News Briefs: October 2, 2025

CAA Exhibits Open Friday

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown Art Association’s fall exhibitions will be on display from October 4-31 during gallery hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. There will be an opening reception and meet-and-greet with the artists from 5-7 p.m. on Friday, October 3. “Lasting Impressions,” a juried show of waxworks exploring themes of memory and connection, will be displayed in Gallery A. “Water’s Edge,” in Gallery B, features Cooperstown-area landscapes by local folk painter Kara Mattice. The Central New York Watercolor Society will showcase their Signature Members Exhibition in Gallery C. Cynthia Marsh will lead a “Creating Portals and Painting Light” workshop at CAA from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 25. It is $130.00, with a $5.00 discount for CAA members and all materials included. Contact (607) 547-9777 or gallery@cooperstownart.com for more information or to register.

Equine Therapy Workshop Set

FLY CREEK—Taylortown Equine, 434 Bedbug Hill Road, will host Stable Serenity to present “Release and Receive,” an equine-assisted healing and development workshop, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 18. Inspired by the Eagala Model and Internal Family Systems, it will blend therapeutic insight and guided interaction with horses. Tickets are $225.00 until Sunday, October 12 and $250.00 thereafter, including a catered lunch and parking. The event will be held rain or shine. Tickets are available via Eventbrite or by calling (518) 386-9533.

Rawitch Headlines Series

ONEONTA—President Josh Rawitch of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will headline Hartwick College’s Meredith Sport Management Speaker Series in Anderson Hall at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 16. In his fifth year at the hall, Rawitch has more than 30 years’ experience in baseball, including a decade as senior vice president of content and communications for the Arizona Diamondbacks and 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ marketing and public relations teams. The talk is free and open to the public.

Barktoberfest Is Saturday

COOPERSTOWN—Susquehanna SPCA’s annual Barktoberfest and Dog Show will return to 1527 County Highway 33 from 1-4 p.m. on Saturday, October 4. There will be plenty of activities for families and dogs, food and drinks, vendors and more. Dog show classes with remaining spaces include Loveliest Lady, Most Obedient, Best Trick, Loudest Bark, Special Senior (10 years or older) and Waggiest Tail. Jason Powles of WKTV will MC. Registration is available at sqspca.org.

State Announces Grants

PREBLE, NY—The New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation and Agriculture and Markets announced $25 million in grants for agricultural water quality projects at an event in Preble on Monday, September 29. This is the largest single round of funding in the 30-year-old Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement and Control Program, which has disbursed more than $275 million to New York farmers through county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Projects include nutrient management through manure storage, vegetative buffers and cover crops.

Civil War Prisons Topic of Talk

OTEGO—The Otego Historical Society will hold its monthly meeting at the Town Hall, 3526 State Route 7, at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 20. Mark Dye will present a program on prison camps during the American Civil War. The event is free and open to the public. Contact (607) 287-4095 for more information.

CCP To Hold Open Auditions

ONEONTA—The Catskill Community Players will present Paul Slade Smith’s award-winning “Unnecessary Farce” at the Worcester Wieting Theatre on April 17-19. Open auditions will be held at The Institute for Spiritual Development, 297 River Street Service Road, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21 and from 2-3:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, October 25-26. No previous experience is required. Most roles involve physical comedy and clothing that allows free movement is highly encouraged for the auditions. Rehearsals will be held at ISD beginning in late January and will move to the Wieting in early March. For more information or to sign up, contact the director at nancybcouch@yahoo.com.

CCE Announces Programming

COOPERSTOWN—Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties will host a series of webinars on cover crops and interseeding from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays from October 1 to November 5. Applications for the Dairy Farm Improvement and Modernization Grant program will be open from October 14 to December 4. The New York State Agritourism Conference will take place at the Saratoga Springs City Center, 522 Broadway, on November 10-11. Registration is $100.00 for both days and is available at bit.ly/nysagritourismconf. CCE also released a save-the-date for the Northeast Dairy Innovation Summit in Albany on March 10-11. For more information or to view a full event calendar, visit cceschoharie-otsego.org/.

