For the second consecutive year a Capital Region BOCES culinary team has won the challenging state ProStart culinary competition.
Career and Technical Education students Alexia Torres and Katelyn Manchester of Cobleskill-Richmondville as well as Logan Stephens of Middleburgh earned the state’s top honors during the March 22-23 competition at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park.
Alexia and Katelyn are seniors and were part of the 2018 state championship team that finished in the top 10 nationally.
This year’s squad advances to the nationals in Washington, DC where they will compete against the top youth chefs from across the country May 8-10.
The t ...

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Having fun and winning cash are the twin goals of a SCRABBLE tournament this Saturday.
Doors open at 8am at Radez School in Richmondville, and the tournament starts at 9.
Teams can be two to four players, at least 16 years old, and the deadline to sign up is 5pm Thursday.
There will be a warm-up game followed by three SCRABBLE games, all with different rules. Total scores from the three games determine the winners.
The top team wins $200, and the next three win $100 each. One team will be drawn from the remainder, and it will win $100.
There’s also a giant raffle, trivia contests with prizes and a free buffet breakfast provided by Justine’s of Cobles ...

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With a nod to spring, Easter, and egg-headed Presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, the Schoharie Free Library has an eggs-traordinary month of eggs-citing egg-vents planned for April, beginning with the reopening of the one-of-a-kind Schoharie Easter Egg Museum.
The eggs-cellent fun will include a bedtime reading of Katherine Milhous’ “The Egg Tree,” the story that inspired museum; an Easter egg obstacle relay course at the Schoharie Firehouse, and an Easter egg hunt in Lily Park—to name a few.
All of the eggs-ceptional fun will revolve around the reopening of the Easter Egg Museum weekends in April with admission going to the library.
“It’s going to ...

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It’s not only preschoolers who get a kick out of farming with toy tractors and not only equine majors who’d rather brush a pony than…just about anything else.
Seniors do and can too, thanks to Generations Together, a free program at SUNY Cobleskill’s Campus Child Care Center that kicked off again yesterday.
Generations Together is a one-of-a-kind effort that runs from 10am-noon Tuesdays and includes socializing, activities, and even lunch.
After a successful launch in 2018, it’s entering its second year and there’s still room for seniors, including those who may be dealing with things like Alzheimer’s, and their caregivers.
Gail Wentworth, an Early Childhood E ...

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Following the popular Seed Swap in late January, the Schoharie County Master Gardeners will begin their 2019 winter-spring workshop season with Make It & Take It – for the Birds, Wednesday, February 20, 10am-noon, at the CCE Extension Center, 173 South Grand Street, in Cobleskill.
Local birder, Chris Keefer, will be on hand to share her passion for all things birding, including identifying backyard birds.
Participants will also have an opportunity to make a hanging suet feeder, a wire whisk of nesting materials, and a feeder from a plastic bottle.
All materials are provided; items created may be taken the same day. All ages are welcome for this fun and informative e ...

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An upcoming genealogy workshop series at the Old Stone Fort Museum will help new and experienced researchers learn to utilize new resources and teach them ways to organize and preserve documents and historic materials at home.
The series will begin on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14 at 7pm with “Love and Marriage,” which will focus on tracking couples and families using clerical and civil records of marriages, marriage licenses, marriage bonds and more.
The workshops will be led by Boston University Certified Genealogist Cathy Adams and Schoharie County Historical Society Trustee Bonnie Dailey, a retired attorney who has been doing genealogy for more than 30 years.

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The Schoharie Valley Concert Band (SVCB) has scheduled two Valentine Pops Concert performances.
The first will be on Friday, February 8 at 7:30pm in the Schoharie High School Auditorium with the repeat concert set for Sunday, February 10 at 3pm in the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School Auditorium.
Both performances are open to the public with no admission charged for students.
On Conductor Martin Zavadil’s Valentine Pops Concerts, Rebecca Schmid will be the featured piano soloist on “Celebre Tanantelle” by Gottschalk.
Ms. Schmid was home-schooled in Schoharie County and studied with blind concert pianist Stephanie Pieck as a teenager.
She grad ...

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Whether their interests lie in becoming an engineer, mechanic, chef, heavy equipment operator or something completely different, Capital Region BOCES has something to offer students in Schoharie, Schenectady and Albany counties.
Open houses are planned for February and March at the Schoharie campus and the Center for Advanced Technology in Rotterdam to highlight the unique opportunities to career and technical school students at those campuses.
On February 5 and 6, the Schoharie Career and Technical Education campus will open its doors to high school sophomores in Schoharie County and neighboring school districts.
Those schools have scheduled visitation times and will ...

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The Four Chaplains Service is scheduled to be held at the St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Middleburgh on Sunday, February 3 at 11am; at the Grosvenors Corners United Methodist Church at 1148 Grosvenors Corners Road in Central Bridge on Sunday, February 10 at 9am; at the Gallupville Evangelical Lutheran Church on Sunday, February 17 at 9am; and at the Charleston Church at 1360 East Lykers Road, Charleston Four Corners on Sunday, February 24 at 11am.
The service commemorates the four Army chaplains who gave their lives when their ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat during World War II.
When the life jackets ran out, the chaplains removed their life jackets, gave them to men, an ...

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Cobleskill will banish the winter blues with a week of activities starting Saturday.
Cobleskill Partnership Inc. is sponsoring the annual Cabin Fever Day this Saturday and is also offering Restaurant Week from Saturday through Sunday the 10th.
An art show follows on February 8-10.
For Cabin Fever Day, the Community Library has cartoons and cereal in the morning. Arts and crafts will be available at The Studio for Art and Craft and also at Games A Plunder.
New this year for Cabin Fever is a scavenger hunt to find Phil the Groundhog. Games A Plunder will have fact sheets, and each business will provide answers for the fact sheets. Players can fill out the fac ...

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SUNY Cobleskill invites the public to campus for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service, at the College January 21 from 1-9pm.
Service-themed initiatives and activities highlight the day, aimed at giving back and honoring Dr. King and his vision, mission and spirit.
Keynote speaker Jodi Merriday will present “Speak Truth to Power: Trending Topics in Diversity” at 4pm in Bouck Auditorium.
An acclaimed speaker with more than 25 years of higher education experience, Dr. Merriday’s lecture introduces training that cultivates social intelligence and inclusivity, while facilitating open dialogue and equipping attendees with skills to become social justice ambass ...

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On Saturday, January 12, from 11am-1pm, Mine Kill State Park will be sponsoring a bald eagle survey.
Participants will hike to look for eagles near known eagle habitat in the park, and will count the number of eagles that they see.
Mine Kill State Park is located just off Route 30 in North Blenheim at 161 Mine Kill Road.
Participants will meet at the Park Office, and are expected to dress appropriately for the weather, wear sturdy shoes, and should bring binoculars if they own any.
For more information contact (518)827-8690 or MineKillSP@parks.ny.gov.
...

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Vowing first his love to now-wife Dana Buzon, then pledging to be a local voice in Albany, Chris Tague marked two milestones on January 1:
His wedding and his swearing in.
Schoharie County Judge George Bartlett performed both ceremonies and Rev. Bert Mayne blessed the marriage in front of a crowd of several hundred family, friends, and supporters in SUNY Cobleskill’s ballroom last Tuesday.
They’re all one and the same, said Mr. Tague, so it only made sense to hold the events back-to-back and really kick off 2019 in style.
The wedding was a traditional affair—“The ladies are running late,” Greene County GOP Chairman Brent Bogardus told the crowd to laughter—wi ...

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High school students interested in an in-depth, honors-level study program for their senior year are encouraged to attend one of two open houses planned by Capital Region BOCES during the month of January.
Open houses where students and their parents can learn all about the New Visions: Health Careers and Law & Government programs are scheduled for January 8 and January 11 in Albany.
The January 8 open house is scheduled to begin at 6pm at the BOCES Central Administration offices, 900 Watervliet-Shaker, Albany, (snow date January 10), while the January 11 open house is scheduled to begin at 8:30am at the same location (snow date January 18).
New Visions is a one-year ...

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Jessie Ravage, a preservation specialist, will give a talk on how the Town of Jefferson developed based on her research of buildings in the hamlet, at 2pm on Sunday, January 13, in the former Masonic Hall, 163 Main Street.
Ms. Ravage recently conducted an Intensive Level Survey of Jefferson’s hamlet, which could become a Historic District and be listed on the State’s Register of Historic Places.
The study was commissioned by the Jefferson Historical Society, and paid for in part with a grant from the Preservation League of New York.
Ms. Ravage will discuss how economic factors determined the town’s growth and dictated the style of its buildings.
Since ...

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The Schoharie Handbell Ringers will present an Epiphany Concert on Saturday, January 5, at the Schoharie United Presbyterian Church at 3 pm to close out the holiday season.
Epiphany is celebrated 12 days after Christmas when Christians recall the time the Wise Men (also called the Three Kings) visited Jesus.
The program will include pieces entitled “Grace and Solitude” by composer Bob Burroughs and movements from “Cymbala”, an original composition by Schoharie Valley Concert Band principal oboist Diane Baltazar, played by Schoharie Ringers at the 2018 Schoharie Valley Concert Band Christmas Concert.
The Schoharie Ringers is an ecumenical choir led by SaraJane Cipper ...

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The shopping is done (we hope) and Santa’s warming up his sled.
Now, we need one more thing from our Times-Journal readers before the holidays:
Nominations for the 2018 Star.
And the clock is ticking.
Deadline for nominations is 5pm Friday, December 21 and they can be made in a variety of ways:
--Email them to tjournalnews@yahoo.com and put TJ Star in the subject line.
--By phone, (518) 234-2515.
--By fax, (518) 234-7898.
--By mail, PO Box 339, Cobleskill, NY 12043.
Nominations should include the name of the person being nominated and why he or she deserves to be the 2018 T-J Star.
Include the name of the person ...

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The churches of Schoharie County invite everyone to join in any of their services this Christmas season.
Services include:
Carlisle/Sprakers: Faith Bible: Monday the 24th, 6pm.
Central Bridge: Bethany Evangelical Lutheran: Monday the 24th, 8pm, Candlelight; United Methodist: Monday, 24th, 2pm.
Cobleskill: Calvary Assembly of God: Monday, 24th, 7 pm, Candlelight. Calvary Chapel of the Hills: Monday, 24th, 5 pm, Candlelight. First Baptist Church: Monday, 24th, 7pm. Fusion Community: Thursday, 20th, 7pm, Monday, 24th, 5pm, Tuesday, 25th: online worship 10am. St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Community: Monday, 24th, 4 and 7pm, Tuesday, 25th, 9:30am, Tuesday, January 1 ...

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In the summer of 1972, a young man from Cobleskill was traveling to Western New York.
On his hand was the 1971 shiny class ring his parents had carefully saved $100 to purchase for him.
He stopped at a diner in Elma (east of Buffalo and Lackawanna), went into the bathroom and removed the ring to wash his hands…and walked out, leaving the class ring behind on the sink.
Several miles down the road he realized what happened, hurried back to the diner to retrieve the ring, but it was gone.
Forty-six years later, in August 2018, Steve Burch of Freedom, was going through his father’s belongings after his recent death when he came across a scarcely-worn class rin ...

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Sharon Springs could be getting not just one, but two places for wintertime skating.
With the goal of getting both kids and adults outdoors throughout the long months of winter, the Sharon Springs American Legion is working on skating projects on both Bowmaker’s Pond and behind the Sharon Springs Free Library.
The Bowmaker’s project would be the simplest to pull off, said Tony Desmond, one of those behind it: It would just involve shoveling off the south end of the popular Route 10 fishing spot.
“Nothing big,” Mr. Desmond told Supervisor Sandy Manko and councilmen Thursday as he explained the project.
“We’ll just shovel it off and then put rope or tape across ...

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Local Christmas celebrations continue with a parade, tree lighting, music and more.
Middleburgh’s Miracle on Main Street and Sharon Springs’ Parade of Lights, both Friday, will kick off three days of festivities.
Middleburgh’s 20th annual Miracle will run from 5:30-8:30pm with extended store hours, tastings, and treats.
Along Main Street, there will be caroling and musicians, a sound and light show, stilt dancers, photos with Santa in the library, and a chance to visit with local wildlife, farm animals and reindeer.
Kid activities will include pony rides, an Elves Workshop, writing letters to Santa, and a visit from the Grinch.
Non-profit groups will be se ...

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Schoharie and Cobleskill are welcoming Christmas in a big way with a full lineup of events this week.

Schoharie
The Schoharie Fire Department and Schoharie Kiwanis Club are sponsoring “Christmas in Schoharie” all day Saturday.
The Old Stone Fort and the Palatine House Museum are also joining in the holiday fun.
Breakfast with Santa will be at the Schoharie Firehouse, 8am-noon, with crafts and contests for kids.
From 1-3pm, there will be a chili and soup cook-off contest. Anyone can enter but must bring recipes.
Santa will be reading “A Christmas Story” at 2pm.
Schoharie’s holiday parade will start at the north end of the villag ...

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Homecoming welcomed not only alumni but also new features at SUNY Cobleskill over the weekend.
Students, faculty, administrators and officials cut the ribbon on the Carriage House Café and General Store Saturday morning.
The café, on the ag side of the campus, offers local produce, items made on campus and a variety of other goods.
Speaking before the ribbon-cutting, Ag Professor Jason Evans praised the college’s facilities staff and administration for their help with the café.
“This will be a learning lab for students as they partner with local producers,” Dr. Evans said. “We’re really excited about this project.”
College President Marion T ...

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The Middleburgh Rotary Club will hold its 27th annual Fall Festival this Saturday with the Timothy Murphy 10K, a parade, arts and crafts, and more.
The 35th annual Tim Murphy 10K Run/Walk will kick off the fun at 9am.
An 8:15am bus will take runners only from the high school to the starting line at Max V. Shaul State Park with free parking at the school and adjacent municipal parking lot all day.
For more information on the race, contact Rachel Hamm at (518) 705-4008 or rchel.hamm@scarylegrunners.com.
This year’s parade theme is “Thank you, Emergency Service Providers.”
Lineup will be at 10am at the Middleburgh Elementary School, with the parade moving ...

