News Briefs: February 15, 2024

Invasives Talk Scheduled

NEW YORK STATE—Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society will host Otsego County Conservation Association Program Director Jeff O’Handley for a Zoom lecture on invasive species at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 16. The program will include an overview of invasive species that threaten local areas, as well as tips for tracking and controlling their spread. Registration is required; visit https://tinyurl.com/yusenjvd for more information or to sign up.

Scientist Featured on Podcast

ONEONTA—A new episode of “Sing for Science,” a popular music and science podcast created by Cooperstown resident Matt Whyte, features two SUNY Oneonta professors. The 40-minute “Spyro Gyra” episode includes award-winning musician and Oneonta music professor Jeremy Wall and Biological Field Station scientist Holly Waterfield for a discussion of jazz fusion, musical composition, lake formation, and the harmful algae blooms of recent years. For more information, visit https://suny.oneonta.edu/news-events/suny-oneonta-featured-sing-science-podcast.

Youth Programming Slated

EAST MEREDITH—The West Kortright Center announced that registration is open for all of its child and teen summer workshops. Their theater workshops cover all aspects of stage production, including acting, costumes, tech and music. Children and teens ages 6-19 are eligible. There will also be a three-week filmmaking workshop for teens. Spaces are limited; for more information or to register, visit www.westkc.org/yptaw/. Scholarships are available, and students from Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties have reduced registration fees.

Heitz To Address FCAHS

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek Area Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28 at the Fly Creek Methodist Church. Prior to the meeting, local historian Tom Heitz will present a lecture titled “The Strong-Minded Women are Coming: Susan B. Anthony in Otsego County, 1855,” which will begin at 6:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served between the presentation and meeting.

Distillery Episode To Air

ARKVILLE—Brian Mulder, owner and distiller of Union Grove Distillery in Arkville, will appear on the Discovery Channel’s “Moonshiners: Master Distiller” this month. The basis for each episode showcases three distillers from across the country, both legal and outlaw, who compete to impress the judges with their best moonshine and take home the title of Master Distiller. “Being asked to be on the show and then getting cast was a complete surprise. This was never something I aspired to, but it was a tremendous opportunity, and I am glad I did it,” said Mulder, who was approached by a casting agent to be on the show. “I shipped nine gallons of local maple syrup to set and packed my suitcase full of yeast, wild Catskill Mountain ginseng root and ginseng extract. After experiencing the excitement and popularity of moonshine, we will be adding moonshine to the line-up. First up will be Maple Ginseng Moonshine. We will have a 30-gallon moonshine still at Union Grove by the time our episode airs.” The episode in question is scheduled for Tuesday, February 27 at 9 p.m. Union Grove Distillery will be celebrating with a screening party, along with a variety of charcuterie, snacks and a cash bar. Union Grove Distillery is located on Route 28 in Arkville.

Store Recalls Macarons

SCHENECTADY—Price Chopper/Market 32 issued a voluntary recall on all varieties of Coco Bakery Macarons sold between Tuesday, January 30 and the present. These products may contain peanuts that were not listed on the label or disclosed by the supplier. Customers can return these products to their local Price Chopper/Market 32 store for a full refund. For more information, contact customer service at (800) 666-7667 or consumerresponse@pricechopper.com.

Garden Club Announces Talk

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Garden Club will meet at 1 p.m. on Monday, February 19 at St. James Episcopal Church, 305 Main Street. Alexis Agliano Sanborn will present a talk titled “The World of the Japanese Microseasons.” Sanborn will explore the ways that seasonal divisions shape the experience of daily life. She is a specialist in East Asian culture with advanced degrees from U.C. Santa Barbara, Harvard University and New York University.

Church Hosts Quartet Concert

SPRINGFIELD—St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 7690 State Route 80 in Springfield Center, will host Binghamton-based Fair Winds Woodwind Quintet for a Black History Month concert at noon on Monday, February 19. The concert, “No Mountain Too High,” will highlight the central significance of Black composers and performers in American music. It will feature an engaging selection of music from many genres, including spirituals, ragtime, blues, jazz, gospel, rock, pop and soul. The concert is free to attend and expected to last about one hour.

Earth Festival Set for Apr. 20

MILFORD—The Otsego County Conservation Association announced that Earth Festival 2024 will be held at the Milford Central School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 20. Earth Festival is an environmentally focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment. More than 20 vendors and exhibitors have confirmed their attendance so far. There will be a maker space, children’s activities, a seed exchange, a clothing swap, a morning service project and a bird walk hosted by Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society.

Drive Through Drop Off, OCCA’s community recycling day, will take place at Brewery Ommegang from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. Now in its third year, this event helps residents recycle items that are difficult to dispose of properly. The 2023 Drive Through Drop Off pulled nearly 10,000 pounds of trash from the waste stream. A full list of accepted items may be found at www.occainfo.org.

OCCA also seeks sponsors for both events. For more information on making a tax-deductible donation, contact Assistant Director Shelby MacLeish at (607) 547-4488 or coordinator@occainfo.org.