News Briefs: May 1, 2025

CCS Tennis Sweeps Hamilton

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown tennis defeated Hamilton 5-0, 5-0 in a double header at home on Monday, April 28. Freshman Henry Ayers, senior Owen Marling and eighth grader Alfred Hom won their singles matches 10-1, 10-8 and 10-0, respectively. The first doubles team of junior Bianca Adam and senior Lexi Wolfe won 10-2, as did the second doubles team of junior Rigzin Gazan and seventh grader Emmett Ayers. In the second match, Marling, Adam and Wolfe took their singles matches 10-6, 10-6 and 10-3, respectively. Henry Ayers and Hom won first singles 10-2, and the second doubles team of eighth-grader Micah Raffo and sophomore Hayden Spencer won 10-2. Cooperstown stands undefeated at 5-0 for the season, 2-0 in their division, and will face Waterville in a division match after press time on Tuesday, April 29.

Coop Second at Invitational

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown boys and girls track and field teams each finished second to their Cobleskill-Richmondville counterparts in the Don Howard Invitational on Saturday, April 26. It was the first one without beloved track coach Howard, who passed away in June, 2024. The girls team tied Marathon in a field of 14 teams, and senior Annelise Jensen won the 800m (2:22.17) and 1500m (4:51.07) events. Senior Polly Kennedy won the 400m hurdles (1:14.66) and took third place in the high jump at 4’8”. Junior Mia Pelcer finished second in the 100m hurdles at 0:18.43, and the girls 4x400m relay team placed second in 4:38.76.

The boys team finished the day second in a field of 13 teams. Senior Cooper Bradley won the 110m hurdles (0:16.04) and the high jump (6’0”). Senior Marco Spinosa took second place in the 400m with a time of 0:54.58. Junior Jacob Johnson finished second in the 800m (2:09.28) and Senior Cameron Fritts took third in the high jump at 5’4”. The relay teams finished second in the 4x100m, 4x400m and 4x800m events, in 0:47.40, 3:43.16 and 9:42.42, respectively.

CCS Baseball Beats Clinton

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown baseball picked up its first win of the season with an 8-4 home victory over Clinton at Doubleday Field on Monday, April 28. Sophomore Brody Murdock earned the win on the mound, pitching five strong innings with four strikeouts, six hits and two earned runs. Sophomore Elijah McCaffrey earned the save, striking out three and allowing no hits over his two innings in relief. The Hawkeyes took a 7-0 lead after two innings, with an RBI double by senior Aaron Katz. Senior Adam Ubner drew a walk with the bases loaded in the fourth inning to round out Cooperstown’s scoring for the day. Clinton scored twice in the top of the fifth inning but was unable to overcome their deficit, and the score stood for the remainder of the game. Katz finished the day with two hits, two runs and an RBI; junior Wyatt Butts had two hits and a run. Junior Christian Lawson had a hit and scored twice, and junior Joey DeSanno had a hit and scored a run. The Hawkeyes rose to 1-1 for the season and will play their first Center State Conference Division II game at Hamilton after press time on Wednesday, April 30.

May Day Rally Scheduled

ONEONTA—Cooperstown-Oneonta Indivisible, alongside the Indivisible contingents from Cherry Valley, the Butternut Valley and Schoharie County, and Residents of Otsego for Democracy, announced a local rally to answer the national call for “May Day Strong” actions across the country. It will be held on the green between Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center and the former Stella Luna restaurant from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 1. According to a release, the rally will include union speakers, music, colorful signage and a brief march to raise awareness on how “Mr. Trump and his billionaire profiteers are trying to create a race to the bottom on wages, on benefits, on dignity itself.” Participants are asked to bring non-perishable food items to support local pantries.

