News Briefs: May 8, 2025

Attacca Quartet To Perform

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Music Festival’s 27th season will open with a performance by the two-time Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet at Christ Episcopal Church at 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. They will perform their “Playlist” set, featuring work from their “Orange” and “Evergreen” releases and music by Finneas O’Connell and Radiohead. Tickets and a full season schedule are available at cooperstownmusicfest.org.

Oneonta Dems Set To Meet

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Democratic Club will discuss upcoming demonstrations and this year’s city and town elections at its monthly meeting on Saturday, May 10. Several candidates will attend to address the audience. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at Green Earth Health Market, 4 Market Street, from 8:30-9:30 a.m. For more information or to RSVP, contact garymaffei@gmail.com.

Coop Tennis Continues To Win

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Tennis Team defeated Waterville 4-0 in a Center State Conference match on Tuesday, April 29. Originally scheduled as a doubleheader, the match was called early due to severe weather. Henry Ayers, Alfred Hom and Emmett Ayers each won 10-0 in first, second and third singles, respectively. Second doubles team Micah Raffo and Hayden Spencer won 10-1. The first doubles match did not finish before the reported lightning strikes.

The Hawkeyes won the CSC Tournament with 39 points at Utica Parkway on Thursday, May 1, ahead of Canastota with 25 points and Sauquoit with 21. Henry Ayers beat Robert Huntley of Mount Markham 10-7 in the first singles finals. Owen Marling fell 10-1 to Canastota’s Luca DiSanto in the second singles finals. At third singles, Hom defeated Owen LoGalbo of Sauquoit 10-7. First doubles team Lexi Wolfe and Bianca Adam lost 10-9 in the semifinals to eventual champions Elijah German and Marshall Chandler of Little Falls. At second doubles, Raffo and Spencer defeated Westmoreland’s Rylan Krycskowski and Wesley Larish 10-7.

Mixed Week for Ball Teams

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown softball cruised to a 10-2 victory over previously undefeated host Hamilton in a Center State Conference Division II game on Wednesday, April 30. Senior Emmy Lippitt earned the win with seven strikeouts, giving up six hits, three walks and an earned run, and also racked up two hits, two RBI, and two runs. The game was tied after four innings, but the Hawkeyes broke open the scoring with five runs in the fifth and four in the sixth. Sophomore Brittan Hill went two-for-three and scored twice. Junior Katie Crippen hit a triple and scored two runs. Senior Grace Sperry scored twice and batted in a run.

The Hawkeyes crushed New York Mills 22-6 on a 16-run second inning on Thursday, May 1. Lippitt picked up another win over five innings with eight strikeouts, two walks, three hits and three earned runs. Crippen had four RBI and scored twice, and Sperry had three RBI, two runs and two stolen bases. Hill scored twice, stole two bases and batted in a run. Sophomore Allie Butts scored four runs, stole two bases and had two RBI.

Cooperstown suffered their first loss of the season, 5-3, to Fabius-Pompey on Saturday, May 3. Lippitt took the loss over nine innings, recording five strikeouts, two walks and five hits. Crippen went three-for-five, hit two doubles, stole two bases and scored all three of Cooperstown’s runs. Sperry, senior Bella Reich and junior Emma Green had RBI. The Hawkeyes fell to 4-1 for the season and 1-0 in their division.

Cooperstown baseball fell 8-6 to Dolgeville on Thursday, May 1 after suffering a seven-run deficit in the first inning. Junior Christian Lawson struck out seven in six innings but took the loss. He and senior Aaron Katz each had two hits and two RBI, and sophomore Elijah McCaffrey drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.

The Hawkeyes evened up their record with a 3-1 victory over Poland at home on Friday, May 2. Katz hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to secure the victory. McCaffrey earned the win with 10 strikeouts over six innings, allowing eight hits and one earned run. Junior Wyatt Butts, sophomore Brody Murdock and senior Adam Ubner also made hits. Cooperstown rose to 2-2 for the season and 1-0 in their division.