Candidates Brunch Planned

ONEONTA—The Oneonta Democratic Club will host a candidates brunch at Wise Guys Sammys, 261 Main Street, at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 11. Eight Democratic and Independent candidates for city and town office will discuss issues and field audience questions. They include Dan Buttermann (mayor), Will Rivera (town supervisor), Jill Basile (county board), Michele Clapperton (county board), Eamonn Hinchey (county board), Kim Fierke (town board), Teresa DeSantis (town board) and Michael Forster Rothbart (city council). The event is open to the public, although RVSPs are requested at garymaffei@gmail.com. Questions for the candidates may be submitted in advance to the same address. Refreshments from Wise Guys will be available for purchase.

Scarecrow Contest Announced

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The Garden Club of Richfield Springs will hold a scarecrow contest at the Richfield Springs Public Library on Saturday, October 11. Setup will begin at 2:00 p.m., followed by judging at 2:15. All ages are welcome, and pairs of scarecrows are preferred. Each must be 6-7 feet high, not including the post, and there is a limit of one scarecrow or pair per person or team. All submissions must be family friendly. Winning scarecrows will be displayed in the Herb Garden for the rest of the season, and there are cash prizes of $75.00, $50.00 and $25.00 for the top three entries. For more information, contact Becky at (315) 868-6599.

Annual Applefest Coming Up

GILBERTSVILLE—Christ Episcopal Church, 166 Marion Avenue in Gilbertsville, will hold its annual Applefest from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 4. It will feature baked goods, crafts, plants, garage sale items, raffles, and homemade jams and jellies. Lunch will be available for purchase, and pulled pork meals may be pre-ordered by calling (607) 783-2267. There will be games and face-painting for children. All proceeds will help local youth attend summer camps.

Next Meet, Greet Is Oct. 7th

COOPERSTOWN—Welcome Home Cooperstown will honor Fire Prevention Month by hosting the Cooperstown Fire Department at the October meet and greet on Tuesday, October 7. Held at the Village Hall, 22 Main Street, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, the event is intended to welcome newcomers to the community, share information and make connections. CFD members will attend with their fire trucks and provide education on fire safety. There will be live music by local musician Michael Bauer and refreshments provided by real estate agent Linda Flynn.

Next History Tour Is Sunday

MIDDLEFIELD—Dr. Cindy Falk of SUNY Oneonta’s Cooperstown Graduate Program will lead her next historic preservation walking tour in the hamlet of Middlefield at 3 p.m. on Sunday, October 5. The cost is $10.00 and registration is available at otsego2000.org or by calling (607) 547-8881. Participants should meet at the Old District 1 Schoolhouse on County Highway 35.

OLT Protects Additional Lands

BUTTERNUTS—A new conservation partnership between Otsego Land Trust and private landowners Rick O’Keefe and John Chanik has permanently protected 19.5 acres of ecologically critical land in the Butternut Valley. Bordering on the tributary Cohoon Creek, the parcel will join a larger network of protected lands that safeguard wetlands, farmland and forests. In a release, Chanik and O’Keefe explained their commitment to ecological protection and restoration. The conservation easement ensures that this land will not be subdivided or developed in the future. OTL has similarly protected more than 1,200 acres across the county. For more information, visit otsegolandtrust.org.

Jensen To Deliver Mills Talk

ONEONTA—Author Toni Jensen will present SUNY Oneonta’s annual Mills Distinguished Lecture in the Hunt Union Ballroom at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 6. Jensen wrote this year’s Common Read choice, “Carry: A Memoir of Survival on Stolen Land,” a collection of essays on gun violence, land theft and the lives of Indigenous women. It was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and a New York Times Editors’ Choice Book. Jensen teaches at the University of Arkansas and the Institute of American Indian Arts. The lecture is free and open to the public, with no registration required.

Candle Making Class Returns

COOPERSTOWN—The Smithy Gallery and Clay Studio’s ever-popular candle making workshop will return from 6-9 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29. Beacon Mercantile Founder Toni Hacker will lead the program, which includes developing custom scents. Participants should bring one or two finished ceramic vessels to fill. They should be glazed on the inside and hold about eight ounces. Some vessels may be available. The workshop is $50.00. For more information or to register, visit smithyarts.org.

