News Briefs: July 24, 2025
‘Samurai Baseball’ Opens
COOPERSTOWN—In honor of Ichiro Suzuki’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, The Art Garage will open a special exhibit on baseball-related fine arts during Induction Weekend. “Samurai Baseball and More: A Fine-Arts Look at Baseball” features an array of work by 15 artists and will open with a reception from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, July 25. Admission is free and refreshments will be served. The gallery opens with extended hours at 10 a.m. on Saturday and will conclude with a special activities and autograph session from 4-6 p.m. Japanese, English and French will be spoken. Extended hours continue from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday for a final look at the display and a grab-n-go baseball art shop. The Art Garage is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and other days by appointment. Contact (315) 941-9607 or leartgarage@gmail.com to set up a viewing.
BFS Tracks Algae Blooms
COOPERSTOWN—SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station announced on Thursday, July 17 that no harmful algae blooms have been confirmed on Otsego Lake this season, although conditions are right for them to form. Lake users are urged to exercise caution and avoid discolored or cloudy water and surface scums or mats. HABs can form and dissipate quickly, and are especially dangerous to children and pets. For more information, visit suny.oneonta.edu/biological-field-station; to report a suspected HAB, use the New York State Department of Environmental Conservations tool at dec.ny.gov/environmental-protection/water/water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms/notifications.
HoF Parade is Saturday
COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s annual Parade of Legends will return to Cooperstown at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 26. Featuring more than four dozen returning Hall of Famers and Class of 2025 members CC Sabathia, Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner, the parade kicks off at the intersection of Chestnut and Lake streets and progresses up Chestnut and Main streets to the Hall of Fame. It will include the award-winning Baldwinsville High School Band, Cooperstown Youth Baseball teams and MLB mascots, and is expected to last about 75 minutes. The parade will be livestreamed on MLB.com. The induction ceremony will take place at the Clark Sports Center at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 27.
Reception Scheduled
COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Gallery will open its final exhibition of the season with a reception from 5-7 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22. “Music and Movement,” featuring work by more than a dozen Smithy member artists and guest artists, will be on display on the first two floors through August 30. There will also be a free performance and discussion by Duo Extempore, Nicole Brancato and Evan Jagels, at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30. The Smithy’s other ongoing exhibition, “Reflections on Glimmerglass,” features local artistic and photography work inspired by Otsego Lake and is on display through August 30. The gallery will be closed on Saturday, July 26 for Hall of Fame Induction Weekend. For more information, visit smithyarts.org.
Tennis Court Dance Returns
ONEONTA—The Sixth Ward Booster Club will revive the popular 1950s and 1960s Oneonta tennis court dance tradition at the Sixth Ward Shindig on Friday, July 25. Held at the Club’s lighted tennis court on Scrambling Avenue, the dance will begin at 7 p.m. Local DJ Tom King will provide music appropriate for all ages. Non-alcoholic beverages, hot dogs and snacks will be available for purchase. The event is free and open to the public, although donations for the Booster Club’s playground restoration project will be gratefully accepted.
CAA Seeks Event Participants
COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s annual Fine Arts on the Lawn show and sale will return to the Village Hall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, August 30 and 31. Artist CAA members are invited to display up to five framed original works on the porch, with a registration fee of $15.00. Works for display can be dropped off from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, August 29. Artists may also apply for a 10’x10’ tent display space on the lawn, open to works in any medium. There is a $110.00 booth fee and short application. CAA reserves the right to retain a 30 percent commission on all sales. For more information or to register, call (607) 547-9777 or visit cooperstownart.com.
BFS Announces Open House
COOPERSTOWN—SUNY Oneonta’s Biological Field Station will host an open house at their Main Laboratory, 5838 State Highway 80 in Cooperstown, from 4-7 p.m. on Thursday, July 31. There will be displays, specimens and a few brief presentations highlighting BFS research and conservation work on Otsego Lake. Light refreshments will be served and there will be brief boat tours, weather permitting. Registration is encouraged at host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=e35a0196-ae30-4bbf-b5f9-712e39f24f5a&envId=p-R3D0tdmuhUGDuW13NglMkQ&zone=usa.