CAA To Hold Shows, Classes

COOPERSTOWN—The Cooperstown Art Association will host an opening reception for its three new exhibits from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, May 16, with awards for the 34th Annual Regional Juried Art Show presented at 6 p.m. “Essential Art,” the regional show, features juried work by artists across New York and will be on display in Gallery A through June 25. “Fantasy Clocks 2025,” featuring the intricate clock sculptures of 2024 Regional Grand Prize Winner Richard Birkett, will run for the same period in Gallery B. The 58th Annual Leatherstocking Brush and Palette Club Fine Arts Exhibition will be on display in Gallery C through June 11. The gallery has free admission and is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

Artist and educator Claire Jensen will host pop-up after school art classes for children ages 6-14 at CAA from 3:15-5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 13 and Friday, June 20. The first session will focus on acrylic still life painting, while the latter will cover drawing. For more information or to register, visit cooperstownart.com or contact (607) 547-9777 or gallery@cooperstownart.com.

Chen To Attend Grad School

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Chamber Orchestra announced that Isabel Chen, winner of FCO’s inaugural Young Person’s Concerto Competition, has committed to the Master’s in Violin Performance program at the prestigious New England Conservatory in Boston. She was accepted at several highly competitive schools of music. Chen is completing her bachelor’s degree in violin performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, and performed Mozart’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 3 in G with FCO on March 15.

Vintage Treasure Sale Returns

COOPERSTOWN—Rotary Club of Cooperstown will hold its annual Vintage Treasure Sale from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 in the Christ Episcopal Parish Hall, 69 Fair Street. There will be a wide variety of secondhand items donated by club members, and the sale will be held rain or shine. All proceeds benefit the club and its philanthropic activities.

Bonhomme Talk Scheduled

COOPERSTOWN—The Art Garage, 689 Beaver Meadow Road, will host French artist Olivier Bonhomme for a talk on his solo show, “French Connection: The Political Art of Olivier Bonhomme,” at 11:30 on Friday, May 9. Bonhomme is a graduate of the École Émile-Cohl art school and a prolific political cartoonist for prominent publications such as “Le Monde.” His work was first published in “The Freeman’s Journal” in 2008, four years before he appeared in “Le Monde.” The gallery will open at 11 a.m. for previewing the exhibition, which is on display from 11-2 on Saturdays and by appointment daily through May 17. The presentation will be livestreamed on Zoom; participants should request the link by 5 p.m. on Thursday, May 8. In-person attendees should make a reservation, as seating is limited. Contact leartgarage@gmail.com or (315) 941-9607 for more information or to RSVP.

Plein Air Paint Event Planned

SPRINGFIELD—Cooperstown Art Association, Otsego Land Trust and Hyde Hall Historic Home and Museum will hold their fourth annual plein air painting event on the Hyde Hall mansion’s lawn from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 17. After the event, registered artists will have the opportunity to exhibit and sell their work at CAA’s “Conserved on Canvas” exhibit, on display from August 22 to September 26. For more information or to register, visit https://otsegolandtrust.org/events/plein-air-painting-at-hyde-hall-r5b2r.

Fly-In Breakfast Announced

MIDDLEFIELD—The Middlefield Volunteer Fire Department’s ever-popular Fly-In Pancake Breakfast will return to the Cooperstown/Westville Airport, 866 NY Route 166, from 7:30-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 17. Admission is $12.00 for adults and $8.00 for children under 12. Volunteers will serve all-you-can-eat pancakes, eggs, real maple syrup, sausage and beverages.

CAA Accepting Applications

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 home-schooled students who reside in these districts. To view all eligibility requirements or submit an application, visit cooperstownart.com.

Garden Volunteers Sought

COOPERSTOWN—The Village of Cooperstown seeks volunteers for its Mother’s Day Weekend spring cleaning at the Rain Gardens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 10. The group will meet at the Main Street entrance to the Doubleday Field lot. Some equipment will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring garden gloves, trowels, rakes, shovels, scissors, clippers and friends. Those who cannot attend on May 10 but who wish to join the weekly 7 a.m. Tuesday clean-up crew, or to adopt a rain garden for the summer, should contact (607) 547-2411 or mnye@cooperstownny.org.