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The Old Stone Fort in Schoharie will celebrate all eras of the past at its History Fair this Saturday and Sunday.
Exhibits, programs and demonstrations will run 10am-5pm on Saturday and noon-5pm on Sunday.
The History Fair began alternating with Stone Fort Days––a Revolutionary War demo––about 12 years ago as a way to more deeply examine other aspects of history.
“We’re known for our military re-enactments,” said Old Stone Fort Museum Director Carle Kopecky.
“But history takes many forms––collecting, restoration, research, genealogy. The purpose here is to celebrate people who are enthusiastic about history.”
More subtly, the Fair is also a recruiting ...

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Gone for months, the Park Theatre sign may be back as a Cobleskill landmark if there’s enough public support.
And even public support may not do it.
Questions abound about what many consider part of Cobleskill’s history: Whether theatre owner Tom Nigro wants it back, the restoration cost, who’ll be responsible for liability and maintenance, and where it will stand.
Tim Snyder, a board member for the downtown advocacy group Cobleskill Partnership Inc., suggested restoring the sign as a CPI project.
Mr. Nigro said he had the sign, then in poor condition, taken down in late May after “a windstorm had it swaying back and forth.”
And although the sign st ...

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The Hall of Flags at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School will be the Blair Hartman Hall of Flags.
C-R school board members agreed to the change Monday night after hearing a request from Cobleskill Rotarians.
A math teacher for more than 30 years and a Rotarian almost as long, Mr. Hartman died in 2016.
“This is someone we dearly want to honor,” said Bonnie Tryon, a retired C-R administrator and years ago, one of Mr. Hartman’s students.
Ms. Tryon, also a Rotarian, said Mr. Hartman was the “go-to teacher” for students but also a dedicated Rotarian who cared about the community.
“Rotary misses him, the school misses him and the community misses him,” she ...

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Clyde Slocum likely smiled when he spotted the big ‘C’ on the basketball jersey.
The Cobleskill High School principal, along with three other men, had traveled to New York City by truck to salvage a big sports mural.
It was late fall of 1940, and the World’s Fair, having just ended its two-year run, was being dismantled.
In April 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had opened the fair, featuring Albert Einstein, Babe Ruth, Queen Elizabeth and seven-foot smoking robot Elektro the Moto-Man.
A time capsule designed by Westinghouse to last 5,000 years was buried 50 feet underground to be opened in the year 6939.
With its iconic Trylon and Perisphere—61 ...

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The 1st annual Cherie Stevens Random Acts of Kindness Day will be held on her birthday, Sunday, September 9, 2-5pm, in Cobleskill’s Nick Iorio Park.
Ms, Stevens died in June and will be remembered for a life of service to the community, especially through Marathon for a Better Life.
Participants are encouraged to wear their Marathon t-shirts and then go out in the community and do random acts of kindness.
Afterwards, there will be music by the Hot Pots and Liam Connors, cupcakes, games and novelties, a birthday cake, Gaige’s French fries, and food, friendship and community at NicK Iorio Park.
The event is sponsored by Marathon for a Better Life.
For mo ...

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What do Luciano Pavarotti Placido Domingo, and Beverly Sills all have in common?
They’re all “singing” at the Sharon Springs Free Library thanks to a long-distance friendship and an Opera Club that now boasts more than 3,000 CDS, 300 movies, seven statues and a lifetime’s worth of opera posters and other memorabilia.
Since April, Pam and Mike Luby of Sharon have been working to create the William Maher Opera Club and collection at the library.
Ms. Luby is the library’s treasurer; her husband sang 28 summers with Glimmerglass Opera.
Mr. Maher was a longtime opera fan who grew up in Brooklyn and retired to Warrensburg with his wife, Rosemary, bringing his passio ...

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Dodging raindrops nearly every day, the 142nd Sunshine Fair still lived up to its name of Schoharie County fun.
Six days of farm animals, rides, exhibits, music, circus acts, racing pigs, tractor pulls and demolition derbies gave Fair-goers plenty of options to enjoy themselves.
As always, the T-J put in time on the Fairgrounds; here’s a sampling on photos. Lots more are in this week’s paper.
Also, five lucky readers are winners in T-J’s first-ever subscription raffle at the Fair.
Winners of a year’s subscription to the T-J are:
•Sarah Hunt, Middleburgh.
•Nadine Panarese, Cobleskill.
•Thomas Price, Schoharie.
•Christine Smith, W ...

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The Schoharie County Historical Society Summer Lecture Series will continue on Thursday, July 26 at 7pm with “Reconstructing Cobleskill,” presented by local author and historian Peter Lindemann.
Through the use of film and photos, Mr. Lindemann will explore the intersection of a mysterious old film and a lost notebook, set to the music of the big bands.
The film clips have been taken from a “main street movie,” which was shot during the week of August 12, 1940 in Cobleskill and the surrounding area by a film crew from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
The film was presented twice the following week in the Cobleskill High School Auditorium by the Exchange Club.
Some of ...

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Jackson VanDerwerken, a 2018 graduate of Schoharie High School, is portraying Nephi, a central figure in the new Book of Mormon Video Library produced by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and scheduled for release in 2018.
Jackson’s acting experience began in fourth grade with a role as the child lead in SCS’s production of “Ragtime.”
“At that age, the rehearsal schedule and the late nights were demanding and exhausting, but I loved seeing how my performance could affect others and make them feel,” Jackson said.
He went on to do community theater at the Timothy Murphy Playhouse in Middleburgh playing roles such as Willy Wonka, the Mad Hatter, and Iago in ...

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We should all be as inspired—or inspiring—as Middleburgh author Isabel Skowfoe.
Her “Sabrina Banner, The Soul of a Sorcerer, Book One” is available through Barnes and Noble and Amazon, she’s already working on Book Two in what she envisions as a trilogy, and she’s only 16.
Isabel, who’ll be a junior at Middleburgh Central School, has been reading and now writing most of her life, beginning like a lot of young authors with what’s called fan fic—stories written by fans of and about popular fictional characters and usually shared online—typed in on her phone.
The more she wrote there, though, the more she wanted to “own” her own stories, and after cutting and pasting and ...

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The 2018-19 school year is one of anniversaries for Cobleskill-Richmondville.
It’s the 50th anniversary of the football team and the 20th anniversary of the high school.
But the biggest––and probably the most important––is the 25th anniversary of the Cobleskill and Richmondville districts merging.
Plans are still in the making for the merger anniversary, and a committee working on it decided that the observance will be a year-long celebration rather than one event.
That the celebration will last all year is appropriate, because the build-up to the merger itself took a year. It was a contentious issue, and many in both districts felt their schools should be di ...

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Celebrations all across Schoharie County will observe Independence Day tomorrow, July 4.
One event will be in Sharon Springs, two are set for Cobleskill on is in Gilboa and a fifth will be at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie.
The Sharon Springs celebration will come first, with entertainment starting at 9am and a parade at 10am.
The parade, whose theme is Music of America, will start at Dairyland on Route 20, march west to Chestnut Street and end at the athletic field off Chestnut.
Route 20 will be closed in both directions from 9:45 to 10:45. There will be detours for traffic.
After the parade, there will be a chicken and rib barbecue and entertainmen ...

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Unless you saved a copy of the September 9, 1981 Times-Journal, or know someone who knows someone, or you’ve driven past the small green road sign at the bottom of a long driveway off the Carlisle Road, you wouldn’t know it was there:
The Full-Tan Sun Club, a family-oriented nudist campground where everyone’s welcome; just leave your clothes at the gate.
Full-Tan is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018 and though it’s come a long way from what Richard and Marie Roberts began in 1968, there’s also a lot about it that remains the same.
“I’ve never liked wearing clothes—even when I was a kid,” said 80-year-old Norm Varin, who with his wife Evelyn Freer, started goin ...

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Richmondville will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its water wheel—rain or shine—beginning this Friday with the 2018 Richmondville Days.
Friday, the Richmondville Fire Department will serve chicken BBQ dinners at the firehouse from 4pm till gone, followed by Summer Soccer Registration at the Municipal Building from 5-7pm.
Saturday, all day, there will be raffles, food vendors, music, historical events, bus tours, yard sales, dunking booth fun, and more.
Also Saturday:
• 7-9:30am--Pancake breakfast at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.
• 10am—Parade; lineup at Mill Street at 9am. This year’s theme: “Keep the Wheel Turning.”
• TREP$ Marketplace in th ...

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Local communities are gearing up to mark Memorial Day.
Events include the following:

Schohoharie
Schoharie’s American Legion will kick off Memorial Day celebrations Thursday with a 6:30pm parade featuring patriotic music and floats, followed by a short ceremony at Veteran’s Park, located on the corner of Main and Spring Streets.
After that there will be Grand Marshal presentations and prizes will be awarded to parade winners.
The parade’s 2018 Grand Marshal is the Esperance Fire Department, which is celebrating its 200 year.

Middleburgh
The Middleburgh American Legion will hold ceremonies at 10am Monday in Veterans Park on Rou ...

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Hundreds of runners will step out in memory of Kayla Urrey May 25 in Middleburgh.
Sponsored by the Middleburgh Rotary Club, the Sloughter 5K this year benefits the Center for Donation and Transplant, a special facility for the Urrey family.
“We always try to help a worthy cause, and this is a great one,” said 5K organizer Steve Hoerz.
“Kayla was such a wonderful young person in Middleburgh.”
Ms. Urrey was a 2011 Middleburgh grad and was seeking her nursing degree when she suffered a pulmonary embolism and died suddenly in March 2016.
Earlier, the 22-year-old had attended a health fair and learned about organ and tissue donation. Ms. Urrey decided that ...

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Even if you’re not man—or woman—enough to strap on 50 pounds of gear, you’ll want to be there to cheer on those who are when the 2018 Run 4 the Hills for First Responders takes to the hills of Sharon Springs at 9am Saturday.
The race starts and finishes at the American Hotel.
Packet pick-up and race registration is Friday from 3-6pm at the American and if you’re still deciding if you’re up to the challenge, 7:30-8:30am Saturday.
You don’t have to wear rescue, fire department or law enforcement gear to run; “regular runners” are welcome to join the four-mile walk-run too and at last count, about 400 people had already registered for the event.
Of them, there ar ...

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Not so slowly anymore, things are moving into place for the Blenheim Bridge.
Last Wednesday, crews began jacking the reconstructed bridge onto large dollies, and by Friday, they’d used hydraulics to slowly move the massive structure toward and then onto a temporary structure over the Schoharie Creek.
Now, the bridge will gradually be jacked up to the awaiting abutments and carefully eased onto reinforced concrete supports.
Anyone interested in watching the process, which is being filmed by a TV crew from Great Britain as part of a PBS documentary to be aired after the project’s completion, is asked to watch from a safe location and to not block traffic on Route 30 or ...

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If you close your eyes when you walk through the front door of Middleburgh’s 1884 Best House, it’s not hard to imagine it as a bustling home and doctor’s office with the sound of piano lessons going on on one side of the pocket doors and straight ahead, Dr. Christopher Best, or in later years, his son, Duncan, treating patients--or in the room beyond, the kitchen, performing emergency surgery on the zinc-topped kitchen table.
Duncan Best, who is fondly remembered by many of Middleburgh’s residents--snapshots taken not that long ago show him waving a top hat from a parade float--bequeathed the Italianate Victorian his family called home for more than a century to the Middleburgh Libra ...

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The Schoharie ARC is accepting applications for the Jean Emerson Scholarship to provide financial assistance to Schoharie County residents enrolled in an accredited college or university in the human services fields.
Two scholarships of up to $1,000 per academic year will be awarded annually to individuals who plan to pursue or continue their career in providing care, education or assistance to people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Eligible candidates must be accepted into an accredited college or university or be presently enrolled in an accredited college or university. The scholarship will be prorated for students who are attending school part tim ...

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The Scrabble Rousers were big winners Saturday, and so was Literacy New York.
The Scrabble Rousers fended off all comers in winning the 10th annual SCRABBLE tournament hosted by Literacy New York––Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie Counties.
Held at Radez School in Richmondville, the tournament included 26 teams, all vying to finish in the money and many sporting green for St. Patrick’s Day.
Literacy New York finished in the money, too. The organization, which teaches reading skills to adults, raised nearly $16,000 for its programs.
The four-person Scrabble Rousers––Robin Suits, Helen Suits, Tracy Robbins and Christina Suits––took home medals and the $200 first ...

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Seventy-five representatives from Schoharie County’s tourism trenches gathered at SUNY Cobleskill for Tourism Summit 2018 Monday.
Their goal?
Finding ways to make the most of a list of local strengths so lengthy it makes you wonder why anyone would visit—or live—anywhere else.
“The object here is to hear from people in the trenches,” said SUNY Cobleskill’s Jason Evans, in welcoming the crowd.
“We’re all starting out with the same thing: A love of this place. Next we need to figure out the best way to work collaboratively.”
Chris Guldner, chairman of the Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce’s Tourism Committee, said they’re in the process of developing ...

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Mark these dates:
January 19, 1958 and February 5, 2018.
Those are the beginning and end dates of Gerry Mickle’s 60-year employment at the Times-Journal.
Longtime manager of the commercial printing operation, Mr. Mickle was still active though working part-time the past few years.
“He always did a good job and took pride in his work,” said Publisher Jim Poole. “Gerry had tremendous institutional knowledge of the print trade.”
Mr. Poole is the fourth publisher Mr. Mickle worked for. Charles L. Ryder, who bought The Cobleskill Times in 1919, hired him in 1958.
Mr. Mickle had been laid off at Fenimore Fabrics in Cobleskill, and with his wife, Je ...

