The Freeman's Journal 10-05-23

Network Enhances Sign-On Bonuses for New Workers

COOPERSTOWN

Bassett Healthcare Network announced Monday, October 2 that it has significantly enhanced sign-on bonuses for a variety of open job positions for the next 90 days. Bonus increases took effect on October 1, including up to $35,000.00 for registered nurses.

“Attracting new talent to Bassett Healthcare Network continues to be a top priority,” said Dr. Tommy Ibrahim, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network. “We have made excellent hiring progress over the last year, with nearly 2,000 new employees joining our network. More than 180 of these caregivers are nurses. Still, Bassett has many open positions in a variety of disciplines. Adding more caregivers to our team is critically needed for the many thousands of patients who depend on us for care every day.”

Key open job positions with increased sign-on bonuses include those in nursing, radiology, laboratory, physical and occupational therapy, operating rooms, and emergency departments, among other areas. Sign-on bonus amounts include:

• Up to $35,000.00 for registered nurses (RNs)

• Up to $20,000.00 for licensed practical nurses (LPNs), clinical laboratory technicians, ultrasound technologists, radiology technologists, MRI technologists, CT technologists, cardiovascular technicians, physical therapists, and occupational therapists

• Up to $15,000.00 for nursing assistants, emergency department technicians, operating room scrub technicians, physical therapy assistants, and certified occupational therapy

insiDe

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Many Hands...

COOPERSTOWN—You’ve heard the saying, “Many hands make light work.” Last Sunday’s eagerly anticipated Growing Community Harvest Potluck Supper was made possible by many hands, including (but by no means limited to), clockwise from left: Kristen Leonard, Kristen Griger, Rebecca Weil, Anna Meyerhoff, Ellen Pope, Maureen Murray, Karen Katz and MJ Harris (in the middle). This year’s supper was well attended and plans are already underway for 2024. Organizers and those who shared food and conversation should be congratulated for their community spirit and a job well done.

Eco-theater Performance Kicks Off ‘WATER’ Exhibit Friday

CHERRY VALLEY

Water Dreams,” an experimental site-specific, eco-theater performance, will be presented by The Telegraph School on Friday, October 6 at 6 p.m. This Cherry Valley Water Project Performance will take place along the Cherry Valley Creek behind the Old School, 2 Genesee Street. It will be followed by the 25 Main Collective gallery opening for “WATER” from 7-9 p.m.

According to organizer Angelica Dzeli Palmer, the “Water Dreams” performance blends myth, magic, and history, and draws

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Rotary Hitting the Road with Rally, Scavenger Hunt

By DARLA M. YOUNGS ONEONTA

On Sunday, October 15, participants in the Oneonta Rotary Club’s second Road Rally Scavenger Hunt will follow clues, answer riddles and stop to take photos while driving along 30-plus miles of Otsego County’s beautiful country roads, in hopes of winning one of seven prizes.

According to Oneonta Rotary member and Public Relations Chair Lynne Sessions, the first Road Rally was held in October 2020 and was designed to specifically address fundraising during COVID. Sessions is cochair of the event, along with Fundraising Chair Meghan Sheehy.

When asked whose idea that first rally was, Sessions said, “I think it was me. It seems like such a long time ago. I had been looking online for things that we could do outside and came across the rally idea. Then we found out that the Ithaca Rotary Club did an August Road Rally. Several of us attended the event to see how it was run. We had a blast!”

Sessions described the Ithaca club as being incredibly generous in helping Oneonta Rotary iron out the procedural aspects of the event.

“This is one of the nice things about Rotary—we all have the goal of making a positive difference in our communities and the world, and we all help each other,” she said.

The first Oneonta Road Rally and Scavenger Hunt was outdoors, including registration. People only interacted with their own “car pod,” masks were required, and every team got a brand new clipboard, pen, bottle of hand sanitizer, and snacks in their hospitality bag, Sessions recalled.

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Otsego Abroad

Local Musican and Teacher Performs in Italy, Czechia

By WRILEY NELSON PRAGUE, CZECHIA

Local musician and teacher

Timothy Iversen recently returned from a marathon of work and travel in Europe. The longserving Cooperstown High School music teacher and performer spent nearly six weeks practicing his craft for a variety of audiences in Italy and the Czech Republic, working all night and exploring the accumulated centuries of history and culture by day. The schedule was grueling but fulfilling; Iversen spent just under two weeks touring Italy with the Syracusebased jazz ensemble Central Winds, then served as musical director and composer for a performance at the prestigious Prague Shakespeare Company Summer Intensive.

“The jazz ensemble is a very solid, excel-

lent group,” he said. “I’ve been playing with them a few times a year for the past five years or so. I couldn’t turn down the invitation to perform in Italy.”

Central Winds spent four to five nights each in Rome, Florence, and Venice, playing to packed crowds in some of the most historic and scenic venues in the world. They spent two nights playing across the street from the Coliseum. Iversen made a point of spending every available minute exploring the cultural heritage sites.

“Italy is so staggeringly full of history. You could live a lifetime there and still not get it all. It’s just too much,” he recalled.

The group got a private tour of the Coliseum, including many under-

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Photo by Kristen Leonard

Photo by Alena Krug

Cooperstown musician and teacher Timothy Iversen explores Roman historic sites during a tour of Italy.

from the

CAA Exhibits Feature Work of Thirty-seven Central NY Artists

By MONICA CALZOLARI COOPERSTOWN

The Cooperstown Art Association hosted an opening reception to introduce two new exhibits on Friday evening, September 29. Both exhibits will remain on display through October 27. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Central New York Watercolor Society presented 42 watercolor paintings by 36 different artists who are members of the society. Many of the artists were present and answered questions about their submissions. This was an Annual Members-Only Juried Exhibition. The group exhibits with the Cooperstown Art Association every three years.

Jeri Meday, who is on the board of the CNYWS and its recording secretary, said, “The watercolor society is a very active and vibrant art society that includes artists from New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and California.”

The watercolor society was started in the living rooms of just a handful of local watercolor painters from the Mohawk Valley in 1982. According to Pamela Lynch, the artist who painted American Indians from the Oneida tribe, “It has grown to 108 members.”

The mission of CNYWS is to encourage the advancement of watercolor painting. The members represent a wide range, from professional, full-time artists to beginning artists. Associate membership is open to all watercolor painters in the United States.

Meday explained, “Signature members are elected by the CNYWS jury based on a review of their work. Silver medallion members must have two years of

uninterrupted work. Gold medallion members must have four years of uninterrupted work and show a higher level of skill.”

Signature members mentor Associate members and lead multiple workshops in Old Forge and Clinton, for example. This annual juried exhibit showcased the very best work of the accomplished and talented membership. The display included watercolors from multiple Gold medallion members.

Eric Shute of Syracuse said, “I have been painting watercolors for more than 20 years. I painted these

two scenes on the coast of Maine.”

The one called “High Tide” is priced at $600.00. His painting titled “Pink Granite” received a blue ribbon labeled Judge’s Choice and sells for $800.00.

Karen Harris of Fayetteville exhibited two paintings valued at $800.00-$1200.00. She said she has been painting since college. More information is available at the organization’s website: www.centralnewyorkwatercolorsociety.org.

Local oil painter Judith Snedeker Jaquith of Worcester has a solo show in Gallery B. Her exhibit, titled “Always Looking Up,” showcases her love of the sky. Jaquith is a self-taught artist from central New Jersey who settled in this area to be close to one of her three children and grandchildren.

Jaquith explained, “I love wide open spaces. Whenever I look up at the sky, it is never just blue. It is full of other colors.”

Her paintings convey the vastness of the sky and the many variations of colors.

Bill Cramer bought two of Jaquith’s paintings, one painting with a bright orange sky and another with a blue sky with clouds.

He said, “These are Christmas gifts for one of my sons and my daughter. I do most of my holiday shopping at events like this.”

The Cooperstown Art Association will kick off its annual Holiday Show and Sale, featuring 100 artists, on November 9, 2023.

Janet Erway is executive director of the Cooperstown Art Association and The Smithy, Daniel Francis is a full-time gallery manager and Ann Geiger is a part-time gallery manager of both locations.

Geiger said, “The Smithy will be having its Open House on October 11 from 5-7 p.m.” Geiger is one of the teachers there.

Photo by Monica Calzolari

Local oil painter Judith Snedeker Jaquith of Worcester has a solo exhibit in CAA’s Gallery B.

By WRILEY NELSON

Perspectives

Exercise Your Rights

Since the founding of our country, the right to vote has undergone massive, and constant, change. Many of these changes have been beneficial and forwardthinking, ever expanding the concept of universal franchise; others have taken a step or many steps backward, flirting with disenfranchisement and instigating all means of voter restrictions. Through it all, states’ rights and the federal government have played a pivotal role.

In the Declaration of Independence, signed August 2, 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” Meaning, of course, the U.S. government is, in Abraham Lincoln’s words nearly a century later, “of the people, by the people and for the people.”

When the U.S. Constitution was adopted, on June 21, 1788, in lieu of a federal requirement the power to establish standards for voting rights was granted to the states, probably because the concept of a representative democracy was a new idea, much different from that of the permanent monarchies and principalities that covered the globe, and were not subject to a vote. The result was that white AngloSaxon Protestant males over the age of 21 who owned property were given the right to vote.

In the 19th century, things got better. In February 1870, the Fifteenth Amendment was ratified, granting Black men the right to vote and Congress the right to enforce that right, though Congress came immediately up against new barriers—poll taxes and literacy tests—that were enacted, for the most part, in the Southern states. (Poll taxes remained in place for nearly 100 years, until 1964, when the Twenty-Fourth Amendment was ratified, prohibiting their use in Federal elections; literacy tests were banned a year later, when the Voting Rights Act was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson.)

Women, too, had a tough time. In 1787, women property owners could vote in New Jersey; those voting rights were taken away in 1807. Wyoming women got equal suffrage in 1868, and a decade later Utah women could vote. In 1883. Washington Territory women earned the right to vote, but, along with the women of Utah, lost that right in 1887. Women could vote in Colorado in 1893 and in Idaho in 1896, and that right was returned to them in Utah (1896) and Washington (1910). Slowly, in the early 20th century, other states granted women votes in some, but not in all, primaries and elections.

At last, the long-fought Susan B. Anthony Amendment— the Nineteenth Amendment—was passed in the Senate on June 4, 1919 by a vote of 56-25, and ratified on August 20, 1920, giving women suffrage. The Senate had defeated the amendment innumerable times since its first appearance in 1866; it was a 41-year multi-vote battle. Restrictions and discriminatory laws still exist.

Since then, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the TwentySixth Amendment of 1971, which lowered the voting age to U.S. citizens who are 18, have added immensely to our right to vote.

The right to vote has been hard earned; it must not be neglected.

Here, in Otsego County, there are 33,644 active registered voters but not all of them vote. Further, it is disheartening to see that in the forthcoming election, on November 7, of the 131 vacancies in the county certified to be filled there are 88 unopposed candidates. Six positions have no candidates at all.

We live in a democracy, and it’s up to us to uphold it. Exercise your right to vote, and your right to run for office.

“The

POLICY

LETTERS TO THE

space. Please send letters to: info@allotsego.com.

No Excuse for No Debate

How can voters make informed choices if candidates refuse to debate? The League of Women Voters has long been trusted to take a completely non-partisan approach to hosting debates. We provide a neutral forum, with the rules clearly specified in advance to minimize any partisan activity by the audience to ensure that all candidates are fairly heard. Under the rigorously fair conditions we enforce at debates, we cannot see any legitimate reason for candidates to be unwilling to join their opponents and face voters together.

And yet, this year, of the eight candidates we have invited to debates, three have refused to take the opportunity to inform voters of their positions and qualifications. We believe their choice hurts our democracy. Because we will only hold a public session if at least two candidates for an office agree to participate, we will not be able to hold a debate on the important county clerk position, where Jennifer Basile has refused our invitation. We will not be able to hold a debate for the position of Hartwick supervisor, where Robert O’Brien was unwilling to join his opponent in debate. Voters will hear from only three of the four candidates running for Hartwick Town Council, as Bryan LoRusso has refused to participate.

The League of Women Voters is committed to doing what we can to reduce the intense partisanship and polarization that erodes the strength of our community. We all need candidates to support this effort by participating in civil debate in front of voters, modeling respectful disagreement and helping voters make choices based on real information rather than just party affiliation. We are deeply disappointed that so many of the candidates we invited will not support this effort. We are making this information public so that voters will know that the League has tried to provide a neutral forum for debate, and so that candidates for office will consider their obligation to participate fully in the education of voters.

