News Briefs: July 21, 2023

Summer Sunday Series Continues

ONEONTA—Former Center Street School librarian Mark Parmerter will provide a brief history of Oneonta’s longest serving elementary school (1897-2012) on Sunday, July 23 at the Swart-Wilcox House Museum. Parmerter’s talk, part of the museum’s Summer Sunday Series, begins at 1:15 p.m. and will be followed by a sharing of memories and anecdotes honoring Center Street School’s 115 years serving the Oneonta community. The Summer Sunday Series is held from 1-3 p.m. on Sundays through August 27 and is free and open to the public. Attendees are advised to bring their own folding lawn chair and the venue is handicap accessible. Swart-Wilcox House Museum is located at 24 Wilcox Avenue. For more information, visit http://swartwilcoxhouse.wordpress.com.

Activist Group to Protest Infant Circumcision

ONEONTA—The Bloodstained Men and Their Friends, an activist group, will hold a peaceful demonstration against infant circumcision at the NY-23/NY-28 concurrency near Southside in Oneonta from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday, July 23. According to a release, residents will be educated by activists, including victims of genital cutting. “It is unnecessary, cruel, damaging and ethically unacceptable to remove a healthy body part from a person who is incapable of consent,” the release concluded.

Foothills To Hold Musical Theater Cabaret

ONEONTA—Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center will hold a “musical matrimony” musical theater cabaret at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 29. It will feature local artists, accompanied by Dan Chien, performing selections from musical theater’s finest songs about love, romance and marriage. The evening will benefit the Foothill Fringe Fest and will feature a cash bar.

Excellus BCBS Honored for Disability Inclusion

UTICA—Excellus BlueCross BlueShield was named one of the best places to work for disability inclusion after receiving a maximum score of 100 on the 2023 Disability Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey by Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities. The DEI is a comprehensive benchmarking tool that helps companies determine measurable, tangible actions they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality. Organizations that receive a score of 80 or better “are named to the ‘best places’ list.”