News Briefs: July 3, 2025

Registration Open for Tourney

ONEONTA—The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce’s 39th annual Golf Outing will be held at the Oneonta Country Club on Friday, September 5, with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Registration includes a light breakfast, golf cart, on-course refreshments, a networking lunch, and more than half a dozen contests with prizes. Sponsorships and partnerships are still available. Spaces will fill quickly; registration and more information may be found at https://members.otsegocc.com/events/details/annual-golf-outing-1130.

New Organelle Discovered

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and National Institutes of Health discovered a new organelle in human cells. Christened the “hemifusome,” the microscopic structure is believed to help cells package, sort, recycle and discard important materials. They facilitate the formation of vesicles, small sacs that store, mix, and transport cellular materials and debris. Scientist Seham Ebrahim, PhD noted that hemifusome malfunction may contribute to conditions like Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that can cause albinism, vision problems, lung disease and blood clotting issues.

“We’re just beginning to understand how this new organelle fits into the bigger picture of cell health and disease,” Ebrahim said. “It’s exciting because finding something truly new inside cells is rare—and it gives us a whole new path to explore.”

Ebrahim and her team worked with NIH personnel using UVA’s expertise in cryo-electron tomography, a powerful imaging technique that freezes cells in time to study transient phenomenon like the new organelle. Findings have been published in the scientific journal “Nature Communications.”

Bassett Earns Accreditations

OTSEGO COUNTY—The American College of Emergency Physicians awarded Bronze Level Geriatric Emergency Department Accreditation to all five of Bassett Healthcare Network’s emergency rooms at A. O. Fox Hospital, Bassett Medical Center, Cobleskill Regional Hospital, Little Falls Hospital and O’Connor Hospital. The designation indicates Bassett’s successful use of best practices identified by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Emergency Nurses Association and American Geriatrics Society. As with many rural areas, senior citizens make up a large proportion of the population; the New York State Department of Health estimates that the four counties where Bassett hospitals operate have 22.7 percent of their population over the age of 65, compared to the statewide average of 17.4 percent.

‘Reflections’ Now on View

COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Gallery and Otsego 2000 will present “Reflections on Glimmerglass,” an exhibition of work by local artists and photographers celebrating Otsego Lake and commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Glimmerglass National Register Historic District. It will be displayed on the third floor from July 2 to August 30, following an opening reception on Tuesday, July 1. The Smithy is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit smithyarts.org.

Walsh Starts Sixth Charity Hike

WORCESTER—Tom Walsh, 67, of Worcester set off on his sixth charity hike on Tuesday, July 1. He will make a round trip on the Northville-Placid Trail for a total of 276 miles. A grandfather and cancer survivor, Walsh has traveled 1,400 miles on charity hikes and raised more than $25,000.00 for the Bassett Cancer Institute, Otsego Outdoors, the Hannah-Lee House, and Tunnel to Towers. This year, he aims to raise $5,000.00 for two neighbors facing health challenges. Rostlyn Parslow, 14, of Worcester was recently diagnosed with Friedrich’s Ataxia, a rare genetic disorder that affects spinal and peripheral nerves. Matthew Sivacek of Worcester was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and requires treatment at Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. To support Tom’s 2025 charity hike, make a per-mile pledge by contacting weknowyetwegoapparel.57@gmail.com or make a one-time GoFundMe contribution at https://gofund.me/a346166d.

Barn Dance Fundraiser Slated

OTEGO—Athelas Therapeutic Riding, 1179 County Route 5 in Otego, will host its annual Barn Dance from 4-8 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. It will feature line dancing instruction, a barbecue dinner, and a raffle, with all proceeds supporting Athelas’ programming for local individuals with physical, mental, and emotional challenges. There are $10.00 tickets for the dance and a $25.00 option that includes dinner. Spaces are limited and expected to fill quickly. For more information or to purchase a ticket, visit ATRinc.org or the Athelas Therapeutic Riding Facebook page.

