Opportunities for Otsego: OFO Head Elected Chair of NYS Community Services Block Grant Advisory Council

The leader in developing innovative solutions that promote healthy lives, thriving families, and caring communities Daniel Maskin, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for Otsego was recently elected chairman to the state Department of State Community Services Block Grant Advisory Council. The Community Service Block Grant funds 52 community-action agencies in the state. Council members from local government, private nonprofit providers, and the public are appointed by the governor, Senate and Assembly. Maskin was originally appointed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

Opportunities for Otsego, Inc. 3 West Broadway • Oneonta, NY 13820 Contact Us

Otsego County JobZone Video Links

Over the past year or so, the Otsego County Economic Development Office, in conjunction with the Milford CORE institute and VeccVideography have put together “Job Zone Videos”.  These videos are aimed at educating students (mainly addressing kids, 8th through 12th grade), parents and educators about the many diverse and growing companies in Otsego County.  You will see from the list that Delaware County is also participating in this initiative.

CORE will be working on creating more videos over time, and “bundling” industry videos to show the diversity within each sector.  If you have any suggestions, please feel free to let us know.

I hope you take some time to enjoy these videos, get to know some of our exciting opportunities and pass them along!! 

https://vimeo.com/44475921 - New York Central Mutual, Edmeston NY
https://vimeo.com/29899864 - Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown NY
https://vimeo.com/27959021 - Brewery Ommegang, Cooperstown NY
https://vimeo.com/29165855 - Custom Electronics, Oneonta NY
https://vimeo.com/28624725 - Hartwick College, Oneonta NY
https://vimeo.com/31103735 - Springbrook, Milford NY

https://vimeo.com/53057462 - Sportsfield Specialties, Delhi NY
https://vimeo.com/50238232 - Integrated Wood Components, Deposit NY

CORE http://www.coreinstitute-milford.org/

Local growers eye Big Apple markets

By JOE MAHONEY
The Daily Star

HAMDEN — Walter Riesen grows vegetables on Star Route Farm in the Otsego County town of Worcester.  Ken Jaffe raises grass-fed beef cattle on Slope Farm in Meredith.

Both farmers would like to sell more of meat and produce in New York City. After all, the five boroughs, with a population of more than 8 million, doesn’t have any farms.

Therein lies the opportunity for Riesen, Jaffe and other industrious farmers seeking to expand their businesses in a tough industry that doesn’t allow for many strategic mistakes.

Risen and Jaffe were among about 20 local farmers who gathered Monday at Lucky Dog Organic Farm in Hamden to consider working with the Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) in organizing a “food hub” in Delaware County. The goal is to expeditiously and efficiently move fresh farm products to consumers and businesses in New York City.

“We have the food, and they want it,” said Rebecca Morgan, director of CADE. “The demand is there, and everyone is trying to figure out how to efficiently meet that demand.”

Rather than have each local farmer truck their farm-fresh products to New York City, CADE is hoping the farmers can work cooperatively to coordinate shipments directly to the buyers.

In some cases, those buyers are restaurants with discerning patrons who prefer to know precisely how and where the food that appears on their dinner plates was grown. CADE is also working with Greenmarket in New York City, a not-for profit operation begun in the 1970s that helps about 230 farmers, fishermen and bakers sell their products.

The mission of Greenmarket is to promote regional agriculture by providing small family farms the opportunity to sell locally grown produce directly to consumers. Brokers and middlemen are not allowed.

The local farmers who met Monday were advised that if they want to sell to Greenmarket, they must contact  the organization’s buyers and work out a price for their products.

Richard Giles, owner of Lucky Dog, volunteered to coordinate the transportation of the food to New York City.

The arrangement calls for the farmers to pay  15 percent of the gross invoice for the shipment to the customer. That would cover both transportation and loading.

“That’s how it’s going to start out,” Morgan said later. “If that works for everybody, that will be the number.”

Morgan said she hopes the shipments can begin this spring.

“We want to be able to have our system in place very soon,” she said.

Jaffe, a former physician in Brooklyn who got into farming a decade ago, said he already sells directly to markets and butchers in New York City but is interested to hear more from Greenmarket.

“Any system that makes it easier for farmers to get their product out to market is a good thing,” Jaffe said.

Riesen said reminders of the region’s past success in agriculture exist in towns throughout the area.

“When you look around at the beautiful homes and buildings and ask, ‘How did they get built?’ it was agriculture,” he said.

For instance, he noted, the community of Bovina, famous for the delicious butter produced there in the 19th century, had its own railroad spur as a result of the scores of successful dairy farms that existed there then.

Patrick Rider, owner of Greenane Farms in Meredith, said he’s excited by the possibility of having a cooperative venture wtih local farmers.

