News Briefs: January 30, 2025

Museum Announces Lecture

SARATOGA SPRINGS—The New York State Military Museum and Veterans Research Center, 61 Lake Avenue in Saratoga Springs, will host a series of free public lectures through April. Local historian Amy Godine will present the first talk at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 1, with a lecture on African Americans who settled in the Adirondacks and fought in the Civil War. Godine is the author of “The Black Woods: Pursuing Racial Justice on the Adirondack Frontier,” published by Cornell University Press. It describes the experiences of free Blacks who built a farming settlement known as Timbuctoo near Lake Placid in conjunction with abolitionist leader John Brown.

Godine’s exhaustive research of Civil War pension records at the National Archives reveals the life-changing individual, community and political impact of military service in a war of emancipation. She is a founding Fellow of the New York Academy of History and a recipient of the Larry Hackman State Archives Research Fellowship, the John Brown Spirit of Freedom Award, and the Weyerhaeuser Book Award.

Educational Forum Slated

MILFORD—The Catskill Regional Teacher Center will hold its 21st Annual Legislative Forum at Springbrook’s Family Engagement Center, 105 Campus Drive, Oneonta, from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, February 13. The center, which serves 35 districts and two BOCES in six counties, will invite state legislators including Assemblymembers Brian Miller and Joseph Angelino and Senator Peter Oberacker. Teachers, administrators, education students, parents, and other concerned groups are invited to attend and submit questions. For more information or to RSVP, contact CRTCNY.org@gmail.com or (607) 436-3920.

Quilt Show Starts Saturday

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association’s 34th Annual Fenimore Quilt Club Show will be on display in the Village Hall Galleries from February 1-16. It features more than 50 quilts and quilted items in traditional and contemporary designs, as well as a special display and sale in memory of founding member Betty Giffin. The club’s special collector’s quilt will be raffled on Sunday, February 16, with tickets available throughout the exhibit run. The show is open daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 1-4 p.m. on Sundays.

CAA To Host Watercolor Class

COOPERSTOWN—Local artist Emily Falco will lead an introductory watercolor class at the Cooperstown Art Association’s upstairs classroom space in the Village Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, February 15. The class is designed for beginners and those with some watercolor experience, and will be most rewarding for those with experience drawing from life. Materials are provided, but participants are encouraged to bring preferred supplies. There is a $125.00 fee for CAA members ($130.00 for non-members). To register, contact gallery@cooperstownart.com or (607) 547-9777.

Ponce To Speak at CANO

ONEONTA—The Community Arts Network of Oneonta will kick off its new season of Writers Salon with award-winning fiction author Pedro Ponce at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 20. He will give a reading and Q&A based on his recent short story collection, “The Devil and the Dairy Princess.” Writers Salon, held at 11 Ford Avenue, is free and open to the public.

NY Gains Private-sector Jobs

ALBANY—Preliminary seasonally adjusted figures released by the New York State Department of Labor on January 23 indicate that the state gained 7,200 private-sector jobs, a monthly increase of 0.1 percent, in December. The new total of more than 8.4 million is an increase of 1.3 percent, or 108,800 jobs, over December 2023, matching the U.S. annual increase. New York’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate and labor force participation held constant at 4.4 percent and 61.2 percent, respectively. The state trails the nationwide job growth rate, and slight unemployment growth in New York City offset a decline in the rest of the state. Private education and health services led new hiring, increasing their workforce by 5.1 percent over the year. To view the full report, visit www.dol.ny.gov.

‘Soccertown USA’ To Open

ONEONTA—The Greater Oneonta Historical Society’s spring exhibition, “Oneonta: Soccertown USA,” will open on February 1 for display through June. It will explore the city’s history of youth soccer, OHS programs, Hartwick and SUNY Oneonta soccer, and the National Soccer Hall of Fame. There will be an opening reception from 5-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. GOHS is open noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. For more information, visit www.oneontahistory.org.

Blood Drive Planned at Fox

ONEONTA—A.O. Fox Hospital will host an American Red Cross Blood Drive in the Levine Conference Room from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 5. Donors will receive a $15.00 e-gift card to the merchant of their choice. Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments may be made by calling 1 (800) RED-CROSS, visiting www.redcrossblood.org, or using the American Red Cross Blood Donor App. Someone in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds, and one pint can save up to three lives.

