News Briefs: January 22, 2026

25 Main Exhibit on Display

CHERRY VALLEY—25 Main Collective’s January exhibition, “Into the Fold,” will be on display through Sunday, February 1. There will be an artists’ talk with all three featured artists at 5 p.m. on the final day. The February exhibit, “Animal/Winter/Koliada,” will open with a reception coinciding with Cherry Valley’s First Friday from 5-8 p.m. on Friday, February 6. There will be food by Coffee and Crumb Café and a performance of the “Koliada” collaboration with The Telegraph School at 6 p.m. An open mic will start at the Old School, 2 Genesee Street, after the performance, and Red Shed Ale House will host live music starting at 7 p.m. Amanda Trumbull will lead a copper heart bracelet workshop at 25 Main from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, February 7. Registration is $25.00 and must be made in advance. Contact 25maincollective@gmail.com for more information.

Bazaar Seeks Art Donations

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s biennial Spring Cleaning Art Bazaar will return to the galleries during regular hours from March 7-28. Community members are invited to donate gently used fine art and craft pieces and good-condition art supplies and materials during the delivery period, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on February 23-27. For more information or to determine if a specific piece meets donation criteria, contact (607) 547-9777 or gallery@cooperstownart.com as soon as possible.

$200K Available for Markets

ALBANY—New York State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard A. Ball announced that an additional $200,000.00 is available through Part 2 of the fourth round of the Farmers’ Market Resiliency Grant Program. Grant funding is intended to enhance local food system resiliency by improving market infrastructure, increasing promotional efforts and adding delivery capacity. The second round is geared toward smaller markets or those requiring lower levels of financial assistance. Applications are due at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18. For more information or to apply, visit agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0381-farmers-market-resiliency-grant-program-farmers-market-grant-program-round-4.

Red Cross Needs Blood Donors

OTSEGO COUNTY—The American Red Cross announced that it is facing a severe blood shortage, leading to a 35 percent drop in reserves over the last month. The life-threatening deficit is particularly severe for platelets and types O, A negative and B negative blood. Members of the public are strongly urged to consider giving blood and may register by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-733-2767. Walk-ins are welcome. Upcoming blood drives in the region include: 1-6 p.m. on January 26 at 22 Union Street in Sidney; 1-5:30 p.m. on January 28 at 53837 State Highway 30 in Roxbury; 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on January 29 and 30 at 454 Delhi Drive on the SUNY Delhi campus; 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on January 30 at 270 BOCES Drive in Sidney Center; 1-5:30 p.m. on February 2 at 40 Lake Street in Stamford; and 1-6 p.m. on February 2 at 111 Main Street in Worcester. A full list of donation opportunities is available on the website.

Ice Harvest Set for Jan. 31st

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum will hold its annual Ice Harvest day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, January 31. Visitors can watch the traditional practice of harvesting ice from before the days of artificial refrigeration. Admission will be by donation for the day. For more information or weather updates, visit hanfordmills.org or view the museum’s Facebook or Instagram page.

Hall of Fame To Open New Store

COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s new Museum Store, the hall’s largest footprint expansion in more than two decades, will debut in May. Constructed in the old Cooperstown General Store, the new space will feature a front-facing entrance on Main Street in addition to access through the museum. The store will resemble a baseball diamond in layout and significantly broaden the hall’s offerings of women’s apparel, youth apparel, and collectibles. The former store will be converted into additional museum space in a renovation expected to finish next year.

DiPerna To Give Climate Talk

COOPERSTOWN—Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown will hold their next Sunday Speaker program at 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 25 in the Upstairs Ballroom of the Village Hall, 22 Main Street. Renowned climate policy advisor and author Paula DiPerna will give a talk entitled “What in the World? Climate change reality and where we go from here,” offering a panoramic view of state, federal and international climate policy. The presentation is free and open to the public.

HoF Announces ‘Rules’ Exhibit

COOPERSTOWN—Beginning on Memorial Day Weekend, visitors to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum can take a first-hand look at key historic documents from an early stage in the game’s evolution. The museum will exhibit drafts of rules handwritten by members of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in 1857 following a convention called to standardize the emerging national pastime. On loan from collector Hayden Trubitt, the drafts will be displayed in a special document case that will be formally unveiled on Friday, May 22.

Gatehouse Events Scheduled

MORRIS—The Gatehouse Coffee Shop and Mercantile announced New Year events that invite the community to slow down and practice mindfulness. Alyssa Hardy will lead several sessions of a Gong Fu Cha tea ceremony, a traditional Chinese tea ritual intended to foster mindfulness and conscious savoring, on Saturday, January 24. One-hour sessions for one to three guests each will run every hour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is $30.00 per person and spaces are limited. Mary Cordelia Myers will lead a workshop on mindfulness, neuroscience and stress relief from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, January 31. For more information or to register, visit thegatehouseny.com/events.

Scanlon Named to Dean’s List

WESTMINSTER, MD—Josie Scanlon of Oneonta was named to the McDaniel College fall 2025 Dean’s List with High Honors. To be eligible, students must maintain a GPA between 3.7 and 3.89.

Gas Prices Down Once Again

UTICA—The average price of gas in New York State declined two cents to $2.97 per gallon over the week ending Monday, January 19, AAA Northeast announced. Gas demand and production generally decline in winter, but domestic refinery output remains at near-summer levels, leading to a major uptick in inventories. The supply increase outweighed a slight growth in demand to put downward pressure on final consumer prices. New York’s price is 10 cents lower than last month and 19 below this time last year, but remains 15 cents above the national average. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.

Clarkson U Names Scholars

POTSDAM—Clarkson University released its Fall 2025 semester list of Presidential Scholars, students who maintained a grade point average of at least 3.8 in at least 14 credit-hours of course work. Local students so honored include Grant Beverland of Worcester, Kyle Golden of Richmondville, Creighton Williams of Cooperstown and Maia Woertendyke of Oneonta.

Ag. Dept. To Offer Fair Grants

ALBANY—The New York State Department of Agriculture announced more than $2.25 million in new grants to youth and county fairs. $1.65 million is available through the Agricultural Fairgrounds Infrastructure Improvement Program for fairs to make agriculture-related improvements and renovations. Awards range from $10,000.00 to $50,000.00 and applications are due December 31. Application materials and a full list of eligibility criteria may be found at agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0398-agricultural-fairgrounds-infrastructure-improvement-program.

A further $625,000.00 is available through the Agricultural Fairgrounds Advertising, Promotion, and Education Program to enhance public awareness of New York’s fairs. Awards range up to $12,500.00. A completed work plan and budget must be submitted by July 1. For more information, visit agriculture.ny.gov/rfa-0386-2026-agricultural-fairgrounds-advertising-promotion-and-education-program.