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Brian Dunn is all about working with others.
That’s how the Middleburgh Central Superintendent spent Thursday, his first day at MCS.
He met with other schools’ superintendents, Middleburgh teachers and students.
“We’re building teams and focusing on strong collaboration,” Mr. Dunn said. “That’s how things get done.”
Mr. Dunn, 48, replaces Michele Weaver, who resigned in August.
He comes to Middleburgh from Troy, where he was a middle school principal for eight years and a high school assistant principal for five years.
There’s an obvious difference in size between the two districts, but Mr. Dunn maintained, “Kids are kids whether they’re in Tr ...

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History is getting remade in Blenheim.
Seven years after floodwaters from Hurricane Irene carried the 160-year-old Blenheim Bridge away, contractors are putting the finishing pieces on a look-alike replacement.
Stan Graton of Stan Graton II 3G Construction, the firm hired to rebuild the bridge, said Wednesday that once the temporary supports are in place—something that’s likely another two or three weeks away—the bridge will be ready to roll.
Literally.
Crews for Economy Paving, the general contractors hired by GPI Engineers for the project and also at work Wednesday on the east of the creek, will use a large mechanical dolly to roll the bridge onto a temporar ...

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Drivers on Interstate 88 in Schoharie County may have noticed that a barn along the highway is sporting an attractive new quilt board.
Quilt boards, a form of folk art in which a quilt pattern is painted on the side of a barn, can be spotted along the popular Schoharie County Quilt Barn Trail.
The new quilt board reads: “Respect for All,” and its presence signals a movement emerging in the county.
In 2016, local resident Glen Sanders introduced a resolution “Encouraging Respect for All” before the Schoharie County Board of Supervisors.
It passed on February 17, 2017.
Since then, school officials in Cobleskill-Richmondville and Sharon Springs have issue ...

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Twenty years ago, in the February 25, 1998 Times-Journal, Beulah Waid of Sharon shared some her memories of one of the worst snowstorms ever to hit Schoharie County on February 3, 1958.
On the storm’s 40th anniversary, and with a couple of months more to go till spring, no matter what the groundhog claims, we thought her account was worth sharing again.

By Beulah Waid
The Storm of 1958, February 3 to be exact, we lived in the Town of Carlisle of VanDerwerken Road just about a mile off Route 20.
We decided to head to Cobleskill to get some groceries as we heard we were headed for a big snowstorm.
And needless to say, it was.
With our fi ...

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What Central Bridge really needs is a community center.
But who will use it?
Where will it be?
And how will such an ambitious project be funded—and then maintained?
Those are some of the questions about a dozen people spent two hours Sunday brainstorming the answers to.
Developing some sort of community center in Central Bridge was one of the pieces of a successful grant SALT wrote to help breathe jobs and life back into the once-thriving community.
It’s also come up again and again in the series of meetings SALT, and consultants Laberge Engineering Architecture and Group Surveying Planning have been holding with residents beginning last fall, ...

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The Schoharie Valley Concert Band (SVCB) has scheduled two Valentine Pops Concert performances.
The first is on Friday, February 9 at 7:30pm in the Schoharie High School Auditorium with the repeat concert set for Sunday, February 11 at 3pm in the Cobleskill-Richmondville High School Auditorium.
Both performances are open to the public with no admission charge for students.
If you like pops music, you won’t want to miss Conductor Martin Zavadil’s Valentine Pops Concert, which opens with the fast-paced and high-energy blockbuster “Bright Lights!” by Robert Sheldon.
Chelsea Gentner, the Cobleskill-Richmondville Middle School and High School choral director, will be the V ...

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As part of its efforts in Central Bridge, SALT is hosting a pair of community meetings there Sunday and Monday to gather ideas that could be used to develop community programs in the Schoharie and Esperance hamlet.
All ages are welcome, but youth and senior citizens are especially encouraged to come and share their ideas for additional programs or a community center or space.
Refreshments will be provided.
Meetings will be held:
• Sunday, February 11, 3-5:30pm, at the Central Bridge Fire Department, 137 South Main Street.
• Monday, February 12, 5:30-7pm, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 21 Church Street.
Fore more information ...

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If you’re from Esperance and want to be on stage, Willard Martin has a role for you.
And even if you’re not from Esperance, he has a place on stage just for you.
A Cobleskill resident with Esperance roots, Mr. Martin is casting “Getting Chet Married” that will be performed in June as a fundraiser for Esperance’s bicentennial celebration in July.
The play itself has an Esperance history. It was first performed by the Presbyterian Young People at the Esperance Presbyterian Church in 1937.
“My father’s peers were in it. But he wasn’t. My father was a Methodist; this was a Presbyterian event,” Mr. Martin said, laughing.
The script was discovered by a da ...

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Another year, another march.
But this time, organizers of the Women’s March II are bringing music, speakers, and giant puppets to their Saturday, January 20 event in Cobleskill’s Centre Park, as well as a new theme:
Persist.
The event--a rally--will run from 1-3pm and will mark the one-year anniversary of one of the largest-ever demonstrations both nationally and in Cobleskill, where 350 people turned out to support women’s rights and issues the day after President Donald Trump was inaugurated.
Several local groups formed in the wake of the 2017 rally and marchers are now working to organize the Women’s March II and they’re optimistic the family-friendly event ...

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Only in Schoharie County—and maybe only in Gallupville—would a man born in 1910, who never went beyond the 10th grade, provide the inspiration for an effort, 100 years later, to continue restoring an 1872 hotel—and maybe with it, the community.
The man is Chester Zimmer, a lifelong Gallupville resident, farmer, collector of Early Americana, and a self-taught historian.
About six years before his death, Mr. Zimmer, who was beloved by just about everyone who knew him, taped a series of interviews about his life in Gallupville with longtime friend, the Rev. Bob Smith.
Chris Claus, who grew up across Route 443 from Mr. Zimmer and also counts him as a lifelong friend, was ...

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With the holiday season over and winter promising to be around for a while, the Depot Lane Singers are offering interested singers the opportunity to escape “cabin fever” as they begin to practice for their spring concerts.
Not only is getting off the couch good for everyone, the experience of singing in a choir has been proven to be beneficial to a healthy body and sound mind.
The Depot Lane Singers are a community chorus of 60-70 members. Although they are based in Schoharie, they have participating membership from Albany, Montgomery, Otsego, Rensselaer, Schenectady and Schoharie counties.
Rehearsals for the spring concert programs will begin on Tuesday, January ...

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Even though the thermometer registered zero outside on Friday, Cobleskill-Richmondville’s Golding School when ahead with Winter Olympics anyway.
Inside, of course.
The Olympics pitted sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade teams against one another in a range of events, from an obstacle course in the gym to digital games in the cafeteria to chess in the library.
Eight-graders won the honors this year, with sixth-grade placing second and seventh-grade third.
The Olympics were originally scheduled for the last day before the Christmas break. Poor weather cancelled school, however, so the games were moved to Friday.


...

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Mary Lou Garrett is the epitome of Schoharie County caring.
Like many in the area, she volunteers for fine causes. But Ms. Garrett also demonstrates a caring nature in her professional life, daily life, all her life, for us two-legged folks and those with four legs.
That’s why Ms. Garrett, who lives in Cobleskill, is the 2017 Times-Journal Star.
“Mary Lou doesn’t crow about her achievements––not at all,” said T-J Editor Patsy Nicosia, who’s organized the Star project for 26 years.
“I think people will be amazed at what she’s done and is still doing.”
Ms. Garrett is probably best known for two causes: the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley and the Cob ...

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Marcy Pullman and James Fancher of Cobleskill welcomed their daughter at 1:21am Monday, January 1 at the Bassett Birthing Center in Cooperstown to make Isabella Marjorie Fancher the first baby of 2018.
Isabella, who weighed 8 pounds, 3 ounces and was 19 inches long, shares her birthday with her 92-year-old great-grandmother, Marjorie.
The Bassett Birthing Center also hit its own milestone just before Christmas 2017: It’s 1,000 baby of the year delivered.

...

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Resist is now persist.
And as the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March on Washington nears, positive action groups based in Middleburgh and Cherry Valley are coming together for the Women’s March II, Saturday, January 20 in Cobleskill.
Thursday, more than a dozen volunteers from both groups got together at the Green Wolf in Middleburgh—many of them meeting for the first time—to work on banners, pink “pussy” hats, posters, and oversized puppets.
The 2016 Women’s March drew an estimated two million people worldwide and about 350 to Cobleskill, rallying as a way to draw attention to President Donald Trump’s comments on women, the environment, LGBT rights, and more.< ...

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Cobleskill-Richmondville students who need the most basic items––deodorant, shampoo, clothes––can get them at the high school.
The place to go is ‘Reinvented,’ right across from the library on the ground floor. Reinvented has everything from pencils to overcoats and boots, plus hygiene items. . .pretty much anything a teenaged student would need.
And everything is free.
The store is the brainchild of Danielle Hay, who coordinates C-R’s STRIVE program, and Kristin Komarinski, a guidance counselor.
Both are involved with the district’s Strategic Plan and serve on the At-Risk Committee, which aims to help kids who might not come to school.
And although t ...

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Kind words and awards came Joe Kenyon’s way in Worcester Saturday afternoon.
With friends and family looking on, Mr. Kenyon received the Community Service Award from the Iroquois Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in the DAR’s annual ceremony.
Mr. Kenyon attended the event thinking that his younger brother would receive an award and was surprised when he was the guest of honor.
Speakers highlighted Mr. Kenyon’s many contributions to Worcester, including his efforts to continue Memorial Day observances every May.
“You’ve given so much for so long, it’s impossible not to say ‘thank you,’ ” said Melinda McTaggert of the DAR.
Larry Bobnick, for ...

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We need a Star.
So put your Christmas shopping and decorating on hold and pull on your thinking cap.
Then let us know who deserves the honor of being named the 2017 Times-Journal Star.
Deadline for nominations is 5pm Saturday, December 16 and they can be made in a variety of ways:
--Email them to tjournalnews@yahoo.com and put “TJ Star” in the subject line.
--By phone, (518) 234-2515.
--By fax, (518) 234-7898.
--By mail, PO Box 339, Cobleskill, NY 12043.
--Dropped off in person.
Please no nominations on our Facebook page.
Nominations should include the name of the person being nominated and why he or she deserves ...

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Cobleskill-Richmondville’s Backpack Program received two boosts at a recent school board meeting.
The Cobleskill Exchange Club gave $500 and Fenimore Asset Management gave $1,000 to the Backpack Program at a November 13 meeting.
The Backpack Program has C-R staffers fill backpacks with food and other supplies each Friday so that kids in need have something to eat every weekend.
All four C-R schools––Ryder, Radez, Golding and the high school––participate.
“It’s our responsibility to help these families,” the Exchange Club’s Ron Macan, who chairs the club’s Youth Committee, told school board members.
“That’s why I’m here tonight.”
“You set an exa ...

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Residents are invited to attend the Cornell Cooperative Extension Schoharie and Otsego Counties’ annual meeting and dinner on Tuesday, November 28, at Justine’s Restaurant, 399 West Main Street, Cobleskill. The reception begins at 6pm with the dinner to follow at 6:30pm.
This meeting and dinner offers an opportunity for volunteers, staff, and guests to renew friendships and become acquainted with new staff and volunteers and learn about current Extension programs
Guest speaker will be Michael Lapi, a restaurateur and SUNY Cobleskill chef instructor. His talk will be “Farm to Table and Eating Well--the Foundation of Life.”
Mr. Lapi’s appreciation and advocacy of loc ...

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When it came to getting women the vote, Schoharie County was no suffrage stronghold.
But those church groups, card clubs, literary societies, and even the Red Cross, and the DAR?
Sometimes the biggest revolutions are launched behind the scenes.
On the 100th anniversary of women winning the right to vote, that’s just some of the history Summit author Karen Cuccinello shared at the Schoharie Free Library Thursday in a presentation from her just-published “Women Who Paved the Way at the Turn of the Century in Schoharie County.”
Schoharie County voters twice denied giving women the vote, Ms. Cuccinello said, both in 1915 and again in 1917—though that second time, ...

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The Esperance witch finally has her official recognition.
A roadside “Legends & Lore” sign, similar to state historical markers, now stands alongside Route 30 and acknowledges the long-ago witch.
The Esperance Historical Society dedicated the sign Saturday with about 50 attending.
Whether the Esperance witch actually existed may be open to question, but the fact that she persisted through community legend was enough to merit the sign.
The Historical Society secured a grant for the sign from the New York Folklore Society, which collaborates with the Pomeroy Foundation for the Legends & Lore signs, a program that started last year.
Ellen McHale, executiv ...

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ESPERANCE
The Esperance Historical Society will be dedicating the Esperance Witch “Legends and Lore” marker on October 28 at the Route 20 Bridge on the Duanesburg side at 1pm.
Refreshments will follow at the Esperance Historical Museum on Church Street in the village, featuring an updated Esperance Witch exhibit.
The event is free and open to the public.
The story of the Esperance Witch has been written about many times since it was first published by Jeptha Simms in his book “The History of Schoharie County and Border Wars” in 1845.
The folklore marker was made possible through a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in association with the New Yo ...

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Marion Blumenthal Lazan, a Holocaust survivor, shared a message of hope, courage, faith and compassion at Sharon Springs Central School last Tuesday in a near-capacity presentation to students from not only SSCS, but Cobleskill-Richmondville and Duanesburg Central Schools.
Ms. Lazan spoke for nearly two hours, describing her family’s story.
Following Hitler’s rise to power, the Blumemthal family—father, mother, Marion, and her brother, Albert—were trapped in Nazi Germany.
They managed to eventually get to Holland, but soon after, that country, too, was occupied by the Nazis.
For the next six-and-a-half years, the Blumenthals were forced to live in refugee, tra ...

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Middleburgh Central School technology teacher Scott Gray was named to the New York State Master Teacher program Wednesday.
Mr. Gray is one of only 14 technology teachers from the state to receive this honor.
He has taught at MCS for the past 19 years expanding technology and STEM opportunities for our students.
He also helped rebuild and renovate MCS’s technology classrooms after the floods of Hurricane Irene in 2011, when everything inside the classrooms was lost.
Statewide, 214 teachers were added to the 2017 State Master Teacher program.
All Master Teachers are active beyond their classrooms, serving as curriculum department leaders or on district comm ...

