News Briefs: March 26, 2026
‘No Kings’ Set for Saturday
ONEONTA—The CooperstownOneonta, Butternut Valley, Cherry Valley and Schoharie County chapters of Indivisible, and the Otsego County Democratic Committee, will hold a local rally and march as part of the nationwide “No Kings” protest on Saturday, March 28. It will begin on the green outside Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center at noon and march up to Main Street, ending around 1:30 p.m. Participants are asked to bring non-perishable food or first aid items for a donation drive to support the Veterans’ Outreach Center. The rally will include speakers and performances by local musicians Yolanda Bush, Becca Frame, and Khalil Jade and the Resistance Singers. For more information, contact CooperstownOneontaIndivisible@gmail.com.
Lifeguard Scholarships Offered
COOPERSTOWN—The Friends of the Parks will provide $75.00 or $200.00, depending on the class taken, to enrollees in the April American Red Cross lifeguard certification classes at the Clark Sports Center. Up to 10 people will be accepted. The classes run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday through Friday, April 7-10. Participants must be at least 15 years of age. The enrollment deadline is Friday, April 3. For more information, call (607) 547-2800 ext. 117 or visit clarksportscenter.com.
Lutherans Announce Events
OTSEGO COUNTY—The Otsego County Lutheran Parish announced that Holy Wednesday services on April 1 will be held at noon at Hartwick Seminary’s Evangelical Lutheran Church and at 7 p.m. at Atonement Lutheran in Oneonta. Maundy Thursday communion will be held at St. Matthew in Laurens at 7:30 a.m., at Atonement at 10 a.m., at Evangelical at noon, at Hartwick College’s Shineman Chapel at 4:30 p.m. and at St. Matthew at 6:30 p.m. Atonement will host Good Friday worship at 10 a.m., followed by Evangelical at noon, Shineman at 4:30 p.m., St. John in West Burlington at 5 p.m. and at Laurens Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m. A Holy Saturday vigil will be co-hosted at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Oneonta at 9 p.m. on Saturday, April 4. Easter Sunday services will be held at the standard worship time for each church. Evangelical Lutheran will host a potluck dinner and service to mark the Ascension at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 14.
Exhibitions Open for Entries
COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s much-anticipated 35th Regional and 91st National Juried Art exhibitions will be on display from May 16 to June 25 and from July 11 to August 14, respectively. The regional show is open to all New York artists, offers $2,400.00 in prizes, and will accept in-person submissions from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9. The National Exhibition has $3,100.00 in prizes. All entries must be submitted online by Thursday, May 15. For more information or to view a prospectus, visit cooperstownart.com.
Ferrara To Speak on Erie Canal
ONEONTA—The Greater Oneonta Historical Society will host SUNY Oneonta Professor Mark Ferrara for a talk on his new book, “Raging Erie: Life and Labor Along the Erie Canal,” at noon on Saturday, April 18. He will discuss the lives of the poor and working classes along the canal corridor. The talk will be held in the new third floor ballroom at 183 Main Street and is free and open to the public. Attendees are asked to RSVP to directormm@oneontahistory.org or (607) 432-0960 by Friday, April 17, but it is not required.
Milford Elects Mayor, Trustees
MILFORD—The Village of Milford held elections on Wednesday, March 18. Michael Strong was elected to fill a one-year mayoral vacancy with 28 write-in votes. David West won a two-year term as trustee with 30 votes. Marion Mossman received 21 write-in votes for a special one-year trustee term, defeating James Welsh’s single write-in.
Farm Day Registration Opens
NEW YORK STATE—Cornell Cooperative Extension’s highly anticipated Family Farm Day will return for its 14th year on Saturday, August 26. Farms across the state open their gates to the public, fostering agricultural awareness and direct connections between producers and consumers. Registration for farms is open through Wednesday, April 29. Information on eligibility is available at cceschoharie-otsego.org/familyfarmdayregistration. Farms that have participated in the past may sign up online; new farms should contact their county CCE coordinator for assistance.
CCS Jr.-Sr. Play Starts Thursday
COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Central School juniors and seniors will present the play “Quest! One Play To Rule Them All” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, March 26-28. It will be performed in the Sterling Auditorium at the High School. Admission is $10.00.