“The faster we get over the feeling that we’re competitors, the faster we will actually start to make money,” he said.

Giles, who already trucks his organic produce to New York City weekly, said local farmers can only benefit by having access to New York City.

“The market will appreciate better food at the prices that a conglomeration like this will start to provide,” he said.

Cooperstown Annual Earth Festival

Community Event

MILFORD – The 8^th Annual Earth Festival will be held on Saturday, April 13 at Milford Central School and, thanks to a collaboration with Spring Garden Day and the Go Green! Fashion Show, this year’s event will be bigger and better than ever!
The traditional Earth Festival information and vendor fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gymnasium – kicking off the day will be the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society’s popular pre-festival bird walk.

Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties will return with Spring Garden Day in conjunction with Earth Festival, featuring classes on a wide variety of gardening topics suitable for those both new and experienced to gardening. Dr. Jonathan Comstock of Cornell University will speak at 11:15 a.m. as part of Spring Garden Day. His presentation, on climate change and its impact on the growing season and gardens, is free and open to the public. Click here for details: http://occainfo.org/documents/2013_Spring_Garden_DayRegistration.pdf .

This year, the Milford Central School Education Foundation’s “recycled fashion” show is back by popular demand! Students and adults are invited to showcase wearable art they made or embellished themselves with recycled and waste materials – anyone interested in entering an outfit is welcome. For more information about the Go Green! Fashion Show, call  (607) 286-3349 or e-mail lhenry@milfordcentral.org.

The EcoArt/Trendy Trash Contest and expanded children’s activities led by Milford Central School students will also be featured.

“Live music, great food, good company – this is truly a family-friendly as well as an earth-friendly event,” said Darla M. Youngs, Otsego County Conservation Association executive director.

Earth Festival organizers invite attendees to drop off Styrofoam (white only), bubble wrap, empty inkjet cartridges, cell phones, eyeglasses, videotapes and CDs, and used nylon monofilament fishing line at no charge, and Empire Recycling will be back with the free Confidata Shredder service from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shoes and sneakers will be accepted at a minimal charge.

Earth Festival is an environmentally-focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, activities, vendors and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist. Financial contributions are most welcome, and an open invitation to earth-friendly exhibitors, food and retail vendors is extended.

Earth Festival 2013 is sponsored by Otsego County Conservation Association and WildLearn.com. For more information, visit http://occainfo.org/documents/EarthFestivalInformation2013_004.pdf , call (607) 547-4488or e-mail admin@occainfo.org . 

Public Otsego County Manor meetings

Public Otsego County Manor meetings-informational only

The second in a series of three meetings being held for the public to explain why the Otsego Manor is going to be sold. Kay Stuligross, the Chair of the Otsego Manor committee has structured the meetings to explain the decision to sell the Otsego Manor, not to discuss if it should be sold or what else might be done to explore other options. Only questions that are written down on cards and submitted will be considered for answers. Similar questions will be consolidated. 

If you want information about the forthcoming sale of the Otsego County Manor, why and how it happened, I urge you to attend one of these meetings. I will be there along with Kay Stuligross, Paulin Koren, Don Lindburg and Ed Marchi, the director of the Manor.

Each meeting will begin on Saturday @ 1:30 PM.

The two locations and days are:

3/23/13 Cooperstown: County Court House, 193 Main St., Cooperstown

4/6/13 Oneonta: Oneonta High School, lecture hall in the science Wing - East St. Oneonta

Otsego gets grant to expand broadband

Otsego gets grant to expand broadband

By JOE MAHONEY

COOPERSTOWN — Residents of rural towns and villages throughout Otsego County may soon be able to subscribe to a wireless internet connection thanks to a state-granted windfall of nearly $560,000 intended to make broadband more accessible.

The Connect NY grant, totaling $558,940, is being awarded to the Otsego County Industrial Development Authority to provide so-called “last mile wireless broadband” in response to an application packaged by county economic developer Carolyn Lewis, state and local officials said.

The build-out of the network could begin in as soon as three months, said Michael Spagnola, president of Comp Direct USA, an Oneida County-based company that would act as the service provider for those who subscribe.

Lewis said the monthly fee to connect is expected to be roughly $40 a month.

She said the cost of extending hard-wire Internet service to rural communities is viewed by many service providers as too expensive based on the expected return. The state grant money will cover the cost of the build-out of the wireless system, she said.

“As the technology grows, we believe the system will grow with it,” Lewis said.

Spagnola said the company will not provide service in areas that already have access to six megabytes or more of download speed.

“At this time right now, we don’t plan to sell in an area that Time Warner is in,” he said.

Tentative plans call for the wireless service to be installed initially in Edmeston and Burlington Flats, and then to other communities, Spagnola said.

