News Briefs: May 18, 2023
Mayor Drnek To Address Networking Group
ONEONTA—Community Conversations, a networking forum for people interested in Oneonta’s past, present and future, will celebrate its tenth anniversary on Tuesday, May 23 at 8 a.m. at Green Earth Health Market. Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek will provide a special address recognizing the group, which meets informally on Tuesdays from 8-9 a.m. Green Earth is located at 4 Market Street, Oneonta. For more information or to join the conversation, call (607) 287-8483.
County DoH Warns Against Tick-borne Disease
OTSEGO COUNTY—The Otsego County Department of Health issued a public service announcement on Tuesday, May 9 urging residents to protect themselves and others, including pets, from tick bites and tick-borne diseases. “As we are already seeing cases of Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and babesiosis in Otsego County, we expect the number of cases to exceed that of 2022 due to the mild winter we have had,” the PSA reads. “The most common tick-borne disease we see within our community is Lyme disease. There were 520 cases reported in 2022. As the weather is warming up and residents are beginning to spend more time outside, it is important to follow simple precautions to prevent tick bites and reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases.” These precautions include wearing tick repellent, keeping grass cut short, wearing long sleeves and pants when possible, and conducting tick checks after spending time outdoors, especially in wooded locations or in areas where the grass is tall or thick.
Fishing, Heritage Day is Saturday, May 20
SOUTH OTSELIC—The Otselic Valley Fishing & Heritage Association will hold its 14th annual Fishing & Heritage Day on Saturday, May 20. This all-day, family event is free and includes fishing clinics and programs for young anglers, along with arts, crafts and antique vendors, food, music, special exhibits, presentations, and more. There will also be a live music performance by the Four Corners String Band and an art demonstration by Adam Schmidt. This event is made possible with public funds from the Statewide Community Regrants Program, a regrant program of the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature, and administered by The Earlville Opera House. For a complete schedule of activities, visit www.ovfish.org.
Writers Salon Welcomes Celebrated Author
ONEONTA—Award-winning cultural critic Anne Elizabeth Moore will read from her collection of essays, “Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes,” on Thursday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Community Arts Network of Oneonta. Moore’s book has been released in an expanded edition this spring from Feminist Press; the public is invited at no charge to hear Moore’s smart, funny, terrifying takes on institutional crisis, structural inequality, and other things gross and cruel. CANO is located in the Wilber Mansion at 11 Ford Avenue. This event is part of CANO’s Writers Salon. For more information, visit https://www.canoneonta.org/writers-salon.
Fallen CWO3 Christopher Eramo To Be Honored
ONEONTA—The late Chief Warrant Officer 3 Christopher Robert Eramo will be honored this year on Memorial Day in Oneonta. A Main Street parade will precede the commemoration ceremony in Oneonta’s Neahwa Park on the morning of May 29. CWO3 Shawn Hubner, who serves in the deceased’s unit, will hand carry the battalion colors from Fort Wainwright to Oneonta and march in the honor guard. For the first time in 50 years, the parade will include a riderless horse as a solemn salute to fallen soldiers. Community groups are welcome to take part in the parade. Lineup is at 9 a.m. in front of the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center, 24 Market Street; the parade steps off at 10 o’clock sharp. A ceremony of remembrance will be at 11 a.m. in Neahwa Park’s Veterans Memorial Walkway.
Cooperstown Will Hold First Pride Weekend
COOPERSTOWN—Otsego Pride Alliance and local Cooperstown businesses will present the first-ever Cooperstown Pride Weekend on June 1-4. Cooperstown will celebrate Pride Month with the raising of the Pride flag at the Village Hall on June 1 at 8:30 a.m. There will be a Pride Celebration at Brewery Ommegang’s Fire Pit Friday on June 2. The main Otsego County Pridefest block party will take place on Main Street in Oneonta on June 3, and Barnyard Swing will host a Family Pride Day from noon to 3 p.m. on June 4 with support from The Landmark Inn.
Garden Club of Richfield Hosting Plant, Bake Sale
RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Garden Club of Richfield Springs will hold its annual Plant and Bake Sale in the Richfield Springs Public Library parking lot from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 3. Indoor and outdoor plants will be available for purchase. According to a release, the Garden Club was founded in 1938 to beautify and enrich the village and town. This year, the club will continue its Curb Appeal program and may begin working near the village reservoir. For more information, contact Becky Marzeski at (315) 868-6599.