The Locals

December 15, 2022

THEY KILLED IT: Last month, Cooperstown Central School presented “She Kills Monsters,” a play “The New York Times” deemed “the hot school play” in 2020 and which reporter Elisabeth Vincentelli described as “… a story about kids who make up stories. This is a story in which girls wield swords, queer kids are cool and nerds rule the earth.” The play—by self-styled playwright, screenwriter and geek Qui Nguyen—tells the story of Agnes Evans, a young woman grieving for her deceased sister, Tilly. Discovering that Tilly was a well-known Dungeons & Dragons player, Agnes enlists the help of “dungeon master” Chuck to understand and grieve Tilly in what reveals itself to be a surprisingly sweet tale of friendship, loss, and acceptance.

SUNY STAR: SUNY Oneonta biochemistry student Andrew Segina of Mount Vision was recently recognized with a platinum-level leadership milestone through SUNY Oneonta’s Leadership Education and Development Program. LEAD@Oneonta is a comprehensive leadership program based on current research and guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, which aims to better prepare students for life after college by providing a comprehensive picture of leadership and the skills needed to be a good leader. Students can attain a silver, gold or platinum level. To attain each level, students must meet a mix of programmatic and experiential leadership requirements, including completion of online courses, attendance at educational events, and membership and leadership in one or more of SUNY Oneonta’s student-run clubs and organizations. To reach platinum level, students must attend 19 events designated with a learning outcome (three must be diversity events), actively participate in four recognized organizations, complete three online courses (Foundations of Leadership, Personal Development, Organizational Development), and serve as an officer in a club or organization for at least two semesters (average of 219 hours to complete).

LATINX LEADER: SUNY Oneonta’s Director of Access and Opportunity Programs, Pathy Leiva, is one of nine emerging Hispanic/Latinx leaders selected by The State University of New York for its 2023 Hispanic Leadership Institute class, a rigorous six-month program focused on development of higher education leadership skills, this coming January. The experience will include webinars and talks from national and statewide Hispanic leaders as well. Leiva has worked to recruit and support students through her directorship of SUNY Oneonta’s Access and Opportunity programs for 18 years.

PODIATRIST PROGRESSES: Dr. Michael Bahlatzis of Bassett Healthcare Network has been elected to the Board of Directors of the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons. Dr. Bahlatzis, an attending podiatric surgeon at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, is a retired military medical officer (Lt. Colonel) USAF/NYANG and former USAF/AFMC Command Consultant for the specialty of podiatry.

SPECIAL SPOTLIGHT: Jack Smith, SUNY Oneonta political science alumnus, was named special counsel by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to lead investigations of Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified documents and the January 6 case. Smith, who previously prosecuted war crimes at The Hague’s International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, will return to the United States to head investigations after recovering from a recent cycling accident.

HAPPY HAIRDRESSER: Unadilla native Shelbie Brennen recently opened Unadilla Beauty Studio, offering haircuts, shampoos, styles, color treatments, permanents and K18, a special hair treatment, to interested customers passing by on State Highway 7. After recently surviving a battle with cancer, Brennen is focused solely on providing community-centered services and quality work for clients in the surrounding area. She’s spent most of her life cutting human and animal hair alike, having trained at BOCES Morrisville as well.

BOSS BONDEROFF: Cooperstown local Dr. Mary Bonderoff succeeded to acting officer-in-charge this past May at SUNY Delhi and will remain in leadership while the college searches for its next president. According to the college, Dr. Bonderoff’s role will involve “approaching campus issues with balance, sourcing opinions and assistance from all perspectives, fostering teamwork to achieve the common goal of a more inclusive campus experience for all, while supporting and inspiring students every step of the way.” She has worked for more than two decades in the SUNY system, most recently as SUNY Morrisville’s chief diversity officer, vice president for student affairs and Title IX coordinator.

HOME CARE HEROES: HCR Home Care announced the promotions of Christine Donsky and Christina Fredericks to the positions of compliance director and executive director of HCR’s Licensed Home Care Services Agency, respectively. Donsky, a resident of Henrietta, New York, will apply her more than 20 years of managerial and compliance experience to oversee all corporate compliance operations. Fredericks, of Spencerport, will supervise professional clinical and paraprofessional services across 25 counties. HCR Home Care is a top-ranked, woman-owned business headquartered in Rochester, providing home health services to individuals, physicians and other healthcare professionals across New York State.

CASHMERE CALLING: Clean Cashmere’s Christine McBrearty-Hulse promotes a healthy and sustainable business model which focuses on benefitting the growers and product buyers of cashmere. McBrearty-Hulse and her business partner, Heidi Dickens, developed their integrated sourcing model in the U.S. by studying international cashmere markets. Their business offers different weights of yarns and different quality blends, devoid of synthetic cashmeres. With more buyers shifting toward environmentally-friendly, sustainable products—and given the superior quality of American cashmere when compared to international markets—Clean Cashmere hopes to invest in U.S. farmers by providing on-site education, mentoring, and training for responsible and cruelty-free harvesting. For more information on Clean Cashmere and their mission, visit cleancashmere.farm.

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