Lewis said the need for providing broadband service to rural communities was one of the most discussed topics at an economic development conference sponsored by Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, last year in Cooperstown.

“I’m optimistic we will be able to reach large numbers of people who currently do not have service,” Lewis said.

Seward said Tuesday his conference showed that the lack of broadband availability has been discouraging people from buying homes and opening businesses in rural areas.

“Obtaining this grant is a big step forward in providing those broadband services which have become so important in people’s everyday lives, and very import as well for those conducting business,” the senator said. “I really see this as a potential boon for our rural areas in terms of attracting people and economic development.”

The county IDA was among 18 broadband projects to reap a Connect NY Broadband grant.

Barbara Ann Heegan, executive director of the Otsego County Chamber, said the extension of broadband services throughout the county “will allow our local businesses to compete on a global level.”

“This is exciting new for our local economy,” she said. “It will help to accelerate business development and provide new opportunities for innovation, expansion and e-commerce.”

The announcement of the grant by the Cuomo administration was good news for a county that has not always fared well in its expeditions for such state and federal government jackpots.

In 2010, the government rejected Otsego County’s request for federal stimulus money to create a 178-mile, $7.2 million fiber-optic telecommunications loop around the county. That project was also intended to bring affordable Internet services to people and institutions in rural communities, although instead of using wireless technology, it would have involved fiber-optic cable.

Larry Bennett, spokesman for the Middlefield-based Brewery Ommegang, said while his company has already installed Internet equipment, the region will benefit by making broadband available to those living and working in rural towns. “Advanced communications is one of the things we really need here,” he said. “This is certainly good news for everybody.”

Springfield Town Supervisor Bill Elsey, who zoomed in on the need for better broadband access when he attended Seward’s economic development conference last year, said he was convinced the new service will stimulate home sales and business development.

He said many homes in Springfield — a town of about 1,300 people — lack broadband access.

To see the article online click here.

Earth Festival Offers Brand New Recycling Opportunities

Earth Festival Offers Brand New Recycling Opportunities

Earth Festival Offers Brand New Recycling Opportunities

MILFORD – Have you ever wondered why those wrappers from individual cheese slices aren’t recyclable? Ever wished you didn’t have to throw that empty toothpaste tube into the trash?

On April 13, you can bring these and a number of other previously non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle waste items to Earth Festival 2013. From there, they will go on to a New Jersey-based company, TerraCycle, to be converted into new products such as recycled park benches and upcycled backpacks.

“There are so many things we all throw away on an almost daily basis that are not accepted through our local recycling resources – cereal bags, chip bags, spent pens and markers,” said Otsego County Conservation Association Special Projects Manager Martha Clarvoe, who recently discovered the TerraCycle program.

“Through TerraCycle, we’ll be keeping more materials out of the county waste stream and out of landfills. At the same time, for each piece of garbage collected, OCCA will receive money toward next year’s event,” Clarvoe added.

Previously non-recyclable waste items being accepted at this year’s Earth Festival are:

• any brand used toothpaste tubes, toothbrushes and plastic toothbrush packaging

• any brand of flexible cheese packaging, including string cheeses packages, individual singles wrappers, singles packages, shredded cheeses packages, grated cheese, and all flexible cheese wrappers

• any empty brand or size chip bag

• diaper packaging waste, including plastic diaper packaging, wipes outer plastic packaging and individual wipes packaging

• any size Elmer’s brand glue sticks, plastic glue bottles, refill jars and Elmer's glitter glue tubes (Elmer’s only)

• all plastic cereal bags and cereal bag liners of any brand

• any brand pens and pen caps, mechanical pencils, markers and marker caps, permanent markets and permanent marker caps.

According to the website, TerraCycle’s purpose is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating national recycling systems for previously non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle waste.

Anyone can sign up for their 40-plus programs, called the Brigades, and start sending waste. TerraCycle points can then be redeemed for a variety of charitable gifts, or for a payment of $0.01 per point to the non-profit organization or school of your choice. With more than 20 million people collecting waste in over 20 countries, TerraCycle has diverted billions of units of waste and used them to create over 1,500 different products available at major retailers.

TerraCycle’s goal is to eliminate the idea of waste by creating collection and solution systems for anything that today must be sent to a landfill. For more information, visit www.terracycle.com

The 8^th Annual Earth Festival will be held on Saturday, April 13 at Milford Central School. The traditional information and vendor fair will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gymnasium – kicking off the day will be the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society’s popular pre-festival bird walk.

Master Gardeners of Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties will return with Spring Garden Day in conjunction with Earth Festival, featuring classes on a wide variety of gardening topics suitable for those both new and experienced to gardening. Dr. Jonathan Comstock, a researcher from the Department of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University, will speak at 11:15 a.m. as part of Spring Garden Day. His presentation, on climate change and its impact on the growing season and gardens, is free and open to the public.