‘Summer Sundays’ Return

ONEONTA—The Swart-Wilcox House Museum’s free Summer Sunday event series will begin on July 13. All events run from 1-3 p.m. on the front lawn of the museum, Wilcox Avenue in Oneonta, and are open to the public. Folding chairs are encouraged. The Bright Hill Poets will open the season with offerings by local poets, followed by a program on Otsego County Medal of Honor recipients on July 20. There will be a program on writing tips on July 27 and one on Otsego County filmmaking on August 3. Levi Anderson will lead a discussion of Otsego County mapping on August 10. The teachings of Onondaga Chief Paul Waterman will be presented on August 17, and historian Mark Simonson will lead a “Back to Campus” program on August 24. The season ends on August 31 with a presentation on the Victorian toys of the Wilcox children. For more information, visit https://swartwilcoxhouse.wordpress.com/.

Clinton Regatta Video Released

BAINBRIDGE—The General Clinton Canoe Regatta took place in Bainbridge and surrounding communities on the weekend of Friday-Sunday, May 23-25. In addition to the 70-mile race starting at Brookwood Point just north of the Village of Cooperstown, it featured five other specialty races and three days of festivities. Local photographer Bill Miller has posted a recap video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkppLjagoM4. For more information about the regatta, visit https://www.canoeregatta.org/index.php.

FCAHS Honors Founder Snyder

FLY CREEK—The Fly Creek Area Historical Society mourns the death of founding member Frieda Snyder, who passed away six months shy of her 100th birthday in March. Born Frieda Putnam in South Valley on September 16, 1925, Snyder and her husband Arthur were among the 55 original FCAHS members. She was one of just five still active 36 years later, and worked tirelessly behind the scenes until nearly the end. Snyder served many years on the Programs, Archives, Publications and Fundraising committees and as a trustee from 2010-2013. In its spring 2025 newsletter, “The Fly Creeker,” the FCAHS extended its sincere condolences to Snyder’s family, including four children, nine grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and three great-great grandchildren, and especially to daughters Kathy Snyder and Janice Millea, who carry on her work with the FCAHS.

Golden Artist Hires New CEO

COLUMBUS—Employee-owned art material company Golden Artist Colors, based in New Berlin, hired Troy Mann as its new CEO. Mann boasts more than 25 years’ experience in sales, marketing, and operations and companies like GE, The Haier Group, and Campbell Hausfeld, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. After nearly 45 years at the helm of Golden Artist Colors, Mark Golden will shift into a new role as strategic advisor. For more information, visit goldenartistcolors.com.

Dean Wins Kids’ Book Awards

PIERRE, SD—Laura Beth Dean, a nurse and author born in Cooperstown, won the Western Writers of America Spur Award for Best Children’s Picture Book 2025 and the Moonbeam Children’s Bronze Illustrator Award for her book “Georgia Jipp: Blizzard Pilot.” As noted in an Iron String Press news brief last year, the book follows the true story of the eponymous South Dakota rescue pilot, who flew more than 150 aid missions during three months of record-breaking snowstorms in 1949. For more information, visit sdhspress.com.

Maritime Fund Announced

ALBANY—SUNY Chancellor John B. King announced a cohort of 18 students as the first class to join SUNY Maritime’s Summer Sea Term with support from the Pay It Forward Fund. Established in 2024 with $4 million in capital from the state, the fund is an effort to fill maritime workforce gaps and increase economic mobility for up to 200 Pell-eligible students over the next four years. Cadets will receive zero-interest, zero-fee outcome-based loans, with repayments from students and employers recycling to support future program recipients. For more information, visit suny.edu.

Vêsucré Launches at ShopRite

ONEONTA—Following participation in Wakefern Food Corp.’s 2024 Total Store Local Supplier Summit, Sarah Hartmann’s Oneonta-based plant-based frozen dessert company Vêsucré will begin selling products in ShopRite frozen food aisles this summer. For more information, visit wakefern.com or vesucre.com.

Gas Prices Up Before Holiday

UTICA—New York State gas prices rose by a penny to an average of $3.21 per gallon during the week ending Monday, June 30, AAA Northeast announced. Crude oil price shifts from the recent U.S.-Israeli-Iran war in the Middle East have largely evaporated, while domestic production and demand have both increased in the lead-up to the Independence Day holiday weekend. Nationwide inventories declined by 2.1 million barrels, although stockpiles in the Northeast region actually increased by more than 2 million barrels. New York’s price is up nine cents from a month ago and 37 cents lower than this time last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.