street, Cooperstown. Visit cooperstownconcertseries.org

CONCERT 7:30 p.m.

Oneonta Concert Association presents “Zodiac Trio.” An unconventional trio known for its innovative programming. General admission, $25. First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1589.

THEATER 7:30 p.m.

“The Addams Family School Edition.” An original story about this wacky family. Presented by Laurens Central School, 55 Main Street, Laurens. (607) 432-2050.

►S At., April 20

EARTH FEST 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Celebrate the Earth with the Otsego

County Conservation Association. Includes vendors, information tables, workshops and much more. Check online for full schedule. Milford Central School, 42 West Main Street, Milford. (607) 547-4488.

EXERCISE 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. CSC Spring

Rowdeo. Concept 2 Erg Rowing machines will be set up by division on the gym floor for participants to race. Registration, $15/person. Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown. (607) 547-2800.

EARTH DAY 9 a.m.

“Morris Earth Day Clean Up.” Help Morris Rotary, Butternut Valley Alliance and Morris Central School celebrate Earth Day with roadside and community clean up. Meet in Morris Central School parking lot, 65 Main Street, Morris. Visit facebook.com/ ButternutValleyAlliance/

FESTIVAL 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. “2nd Annual

Otsego County Steampunk + Oddities Expo.” Vendors, artists, authors, demonstrations, more. Fortin Park, 101 Youngs Road, Oneonta. Visit www. facebook.com/eofmny

LIBRARY 11 a.m.

“Coffee & Coloring.” Coffee, donuts, and coloring books and pencils for adults. Worcester-Schenevus Library, 170 Main Street, Worcester. (607) 397-7309.

FUNDRAISER Noon to 2 p.m. 13th Annual

Empty Bowls Luncheon to raise money for the Cooperstown Food Pantry. $20 donation for lunch and custom soup bowl from local chefs and potters. Parish Hall, Christ Episcopal Church, 69 Fair Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-2627.

OPERA 1 p.m., doors open at noon. The Met presents “La Rondine.” Tickets, $22/adult. Lunch available for purchase. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 431-2080.

WRITERS GROUP 1:30-3:30 p.m. Supportive group to practice writing exercises and receive feedback. Session held through May 18. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

WALKING TOUR

2 p.m. “Fairchild Mansion Walking Tour. “Led by Bruce Van Buren. Learn about George Fairchild, U.S. congressman. Admission by donation, reservations not required. Meet at the doors of the Masonic Lodge at 322 Main Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-0960.

FUNDRAISER 3-9:30 p.m. “Feral Fest 2024.”

Help community cats. Enjoy a day of music, beer, wine, and spirits tasting, with raffles, finger foods, and more. Proceeds go to feral cat management in Otsego County. General admission, $5. Sampling glass, $25. Foothills Performing Arts and Civic

Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. (607) 4312080.

CHICKEN DINNER

4 p.m. until sold out. Brooks’ House of BBQ chicken dinner. $14/dinner. Half chicken, $9. Beverage included with dine-in. Take-out available. Church of Christ Uniting, 22 Church Street, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-1451.

PERFORMANCE

7-8:30 p.m. “Write Out Loud.” Features a stunning variety of poetry, prose, short fiction and more by 20 local or regional writers. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5471400.

►Sun., April 21

SPRING 1 p.m. Rink Roll Up. Prepare the park for spring pickleball and basketball. Wear waterproof shoes, gloves and bring a push-broom if you have one. Badger Park, Cooperstown. (607) 5472411.

WRITING 1-3 p.m. “Cooperstown Writers Group.” Held each Sunday. Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8344.

SUNDAY SPEAKER

3 p.m. “Rebuilding the Spire of Paris’ NotreDame Cathedral.” Presented by local journeyman