This year, the Milford Central School Education Foundation’s “recycled fashion” show is back by popular demand! Students and adults are invited to showcase wearable art they made or embellished themselves with recycled and waste materials – anyone interested in entering an outfit is welcome. For more information, call  (607) 286-3349 or e-mail lhenry@milfordcentral.org.

The EcoArt/Trendy Trash Contest and expanded children’s activities led by Milford Central School students will also be featured. Styrofoam (clean, white only), bubble wrap, empty inkjet cartridges, cell phones, eyeglasses, reusable shows, videotapes and CDs, and used nylon monofilament fishing line will also be collected for recycling.

Earth Festival is an environmentally-focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, activities, vendors and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist. Financial contributions are most welcome, and an open invitation to earth-friendly exhibitors, food and retail vendors is extended. Earth Festival 2013 is sponsored by Otsego County Conservation Association and WildLearn.com. To sign up or donate, look for the registration form at www.occinfo.org. Call  (607) 547-4488 or e-mail admin@occainfo.org to learn more.

Otsego County Mini-Grant Program 2013 Announced

 Otsego County Mini-Grant Program 2013 Announced

Oneonta, NY - December 20, 2012 - NYCON is pleased to announce that grant applications for the Otsego County Mini-Grant Program will be accepted beginning immediately through March 1^st, 2013. This program is intended to measurably improve the governance and management operations of qualifying 501(c)3 charitable nonprofits located in or providing a majority of services to Otsego County. Launched in 2004, this program has been made possible with support from The Scriven Foundation.

There is a total of $40,000 of grant funds available with individual grant award limits as follows:

• Up to $1,000 for general governance & management assistance (a Camp Finance scholarship can also be requested in addition to the $1,000 maximum)
• Up to $1,500 for general governance & management assistance with NYCON
• Up to $2,000 for merger, consolidation or subsidiary development and for crisis management intervention services
• Up to $500 in scholarships for participation at a capacity building conferences sponsored by NYCON.

Grants will be awarded competitively to qualifying nonprofits with approved project activities. Grant criteria are available at http://tinyurl.com/OtsegoMiniGrantApp2013. It is recommended that any applicant review the 2013 criteria before applying. To fill out a grant application, go to http://tinyurl.com/OtsegoMiniGrantApp2013. Grant award announcements will be made by March 31st, 2013.

Otsego Land Trust received grant for Brookwood Gardens access

The Daily Star reported that Brookwood Point receives grant for improvement of public access.

The historic Brookwood Point property in Cooperstown is one of three projects in New York state to receive a Scenic Byway Grant. The project, which is being overseen by the Otsego Land Trust and Brookwood Citizens' Committee, was awarded $188,000 to improve public access to the site as part of the U.S. Route 20 Scenic Byway Corridor, according to a media release from the Land Trust on Monday.

The 22-acre Brookwood property, on the western shore of Otsego Lake, is the site of the former Cook Estate and includes a main house, gardens, wetlands, flood plains and more than a quarter-mile of lake frontage.

The Cook Foundation, which had managed the property until its merger with the Otsego Land Trust a year ago, was created in 1985 by Bob Cook to oversee his family's estate.

Read more here.

Cyber Security Grant Computer courses at USC the Business College in Oneonta

USC the Business College has received a grant to provide “Free” Cybersecurity training for employees and individuals in the Otsego and Chenango County areas. This is a 4 day class being held on Saturdays at the USC Computer Lab in Oneonta.

The "intermediate" class is titled: "Fastlane to Cybersecurity Program". When a person completes that program...attends all of the sessions...USC awards a certificate and a 500GB portable hard drive. Space is limited, as the computer lab can hold 20 students. FastLane to Cybersecurity: Intermediate level candi­dates will do networking, assessing and handling security risks, hardware components, etc. This course is for the advanced user who is seeking to improve basic IT knowledge. Participants taking this course will broaden their computer skills and ideally become the go-to person in the office or employment set­ting.


INTERMEDIATE ("Fastlane to Cybersecurity Program") offered on Saturdays: 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 8:30am to 4:30pm at USC the Business College, 17 Elm Street, in Oneonta.

1. Please have the training candidate call 315-334-7780 for a short IT assessment to ensure this is the class best suited for the individual.

2. If training is suitable, please contact Alan Sessions to register employees for the free training: 607-432-4800 x 103 or alan.sessions@labor.ny.gov

3. Candidate will be contacted with final instructions for attending the program.


Alan Sessions, Business Services Rep.
Dept. of Labor & CDO Workforce
12 Dietz St., Oneonta, NY 13820
607-432-4800, Ext. 103
alan.sessions@labor.ny.gov

Mayor suggests Oneonta arts be organized, promoted

The Daily Star reported that Mayor Dick Miller challenged the arts community Saturday to get organized to help themselves and the community.

