News Briefs: August 14, 2025

Grief Camp Set for Sept. 27

HARTWICK—Beaver Valley Campground, owned by the Sharratt family, donated the use of their premises to Helios Care’s Camp Forget-Me-Not, taking place on Saturday, September 27. The camp gives children ages 6-12 and teens 13-18 who are grieving the death of a loved one an opportunity to make new friends and learn to process grief in the company of peers and Helios Care grief counseling professionals. It is free for residents of Otsego, Schoharie and Delaware counties, but registration is required at helioscare.org/all-events/camp-forget-me-not-fall/ or by calling (607) 432-5525. Camp will begin at 9 a.m. and run throughout the day. Family members are encouraged to attend the Family/Guardian Support Group at 3:45 p.m., with the closing ceremony to follow at 4:30.

TNR Group Plans Block Party

LAURENS—Friends of the Feral-TNR, a non-profit that sterilizes and releases feral cats, will hold a fundraiser block party in the Town of Laurens on Saturday, August 16. Featuring music, dancing, games and Brooks’ BBQ dinners, it will run from noon to 6 p.m. Vendors are still needed, with a table fee of $20.00. For more information, contact daipine@hotmail.com. The next feral cat spay-neuter clinic will take place on Sunday, August 31; contact (607) 242-4734 for more information.

Library Art Exhibit Opens

EDMESTON—The newly renovated Edmeston Library is hosting an art exhibit that will be on display through September 6. “Radiance and Release: Works on Paper by Marcia Scanlon and Marcy Edelstein,” is open for viewing from noon to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.

Davies Joins Springbrook BoD

ONEONTA—Springbrook’s Board of Directors welcomed Dr. Mark Davies as its newest member last year, bringing on board his three decades of experience in teacher education and community collaboration. Dr. Davies is dean of the School of Education, Human Ecology and Sports Studies at SUNY Oneonta and first encountered Springbrook in 2002 as a classroom observer. He facilitated greater collaborations between Springbrook and SUNY Oneonta during his 17-year tenure as a professor in the Department of Education. He also cites his aunt, a woman with a developmental disability who lived independently to the best of her ability and was a proud member of her community, as a major influence on his longstanding support of Springbrook. Outside of his professional career, Davies has had success as a competitive cyclist and coach, including a stint as Olympic Preparation Coach and Eastern Regional Coach for USA Cycling in the 1990s and 2000s. For more information, visit springbrookny.org.

Chamber Seeks Award Noms

UNADILLA—The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce seeks nominations for its annual Business of the Year and Commitment to Community awards. Community members are asked to e-mail the names of their selected nominees to unadillachamber@yahoo.com no later than Friday, August 29. For a list of eligible businesses, visit gounadillany.wordpress.com/about/.

FCAHS Potluck, Election Set

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek Area Historical Society will hold its next monthly meeting at 208 Cemetery Road at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, August 27. Attendees are encouraged to bring a dish to pass for the potluck dinner at 5:30, followed by the business meeting at 6:30. Officer elections will be held.

Trumpeter To Close Festival

COOPERSTOWN—Award-winning Trinidadian trumpet virtuoso Etienne Charles will perform with his Creole Soul Band at the Cooperstown Music Festival’s final concert of the 2025 season. It will be held at Fenimore Farm and Country Village, 5775 State Route 80, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 21. Tickets are $30.00 for adults and $15.00 for students and children. They may be purchased in advance at cooperstownmusicfest.org or by calling (800) 316-8559. Tickets may also be available at the door.

Art Garage To Host Workshops

COOPERSTOWN—The Art Garage will host hands-on workshops and demonstrations by artists participating in its “Samurai Baseball and More” exhibition, on display through September. Featured artist Robert Seward will give a talk at 5 p.m. on Thursday, August 14, with doors opening at 4:30 and refreshments available. Steph Marcus will present an interactive project using her technique with modeling clay from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, August 16. Marcie Schwartzman will demonstrate stitchery, particularly the Japanese mending embroidery technique known as sashiko, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 23. The program of free artists’ talks will continue with panel discussions on “Playing on the Girls Team” at 5 p.m. on August 28 and “Playing Hard Ball” at 5 p.m. on September 3. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and other days by appointment. Text or call (315) 941-9607 for more information or to make an appointment. Space is limited and reservations are recommended but not required.