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Schoharie County’s most popular and picturesque hiking trails will soon be owned by the state.
Citing a tremendous increase in users and an aging volunteer base, members of the Vroman’s Nose Preservation Corporation have agreed to donate the ownership of the historic landmark to the state Department of Environmental Conservation. The transfer should take place by the end of the year.
Because of exposure on Facebook and other social media and Intenet sites, the number of hikers has mushroomed over the past few years, according to Susan Vroman Walker, president of the VNPC.
Visitors have increased from 4,000 in 2003 to nearly 13,000 in 2017, according to the VNPC newsle ...

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Schoharie County’s Community Thanksgiving will hit its 30th anniversary in November, and organizers aren’t about to let that landmark date slide by unnoticed.
Dozens––maybe even hundreds––of volunteers who have helped with the meal over the years will be honored at a special recognition celebration October 24.
Richmondville Mayor Kevin Neary and former county Office for the Aging Director Ethel Benninger came up with the recognition idea while planning this year’s Thanksgiving.
Both have been involved with the dinner since the first one in 1988, and they know there are plenty of others who have pitched in for 30 years.
“We’re looking for anyone who worked on t ...

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The Duanesburg Research and Archive Center is nearing completion in Quaker Street, Schenectady County.
“This building marks an important step in our goal of preserving local history,” said Leonard Van Buren, president of the Duanesburg Historical Society.
“When the building is finished residents will have access to historical records related to Duanesburg and local families. On behalf of the Historical Society, thanks to everyone who made this possible through their enormous generosity.”
The Society, which was formed in 1944, had a long-term goal of establishing a local facility suitable for the collection and storage of records related to the history of the town.

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Though she’s not quite sure what she thinks about LaLa’s the cockatiel’s screeching, and she takes a little while to warm up to visitors, Millie the daschund is settling down into her temporary home at the Animal Shelter of the Schoharie Valley.
Millie—that’s what ASSV staff is calling her now; no one knows her real name—was dumped from a car last Tuesday along at the Night Terrors Haunted Farm on Oak Hill near the intersection of Routes 7 and 30.
Witnesses called Schoharie County 911 and told dispatchers that about 10:30pm, they saw two white men, one wearing an orange and white shirt, in a white Honda Accord, possibly a 2000, drop off a small dog, then make a “u” turn and h ...

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The Times-Journal wants your treasured, longtime family recipes.
Or even a few new ones you’ve just perfected.
The T-J is preparing its 26th edition of “Hometown Cooking,” which will feature recipes from readers when it’s published in November.
A flyer in this week’s T-J helps readers submit recipes.
“Without a doubt, this is one of our favorite projects,” said Publisher Jim Poole.
“We enjoy––as much as our readers do––seeing what Schoharie County loves to cook.”
Recipes can include appetizers, drinks and punches, breads, soups, casseroles, quiches, meats, fish, game, vegetables, side dishes and more.
Although “Hometown Cooking” comes o ...

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After at least a decade-long hiatus, afterschool learning—along with fun and games—will be returning to Sharon Springs Central School.
SSCS learned last Wednesday that it has received a five-year grant of $105,000 annually through the Office of Child and Family Services for an afterschool program.
Though SSCS ran a mostly arts and crafts afterschool program through Cornell Cooperative Extension about 10 years ago, the 2017 version will be an opportunity to expand on STEM, said Superintendent Pat Green.
“We want to take what students are already learning and continue it in interactive, hands-on ways after school,” he explained. “This will be a program we design and put ...

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Ava Byrne and her family need help, and Schoharie County is answering.
A benefit Sunday at Hessian Hill Farm raised thousands, and another at Grapevine Farm this Friday should raise additional funds.
Ava, the three-year-old daughter of Leanne Bake and Justin Byrne of Berne, has stage four neuroblastoma and is at Albany Medical Center.
She was first diagnosed with cancer in May 2016, recovered from that but suffered a relapse this year.
Ava was to go to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City last month but wasn’t strong enough to make the trip, according to her grandfather, Sean Byrne of Schoharie.
Donations have been coming in to the f ...

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A generous donation will give a lift to Cobleskill-Richmondville’s backpack program, which aids needy families in the district.
The Beard’s Hollow Society recently gave $1,000 to C-R specifically for the program.
The Society maintains Beard’s Hollow Church, which stands on Beard’s Hollow Road at the Summit-Richmondville town line.
The church holds services only in August and has a loyal congregation that not only maintains the historic building but also keeps an eye out for the community.
Money raised every year goes to the church’s upkeep. Funds left over go to good local causes.
In recent years, the congregation painted the church, fixed the bell to ...

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Cobleskill will have its annual Cobleskill Day this year; it will just be on a different day than originally planned.
First set for Saturday, September 23, Cobleskill Day is now the following Saturday, September 30.
Cobleskill Partnership Inc., the downtown advocacy group, is sponsoring Cobleskill Day.
The day will start with village-wide garage sales at 9am. To register your sale and be on a map, go to the website cobleskillpartnership.com, send an email with name, phone and street address to cobleskillpartnership-@gmail.com or call Sandy Poole at 518-234-3076.
Activities in Centre Park begin at 10am. There will be live music by Force of Habit and children’ ...

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The annual southbound migration of birds through the upper Susquehanna region and the Catskills has begun, and with it comes the start of the local Audubon Society’s Hawkwatch at the group’s wildlife sanctuary on Franklin Mountain near Oneonta.
This season marks the 29th consecutive year of counting raptors at the site, according to Andy Mason, Conservation chair of the Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society.
The hawk watch is one of the prime spots in the eastern United States for observing some species in the fall.
“We get excellent numbers of red-tailed hawks and golden eagles,” said Mr. Mason. “Franklin Mountain is always near the top among hawk watches in the Appalach ...

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Looking to learn how to drive an ambulance?
Or maybe your thing is history. Or historic restoration.
Or maybe you’d like to visit with seniors. Or pets.
No matter your interest, you can probably find a place to volunteer at the first-ever Community Resilience Day this Saturday at Cobleskill’s Fusion Community Church.
The event runs from noon-3pm and will feature tables from nearly two dozen local community organizations in need of volunteers.
There will also be prizes and refreshments.
Saturday’s Volunteer Recruitment Fair will be followed up by a Training & Orientation Day, also at Fusion, from 9am-1pm, the following Saturday, September 16.

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With the near-end of the growing season, two agriculture-related events are on the September calendar.
Thursday, September 14, the Schoharie County Farm Bureau will hold its annual meeting at the Olde Tater Barn.
Doors open at 6:30pm with dinner at 7pm.
The annual business meeting and voting on resolutions will follow.
The guest speaker for the event will be Jessica Ziehm, executive director of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.
NYAAC is a farmer-led organization coalition that supports the dairy industry.
Reservations are due to Linda Cross, (518) 868-9303 or crosslk@midtel.net by Thursday.
Then, on Tuesday, September 19, the F ...

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A fundraising dinner-dance to provide assistance to local disabled veterans will be held on Friday, September 22 at The Olde Tater Barn in Central Bridge.
Proceeds will be donated to the Patriot Highlander Challenge in Cobleskill, which identifies and assists veterans in need of support.
Music and comedy will be provided by “ODY – The Entertainer.”
Free door prizes donated by local merchants. Cash bar at 6pm; dinner at 7pm.
Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus #4475, Middleburgh. For reservations, leave a message at 518-827-3301 or stop by Under the Nose.
• • •

While the Patriot Highlander Chall ...

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Ava Byrne is putting up a brave battle, and the Schoharie County area is rallying to help.
Three-year-old Ava has stage four neuroblastoma, a bone cancer in her head, but the little girl from Berne remains upbeat, as does her family.
The daughter of Leanne Baker and Justin Byrne, Ava was first diagnosed with cancer in late May, 2016. She weathered that bout but recently suffered a relapse.
“It’s rare and very aggressive,” said her grandfather, Sean Byrne of Schoharie, who works in health insurance, and, having survived leukemia himself, is familiar with the process.
“A relapse is not unusual, and you have to get on it,” he added. “But a relapse is very hard to t ...

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The Cherry Valley Historical Association and Museum will host its 4th Historic House Tour this Saturday, August 26, from 10am-4pm.
Tickets are available at the Cherry Valley Museum, 49 Main Street, the day of the event.
The tour will include three homes, two carriage barns, the Cherry Valley Museum, and a guided walk through the Cherry Valley Cemetery.
Lunch will be available to purchase at Grace Episcopal Church; complimentary refreshments will also be available behind the museum.
Included on this year’s tour will be: Londonderry, Story Tavern, Limestone, Rampage Carriage House, Clough’s Book Store, the Episcopal Church, Cherry Valley Museum, and Star The ...

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Monday’s solar eclipse will be a pretty good show for Schoharie County, even if a total eclipse won’t be visible here.
And although the eclipse is far from total, viewers must take precautions to protect their eyes.
A solar eclipse has the moon passing between Earth and the sun, blocking the sun’s rays to Earth. Monday’s eclipse will be the first to cross the continental US since 1918, according to a website about eclipses.
Alan French of the Albany Area Amateur Astronomers, a group that holds programs at the Landis Arboretum in Esperance, said 67 percent of the sun will be blocked for Cobleskill viewers.
The moon will first creep across the sun at 1:21pm.
...

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A big celebration is being planned for Saturday for the 90th anniversary of the founding of the Jefferson Fire Department.
1927 was a huge year. Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs for the World Champion Yankees. President Calvin Coolidge decided not to run for re-election, paving the way for the presidency of Herbert Hoover. Charles Lindbergh flew solo over the Atlantic Ocean, and the first “talkie,” the Jazz Singer, starring Al Jolson, opened in movie theaters.
Numerous fire departments from inside and outside Schoharie County will be sending trucks and personnel to a big parade set for 5pm from the Jefferson Central School to downtown, according to Fire Chief Bill Bivona.
“Man ...

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All the world’s a stage and and no more so than at Sharon Springs’ Chalybeate Park, where afternoons Wednesday, August 9-Tuesday, August 15, the newly-formed Brimstone Creek Productions will stage William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It.”
The daily 1pm performances are free; bring a lawn chair or blankets and a picnic, urges Brimstone Artistic Director John Cormier-Burke, and visit the Forest of Arden.
For those who’ve forgotten their high school English lit, “As You Like It,” likely written in 1599, tells the tale of a Duke, who forced into exile in the Forest of Eden, finds liberty in his banishment, a Fool who finds wisdom in a Shepherd, and Rosalind and Orlando, who “find ea ...

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The 141st Schoharie County Sunshine Fair opened its gates to great weather Saturday as crowds filed in for everything from barrel racing to political displays to the brand new Circus Museum, along with tractors, farm animals, sky-high fun, and blue ribbon entertainment.
Today, Wednesday is Bicycle Give-A-Way Day, Thursday will feature the Beautiful Child Contest, and Friday, the state-sanctioned tractor pull.
The Fair runs through this Saturday when a championship demolition derby in front of the grandstand and Arron Tippin in Brown’s Ford Theater wrap up another year.
See this week’s Times-Journal for pages of Fair photos.

...

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Since 1862, the Beard’s Hollow Church has had Sunday services, except for the years 1928-1932 when it was closed.
Again it will be open for services on August Sundays, thanks to the Beard’s Hollow Society Board of Directors and the following preachers:
•August 6, Rev. Donald Klob;
•August 13, Rev. Robert Coats;
•August 20, Robert Holt; and vespers, Jan Herrick.
•August 27, Rev. Carl Shepard.
The morning hymn sing starts at 10:30am and the service begins at 11am.
The annual picnic is the second Sunday of August. The church is located at 435 Beard’s Hollow Road at the Richmondville-Summit town line.
All are welcome.
...

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Every summer the hanging baskets “appear” on the telephone poles in Middleburgh. In December, the Christmas trees in the Memorial Park are decorated by children from the elementary school and treats are given to each class.
Few people know who or what group is responsible for the flowers, cookies, and many other small things that make Middleburgh more pleasurable to live in.
The hanging baskets and the cookies are Middleburgh traditions thanks to the women at the Century Club.
“It’s just amazing the number of people who don’t know what the Century Club does,” said Stephanie Tinker the club’s co-president with Lin Stein.
The club has been responsible for the hangin ...

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Uber is in Schoharie County.
Randy Bender started the travel service on June 29, the first day Uber was permitted to operate in Upstate New York.
Mr. Bender used to be a truck driver and became interested in Uber when the service was in the news.
Uber drivers use their own vehicles, and Mr. Bender’s case, his is a Chevy Tahoe Z71.
“It’s clean and it can carry seven people,” Mr. Bender said.
Uber is an attractive option, he said, because it’s usually cheaper than a taxi.
He believes he’s the only Uber operator in the area.
Although most of Mr. Bender’s rides have been local, “I’ll take you any place you want to go,” he said.
Contacting M ...

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More than 200 antique and classic vehicles will be on display this Sunday at the New York Power Authority in North Blenheim.
The theme of the show, which runs from 9am to 4pm, is “When Chrome Was King.”
Besides vintage vehicles, the show includes antique outboard and marine engines, old-time gas engines and antique tractors, a for-sale car corral and food vendors.
Free tours of the Power Authority’s Visitors’ Center and Lansing Manor will also be available.
Proceeds from the show benefit four Schoharie County causes: Cobleskill Elks Lodge, Leatherstocking Honor Flight, Marathon for a Better Life and the Animal Shelter of Schoharie Valley.
The Schoharie Val ...

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A new cider business is up and running thanks to a Schoharie County grant program.
Scrumpy Ewe Cider in Charlotteville will be releasing its products––tasting more like white wine than apple cider––this Friday.
Ryan McGiver of West Fulton owns Scrumpy Ewe, and a boost in funding came from the Schoharie County Micreoenterprise Grant Program (SCMGP).
Funded through a state grant, SCMGP is administered by the county Industrial Development Agency with help from the county Office of Community Development.
Scrumpy Ewe is housed at Kymar Farm and Wineries, which has become a popular stop on the county’s beverage tour.
“We are pleased to assist Ryan in his start-up ...