At the Mayor's Summit on Arts and Entertainment, Miller offered help from City Hall. He also asked for volunteers to form a task force to consider options, such as forming a consortium and hiring a coordinator.

A plan needs to be developed that not only supports an arts and entertainment sector, Miller said, but also makes it part of the economic engine that benefits the entire community.

"I'm not prepared to let this opportunity get by," Miller said.

Discussions and studies during the past two decades have referred to Oneonta's development as a hub for arts and entertainment, Miller told about 85 people attending the summit at Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center.

"For 20 years, no one has held this meeting," Miller said. "That has sub-optimized your organizations."

Read more at the Daily Star.com

OFO Head Named to State Advisory Council

Daniel Maskin, Chief Executive Officer of Opportunities for Otsego, was recently appointed to the New York State Department of State Community Services Block Grant Advisory Council.

The Community Service Block Grant funds 52 community-action agencies in the state. Council members from local government, private nonprofit providers, and the public are appointed by the governor, Senate and Assembly. Maskin was appointed by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

In addition to his work with OFO, Maskin has served as the Chief Executive Officer to the New York State Community Action Association. He is a member of the Friends of the Oneonta Community Health Center Board of Directors and the Oneonta Rotary Club.

Council of nonprofits accepting grant applications

The New York Council of Nonprofits will accept applications for grants from the Otsego County Mini-Grant program starting Jan. 1 and continuing through March 1.

The program is "intended to measurably improve the governance and management operations of qualifying 501(c)3 charitable nonprofits located in or providing a majority of services to Otsego County," according to a media release.

Launched in 2004, this program has been made possible with support from the Scriven Foundation.

The program offers $40,000 in grant funds, with individual awards ranging from $500 for scholarships to $2,000 for merger, consolidation or crisis management services.

Grants will be awarded competitively to qualifying nonprofits with approved project activities.

Grant criteria are available at www.tinyurl.com/MiniGrantCriteria2011.

It is recommended that any applicant review the 2011 criteria before applying.

To fill out a grant application, visit http://tinyurl.com/OtsegoMinigrantApp. Grant award announcements will be made by April 15, 2011.

To learn more about NYCON, visit www.nycon.org.

Otsego County Chamber of Commerce hosts Small Business Holiday Party

Date: Friday, December 3, 2010
Location: Holiday Inn, Oneonta
Cost: Members $45 per person
Non-members $50 per person
Tables of 5 or more receive 10% off

One-Hour Open Bar & Hors d'oeuvres at 6 pm, Followed by Dinner at 7 pm

Seating is Limited, so make your reservation today! To RSVP contact Pam at (607) 432-4500 ext. 201 or pam@otsegocountychamber.com. Reservations must be made by 5 pm on Friday, November 26, 2010. One lucky attendee will win a Lifetime Complete Basketball System!! Courtesy of Hannaford

Otsego, Schoharie Cooperative Extensions to Merge

The Daily Star reported that enrolled members of the Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Schoharie County voted Wednesday night in favor of merging with the Otsego County Extension Association.

Don Smyers, executive director of the Otsego association, said plans of a possible merger have been discussed for about a year. According to a media release, the extension offices in Schoharie and Otsego counties have been managed by a single executive director since Sept. 1, 2009.

Smyers said the two organizations have been carefully considering the benefits of the shared arrangement, and for it to move forward, both associations will have to vote in favor of the plan.

He said although the Otsego association will hold its annual business and board of directors meetings Dec. 2 at FoxCare Center, members will not be voting on the merger at that time. Instead, members will have the chance to vote through a ballot that will be sent by mail.

The goal is to have the ballots sent to members by the end of the month and have the return date set for sometime in December, Smyers said.

"I think people naturally always get nervous when you mention any type of change," Smyers said Thursday morning. "You never quite know what change is going to bring."

Read more at the Daily Star.com

The Tom Golisano School at Springbrook Groundbreaking

Springbrook held a groundbreaking for a proposed school for autistic children that will create 112 jobs, fuel the local economy and provide instruction and care for pupils sent to other states for services.

This is a $20 million expansion project.

Earth Festival 2010 April 10th

An environmentally focused, interactive event featuring exhibits, workshops, vendors, food and entertainment, all with a fun, earth-friendly twist.

Sponsored by the Otsego County Conservation Association and Wildlife Learning Company.