Dragons Make All-star Team
ONEONTA—The SUNY Oneonta women’s track and field team placed four athletes on the USTFCCCA All-Niagara Region team at the end of the NCAA Division III indoor season. This honor recognizes the top eight individuals and top eight relay teams in each event. Senior Tarryn Herman was named all-regional in the shot put and weight throw, junior Nicolette DuBose in triple jump, sophomore Jaiden Schrag, of New Berlin, in the 60m hurdles and long jump, and sophomore Natalia Sweat in the mile. Oneonta finished second in the SUNYAC Indoor Championships and will begin the outdoor season at the Ramapo College Invitational on Friday, March 27.
Artifacts Headed to NBHoF
COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced its acquisition of several artifacts from Team Venezuela’s historic 2026 World Baseball Classic championship. Items including MVP Maikel Garcia’s bat and closer Danny Palencia’s shoes will be displayed in the new WBC exhibit on the second floor. For more information, visit baseballhall.org.
Church Seeks Craft Vendors
RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Church of Christ Uniting seeks craft vendors for two popular annual fairs. The 45th Annual Friendship Craft Festival will be held in Spring Park on Saturday, June 13 and the 6th Annual Fall Craft Fair will be at 587 Cullen Road on Saturday, October 3. For more information or application materials, contact friendshipcraftfestival@yahoo.com or fallcraftfair@yahoo.com, respectively.
Drama Club Presents ‘Xanadu’
MILFORD—The Milford Central School Drama Club will present the musical “Xanadu” at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 27 and 28, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. Tickets are $5.00 for students and $10.00 for general admission.
Crisman Sends CCS to States
BINGHAMTON—Senior Jackson Crisman saved the Cooperstown boys basketball season with a buzzer-beating three-point shot in the Class C semifinals on Saturday, March 21. His off-balance shot from the right side lifted the Hawkeyes to a 66-64 victory over Lyons after a back-and-forth second half. Crisman totaled 16 points and eight rebounds. Senior Miles Nelen scored a game-high 26 points and Brody Murdock added 12. Cooperstown rose to 26-0 for the season and carried on to face defending Class C state champion Berne-Knox-Westerlo in the finals.
Spay/Neuter Clinic Is Sunday
MARYLAND—Friends of the Feral will hold a spay/neuter clinic for feral cats in Maryland on Sunday, March 29. To reserve a time slot, contact (607) 242-4734. FoF aims to hold about two clinics each month throughout the warmer months. The Feral Fest ’26 fundraiser will be held at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center from 1-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 11. For more information, visit the Friends of the Feral Facebook page.
New York Gas Prices Soar
UTICA—The average price of gasoline in New York State rose nearly 25 cents to $3.86 over the week ending Monday, March 23, AAA Northeast announced. This 85-cent increase in less than a month comes as markets try to adapt to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran that has triggered the largest supply-side shock to oil production and distribution ever recorded. Much of the lost capacity will take months or years to recoup, and the White House’s release of oil from strategic reserves has had no lasting effect on prices. Demand and prices generally increase this time of year as drivers return to the road and refineries finish their annual maintenance season, but gasoline demand dropped by about half a million barrels to 8.72 million per day over the last week. Domestic crude oil inventories rose by 6.2 million barrels to 449.3 million, about one percent below the five-year average. New York’s price is 76 cents higher than this week last year. To view the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.
CCE Hosts IPM Workshop
COBLESKILL—Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Kelley Doolin will lead a workshop on Integrated Pest Management from 5:30-7 p.m. on Thursday, April 9. It will be simultaneously conducted at the CCE Schoharie Extension Center, 173 S. Grand Street in Cobleskill, the Madison Ag Center and virtually on Zoom. The program will provide an introduction to comprehensive pest control planning. To register, visit reg.cce.cornell.edu/peststrategy_225.
Chamber Calls for Nominations
ONEONTA—The Otsego County Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2026 Annual Business Dinner Awards. Awards will be given for Business of the Year; Eugene A. Bettiol Jr. Distinguished Citizen Award; Leadership Otsego Distinguished Alumni Award; and Volunteer of the Year. All nominees must be current chamber members. Nominations are due by April 17. Submit nominations at https://form.jotform.com/info_info671_Chamber/annual-dinner-award-nominations.