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Jefferson Heritage Day will be Saturday, July 8.
This free event brings folks of all ages from all over to enjoy a day and night in Jefferson at the Town Green (Rt. 10 to Main Street) with the antique Gazebo at its heart. Also marked as the weekend to schedule many family reunions, the planners for this year’s Heritage Day are confident that no one will be disappointed.
Heritage Day is chockful of performances, live music featuring the TLC Cloggers, Native American Dancers, Country Express, Patty & the Mygraines, wagon rides, food stands and crafters, games, birds and reptiles on display. The parade starts at 11am, live entertainment begins at 9:30am and continues throughout t ...

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‘Old Schoharie in the Great War’ will kick off the Schoharie County Historical Society Summer Lecture Series on Thursday, July 6 at 7pm at the Badgley Museum Annex, Old Stone Fort, Schoharie, with Peter Lindemann as presenter.
Mr. Lindemann is a local author and historian.
The lecture is free and open to the public.
“It was one-hundred years ago that America entered the Great War,” said Mr. Lindemann, who has been working on this project for the last six months, “and in Schoharie County we certainly did our bit. Men enlisted, women joined the Red Cross, children became farm cadets, and everyone bought Liberty Bonds.”
After the war, the state historian r ...

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The Sharon Historical Society has welcomed home a piece of its past:
The bell from St. John’s Lutheran Church—not only Sharon’s oldest church congregation, but also Schoharie County’s.
For years, after the church’s tower and bell were removed, Sheila and Fred Coager, members of the St. John’s congregation, had stored the bell in their basement.
The church has been sold, and as a way to help the Historical Society close out its spring series of meetings, the Coagers dusted off the old bell in 2016 and donated it.
It’s now on display at the Main Street Museum Complex.
The bell was dedicated June 19 in a ceremony moved inside to the library’s Community Room be ...

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Schoharie County will have two chances to celebrate Independence Day, beginning Saturday in Cobleskill and then continuing on Tuesday, the 4th, in Sharon Springs.
Saturday’s celebration will be held at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds, beginning at 10am with a flea market and vendors, kids games, a bounce house, and visits from Mickey and Minnie.
There will be plenty of food and from 3-8pm, music by MSM Music Entertainment.
At 11:30am there will be a Lil’ Firecracker contest for kids up to five years old; registration starts at 11am and there’s a $50 top prize.
At 5pm, there will be a parade with the theme, “Celebrate America,” with lineup at Union and Lark Street to th ...

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What better place to celebrate the Fourth of July than in Sharon Springs with a huge county-wide parade and food and entertainment to follow.
The parade begins at 10am on the Fourth of July. Following the parade, a chicken and rib barbeque will follow in the front lawn of Sharon Springs Central School. Entertainment will be from 11am-2pm provided by the Ira Metzger Band.
“The Chamber has received a lot of inquiries about participation in the parade,” says Chamber President Ron Ketelsen. “We are requesting that anyone who plans to enter a float or participate in the parade fill out a Parade Application found on the Chamber website. We anticipate this will be a huge parade ...

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The clocks will be turned back 100 years to 1917 Thursday night in Schoharie.
On Thursday, the village of Schoharie will re-enact a significant milestone in American cinematic history, Schoharie’s Free Open Air Street Movies which ran every summer from 1917 to 1942.
The festivities will begin at 7pm, and then at around 9pm, when it is dark enough, on a screen hung from the original lampposts in front of the county courthouse, attendees will view a brief documentary on the history of the street movies before a screening of the only surviving reel from The Awakening of Helena Richie, the first motion picture to ever light up the night on Schoharie’s Main Street 100 years ago in t ...

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Ceremonies around the area marked Memorial Day, beginning Thursday in Schoharie, and continuing Monday in ceaseless downpours, which forced many--but not all--of the events inside. Here, Cobleskill braves the weather. Photos from this and other ceremonies are in this week's Times-Journal. ...

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It won’t quite be one straight line from Esperance to Blenheim, but plans to develop a trail that would let outdoor enthusiasts bike, hike, and even paddle their way from one end of the Schoharie Valley to the other should be finalized by the end of 2017.
The next step? Seeking funding to build it.
But even before that, Schoharie Area Longterm, which has been coordinating the trail feasibility study with help from GPI Engineers and FoitAlbert Associates and funding from the state Department of State and Schoharie County, needs help further defining the route.
“We still need more feedback as we refine the route,” said SALT’s Jerrine Corallo, who’s now handling the projec ...

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Tuesday, May 30 at 6pm at the Old Stone Fort in Schoharie, the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War will conduct a Decoration Day ceremony first observed in Schoharie County 140 years ago.
The public is invited to assist the Sons in ‘strewing with flowers’ the graves of some thirty-five Union soldiers in the Fort Cemetery.
The Schoharie County American Legion Honor Guard will honor veterans of other wars.
Decoration Day began in 1868 with ‘Logan’s Order.’ General John A. Logan was then Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, the fraternity of Union veterans which ended in 1956 with the death of the last Union veteran. The Sons of Union Veterans of th ...

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The Community Library, Cobleskill, took its future to the second stage Thursday when architect Paul Mays ran through plans and possibilities for about three dozen patrons, trustees, and members of the staff.
Mr. Mays is an architect for the firm of Butler Rowland and Mays Architects, a Balston Spa firm that specializes in libraries.
His presentation will be repeated this Saturday, May 6, 10:30-12:30pm in the library’s lower level.
Among the things Mr. Mays is looking at is how to best use the library’s existing space and unique architectural features.
“This is an important part of the process,” he told the audience before beginning a power point presentation showc ...

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Calvary Assembly of God in Cobleskill celebrated twin accomplishments over the weekend.
The congregation dedicated its new building on Mineral Springs Road and also noted the church’s 50th anniversary.
The weekend-long celebration began Saturday afternoon with “A Taste of Calvary,” a reunion of Calvary friends and family.
Sunday’s events began with a worship service in the morning, then a banquet and church dedication in the afternoon.
Calvary Pastor Ray Richards formally thanked the First Baptist Church and St. Vincent De Paul, both in Cobleskill, for allowing the Calvary congregation to hold services there during the building of the new church.
Ground was ...

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What do you want your library to be?
That’s one of the questions the Community Library will ask at a pair of meetings Thursday, April 27, 5:30-7:30pm and Saturday, May 6, 10:30-12:30pm.
Both meetings, said Ken Hotopp, president of the Community Library’s Board of Trustees, will take a look at a study on the building just-completed by architect Paul Mays.
Though Mr. Mays’ work focused mainly on the building’s physical aspect, what to do with the space inside will be influenced by what sort of services patrons want, Mr. Hotopp said.
“I go in the library and there are so many different things going on,” Mr. Hotopp said. “People using the computers, kids’ activities, ...

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The future began taking shape in Cherry Valley Thursday when a dozen would-be artists came together to craft oversized puppets and banners for the community’s Climate Change March April 29.
Like Cobleskill’s Women’s March in January, the Positive Action: Cherry Valley event will be a “sister march” to the national Climate Change March in Washington, DC as will hundreds of other registered marches across the country.
This Saturday, Schoharie Blue Streak has plans for an Earth Day rally on the Schoharie DAR’s front lawn beginning at 1pm. (See related story.)
Both events are intended to draw attention to the importance of protecting the earth along with other related issues ...

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Can't attend the March for Science?
Or the People's Climate March?
Two local groups are offering alternatives.
Modeled after January's Women's March, the March for Science, set for Earth Day, April 22 in Washington, DC, hopes to bring attention to the importance of science in everyday life.
The April 29 People's Climate March, also in DC, is more specifically focused on climate change.
In Schoharie, the positive action group Schoharie Blue Streak will be hosting its own science event on Earth Day, April 22, on the front lawn of the DAR's Lasell Hall.
The event will run from 1-3pm and is listed on the March for Science Satellite Marches website.
The three d ...

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KyMar Farm Distillery has added another medal to its portfolio of spirits. Their malt whiskey, bottled for the first time in November of 2016, was awarded a gold medal in the 2017 Denver International Spirit Competition.
The double-blind competition took place on March 4-5, 2017 at the Omni Interlocken Resort in Broomfield, Colorado.
This competition is open to both craft producers and major brands in the industry.
"We could not be more excited to receive this recognition for our Malt Whiskey," said Ken Wortz, the founder and distiller.
"It takes great grain, great water, great barrels (Adirondack Barrel Cooperage) and patience to make a great whiskey. All of which Ce ...

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Dozens of young chefs from around the region will come to SUNY Cobleskill on April 1 for a chance to show off their culinary skills and improve school lunch menus in the fourth annual Jr. Iron Chef Competition.
This is the second year that SUNY Cobleskill is hosting the event.
The competition is sponsored by SUNY Cobleskill, the Bassett Research Institute's 5-2-1-0 Initiative, and the Rural Health Education Network of Schoharie, Otsego and Montgomery Counties.
It challenges teams of middle school and high school students to prepare dishes from original recipes using both locally sourced and commodity ingredients as they race against the clock. The students learn valu ...

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A little soup, a little bread, and a lot of compassion--that's the recipe for Empty Bowls Schoharie County.
The sixth annual Empty Bowls, which raises money for local food pantries, will be this Sunday, 11am-3pm, at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.
Open to the public, Empty Bowls has visitors buy a decorated bowl and get soup and bread from more than 20 participating restaurants.
Proceeds from the event go to Schoharie County's 15-plus food pantries.
Organizer Jacqui Hauser had clubs, families, Scouts, students and others paint the bowls over the past few months. She has more than 700 ready for Sunday.
"What I love about this is that it gives people who don't o ...

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Sharon Springs Central School will put the best of its science, technology, engineering, arts, and math skills on display on Thursday, March 30, when it hosts its second annual STEAM Expo.
Last year's STEAM Expo featured more than 25 student and teacher presentations, ranging from classroom-based projects to robotics demonstrations.
This year, elementary students and teachers will be joining the STEAM Expo and one of the organizers, math teacher Dan Cornwell, said they're expecting to see even more diversity in what's presented because of that.
"The expo is a wonderful opportunity to learn from each other," Mr. Cornwell said, "and a way to see how great teachers and inspired s ...

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Schoharie County's home and garden show, which will feature more than 25 local businesses, is coming up in a couple of weeks.
The first-ever event will be Friday March 3 and Saturday the 4th at Rodeway Inn & Suites in Cobleskill.
There will be displays, demonstrations and presentations from builders, home decorating businesses, landscapers, real estate firms and many more.
The Home & Garden Show is sponsored by Cobleskill Partnership Inc., the group promoting Cobleskill as a good place to live and work.
Steve Kuiper, branch manager at Trustco Bank in Cobleskill, is coordinating the show. He admitted that the show didn't start out to be a wide-ranging community event.

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There will be a Water is Life rally in solidarity with the NoDAPL Water Protectors on Sunday, February 19 at The Tepee, Route 20 in Cherry Valley.
At 1:30pm there will be an opening prayer followed by speakers who have visited the Standing Rock camps to show support and would like to share their experience.
A limited supply of NoDAPL t-shirts will be available for purchase with proceeds going to the water protectors. The Tepee will be open from 11am-5pm and will donate 20 percent of that day's sales to support the water protectors.
This is an outdoor event so dress for the weather. Tepee Pete's Chow Wagon will also be open for chili and hot drinks.
...

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No one at the Middleburgh Library Sunday minded that there was a Super Bowl going on.
Or that there weren't enough chairs to go around.
They were there to effect positive change-through their legislators and with their neighbors-at the first on-the-ground meeting of the Women's March NY-Mohawk and Schoharie Valley Region.
More than 70 people from Schoharie County and beyond turned out to share their concerns over actions taken by the Trump Administration since the President's January 20th inauguration.
The crowd pleased and surprised organizers, including Jerrine Corollo and Theresa Heary, who had to hunt down more chairs before getting down to business.
Ms. Heary t ...

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Needles clicking, skeins of yarn in every possible shade of pink at their elbows, dozens of women gathered around the table at CeCe's Wool Farm Store in Esperance Friday to knit a message for President-elect Donald Trump.
They're part of a movement to knit or crochet pink pussycat hats-officially, they're Pussyhats-for those who'll be marching in Washinton, DC on January 21, the day after President Trump's inauguration, in support of women's rights.
"Historically, knitting has brought people together, especially in rural communities," said CeCe's owner, knitter and former assemblywoman Cecilia Tkaczyk.
"This is a great way for people who can't march on the 21st to still do som ...

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Being seriously involved in two volunteer efforts would gratify almost all of us.
Not Cherie Stevens.
She's engaged in a range of causes, all of them giving a lift to those who need one, and that's why Ms. Stevens is the Times-Journal Star for 2016.
"A lot of us connect Cherie with one project," said T-J Editor Patsy Nicosia, who directs the paper's Star award. "Maybe it's the Marathon for a Better Life or the Theater Project of Schoharie County. But Cherie does much more than just one or two."
Indeed. Besides the Marathon, which raises money for Schoharie County cancer patients, and the Theater Project, which performs several plays each year, Ms. Stevens is hardly idl ...

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In the 25 years the Times-Journal has been awarding the T-J Star, this year's recipient, Cherie Stevens, probably received more single nominations than any other.
Which didn't make selecting the 2016 winner any easier.
A total of 20 people were nominated for the award, which recognizes someone who's made a positive contribution to his or her community over the past year.
This year's other nominees were:
Greg and Barbara Furlong, for their dedication and leadership of Leatherstocking Honor Flight, which sends veterans to visit their memorials in Washington, DC free of charge.
"To date, the organization has sent more than 1,400 veterans on the trip of a lifetime."