Saturday, April 10
at Milford Central School (follow the signs)

Seminar Series from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the school auditorium
Topics: renewable energy, home energy conservation, drilling for natural gas, Low Carbon Diet, zero waste conservation measures. $10 to attend any/all sessions, pre-registration preferred but not required.

Information and Vendor Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the gymnasium
• The Milford Central School Education Foundation will host the “Go Green” Fashion Show at 3 p.m. (by ticket only, call 607-286-7721, ext. 8408).
• Clean Styrofoam packaging material, meat trays, mushroom boxes, and egg cartons will be collected.
• Free document shredding service from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for disposal of confidential papers provided by ConfiData, a division of Empire Recycling.
• Spring flowers, sprouts, micro greens, organic meats, cheeses, baked goods and crafts from the Cooperstown Farmers’ Market.
• MCS Class of 2014 will host an eco-friendly car wash. $5 per car – all proceeds benefit Relay For Life.
• Bob Donnelly and Dave Kiehm will lead a bird walk in the Robert V. Riddell State Park as part of Earth Festival. Participants should meet in the school parking lot at 8 a.m.
• As festival goers work up an appetite, they can look forward to several local food items at the CADE booth. CADE will serve up local beef burgers from Sunset View Farm, as well as quiche and soup from Lucky Dog Farm and Cafe.
• Students from Milford Central School will be leading children’s activity stations throughout the day, and are currently preparing a wide array of eco-art for public viewing. Children’s activities will include: Nature Hike & Tree Identification, 9 a.m.; Bird House Making & Plant Potting, 10 a.m. to noon; Maple Sugaring Demonstration, 1 p.m.; Afternoon Ultimate Frisbee Games.

Earth Festival activities will kick off with a free Family Movie Night, including a special eco-art/fashion preview, at the school on Friday, April 9 beginning at 6:30 p.m. with the movie “WALL•E.”

The City of Oneonta Public Transportation (OPT) buses will provide bus service to Earth Festival from Oneonta or Cooperstown and all points in between!

For more information, contact OCCA at 607-547-4488 or admin@occainfo.org
www.occainfo.org or www.wildlearn.com/EarthFestival.html

This festival is funded, in part, by the Bezos Family Foundation.

Seminar Series Speakers and Agenda
Renewable Energy Session
8:30-9:00am – Registration
9:00-9:15am - Energy Audits, Bennett Sandler, Equity Energy
9:15-9:30am - Energy Retrofits, Bennett Sandler, Equity Energy
9:30-9:40am - Q & A
9:40-9:50am – Break
9:50-10:10am - Geothermal, Dave Austin, Great Brook Enterprises
10:10-10:30am - Solar Thermal, Norm Farwell, Equity Energy
“Solar Hot Water” by Norm Farwell
Solar hot water systems offer the best bang-for-buck of any renewable energy technology. These systems are common in many countries around the world. Find out how they work in a northern climate, why they are an excellent investment, and how to avoid typical early-adopter risks. Equity Energy takes a systems approach to reducing building energy costs and has installed a number of solar hot water systems locally; Norm Farwell is a former teacher turned energy geek, plumber, and entrepreneur.

10:30-10:40am - Q & A10:40-10:50am - Break
Natural Gas Drilling Session
10:50-11:10am - Erik Miller, Otsego County Conservation Association, on how to document/record important observation information and who to call in the event of environmental harm or public safety issues

11:10-11:30am - Lou Allstadt, former Mobil executive, on his concerns regarding the NYS DEC's draft SGEIS
“How Not To Regulate Gas Drilling: The Ten Biggest Mistakes in New York’s Proposed Regulations” by Lou Allstadt

11:30-11:50am - Orville Cole, Gastem, on drilling currently underway in Otsego County
“Local Protocols Designed To Enhance Safe Gas Exploration” by Orville Cole
Orville Cole, of Gastem USA, will describe the procedures that have been used in the area and the company’s plans for future procedure improvements.
11:50-12:10pm - Mary Jo Long, attorney and Afton Board member, on legal considerations for individuals and towns

12:10-12:30pm - Q & A
12:30-1:00pm - Break
Energy Session, Continued

1:00-1:20pm - Energy Issues with New and Retrofit Commercial Construction, Jack Christmann, NYSERDA Outreach Project Consultant
1:20-1:30pm - Q & A
1:30-1:50pm - Zero Waste, Chris Burger, Sierra Club Atlantic Chapter Solid Waste Committee
“Zero Waste (or Pretty Darn Close)” by Chris Burger
A PowerPoint presentation on why it is important for all of us to reduce waste, followed by practical “how-to” suggestions for families, businesses, communities and beyond. Chris Burger is a member of a family of four which has produced only ¾ pounds of waste per person per year for more than 15 years.