Film Series Debuts This Month

COOPERSTOWN—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will inaugurate a new Memorial Day Weekend film series this year, with six films screened over four days at the HoF and Fenimore Art Museum. The weekend opens with a sneak preview of the new documentary “Diamond Diplomacy,” on the role of baseball in U.S.-Japan relations, at the Fenimore at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 22. “Just a Bit Outside: The Story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers” and “Joy in Wrigleyville” will be shown at the HoF at 2 and 5:30 p.m., respectively, on Friday, May 23. Hall of Famers Rollie Fingers and Fergie Jenkins, respectively, will have Q&A sessions at these screenings. “The Sandlot” will be shown at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 24. Jim Kaat, Ozzie Smith and Vince Coleman will speak after the screening of “Birds of a Different Game,” which begins at 6:15 p.m. Another title to be announced will play at the Fenimore at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 25. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit baseballhall.org/memorialday.

Cave House Sets Event Dates

HOWES CAVE—The Cave House Museum of Mining and Geology announced its events and operating hours for the summer 2025 season. Located adjacent to a working stone quarry at 136 Blowing Rock Road, the museum is open from noon to 4 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month from June to September. Programs begin at 2 p.m. Admission is free, and donations are accepted. Educator and jeweler Jim Pecora will discuss mica on June 8, followed by a talk on young forest management by SUNY Cobleskill Professor of Wildlife Management Roger Masse on July 13. Local author and cave country historian Dana Cudmore will give a talk titled “Where’d Our Stone Go?” on August 10. SUNY New Paltz Associate Professor of Geology Alexander Bartholomew will speak on mid-Devonian extinction events in Eastern New York on September 14.

CFD Elections are May 12th

COOPERSTOWN—Members of the Cooperstown Fire Department will vote for their officers from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 12. Positions to be filled and nominees are as follows: Chief, William “Billy” Smith; First Assistant Chief, Victor Jones, Michael Molloy; Second Assistant Chief, Christopher Satriano; Captains, Jonathan Roach, Joel Bostwick, Kevin Preston; Fire Police Captain, James Leslie; Fire Police Lieutenant, James Tallman; President, Monica Carrascoso, Glenn Falk; Vice President, Anthony Ferrara, Sheila Serbay; Treasurer, Frank King; Secretary, Thomas “Stretch” Redding.

Theater Performance Slated

STAMFORD—Community theater company The Party will present Clare Barron’s award-winning play “Dance Nation” at The Carriage House Theater, 76 Main Street in Stamford. Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, May 17-19. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit thepartytheater.com.

Museum To Open for Season

EAST MEREDITH—Hanford Mills Museum’s 2025 season will open on Thursday, May 15 and run through October 15. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. Free Family Saturday, featuring a look at local macroinvertebrate populations in the mill pond and creek, will be held on June 14. Dairy at the Mill, offering homemade ice cream, will take place on July 19. Metal at the Mill returns on September 6 and 7, and will once again feature the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree. The Woodsmen’s Festival will be held on October 4. In addition to these special events, the mill will also offer hands-on workshops, guided walks and a morning bird walk co-hosted by Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society. Visit hanfordmills.org or the museum’s social media channels for further event announcements.

Class Cap Selections Chosen

COOPERSTOWN—Following extensive consultation with the five members of the Class of 2025 or their families, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum announced the cap selections for its new inductees. As expected, Ichiro Suzuki’s plaque will include the Mariners logo. Dick Allen will be inducted with the Phillies, Dave Parker with the Pirates and CC Sabathia with the Yankees. Billy Wagner will enter as a member of the Astros. For more information on Induction Weekend or the Class of 2025, visit baseballhall.org.

Svahn Lecture Is May 16th

COOPERSTOWN—The Second Annual David S. Svahn Humanities in Medicine Memorial Lecture will be held in the Clark Auditorium of Bassett Medical Center’s Fieldstone Building, 1 Atwell Road, at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, May 16. Dr. Lisa Wong, a pediatrician at Milton Pediatric Associates, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and violinist for the Longwood Symphony Orchestra, will present a talk titled “Embracing the Art of Medicine in Uncertain Times.” She will play her viola and discuss the role of music and other forms of art in helping physicians learn and improve. The event is free and open to the public, and will be livestreamed at bassett.org/svahn-lecture.

Additional local and regional news briefs can be found this week on AllOtsego.com.