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Here's the thing about Christmas shopping:
Even when you're a cop, used to fighting crime, there's probably nothing tougher than taking a kid with a credit card and a list up and down the aisles of Wal-Mart.
Also:
Nothing more likely to bring tears-of both the Christmas spirit and the glad-it's-not-me type-from others doing their last-minute shopping.
"God bless you, officer. Thank you for your service," said one woman Thursday, offering a high-five to one of a dozen Cobleskill Police Department officers pushing a cart through the Wal-Mart toy aisle Thursday, young charge in tow, for the CPD's second Shop with a Cop.
"I hate Christmas shopping," she confided, cons ...

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By now, Christmas has come and gone; Santa's gotten his gifts delivered and he's probably relaxing somewhere quiet and warm.
At the Times-Journal, though, we're still working on our list, finalizing the details on our pick for the 2016 T-J Star, our 25th.
We'll feature the '16 winner and detail the accomplishments of all of our nominees in our January 4, 2017 issue.
But until then, here's who's on the list, most multiple times.
Alyson Montione.
Cherie Stevens.
Tim Snyder.
Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge.
Tom Nigro.
Pat Costello.
Greg and Barbara Furlong.
Barbara DiCocco.
Alexis Ryder.
Blair Hartman.
Trista Bradt.
...

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Christmas is a time for giving and in Sharon Springs, two high schoolers take that message to heart.
For the second year, in an effort they call the Magic of Sharon Springs, Lester Higgins Jr. and his sister, Deserae, put coin jars out during the community's Garden Party, Harvest Festival, and Victorian Stroll as a way to collect for a family in need.
The first year, the collection went to neighbors who'd lost their home in a fire.
Friday, they presented the $165 they'd collected in 2016 to Molly Roosevelt and her son, Lucas, to help with some of the family's medical bills.
The families are good friends; Ms. Roosevelt thought they were all meeting up at the American Hotel ...

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Schoharie County's farmers are giving back just in time for Christmas.
After efforts to purchase and then donate coupons for free milk to local food pantries through an organization called Feed America fell through, said Farm Bureau President John Radliff, the SCFB instead made donations of $250 each to the:
--Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association.
--Coats for Kids.
--Schoharie County Community Action Program food pantry.
New York Farm Bureau and Cazenovia Equipment also contributed toward the donations," Mr. Radliff said.
"We were really disappointed that the project with Feed America didn't work out," Mr. Radliff said. "Milk is something food pantries can't h ...

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What goes around, comes around.
Which is a good thing when you're talking homemade chocolate cookies, fire trucks, and an all-expense paid trip to Disney World.
That's the surprise 19-year-old Ryan Hacker of Gallupville got Thursday thanks to the downstate-based Baking Memories 4 Kids.
Baking Memories 4 Kids, explained founder Frank Squeo, bakes and sells containers of homemade chocolate chip cookies as a way to send kids with life-threatening and terminal illnesses to Disney World and other Florida attractions.
Typically, Mr. Squeo explained, it takes months to put together a trip for someone like Ryan, who his cerebral palsy, and his parents, Eric Hacker and Tina Bleau. ...

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Are you a farm owner who wonders if there are grants that could support your farm business?
Come to a program on December 14, 10am-noon at the CCE Extension Center, 173 South Grand Street, Cobleskill.
"Free Money?" will help you understand common grant terminology and rules, learn how to predict your project's likelihood of receiving useful funding for your farm so that you don't waste time on low probability or high cost proposals, and provide information about existing programs, and where to look for information about funding.
The program is offered by the Eastern NY Commercial Horticulture Program and is free. Register at the ENYCH site: http://enych.cce.cornell.edu/events ...

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Vinnie Zaba suspected all along that Cobleskill wanted a bakery.
He was right.
Since opening on November 22, the Brick House Bakery has had a non-stop response from customers looking to soothe a sweet tooth.
Across West Main Street from Cobleskill's Centre Park, Brick House offers a variety of pies, cheesecake, pastries, cookies and more, exactly as Mr. Zaba planned earlier this year.
"This is everything I envisioned," Mr. Zaba said. "Support from the community has been outrageous.
"I can't explain how excited I am. I can't come up with the words."
The bakery is in the former Coby Motors building, which was dilapidated when Mr. Zaba bought it. He and contract ...

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Christmas is coming early to Cobleskill this year.
Three holiday events--all involving Santa--are happening this weekend, two in the village and one at Cobleskill-Richmondville High School.
The first will be the Marines' Toys for Tots train, which will arrive at the Cobleskill Firehouse at 3pm Saturday.
Santa and his Marine helpers will meet with families and hand out toys and other goodies. The train will be on its way at 3:50.
A little more than an hour later, Cobleskill's Christmas parade will step off at 5pm and march to Centre Park for the annual tree-lighting ceremony.
The festival of trees--about 30 trees sponsored by merchants and individuals--will be lighte ...

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Now that the Thanksgiving leftovers are finally gone and Santa's started checking his list, it's time to get going on the 2016 Times-Journal Star.
Once again, we're looking for someone who exemplifies the best of Schoharie County.
Someone like Sarah Goodrich (our 2012 Star), John Radliff (2009), or Adele Hayes (1994).
Awarded every January since 1992, the T-J Star recognizes someone who's positively impacted the community over the past year in ways not necessarily related to their job.
"We rely heavily on nominations," said T-J Editor Patsy Nicosia, who coordinates the award.
"If you know someone we should consider, let us know-and then back it up with facts. There a ...

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With homemade desserts, Christmas ornaments, a flower show, and speeches on the front porch, Schoharie Library friends and family celebrated two historic milestones Saturday:
The library's 100th anniversary and the unveiling of its status on the New York State and National Historic Registries.
"This library is the hub of the community," said Board President Michelle Borst in her remarks, a sentiment the speakers who came after her echoed.
Mayor John Borst, who's own history with the site goes back to 1963 when as an Explorer Scout, he lent a hand raking and moving debris for the library's move there, said after Hurricane Irene, the library was a place where people gathered and ...

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Sports booster clubs at Middleburgh, Schoharie and Cobleskill-Richmondville are selling Times-Journal subscriptions with a goal in mind.
Clubs already earn $15 apiece for each new subscription they sell, but the club that sells the most new ones before February 10 will win another $1250 from the T-J.
"It's an incentive to inspire a little friendly competition," said T-J Publisher Jim Poole.
Sports booster clubs traditionally support athletic teams with expenses that their schools may not be able to afford.
Last fall, C-R's All-Sports Booster Club raised more than $200 selling T-J subscriptions.
"We do a lot with sports in the paper, so it's only natural that we give ...

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It was a long time coming-longer than anyone expected-but Friday, the Times-Journal began moving back into its old digs.
Quick work by the Cobleskill Fire Department put out a fire that started in one of the apartments above the T-J last December 23.
But smoke and water damage to the space used by the Sales, Printing, and Graphics Departments left half of the Division Street building unusable.
"We were able to move desks and computers around to maximize the space we could use, but it's been cramped and it took us a while to reorganize," said T-J Publisher Jim Poole.
"Having everyone pitch in here and make the best of things helped a lot. But it's certainly nice to be gett ...

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The Sharon Springs Rotary Club has disbanded and unless else someone steps up, the community could be short a crèche for Christmas.
Faced with dwindling numbers-there are just a half-dozen members-the club held a meet and greet on October 21, inviting people from the community and other Rotary Clubs, looking for alternatives to disbanding.
Unfortunately, said President Geri Dunne, they didn't end up with any and are disbanding.
That means someone else will have to pick up the club's traditional projects, including putting up the crèche at the NBT Bank for the holidays, if they are to continue, she said.
Ms. Dunne said the crèche usually goes up just after T ...

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SUNY Cobleskill has been named to Military Times' "Best for Vets: Colleges 2017" rankings for the second consecutive year, recognizing its commitment to educating and providing opportunities to America's veterans, service members and families.
The eighth annual rankings, announced November 1, are based on Military Times' comprehensive survey of veteran and military student offerings and rates of academic achievement at more than 500 colleges across the country.
"SUNY Cobleskill's continued 'Best of Vets' recognition is a testament to the veteran-friendly culture that the College has cultivated over the years," said Matthew LaLonde, director of Judicial and Veteran Affairs at SUNY C ...

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Schoharie County's Thanksgiving Day Committee will serve up its 29th meal of turkey and all the trimmings at a new location:
The Schoharie United Presbyterian Church.
The SUPC will be the site for both the sit-down dinner and take-outs on Thanksgiving, November 24, said longtime organizer Kevin Neary of Richmondville.
"That's a little different than the past, but they have great facilities and it's easier than having to drag things like pots and pans in and out," Mr. Neary said.
"We put out a request and they answered. We're very grateful."
The dinner-like always-is free.
"After all these years, it still fits a need," Mr. Neary said. "We believe in this...it's ...

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The Sharon Springs Rotary called out the cavalry Friday in hopes of finding ways to boost its dwindling numbers.
Guests included members of the Cobleskill Rotary Club as well as friends from the Sharon Springs community.
The meet and greet was also a chance to honor Paul Harris Fellows Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Jeremiah Tichy.
The Paul Harris award recognizes individuals who donate-or have donated in their honor--$1,000 to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
With Jeremiah's honor, all six members of the Sharon Springs Rotary are now Paul Harris Fellows.
But like volunteer organizations everywhere, the group is struggling to stay alive; Friday's event was a c ...

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The Schoharie County Clerk's Office will host a special passport day on Saturday, October 29 from 9am-noon at the County Clerk's Office, 284 Main Street, Schoharie.
This is in addition to the office's normal hours for passport applications, Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5pm and Wednesdays, 8:30am-7pm.
The office will be accepting applications for first-time passports and will assist anyone with completing the renewal application for passport books or cards. They will also take passport photos.
New rule this year, no glasses can be worn in photo except under certain circumstances and with a doctor's note.
A reminder of what to bring:
•Birth certificate with raised seal and b ...

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Imagine an eight-acre sports dome, 160-feet tall and big enough inside for six Little League fields and you'll get an idea of the project being constructed by Air Structures American Technologies Inc. at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.
Since late September, ASAT has been using the wide-open space at the Fairgrounds to assemble pieces of a 12-section cable net grid that will eventually be shipped to East Fishkill for what could be the world's largest air-structure multi-sports dome.
Though ASAT's corporate headquarters are in Rye Brook, the company's manufacturing facilities are nearby in East Worcester, said Bill Fraioli, who runs the family-owned company with his wife, Denise.
Ty ...

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When a carload of local teens headed out that June day, red Solo cups and phones in hand and behind the wheel, they never thought it would end in tragedy.
But it did:
With 17-year-old Sharon Springs Central School senior Ian Rohac dead at the scene of the County Route 8A crash, and Amarnie Lawas, another senior, but from Cobleskill-Richmondville, charged with vehicular manslaughter and facing 7-14 years in state prison.
It was, however, all make-believe, written, staged and filmed for Project CRASH, a joint effort between the Schoharie County Sheriff's Office and SCCASA.
"But what you saw? It's pretty much how it would all go down," said Deputy Zach Reinhart, one of thos ...

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I came to the end of a very adventurous novel and the main character found himself in Sharon Springs, Kansas.
What?
I Googled Sharon Springs, Kansas and low and behold, there really is such a place.
So the little I know about Kansas is that it is vast, dry and that's where Dorothy and her dog Toto called home.
I knew that there is an Ames, Iowa, named after a Congressman from Massachusetts and Syracuse, Kansas named for the city in New York but why would anything be named "springs" in dry old Kansas?
Well, it turns out that the Santa Fe and the Oregon trails went through Kansas, used first by the native peoples and then by the pioneers as they traveled westward, fo ...

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SUNY Cobleskill President Marion Terenzio has announced a new scholarship endowment in honor of Clifford and Elizabeth Hay and their contributions to Schoharie County.
The annual scholarship will benefit a student majoring in Dairy Science at SUNY Cobleskill who has been active in the FFA.
"Cliff and Betty Hay are the kind of people who form the backbone of a community," Dr. Terenzio said.
"From business to education to work with the county's youth, the Hays have given tremendously to Schoharie County and its residents. We are proud to announce this new endowment in their names."
Throughout his life, Mr. Hay has been a pillar of the county's business community.
...

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All Schoharie County high school and homeschooled students, ninth to twelfth grade, are invited to the Schoharie County American Legion, Legion Riders and Ladies Auxiliary Posts to participate in this year's Schoharie County American Legion Oratorical Contest.
The contest will be held at the Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School auditorium on Saturday, December 3 at 1:30pm (snow date December 10 at 1:30pm).
Schoharie County Oratorical chairman is Frank Masterson, Jr.
The prepared oration must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States and be of the contestant's choice, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to the government by way of the Unite ...

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A year after tearful goodbyes to their respective churches, the congregations of the Hyndsville and Dorloo United Methodist Churches have united as the Christian Community Church of Faith.
And they're stronger than they've ever been.
"It was a blessing really," said CCC of Faith's Kim Witkowski before Sunday's 8:30am services in the West Richmondville church they're already halfway to buying.
"All of the small churches, we're working together now in ways we never thought to before."
A case in point is CCC of Faith's home, a church built in 1976 as the West Richmondville Methodist Church, but most recently, home to the Calvary Assembly of God.
After Calvary Assembly m ...

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The Times-Journal wants the best from your kitchen.
The T-J is preparing the 25th edition of "Hometown Cooking" that will feature recipes from readers when it's published in November.
A flyer in this week's paper asks readers to submit recipes for the special edition.
"We like this project as much as any that we print," said Publisher Jim Poole.
"It's always interesting to see what readers send in--old favorites or heirloom recipes."
Recipes can include appetizers, drinks and punches, breads, soups, casseroles, quiches, meats, an fish, game, vegetables, side dishes, desserts and more.
Although "Hometown Cooking" comes out right before the holidays, recipes needn ...

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SUNY Cobleskill will mark 100 years of educating students beginning this Friday and running through Sunday with a Centennial Celebration.
The event will include a parade, fireworks, a youth fishing derby, and even a visit from StoryCorps.
StoryCorps is a national history project that records conversations between people with a story to tell.
Each participant takes home a CD of the recording and copies will be archived at the Library of Congress and at SUNY Cobleskill's Van Wagenen Library.
The number of recording sessions is limited; call Beth Oregeron at 255-5842 to make a reservation.
Saturday, SUNY Cobleskill will be part of the FAM Run, which leaves the Fairgroun ...