1:50-2:00pm - Q & A
2:00-2:10pm – Break
2:10-2:25pm - Low Carbon Diet, Martha Clarvoe, Otsego County Conservation Association
“The Low Carbon Diet” by Martha Clarvoe
OCCA Board President Martha Clarvoe will give a presentation on “Low Carbon Diet: A 30 Day Program to Lose 5000 Pounds,” a book by David Gershon. The Low Carbon Diet is a step-by-step program designed to calculate a houehold’s carbon footprint and reduce carbon dioxide output. A carbon footprint is one way to measure overall petroleum use and carbon dioxide CO2 emissions. The process, which can be undertaken individually or in groups, is simple and personal, and will result in money savings in the running of your home. The book can be purchased for $15 from OCCA or borrowed from your local public library. Come hear about the program and pick up tips to save both money and energy.

2:25-2:45pm - Finnish wood furnaces and ovens, Mike Lorenz, German Mike's Masonry
2:45-3:00pm - Q & A and Wrap-up

Exhibitors
Articulated Skeletons by Sy Lloyd
Sy Lloyd, an Otego resident, will overview adaptations, natural history and forensic findings through this amazing display of animal skeletons throughout the day. Note: These are not “touchable” artifacts.

Biological Field Station
Posters displayed by the BFS will illustrate 1) student intern environmental research and 2) Otsego Lake native species and ingress of exotics.

Bright Ideas Home Energy Solutions
Home energy audits and efficiency retrofits, green home design service, BPI accredited, Energy Star partner, LEED accredited (U.S. Green Building Council).

CADE
As festival goers work up an appetite, they can look forward to several local food items at the CADE booth. CADE will serve up local beef burgers from Sunset View Farm, as well as quiche and soup from Lucky Dog Farm and Cafe. Lucky Dog Farm, a vendor at the Cooperstown Farmers' Market, is a certified organic farm in Delaware County where they have a cafe that serves local dishes. Sunset View Farm is located in the Town of Milford, just five miles up the road from the school."

Cooperstown Farmers’ Market
The Cooperstown Farmers’ Market will be at Earth Festival with fresh spring flowers, a variety of flavored fresh sprouts and micro greens, organic meats, cheeses, baked goods, and crafts – a nice sampler of what the market offers. Participating vendors are: Acrospire Farm, ARK Floral, The Farm, Glimmerglass Chocolates, Hare and Feather Farm, Man in the Moon Herbs, Middlefield Orchard, Promise Land Farm, Raindance Farm and Surprise-in-Store.

Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society Inc.
DOAS will display information on its mission and activities. They will also have a letter writing table where participants can generate personalized letters to decision-makers on a variety of topics.

Friends of Glimmerglass State Park
Learn about wildlife habitats in Glimmerglass State Park, participate in the National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Watch and enter the “Name the Glimmerglass State Park Beaver” contest.

Gaia’s Garden
We will be featuring handmade paper crafts (paper made from junk mail, paper scraps, herbs, flowers, grasses, moss, bark, kitchen scraps, gourd pulp, etc.) plus herbs, herbal products, gourd crafts, totes and bags, and gnomes and fairies made from scraps and clay. We throw away very little – most of our products are repurposed items or organic in nature – and we’re always looking for new uses for old items.

Gilson’s Native American Crafts
Native American jewelry and other crafts using teeth, claws, bone, antlers, shells and other natural materials.

Great Brook Solar NRG, LLC
Solar and Alternative Energy Options

Ideuma Creek Alpacas
We have been raising alpacas for 13 years and are happy to inform others of our healthy, earth-friendly farming experience. We will also be introducing our brand new GREEN line of alpaca wear at this festival, all made from natural alpaca, a renewable clothing source and eco-friendly!

Natural Resource Conservation Services
NRCS works with landowners through conservation planning and assistance designed to benefit the soil, water, air, plants, and animals that result in productive lands and healthy ecosystems.

Nom Nom Food Buying Club
Nom Nom is a food buying club that allows people to go online and order food from local farmers and producers. All orders are filled at a weekly pick-up at Hartwick Community Center.

NYS Public Service Commission
The NYS Public Service Commission ensures that all New Yorkers have access to reliable and low-cost utility services.

Oneonta Garden Club
The Oneonta Garden Club’s booth will highlight the efforts of the club to help protect the environment.

Otsego Regional Cycling Advocates
ORCA’s mission is to promote cycling and walking as an enjoyable, safe, healthy, environmentally friendly activity for people of all ages and abilities.

Otsego County Soil & Water Conservation District
The staff at Otsego Soil & Water Conservation District works with landowners, land managers, local government agencies, and other local entities in addressing a broad spectrum of resource concerns: erosion control, flood prevention, water conservation and use, wetlands, ground water, water quality and quantity, non-point source pollution, forest land protection, wildlife, recreation, waste water management and community development.