Concert, Cakewalk Planned

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Chamber Orchestra will present a free concert as part of the Cooperstown Winter Carnival in the ballroom of the Village Library at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. The orchestra will partner with Christ Church Episcopal to hold a Cakewalk Benefit for the Cooperstown Food Pantry at 1 p.m. on Sunday, February 2. In addition to free hot chocolate and coffee, participants can win baked goods donated by the community. Tickets for this family-friendly event are limited and cost $10.00 for an individual and $30.00 for a family. They may be purchased at the door or from Melissa Manikas at Cooperstown State Farm, 29 Pioneer Street. For more information, visit cooperstownwintercarnival.com.

FoVL Observes Library Month

COOPERSTOWN—Friends of the Village Library of Cooperstown will observe National Library Lovers’ Month in February, beginning with its annual Winter Carnival Book Sale in the Village Hall Board Room from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, January 31 through Sunday, February 2. Book donations may be delivered at the Fair Street entrance from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, January 30.

FoVL and the Welcome Home Cooperstown Committee will hold a family-friendly community gathering to celebrate libraries on Tuesday, February 4. There will be a bookmark craft and remarks by Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh. Local artist Peg Donahue has created custom Library Month posters that will be available to the public by donation. Local businesses interested in getting involved should contact FoVL Board President Karen Katz at kkatz@stny.rr.com or (607) 434-3418. For more information or a full schedule of events, visit www.villagelibraryofcooperstown.org.

Jimkata Performs Next Month

COOPERSTOWN—Electro-rock band Jimkata will perform in the Cooperstown Concert series at The Otesaga Resort Hotel at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 21. It is part of the band’s nationwide tour celebrating the release of their new album, “Running in Place.” Originally from Ithaca, Jimkata has built a national reputation for their powerful stage presence. There will be a large dance floor with limited seating. To purchase tickets, visit cooperstownconcerts.org.

State Announces Fair Funding

ALBANY—New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced that the state will provide a total of $350,000.00 in transportation and related costs to bring participating youth groups to county and local fairs. Applications must be submitted at https://agriculture.ny.gov/rfp-0345-2025-transportation-youth-county-and-local-fairs-program by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, February 18. Additionally, the second round of the Agricultural Fairgrounds Advertising, Promotion, and Education Program will provide a total of $500,000.00 to support marketing at 50 fairs. For more information, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/new-york-state-county-fairs-promotional-programs.

Vendor Space Still Available

SOUTH OTSELIC—The Otselic Valley Fishing and Heritage Association seeks arts and craft vendors for their 16th annual Fishing and Heritage Day on Saturday, May 17. The free community event attracts hundreds of people to South Otselic’s Town Park, and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. this year. Vendors may reserve space in the park until May 15. There is additional space available for nonprofit conservation, sporting, scouting and environmental organizations at the State Fish Hatchery. For more information or to register, visit ovfish.org, call (315) 653-7490 or e-mail sotfishingday@gmail.com.

State Monitoring for HPAI

ALBANY—The New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets, Health, and Environmental Conservation have continued proactive testing measures to monitor the risk of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in light of outbreaks in other states. Although the risk to humans remains low, the virus has been detected in a wild goose in Putnam County and a poultry farm in Suffolk County. All poultry producers should take extra biosecurity steps, use personal protective equipment, and report sick birds, mass deaths or unexplained drops in egg production to the Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502. Dairy producers will also be impacted by new testing requirements. For more information, visit www.agriculture.ny.gov.

NY Maintains Rank in Study

NEW YORK STATE—SimplifyLLC, an LLC consulting firm based in Sheridan, Wyoming, released its annual study on the best and worst states for entrepreneurship, using updated data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Tax Foundation, and U.S. Senate. New York ranked 32nd in the nation, identical to its position last year. Rankings were determined with six categories measured across all 50 states and D.C.: corporate tax rate, inflation, consumer spending growth, job creation rate, and net migration of educated workers. The state’s new business growth dropped significantly over the year, from 11.4 percent to -11.1 percent, but its job creation rate surged from 10.2 percent to 17.1 percent. New York continues to suffer the nation’s second-worst exodus of educated workers, but nearly 50 percent fewer educated adults left in 2024 compared to 2023. The best states for entrepreneurs were Washington, Texas, Maine, Nevada and Oregon. To view the full report, visit https://www.simplifyllc.com/best-and-worst-states-for-entrepreneurs-2025/.