The candidates who refused our invitations had their own reasons, but there is no excuse.

Hudi Podolsky Chair, Voter Service Committee League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area

Campaign Kicking Into High Gear

Furthermore, my campaign has diligently planned and begun executing comprehensive community outreach efforts. The success of my campaign relies on this essential work to ensure that every eligible voter has the opportunity to hear my plans for the office and to ensure that every voter has the opportunity to cast their ballot. This endeavor demands an enormous amount of my time and attention, making it challenging to accommodate a debate without compromising the quality of our efforts.

In the free time I am able to find, I have chosen to spend it speaking with voters oneon-one, actively listening to their concerns and working to implement real solutions to the issues that matter. I am very proud to announce that due to these efforts, I have secured a shared office space in Oneonta from which to operate a mobile DMV program.

I hope voters will appreciate my focus on tangible actions and my dedication to their needs and concerns. I am always open to conversations and discussions with the residents of Otsego County and I remain committed to being a trustworthy and accessible candidate. People are welcome to reach out to me at any time at basileforclerk.com or via my campaign Facebook page.

Jennifer Basile Candidate for Otsego County Clerk

Potluck Supper a Huge Success

Another Growing Community Harvest Potluck Supper on Main Street is in the books! A huge thank you to all who came out on a glorious fall afternoon—to those who schlepped tables and chairs, donated flowers (so many gorgeous flowers!), helped to decorate, and to everyone who brought good cheer and delicious food to share.

Special thanks to the Stoddard Hollow String Band (we missed you, Marvin Zachow—feel better soon!) for the festive music. Special thanks as well to the Friends of the Village Library and the First Baptist Church for tables, the Boy Scouts for collecting bottles and cans, Mohican Farms for collecting compost, and the Village of Cooperstown for allowing us to use the street and providing garbage bins. We are so fortunate.

dedicated to public service and to Otsego County.

I have been a Republican my entire life. However, this November, I’m voting for MacGuire Benton to serve as our next Otsego County clerk. This race isn’t about political affiliation. It’s about electing someone as our county clerk who will work day in and day out to get things done for rural towns like Morris, where I built a small business and love to live.

There is only one candidate in the race for clerk who I’m confident will reopen the Oneonta DMV and implement a mobile DMV program effectively. There is only one candidate in the race for clerk who I think conservatives should vote for and that’s MacGuire Benton. His commitment to reduce the flood of revenue dollars out of Otsego County and to keep dollars local is the fiscal responsibility we need from our next county clerk.

MacGuire Benton has shown up and listened to us. He visited my small business and shook hands with my customers. He cares about the success of our little town, and because of that, Republicans should vote for MacGuire Benton. He won’t let us down.

Melody Boynton Morris

Basile Best, Most Qualified Choice

I’m endorsing Jennifer Basile for Otsego County clerk because she’s the only candidate with the experience and qualifications needed for the job. For more than a decade, she has worked in the trenches at the Clerk’s Office and DMV to deliver great customer service for area residents. The people of our county won’t find a better person or more qualified candidate than Jennifer Basile to elect as our next county clerk.

Allen Ruffles Otsego County Treasurer

Benton Caring, Compassionate

Columnists and Contributing Writers

First and foremost, my commitment to the residents of Otsego County extends far beyond my candidacy for county clerk. As Otsego’s deputy clerk for the last seven years, I am committed to working in the office full time, every day. I am dedicated to ensuring the efficient and accurate management of essential records, maintaining a quality line of communication between our many local, county, and state public officials, and serving the public with professionalism and dedication. Quite simply—I cannot abandon my commitment to the great people of Otsego County.

We set up 30 tables and 300 chairs and had between 300500 people, though it’s hard to say. We had a heartwarming abundance of flowers donated from folks’ gardens after putting out a call on Facebook. This is the first Harvest Supper since 2019, due to the pandemic and then weather last year. Next year’s Harvest Supper will be on Sunday, September 29!

Ellen Pope Cooperstown

A Republican Nod for Mac Benton

I went to work for the Bassett Hospital Eye Clinic in 1999. I worked with MacGuire Benton’s father, Mark Benton, for 13 years. I’ve known MacGuire for nearly 25 years.

I am so proud of the person he is today. Diligent, energetic, thoughtful, and undeniably

I have worked with, and observed MacGuire Benton for seven years. I have watched him grow and develop as a person and as a public servant. I have seen him define and develop solutions to problems and to bring forward opportunities. I have watched him develop a successful career in the private sector. I have seen him study in depth the positions of public trust he has served in. He truly cares for other people which he demonstrates always. I have personally experienced how that shows.

Four weeks ago, I was attending a breakfast meeting in Syracuse when I developed dizziness and then collapsed. MacGuire was independently attending the same meeting. I was helped to the floor at the site and was then taken to Upstate University Medical Center for evaluation and treatment. When I awoke, MacGuire asked me where my car was and took it upon himself to inform the hotel so it wouldn’t be towed. About 20 minutes after I arrived at the Emergency Department, MacGuire arrived. He then stayed by my side for the entire time I was there. It was

Terry Berkson, Monica Calzolari, Rachel Frick Cardelle, Elizabeth Cooper, Maureen Culbert, Richard deRosa, Caspar Ewig, Ian Kenyon, Marcia Kozubek, Tom Shelby, Dan Sullivan, T. Stephen Wager, Teresa Winchester, Jamie Zvirzdin

110 YEARS AGO

In Our Town: The Cooperstown post office seems to be inhabited by prize-winners. Charles A. Schneider received notice this Tuesday morning that he had been awarded sixth prize—$25 in cash—in an amateur photographic contest conducted by the Ansco Company of Binghamton. The photograph was of little Kenneth Schneider, son of George Schneider, sitting on a fence in the act of taking a snapshot. The picture will be used in future Ansco advertising matter.

Mr. and Mrs. J. Fenimore Cooper and family left Fynmere Sunday and returned to their winter home in Albany. J. Fenimore Cooper, Jr. will spend the winter in Arizona.

F. Ambrose Clark and family, with their guests, H.B. Stokes and Mr. and Mrs. Erastus Teftt with Miss Edith Wellman, returned to New York on Tuesday by special train.

October, 1, 1913

85 YEARS AGO

A total of 143 persons, for the most part residents of Cooperstown and vicinity, accepted the invitation to visit the National Baseball Museum on Saturday, the first of the free days this season. A similar and very cordial invitation is extended for the remaining Saturdays of October when the doors of the famous museum will be open without charge from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, 2 to 6 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. Every resident of Cooperstown and Otsego County should become thoroughly acquainted with this famous collection of relics connected with the development of the national game, and the Hall of Fame with its plaques of the immortals donated by the Major Leagues.

October 5, 1938

60 YEARS AGO

Seven school districts in central and northern Otsego County would get more for their education dollars if a proposed consolidation of the districts were to be brought into being, according to Harry W. Langworthy, associate in the Bureau of Rural Administrative Services of the State Education Department. Langworthy was speaking to a meeting at the Cooperstown Elementary School of members of the Boards of Education and administrators of the schools involved. This year, the districts of Cooperstown, Milford, Edmeston, Springfield, Cherry Valley and Van Hornesville plus the Westville common district, are spending $3,052,412 to operate their educational programs. A consolidated district would cost about the same, but, with an enrollment of 4,100, would be able to offer a broader program, Langworthy said.

October 2, 1963

35 YEARS AGO

Excerpt from “Cooperstown Space Odyssey,” a poem by Patricia Merker: “How often have we heard it said ‘Your Main Street’s really charming.’ And don’t we all just love to hear a tribute so disarming. We glow with pride to know our town is seen above reproach. But wait is that a flaw I see, beginning to encroach? Now, I’m not one to quibble, nor stretch a point too far, but folks, I’m aging rapidly just trying to park my car!”

October 5, 1988

20 YEARS AGO

In honor of Midwifery Week, Women’s Health at Bassett Healthcare will pay tribute to nurse midwives and their many contributions to patient care on Saturday, October 4, from 2 to 4:30 p.m. The event will include children’s activities such as face painting and sand art, as well as a magic show with performer Jeff Sterling. Healthy snacks will be provided. The “Bassett Babies Celebration” will be held at the Otsego Grill of the Morris Conference Center on the SUNY Oneonta campus.

October 3, 2003

SQSPCA Values Human-Animal Bond

At the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, you will hear us talk a lot about the humananimal bond. Being much more than a physical building that shelters animals, we are also an animal resource center that deeply values the relationship humans have with their animals.

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine has a Center for the Human-Animal Bond which studies, conducts research and fosters collaboration so we can all learn more about this special rapport.

According to the center (www.vet.purdue. edu/chab), the human-animal bond is something that all pet owners already know, but would like to understand more about. It is “the dynamic relationship between people and animals in that each influences the psychological and physiological state of the other. Human-animal interaction has profound physiological consequences. People, in the contact with animals, experience a decrease in blood pressure, reduced anxiety and a general feeling of well-being. By observing the behavior of animals, children learn to be more nurturing and perhaps better parents to their own children. The therapeutic value of animals for sociallyisolated individuals in nursing homes, hospitals, hospices and prisons has been documented. People in the presence of animals are often perceived to be more happy and healthy.”

We have many programs, including our counseling to match potential adopters with adoptable animals, that nurture the human-animal bond and

REAGLE

we are working hard every day to increase and improve them. We have low-cost spay/neuter clinics, new this year. We have an emergency boarding program and we have a pet pantry that helps people with food and basic supplies. We know from our own experience here in Otsego

Compiled by Tom HeiTz/SHARoN STUART with resources courtesy of The Fenimore Art museum Research Library

Continued on page 10

Photo provided

mary earl of Cherry Valley adopted a kitten named mila recently. to date, the sQsPCA has found homes for close to 700 animals this year, with 40 currently in foster.

Should We Get a Dog?

Iam often asked how things are going up here on the hill. My usual answer is: pretty well. I do not get to the village often. And when I do it is not rare, when bumping into a friend, to have the occasion referred to as a “sighting.” Like most guys of my ilk, my needs are few. I am happiest up here where it is quiet and a far remove from the self-inflicted, increasingly disturbing inanities that abound out there in the so-called real world. Lately, we have been thinking it would be nice to have a dog again. When one spends so much time alone, it is nice to have a companion unburdened by human concerns. These days there are so many competing realities that the traditional notion of reality I grew up with is an anachronism. I am not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but I do think our not coming to some kind of agreement about the nature of reality, as well as factuality, puts us in an existential bind.

All this while digging holes for the arrival of some new blueberry plants from Kansas. A neighbor we bumped into recently while on the last leg of our walk opined that there was something cathartic about unrooting dandelions from their walkway. Catharsis can take many forms. I am particularly drawn to those cathartic moments rooted in actual soil. Soil fertility evidences itself in myriad ways. Whether extricating dandelions or digging 15-inch-deep holes for blueberry bushes, the psychic effect is the same, a fertile mindfulness that reaps some useful benefits.

One reality I know in my bones to be valid is that my hole-digging days are numbered, if not over. It is a reality I can live with. One must grasp whatever plausible realities one can these days. I mean, you gotta have a few things in life whose existence, concrete or otherwise, you can depend on. Ambiguity is fine, has its virtues, but as a constant staple in life makes getting through the average day tough. We always talk blithely about basic values, averring that we all share them, but I am not so sure that is true anymore. As I plucked stones and worms out of each hole, I tracked through what I think are some basic values

Energy

Continued from page 3

aims to deploy 3,000MW of energy storage by 2030 to make clean electricity available when it is most needed. The STORED project utilizes a firesafe battery using low-cost and largely domestically available materials. It will provide load management and power resilience to the two sites, where it will install capacity for more than 600kW of power for more than 12 hours per discharge. Installation and operation costs are expected to be considerably lower than those of a lithium-ion system. Urban Electric Power’s solvent-

that it is assumed we all share. Not much holds up anymore despite the obvious moral utility of each.

The reality of digging a hole is that, when done right, its future occupant will thrive. If we do not tend to our various gardens up here, especially the vegetable gardens, then we will reap fewer benefits. So a basic value is simply doing the work. Tending to our individual lives in ways beneficial to the self without intruding on the rights and freedoms of others, a notion traceable to Locke, appears to have lost some luster for the most ideologically intransigent among us. A disturbing irony of our age is the willingness of so many who profess to extol the virtues of freedom to harness others to their existential preferences. It makes little sense, at least rationally, but irrationality seems to have, for now, won the day. A reality neither healthy nor consistent with the notion of shared values.

