On Saturday, September 10, about a dozen SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick students joined several community volunteers in a long-overdue clean-up of the triangle at the intersection of Main Street and Lettis Highway in the City of Oneonta.
“The city’s lack of funds and staffing had put the maintenance of this entrance to Oneonta on a backburner,” Mark Drnek, Mayor of Oneonta, said. “But a local resident, Wendy Slicer, saw an opportunity to engage the community in an effort that would not only benefit the appearance of this important downtown plot, but also enlist the assistance of students from both colleges in collaboration.”
On Saturday, September 17 from noon to past midnight, Community Arts Network of Oneonta (CANO) will bring back the popular City of the Hills Art Festival.
“This is the largest committee we have ever had. Due to the pandemic, there hasn’t been a festival in 3 years, so we decided to extend the festivities, said Hope Von Stengel, Executive Director, CANO.
There will be a mural unveiling, yoga, activities for adults and children, drum circle, downtown art walk, craft beer garden, live music and performances, vintage/art/maker vendors and more.
The Memorial Day Parade and celebration is set to kick off on Monday, May 31, with a parade starting at the Foothills Performing Arts Center at 10 a.m., going into Main Street and ending at Neahwa Park. Masks and social distancing are required.
Oberacker to give historic presentation
State Sen. Peter Oberacker will be giving a presentation to the Town of Maryland Historical Society at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, May 27.
The society will also be selling donuts, 9 a.m. to noon, Sunday, May 30.
Oneonta will be closing Main Street from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday, May 15, in celebration of SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College graduates.
The street will be closed between Elm Street and Chestnut Street for the purpose of outdoor shopping and dining.
Council to revisit mask ordinance
The Oneonta legislative council discussed the city’s mask ordinance Monday, May 10, and the matter is expected to be brought up at the next Common Council meeting at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 18. Questions with the ordinance included whether to have different criteria depending on whether an individual was vaccinated.
Garden Club to hold sale
The Oneonta Federated Garden Club will be holding their Spring plant sale 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday May, 29 at Huntington Park.
Congressman Antonio Delgado, D-19, bought Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent,” on recommendation from Jim Havener, owner of the Green Toad Bookstore, during his tour of Oneonta businesses this morning. Accompanied by Mayor Gary Herzig and Council member Mark Drnek, Eighth Ward, he also stopped by the Latte Lounge, Theresa’s Emporium and the Underground Attic to ask how the owners had fared during the COVID-19 shutdowns. He then moved on to stops in Cooperstown. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
DRIVE-IN MOVIES – 8 p.m. Come out for a fun outdoor movie experience. This week showing ‘Mary Poppins.’ Movie starts at dusk. Free admission, donations welcome. Foothills Performing Arts Center Parking Lot, Oneonta. 607-353-7143 or visit www.facebook.com/TheOtsegoCountyChamber/
ONEONTA – Starting 9 a.m. next Saturday, July 18, and continuing through Sept. 5, Main Street from Elm to Chestnut will be closed to allow restaurants to expand their outdoor dining opportunities.
“It’s highly marketable,” said Council Member Mark Drnek, Eighth Ward, who chairs the Survive, Then Thrive committee. “Downtown Oneonta could become the Best Restaurant in New York.”
Restaurants will be able to place tables in front of their restaurants only, as well as determine whether to offer service or ask diners to order take-out. Patrons will still be required to wear masks where social distancing is not possible.
SCAVENGER HUNT – July 1 – August 31. Youths and families are invited to participate in 2020 Historic Oneonta’s Main Street Architectural Detail Scavenger Hunt. Search for architectural details on Main Street Oneonta and tell the Oneonta History Center about them. A great lead in to upcoming exhibit ‘Building Blocks Of A City: 100 Years og Architecture In Oneonta.’ Visit www.oneontahistory.org/upcomingevents.htm for info.
Karen Backus, the Green Toad Bookstore, prepares to wrap up a purchase in the new Oneonta-themed paper that Trampoline delivered as part of the “We’re Onta Something” advertising campaign that debuted last month. Downtown merchants received wrapping paper, coasters and other paper goods to help market Oneonta as a place to shop, dine and enjoy. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
EGG HUNT – 10 a.m. Annual Easter Egg Hunt on the lawn of Hyde Hall. Prizes, raffles, visits with the Easter Bunny. Free. Hyde Hall, 267 Glimmerglass State Park, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 547-5098.
Cali Riese, West Oneonta, a public education and community outreach specialist with the Bassett Medical Center, left, talks with Tracy Baker, Cooperstown, about the importance of colon cancer screenings at their Colon Cancer Awareness Celebration on Friday afternoon in Oneonta. “Otsego County’s colon cancer screening rate is below the state average.” said Riese, “Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths and 60% of those could have been prevented from screening.” Visitors could enjoy light refreshment, try their hand at a corn hole game, view the large inflatable colon, and sign up for free take-home screening kits. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Main Street was filled with people this afternoon as craft-beer connoisseurs flocked to the sixth annual Snommegang in Oneonta to sample dozens of brews from nearly 30 companies. Above, Lauren Ward, Oneonta, right, Cooperstown Brewing Co. manager, serves a glass of the new All American Lager to Brenden Kovits and Katie Whitcomb of Little Falls. At right, Bev Hodges, Unadilla, dances with Julianne Morris, Oneonta, in the music tent to Oneonta’s Hop City Hellcats.(Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
Oneonta Mayor Gary Herzig, center, touted plans for a forthcoming re-design of Main Street as part of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative, with work slated to begin this spring. With him on the panel, from right, are Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh and state Senator Jim Seward, R-Milford, speaking at the annual State of the State Breakfast, hosted by the Otsego County Chamber of Commerce. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com)
By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com
Senator Seward said, when downstate gets something, Upstate must as well.
ONEONTA – This will be the year, Mayor Gary Herzig said, that the City of Oneonta begins to see the results of the $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants
“In 60 days, we’ll unveil the redesign of our downtown,” he said. “And this redesign is not by City Hall, but by 80 downtown business owners who have submitted proposals for $2.5 million in funding for improvements. This is a downtown made possibly by the energy of our local businesses.”
Herzig, alongside Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh Kuch and state Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, spoke at the annual State of the State breakfast, hosted by the Otsego County Chamber this morning at SUNY Oneonta’s Morris Hall.
Friends and family gathered to enjoy sounds of the season as music teacher Domnick D’Imperio, center, directs a group of Riverside Elementary first graders singing holiday songs in Oneonta’s Muller Plaza earlier this morning. This is the 17th year Riverside first-graders have sung carols at Community Bank and Ruffino’s, but with the latter business now closed, they moved to the plaza. After singing, the children enjoyed a walking tour of the gingerbread houses in business windows before returning to class. (Ian Austin/AllOTSEGO.com
