FUNDRAISER – 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Grilled Cheese for a Good Cause features gourmet sandwiches prepared by favorite local chefs with local ingredients, live music. Support Otsego 2000’s historic preservation program in Otsego county. Tickets, $30/adult. Farmers Market, Cooperstown. 607-547-8881 or visit www.otsego2000.org/2019/01/08/grilled-cheese-good-cause-february-11th/
MARKETPLACE – 1 – 3 p.m. Support our youngest entrepreneurs as they demonstrate their skills, sell their products at Trep$ Marketplace. Richfield Springs Central School, 93 W. Main St., Richfield Springs. 315-858-0610.
MLK BIRTHDAY – 2 – 4 p.m. Celebrate birth of Martin Luther King Jr. with cake, music, songs, refreshments. Theme “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere…Whatever affects one directly affects all of us indirectly,” from civil rights leader’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham’s Jail. Free, open to all. Temple Beth El, 83 Chestnut St., Oneonta. 607-432-5522 or visit www.templebetheloneonta.org/2019/01/martin-luther-king-jr-celebration/
SUNDAY PROGRAM – 3 – 4 p.m. David Strogatz, Ph.D. presents “Bassett Research in Our Community: The Longitudinal on Aging Drivers.” Village Ballroom, Village Library of Cooperstown. 607-547-8344 or visit www.villagelibraryofcooperstown.org
BASKETBALL – 6 p.m. Cheer on Oneonta Octane basketball team at home game. SUNY Oneonta. 607-432-0001 or visit www.facebook.com/FamilyRN/
ONEONTA – Two OHS athletic directors – the current one, Joe Hughes, and a legendary one, Tony Drago – presented the annual Tony Drago Tournament trophy Saturday, Dec. 1, to the Lady Yellowjackets.They realized they were marking two milestones. One, it will be Joe Hughes’ last: He is retiring in June. Two, Tony Drago was marking his namesake tournament’s 60th anniversary.
Tony Drago looks over the program from OHS’ first Drago Basketball Tournament, 60 years ago.
“It’s bittersweet,” said Hughes. “There was no better way to go out than with the OHS girls’ win. Presenting the trophy with Tony to them was an honor.
“I’ve been blessed to have had such a good job and worked with such good people,” he said. “Coaches, students, directors, and of course, Tony.”
Hughes and Drago, who retired as OHS athletic director in 1984, share more than just that title.
Their families have been close since at least the late 1930s, when Drago and Hughes’ dad, Bill, attended OHS together. Tony was best man at Bill’s wedding, and a second father to Joe. “Joe is my son,” Drago declared. “He’s a good kid.”
As for Joe Hughes, “I followed in Drago’s footsteps.”
Andrew Poole of the Springbrook Scorpions, left, makes a jump shot as teammates Christian Mann and Nate Benett keep away Travon Scott and Troy Kithcary of the Onondaga Cougars during their basketball game at Springbrook this morning. The teams were facing off as part of the 6th annual Springbrook Invitational Basketball Tournament that features 8 teams competing as well as skill competition drills and visits by former Syracuse Orangemen players Roosevelt Bouie, Dale Shackleford and more. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
BREW & STEW – Noon – 5 p.m. St. Patrick’s day Brew and Irish Stew Buffet in support of the Oneonta Outlaws. Tickets on sale at The Shipping Room. Cost, $25/person. Damaschke Field Clubhouse, Neahwa Park, Oneonta. Call 607-432-6326 or visit www.facebook.com/oneontaoutlawsbaseball/
PLAY READING – 4 – 6 p.m. Presenting “Miz MacQuillin” a new work by Central New York Playwright John Paul Porter. Feedback welcome. Admission by donation. Next reading, 3/17. The Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown. Call 607-547-1400 or visit www.fenimoreartmuseum.org/event/next-readings-new-works-regional-playwrights-3
COOPERSTOWN – CCS basketball star Julie Ford is recovering at home after she was airlifted to Albany from an accident scene last Friday.
According to Nate Reigel, State Police public information officer, Ford was driving the car southbound on Wiley Town Road around noon when she hit a patch of black ice and slid 100 feet before striking a tree on the northbound shoulder.
Ford was “in and out of consciousness” at the scene, and her sister, Abby, a passenger, called 911, according to a Facebook post made by their mother, Amy Hurtubise Ford.
MURAL PAINTING – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Community event to create murals for Auditorium of the Fenimore Art Musuem. Event is free and open to the public. Fenimore Art Musuem, 5798 NY-80, Cooperstown. Info, www.fenimoreartmuseum.org
NUTCRACKER – 7 p.m. The Fokine Ballet Company’s 29th production of “The Nutcracker.” Goodrich Theater, SUNY Oneonta, 108 Ravine Pkwy., Oneonta. Info/Tickets (607)432-6290, deckerschool@hotmail.com
WRITERS PROGRAM – 1:30-3 p.m. Group to host author Shannon Delaney. She will talk about her writing process and journey through publishing. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut St, Oneonta. Info, hmloneonta.org
CONCERT – 4 p.m. The Voices of Cooperstown to sing “Handel’s Messiah”. Tickets $20 Adult, $10 Child. Christ Episcopal Church, Fair St., Cooperstown. Tickets available at Cooperstown Art Association, 22 Main St., Cooperstown or Riverwood, 88 Main St., Cooperstown or Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, 31 Chestnut St., Cooperstown.
CONCERT – 7:30 p.m.. “Darlingside” performs live at the Otesaga Resort Hotel, 60 Lake St., Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-1812, info@cooperstownconcertseries.org, cooperstownconcertseries.org/darling.html
To Learn How You Can Help Area Families This Holiday Season CLICK HERE.
GIVING TUESDAY
MEMORIAL BASKETBALL GAME – 6 p.m. In memory of Coach Patt Grasso, Laurens Girls Varsity vs. Milford followed by Laurens Boys Varisty vs. Worcester. Admission by donation. Proceeds go to Patt Grasso scholarship fund. Laurens Central School, 55 Main St, Laurens. Info, www.laurenscs.org
HOLIDAY SHOW & SALE – 11 a.m.-3 p.m. browse and buy original arts and crafts by local and regional artists. Help us celebrate giving tuesday at the Coopertown Art Association, 22 Main St., Cooperstown. Info, www.cooperstownart.com
Balloons and cheers sent off the CCS Lady Hawkeyes, who paraded down Cooperstown’s Main Street this morning on their way to the state finals at Hudson Valley Community College in Troy. Left, Christina Noto, standing atop a pick-up truck, readies to release balloons as the bus drives by. Top right, the Cooperstown Town Board cheers as the girls drive by. Bottom right, Maureen Schuermann and Jen Millea cheer for their daughters, Maggie and Liz. The girls play Pine Plains at 2:45 p.m. tomorrow, and if they win, head to the state championship on Sunday (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
The triumphant Cooperstown Lady Hawkeyes basketball team is headed to the Final Four after crushing Watkins Glen 46-34 in the Class-C quarterfinals at the SUNY Dewar Union Field House earlier this afternoon. Though assistant coach Matt Hazzard could not be with them, the team brought his smiling face along for good luck. (Ian Austin/allotsego.com)