Ford C. Frick Ballot Finalized

COOPERSTOWN—Ten finalists have been named for the 2026 Ford C. Frick Award, the highest honor in baseball broadcasting. Nominees must demonstrate outstanding excellence, quality of broadcasting, reverence for the game, popularity with fans and recognition by peers. An active or retired broadcaster must have at least 10 years of continuous major league broadcast service. The finalists are Brian Anderson, Joe Buck, Skip Caray, Rene Cardenas, Gary Cohen, Jacques Doucet, Duane Kuiper, John Rooney, Dan Shulman and John Sterling. All but Caray are living. The winner will be announced at MLB’s Winter Meetings in Orlando on December 10 and honored at the July 25 Awards Presentation during Induction Weekend.

Writrix Salon, Open Mic Friday

CHERRY VALLEY—Local writing group The Writrixes will give readings at The Telegraph School’s Open Mic Night as part of the Cherry Valley First Friday on Friday, October 3. It will begin at The Limestone Mansion, 33 Main Street, beginning at 6 p.m. Laurel Carpenter, Evie Edman, Jennifer Fanning, Liz Linder, Kristen Petersen, Corinna Raznikov and others will present their recent work. Their recent publication “Writrix Volume Three: Filling in the Margins,” edited by Leslie Berliant, will be available for sale. The next Writrix virtual salon will be held on Zoom from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday, October 12, and the next round of classes will start on Tuesday, October 14.

Swimmers Set New Records

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown varsity girls swimming narrowly fell 90-86 to Adirondack on Tuesday, September 23 and beat Holland Patent 53-40 two days later. Carleigh Williams, Leah Phillips and Violet Bong recorded personal records of 1:20.15, 1:28.22 and 1:07.09 in the 100m freestyle, respectively. Bong also set a new personal record of 6:28.46 in the 500m free. Claire Smith broke her best times in the 100m breaststroke (1:44.45) and 50m free (39.41). Siri Shanker and Skyler Brandise set new personal bests of 42.71 and 32.41 in the 50m free, respectively. Despite a broken finger, Annika Murray put up a new best time of 2:35.29 in the 200m free. The Hawkeyes moved to 2-2 for the season and will face Oneonta after press time on Tuesday, September 30.

CCS Soccer Records Shutouts

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown boys soccer rolled past rival Mount Markham 5-0 in a division match on Wednesday, September 24. Junior Shane Bradley scored twice. Junior Hayden Spencer, junior Gavin Grady and sophomore Emerson Hall also scored. Senior Cooper Coleman made three saves.

The Hawkeyes routed Sauquoit Valley 4-0 on Friday, September 26. Grady put away two more goals and an assist. Bradley and sophomore Henry Ayers each scored, and Coleman made a save in the net. Cooperstown stands at 6-2-2 for the season and 4-1 in their division, and will host Division II leader Hamilton for the Homecoming game after press time on Tuesday, September 30.

The Cooperstown girls team romped to a 2-0 victory over Westmoreland on Thursday, September 25. Mia Pelcer and Ruby Stevenson scored for the Hawkeyes. Eighth grade keeper Emma Johnson made an outstanding 25 saves in the net, keeping a handle on Westmoreland’s 30-15 advantage in shots. Cooperstown moved to 4-5 for the season and 4-1 in their division, and will travel to Indian River for a non-league match on Saturday, September 27.

Homecoming Game Is Friday

COOPERSTOWN—Cooperstown football lost 40-20 to Sauquoit Valley on the road on Thursday, September 25. They moved to 2-2 for the season and will host West Canada Valley at Lambert Field for the Homecoming game on Friday, October 3.

Coop XC Runs E.J. Hermann

UTICA—Cooperstown’s cross country teams traveled to Utica for the 82nd E.J. Hermann Invitational, the region’s oldest, on Saturday, September 27. The boys finished seventh out of 18 complete teams, led by Jacob Johnson (18:48) in 14th place. He was followed by Owen Capozza Flannigan (19:24, 26th place), Hu Agostino (20:29, 34th), Wyatt Capozza Flannigan (21:39, 67th) and Elias MacLeish (22:27, 84th). The girls varsity team was incomplete due to illness, but Cooperstown’s Evelyn Rhodes finished first of 102 runners in 21:37. Courtney McCarthy finished fifth in 21:41, followed by Olivia Temp (24:34, 23rd) and Ada MacLeish (30:49, 83rd).