Band Gets Foundation Award
ONEONTA—The Oneonta Community Concert Band received a $2,050.00 grant from the Community Foundation of Otsego County to support its August 17 “Teddy Bears’ Picnic” concert in Wilber Park. The award makes free admission possible. Picnic table seating is available and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and teddy bears. The band will round out its season with a performance at the Grand and Glorious Garage Sale in September and its annual “Salute to Veterans” concert in November. For more information, visit the Oneonta Community Concert Band Facebook page or call (607) 376-7485.
‘Hamlet’ Marks Theatre’s 10th
COOPERSTOWN—The Fenimore Art Museum’s Glimmer Globe Theatre is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a bold new staging of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” beginning at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 16 through August 14. Set in a gothic nightmare inspired by classic silent films like “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” this haunting production features original music, dramatic scene design and thrilling fight choreography. It stars Jackie Madejski, joined by a talented cast of 17 local and regional performers. Seating is outdoors at the museum’s scenic Lucy B. Hamilton Amphitheater, overlooking Otsego Lake, and attendees are encouraged to arrive early and bring their own seating. Tickets are available at fenimoreart.org.
Event Supports Care Center
COOPERSTOWN—Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network will launch a new fundraising effort with a reception at Fenimore Art Museum from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, August 1. “An Evening Lakeside” will feature live music, a silent auction, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Reservations are $125.00 per person, with all proceeds supporting the fundraising campaign. Individuals or businesses interested in sponsorships may visit bassett.org/friends/events/An_Evening_Lakeside for more information. Tickets are available via the same link. The campaign seeks to raise $500,000.00 in support of Bassett’s $3 million dollar project to build a Convenient Care Center at its Hartwick Seminary Specialty Services Complex, which aims to provide easy access to minor care. Visit bassett.org/friends/areas-of-need/bassett-convenient-care-cooperstown for more information or to contribute.
Hanft Elected to Lead Board
COOPERSTOWN—Robert Hanft, former J.P. Morgan executive and senior advisor with Strategic Financial Services in Utica, has been elected chair of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Board of Directors. His three-year term began on July 11. Hanft earned a BA in economics at Hartwick College and an MBA at Long Island University. He served on Hartwick’s Board of Directors for 18 years and has been a member of the Bassett board since 2020. He also serves on the boards of Bassett Medical Center, the Templeton Foundation, Pathfinder Village, Fenimore Art Museum and Springbrook. For more information, visit bassett.org.
Water Flow Testing Scheduled
ONEONTA—A.O. Fox Hospital will conduct a routine test of its fire sprinkler system at about 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29. It will last one to two hours and may cause a slight drop in water pressure or discoloration for nearby residents. Water safety will not be compromised. For more information, contact Fox Facilities Manager Amanda Twible at (607) 341-5405.
Participants Sought for Author Expo 2025
ONEONTA—Huntington Memorial Library and the Community Arts Network of Oneonta will hold their Author Expo 2025 at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 12. Authors of published books are invited to sell and sign their work and chat with readers. To participate, fill out an application at canoneonta.org/ by September 12. Writers Salon will organize a separate event for self-published authors at Wilber Mansion at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, September 18; contact writers-salon@canoneonta.org for more information.
Onondaga County Reports WNV, EEEV
SYRACUSE—Onondaga County Health Commissioner Dr. Kathryn Anderson announced on July 16 that the county’s first human case of West Nile virus since 2019 was detected in an elderly individual in the Town of Cicero. They were hospitalized and have since been discharged to recover. Additionally, Eastern equine encephalitis virus was detected in mosquitoes on East Taft Road in the Town of Cicero. View the full report at healthnews.ongov.net/human-case-of-wnv-eee-in-mosquitoes-7-16-25/.