I seem to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to make sense of this thing we call human nature. Digging helps. Walking helps. Writing helps. And so does reading. After reading Hannah Arendt’s brilliant study of the causes of totalitarianism, I had a better handle on its root causes. That did not assuage my fears of its apparent ascendency, but it put me on notice of what to watch out for. The ease with which a culture can be manipulated into mob action is evidenced by Hitler’s success in Germany. It is not a susceptibility limited to place; it can raise its ugly head anywhere.

So, given the embarrassing state of our politics, the fact that floods and fires are consuming vast acres of land and countless lives, wars and coups flare up on almost a daily basis, and too many of us seem disinclined to work up enough energy to devote some time on behalf of the commonweal, should we go ahead and get a dog? We seem to be leaning in that direction.

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

free rechargeable zinc-manganese dioxide batteries utilize earth-abundant raw materials that are readily available through supply chains established by the non-rechargeable alkaline battery industry, and more than 75 percent of Urban Electric Power’s raw material vendors are based in the U.S. According to a DOE release, a successful demonstration could enable market adoption of Urban Electric Power’s LDESS by proving decreased technology risk and by reducing demand on grid infrastructure through reduced peak demand load. As of press time, no further information was available concerning project location or timing.

Muskrat Hill

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The Flamingo Conspiracy: They’re Out To Get You

Vanessa, you need to hear this,” Matt whispered, clutching his phone tightly. The last 10 minutes had been the strangest of his life, and he didn’t know who else to turn to.

Vanessa groaned. “Matt, it’s 3 a.m., and we have work tomorrow.”

“Listen,” he said, “I woke up worried I’d forgotten my phone at the office, and I went out and found the phone in my car, but on my way back inside, I swear, the pink plastic flamingo—you know, the one you made me buy because you thought it was funny?—I heard it chirp.”

“A chirp? Really? Go back to bed, Matt.”

“No, Vanessa, listen to me. It was a digital chirp. Like a transmission of some sort.”

The next day, Vanessa couldn’t shake Matt’s early-morning call from her mind. Despite her skepticism, she valued her privacy, so she decided to take a closer look at her own flamingo when she got home from work. What she found made her blood run cold. The flamingo’s plastic beak had a tiny seam, almost invisible to the naked eye.

Driven by curiosity, she started to pry the beak open. The cheap pink ornament burst apart unexpectedly, scattering several black pieces into the grass. Inside the flamingo’s head, she found a tiny compartment that appeared perfectly designed to hold a few microchips and a miniature microphone. She searched the grass for the scattered black shards, but she could not find them.

Vanessa and Matt both worked at a prominent tech firm, where for the last month the talk at the office had centered on their rival’s groundbreaking microchips—chips rumored to be capable of selfdestructing without a trace. There on her lawn, as Vanessa gazed at her broken bird, it hit her. Matt wasn’t paranoid; he was right.

At the local library that evening, poring over old newspapers and obscure web forums, Vanessa and Matt saw a pattern emerge. The manufacturer of these plastic flamingos, “Bird’s-Eye Designs,” was a subsidiary of a tech conglomerate with close ties to global intelligence agencies. No one knew who officially owned the business; whoever it was, they knew how to fly under the radar. Moreover, there was an inexplicable surge in the number of birdwatchers who’d gone missing over the last few years.

Suddenly, Matt froze. One of the missing birdwatchers was Vanessa’s uncle, who had disappeared without a trace six months ago. A wellknown environmentalist and president of the Flamingo Preservation Society, he had been campaigning against the very tech conglomerate they were now reading about.

The two 20-something sleuths kept digging deeper that weekend, hunched over Matt’s computer as sunlight faded into night. As they connected more with online communities, they realized that people from all walks of life were grappling with similar questions and uncertainties about pink flamingos. Vanessa gasped and wept as she and Matt watched a series of long, dramatic YouTube videos on Facebook.

Their rock-solid, logical, sincere anecdotes seemed to prove that the plastic flamingos were not just ornaments: they were surveillance devices designed to keep tabs on environmental activists and anyone else deemed a threat to Bird’s-Eye Designs. Most terrifying of all was Operation Hitchcock, a sinister plan to roll out a new line of “smart” garden ornaments capable of more than just audio surveillance. These devices could interfere with home networks, manipulate data, and even control other smart home devices.

Realizing the depth of the conspiracy, Vanessa and Matt knew they had to join the fight to expose it.

“It’s time to ruffle a few feathers,” Matt said, his face now haggard and grim.

Vanessa nodded solemnly. She grabbed a butter knife from the kitchen drawer as Matt fetched a flashlight from the basement: they had to make sure.

From water-cooler talk they knew their boss, Sam, had an obsession with pink flamingos. He had 50 of them staked in his lawn, he claimed, and the proceeds from each had gone to the Flamingo Preservation Society.

“Mowing the lawn is hell,” he had said, “but I don’t care.”

Armed with this insight and the cover of night, Vanessa and Matt stepped onto Sam’s lawn. One by one, they’d crack open these plastic guardians of suburban bliss and find the clandestine technology they sheltered. Vanessa brandished her butter knife, dropped to her knees, and began prying open the beak of the nearest flamingo.

“Matt, there’s nothing here!” Vanessa whispered, holding up the empty pink innards.

The thought then occurred to her that the black shards she saw fly across the lawn might just have been mold.

“Maybe we shouldn’t be doing this.”

“Of course there’s nothing there! This one’s just a decoy. They just want us to think there’s nothing wrong here. Try the next one!”

Vanessa complied, but another nagging thought surfaced: Who exactly were “they”? But she had to remain strong. She’d committed too much time and energy to this conspiracy theory to back out now.

“There’s nothing in this one either,” Vanessa said.

Then, it clicked. “Hey, maybe Sam is the real decoy! Maybe he’s the one who murdered my uncle!”

At that moment, the porch light flashed on and Sam, dressed in a feathery pink bathrobe, appeared in the doorway.

“What’s the matter? Is something wrong out here? Hey! Lay off my flamingos!”

“We’re fighting a war, Sam,” Vanessa said slowly.

“A war against whom?”

“Against birds!” Matt said venomously.

Sam called the cops.

As for Vanessa and Matt, they knew their work was far from over. They had rattled a much larger cage, and there was no going back. After being released, they sat on a grassy

RETIREMENT SALE EVERYTHING MUST GO!

News briefs

Compiled by Wriley Nelson

Rotary Fall Fling is Set for This Saturday

COOPERSTOWN—Rotary Club of Cooperstown’s third annual Fall Fling will be held on the Clark Sports Center grounds from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. The festival will feature more than 50 vendors and a silent auction of about 40 gift baskets. Organizations like the Cooperstown Food Pantry and Cooperstown Winter Carnival will run children’s activities including pumpkin painting and spin art. Otsego County Conservation Association will collect sensitive documents for shredding and textiles for recycling. There will be live music and a pumpkin sale. Food vendors include Phatbacks, Norbu, the Busy Bee Mobile Café and Vail Bros. All proceeds will support the Rotary Club of Cooperstown’s community allocations grants to local nonprofits.

DOAS To Hold Franklin Mountain Open House

ONEONTA—Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society will hold an open house at the DOAS Sanctuary and Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch, 52 Grange Hall Road Spur in Oneonta, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. A hawk counter will conduct a workshop on identification of flying hawks and raptors at 10 a.m., followed by a guided trail walk at 11:30. Deborah Saltis of Falcon Heart Rescue in Herkimer will run a live birds of prey program at 12:30 p.m. There will be a variety of complimentary snacks and drinks throughout the day and raffle items for the upcoming Hawkwatch Charter Dinner will be on display. The event is free and open to the public.

Best-selling Author To Speak at Hartwick

ONEONTA—Journalist and New York Times number one bestselling author Lee Woodruff will deliver the fall A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Chair Lecture at Hartwick College’s Anderson Theater at 7 p.m. on Friday, October 6. Woodruff will discuss “Keeping Humanity in Healthcare,” revealing the things she learned as an advocate and caregiver for her husband, Bob Woodruff, after he was severely injured covering the Iraq War as an ABC news anchor. Her relationships with nurses fostered an understanding of their critical role in the health-care system, providing links to patients and families. Woodruff will cover the human experience and touch nurses bring to healing. Woodruff has spent her entire career in media and marketing. She has contributed to “CBS This Morning” and reported for “Good Morning America,” and hosted several radio shows. She garnered critical acclaim for her best-selling books, “In an Instant” and “Perfectly Imperfect.” As co-founder of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, she has also helped to raise more than $90 million to help military veterans, caregivers, and families reintegrate into their communities and receive long-term care. The O’Connor Chair Lecture is free and open to the public. It will be livestreamed. Sophomore, junior and senior nursing students must attend.

Laurens Board Approves Cannabis Art Fest

LAURENS—The Town of Laurens Planning Board unanimously approved a special use permit for the NY Cannabis Arts and Music Festival on Wednesday, September 20. The event will be held from 3 p.m. on Friday, October 13 through 10 p.m. on Sunday, October 15 at the Knarich Family Farm, 2013 County Highway 10 in Laurens. There will be more than 25 bands, DJs, fire spinners and other performing artists, an artists’ village and vendor row, guest speakers, live demonstrations, and night visuals. The festival will also feature New York’s first legal cannabis competition, the NY Cannabis Growers’ Cup. Tickets are available on Eventbrite. The town planning board’s permit includes several conditions to ensure safety, prevent noise or smell nuisances to neighbors and prevent illegal activity; permission will be revoked if the conditions are not met.

SUNY Oneonta Ranks High Among Schools

ONEONTA—“U.S. News and World Report” featured SUNY Oneonta on its list of the top 15 public schools in the Northeast, released on Monday, September 18. It moved up 45 spots from its ranking last year. The U.S. News ranking is the second in recent weeks recognizing SUNY Oneonta’s academic quality and value. In August, Forbes named SUNY Oneonta to its 2023 “America’s Top Colleges” list, which “showcases 500 of the finest U.S. colleges, ranked using data on student success, return on investment and alumni influence.” To calculate the rankings, both organizations used outcomes data ranging from first-to-second year retention and six-year graduation rates to average salaries, job placement rates and loan debt after graduation.

“We are pleased to be recognized as one of the nation’s top institutions by both U.S. News and Forbes,” said SUNY Oneonta President Alberto J. F. Cardelle. “This external recognition affirms that SUNY Oneonta continues to provide students with an excellent educational experience and the support they need to succeed. Our faculty work hard to provide student-centered learning experiences, both in and out of the classroom.”

Springfield To Host Harvest Celebration

SPRINGFIELD—The Town of Springfield announced that the public is welcome to celebrate the harvest season and recent improvements to the Springfield Community Center with a Community Harvest Celebration from 26 p.m. on Saturday, October 7. The free event will take place at the Community Center, 129 County Road 29A in Springfield Center, and will offer live music, food, and activities for all ages. Improvements to the Community Center include a new multi-use park pavilion and tables, new playground equipment, repaved walking path, community garden, expanded parking, new basketball hoop, kitchen improvements, and more. The work was made possible with the help of community volunteers and funds from the American Rescue Plan Act. The use of ARPA funds directed by Springfield’s Town board has been focused on projects that encourage healthy community gatherings and recreation, assisted in large part by community volunteer efforts. Additional ARPA expenditures by the Town of Springfield include three AEDs (defibrillators), materials for an ice-skating rink, a snow blower, outdoor lighting and fire pit, paint for dugouts and sheds, a park bench, outdoor bulletin board, storage shed roof replacement, and two new kitchen ranges at the Springfield Community Center, while the Springfield Landing Park received new aluminum swimming docks and lifeguard chair, and window replacements.

Dems Announce Breakfast with Mayor

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Democratic Club will hold a breakfast with Mayor Mark Drnek at Get Fresh on the Main café at 9 a.m. on Saturday, October 14. Topics of discussion will include parking, homelessness, climate change and more. Participants are asked to bring questions, ideas and comments to spark a lively discussion. RSVP to garymaffei@gmail.com or via the Oneonta Democratic Club Facebook page.

Ride to Mississippi Sought for Tree

OTEGO—Jean Seroka, of Otego, has asked the public to notify her via AllOtsego of any upcoming drives to Mississippi. She received a pomegranate tree as a token of gratitude from some Hurricane Katrina survivors she helped in 2005. Although the tree has done well in her greenhouse and outdoors during the summer months, she wishes to return it to Mississippi and plant it in the ground, where it belongs.