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The 2016 annual Patriot Highlander Challenge, a fundraiser for the Wounded Challengers of Honor through the Comeback Initiative at EXOS and Adaptive Team Sports for Veterans, will return to Cobleskill this Saturday.
The event is held at the 160-acre Sunny Knolls Farm, 211 Little York Road, and brings together athletes and veterans from across the Northeast.
Competitive heats start at 8am with Challenger of Honor introductions and opening ceremonies at 9:30am.
Adult heats continue every half hour until noon; Junior Challenge kids' heats are at 12:30 and 1pm.
The Highlander features three- and six-mile courses with nearly a dozen obstacles, including ropes, walls, and mud.< ...

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Pink light bulbs are currently being sold by Cobleskill Regional Hospital's auxiliary volunteers to help bring attention to Breast Cancer Awareness.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, and folks all over the county are being asked to help with the effort to "Light the Night Pink" all October.
"I first witnessed the 'Light the night Pink' initiative in Western New York a few years ago, and it immediately got my attention," said Mary Miller, CRH auxilian, who is leading the effort.
"Seeing whole neighborhoods lit up in pink for a cause is quite remarkable, and I thought it would be important to bring this concept to Schoharie County."
One in eight women are diagnos ...

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Officials from Schoharie Area Long-Term Inc. want more public input on a proposed 38-mile multi-use trail in the county.
They have already received 500 surveys on the trail, which would run from Esperance to Blenheim.
Most of the surveys collected have been from residents of Cobleskill, Middleburgh, and Schoharie.
In order to get more public input, SALT has scheduled four landowner information meetings in October, according to Jin Kim, SALT's Schoharie Creek Trail Study Coordinator.
Landowners along the Schoharie Creek as well as the general public are invited to the meetings.
"We want everyone to know that their participation in the study and, if feasible, the devel ...

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President Mary Ann Larkin announces the fall 2016 meetings of the Sharon Historical Society, held at 7pm on the third Monday of the month in the Community Room of the Library Building on Main Street/State Route 10.
Monday, September 19, sculptor/artist Peter Cozzolino and photographer Erreca Batchelor will present a program featuring the historic St. John's Lutheran Church building in the Town of Sharon.
Mr. Cozzolino will speak about frescos and their use in early New York, and Ms. Batchelor will present her photographs of the interior frescos and architecture in this first Lutheran congregation in Schoharie County, founded in 1745 by the Reverend Peter Sommers.
Local chu ...

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The Iroquois Indian Museum will host its 35th annual Iroquois Indian Festival this Saturday and Sunday, September 3-4, from 10am-5pm both days.
The festival celebrates Iroquois creativity and self-expression with an all-Iroquois Art Market, open by invitation only, and showcasing both traditional and contemporary work.
The Sky Dancers from Six Nations Reserve in Ontario will perform traditional Iroquois social dances, inviting visitors out onto the floor to dance with them.
Onondaga storyteller Perry Ground will return with daring and dramatic tales and special guests this year will be North Country Heritage Award recipients the Akwesasne Women Singers.
The Children's Act ...

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It seems way too early to begin thinking about the winter holiday season in September.
But that's just what members of the Depot Lane Singers will be doing in September, as they begin to prepare for their December winter concerts.
"Joys of the Season" will be the theme of this year's program, and new members are encouraged to join.
The Depot Lane Singers are a community chorus of 60 to 70 members, based in Schoharie.
Rehearsals for the winter concert programs will begin on Tuesday, September 6, and will be held at the Depot Lane Theatre building in Schoharie, beginning at 7:30pm.
Music to be performed at the December concerts will feature two very different arra ...

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Hundreds of people looking to shop from farmers they know turned out Saturday to help the Festival Farmers Market celebrate its 20th anniversary.
The event featured a birthday cake, remarks by State Ag Commissioner Richard Ball and others, music, free samples, and of course, plenty of produce, from melons to maple products.
Donna Olsen and Linda Cross manage the market, which is open Saturday and Wednesday, from mid-July to mid-October.
The Festival Farmers Market is located at McCarthy Tire Service.
Previous locations included Howes Cave and Wohl's Plaza.
...

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Schoharie County Historian Ted Shuart will be the guest lecturer at the Old Stone Fort Museum this Thursday, August 18 at 7pm in the final installment of the Summer Lecture Series.
His topic, "The Inns and Hotels of Schoharie County"
will focus on some of the best-known inns, hotels, taverns and tavern stories of Schoharie County.
Mr. Shuart will include a look at some of the historic taverns, most currently private residences, still standing in the area.
The program is free and light refreshments will be served.
The earliest lodging establishments in the area were private homes where a family would take in a few travelers.
Such inns, or taverns if they ...

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Schoharie Presbyterian, Schoharie Lutheran, and Schoharie Reformed Churches, with support from Camp Fowler, completed another successful week of camp in July, surpassing previous years attendance records with close to 160 campers, ranging from ages pre-K to eighth grade.
Also this year, the camp received support from Youth Mission Workers from Michigan, who spent a week in Schoharie, serving as counselors.
This year's theme was "Treasure of the Heart" which combined a fun pirate theme with Christian teachings.
Due to the continued success of this program and to extend its reach beyond one week, the churches have developed a Christian after-school program to begin this Septemb ...

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After a season of being closed, the Cobleskill Village Community Pool has reopened.
A new pump/filter building and liner have been completed.
Also, pool-goers will enjoy a new Vortex Water Slide donated by Linda and Floyd Holmes II.
The turbo slide was purchased in the name of their children Kirsten Holmes Farr, Erika Holmes Weidman and Erik Floyd Holmes who "grew up" on the pool deck and were avid swim team members, and in memory of their grandson Adam Minms who also loved his time spent at the Village of Cobleskill's community pool.
The family remembers the slide that was originally at the pool and how much the children loved it.
With the upgrades made at the ...

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Patrick Wayman and Dayna Handy share graduation-preparation photos before the big event in Sharon Springs Friday night. The Times-Journal's coverage of graduations in Sharon, Cobleskill-Richmondville, Schoharie, Middleburgh, Jefferson, Gilboa-Conesville, and Worcester is featured in a special section in this week's paper. It's something we've been doing for more than 20 years. ...

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Schoharie County will celebrate the Fourth of July with a parade, fireworks, fun and more, beginning Saturday in Cobleskill.
Cobleskill's Family Fun Day will kick off at 1pm Saturday at the Fairgrounds with food, live music, vendors, games and events for kids, wrapping up with fireworks at dark.
All day Family Fun admission is by $10 wristband.
Monday, the 4th, the celebration will move to Sharon, where the Sharon Springs Chamber of commerce is sponsoring a parade, with the theme "America the Beautiful," beginning at 10am.
Lineup for the parade will be at Dairyland.
Marchers, floats, and others will travel west of Route 10 to Chestnut Street, and then to the Sharon ...

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Summit Mountain Day will celebrate the beginning of summer Saturday with a day of fun events that begins at 8am at the Summit Firehouse with a pancake breakfast.
Breakfast will be served until 11am; many of the other festivities will take place at the Summit Town Garage, beginning at 11am.
Parking and admission are free.
Throughout the day food and drink will be available, there will be vendors, arts and crafts, an antique car show, wagon rides, juggling and a magic show by Howard Schrumpf.
There will be music by the Gael Joyal Band, Crystal Smith, Larry Barry, the Yak Yak Creek Band, Gary Jenkins, and the Gravel Yard Band, and at 3pm at the town hall, a demonstration by ...

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The Schoharie County Sunshine Fair will remember Blair Hartman this Saturday when they fill the Fairgrounds with flowers in his memory.
A longtime Fair director and treasurer, Mr. Hartman died on May 19.
For the past few years, he purchased and planted most of the flowers on the Fairgrounds, paying an estimated $1,500 out of his own pocket.
A few weeks ago, Fair directors launched a campaign to raise donations for the flowers, which volunteers will plant Saturday, beginning at 8:30am.
There will be coffee, refreshments, and instructions; all are welcome and it should only take a few hours.
Fair directors hope to make this an annual event.
Donations can still be ...

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Silent since the sad closure of the Dorloo United Methodist Church last October, the 145-year-old pipe organ that for 80-plus years of Sundays filled the hamlet with music, is on its way to a new home.
Sidney Chase of the Chase Organ Company in Worcester, along with a handful of volunteers, began dismantling the organ last Monday.
That part of the process was expected to take just a few days; reassembling it the United Methodist Church in Westford will likely take most of the summer.
Westford will be the organ's third home.
According to Mr. Chase, it was built by John G. Marklove, who started building organs in Utica about 1858 and continued until his death in 1891.
...

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Schoharie County will celebrate the Fourth of July in a big way this year with a parade, fireworks, living history events, and more.
Traditionally, Cobleskill's hosted the festivities, but because of Main Street construction, events are being spread out throughout the county.
The Sharon Springs Chamber of Commerce is coordinating the extended weekend; contact President Ron Ketelsen, 860-5513 or email sharonspringschamber@gmail.com for more information or to volunteer.
The traditional fireworks celebration at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds will still be held, but has been moved to Saturday, July 2, when there will also be a Family Fun Day there.
The Fourth will feature a 10am ...

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Maybe the idea for a new Cobleskill bakery started with Tim and Tracy Purcell.
Or it could have begun with Vincent Zaba. And his mom, Ernestine Zaba, probably had an unintentional hand in the bakery's beginnings.
Most likely, it was the intersection of all their inspirations that will bring a new bakery to Cobleskill.
That day is in the future, but the Purcells, owners of Grapevine Farms, bought the former Coby Motors building on Main Street and will convert the building to the bakery. Mr. Zaba will run the bakery and be a co-owner with the Purcells, and Ms. Zaba will help, too.
The Purcells were looking at the building since the fall.
"We had a vision of what it c ...

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Monday marks Memorial Day, a day that will be recognized around Schoharie County:

COBLESKILL
The Fred L. Stinson Post 57 will host a Memorial Day ceremony on Monday the 29th in Veterans Memorial Centre Park, Cobleskill, at 10am.
All are welcome.

SHARON SPRINGS
Sharon Springs will mark Memorial Day with an 11am parade with music provided by the Sharon Springs Central School marching band under the direction of Ron Letteron.
A memorial address and ceremony will follow in front of the school, where pavers honoring local servicemen and women remain available for purchase.
Floats and motorized vehicles, except for those transporting dis ...

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Bottle by bottle, can by can, nickel deposit donations at the Town of Sharon's transfer station are paying off big time for the Sharon Springs Central School Music Department.
SSCS Music Department booster Karen Cookson told school board members Monday that since transfer station attendant Carl Walther began accepting donated returnables for SSCS in 2002, he's redeemed them for a couple of good-sized checks.
The check Mr. Walter gave her a couple of weeks ago, she said, was more than good-sized; it was for $5,771.
"Carl feels very grateful for what the Music Department meant to his son when he was a student here," Ms. Cookson explained. "This is his way of giving back."
...

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It's taken three and a half years for Chris Guldner and Mary Sagendorf to reach their one-year anniversary of the Bull's Head Inn.
And although the wait was longer--much longer--than expected, it was worth it.
The first anniversary of the reopening of the Cobleskill restaurant comes at the end of this month. Rather than mark just one year, the owners will celebrate the accomplishments that came before.
Mr. Guldner and Ms. Sagendorf bought the closed Bull's Head in January 2013, expecting to reopen the inn just before SUNY Cobleskill students returned that August.
Those plans quickly fell by the wayside, however, when they discovered how much work needed to be done--the r ...

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The 3rd annual Sharon Springs Run 4 the Hills raised a record amount for the Sharon Springs Rescue Squad and Hero Fund America Saturday as more than 150 runners and walkers took to the hilly course for a good cause.
And oh yeah, the party at the end.
Mark Stephenson won the day with a 25:13 time and Amanda Collins was the first woman back in 33:09.
The winners won a pair of New Balance sneakers donated by Sharon Springs native Kevin Mallery and, his name drawn at random, Andrew Meka also won a pair.
All participants received a commemorative key chain and post-race festivities followed the event behind the American Hotel.

A full page of race photos is in our pri ...

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There's still time to register for the 3rd annual Run 4 the Hills, Sharon Springs' ambitious--and hilly--fundraiser, and this year, a benefit for the Sharon Springs Rescue Squad and Hero Fund America.
Both the run and Hero Fund America were begun by Garth Roberts in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings as a way to thank and honor emergency responders.
Saturday's race will begin at 9am at the American Hotel and will be followed by music, refreshments, awards, and fun.
Online registration is closed, but racers can still sign up at the American, from 3-5pm, Friday and from 7:30-8:30am, Saturday.
Broadway Phantom of the Opera performer Ted Keegan will kick off the race wi ...

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The Times-Journal wants to know why your Mom is best.
In honor of Mother's Day, the T-J is having its annual "Why My Mom's the Greatest" essay contest.
In 200 words or less, explain why your Mom--or the person who fills in for your Mom--is the finest around.
The contest is open to everyone, kids through adults. There are no age groups.
"Usually our contests are primarily for kids or mostly for adults," said T-J Publisher Jim Poole. "Everyone's Mom is special, so this is open to everyone."
The Times-Journal will pick four winners, and those winners and their Moms will receive gift certificates from local businesses.
The deadline for entries is next Wednesday, M ...

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Things are shaping up for the 51st Schoharie County Maple Festival, set for all-day Saturday at the Cobleskill Fairgrounds.
Festivities for the free event will begin at 8am with a pancake breakfast by the Cobleskill Fire Department.
All day, there will be crafts, food, maple products, confections, and demonstrations, and free entertainment.
At noon, a parade will leave the SUNY Cobleskill Commuter Parking Lot next to Agway and head down MacArthur Avenue to the Fairgrounds-a route change because of Main Street construction.
And at 2pm, the 2016 Maple Queen will be crowned by 2015 Queen Taylor Shafer in Progressland; candidates are Dayna Handy, Mikayla Gaida, and Heather Kn ...

