News Briefs: June 19, 2025

Jensen Wins State Titles

MIDDLETOWN—Cooperstown senior Annelise Jensen won Class C state titles in the 800m and 1,500m events at the NYSPHSAA Track and Field Championships in Middletown on Friday and Saturday, June 13-14. She broke her own school record in the 800 with a time of 2:12.41, placing her 12th among all classes. Jensen’s 4:34.22 championship time in the 1,500 on Saturday broke another school record that she set just a month ago, beating her previous best by more than 13 seconds. It was Jensen’s third trip to the state championships. Senior Cooper Bradley placed second among Class C athletes in the high jump with a personal record height of 6-6. He finished sixth overall in the state.

Stores Launch Food Drives

SCHENECTADY—Market 32 and Price Chopper launched a summer food drive at each of their 129 store locations to assist families facing hunger. From June 15 to July 5, customers can purchase a $10.00 donation bag containing high-demand items from displays at the front of Price Chopper stores. Each location has partnered with a local food bank to help people in their immediate community. For more information, visit pricechopper.com.

‘Goonies’ Anniversary Showing Set at Foothills

Film Otsego and Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center will screen the 1985 classic children’s adventure film, “Goonies,” as a 40th anniversary celebration. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 20 at the 24 Market Street venue. There will be an after-party with trivia and costume contests. Cash bar. The event is free with donations welcomed. Film Otsego is the official film commission for Otsego County, with the mission of building the film industry in the region while training a local workforce to make filming in the area attractive and successful. Follow Film Otsego on Facebook and Instagram at @FilmOtsego or go to www.filmotsego.org for more information.  

Community Center Events Set

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Richfield Springs Community Center will hold its annual bass fishing tournament from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 19, with registration opening at 5:30 a.m. It will be held rain or shine at the Canadarago Lake Boat Launch, 135 Dennison Road. Cash prizes total $1,000.00 and there will be a free lunch for all participants. Registration is $30.00 per person, or $20.00 for anglers 12 and under. For more information, contact tournament coordinator Bill Kosina at (315) 749-3286 or bill@richfieldzone.org. The Community Center’s 23rd annual Sundae Walk and Run will begin at the Veterans Club Pavilion, 13 Lake Street, at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 20. Categories include 5K and 10K races and a two-mile walk. Pre-registration is available at runsignup.com/rscc until midnight on July 17. Day-of registration will be open from 7-8 a.m. Free Stewart’s make-your-own sundaes will be offered to all in attendance. For more information, visit richfieldspringscommunitycenter.org.

FCAHS Meeting Rescheduled

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek Area Historical Society has rescheduled the monthly meeting that was announced in the June 12 edition. The meeting will now take place at the Historical Building, 208 Cemetery Road, at 6:40 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25. Jessie Ravage will present on mills and manufactories of Oaks Creek, with refreshments and the business meeting following the presentation.

County Seeks Project Input

OTSEGO COUNTY—Otsego County’s Broadband Technical Assistance Project, funded by the USDA and contracted to the Vernonburg Group, has launched a survey to collect data on the community’s Internet availability, affordability and quality. The feedback will directly impact broadband planning and infrastructure investments across the county, and the public is urged to share the survey widely. It may be accessed at shorturl.at/bk79q, with a PDF version available for those without Internet access. For more information, contact the county Planning Department at broadband@otsegocountyny.gov or (607) 547-4225.

Buoy Installation, Repair Done

COOPERSTOWN—Divers from the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station completed repairs and salvage work on the damaged anchors, cables and hardware of their continuous lake monitoring buoy on Sunday, June 8. The salvaged materials have a replacement value of several thousand dollars, and the work will facilitate Professor Kiyoko Yokota’s lake monitoring program. After significant delays due to the CLMB damage, the team installed no-wake zone buoys around the lake on Sunday, June 15. For more information on the station and its work, visit https://suny.oneonta.edu/biological-field-station.

