Welcome back SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College students.  Are you looking for ways to chill out in Oneonta this semester?

If you like the cold,

• Check out Plattekill Mountain Ski & Tubing Resort‘s website for special events such as $15 lift tickets (Jan. 27-29).
• Hanford Mills Museum’s Annual Ice Harvest claims to be the region’s “coolest tradition.” It’s happening Feb. 6 from 10:00 am-4:00 pm.
• Ice Skating on Hodges Pond in Neahwa Park is an Oneonta tradition, call 432-7997 for daily updates regarding hours and conditions (website: www.Oneonta.ny.us/government/)
• Brrr, it’s time to register for the 15th Annual Goodyear Lake Polar Bear Jump (Feb. 20) benefit.  A Chinese Auction will be held Jan. 31 at Milford Central School to benefit this event. Check the website for Polar Bear Jump pre-registration info: www.PBJump.com; you must pre-register in order to participate.

If you’re the warm-blooded type, looking to hunker down under covers or stay in more temperate indoors, these Oneonta area activities may be just what to do until spring break comes:

• Eat, Sleep, PLAY Oneonta — check out Neverdaunt N8, a MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) video game created by Oneonta local Calvin Goble. I’m trying to arrange a coffee shop gathering with Calvin; if you’re enthralled by his game and would like to tell him in person, e-mail me mr@OneontaOnTheMap.com.
• Feb. 3 – 21st, Hartwick College’s Department of English and Theatre Arts is presenting DEARLY DEPARTED, Bottrell & Jones’ rip-roarin’ redneck farce about the Turpin family, proving that living and dying in the South is seldom tidy and always hilarious. Check www.OneontaOnTheMap.com‘s event calendar for the dates and times and reserve your tickets online at www.hartwick.edu/x1197.xml
• B. Sharp Gallery is having an Art Exhibition Opening Reception Feb. 6 from 4-8 pm (The exhibition runs through Feb. 21). Plan to attend the reception to schmooze with local Oneonta and NYC artists.
• Feb. 7 is the Sixth Annual UCCCA Chili Bowl Competition; watch for upcoming details.
• Feb. 12 is SUNY College at Oneonta’s Tenth Annual Faculty Research Show.

Hope you’ve enjoyed this smattering of events and things to do when Oneonta cabin fever has got you down. Keep checking our website calendar or follow us on Twitter for continuous updates.  And feel free to add your college events to our calendar by clicking “add event”; we’re a website built by the Oneonta community!

Finally, OneontaOnTheMap.com’s  ”Coupons to your cell phone” business promotion is up and running. Tell your favorite local stores/merchants to add their specials or coupons to our website so we can blog & Tweet about them and you can save $.  How great would it be to have all the Super Bowl Party Pack Specials listed on www.OneontaOnTheMap.com?  Spread the word; let’s have fun with this!

Thanks for listening,

Mary Robinson
www.OneontaOnTheMap.com
SUNY Oneonta ’06

This past Saturday (July 18, 2009) was a fun day — Holistic Health Day at the Oneonta Farmers’ Market, then the Leatherstocking Buzzards Remote Control Aircraft Mini-Fest Hospice Fundraiser (they do some crazy flying!) and in the evening the new B. Sharp Gallery Art Exhibit Opening where we met some interesting artists in a close personal setting.  I usually have to coax Rick to attend art openings, but after this experience his interest in art is piqued.

It’s been a year since we launched* www.OneontaOnTheMap.com; each week as I reflect on developments: businesses adding listings and events, local Tweets from Twitter, photograph entries for July’s contest, and stats and feedback from people who’ve found our database of Oneonta happenings helpful … of course I see so much more that could be done. One of my favorite proverbs, “All beginnings are hard” aptly applies and most computer people will second that notion. I feel overwhelmed by the lofty goals of creating an online community in concert with the Oneonta NY business community, and trying to provide the elusive interactive Internet experience that will keep visitors returning. When I’m in an overwhelmed state, just reading about the numerous exciting events taking place in Oneonta stresses me out.

But Rick, being the pragmatic programmer, brings me back to reality and our original goals: to help people find business and event information and directions quickly, and support the  Oneonta business community by enhancing their web presence (free listings, exposure, social media marketing). I think we’re on the right path, so I’ll relax and enjoy — have fun with our website and around Oneonta.

Rick enjoyed mingling with artists at the B. Sharp Gallery Exhibition Opening.

So yes, we are having fun with this, and hope you’ll hang in with us as we tend our database and watch it grow.  If you’ve found our website and information helpful, let businesses or event organizers know you found them here. Now it’s back to work as we have some new features we’ll be announcing soon.

Thanks for listening,

Mary Robinson

www.OneontaOnTheMap.com — Telling you what you want to know & where to go!

*OneontaOnTheMap.com has been up and running for over a year; however, we officially launched it in Dec. 2008.

Hope everyone had a happy Mother’s Day weekend.

On Sat., thanks to a Twitter Tweet from Harmony Hill Retreat Center, I was reminded that May 9 was the Annual East Meredith Fire Dept. Frank Briggs Pancake Day. Off we drove to our old neighborhood hamlet (we lived in E. Meredith for ten years), and had the most delicious pancake lunch. E. Meredith Fire Dept. is known for their home made sausage, which did not disappoint us.

As we were driving down Main Street Oneonta, we noticed a car wash sponsored by the Oneonta Stallions, a semi-professional football team. Who are these Oneonta Stallions? I gave them a donation and a card and said I’d like to know more; hope they check in and add their listing and also future events. Talk to me! Here’s a pic.

Although we missed the opening night (May 9) reception for the B. Sharp Gallery art exhibition, we stopped by Sunday to view the artwork and talk with gallery owner Bobby Sharp. This exhibition of local artists will be at the B. Sharp Gallery until the end of this month. Check OneontaOnTheMap event calendar for days and times.  Here’s a few pics.

Bobby Sharp and Joe LaBruzzo talking about the art and future show plans.

Taking in the artwork

Photography: a Catskills sunset took my breath away.

And it wasn’t all food and play this weekend (although we did stop in at the Latte Lounge for a gelato treat) — I finished painting our sign and Rick put it up!

Rick hangs our website sign!

Thanks for listening,
Mary Robinson
www.OneontaOnTheMap.com
The business directory with the personal note