Published: June 04, 2009 07:47 am      

From the Publisher's Desk: Ice Cream Social has fun for all

Ice cream and airplanes and dancers, oh my! OWL and singers and prizes, oh my!

Have I piqued your interest?

The day is fast approaching to enjoy these things and so much more! From 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Wilber Park in Oneonta, the second annual Ice Cream Social will take place. I invite you all to join us for a day of fun and activities, and of course, all the free ice cream you can eat.

The Daily Star is proud to sponsor the event, teaming up with Oneonta World of Learning, the city of Oneonta, The Arc Otsego and SUNY Oneonta. Boy, do we have a great day planned.

The Oneonta World of Learning (OWL) is a children's museum and is "committed to creating a space and offering experiences that support curiosity and a love of learning by providing opportunities to explore the arts, world cultures and the physical and natural sciences through interactive exhibits, family and group programs, and community partnerships for children and their grown-ups who are residents of and visitors to our region."

The organization is the driving force behind 17 local organizations dedicated to children and families that will be on hand with information and activities throughout the park. There will be an obstacle course, a bubble station, mask and paper-doll creation, the Farmers' Museum old-time games, the Utica Zoomobile and more.

The SUNY Oneonta Science Discovery Center and woodworking projects sponsored by Lowe's and Home Depot are just another reason to come.

It is also not surprising that OWL's brain power created a scavenger hunt that will culminate in building a children's museum with all the items from the search, which will be great for kids of all ages.

Now let's talk about the talent. Performances by the Orpheus Musical Kids on the Go, Starstruck Players and Stanley & Wade School of Dance are on the agenda, along with storytelling by Maria Johnson and mime by Abbey Koutnik.

And if that weren't enough, at five times throughout the day, door prizes will be pulled from the no-cost tickets obtained at the entrance tables from generous community supporters of the event such as Green Toad Book Store, Latte Lounge, Kid Stuff, Amazable Science Adventures, Chocolate-N-Train, Gino and Joe's, and more. The skies aren't off limits, as an airplane demonstration by Leatherstocking R/C Buzzards Airplane Flyers will tilt our heads in awe.

At the event, be sure to pick up The Weekly Star. Our featured comic strip, "The Adventures of Scoop," has been waiting for this great community event to launch our coloring contest. Each week in The Weekly Star, a new coloring panel will be published for the next eight weeks, and prizes will be awarded to entrants in three age groups.

Stewart's Shops, the Golden Guernsey, Friendly's, Ives Ice Cream, Schwans, Huff's Ice Cream and Pie in the Sky will all be on hand with delicious treats for the entire family. It's an old-fashioned ice-cream social. I think I just might have to try them all to determine my favorite, if that is even possible.

Now, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two individuals in particular who were instrumental in the continuous planning of this event. Andrea Thies and David Hayes are two of the most dedicated and hard-working folks I know, and this event is only possible because of their hard work and commitment to this community. My words can't thank them enough for all they do.

There is no admission fee, but donations are appreciated to support the great visions of our local area organizations. So I hope you will join all of us this weekend.

With four hours of jam-packed activities, ice cream, and entertainment and fun, I am hoping Hailey might let me nap along with her when we get home. We hope to see you there.

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Tanya Shalor is publisher of The Daily Star and may be reached at (607) 432-1000, ext. 214, or tshalor@thedailystar.com. Her column appears every other week.