News Briefs: June 4, 2026

Stamp Club To Meet June 9th

COOPERSTOWN—The Leatherstocking Stamp Club will hold its next monthly meeting at the Clark Sports Center Meeting Room at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, June 9. Doug Schoppert will present an illustrated lecture on Works Progress Administration Post Offices built in the Leatherstocking area during the Great Depression, including the Cooperstown office. The talk is free and open to the public.

Village Raises Lifeguard Pay

COOPERSTOWN—The Village of Cooperstown announced a significant pay increase for lifeguards, to $18.00 per hour for ages 14-15, $18.50 for ages 16 and up, and $19.50 for returning employees. Although the current Lifeguard Certification class at the Clark Sports Center has begun, Friends of the Parks will once again reimburse students up to $200.00 for initial training and $75.00 for re-certification. For more information, visit clarksportscenter.com.

Wilson To Address Art Garage

COOPERSTOWN—New Berlin-based glass artist and architect David Wilson will give an informal talk on his work in The Art Garage’s “Obsessed (Artists)” exhibit at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. Nancy Callahan will speak at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, followed by Todd Bachman from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 20. Gallery director Sydney Waller will discuss the work of 1940s local artist Lavern Kelley at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24. The gallery, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and daily by appointment. Contact (315) 941-9607 or leartgarage@gmail.com for more information or to schedule a viewing.

Canton Releases Dean’s List

CANTON—SUNY Canton announced its Spring 2026 Dean’s List, honoring full-time students who achieved a grade point average between 3.25 and 3.74. Among the honorees were Wyatt Beers of Mount Upton and Ryan Funk of New Berlin. Mary Iannarelli of Mount Vision and Kelly Cleaveland of Oneonta earned Part-Time honors, recognizing their achievement of a 3.25 GPA or better in 6-11 class hours of work.

Perrine Graduates Cedar Crest

ALLENTOWN, PA—Cedar Crest College honored the class of 2026 on Sunday, May 9 in its 156th Commencement Ceremony. Among the graduates was Megan Perrine of Mount Vision, earning a bachelor of science in exercise science.

Herkimer To Host Sports Camp

HERKIMER—Herkimer County Community College will host a free All Sports Camp for children ages 8-12 on July 6-9. It will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day and is open to the first 60 campers who register and who are residents of Herkimer County. For more information or to register, contact leemc@herkimer.edu with the subject line “All Sports Camp.”

Higgins Honored by NESCAC

CLINTON—Patricia Higgins of Otego was named to the 2026 New England Small College Athletic Conference spring All-Academic Team for women’s rowing, honoring upperclassmen student-athletes who maintain a GPA of at least 3.5. Higgins graduated in May with a degree in French and Francophone studies.

Spring Park Concerts Slated

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Richfield Springs Chamber of Commerce will hold its free 2026 Concerts in Spring Park from 7-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, rain or shine. Justin Smithson will open the season on June 24, followed by the Glimmerglass Festival Young Artists on July 1. Dirt Road Express and the Cooperstown Community Band will perform on July 8 and 15, respectively. The 10th Mountain Division Band from Fort Drum will visit on July 22, followed by The Nelson Brothers on July 29. Gary Johnson will do a request-only show on August 5. Double Chase-Matt and Thelma is scheduled for August 12 and The Realtime Dixieland Band will perform on August 19. New Horizons Chorus and Barbershop Chorus will close out the year on August 20.

NY Gas Price Drops Six Cents

UTICA—The average price of gasoline in New York State dropped six cents to $4.53 over the week ending Monday, June 1, AAA Northeast announced. Crude oil prices dropped about 10 percent last week on increasing optimism for an end to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has largely closed the Strait of Hormuz for 14 weeks. Retail gas prices have fallen for 11 straight days but remain about 45 percent higher than before the war. Domestic demand increased by more than five percent to 9.25 million barrels a day but remained nearly 200,000 bpd lower than last year.