Annual Art Festival Now Open

TREADWELL—Bright Hill Press and Literary Center opened its annual Stagecoach Run Art Festival Spotlight Show at 94 Church Street in Treadwell on Saturday, June 14. The exhibition, featuring work by more than 35 local artists, will be on display through July 6. For more information, visit brighthillpress.org.

Popular Book Sale Returns

COOPERSTOWN—Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown’s annual Summer Book Sale will return from Saturday, June 21 through Sunday, June 29. It will be open outside the library, 22 Main Street, rain or shine from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and offer a wide selection of books, DVDs, and CDs. All proceeds will support the library. There will be an ice cream social on the front porch at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25 to celebrate the kickoff of the summer reading program. The sale will remain open that day until the last ice cream is served.

Grief Camp Dates Announced

WALTON—Helios Care’s Camp Forget-Me-Not, a free day camp open to children and teens ages 6-18 who have experienced the loss of a loved one, will be held at Townsend Elementary School in Walton at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 24. Lunch will be provided, and a Parent and Guardian Support Group will begin at 3 p.m. The camp provides a safe space for children to make new friends and learn to process grief in the company of peers and Helios Care grief counseling professionals. It is free, but registration is required at helioscare.org/all-events/camp-forget-me-not/ or by calling (607) 432-5525. Camp Forget-Me-Not will be held again in Oneonta on August 21 and at Beaver Valley Campground in Cooperstown on Saturday, September 27.

July Fourth Festivities Slated

ONEONTA—Hill City Celebrations will hold its annual Hometown Fourth of July Festival in Neahwa Park starting at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 4. The day will begin with a parade on Main Street at 1 p.m., and the afternoon will feature games and activities, bounce houses, food trucks, craft vendors, and live music. Performers include Bobby Curious, The Michael Christopher Band, and Alex Torres and His Latin Orchestra. The large basketball court will host family-friendly entertainment acts, including martial arts and dance school demonstrations. Community members are encouraged to dress their dogs in patriotic attire for a fashion contest. Fireworks will begin at 9:30 p.m., with a rain date on Saturday, July 5. For more information, visit hillcitycelebrations.com. Craft and nonprofit vendors may contact argogc@gmail.com to participate, and parade participation inquiries may be sent to slewis@otsegocc.com.

Franklin Stage Season Opening

FRANKLIN—The Franklin Stage Company will open its 29th season with a production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s award winning comedy “Kimberly Akimbo” that runs from July 4-20. The play features a cast of five and follows teenager Kimberly Levaco, who suffers from a rare condition that causes her to age rapidly. Lindsay-Abaire wrote it in 2000 and adapted it into the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name in 2023. Productions take place at Chapel Hall, 25 Institute Street in Franklin. Evening shows begin at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. and Sunday shows at 5 p.m. For more information, visit franklinstagecompany.org.

NFIB: Small Biz Group Reports

ALBANY—The National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying and advocacy group for small businesses nationwide, reported that their Small Business Optimism Index increased three points in May. It stands at 98.8, slightly above the 51-year average of 98, with improvements in expected business conditions and sales expectations. Eighteen percent of business owners reported taxation as their highest concern, the first time this has been the top issue since December 2020. A net one percent of owners reported low inventory in May, up seven points from April in the biggest monthly increase in the survey’s history. To view the full report, visit nfib.com.

CCDOS Opens in Schoharie

RICHMONDVILLE—Catholic Charities of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie Counties opened a new office at 1445 State Route 7 in Richmondville on June 9. The new space features meeting rooms, a food pantry, welcoming activity rooms and a thrift shop. Programs offered at this location will include emergency assistance, a child-at-risk response team, counseling and clinical support, housing assistance, crime victim support, residential and non-residential domestic violence services, a dispute resolution center, aging life services, and a Nutrition and Outreach Education Program.
The facility will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on all other weekdays, with a lunch break from 12:30-1:30 p.m. each day. The thrift shop will operate from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. The food pantry will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and from 3-6 p.m. on Thursday. For more information, visit charitiesccdos.org.