Alumni Hall Ribbon-Cutting Heralds New Era in Building

By DAN SULLIVAN ONEONTA

Energy consumed by buildings accounts for some 40 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. If the country is to meet its climate goals, it is imperative that this usage be reduced. SUNY Oneonta took a giant step in that direction by completing an energy upgrade to Alumni Hall, a move that was recognized in a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week attended by SUNY Chancellor John King.

Alumni Hall dates back to 1958, a time when buildings were heated by coal or oil, and electricity was produced in the same way. Fast forward 65 years, and Alumni Hall is now an effectively carbon-neutral building. Carbon emissions from the 47,000square-foot facility equal 3.2 pounds

per square foot per year; these are offset using renewable energy credits, thus rendering the carbon neutral status. By comparison, conventional buildings produce 15 pounds of carbon per square foot per year. Alumni Hall alone reduces the campus carbon footprint by 130 tons per year.

The building is heated and cooled by a geothermal ground-source heat pump system. Geothermal systems draw air from geothermal wells that produce constant temperatures easily raised and lowered to meet heating and cooling needs very efficiently. The wells drilled for Alumni Hall go down 499 feet—a depth just shy of the need for a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation mining permit.

Lachlan Squair, the facilities director at SUNY, explained the drill depth, “Until very recently, geothermal

Continued on page

October 2 – December 6

Bassett Healthcare Center

125 Main St. • Oneonta, NY 13820

Tuesdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Bassett Medical Center, First Floor

1 Atwell Road • Cooperstown, NY 13326

Mondays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

FoxCare Center

1 FoxCare Dr. • Oneonta, NY 13820

Thursdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

O’Connor Hospital

460 Andes Road • Delhi, NY 13753

Wednesdays: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.

Walk-ins welcome!

Prefer an appointment or looking for special needs accommodations? Call 1-888-519-7914 (TTY: 711).

Photo by Valerie Caviness

On hand to help with the ribbon cutting were, from left: Thaler reilly wilson Architecture & Preservation Architect Dan wilson; fahs Construction Project Manager Corey Gould; sUNY Oneonta Provost enrique Morales; sUNY Oneonta Associate Vice President for facilities Management Lachlan squair; sUNY Oneonta President Alberto Cardelle; sUNY Chancellor John b. King Jr.; Assemblyman brian Miller; sUNY Construction fund Project Manager Jim whalen; sUNY Oneonta student Association President emily Destefano; and sUNY Oneonta Vice President of University Advancement Paul Adamo.

Village Unveils New Historical Signage at Council Rock Park

COOPERSTOWN

On Sunday, October 15 at 1:30 p.m., the Village of Cooperstown will formally unveil new historical signage at Council Rock Park dedicated to Indigenous history. The public is invited to this free event, which will feature remarks by village officials and local historians. The new signage provides important contextual information regarding both “Council Rock” and “Clinton’s Dam,” which were memorialized in two New York State historical markers erected on the site in the late 1920s and early 1930s. It explains the origins of the “Council Rock” story in local folklore

LegaL nOtice

Surrogate’S Court

SChoharie County

3rD SuPPLeMentaL Citation

File No.

2022-162

Filed:

Sept. 25, 2023

Schoharie County

Surrogate’s Court

To: Luke Shaul

A petition having been duly filed by Ian Joshua Shaul, who is domiciled at 523 Mill Valley Road, Middleburgh, NY 12122.

You Are Hereby cited to show cause before the surrogates cour, Schoharie County, at 290 Main Str., Schoharie, New York, on Friday, December 1, 2023, at 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon of that day, why a decree should not be made in the estate of Gertrude K. Shaul a/k/a Gertrude H. Shaul, lately domiciled at 523 Mill Valley Road, Middleburgh, NY 12122 admitting to probage a Will dated June 28, 2011 a copy of which is attached, as the Will of Gertrude K Shaul a/k/a Gertrude H. Shaul, deceased, relating to real and personal property and directing that Letter Testamentary issue to Ian Joshua Shaul.

Date, Attested and Sealed: September 25, 2023.

/s/ Hon. Ryan T. McAllister, Surrogate

Michael L. Breen

Attorney for Petitioner

(518) 827-4320

109-1 Railroad Avenue, PO Box 982, Middleburgh, NY 12122

(Note: This citation is served upon you as required by law. You are not required to appear. If you fail to appear it will be assumed you do not object to the relief requested. You have a right to have an attorney appear for you.)

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and an introduction to the revised 1832 edition of James Fenimore Cooper’s novel, “The Pioneers.” In addition, it discusses the 1779 Sullivan-Clinton Campaign and the broader history of the American Revolution and Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) nations.

The new signage notes that the purpose of the campaign, which was ordered by General George Washington and occurred in the context of “war on the frontier” with Loyalists and their Native allies, was to “invade the western Haudenosaunee homelands.” It resulted in the destruction of 40 Indigenous towns and their harvests, creating a large refugee population. Among the

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PuBLiC notiCe

Cellco Partnership and its controlled affiliates doing business as Verizon Wireless is proposing to collocate antennas on an existing 41-ft tall pole located at 165 Co Hwy 52, Middlefield, Otsego Co, NY 13326 (42° 41’ 15.0” N, 74° 55’ 10.99” W). Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: K. Eisele, Terracon, 844 N Lenola Rd, Ste 1, Moorestown, NJ 08057, 856-8133267 or Kathy. eisele@terracon. com.

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF PuBLiC hearing

The Village of Milford will hold a Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on October 5th at 6pm at the Fire Hall 64 S Main St., Milford, NY All are encouraged to attend.

LegaL nOtice notiCe to BiDDerS

Sealed bids will be received as set forth in instructions to bidders until 10:30 A.M. on Thursday, October 26, 2023 at the NYSDOT, Office of Contract Management, 50 Wolf Rd, 1st Floor, Suite 1CM, Albany, NY 12232 and will be publicly opened and read. Bids may also be submitted via the internet using www.bidx. com. A certified cashier’s check payable to the NYSDOT for the sum specified in the proposal or a bid bond, form CONR 391, representing 5% of the bid total, must accompany each bid. NYSDOT reserves the right to reject any or all bids.

Electronic documents and

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

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

Contracts with 0% Goals are generally single operation contracts, where subcontracting is not expected, and may present direct bidding opportunities for Small Business Firms, including, but not limited to D/M/WBE’s and SDVOBs.

The New York State Department of Transportation, in accordance with the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to 2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, Subtitle A, Office the Secretary, Part 21, Nondiscrimination in Federally-assisted programs of the Department of Transportation and Title 23 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200, Title IV Program and Related Statutes, as amended, issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all who respond to a written Department solicitation,

Haudenosaunee, Washington was known as Hanadaganyas, “he destroys towns.”

The purpose of the signage is to provide a factual and balanced account of these events. History is a dynamic pursuit, subject to change as we learn more about events from the past.

The new signage was created in collaboration with faculty and students of the Cooperstown Graduate Program at SUNY Oneonta. The project was spearheaded by Village Historian and CGP Associate Professor of History Will Walker in close consultation with William A. Starna, professor emeritus of anthropology at SUNY Oneonta, and Darren Bonaparte, director of the Tribal

LEGALS

request for proposal or invitation for bid that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be afforded full opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability/handicap and income status in consideration for an award.

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

Region 09: New York State Department of Transportation 44 Hawley Street, Binghamton, NY, 13901

D265121, PIN 9WWS23, Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga Cos., BRIDGE EMERGENCY RESPONSE

WHERE & WHEN, Various Locations., Bid Deposit:

5% of Bid (~ $40,000.00),

Goals: MBE: 5.00%, WBE: 10.00%, SDVOB: 0.00%

D265120, PIN 9WW023, Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga Cos., HIGHWAY - EMERGENCY RESPONSE

WHERE & WHEN - Various Locations., Bid Deposit: 5% of Bid (~ $375,000.00), Goals: MBE: 5.00%, WBE: 10.00%, SDVOB: 0.00% 2LegalOct.5

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

CITY OF THE HILLS AIRCRAFT, LLC

Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State

on 9/5/23. 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 him to: The LLC, 4 Overlook Dr., Oneonta, NY 13820. The purpose of the LLC is to engage in any lawful act or activity.

6LegalNov.9

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

CUTTING EDGE PAINTING & FINISHING LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 9/7/23.

Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY Designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, 1033 County Highway 18, South New Berlin, NY 13843. Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalNov.9

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

MAPLE ISLAND TREES, LLC.

Articles of Organization were filed with the NY Secretary of State on 9/25/23. 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 him/her to: The LLC, 438 Mansfield Ave., Levittown, NY 11756.

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

6LegalNov.9

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF LiMiteD LiaBiLity CoMPany

NAME: MONKEY MAN TREE SERVICE, LLC

LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on June 2, 2023. Office location Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of Process to the LLC at 7345 State Highway 51, West Winfield, NY 13491

PURPOSE: For any lawful Purpose

6LegalNov.9

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF LiMiteD LiaBiLity CoMPany

NAME: HIBBARD FARMS, LLC

LLC Articles of Organization were filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on June 2, 2023. Office Location Otsego County. SSNY has been designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail a copy of Process to the LLC at 7345 State Highway 51, West Winfield, NY 13491.

PURPOSE: For any lawful Purpose

6LegalNov.9

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Historic Preservation Office of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. It was designed by Doreen DeNicola of DeNicola Design.

Loudon to Present trolley Documentary

HARTWICK—Rail historian and author Jim Loudon will present “The Leatherstocking Route: Otsego Trolley Line—A Documentary” at Kinney Memorial Library at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 12. Loudon wrote and narrated the film, which was produced by Yvonne Boyea Eckert. The event is sponsored by the Otsego County Historical Association.

on 08/31/23. Latest date to dissolve: 12/31/2123.

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

SSNY shall mail copy of process to the LLC, c/o Anthony Gaudio, 7 Polonia Court, Monroe Twp, NJ 08831.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose. 6LegalNov.2

LegaL nOtice

notiCe oF

ForMation oF

177 LIPPITT DEVELOPMENT LLC

Arts. of Org. filed with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 09/14/23.

Office location: Otsego County. Princ. office of LLC: 177 Lippitt Development Rd., Cooperstown, NY 13326. SSNY designated as agent of LLC upon whom process against it may be served.

SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at the addr. of its princ. office.

Purpose: Any lawful activity.

6LegalNov.2

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

Gatehouse Coffee LLC

Articles of Organization filed with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on 7/21/23.

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

SSNY shall mail copy of process to 203 County Highway 8, Morris, NY 13808

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalNov.2

JAMIE REEVES, CONDUCTOR LLC.

Filed 7/4/23. Office: Otsego Co. SSNY desig. as agent for process & shall mail to: 11 Westridge Rd, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Registered Agent: United States Corporation Agents, Inc., 7014 13th Ave, Ste 202, Bklyn, NY 11228.

Purpose: General. 6LegalOct.26

LegaL nOtice

notiCe oF ForMation oF

Lauren Glynn Law PLLC

Art. of Org. filed with Secretary of State of NY (SSNY) 03/02/2023.

Office Location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against may be served & shall mail a copy of process to 36 Elm Street, Cooperstown NY 13326, Any lawful purpose.

6LegalOct.19

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

TEAMANDA HOLDINGS LLC

Articles of Org. filed NY Sec. of State (SSNY) 9/5/23. Office in Otsego Co. SSNY desig. agent of LLC whom process may be served. SSNY shall mail process to 5001 Route 23, Ste. 3, #166, Oneonta, NY 13820, which is also the principal business location.

Purpose: Any lawful purpose.

6LegalOct.19

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF a LiMiteD LiaBiLity CoMPany

of Organization with the Secretary of State of New York (SSNY) on JUNE 6, 2023. Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent upon whom process against it may be served. SSNY shall mail copy of any process served upon him or her to: 1967 Wehrle Drive, Suite 1086, Buffalo, NY 14221.

Purpose: Any lawful act or activity.

6LegalOct.12

LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF

Infinite Hearts Reiki L.L.C. Filed 8/21/23.

Office : Otsego County . SSNY designated as agent of L.L.C. upon whom to process against LLC. SSNY shall mail a copy of the process to LLC, 177 Cemetery Rd, Fly Creek , N.Y. 13337.

Purpose, general 6LegalOct.5 LegaL nOtice notiCe oF ForMation oF LLC. Monticello Wind LLC (LLC)

Filed Arts. of Org. with Secy. of State of NY (SSNY) on 8/22/2023.

Office location: Otsego County. SSNY designated as agent of the LLC upon whom process may be served and SSNY shall mail process to the LLC at c/o Liberty Renewables Inc., 90 State Street, Albany, NY 12207.