Workforce Grants Awarded

ALBANY—SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. announced $2.6 million in awards from the Green Workforce Grant program to help students pursue clean energy jobs by supporting academic programs and state-of-the-art training equipment. This program is one of SUNY’s responsibilities under the state Climate and Sustainability Action Plan. The dozen campuses selected for grants include SUNY Cobleskill, SUNY Morrisville, SUNY Delhi and SUNY Schenectady. Morrisville and Cobleskill will use the grants to support electric vehicle and charging station technician training programs; Delhi will expand its building electrification, heat pump and mini-split education programs.

Star Wars Weekend Planned

WORCESTER—Wieting Theatre’s Star Wars Weekend 2025 will begin with an 18+ Star Wars/Rocky Horror Picture Show mashup presented by local shadow cast Inside Insanity at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 2. Costumes, props and audience participation are highly encouraged. There will be a full day of festivities on Star Wars Day, Sunday, May 4, from noon to 7 p.m. Fans of all ages are invited to enjoy trivia, games and activities, a guest speaker who worked on the original film, photo ops with costumed characters, multimedia content on the big screen, and a 20th anniversary screening of “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.” Admission is free both days. For more details and event updates, visit facebook.com/worcesterwieting.

SSA Starts Digital Program

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Social Security Administration announced a program to allow secure digital access to Social Security numbers through mySocial Security accounts. Available early this summer, the change will allow account holders to safely and easily access their SSN when needed, as an alternative to traditional physical cards. For more information or to create an account, visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

State-level Testing To Continue

ALBANY—New York State Commissioner of Agriculture and Markets Richard A. Ball released a statement on the FDA’s suspension of Grade A raw milk and finished product Proficiency Testing programs. He assured the public that New York milk and dairy products will not be put in jeopardy, as the department will continue its state-level testing as usual. In 2024, the Department’s Divisions of Food Safety and Inspection, Milk Control and Dairy Services, and Food Laboratory conducted more than 420,000 tests for chemical and biological contaminants on samples from fluid and manufacturing plants, receiving stations, farms, factories, and stores. To view the full statement, visit https://agriculture.ny.gov/news/statement-new-york-state-agriculture-commissioner-richard-ball-fdas-suspension-milk-quality.

Scholarship Applications Open

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s annual Art Scholarship, offered to local high-school seniors pursuing art studies at the college level, will be open for applications through Friday, June 6 at 4 p.m. Up to $2,000.00 will be awarded. The scholarship is available to students at Cherry Valley-Springfield, Cooperstown, Edmeston, Gilbertsville-Mount Upton, Laurens, Milford, Milford BOCES, Morris, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young, Richfield Springs, Schenevus, and Worcester schools, and to homeschooled students who reside in these districts. To view all eligibility requirements or submit an application, visit cooperstownart.com.

Gas Prices Remain Unchanged

UTICA—In spite of a nationwide surge in demand and inventory decline around the Easter/Passover holiday period, average New York gas prices remained unchanged at $3.09 per gallon over the week ending Monday, April 28. AAA Northeast noted that domestic and international oil and gas markets are still spooked by uncertainty over trade policies and potential economic fallout. OPEC+ nations reaffirmed their plans to increase production through the spring into the summer, keeping oil prices in the low $60.00 per-barrel range. Demand has been remarkably low so far this year, and it is unclear if the new uptick is the start of a trend or random noise. New York’s gas price is two cents lower than a month ago and 71 cents lower than last year. For the full report, visit gasprices.aaa.com.

$60K Raised for Food Banks

BINGHAMTON—Mirabito Energy Products’ March Round Up campaign raised $60,000.00 to support local food banks and fight hunger in the communities served by the company’s 109 stores. Customers contributed by rounding up their change at checkout, with additional matching funds from Mirabito. Proceeds supported the Food Bank of Central New York, the Food Bank of the Southern Tier and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, providing about 200,000 meals across Mirabito’s service area. For more information, visit mirabito.com/cares.

Chamber Announces Plans

UNADILLA—The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly meeting in the William Bauer Community Center (former Masonic Lodge) on Main Street at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, May 6. All are welcome. Attendees should review the minutes from the April meeting and be prepared to vote on them.

