To the Oneonta High School baseball team, winner of the 2012 Class B state championship. The Yellowjackets won their first state baseball title in school history Saturday at Conlon Field in Binghamton, with a semifinal victory over Wayland-Cohocton, 8-4, and a 2-0 triumph over Briarcliff in the championship game.
The team finished the season with 24 victories and two losses, and in the postseason defeated the 2009 and 2010 champ, Westhill, as well as last year's title holder, Chenango Valley.
Congratulations to the team, parents and coaches for bringing the title to Oneonta, and thanks to organizers for preparing such a warm welcome for the team Saturday night.
The team bus rolled back into the city to fans lining Main Street, as well as the sound of cheers and the honking horns, led by police and fire vehicles.
To those who contributed to the creation and maintenance of the Lantern Hill mobile home park community center. A trailer in the town of Oneonta park has been converted into a home of learning and fun for all ages.
Thanks to the hard work of volunteers -- who include park residents, former, current and retired teachers from the Oneonta School District and Otsego County Rep. Cathy Rothenberger, D-Oneonta -- Lantern Hill has a facility dedicated to bringing important public services directly to the community that needs them most.
The center offers tutoring sessions, classes on how to cook healthy meals on a limited budget, parenting and prenatal counseling, lawn mower repair tips, first aid training, sewing courses, craft activities and much more. The center also serves as a distribution point for the food bank run by St. Mary's Church in Oneonta, providing a direct pipeline to those who need assistance the most.
These options are again provided by the generosity and kindness of Oneonta volunteers as a service to their community.
To the organizers of and participants in the Sherburne Pageant of Bands. In its 63rd year, the pageant featured the results of dedication of 28 bands from various area schools. Participants competed in classes based on district enrollment and in different styles -- including concert, parade and jazz -- over several days.
The competition and parade shine a bright light upon the talent of our young local musicians and directors, as well as drawing thousands to Sherburne for an exciting day of music and family-friendly entertainment.
Laurens Central School again took the top prize, the Albert Whitney Overall Achievement Award.
Sherburne-Earlville middle/high school band director Jeff Manwaring, chief organizer of the event, said that Laurens continues to win because all of its group performances are strong. Band director Dan Martin does a "fantastic job" getting the students ready, and he is a "good motivator."
No matter the winner, the event is a victory for all involved and deserves praise for the hard work of Manwaring and everyone else who made it a success.