Purpose: any business permitted under law.

6LegalOct.5

185-187 MAIN STREET WORCESTER, NY, LLC.

Arts. of Org. filed with the SSNY

LegaL nOtice

notiCe oF ForMation oF

NEW YORK NIGHTMARE PRODUCTION, LLC

filed Articles

Submit Notices of Formation, Public Notices, and Supplemental Summons to LarissaR@ AllOtsego.com

Continued from page 4

about six hours until the hospital staff could diagnose and treat me. I knew he had at least six business calls to make that day and told him to take care of them and I would call him if I needed him. Instead of doing that, he canceled all his appointments and stayed by my side the entire time. Actually, not many people given permission to leave would have stayed the whole time. Even to me—who had spent most of his career in hospitals and especially Emergency Departments, and knew what was going on, and why—this was great comfort.

When I was released he drove me back to Cooperstown and the next day drove me with a friend back to Syracuse so we could retrieve my car. I told MacGuire to leave me and go do his work. Instead, he stayed with me, called all his customers to reschedule, and listened to me prattle to relieve

Alan J. Curran

Burial Service

my tension. As most of you know, being alone in an emergency room bed is a pretty upsetting position, including for a physician.

MacGuire will make a fine county clerk. His concern and desire to serve everyone is real. He doesn’t need this job for his living: He currently makes more than the salary of the county clerk.

This job will benefit from someone with vision and who has demonstrated compassion and caring. His ideas will benefit the entire population of Otsego County, will benefit everyone and not just a select few. He has worked with many people and is well liked and respected by those he has worked with. And he will develop the role of county clerk to advocate and develop resources for the entire county and not just for a few lawyers. It has been argued that a county clerk must have already been a clerk in that office and by some in that specific county. If this argument is true, then why do U.S. president,

governor, senator, etc., not have specific skill requirements. MacGuire has all the legal job requirements. We elect people to lead.

MacGuire has already studied those aspects of the job for which filing skills will be helpful and even the job description for working in the clerk’s office does not include previous experience clerking. He has performed clerk’s duties while working in the Otsego County Board of Elections. In any event, MacGuire has been studying that with other county clerks around the state. That part of the job is not rocket science, but leading people should be and MacGuire Benton is the best choice for that.

Richard J. Sternberg, m.D Cooperstown

High Praise for Nelson Article

Thank you so very much, Wriley Nelson, for that beautifully written article that captures, in scope and in essence, not only the story of

Molyvos and the book itself, but the importance and magnitude of the challenge that is ours in the face of the global refugee crisis. Spendid writing and reporting!

John Webb Cooperstown

Experience Over ‘Vision’

I am writing to express my deep concerns on the upcoming Otsego County clerk election. It is imperative that the right candidate be chosen for the position to ensure that the Clerk’s Office and DMV are managed effectively. In this regard, I strongly believe that Jennifer Basile is the right candidate for the job.

Unlike MacGuire Benton, Jennifer Basile has worked in the office for years and has the relevant experience to run the Clerk’s Office and DMV efficiently. She has a strong track record of providing excellent customer service to the public and is well-versed in administrative procedures. Her knowledge

and experience will be crucial in ensuring that the office is run effectively and efficiently.

On the other hand, MacGuire Benton has no experience in running a clerk’s office or DMV. Without the necessary experience and knowledge, it is unlikely that he will be able to perform the duties of county clerk effectively. While he may have “visions,” the county can’t afford a visionary with unrealistic or unattainable goals as county clerk. The continued promises by Mr. Benton are far from what is feasible. This, my friends, is just more proof that Mr. Benton has absolutely no idea of what the job entails or how things work in the offices or within the county.

Therefore, I urge all voters to consider Jennifer Basile’s experience and track record when casting their vote in the upcoming election. Jennifer knows how to do the job and knows exactly how to get realtime goals achieved. There is no doubt in my

mind that she is the most qualified candidate for the job, and her election will ensure that the Clerk’s Office and DMV are managed effectively.

Kelly Walrath Cooperstown

Basile for County Clerk

I have witnessed Jennifer Basile’s dedication to our Otsego County residents since I was first elected to the County Board in 2011. She has the experience, knowledge and temperament needed to keep our County Clerk’s office running smoothly and efficiently. Please join me in endorsing and voting for Jennifer Basile for Otsego County clerk this November. ed Frazier

Unadilla

HARTWICK – Alan J. Curran (73) – Burial and Committal Services with full military honors for Alan J. Curran, who died January 8, 2023, will be held on Saturday morning, October 7, 2023, at 11 a.m. in the Hartwick Cemetery, State Route 205, in the hamlet of Hartwick, NY with Pastor Stephen Fournier officiating. A reception for family and friends will follow at the Hartwick Rod and Gun Club, 132 Rod and Gun Club Road. Arrangements are under the care of Tillapaugh Funeral Service, Cooperstown.

Mary Crandall Lossi

1953-2023

ONEONTA—Mary Crandall Lossi, 70, of Oneonta passed away peacefully Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at home surrounded by her family.

She was born September 20, 1953 in Rockville Center, New York, the daughter of Robert Crandall and Mary Jane (Hendee) Crandall Allen.

Mary attended St. Mary’s School and then Oneonta High School, where she graduated in the Class of 1971. Following graduation, she went to SUNY Morrisville and graduated in 1973.

On October 24, 1981, Mary married Mark Lossi at St. Mary’s Church.

Mary was a worker. Her moto was, “You have to work, it gives life purpose.” For many years she worked as a claims examiner for the New York State Department of Labor. After she retired, she stayed busy working for the 6th Ward Athletic Club, her buddy “Bones” at XOF Catering, The Carriage House and Sunrise Catering. After retiring, she celebrated by traveling cross country by train to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Mary was always doing for others. She had a huge and generous heart and always put others’ needs

“Nothing can ever take away a love the heart holds dear.”

before her own. No matter what was going on in her life, she always called to check on her family and friends to make sure they were doing well and to make sure she could help with anything they needed. She very much enjoyed watching her kids play sports as they grew up, but one of her greatest joys were her grandchildren. They were the loves of her life and she loved spoiling them with special presents and homemade treats that she baked. Her favorite holiday was Christmas, and Mary and Mark hosted Christmas Eve parties with a full house of friends and family for over 30 years. Santa always made a special stop at Grandma and Grandpa’s house and, as her granddaughter Lena said about Christmas morning, “You can’t even walk through her living room because there are so many presents.”

She will be remembered for her spunky personality with the most loving heart.

Mary is survived by her husband, Mark Lossi, Oneonta; two children, Mark and Katie Lossi, West Oneonta, and Kristina and Erik Lauvas, Mt. Upton; four precious grandchildren, Lena, Brik, Gia and Mack; sister, Rhonda and Douglas Willies, Cooperstown; brothers, Brian and Debra Crandall, Rohnert Park, California and Barry Crandall, Sacramento, California; her beloved black lab, Breighle, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins. She was predeceased by her parents, brother Bobby Crandall and her two chocolate labs, Cassie and Tilly.

Mary’s family would like to extend a special thank you to Mary Drago, Deb and Paul Chicorelli, Becky and Bob Thomas, Danny and Jess of Bassett Cancer Center in Oneonta, and the staff at Helios Care and At Home Care for the love and support they provided to Mary.

Calling hours will be held on Thursday, October 5, 2023 at the Bookhout Funeral Home, 357 Main Street, Oneonta from 4-7 p.m. Funeral services will be held on Friday, October 6, 2023 at 10 a.m. at the Bookhout Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Mt. Calvary Cemetery, Emmons.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Mary’s name to the 6th Ward Athletic Club or Helios Care Inc., 297 River Street Service Rd., Oneonta, NY 13820.

To send the family an online condolence, please visit www.bookhoutfuneralhome.com

Arrangements are by the Bookhout Funeral Home, Oneonta.

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

Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home will take the time to find out what made your loved one special. Whether it’s finding just the right flowers, or finding a musician to play her favorite tunes on her old guitar, we’ll do what’s necessary to make her service as unique as she was.

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

Robert J. Morley

1955-2023

PHOENIX, AZ—

Robert Joseph Morley, of Phoenix, Arizona, passed away at his home September 7, 2023. He was 68 years old.

Born March 9, 1955 in Bloomfield, New Jersey, he was a son of Joseph F. and Roberta “Bobbie” A. (Schilling) Morley.

Raised in Ramsey, New Jersey, Robert graduated from Don Bosco Prep in 1973 and Marist College in 1977. He worked in the Cooperstown area for Wilber Bank before relocating and settling in Phoenix, Arizona. Rob established a personal training business in Phoenix and developed a very loyal following. He had a deep love for horses and was involved in equestrian training.

Robert is survived by his brothers, Scott Morley of Guilderland Center and Curt G. Morley and wife Katherine of Hull, Massachusetts; his nieces and nephews, Griffith P. of Massapequa and Alec of Cherry Valley, and Taylor, Brooke, Samantha, and Joseph of Boston, Massachusetts; aunts and uncles Emily and Stephen Swihura of Melbourne, Florida and Leonard R. and Cathy Schilling of Lowell, Indiana; and several cousins.

He was predeceased by his father, Joseph F. Morley, who died February 21, 1997; his mother, Roberta A. “Bobbie” Morley, who died June 14, 2019; a brother, Peter, who died June 21, 1988; a sister, Mary Louise, who died in 1957; and just recently a cousin, Susanne Swihura-Adsit, who died September 18, 2023.

Robert will be laid to rest in the Morley family plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index.

The Morley family respectfully requests that expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts for Robert be made to the Peter Morley Scholarship Fund at Cooperstown Central School, 38 Linden Avenue, Cooperstown, NY 13326.

Arrangements are under the care of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.

Photo provided

MARY CRANDALL LOSSI

Photo provided ROBERT J. MORLEY

Continued from page 6

hill and waited for the sun to rise over the lake. as a flock of real flamingos flew by, they felt a bittersweet triumph. The closer they got to the truth, the more dangerous their lives would become, but they were determined to fight against the hidden world of surveillance, corporate greed and probably murder.

One large flamingo landed right in front of them. Its beady eye was a startling red, and its hairy lamellae, normally used to filter food from water, looked more like rows of bristled traps ready to seize more than mere plankton.

“Matt, it’s 3 a.m., and we have work tomorrow,” it chirped. Then, it attacked. The End Moral of the Story

While murderous, tech-savvy flamingos are absurd, this story offers us a chance to see how conspiracy theories work and how we get caught up in them. Vanessa and Matt were just ordinary people who found themselves caught up in the search for truth. They weren’t paranoid or eccentric, and their concern was founded on legitimate core values, like privacy, injustice, and concern for missing relatives. Conspiracy theories are often emotionally appealing to us: They’re dramatic and they make us feel special, like we know an important secret, like we’re the heroes fighting the evil “them.” I especially find it fascinating that conspiracy theories hinge on a selfsealing logic, like selfdestructing microchips and microphones that vanish without a trace. a lot of “evidence” for these theories is simply unverifiable, and thus the theory survives and grows on its own twisted logic. They also heavily depend on anecdotes, stories from people— even ordinary people— whose memories might not be as reliable as we’d like to believe.

But conspiracy theories have steep costs for americans, both as individuals and as a society. They erode trust in institutions, from the government to the press, making it harder for these bodies to function effectively on our behalf. Personal relationships become strained as folks become deeply invested in views that set them at odds with friends and family. at the root level, these theories act like red herrings, drawing attention and resources away from real issues that require collective action, thereby weakening the fabric of society itself. Worst of all, when conspiracy theories make the leap from idle chatter to actual behavior, they can spark harmful, even violent, actions. as Vanessa and Matt found out, the price of tilting at windmills—in this case, plastic flamingos—was steeper than they thought.

Let us therefore lean on solid evidence and trustworthy sources to lay enduring but not

endearing conspiracy theories to rest. Vaccines work, we moonwalked, 9/11 wasn’t inside baseball, and the Earth’s not a flat pancake. JFK’s death wasn’t an inside job, Princess diana’s death wasn’t a royal plot. The climate’s really heating up, Sandy Hook and the Holocaust were tragically real, and Big Pharma isn’t hiding your cancer cure. No Freemasons or Illuminati are pulling the world’s strings. Contrails are all hot air, and area 51 is neither a cosmic hotel nor a cosmic mortuary. deep State really isn’t that deep, Pizzagate’s a slice of fiction, and Qanon’s out to lunch. For a full smorgasbord of debunked myths, feast your eyes on this Wikipedia page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ List_of_conspiracy_ theories. If you want to be a true hero, serve your local community, keep the rule of law, and leave both real and plastic pink flamingos in peace. For more related to this topic, I also enjoyed Christopher Hodapp and alice Von Kannon’s book, “Conspiracy Theories and Secret Societies For dummies.”

