News Briefs: July 9, 2025
Historian To Discuss Local Civil War Regiment
MILFORD—Milford Town Historian Frank Antonucci will present his research on the 121st New York regiment, a Civil War military unit formed in Otsego and Herkimer counties in August 1862, at noon on Sunday, June 13. It will be held at the Sayre House Museum on North Main Street in Milford. The 141st NY included 42 men from Milford and fought in 25 battles, from Antietam to Gettysburg to Appomattox. Refreshments will be available after the talk. For more information, visit the Greater Milford Historical Association Facebook page.
Caregiver Meeting Scheduled
COOPERSTOWN—Helios Care and the Samye Institute will host an experiential caregivers gathering at Origins Cafe from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday, July 13. As a space for reflection, insight, and connection, the group will share insights on caregiving and explore ways to meet illness and death with courage, compassion, and clarity. It will be facilitated by representatives from Noble Living, Noble Caring, Noble Dying, which runs monthly Zoom gatherings throughout the year. Local resources for caregiving and support groups will be provided. There will be a networking period and complimentary Mediterranean food and beverages after the discussion. Registration is required at samyenewyork.org or (607) 547-5051.
OCCA, Lions Club Seek Volunteers for River Cleanup
COOPERSTOWN—The Otsego County Conservation Association and the Cooperstown Lions Club are seeking volunteers for the 8th Annual Susquehanna River Cleanup this Saturday, July 12, from 8 a.m. to noon in Cooperstown. This year’s effort will focus on the southern end of Otsego Lake by the docks near Lakefront Park. Volunteers will be needed in and out of the water, and will help pull debris from the lake with the SUNY Oneonta Biological Field Station Dive Team, shuttle materials from the water into trailers, assist with shoreline cleanup, shuttle volunteers from the parking area to the cleanup site, and more. To participate, contact Kendall Jacob, volunteer coordinator at OCCA, at volunteer@occainfo.org, call (607) 375-7280, or sign up online at www.occainfo.org/riversignup. Parking for this event will be at the Bassett Hospital lot behind Bassett Hall on Susquehanna Street, across from Walnut Street. The gate opens at 7:45 a.m., and shuttles will transport volunteers to the Fish Road Boat Launch on Otsego Lake. This community-driven event is organized by OCCA, the Cooperstown Lions Club, and several local partners including the Rotary Club of Cooperstown and the SUNY BFS Dive Team.
Public Forum to Discuss Federal Budget
MORRIS—Concerned Citizens of Otsego, Delaware, Schoharie and Chenango Counties will host a public forum on the future of community services under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” at the Morris Firehouse, 117 E Main Street, at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10. Representatives from the Office for the Aging, Opportunities for Otsego, Oneonta Veterans Outreach Center, local food banks and other local community organizations will discuss potential outcomes of proposed cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and other federal programs. The forum is free and open to the public.
Arc Otsego Receives Grant
ONEONTA—NYSARC Trust Services awarded more than $1.6 million in grants to statewide Arc chapters, including $32,250.00 to support The Arc Otsego’s guardianship program. Trust Services administers Supplemental Needs Trusts and pooled trusts to assist people with disabilities with Medicaid and other government programs. The Otsego chapter’s guardianship program offers guardianship and advocacy services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, currently including seven people in the Primary Guardian program and one in the Standby Guardian program. It has the resources to support three more as standby or assistant standby guardians. For more information, visit arcotsego.org.
NYSEG Files Infrastructure Plan
BINGHAMTON—New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric filed a five-year pricing and infrastructure plan with the New York Department of Public Service, proposing major renovation and expansion of an aging power grid. The plan includes legacy costs, further modernization, storm recovery and service expansion. It will also require 570 new full-time grid employees and 539 full-time service employees in compliance with New York’s Call Center Law. $525 million is dedicated to vegetation management, as fallen trees and plant matter are the leading cause of service disruptions. For more information, visit nyseg.com.
DEC Rule Comment Period to Open
ALBANY—The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation announced a proposed change to 6 NYCRR Part 375, with a virtual public comment hearing scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on October 1 and public comment open until October 7. The rulemaking would amend DEC regulations with respect to the Brownfield Cleanup Program, State Superfund Program, Environmental Restoration Program and soil cleanup objectives. For more information or to register for the hearing, visit https://dec.ny.gov/regulatory/regulations/proposed-emergency-recently-adopted-regulations/environmental-remediation-revisions.
Chesapeake Program Seeks Public Comment
ANNAPOLIS—The Chesapeake Bay Program will accept public feedback on its draft revised Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement through Monday, September 1. It updates the agreement signed in 2014 by the governors of the six watershed states, the mayor of Washington, D.C., the administrator of the EPA and the chair of the tri-state legislative Chesapeake Bay Commission. The public may submit comments to comments@chesapeakebay.net. Additionally, the program will hold informational webinars that will be posted to its YouTube channel: “Reimagining the Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement” on July 2, “Thriving Habitats and Wildlife” on July 8, “Clean Water for a Healthy Bay” on July 15, “Healthy Landscapes” on July 24, and “Engaged Communities” on July 30.
Plates of Hope Raises $4,500
ONEONTA—Friends of Bassett Healthcare Network’s Plates of Hope program raised $4,500.00 for local cancer care in the first week of June. Each day, one of seven local restaurants donated 10 percent of its proceeds to the Bassett Cancer Care Initiative, an effort to raise half of the money for a $7 million project to expand Bassett Cancer Institute and purchase a mobile screening unit. The week culminated in a Saturday evening celebration at B Side Ballroom and Supper Club. Participating restaurants included Autumn Café, Dazzo’s Kitchen, Humphrey’s, Social Eats, Stonewall at the Meredith Inn and Toscana Northern Italian Grill. For more information, visit bassett.org/MovingForward.
Gas Prices Decline
UTICA—New York State’s average gas price declined three cents to $3.18 per gallon over the week ending Monday, July 7, AAA Northeast announced. A sharp drop in demand after the holiday weekend and a four-year high in northeast regional inventories drove much of the decline. Oil prices remained steady between $65.00 and $68.00 per barrel thanks to booming domestic production and a greater-than-expected production increase by the OPEC+ nations. New York’s average price of gas is eight cents higher than last month and 44 cents lower than last year. For more information, visit gasprices.aaa.com.
State Ag. Dept. Announces Equipment Grant
ALBANY—The New York State Department of Agriculture announced that $1 million in funding is available through the Resilient Food Infrastructure Grant Program. Farms and food businesses may apply for assistance to purchase equipment for processing, packaging, aggregating, storing or distributing New York food products. Applications are open at ffgf.smapply.us until July 23, and all equipment must be purchased by December.
Historical Society to Meet
FLY CREEK—Fenimore Farm Manager of Interpretation Patrick MacGregor will give a presentation on 19th-century medicine at the Fly Creek Area Historical Society’s monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 23. It will be held at the Grange/Historical Building, 208 Cemetery Road. Refreshments will be served at 7:30 p.m., followed by the business meeting.
Waller Appointed to NYSCA
ALBANY—Sydney Waller, curator and owner of the Cooperstown gallery The Art Garage, was confirmed to the New York State Council on the Arts by the State Senate, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on June 13. Raised in Connecticut and France, Waller holds a degree in art history and a graduate degree in education. She ran the Pioneer Gallery in The Smithy, co-founded Gallery 53 and led the international “Diamonds are Forever” baseball art show for the Smithsonian and New York State Museum. For more information, visit The Art Garage Facebook page.
Swart-Wilcox 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 and books available for sale, 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/.