Oil and gas inventories shrank for the 15th straight week as more U.S. domestic production is exported to nations directly impacted by the competing blockades in the Persian Gulf. New York’s current price is 17 cents higher than a month ago and $1.41 above its mark last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.

Guild Barn Sale Begins June 6

MILFORD—The Guild of Glimmerglass Festival’s popular Barn Sale Fundraiser will return to 3975 State Highway 28 in Milford from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, June 6 through Sunday, June 14. Festival Music Director and Conductor Joseph Colaneri will discuss Mozart’s “Cosi” in a Talking Opera event at Fenimore Art Museum at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17.

USPS Urges Dog Awareness

NEW YORK STATE—The U.S. Postal Service began a month-long Dog Bite Awareness campaign on Monday, June 1 with the theme “Don’t turn your back on dog bite prevention.” Postal employees suffered more than 5,200 dog attacks in 2025, leading to significant mental and physical suffering, delayed or suspended delivery service, and major liabilities for responsible homeowners. New York State ranked fourth in the nation with 269 incidents last year. Dog owners are urged to keep their animals inside or use a leash during delivery hours, firmly secure doors and gates, and avoid direct interaction with mail personnel in the presence of their dogs.

Concert To Benefit Youth Group

ONEONTA—Trio Demeter Momentum, featuring flutists Ana Laura González and Hilary Goldblatt and pianist Kristina Marinova, will perform at the First United Presbyterian Church, 2 Walling Avenue in Oneonta, at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 12. Admission is by donation, with all proceeds supporting the Little Delaware Youth Ensemble.

Smithy Exhibit Now Open

COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Gallery opened its 2026 season with “A Square Deal: Small Works Exhibition,” featuring works by 90 Smithy and guest artists, at a reception on Tuesday, June 2. The exhibit will remain on display through July 11. The gallery is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. For more information, visit smithyarts.org.

Dance Schedule Announced

OTSEGO COUNTY—Otsego Dance Society will hold contradance sessions from 7:30-10:30 p.m. on the first Friday of every month for the rest of the year. No partner or experience is necessary, as all dances are taught. There will be live music and a caller at each event. Dances will be held at Cornfield Hall, 655 County Road 26 in Fly Creek, on June 5 and September 4; at Beaver Valley Campground, 138 Towers Road in Milford, on July 3; and at the Hyde Hall barn, 267 Glimmerglass State Park Road in Cooperstown, on August 7. The October, November and December dances will take place at the First Presbyterian Church of Cooperstown, at the corner of Elm and Pioneer streets. There is a suggested donation of $10.00 per adult and $5.00 per child 12-18. For more information, visit otsegodancesociety.weebly.com or call (607) 433-6613.

CCS Baseball Falls in Semis

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School baseball routed Hamilton 15-0 in the opening round of the Section III Class C Playoffs on Tuesday, May 26. Wyatt Butts went three-for-four with two runs and two RBI. Joey Paterno earned the win, walking one and striking out five in four hitless innings. Braden Rawitch gave up a hit and a walk in an inning of relief pitching, also contributing two runs and two RBI on offense. Seventh-grader Paxton Hazzard got an RBI for his first varsity hit and scored twice.

The Hawkeyes edged out 12-seeded Waterville 5-4 in the quarterfinal on Thursday, May 28. Paterno earned another win, relieving Elijah McCaffrey with the bases loaded and two outs in the first inning and racking up 11 strikeouts and only two hits in the remainder of the game. He also recorded a two-RBI single. Sawyer McManus scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

Cooperstown’s season ended with a 5-1 loss to top-seeded Beaver River in Utica on Saturday, May 30. McCaffrey was stuck with the loss after giving up five runs and six hits in 2.2 innings. Tommy Geertgens scored the lone Cooperstown run of the night on McCaffrey’s single. Brenin Dempsey hit a double. Cooperstown ended the season 12-4.