Jamie Zvirzdin researches cosmic rays with the Telescope Array Project, teaches science writing at Johns Hopkins University and is the author of “Subatomic Writing.”

SQSPCa

Continued from page 5

County that people struggling in one way or another will often provide better care for their pets than they do for themselves. We also have a foster program that matches people with animals in need while they wait for a forever home. This grant-funded

program will transport animals to and from foster care to help folks who otherwise might have barriers to helping, such as lack of transportation or a conflicting work schedule. Through this program, folks who want to help can, and animals in need are able to transition to their next journey from a home instead of a kennel or cage.

as we enter the wonderful season of thanks and charity, please remember the SQSPCa animal resource center.

We are always grateful for visitors who stop by

our campus at 5082-5088 State Highway 28 in Cooperstown and, if you can’t make it in person, we have a wonderful website at www.sqspca. org, where you can learn more about us and contribute to our cause.

With the support of people in our region who care, we are your leaders of a network, programs, and resources that not only help animals but, just as important, help people, too.

Stacie Haynes is the executive director of the Susquehanna Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

OTC Plans Pickleball Tourney

ONEONTa—OTC Sports Center will host a pickleball tournament on Saturday, October 14. Open men’s and women’s doubles will begin at 8 a.m., followed by 50+ men’s and women’s doubles at 10 a.m. and open and 50+ mixed doubles at 11 a.m. The entry deadline is Friday, October 13 at 8 a.m. Each event must have a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 teams. To register, email contact@ otcsportscenter.com.

Soccer Team To Hold Raffle

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown girls soccer teams will hold basket raffles to support breast cancer awareness efforts. The raffles will be held at the junior varsity game at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 6 and at the varsity game at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 7. Both games are against strong rival Sauquoit Valley. Tickets are $1.00 or 6 for $5.00.

NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME

is currently accepting applications for a

MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATE (Day Shift)

This is a 40 hour a week, day shift, position. Will include holidays, weekends and other shift coverage as required. Benefit package includes paid vacation and holiday, health insurance and retirement option. Salary range is $15/hr-$18/hr. If interested, please visit http://www.baseballhall.org/employment for more inforation and an application. For questions, please call Human Resources at 607-547-0207 EEOC

The job scene

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

HR BENEFIT/PAYROLL ASSISTANT

Sportsfield Specialties, Inc., located in Delhi, NY is seeking a HR Benefit/Payroll Assistant to assist with the administration/maintenance of employee benefits, company policies, payroll records/employee files and provide support to the HR team as needed.

Responsibilities/Duties inclu D e but not limite D to:

• Maintain up to date knowledge of federal and state employment and compliance requirements.

• Collaborate with supervisors with workplace accident investigations.

• Responsible for all document filing, preparing employee files and job site packets.

• Maintain DMV updates and employee boards.

• Assist with coordinating open enrollment, changes, and training for employee benefit programs.

• Assist with leaves of absences, grievance matters, etc.

• Enter, maintain, and process benefit related information into perspective systems.

• Complete mid-year and annual benefits compliance testing.

• Track, make changes and verify 401k and HRA related reports.

• Support HR/Finance audits by providing records, reports and other documentation as needed.

• Assist/coordinate employee incentive programs, quarterly gatherings, and company outings.

• Act as back-up to Payroll Specialist.

• Maintain the highest standards of accuracy, discretion, and confidentiality.

• Report to supervisor: updates/ changes/issues that may need addressing.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

RE qu IRE d quALIFI c ATIONS/

S k ILLS:

• Excellent communication/ interpersonal skills, ethics, and cultural awareness.

• Resourceful problem-solving aptitude and understanding of HR best practices/ regulations.

• Ability to complete tasks in an efficient manner in a deadline-driven environment.

• Must be able to communicate effectively at all levels within the organization.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications; HRIS systems helpful but not required.

• Strong analytical, mathematical, and problem-solving skills.

• Self-motivated with the ability to proactively make decisions.

• Familiar with payroll software.

Ex PERIEN c E/Educ ATION:

• Associate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or similar field. Will consider 2 year’s hands on experience in lieu of; preferably in a manufacturing environment.

Salary DOE, great benefit package includes but not limited to; health, dental, vision, 401(k), Flexible Spending, life insurance and paid time off. To apply, submit application online at www.sportsfield.com, apply in person at 41155 St. Hwy 10, fax your resume to (607) 746-3107 or mail to Human Resources, P.O. Box 231, Delhi, NY 13753. Sportsfield Specialties, Inc. is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

HIRE*

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

Boys Win Homecoming Game

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown boys soccer team won its homecoming game in style on Tuesday, September 26, shutting out Center State Conference Division II rival Mount Markham 3-0. Junior Roland Gardner-Oleson led the way with two goals and junior Janak Pandit rounded out the scoring. Charlie Lambert made two saves. The Hawkeyes moved to 6-2-1 for the season and 4-2-1 in their conference.

Coop Girls Fall to Sauquoit

SAUQUOIT—The Cooperstown girls soccer team dropped a Center State Conference Division III game against defending Section III Class C champion Sauquoit Valley on the road on Monday, September 25. Senior Sophia Hotaling and junior Sophia Badgley each scored on assists by senior Rory Nelen, but the Hawkeyes fell 4-2. Junior goalkeeper Brenna Seamon made 15 saves. Cooperstown dropped to 6-2 for the season and 2-2 in their conference.

Worcester, Milford Face Off

WORCESTER—The Worcester boys soccer team rallied from an early deficit to beat Laurens/ Milford 4-1 on Friday, September 22. Tyler Head made nine saves in the win, while Alex Adams led the offense with two goals and an assist. Derek Land added a goal and an assist. On the girls’ side, Milford shut out Worcester 8-0. Delaney Maison led the Wildcats with two goals, while Bella Garlick, Julia Barown, Allison Munson, Peyton McAdams and Danika Stamford each scored.

Milford, E/M Tie in TVL Clash

MORRIS—The Milford and Edmeston/Morris girls soccer teams, two of the leading teams in the Tri-Valley League with matching 5-0 in-league

Water

Continued from page 1

community’s stories, music, dance, and puppets created during the free summer art workshops offered through the Cherry Valley Water Project.

“The New York State Council on the Artssponsored workshops were sold out and we’ve been working hard to integrate all the creative material about water that the community has produced into an experimental theater performance and an art exhibit, and the culmination of it all will be on October 6,” Palmer said.

According to Palmer, more than 60 local people participated in the workshops and are part of the final performance and exhibition.

“Water Dreams” is performed by the Water Ensemble, an interdisciplinary performance troupe from the Central New York region, based in Cherry Valley and directed by Palmer.

“Magic is all around us every day, if you know where to look. The Cherry Valley Creek has nourished the plants, animals and humans in our valley for thousands of years. We are excited to share the stories and magic of the water with

records, faced off in a major clash in Morris on Tuesday, September 26. Julia Barown scored for Milford on a penalty kick a few minutes into the match. Sophie Robinson tied the game for E/M on an assist from Avery Bolton less than five minutes later. Despite a number of shots, neither team scored again in the double-overtime contest. Bella Qua made 12 saves for Milford and Abby White had four for E/M. Milford moved to 10-0-1 for the season, while E/M went to 6-1-2.

Mustangs Win One, Lose One

MORRIS—Edmeston/Morris routed Worcester 6-0 at home on Friday, September 29. Hannah Wist led the offense with three goals and an assist, while Maiya King and Avery Bolton added a goal and an assist each. E/M fell to state-ranked FrankfortSchuyler in a non-league game on the road the next day. Goalkeeper Abby White made 13 saves.

Coop Girls Tie, Beat Knights

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown girls soccer team faced the undefeated Frankfort-Schuyler Knights in non-division matches on Wednesday and Thursday, September 27 and 28. The Hawkeyes battled F-S to a 2-2 tie in Frankfort on Wednesday. Junior Annelise Jensen and senior Rory Nelen scored, and junior goalkeeper Brenna Seamon made 13 saves. The Knights visited Cooperstown the next evening for the Hawkeyes’ homecoming game. Nelen and sophomore Cecelia Franck scored, and Cooperstown handed F-S their first loss of the season, 2-0. Seamon made eight more saves. The Hawkeyes moved to 71-2 for the season and 2-2 in their division.

CV-S Defeats Margaretville

CHERRY VALLEY—Cherry Valley-Springfield girls soccer rolled to a 4-0 non-league victory at

Margaretville on Saturday, September 30. Morgan Huff made three goals and an assist. On the boys’ side, CV-S/Sharon Springs blanked Madison 2-0 at home on the same day. Kris Cade led the offense with a goal and an assist.

Laurens/Milford Soccer Wins

LAURENS—Laurens/Milford boys soccer topped Jefferson/Stamford 4-1 in non-league action on Saturday, September 30. Luke Edmonds, Cole Williams, Wyatt March and Rhys Calleja each scored in the win. The Laurens girls team shut out J/S 3-0 on the same day. Nicole Stanley, Eowyn Chickerell and Alex Geissinger scored.

Hawkeyes Win Tournament

DAVENPORT—Cooperstown boys soccer won the final game of the Chic Walshe Tournament with a 1-0 victory over a strong South Kortright team on the road in Davenport on Saturday, September 30. Freshman Brody Murdock scored the winning goal with less than 10 minutes left in the game. Senior goalkeeper Charlie Lambert made five saves, including one in the final five minutes, and was named tournament MVP. Roland Gardner-Oleson, Frank Panzarella and Riley Diamond were named to the all-tournament team. The Hawkeyes moved to 7-2-1 for the season.

Victory for Unatego/Franklin

OTEGO—Unatego/Franklin beat Morris 7-0 in Tri-Valley League action on the road on Friday, September 29. Jacob Kingsbury and David Clapper each made two goals and an assist. Chase Birdsall scored twice and Alen Ibrahimovic made his first varsity goal. U/F defeated Bainbridge-Guilford in non-league action the next day, with Clapper making three more goals.

Visit AllOtsego.com for more sports updates.

you, as you walk along the creek in the autumn twilight,” said Palmer, who is both the founder of The Telegraph School and a performance artist.

The performance will be followed by the opening reception for “WATER” at 25 Main Collective, featuring paintings, photos, sculpture, music, poetry and more. The work is created by the local community and inspired by the Cherry Valley Creek and is watershed.

Both the performance and the gallery opening are family-friendly, free, and open to the public. To learn more and to reserve a spot for the performance, visit thetelegraphschool.org. Both events are part of Cherry Valley First Friday, a monthly celebration in downtown Cherry Valley that starts at 5 p.m.

The Cherry Valley Water Project Palmer’s creation, funded by the New York State Rural and Traditional Arts Fellowship program. Funding for this project is made possible with support from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Governor’s Office and the New York State Legislature, the Arts Council for Wyoming County and The Cherry Valley Community Facility Corporation (The Old School).

Hall

Continued from page 7

wells were subject to limits related to mining in New York State. Fortunately, a new law has been passed allowing these wells to go much deeper. Our next project will be easier and possibly less costly.”

That is good news, as the university has launched conversion of a second campus building to geothermal net-zero.

In addition to energy savings, Alumni Hall provides many other benefits to the SUNY Oneonta community. The building houses several new features that enhance student learning: state-of-the-art classrooms; a stock trading simulation space; a business innovation space; areas for student group study and collaborative work; and an executive venue that will be an ideal location for conferences, presentations,

and board meetings. As a candidate for LEEDGold certification, the building offers a healthy learning and work environment through its use of upgraded ventilation and filtration systems, virtually eliminating the danger of indoor air pollution.

The opening of Alumni Hall is the final step in the 2013-23 campus Facilities Master Plan, and it also represents the first step in the university’s Clean Energy Master

Plan, which provides a road map to long-term decarbonization.

WE WANT TO CELEBRATE YOU!

Promotions, births, events, new hires, milestones, awards, grand openings, meetings, opinions, results of sporting events, personal bests, weddings and more. Photos welcome, too. info@allotsego.com

SPORTS BRIEFS

Compiled by Wriley Nelson

Athena Blitz , RDH; Stephanie Reed RDH; Anastasia Valmus-Mann

NEWS bRiEFS Compiled by Wriley Nelson

FCO To Present ‘Aeolian Dance’ October

14

COOPERSTOWN—Conductor and Artistic Director Maciej Żółtowski will lead the Fenimore Chamber Orchestra in a concert titled “aeolian dance” at 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 14. It will be performed at Christ Church. The program includes George Enescu’s decet for Winds, Op. 14, Mozart’s Serenade No. 12 K.388 in C Minor, and Camille Saint-Saëns’ Baccanale from Samson et dalila. Tickets are available from Eventbrite. The concert will be repeated at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 15 at Walton Theatre, 30 Gardiner Street in Walton.

