Area News

October 15, 2007 07:17 am

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Pork dinner set in Westford

The Westford Methodist Church will have its roast pork dinner from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday.

The menu includes pork, dressing, potatoes, gravy, butternut squash, sweet and sour cabbage, rolls, brown bread and apple and pumpkin pies. Takeouts will be available at 4:30 p.m. A free-will donation will be accepted.

Miss New York to speak

The Schenevus/Worcester Rotary Club has invited the reigning Miss New York, Elisabeth Baldanza, to speak to local students. On Tuesday, two local schools will host a presentation by the East Meredith native. Baldanza will meet with students from the Schenevus Central School District in the morning, and during the afternoon, she will speak with students from Worcester Central School. Her message will emphasize leadership and self-esteem.

Baldanza, who won the Miss New York crown in July, attended Christian Lighthouse Academy in Oneonta. She received a bachelor's degree in marriage and family studies from Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa. She is preparing for the Miss America pageant, which will be held in January.

According to Schenevus/Worcester Rotary President Gary Cutro, Baldanza's presentations are in keeping with the club's mission of serving the community, and the world at large, by helping prepare local youths to meet challenges that lay ahead.

For more information, call Nancy Dulkis, event coordinator, at 638-9727.

Otego to flush hydrants

The village of Otego will flush hydrants today through Friday. Residents may notice some discoloration of their water during this time period, officials said.

For more information, call 988-6332 and ask for Kurt Carman, superintendent of public works.

B-G alumni plan reunion

The Bainbridge-Guilford Central School Class of 1978 is planning its 30th reunion.

Sandy DiNoto, class president, is looking for fellow '78 alumni to serve on a planning committee for a reunion tentatively scheduled for the weekend of July 4. All '78 alumni are asked to e-mail DiNoto with up-to-date contact information at sandradinoto@aol.com.

Constitution Day forum set

In celebration of U.S. Constitution Day, the State University College of Technology at Delhi will present a forum as the culmination of an essay contest at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Farrell Theater. The program is part of the college's Constitution Day activities, celebrating the 220th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.

The essay contest is open to all SUNY Delhi students who may choose from three areas of discussion: relating the contemporary war in Iraq to the U.S. Constitution; the historical perspective; and the role of Congress and the President in foreign policy.

The forum, "Advise and Consent: The U.S. Constitution and the Conduct of American Foreign Relations" will be a panel discussion on the function of the Constitution and its impact on our daily lives.

Presenters said the forum is intended to engage the audience in an open discussion surrounding the impact of this extraordinary document and the relevance of constitutional issues in contemporary times.

Joining Terry Hamblin, associate professor of history at SUNY Delhi, on the panel are Penny Pardoe, assistant professor of social sciences at SUNY Delhi, and Sugwon Kang, professor emeritus of political science at Hartwick College.

For more information about SUNY Delhi's Constitution Day celebration, call Hamblin at 746-4454.

Safe Contacts program launched

A Community Committee for Respect and Diversity, or ACCORD, has announced the launch of its 2007-08 Safe Contacts program for Cobleskill-Richmondville Central School.

ACCORD members are advocates for students at all grade levels in Cobleskill-Richmondville schools who are experiencing bias or harassment based on race, ethnicity or religion, appearance and mental or physical abilities, gender and sexual orientation, or social and economic status.

Three ACCORD members, Vena Ray, Linda Holmes and Annie Fonda, will serve as Safe Contacts that students at all grade levels and their families can turn to for help. Fonda, a parent, grandmother, guardian and advocate of children and teenagers, is also a mentor in the Mentoring Project of Schoharie County. Holmes, a state-certified in-home day-care provider for the past 18 years, is involved with community youth programs. Ray is retired from the State University College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill's early childhood department.

As Safe Contacts, Ray, Fonda and Holmes will listen to students, offer to accompany students and family members when they meet with school officials, counselors or teachers to discuss the problem and work with and support school officials as they deal with infractions in a way that discourages discriminatory acts generally in the school.