Otsego County Conservation Association
The Otsego County Conservation Association will be present at the Earth Festival with information on its many programs throughout Otsego County: barnyard water quality programs, riparian buffer plantings, recycling, zebra mussel control, septic system management, nature walks, and land-use management. OCCA will also distribute its popular outdoor recreation guide, Otsego Walks and Paddles. For more information on OCCA, please visit www.occainfo.org.

Otsego Lake Association
The mission of the Otsego Lake Association is to support and further the implementation of the "Plan for the Management of the Otsego Lake Watershed" adopted by the four municipalities within the Otsego Lake shoreline. OLA seeks to educate, and to encourage public policy and personal choice changes that advance implementation of the "Plan". Projects to this end are funded by membership and donations, and the work is done entirely by volunteers.

Otsego Land Trust
The Otsego Land Trust conserves the distinctive rural character of Otsego County, New York through protecting open space, lands of scenic value, fragile ecosystems, farmland and forestlands.

Otsego 2000
Otsego 2000 believes that the Otsego Lake region is a masterpiece of nature, and that its surrounding landscapes, valleys, villages, and farms constitute a unique confluence of historic, environmental, cultural, agricultural, rural, and scenic resources. We believe that the long-term economic well-being of the region and the quality of life for its residents derives from these resources and their stewardship. Thus, we seek to protect these attributes for the benefit of present and future generations. As no place is an island, we extend our concern and programs to the region's larger setting in Central New York. We advance our mission through informed advocacy, public education, innovative projects, economic alternatives, and strategic campaigns.

Pine Lake Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Hartwick College
The Pine Lake Institute for Environmental Sustainability Studies at Hartwick College promotes sustainability education, research, and outreach in a setting reflecting environmental stewardship that integrates lessons and experiences among all at the college and in the community.

Wildlife Learning Company
Wildlife Learning Company, Inc. is a full service environmental education company that strives to promote conservation of our natural environment through educational programs and products that foster an appreciation of the environment, impart an understanding of how natural systems function and create a desire for people to explore the natural world further and take personal responsibility for its protection and care.

Glimmerglass Opera General & Artistic Director to Leave at End of 2010 Festival

Cooperstown Chamber reported that:

GLIMMERGLASS OPERA GENERAL & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR TO LEAVE
AT END OF 2010 FESTIVAL

COOPERSTOWN, NY – Michael MacLeod, General & Artistic Director of Glimmerglass Opera, will leave the company at the end of the 2010 season after five years with the upstate New York summer opera festival.

“I am extremely proud of the company’s artistic achievements under my leadership, and I am especially gratified that we were able to sustain support and create a solidly-balanced budget for 2010 without sacrificing artistic quality or the number of productions or performances,” MacLeod said. “This is a remarkable accomplishment today, and I am pleased that I am able to leave the company in good shape.”

The Executive Committee of the Glimmerglass Opera Board of Trustees anticipates a successful transition of company leadership.

“Michael has brought a wonderful and stimulating artistic vision to Glimmerglass, and he will be missed,” said Elizabeth Eveillard, Glimmerglass Opera Board Chair. “Because of the company’s legacy, we have been able to move forward quickly with a succession plan.”

The new director will be announced in the coming weeks, in time to plan the 2011 season.

A celebration of MacLeod’s tenure is being planned.

Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network to hold forums

The Daily Star reported that Mothers & Babies Perinatal Network announced the schedule of annual community forums to be held throughout Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Otsego, Tioga, and Tompkins counties.

These annual forums provide an opportunity for local leaders and policymakers, health and human-services providers and consumers to raise issues, make suggestions for programs or services and to comment on and learn more about the work of the Perinatal Network, presenters said.

Locally, a forum will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, at FoxCare Center in Oneonta, and from noon to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at Chenango Memorial Hospital in Norwich. The forums will feature presentations on the network's work from the past year.
Those who attend may share information about local or personal-service needs, concerns or other issues.

Those who plan to attend are asked to register by calling 772-0517 or (800) 231-0744. For more information about the network, visit www.mothersandbabies.org.

Area United Ways report mixed results

The Daily Star reported that with several weeks to go for area United Way campaigns, those involved are reporting mixed results.

At the United Way of Delaware and Otsego Counties, Executive Director Terry Capuano said in a recent media release that she was optimistic the campaign would reach its goal of $345,000. Roughly the same amount was raised last year, when the campaign was about $23,000 short of its target.

Contributions from donors were running the same or ahead of last year, she said in the release. She could not be reached for comment Thursday to see how much has been collected so far.

"In this economy, we are so thankful for our faithful donors," Capuano said in the release. Read more here about other area United Way results.