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Dr. Marion Terenzio will be inaugurated on April 8, as SUNY Cobleskill's 12th president, the first woman to hold that office.
The Inauguration, to be held during the College's Centennial year, marks the beginning of SUNY Cobleskill's second century.
Dr. Terenzio has hit the ground running since taking on the role of president in July, supporting the expansion of unique degree programs, embracing SUNY Cobleskill's role in driving SUNY's systemness, and cultivating partnerships within the local community," said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher.
"I am proud to celebrate her inauguration and look forward to our continued work together."
Prior to this appointment, Dr. Terenz ...

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Plans are shaping up for the 3rd annual Run 4 the Hills, an ambitious-and hilly-fundraiser that this year will benefit the Sharon Springs Rescue Squad and Hero Fund America.
Both the run, up, up, and down the hills of Sharon Springs, and Hero Fund America were begun by Garth Roberts in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings as a way to thank and honor emergency responders.
Each year, the run benefits a local fire department or rescue squad; this year it's the SSRS's turn.
The event will begin at 9am, Saturday, May 7m at the American Hotel.
Online registration is open until May 1 at active.com and if there are still slots open, from 3-5pm Friday, May 6, at the American, ...

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Schoharie's DAR celebrated the end of winter with a fundraising feast Saturday at Lasell Hall.
Originally a tavern built in 1975, Lasell Hall saw heavy damage from Hurricane Irene; the Winter Feast was a fundraiser with proceeds going to ongoing restoration efforts.
Saturday, more than 50 people, many of them dressed in 18th-century garb and some of them Revolutionary War-era reenactors, enjoyed live music, a magician, parlor games and a silent auction as well as a sit-down dinner, filling the historic building with the sounds of centuries ago.
More photos in this week's paper edition.

...

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This week's Times-Journal begins a contest to help readers get ready for spring.
"Where's Peter Cottontail?" offers spring cash for winners who can find the elusive bunnies.
Graphic artist Karen Slater has hidden three tiny rabbits in ads this week. Readers must find the rabbits and complete the entry form.
The T-J will draw one entry at random from all those correct, and that reader will win $25.
Where's Peter? also continues in the next two issues.
At the end of the contest, a grand prize winner will be drawn from all correct entries, and the lucky reader will win $100.
Rules and an entry form for Where's Peter? are on page 6.

...

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It's Love Your Library Month.
Come in out of the cold this Saturday, February 20, at 11am, and show your love by joining the Friends of the Community Library for their annual meeting.
All current members are invited, and the officers especially encourage new members or anyone interested in finding out more about the Friends to attend.
The annual meeting provides an opportunity to thank all the Friends for their continued support and generosity.
Those attending will get a chance to learn about last year's accomplishments, renew their memberships, elect officers for the upcoming year, and offer ideas and suggestions for 2016.
Also of note, the Friends will be suspendin ...

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More and more Cobleskill-Richmondville students are taking college credit courses--right in the high school.
And C-R is looking to add even more college courses, high school Principal Melissa Ausfeld told the school board last week.
SUNY Cobleskill must approve the course work for Environmental Science, Food Science and Ag classes for those to become new College in the High School entries, Ms. Ausfeld said.
Assuming they're approved, C-R would have about 20 college credit courses.
The high school already offers Composition I, French IV and V, Spanish V, Trigonometry, Accounting, Business Law, Compute Essentials, Calculus, Precalculus and Biology I. All are taught at the ...

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New Visions students win 2016 "We The People" competition
For the fifth time, students in the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School and Questar III New Visions Law & Government program will compete at the state "We The People: The Citizen and the Constitution" competition.
The 11-student NVLG team advanced to the February 27 state competition after besting their peers from around the region in a local competition hosted by Albany Law School on January 9.
The winning NVLG student team consists of:
--Gabrielle Agostino, Mohon- asen Central School District,
--Mutaz Ali, Troy City School District,
--Morgan Daignault, Sharon Springs Central School Distri ...

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We're diving head first into 2016 and have begun planning another full year of community events.
But before I get into that, we need to thank so many of our supporters that made the 2015 and the holidays extra special for our shelter residents.
In December, we asked for donations to fill Christmas stockings for shelter pets and we were thrilled with the response. In addition to individual donors (I wish we could list them all by name), the following groups brought us overflowing stockings: Radez Elementary School, Gilboa Conesville School, GlaxoSmithKline employees, Sterling Insurance, Wal-Mart Distribution and the Cobleskill-Richmondville Transportation Garage.
In add ...

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Hoping there's still a place for Habitat for Humanity in Schoharie County, supporters will be reaching out to local churches in hopes of two things:
--Finding people willing to serve on a short-term ad hoc board to help determine whether to keep Habitat here.
--Finding people who'd be interested in a Habitat home-with all of its requirements-if that board agrees Habitat is still viable.
A half-dozen people showed up for a second meeting on Habitat's future Monday in Schoharie.
Most of them had also attended one in December, where John Rose, the last remaining board member, discussed what Habitat is up against.
Habitat is intended for families that don't qualify for a ...

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SCRABBLE fans can win money and help a good cause in a tournament this March.
It's Literacy Volunteers' eighth annual SCRABBLE tournament, which will be Saturday, March 19 at Radez School in Richmondville. Doors open at 8am, and the tile frenzy starts at 8:30.
The tournament is a major fundraiser for Literacy New York--Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie Counties, which has volunteers teach adults how to read.
But if the contest is a fundraiser, the focus is on fun.
"People have a good time in friendly competition," said Jim Poole, board president of the three-county organization.
"And everyone has a shot at winning prize money, and even better--bragging rights."
...

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The National Guard showed Joe Tracy what stealth, secrecy, and the element of surprise can do Thursday.
Mr. Tracy, who's owned and operated JT's Cycles in Cobleskill since 2006, thought the surprise was an event honoring employee Zachary Schaffer of Summit for his service in Afghanistan.
But it turned out, he was the one being honored and the surprise was on him.
In fact, Mr. Tracy was the only one who didn't know what was going on.
"I was watching him and he start to look a little confused when I walked in with [their son] Brendon," Mr. Tracy's wife, Pam, said afterwards.
"But until then, I think we had him."
Even Mr. Tracy's parents, Victoria and James, were ...

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The annual DOAS field trip to view wintering bald eagles is scheduled for Saturday, January 9.
This popular outing visits rivers and reservoirs in Delaware County, where the birds concentrate to feed.
Recent trips have turned up 20-30 eagles along with other raptors and a variety of waterfowl.
The trip will depart the Dietz Street parking lot across from the YMCA in Oneonta at 8:30am.
Participants can also be picked up en route in Delhi and Walton.
Carpooling is encouraged.
The group will stop for lunch at a local restaurant for interested participants.
Return to Oneonta will be mid-to late-afternoon.
For more information, contact Andy Mason, (607) 652-2162. ...

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Donna LaVigne may be our 2015 Times-Journal Star, but she's surrounded by a whole constellation of other bright lights.
This year's other nominees and the reasons why follow.
--Jan Peters, for her work with SCHOOL.
--The Schmid children-Khristich, Josiah, Niamh, Zebulun, and Jubilee-for never allowing their limitations to drag them down.
"They love their community and have deeply invested themselves in it at a very young age..."
--Mary-Jane Bianchine, organist/pianist, "...a kind and generous person [who] glows with joy for her music and the community she serves."
--Glenn Sanders, for his tireless work on the gas pipeline issue.
--Schoharie County Quilt Barn Trail ...

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It's hard to tell who was wearing bigger grins:
The cops decked out in Santa hats.
Or the kids they took Christmas shopping Monday in the Cobleskill PD's first-ever Shop with a Cop.
The day-out for eight youngsters from Cobleskill-Richmondville's Golding and Ryder Schools included a $125 Wal-Mart shopping spree for each of them so they could buy Christmas gifts for their families.
Youngsters-and cops-also had a chance to hang out over lunch at McDonald's.
"They had a blast, Kevin Kelly, Ryder principal said afterwards.
"It was a little intense with six or seven officers standing around the office, but they were all wearing Santa hats, so it was okay."
Cobleskill C ...

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Gable Auto is all about the Christmas spirit this year.
The Cobleskill dealership helped a Schoharie family get a car and is leading a fundraising effort to assist the family with expensive medical bills.
"We're doing what we can to help this family in need," said Gary Morgan, general manager at Gable's, adding that the public can lend a hand, too.
Dennis and Linda Orleanski's misfortune began nearly two years ago, when doctors discovered their newborn son, also Dennis, had a hole in his heart.
The boy had open-heart surgery and was in and out of heart specialists' offices since then, Ms. Orleanski said.
Young Dennis is much better now; he must see a specialist only once ...

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Hundreds of families that would normally go without will enjoy the holidays, thanks to Schoharie County's Communitywide Christmas Collaboration.
And there's still time for you to help.
Formed four years ago, the Collaboration is a group of agencies that gets toys and gift cards for food and holiday supplies to needy families. Donations come from the public.
Since 2012, the Collaboration has helped more than 700 local families. This year, 287 families have signed up, according to Melissa Jones of Head Start.
"It's basically the working poor, with three, four or five kids and having trouble making ends meet," Ms. Jones said.
"For those that apply, the need is huge."
B ...

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Artists and writers interested in participating in a joint project between the arts and the Times-Journal is invited to attend the second of two organizational meetings Wednesday, December 9, 6pm, at the Community Library, 110 Union Street, Cobleskill.
Under discussion will be the creation and logistics of a regular T-J column showcasing hidden and lesser known local arts events and artists.
Sharon Springs writer Karen Cookson, Renee Nied, grant coordinator for Schoharie County arts grants, and T-J editor Patsy Nicosia are working together on the project.
"We're looking for interested writers who can find and write about those little, underexposed events and artists, as well as p ...

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Senator Charles Schumer didn't bring an oversized novelty check with him when he visited the Schoharie firehouse Wednesday, but he did bring some good news.
The end of sequestration--or automatic budget cuts--in the federal budget, should mean an increase in the Assistance to Firefighters Grants, Senator Schumer announced late Wednesday afternoon.
Standing before five Scott Air Paks that were purchased with grant funding, Senator Schumer said the AFG total should be increased from $680 to $810 million.
The Schoharie Fire Department has benefited greatly from grants in recent years, the Senator noted. A safety trailer, a tanker, and a thermal imaging camera have been some of the i ...

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George Perry is one-of-a-kind.
The World War II and D-Day veteran turned 98 Sunday.
And Saturday, the Sharon Springs community-along with Mr. Perry's family and the American Legion-turned out in full force to help him celebrate.
Originally from Nyack, Mr. Perry was a staff sergeant and sharpshooter who was stationed in Japan after the war.
"He's a true hero who risked everything," said Sharon Supervisor Sandra Manko, one of those making remarks, "all to preserve our way of life."
Other speakers read letters and commendations and presented awards and medals from Congressman Chris Gibson and Assemblyman Pete Lopez and others.
Mr. Perry is a lifetime member of the Sharon ...

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The Sharon Springs FFA team of Ethan Keller, Jessica Van Buren, Shaun Wayman, and Kelly Allen was a silver winner at the national Environmental and Natural Resources Career Development Event, held as part of the national FFA Convention, October 25-31 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Teams earned gold, silver, or bronze emblems based on their total number of points.
The SSCS team was the only one from New York State to earn a gold, silver, or bronze emblem.
Three members of the Spa team also earned individual emblems.
Kelly Allen, a member of the SSCS FFA team, earned a gold emblem; she was the only competitor from the state to do so.
Earning silver emblems were Ethan Keller and J ...

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All Schoharie County high school and homeschooled students, 9th-12th grade, are invited by the Schoharie County American Legion, Legion Riders, and Ladies Auxiliary Posts to participate in this year's Schoharie County American Legion Oratorical Contest.
The contest will be held at the Sharon Springs Central School auditorium on Saturday, December 5 at 1:30pm. (Snow date December 12 at 1:30pm.)
The invitation to enter the competition is extended by Schoharie County Oratorical Chairman, Frank Masterson, Jr.
The prepared oration must be about some phase of the Constitution of the United States and be of the contestant's choice, emphasizing the duties and obligations of a citizen to ...

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Schoharie County's Thanksgiving Day Dinner Committee will be holding an organizational meeting on Thursday, October 29, at 9am at the Schoharie County Office of Emergency Management Office, Route 7 (formerly MOSA) Howe Caves.
The purpose of this meeting will be to make final plans for the 28th annual Thanksgiving Day Dinner.
The Thanksgiving Day Dinner is offered free of charge to all county residents who would otherwise be alone on this holiday.
This year, there are three options for individuals and families:
• Home-delivered meals. To order one of these meals, contact the Schoharie County Office for the Aging at 295-2001.
• A formal sit-down dinner at Wolfe's Pizza a ...

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Shirley Skinner of Worcester will hit a big milestone this Saturday, October 17, when she celebrates her 100th birthday.
A prolific writer, Mrs. Skinner sends out cards and letters weekly, regularly sharing clippings from the Times-Journal with family and friends around the world and even writing to President Barack Obama.
Part of her letter to President Obama:
"...The first President I voted for was President Franklin Roosevelt. The Democratic representative in my area of New York was Clint Doolittle, which I believe was in 1933.
"In high school, I won a trip to Washington, DC to meet President Hoover. I had written an essay on President George Washington and came in second. ...

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With a nod to spring, Easter, and egg-headed Presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, the Schoharie Free Library has an eggs-traordinary month of eggs-citing egg-vents planned for April, beginning with the reopening of the one-of-a-kind Schoharie Easter Egg Museum.
The eggs-cellent fun will include a bedtime reading of Katherine Milhous’ “The Egg Tree,” the story that inspired museum; an Easter egg obstacle relay course at the Schoharie Firehouse, and an Easter egg hunt in Lily Park—to name a few.
All of the eggs-ceptional fun will revolve around the reopening of the Easter Egg Museum weekends in April with admission going to the library.
“It’s going to ...

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