The chamber seeks vendors for the annual Carnival of Sales, which will be held on Main Street on Saturday, July 12. 10×10 foot spaces are available for $25.00, and food truck slots are available for $40.00. Vendor applications may be downloaded at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cgw4qf-EAbrl-fiUZ6MIsuAaEp8We1FT/view?fbclid=IwY2xjawJvGfZleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHhKX6k4rEQnFyYwMOfah6Ah30q_-nowmFkuBzH3Dp-riRaqX6piLfI33jA8T_aem_Bu8rDG9Cx60wZWgwN810Tg.

Additionally, the Village of Unadilla has announced its participation in the Hometown Heroes Banner program to honor past and present members of the Armed Forces. Applications to honor a veteran or sponsor a banner may be found at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1-cdXD_dq84VAeOJsF_h2mXMSJXQcbSgI&usp=drive_fs or by contacting Village Clerk Kelly Jones at (607) 369-3421, villageclerk@villageofunadilla.com, or 193 Main Street, Unadilla, NY 13849.

Childsupport.ny.gov Launched

ALBANY—The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance launched a new online enrollment form for child support services as part of their redesigned website, childsupport.ny.gov. The new site has an improved, more intuitive design and allows existing users to access more detailed information about their case files. New York’s Child Support Program offers parents assistance in obtaining financial support or medical insurance coverage for children by locating parents, establishing paternity, establishing or modifying support orders, and collecting and distributing support payments. It serves more than 530,000 children and collects more than $1.67 billion on their behalf each year.

FAM Seeking Submissions

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Art Museum will accept artist submissions for its annual juried summer art invitational, “Art by the Lake,” until 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 1. Selected painters, sculptors, and photographers will have the opportunity to display, demonstrate, and sell their art at the event on Saturday, August 9. Awards include cash prizes. A non-refundable $20.00 application fee is required upon submission. Visit FenimoreArtMuseum.org/ABTL to view eligibility requirements or submit an application.

NYSEG Lauds Smart Meters

BINGHAMTON—New York State Electric and Gas and Rochester Gas and Electric highlighted recent examples of their new smart meter technology aiding in power restoration to customers. In March, a tree fell on a transmission line in Penfield and knocked out power to about 5,000 customers. Using system automation, a substation flipped to an alternative feed and restored service to about 1,000 within 60 seconds. The rest had their power restored within half an hour by remote operation at the company’s Energy Control Center, all while crews were en route to the accident site to evaluate the damage and make repairs. NYSEG installed 544 new SCADA devices in 2024 alone. For more information, visit nyseg.com.

Solists Perform at Headwaters

STAMFORD—The Roxbury Arts Group will present “Soloists in the Round,” a variation on the classic tradition of the songwriters’ round, at Headwaters Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 3. This riveting night of original music features three local musicians: Wyatt Ambrose, guitar; Evan Jagels, bass; and Blake Fleming, drums. The free performance will be held at 66 Main Street in Stamford. Some folding chairs will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring their own folding chairs or blankets. For more information, visit roxburyartsgroup.org or call (607) 326-7608.

Summer Exhibit Announced

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Art Museum’s summer exhibition, “Mary Cassatt/Berthe Morisot: Allies in Impressionism,” will be on display from May 24 to September 1. It highlights the great influence these artists had on one another and their overarching impact on the early years of the revolutionary Impressionist movement in late 19th century Paris. “The Power of Photography: 19th-20th Century Original Master Prints,” featuring 120 iconic images by 120 famed photographers, will run the same dates. In total, Fenimore will present 11 exhibits this season alongside its renowned permanent collections of fine art, American folk art and Native American art. For more information, visit FenimoreArt.org.

FoxCare To Host Blood Drive

ONEONTA—Bassett Healthcare Network’s FoxCare Center, 1 FoxCare Drive in Oneonta, will host an American Red Cross blood drive from noon to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 7. Walk-ins are welcome, and appointments may be made by calling 1 (800) 733-2767, visiting redcrossblood.org or using the American Red Cross Blood Donor App.