News Briefs: December 11, 2025

Meeting on School Capital Project is Thursday

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School District will hold a public informational meeting in the Sterling Auditorium at 6 p.m. on Thursday, December 11 to discuss its proposed capital project. The $16.8-million project will include health and safety upgrades, infrastructure maintenance, and new instructional spaces. Thanks to $14.8 million in state aid, the project will use $2 million from the district Capital Reserve Fund and have no additional tax impact on the community. A full proposal description may be found at cooperstowncs.org/capital-project-2025. District voters are encouraged to attend the Q&A for more information. Voting will be held in the Sterling Auditorium from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16.

Soccer Registration Opens

COOPERSTOWN—Otsego United Soccer Club has opened registration for the 2026 spring season. The U8 and U10 teams are co-ed, with separate boys and girls teams for U12, U14 and U17. Practices and home games are held at the Clark Sports Center. Pre-season training starts in early March and tournament play begins in mid-April. Spaces are expected to fill quickly. Visit registration.teamsnap.com/form/42243 for more information or to register.

CSO Seeks Volunteer Ushers

ONEONTA—Catskill Symphony Orchestra is still seeking volunteer ushers for their Poinsettia Pops Concert at SUNY Oneonta’s Goodrich Theater on Saturday, December 13. Volunteers should arrive by 6:15 p.m. and will receive free admission to the 7:30 concert, expected to end around 9:30. For more details or to sign up, contact dcrpuffin17@hotmail.com or call (607) 437-1529.

Smithy Announces Classes

COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Clay Studio will run an eight-week winter class session from January 5 to February 28. Unless otherwise noted, eight-week classes are $280.00 each, and Open Studio is $180.00 for unlimited visits during open studio hours, 1:30-4:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesday through Saturday. Ann Geiger will lead a class titled “Handbuilding for Your Garden” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Mondays for a fee of $140.00. Tuesday classes include “Handmade Lamps” with Anne Carnevale from 1:30-4:30 p.m. and “Centering the Potter and Clay” with Karla Andela from 6-9 p.m. Jasmine Crowe will lead a morning wheel session suitable for beginners from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursdays. Andela will instruct a teen and homeschool wheel session from 10 a.m. to noon on Fridays. For more information or to register, visit smithy-clay-studio.jumbula.com/january-february-2026.

Open House Is Saturday

MIDDLEFIELD—The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, will host a holiday open house for its “Something Old, Something New” show from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. Artists-in-residence Robert Seward and Marcie Schwartzman will attend from noon to 2 p.m. to discuss their techniques. Light refreshments will be served. The show is open each Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and other days by appointment until January 17. For more information or to schedule a viewing, contact leartgarage@gmail.com or (607) 547-5327.

State Announces Market Funds

ALBANY—The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets announced that $500,000.00 is available to farmers’ markets through part one of the fourth round of the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program. Included in the state budget, this funding is intended to enhance local food system resiliency by improving market infrastructure, increasing promotional efforts and adding delivery services. Applications must be submitted by 3 p.m. on February 4. For full eligibility criteria or to apply, visit agriculture.ny.gov/rfp-0396-farmers-market-resiliency-grant-program-regional-sub-grant-program-round-4.

Christmas Bazaar Announced

SPRINGFIELD—The Springfield Historical Society will hold its annual Christmas Bazaar in conjunction with the Christmas luncheon from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community Center, 129 County Highway 29A, on Saturday, December 20. The bazaar will also be open from 10 a.m. to noon on Thursday, December 11 and Thursday, December 18. It will offer ornaments, local books about Springfield, including Kate Gray’s new book, note cards and more. All proceeds support the historical society.

Performance Honors Given

COOPERSTOWN—On National Rural Health Day, November 20, The Chartis Center for Rural Health announced that Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown, A.O. Fox Hospital in Oneonta and O’Connor Hospital in Delhi earned 2025 Performance Leadership Awards. This program recognizes top quartile performance among rural hospitals in quality, outcomes and patient perspective. Bassett and Fox were honored in the outcomes category; O’Connor was recognized in the quality and patient perspective categories. For more information, visit chartis.com/top-performing-rural-hospitals.

