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Volume 217, No. 10
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, March 6, 2025
Newsstand Price $1
Festival Campaign Will Help Shape Future, Expand Audiences
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COOPERSTOWN arking half a century of opera and musical theater in Otsego County, the Glimmerglass Festival has launched a fundraising campaign to support its future as an international destination and training ground for the next generation of performers and production professionals. “Destined to Glimmerglass: The 50th Anniversary Campaign” has already raised $4.1 million toward the $5 million goal, officials announced in a press release issued Thursday, February 27. “We are both moved and awestruck by the generosity that donors from across the country have committed to help usher in our visionary future,” said Robert Ainsley, artistic and general director. “There is nothing and nowhere quite like Glimmerglass. It is a destination in every sense of the word.” “The festival is an invaluable asset to our region, the United States and the
world of opera. This campaign ensures that our company can continue to lead, teach and innovate for years to come,” he added. The fundraising effort will empower the Glimmerglass Festival—a place where lesser-known and new productions are staged alongside canonical works of opera—to expand the range of those works. Through the Youth Opera and Project Pipeline, for instance, Glimmerglass provides a stage for performances that might otherwise go unseen. This year, the festival will produce the world premiere of “The House on Mango Street,” a musical adaptation of Sandra Cisneros’s novel of the same name. “Glimmerglass is synonymous with collaboration and innovation,” said Ainsley. “Every year, we’re creating new opportunities and models for this industry. By incubating new works, mentoring young artists and technicians, and creating pathways for youth Photo provided performers, we’re making the stage and The Glimmerglass Festival has already raised $4.1 million toward its $5 million goal to ushContinued on page 10 er in what Artistic and General Director Robert Ainsley refers to as its visionary future.
Rally Protests Pres. Trump’s Policies, Draws 200 Demonstrators By TERESA WINCHESTER
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ONEONTA rally the purpose of which was, organizers said, to uphold the U.S. Constitution and protest executive overreach took place on Tuesday, March 4 at noon in Oneonta’s Muller Plaza. Approximately 200 people from across Otsego County attended, carrying protest signs, waving flags, and chanting pro-democracy slogans, such as “We want our country back,” and “This is what democracy looks like.” Cars driving by frequently honked their horns in support. The event was organized by the Cooperstown Oneonta chapter of Indivisible, in conjunction with the newly-formed organization 50501. Temperatures hovering in the low 40s possibly contributed to the final headcount. INSIDE ► YOUTH COMPETITION WINNER TO PERFORM WITH FCO, page 2 ► OUR MANY CONTRIBUTORS MAKE UP A COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER, page 4 ► IS MUSK’S TIME BETTER SPENT ON SPACE TRAVEL? page 4 ► HOSPICE CARE WORKERS ARE SPECIAL, UNIQUE, page 5 ► FOUNDATION PROMOTES sTUDENT GROWTH, page 6 ► BERKSON: DRIVING AUNT RUTA, page 10 Follow Breaking News On
Photo by Teresa Winchester
Doreen DelRosario of Fly Creek was one of approximately 200 protesters rallying in Oneonta on Tuesday, March 4.
From signs, statements, and chants, it was clear that major issues being protested were Trump’s sweeping, draconian actions since taking office, drastically weakened support for Ukraine, tax cuts for the rich, seizure of personal data by Elon Musk, high tariffs on goods from longstanding allies, and disregard for the environment. After Virginia Kennedy of Cooperstown Oneonta Indivisible charged up participants with opening remarks, Oneonta Mayor Mark Drnek addressed the gathering. “Our flag is the flag that generations have fought to defend. And it stands for the best in us. It stands for our best aspirations. For liberty and equality. It stands for the light of democracy,” he declared. Continued on page 9
Literacy Visionaries: Milford’s Book Vending Machine By BILL BELLEN
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MILFORD ast summer, the Village of Milford had a pair of unique visitors; bookmobiles. With one parked beside the public library and the other adjacent to the school, a season of literary exposure began. Students at the summer school CROP program were able to retrieve free books from each truck as Milford added a new element to its efforts in literary education and awareness. This experience was considered a resounding success, with students excitedly bringing home new books and library cards to share with their families. To capitalize on this momentum, Milford Central School officials looked to continue the initiative with an expanded focus on literacy education. “Literacy is a huge part of initiatives
not only throughout the state, but here in Milford,” Kristen Shearer, superintendent of the Milford school district, said. “Reading is the passage to success.” With these sentiments in mind, Shearer brought an idea to the table that she had seen in her previous experience at a school district in Schenectady; a book vending machine. Teaming up with fifth grade teacher Christopher Cottrell and his class, Shearer set out to make this idea a reality. Cottrell’s class composed short writing assignments detailing why each student believed a book vending machine would benefit the school. These letters were then sent to members of the Oneonta Charitable Foundation, where they were received with great enthusiasm. The words of the children won them over, and a grant of $5,000.00 was quickly given Continued on page 11
Photo by Bill Bellen
Milford Central School student Emmie Strong shows off the book she chose from the school’s new vending machine.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD