News Briefs: September 10, 2026

Museum Events Scheduled

COOPERSTOWN—Fenimore Farm and Country Village will celebrate the bounty of fall during its two-day Harvest Festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. The 20th Birthday Celebration of the Empire State Carousel will be featured, along with vendors, crafts, food, live music, animals, games and more. The schedule also includes traditional music by Jim Kimball and Karen Canning, a performance by the Quigley Academy of Irish Dance and music by Old Erie. Blacksmith Weekend returns on Saturday, September 26. On Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11, the museum will host its popular “Tractor Fest,” with more than 60 tractors from area clubs and organizations, food trucks, demonstrations, live music, a Kiddie Tractor Pull, Tractor Parade, and other activities. The public is also invited to submit personal photographs of Fenimore Art Museum and Fenimore Farm and Country Village for the seventh annual “Capturing a Masterpiece Photography Contest.” Photographs must have been taken on-site at the museums from August 8, 2026 through November 2, 2026 and can include building exteriors, some interiors, and the museum grounds, especially landscapes and farm animals. For more information on these and other events, visit www.fenimorefarm.org. The museums are located on State Route 80, just north of the Village of Cooperstown.

Deadline Nears for Craft Fair

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—Crafters are invited to participate in the 6th Annual Fall Craft Fair at the Cullen Pumpkin Farm, located at 587 Cullen Road, Richfield Springs, on Saturday, October 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Fall Craft Fair is sponsored by the Church of Christ Uniting, Richfield Springs. The deadline to sign up is Thursday, October 1. For information and an application, e-mail fallcraftfair@yahoo.com. Traditionally, this event has hosted more than 70 area crafters with their handmade crafts in a multitude of creations from a large demographic area. There is lots of room at this venue, organizers say, and crafters can conveniently park directly behind their site. The craft fair will be directly across the road from the pumpkin farm.

Stewart’s Takes Top Honors

SYRACUSE—New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball announced the winners of New York State’s 2026 Dairy Products Competition at The Great New York State Fair recently. Stewart’s Shops was honored with gold for the best overall fluid milk, while Dygert Farms Creamery took gold in the chocolate milk category and Stoltzfus Family Dairy took gold for the best flavored milk category. A full list of the 2026 Dairy Products Competition winners is available at https://agriculture.ny.gov/.

Artists To Be Featured at Gala

EDMESTON—Vibrant landscapes, expressive animal portraits, and luminous winter scenes will fill Dan’s Depot as Pathfinder Village artists explore color, texture, and light in “INSPIRE 3,” the village’s third annual art gala. A free public reception will be held on Saturday, September 12 from 1-3 p.m. at 2102 State Route 80, Edmeston. The reception will give guests an opportunity to meet the artists, view their latest works and enjoy light refreshments. Framed original artwork will be available for purchase during the show, supporting the participating artists and Pathfinder Village’s growing local arts community. Featured artists are Ross Bromley, Nick Campbell, Theresa Clark, Ashley Dhanraj, Eric Mackiewicz, Linda McCord, Chuck McEwen, Bryan Penzer, Jeffrey Peterson and Chris Scott. The artists regularly study with Edmeston teaching artist Colette Dunham, whose workshops encourage people of all abilities to express their individual perspectives through visual art. Pathfinder Village is located at 3 Chenango Road, Edmeston. Dan’s Depot is a renovated carriage barn just west of the main village.

Rotary Funding Cycle Begins

COOPERSTOWN—The Allocations Committee of the Rotary Club of Cooperstown will accept applications from nonprofit organizations for the fall 2026 funding cycle through the end of the month of September. Applications and criteria can be found and downloaded from the Rotary Club’s Clubrunner website, portal.clubrunner.ca/3556. Applications should be mailed to Rotary Club of Cooperstown, PO Box 993, Cooperstown, NY 13326 or e-mailed to tlbhinmanhollow@gmail.com. Applications will be reviewed by the committee and recommendations for funding will be made to the Rotary Board of Directors for final approval at their October 12 meeting.

PMIC Names New Leaders

NEW BERLIN—Preferred Mutual Insurance Company announced the appointments of Sara Cummings, Daniel DeThomas and Ronald Martin to new leadership roles. Cummings has been appointed controller and will continue leading Preferred Mutual’s accounting and finance operations while serving as a key strategic partner to the chief financial officer and executive team. DeThomas has been appointed senior manager, risk and reinsurance. In addition to overseeing enterprise risk management, vendor and contract management, business continuity planning, and reinsurance, he will assume responsibility for the company’s rate filing and regulatory compliance activities. Martin has been appointed vice president, government and industry affairs after most recently serving as vice president, business compliance and research. In his new role, he will focus exclusively on advancing Preferred Mutual’s government affairs strategy and supporting the company’s strategic priorities through advocacy and relationships with state regulators, legislators, trade groups, agents, and other insurance industry stakeholders.

County DoH Reports Rabid Bat

CHERRY VALLEY—A bat found in the Town of Cherry Valley tested positive for rabies on Tuesday, September 1, according to the Otsego County Department of Health. All individuals exposed to the bat are being treated, officials said. Rabies is a fatal viral infection that can be transmitted through the bite of an infected animal or contact with saliva to broken skin or mucus membranes. The public is cautioned to stay away from any stray or wild animals and instruct their children to do so as well. It is New York State law that all dogs, cats and ferrets be vaccinated for rabies. Unvaccinated pets in contact with wildlife that is suspected or confirmed to be rabid must be either euthanized or strictly quarantined at the owner’s expense for six months. Otsego County residents are encouraged to call (607) 547-4230 or visit the health department website for up-to-date rabies information or any questions.

Thome To Host Golf Tourney

COOPERSTOWN—Baseball power hitter Jim Thome will serve as the celebrity host for the Pathfinder Village-Baseball Hall of Fame Golf Invitational on Monday, September 14 at the Leatherstocking Golf Course in Cooperstown. As the master of ceremonies, Thome, the owner of 612 home runs, will be featured as the guest speaker at that evening’s fundraiser dinner. The Pathfinder Village-Baseball Hall of Fame Golf Invitational will begin with a shotgun start and feature a chance to win team prizes worth more than $6,500.00, with amateur foursomes playing a two-best ball round on one of the Northeast’s most storied courses. For more information on Pathfinder Village, visit https://pathfindervillage.org/. Thome was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2018. Proceeds from this event benefit Pathfinder Village, located in nearby Edmeston, a residential community dedicated to children and adults with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. Golf events have been the major source for scholarship funds for Pathfinder residents and students since 1982 and directly help the village’s 90-plus residents and students. Proceeds also benefit HoF programs. The presenting sponsor for the 2026 event is NBT Bank, and the corporate sponsor is Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast.

NYSEG Substation Completed

ONEONTA—New York State Electric and Gas has completed upgrades to the Fraser Substation in Oneonta, marking a major milestone in a multi-phase project designed to strengthen reliability, improve grid resilience, and support growing energy needs for tens of thousands of customers throughout the region, officials said. To read the full release, visit allotsego.com. To learn more about NYSEG’s Oneonta South Area Improvements Project, visit www.oneontasouthnyseg.com.

CCESO Programs Announced

COBLESKILL—Cornell Cooperative Extension of Schoharie and Otsego County Master Gardener Volunteer and Master Preserver Theresa Kaya will lead a hands-on jam-making program on Tuesday, September 15 from 6-8:30 p.m. at the CCESO Extension Center at 173 South Grand Street, Cobleskill. Class size is limited and there is a $15.00 fee to cover supplies. Registration is required by Friday, September 11. Participants will learn the basics of safe boiling water canning and will take home a jar of jam. USDA tested and approved techniques and recipes will be used. On Wednesday, September 16 from 5:30-7 p.m., the Otsego County Master Gardeners will present a seed-saving workshop, “The Art and Science of Seed Saving,” at Cornell Cooperative Extension, 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown. Participants will have a hands-on experience in the CCESO Demonstration Garden on how to select seeds and tips for saving them for years to come. This program is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is not required but encouraged. To register for these events, visit www.ccesschoharie-otsego.org or contact Marcie Foster, horticulture and natural resources educator, at mkf48@cornell.edu or call (607) 547-2536, extension 235.

‘Quit for Your Pet’ Launches

BUFFALO—Now through Saturday, October 31, the New York State Quitline encourages residents to become or stay tobacco-free for their pets. Through a new “Quit for Your Pet” campaign, participants can share pet photos with tobacco-free messages at www.nysmokefree.com/pets for a chance to win a $500.00 or $250.00 gift card toward pet products and supplies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites numerous harms to a variety of pets such as dogs, cats, bird, guinea pigs and fish. Secondhand smoke and vapor increase the risk of cancer and respiratory problems. Ingested commercial tobacco products such as cigarette butts or nicotine pouches can cause poisoning. Thirdhand smoke residue on carpets and furniture can transfer to pets’ fur or feathers. “Pets are part of the family, and many people are motivated to quit tobacco to protect the ones they love,” said Dr. Andrew Hyland, director of the NYS Quitline and senior vice president of population sciences at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo. “This campaign makes it fun and meaningful to take that step.”