Farmers’ Museum Tractor Fest Returns

COOPERSTOWN—More than 60 classic tractors will line up for The Farmers’ Museum’s annual Tractor Fest on Saturday and Sunday, October 7 and 8. The festival is open during regular museum hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is included with admission. There will be machines from several manufacturers and a collection of classic tractors, small engines, and other machinery to illustrate the growth and evolution of agricultural technology. Several local tractor clubs will participate. There will be a parade on Sunday and tractors at work in the fields both days, as well as wagon rides and a children’s tractor pull on Saturday at 2 p.m. For more information, visit farmersmuseum.org.

Garden Club Announces Guest Speaker

RICHFIELd SPRINGS—The Garden Club of Richfield Springs announced that Sarah Coney of the Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership will address the club at its next regular meeting, at 6:30 p.m. in the Memorial Room of the Richfield Public Library on Thursday, October 19. The lecture is free and open to the public. CRISP is a stewardship program which has worked closely with the Canadarago Lake Improvement association. Coney deals primarily with aquatic invasives, but will also discuss land species. She will talk about CRISP’s work to turn the tide on invasive species in the Catskill area and necessary next steps to combat their spread in Canadarago Lake.

Super Heroes To Hold Fall Rummage Sale

ONEONTa—Super Heroes Humane Society will host a fall rummage sale and raffle from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 14 and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, October 15. It will be held at the site of their future shelter home, 160 Pony Farm Road in Oneonta. SHHS will accept donations from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, Tuesday, October 3, Thursday, October 5 and Saturday, October 7. Pet food and supply donations will also be accepted for the animals in the shelter.

Grand Oneonta Opry Tickets Selling Fast

ONEONTa—Helios Care announced on Thursday, September 28 that tickets for its 2023 Grand Oneonta Opry fundraiser are selling fast. Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door, if any remain. The country music concert will take place at Foothills Performing arts and Civic Center from 7-10 p.m. on Saturday, October 21, with doors opening at 6 p.m. The driftwoods will headline, with other artists including Jason Wicks, The Stoddard Hollow String Band, Ken Wilber, Beth Patella, Krystal Poole, Linda Thompson and Nate Gross. There will also be a silent auction and cash bar. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.helioscare.org/events/. all proceeds support palliative and hospice care in Otsego, delaware and Schoharie counties.

Hartwick Happenings abound!

The Town of Hartwick is located in the center of Otsego County, thus the title of this new monthly community column. Those wishing to contribute can e-mail fellow Hartwick resident Darla Youngs at darlay@allotsego.com.

Mark your calendars for the “Benefit Breakfast and Chinese auction” to be held at the Hartwick american Legion on Sunday, October 15. Proceeds from this event will assist Tammy Croft with expenses incurred as heart issues have kept her out of work for a long period of time. Tammy has medical and travel expenses from having to go back and forth from albany Medical as well as household expenses, and has had a tough time meeting those costs, organizers say. The breakfast, from 8 a.m. to noon, will include sausage gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, fried potatoes, pancakes and French toast. The Chinese auction also starts at 8 a.m., with the drawing of winners at 1 p.m. donations for the auction are still being accepted. Those wishing to donate can contact Bob Croft at (607) 267-8299, Lucy Proper at (607) 267-7875 or Kim Bullis at (607) 267-7092. The Hartwick american Legion is located at 3099 County Highway 11.

don’t miss the Town of Hartwick’s “Husky Halloween Trail of Treats” on Saturday, October 28. Hartwick Town Clerk andrea Vazquez says the community response to this event, with both volunteers and trick-or-treaters, has been truly phenomenal. andrea is looking for volunteers—families, couples, teens, businesses and local organizations are welcome. The Trail Celebration is scheduled to run from 4:30-6 p.m. andrea said, “all are welcome! all are appreciated!” Treats can be dropped off at Town Hall in the drop box any time. Contact andrea at (607) 386-9769 for more information.

also in the spooky spirit of the Halloween season, Hartwick american Legion Post 1567 is planning “Halloween Party Scaryoke” on Friday, October 20 beginning at 8 p.m. Their Facebook invitation is hard to resist—“Calling all goblins, ghouls and witches to join us for Halloween Karaoke hosted by Kim Bullis. We’ll have drink specials to die for and a costume contest fit for the undead! Come early for dinner and stay for the fun!” Mindful of the current resurgence of COVId, those not fully vaccinated are encouraged to #MaskUp.

Have you been looking for the Hartwick recycling bins at Town Hall and wondering where they went? don’t despair! The town has a new recycling center in the fenced

Village Library to Hold Death Discussions

COOPERSTOWN—

The Village Library of

in area just beyond the Town Hall parking lot, where the bins were located previously. In addition to the recycling bins, there is now a $.05 deposit collection and a scrap metal bin. Town officials are making this area available daily, but ask that people only leave items intended for their respective bins. as always, household trash is not permitted.

Believe it or not, Christmas is just 12 weeks away and counting… The Hartwick Craft Fair will be held on december 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at The Meeting House, 3080 County Highway 11. The search is underway for vendors—$25.00 for one day or $40.00 for both. Table fees go directly to the Hartwick LEaH Chapter. For more information, reach out to Taylor Keane at tkeane0136@ gmail.com or (631) 896-5402.

Condolences to the family of donald Clinton Phillips, who passed away on September 15 at Bassett Medical Center. don, a graduate of Hartwick High School Class of 1941, served his country in the United States army with the Company K 27th Infantry Regiment and was a 50-year member of Hartwick Fire department Company No. 1. He was 100 years old at the time of his passing.

Hartwickians also said goodbye last month to Mike Burgess, who passed away on September 10 at the age of 69. Condolences to those he leaves behind.

did you know that Hartwick has a Literary and Zucchini Soup Society? I didn’t! Those who are interested in reading and discussing great books are welcome to join. They meet every third Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Kinney Memorial Library. In other library news, October 1-7 is Banned Book Week—stop by to view the display if you get a chance. and don’t forget the book sale, coming up later this month. It begins on Friday, October 13 and runs through Sunday, October 15. Hours are: Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to noon with a $5.00 bag sale.

Nicholas Polulech has been working on new songs, according mother Julie Schorer. If you get the chance, check out his work on youTube. you’ll be impressed.

and, last but not least, congratulations to amanda Plows of Hartwick, who has been named to Southern New Hampshire University’s summer 2023 dean’s List. From May to august, amanda—a full-time undergraduate student—achieved a grade-point average of 3.500 to 3.699 to achieve dean’s List status. Congratulations, amanda, and keep up the good work!

Darla M. Youngs is a resident of the hamlet of Hartwick, a bit of a hermit, and general manager and senior editor of Iron String Press.

death” discussion series at 4 p.m. on Thursdays in October. It is intended for all adults, not just seniors. discussing and planning for death makes it possible to enjoy life more fully. The first session, on October 5, will concern

health care proxies and other forms. The second, on October 12, is titled “How to die Well in an Institutional Setting.” attorney Lauren Glynn will present on wills and trusts on October 19. The final session, on October 26, is titled “Tea and Cake with the death Café.” death Café is a movement that hosts and facilitates group discussions of death and mortality.

OCCA Collects Paper, Textiles

COOPERSTOWN—

The Otsego County Conservation association will hold a fall recycling event as part of the Cooperstown Fall Fling at the Clark Sports Center on Saturday, October 7. Papers to be shredded can be dropped off between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. There will also be a textile recycling dropoff through Helpsy from 10 a.m.

NEWS FROM THE HEART OF OTSEGO DARLA M. YOUNGS

Musician

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ground artifacts and remains, as well as an overview of archaeological work at the site. They also enjoyed an extensive tour of Vatican City.

“The Vatican tour was one of the most astonishing and beautiful experiences I’ve ever had,” Iversen said. “They had such incredible collections of classical and Renaissance art and architecture. The collection of Roman and Greek antiquities was unbelievably beautiful and large.”

After Rome, the group moved to Florence and then to Venice. Iversen took every opportunity to visit the Boboli Gardens, Uffizi Gallery and other historic cultural sites. In Venice, he toured a large collection of medieval weapons and torture implements in the Doge’s Palace.

“It was disturbing to see the history of how people abuse each other,” he said, “and even more disturbing because a lot of the weapons and devices were really beautifully made.”

An Italian relative of one of Iversen’s colleagues took him for a private driving tour of the countryside around Venice. He found the perspective of an ordinary local resident to be very different from that of a professional tour guide.

“Italians have a different perspective on all the history they live around,” Iversen recalled. “Driving through the countryside, we went past some kind of Roman marker, which was probably 2,000 years old. He pointed it out but was very flippant about it: ‘Oh, that’s just a marker, we don’t need to see it. I’ve got better stuff in my house.’ And sure enough, he did! I’ve got to think some of that stuff wasn’t quite legal to have, but it was an amazing collection.”

After the whirlwind tour of Italy, Iversen settled into Prague for three weeks as musical director for a production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at the Prague Shakespeare Company Summer Intensive. This six-week program draws college upperclassmen studying acting at an elite level from around the world. In each of the three-week sessions, the young actors rehearse and perform 13 full productions. Iversen was invited to participate by SUNY Oneonta theatre professor and longtime Prague Shakespeare Company Director Dr. Kiara Pipino, who also organized one of the jazz performances outside of Venice.

“She wanted to do a musical of ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and asked me to write it last winter,” Iversen said. “The problem with that is that it’s Shakespeare. Normally if I’m working on a musical for someone, they’re going to hand me a sheet of lyrics and the first thing I’m going to do is hack it to bits to make it work musically; I’ll change the order, work on internal rhymes, change phrase lengths, that kind of thing. You can’t do that

with Shakespeare. We kept the text intact for the music, which was a real challenge. I spent probably nine months on it.”

“The ending didn’t quite work and I had to re-write the whole thing in a night,” he continued. “I didn’t sleep at all…but it was very gratifying to see such great students and performers working on my music. It was so incredible to see that kind of talent, let alone be able to work with them.”

Although he spent every evening working on the show, Iversen still took every chance to explore one of the world’s most beautiful, historic and well-designed cities.

“I really got to explore Prague because I was there long enough, and usually had about half the day to look around,” he recalled. “I tried very specifically to get away from the touristy areas after a while and really see every part of the city. I even played in a park a few times; I was out practicing one day on the guitar and a man came up, flipped my hat over and threw some money in it… When you stay in one place long enough, you can really start to see the difference between that culture and your own. It gives you an appreciation for the things we do well here in the U.S. and for the things that the other culture does well.”

“The public transportation in Prague, for instance, was just incredible. It goes anywhere you could possibly need to go, and you can get a one-year unlimited pass for around US $70.00. That’s your entire transit budget for the year.”

He also noted the strong theatrical culture in Czechia, saying that Prague had more theaters and playhouses than he had ever seen in a single town. Along with other group members, he visited a perfectly preserved 18th century baroque theater and a modernist theater with a rotating seating house built in the 1960s.

Asked for reflections on the trip as a whole, Iversen dove into the many local food cultures he enjoyed and then discussed the broader benefits of travel.

“All the food was incredible, as you might imagine,” he said. “Italy was a lot of pasta, cheese and vegetables, of course. Czech food was very different and very heavy. The Czechs eat meat with their meat and meat on the side. I had no complaints there…I think I finished the Italy tour with 27 types of gelato under my belt. Any time we were out and I saw a new flavor, I made sure to at least try it.”

“Everyone should go to Europe,” he concluded. “It will change the way you look at your own country and your own life. It will make you think about what we do here and what we don’t do, appreciate the things we do better and think about what we could do better. I think Mark Twain said, ‘travel is the best way to remove prejudice,’ and I couldn’t agree more.”

Otsego County residents have had life-changing adventures abroad. Travel

Bassett

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changes people for the better, and stories of travel can inspire local communities to engage more fully with the world around them. If you have a story of work, study, or exploration overseas, contact News Editor Wriley Nelson at NewsDesk@ allotsego.com to bring your story home. assistants.