Hartwick Joins SCHMM

ONEONTA—The Institute of Hazardous Materials Management is pleased to welcome Hartwick College to its Student Certified Hazardous Materials Manager program. It will offer major new training and certification programs for Hartwick students, and all student CHMMs are now eligible for up to $16,000.00 in annual scholarships. For more information, visit ihmm.org/student-chmm.

FCUMC Potluck Is Saturday

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek United Methodist Church, 852 County Highway 26, will hold a potluck dinner at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. All community members are invited to attend and encouraged to bring a friend, a dish to pass and a game to share.

Sound Bath Season Ending

MARGARETVILLE—The Open Eye Theater, 960 Main Street in Margaretville, will hold its final Sound Bath event of the season at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13. Led by practitioner Marcel Smith, it offers an immersive, meditative experience designed to calm the mind and restore the body. Reservations are recommended. Contact (845) 586-1660 or info@theopeneyetheater.org for more information.

Shelter Laws Change on 12/15

ALBANY—The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets reminded animal shelters and rescues about increased legal standards that will take effect on Monday, December 15. Enacted as part of Chapter 683 of the Laws of 2022, Article 26-C establishes mandatory licensing, affordable care standards and regular inspections. The first year of the new law will be an opportunity for department inspectors to visit the state’s shelters and advise them on compliance. A full list of new requirements under Article 26-C may be found at agriculture.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2025/03/article_26c_regulationofanimalshelters.pdf. The department encourages shelters to apply for the competitive Companion Animal Capital Projects Fund, which has awarded more than $48 million to date for shelter upgrades. For more information or to apply, visit agriculture.ny.gov/rfp-0342-companion-animal-capital-projects-fund.

Gas Price Down Two Cents

UTICA—The average price of a gallon of gasoline in New York State fell two cents on a week of soft demand, AAA Northeast announced on Monday, December 8. Nationwide demand for gas dropped nearly five percent to 8.3 million barrels per day, fairly low for the season. Although domestic production also dipped and international demand for U.S. oil and gas remained high, inventories still increased by 4.5 million barrels. Exports have surpassed 1 million barrels a day six times in the last eight weeks. New York’s current price of $3.11 per gallon is one cent lower than last month and three cents lower than this week last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.

SUNY Delhi Expands Partners

DELHI—SUNY Delhi announced two new transfer agreements and a major new investment in the Applied Technology Facility that officials say will bolster New York’s advanced manufacturing workforce. One of the new agreements creates a seamless path for students at Dutchess Community College’s Electrical Technology program to transfer to the Delhi Mechatronics Technology bachelor’s program, allowing them to graduate faster and at lower cost. A dual-admission program with SUNY Oneonta establishes a direct path from Delhi’s mechatronics associate’s program to Oneonta’s bachelor’s program in business administration with a concentration in supply chain management.

Delhi also announced a $32-million state investment that will turn North Hall into a 15,000-square-foot applied technology facility. Expected to open in 2030, the new facility will prepare students for high-demand careers in advanced manufacturing fields. For more information, visit delhi.edu.

Red Kettle Campaign Returns

SCHENECTADY—Market 32 and Price Chopper have once again partnered with the Salvation Army’s annual Red Kettle campaign, bringing the iconic red kettles back to all 129 stores. The two organizations have worked together to strengthen local communities for more than 35 years. Last year, generous customers donated more than $618,000.00 to provide food, shelter and other assistance in their home communities. Since 2010, Market 32 and Price Chopper and their customers have raised more than $9 million to support food pantries, emergency assistance programs, after-school and music programs, religious counseling, and holiday toy and clothing drives. For more information, visit pricechopper.com.