Vêsucré Celebration Planned

ONEONTA—The New York State Small Business Development Center recognized Oneonta’s Vêsucré as its 2025 Manufacturer of the Year and will honor it at a celebration on Thursday, August 28. Founded by local entrepreneur Sarah Hartmann, Vêsucré produces vegan, non-gmo, sustainable plant-based frozen desserts at the commercial kitchen of Springbrook’s Oneonta campus. It partners with Springbrook, Pathfinder Village and The Arc Otsego to provide meaningful employment to people with developmental disabilities. The ceremony will be held at the Springbrook campus, 3982 State Route 23 in Oneonta, from 2-3:30 p.m. In its short existence, Vêsucré has also won Best Confectionary Product at the Empire State Entrepreneur Expo, the Oneonta Inclusive Business Award and the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce’s Breakthrough Award for Innovation. It is currently a finalist for Made in New York’s “Coolest Thing Made in NY” award; visit madeinny.org/2025-popular-vote-contestants for more information or to cast a vote.

WKC To Hold Herbal Workshop

EAST MEREDITH—The West Kortright Center, 49 West Kortright Church Road, will host the “Deeply Planted: Herbal Toolkits for Resiliency” workshop from 1-4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 23. Participants will receive immersive instruction in plant-based healing, create their own “resilience kits,” and have time for guided meditation and journaling. The workshop is $65.00 plus a $15.00 materials fee. For more information, contact aree@westkc.org.

Berra Plaque To Visit Museum

MONTCLAIR, NJ—Yogi Berra’s Hall of Fame plaque will visit his museum and learning center in Montclair, New Jersey for a celebration of Berra’s 100th birthday on Sunday, September 21. Berra played 19 seasons for the Yankees and Mets after serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, racking up 10 World Series Rings and 18 All-Star Game appearances. He later managed both teams, earning two league pennants. Berra debuted with the Yankees on September 22, 1946, was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1972 and passed away on September 22, 2015. To register for the celebration or the Yogi’s Big Catch Challenge, an attempt at the Guinness World Record for largest game of catch, visit yogisbigcatch.org or call (973) 655-2378.

Andrews To Perform at WKC

EAST MEREDITH—Famed New Orleans vocalist and trombonist Glen David Andrews will perform at the West Kortright Center, 49 West Kortright Church Road, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, August 29. Tickets are $25.00 in advance and there is a 10 percent member discount. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit app.arts-people.com/index.php?show=294277.

SUNY O Honored for Programs

ONEONTA—FirstGen Forward recently named SUNY Oneonta one of 60 new members of the FirstGen Forward Network for 2025-26, recognizing its commitment to the success of first-generation college students. The network provides a three-phase framework to help institutions scale first-generation student programs and experience. After being selected from a competitive application process, Network members engage in monthly workshops and professional development opportunities for their first year. They can progress to Network Leader and Network Champion status through continued success. For more information, visit firstgenforward.org.

CAA Exhibition Ends Friday

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association’s 90th Annual National Juried Art Exhibition is on display through Friday, August 15. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite works in the Viewer’s Choice challenge. The gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit cooperstownart.com.

GOHS Announces Trip Plans

ONEONTA—The Greater Oneonta Historical Society will offer a one-day bus trip to Old Sturbridge Village, a living history museum in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, on Thursday, September 18. The bus will board at Price Chopper, 5626 State Route 7 in Oneonta, at 6:30 a.m. and return at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available at $100.00 for GOHS members and $120.00 for non-members and include bus fare and admission. For more information or to reserve a space, call (607) 432-1385 or visit OneontaHistory.org. Registration is due by September 12.

Program Offers Tomato Tasting

COOPERSTOWN—Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego Counties will host an evening program with Otsego Master Gardener volunteers at its new demonstration garden, 123 Lake Street in Cooperstown, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 10. Attendees can learn about the Vegetable Varieties Garden Trials program, sample heirloom and specialty tomato varieties, learn new gardening techniques and share their favorite recipes. It is free and open to the public. Guests are also invited to visit the 12-bed demonstration garden during daylight hours. For more information, visit cceschoharie-otsego.org.

NY Gas Prices Stay Parked

UTICA—The average price of a gallon of gas in New York remained at $3.17 over the week ending Monday, August 11, AAA Northeast announced. Crude oil prices dropped nearly $4.00 per barrel during the week after OPEC+ announced its fifth straight month of production increases, approaching a seasonal low point. This excess supply helped offset tightening gasoline inventories across the Northeast. Gasoline demand also dropped 12 percent to 9.04 million barrels a day, remarkably low for this time of year but still 74,000 barrels higher than this time last year. New York’s price was a penny lower than last month and 31 cents lower than it was on this day last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.