Bassett’s boosted signon bonuses are arriving on the heels of the healthcare system’s recent announcement with Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta that the institutions are collaborating on a groundbreaking workforce development partnership. Annually, up to 50 recent graduates of Hartwick College and SUNY Oneonta who attain a bachelor’s degree or higher and work in a fulltime role at any Bassett Healthcare Network facility will qualify for a loan repayment stipend.

“The future of healthcare—and of our rural communities—is rooted in strategic partnerships, creativity, grassroots connections, and our ability to bolster resources to stimulate economic development in our region,” added Dr. Ibrahim. “As the provider of healthcare and a top employer in Central New York, Bassett is a key player in community growth.”

Bassett also recently announced four percent salary increases for all non-practitioner employees across its eight-county service region. The organization is continually assessing market data to remain competitive with compensation and benefits, including continuing

education, certification opportunities, and tuition reimbursement for employees in many areas—whether at the bedside or in non-clinical and administrative roles.

“We’re passionately invested in the health of our communities, and this includes providing a meaningful, rewarding, and unique place for our citizens to grow their careers,” said Dr. Ibrahim.

Rally

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“The event gave people a chance to get out of their houses and enjoy our beautiful Otsego County fall landscape. Some did dress up in Halloween costumes and decorated their cars. With registration fees and donations, we made almost $1,000.00,” Sessions said.

The turnout for that first rally was small, but Sessions said they didn’t mind.

“I can’t truly remember how many cars we had, 10-12, so, maybe 25 people. It was the first time we had done the Road Rally, folks had a great time and asked when we would do it again. We gave out more than $1,000.00 in mini-grants to seven area charitable organizations—mostly food-related, given the great food insecurity that happened during COVID—and we raised money for Oneonta Rotary Club.

Sessions said that, for a variety of reasons, the Rally went on hiatus.

“But we hope to bring it back as an annual fall event. I would add that the Quality Inn, where we currently meet every Thursday, was wonderful for that first rally. They allowed us to use their parking lot and facilities, free of charge.”

This time around, registration will take place at Damaschke Field from 1-2 p.m. on October 15. Those taking part have to cross the finish line by 4:30 p.m. to be eligible for prizes. Teams must consist of at least two responsible individuals— a driver and a navigator to write down the answers to the clues—and will be judged on a combination of time, mileage, number of clues correctly answered, and group photos. Winners will be announced at the Rotary meeting on Thursday, October 19 and on the club Facebook page, and will be notified by phone or e-mail.

“I have to say a big thank you to the City of Oneonta Parks and Recreation and to Gary and Karen Laing of the Oneonta Outlaws at Damaschke Field for the use of their facilities and equipment this year,” Sessions added.

Prize winners will receive a gas card, automotive-themed prize and/or other prizes such as a Family Season Pass to the Oneonta Outlaws, two tickets to the Classic Car Museum in Norwich and more. In addition, the Oneonta Rotary Club will donate a mini-grant in the winning teams’ honor to the local charitable organization of their choice from the following: Community Arts Network of Oneonta; Family Service Association; Friends of Recovery (Delaware, Otsego, Chenango); Huntington Library— Youth Programs; Oneonta Concert Association; Saturday’s Bread; and Super Heroes Humane Society.

Prizes will be awarded in seven categories: first place (first pick— $500.00 mini-grant); second place (second pick—$300.00 minigrant); third place (third

pick—$200.00 minigrant); Random Draw (fourth pick—each team will be entered into the drawing for a $200.00 mini-grant); Spirit Award for the team with the most team spirit, including costumes and decorated car—fifth pick for a $50.00 mini-grant); most miles driven (sixth pick—$50.00 minigrant); and the Tailgate Award, because “coming in last has benefits” (seventh pick—$50.00 mini-grant).

The cost to participate in the Road Rally Scavenger Hunt is $25.00 for those 19 and older; $10.00, 12-18: and under 12, free. The event will be held rain or shine, with registration in the clubhouse at Damaschke Field in the event of inclement weather. To learn more or to register, contact info@ oneontarotary.org or visit www.oneontarotary.org or the Oneonta Rotary Facebook page.

“We would prefer that folks pre-register so we can have enough hospitality bags for everyone, but we do take same day registrations,” Sessions said.

Proceeds from the Road Rally Scavenger Hunt benefit the work of the Oneonta Rotary Club. Founded in 1922, the Oneonta Rotary Club, through service above self, works to create lasting, positive change in the Oneonta community and the world. Current co-presidents are Paul Patterson and Sarah Patterson, who Sessions said attended the Ithaca Road Rally and were the Race Masters for the 2020 Rally. “Paul and Sarah develop the route and the clues,” Sessions explained. “They are also our Race Masters and members of the Road Rally committee this year.”

►Fri., Oct Ober 6

QUILT SHOW 10 a.m.

to 5 p.m. 27th Annual Quilt Show. This year’s theme is “Stitch in Time,” featuring 300 traditional and contemporary pieces from local quilters. Admission, $5. Continues 10/7 & 10/8 from 11 to 4. The Major’s Inn, 104 Marion Avenue, Gilbertsville. (607) 783-2967.

YARN CLUB 2-3:30 p.m. First Friday each month. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

HISTORY TOUR

3 p.m. “The Dangerous Victorian House Tour.” Held daily. Hyde Hall, 267 Glimmerglass State Park Road, Cooperstown. (607) 547-5098.

GHOST TOURS

6 p.m. “Hyde & Shriek!

Candlelight Ghost Tours.”

Tickets, $25. Tours leave every half hour to 7:30. Hyde Hall, 267 Glimmerglass State Park Road, Cooperstown. (607) 547-5098.

FALL LECTURE 7 p.m.

“Keeping Humanity in Healthcare.” Presented by author, journalist, public speaker Lee Woodruff for the annual A. Lindsay

and Olive B. O’Connor Chair Lecture. Anderson Theatre, Anderson Center for the Arts, Hartwick College, Oneonta. (607) 431-4790.

ICONIC AMERICA

Schenevus. (973) 2885158. STORYTIME & CRAFTING 11 a.m. to noon.

7 p.m.

Screening and lecture on “The Cowboy” with Christopher Lane of Antiques Road show, regarding the shaping of the American West. Meet in the Upstairs Ballroom, Village Library of Cooperstown, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 547-8344.

CONTRADANCE 7:3010:30 p.m. Rejoin your friends for a fun social dance with the Otsego Dance Society, featuring music by the band “Ms. Marty & SGB” with Hilton Baxter calling the dances.

Suggested donation, $10/adult. First Presbyterian Church, 25 Church Street, Cooperstown. Visit otsegodancesociety. weebly.com

THEATER 8 p.m.

“Deathtrap” by Ira Levin. The story of a washed up playwright desperate for another shot at greatness. Presented by Bigger Dreams Productions. Tickets, $20/adult. Continues 10/7, with matinee production held 10/8 at

Are there Harmful Algal Blooms (“HABs”) in Otsego Lake?

Use the QR code below for up-to-date results from the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station:

2 p.m. Production Center, Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street, Oneonta. Visit biggerdreamsproductions.org

►Sat., Oct Ober 7

APPLEFEST 9 a.m.

to 3 p.m. Fall Fest featuring craft sale, bake sale, raffle, apple pies, kids games and pulled pork dinner. Christ Church, 166 Marion Avenue, Gilbertsville. (607) 244-3852.

APPRECIATION

10 a.m. Salute to the Troops. Active duty military personnel and veterans receive free admission to corn maze, pumpkin patch, more. Features games and challenges, food, music. A portion of proceeds will be donated to Morris VFW/AmVets

1417. Creekside Corn Maze & Pumpkin Patch, 463 Pegg Road, Morris. (607) 325-7555.

BENEFIT RIDE

10 a.m. “Butternut Valley Gravel Grinder.” Ride with gravel star Ted King. Enter raffle and enjoy the fall leaves. Proceeds benefit the Bassett Cancer Institute. Butternuts Beer & Ale, 4021 State Highway 51, Garrattsville. (607) 437-2545.

FOLIAGE/LEGACY

Textiles from the Thaw Collection.” Explore the history and transformation of Navajo (Diné) weaving. On view through 12/31. Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400.

FALL CRAFT FAIR

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Annual

Fall Craft Fair featuring local vendors selling fallthemed arts, crafts and more. Cullen Pumpkin Farm, 587 Cullen Road, Richfield Springs. (315) 858-1451.

FALL FLING 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fall festival featuring pumpkins, live music, vendors, food, recycling, more. Presented by the Rotary Club at Clark Sports Center field, 124 County Highway 52, Cooperstown.

FALL FESTIVAL

10 a.m. Halloweenthemed festival featuring crafts, trunk decorating, trunk or treat, more. Gilbert Lake State Park, 18 CCC Road, Laurens. (607) 432-2114.

TRACTOR FEST

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Learn about the world of tractors and everything they powered on New York State farms. Continues

Staff read stories and lead crafting projects to complement the exhibition “Frog and Toad & Other Friends: The World of Arnold Lobel.” Scriven Gallery, Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1400.

OPEN MIC Noon to

1 p.m. “Uplifting Storytelling, Poetry, Singer/Songwriter.” Family-friendly opportunity to share stories, humor, poetry, more emceed by Swami Tirtha. Free. The Green Earth Natural Foods & Café, 4 Market Street, Oneonta. Connect@orangecowboy. com

AUDITION 1-3:30

p.m. Dancers are invited to try out for The Nutcracker ballet. To be performed in December. Fokine Ballet Company, 3rd Floor, 140 Main Street, Oneonta. deckerschoolofballet.org/site/fokine-ballet-company/

WRITERS GROUP

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Join online group to work on writing prompts, share current work, and get feedback. Presented by the Huntington Memorial Library, Oneonta. Register at hmlwriters@gmail.com

Service Association. Open to all ages, shapes, sizes. Run, walk, crawl and laugh your way through this obstacle course. Non-competitive classes available. Event includes food trucks, DJ, and more attractions. Registration required. Held at the Waterhill Farm, 3050 County Highway 8, West Oneonta. HARVEST PARTY Noon to 4 p.m. Fall party featuring laser tag, pumpkins, cider, more. Neahwa Park, Oneonta. (607) 376-7599.

WEARABLE ART

2-4 p.m. “Ceramic Jewelry with Diana Cozzens.” Three-part workshop using small-slab construction to create wearable art. $75/non-member. The Art Studio, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta.

FALL FOLIAGE 2-4 p.m. Fall Foliage Hike with local celebrity Tom Walsh. Fetterly Forest Conservation Area, 302 Roses Hill Road, Richfield Springs. (607) 547-2366.

►MOn., OctOber

9

Testing will now continue year-round, thanks to the support of the Clark Foundation and many generous Cooperstonians, which will allow

RUN 10 a.m. 6th Annual American Legion Riders Foliage Run with make-up for the 22nd Legacy Run. Support the Legacy Scholarship and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Followed by meal, Chinese auction, 50/50 raffle. $20. Registration 8:30-9:45 a.m. American Legion, 279 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-0494.

EXHIBIT OPENING

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “Following the Thread: Navajo

10/8. The Farmers’ Museum, 5775 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 547-1450.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP 10 a.m. to noon. Three-session workshop for photographers with DSLRs and Mirrorless cameras. Registration required. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. (607) 432-1980.

FUNDRAISER 11 a.m.

Annual Chinese Auction to support Town of Maryland Historical Society. Drawing begins at 1. AmVets Building, Main Street

POTTERY 2 p.m. “Discussion and Demo with Southwest Potter Russell Sanchez.” Learn about Sanchez’s work, pottery traditions of his culture, and the piece the museum acquired from him. $20/non-members. The Fenimore Art Museum, 5798 State Highway 80, Cooperstown. (607) 5471400.

►Sun., Oct Ober 8

5K MUD RUN 10 a.m. Get down and dirty running in the mud for a good cause. Funds raised support the Family

COLUMBUS DAY SKATE FOR WELLNESS 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 3rd annual event to raise awareness of resources in the community. Includes skating, laser tag, raffles, more. Free admission provided by Rehabilitation Support Services. Interskate 88, 5185 State Highway 23, Oneonta. (607) 432-0366. PLAY & LEARN 10 a.m. Supervised play session for children under 8. Cooperstown Village Library, 22 Main Street, Cooperstown. (607) 5478344.

SENIOR MEALS Noon.

Seniors are invited to enjoy a delicious meal each Monday and Wednesday. Suggested donation is $3.50 for seniors, $10 for guests accompanying a senior. Today, enjoy a lunch of macaroni and cheese, breaded fish on a bun, stewed tomatoes and brownies. Cherry Valley Facilities Corporation Café, 2 Genesee Street, Cherry Valley. (607) 547-6454.