Antique Engine Jamboree Set

EAST MEREDITH—On Saturday and Sunday, September 12 and 13, Hanford Mills Museum will host the Dan Rion Memorial Antique Engine Jamboree. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days, the museum will feature exhibitors of historic engines, doodlebugs, motors, and other machines along with displays and demonstrations of the museum’s own collections of historic engines and machinery. A variety of local vendors and artisans will be on-site and Helen’s Little Kitchen food truck will be vending breakfast and lunch. There will be live music on both days, as well as children’s activities in the Learning Lab. Those interested in exhibiting at this event can visit hanfordmills.org or contact Justin Maroney at justin@hanfordmills.org or (607) 278-5744 for more information. Hanford Mills will close the season with its “Trees and Timber Festival” on Saturday, October 10, featuring artisans and vendors who work with wood, as well as exhibitors in forestry and conservation. The museum is located at 51 County Road 12, East Meredith.

Chamber Plans Fall Events

UNADILLA—The Unadilla Chamber of Commerce announced a number of upcoming community events at its August 4 meeting. On Saturday, September 19, there will be a Tampon Drive from 5-8 p.m. at the pavilion, featuring the Bittersweet Beer Bus, the Rolling Smoke BBQ truck and live music from the band “Count Me Out.” The Green Giraffe Flea Market will be held on Friday and Saturday, October 2 and 3. The catered chamber dinner will be held on Sunday, October 4 at Far View Farm. There will be a social hour at 3 p.m. followed by a 4 p.m. dinner and awards ceremony. On Saturday, October 24, the Zombie Run will begin at 10 a.m. at the RDC Field.

Garden Club Slated To Meet

RICHFIELD SPRINGS—The next meeting of the Garden Club of Richfield Springs will be held on Thursday, September 17 at the Richfield Public Library at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public and features Master Gardener Roseanne Loparco from Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County, who will speak at 7 p.m. on “Putting your Garden to Bed.” The library is located on Route 20 in Richfield Springs.

Writers Salon Kicks Off Season

ONEONTA—The Community Arts Network of Oneonta will hold its first Writers Salon event of the fall season on Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. in the Wilber Mansion, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. Fiction writer Racheal Fest will host a free workshop focused on the craft of fiction. Writers of all experience levels are invited to join the conversation to talk about the craft, generate some new writing and share their work. Visit https://www.canoneonta.org/writers-salon to learn more.

BBQ Fundraiser Is Sept. 26

FORT PLAIN—The Van Hornesville Volunteer Fire Department will hold its Fall Chicken BBQ on Saturday, September 26 at 3219 State Route 80, Fort Plain. Tickets for the 50/50 raffle are currently on sale at a cost of 10 tickets for $5.00 or 25 for $10.00. Winning tickets will be drawn at 3 p.m. on September 26 at the barbecue. The winner will be contacted using the phone number provided on the ticket and need not be present. Reach out to VHVFD members for more information.

Bassett Lists New Practitioners

COOPERSTOWN—Bassett Healthcare Network welcomed 22 new practitioners during the month of August. They are: hospitalist Abolfazl Ahmady, MD; hospitalist Nirav Agrawal, MBBS; Danielle Clifford, MD, psychiatry; Michael Dahle, DO, tele-radiology; Makai Dunne, MD, psychiatry; Cassie Fairchild, MD, family medicine; Jacob Griggs, MD, tele-radiology; Valerie Hardoon, MD, emergency and trauma services; Alexandria Iglesia, PA, emergency medicine; hospitalist Jasvindar Kumar, BBS; attending physician Logan Mancuso, MD; Deashia McAlpine, MD, MS, family medicine; Matthew McGrath, PA, dermatology; Kari Moorhead, PA, dermatology; William Navarro, CRNA, anesthesiology; Tessa Nicholas, PA, emergency medicine; Benjamin Rosen, MD, electrophysiology; Naman Shah, MD, attending physician; hospitalist Tshering Sherpa, MBBS; Joseph Vukovic, MD, emergency medicine; Mubashir Wani, MD, primary care; and Saketh Velapati, MD, pulmonary medicine and critical care. For details on the locations and specialties of these practitioners, visit AllOtsego.com.