By LAURA COX TODDSVILLE

When Gina Reeves was 7, her teacher took her pupils outside and taught them arithmetic by counting acorns.
“I learned that different kids learn in different ways and when you teach in only one way you can’t catch everyone.”
It was her “ah, ha” moment, one that eventually led her to the Montessori Method and its “follow the child” philosphy.
Raised in Delaware, Reeves received her bachelor’s and master’s in education at the University of Delaware.
She spent years as a public school teacher, director of curriculum and teacher trainer in traditional schools.
Then, parents from the struggling Hockessin (Del.) Montessori School approached her and she agreed to try to help, accepting the head of school position there.
In 12 years, she took the Hockessin school from a basement classroom with 24 students and two teachers to a 210-student school with its own large building.
At first, being an administrator had its difficulties Reeves admits.
“I thought I had to fix everything,” she said, “but I learned the importance of collaboration. It is huge in every layer of school and life. No one is the end all be all.”
She learned to lead her staff the way she wanted them to teach, by playing to their strengths.
Challenges met, she accepted the head position at Welsh Hills Montessori, Granville, Ohio, when she spent seven years before Brookwood’s year-long search brought her here.
“I have tried to observe what is going on in the classrooms,” she said, describing her approach to her new duties. “I can’t value or help teachers without observing.”
She added, “We have a passionate staff that cares about education.”
That, the new facility, the grounds and rural setting, and the possibilities for growth attracted her to Brookwood.
“I find it is extremely important to work for a mission-driven organization, and I am excited about working with the board,” she said.
She is already opening up the facility for community events, expanding the programming to facilitate classes for children through middle school, adding adult-education opportunities, and providing more art and music opportunities for the students.
“I have to see what I’ve got to bring to the party,” Reeves said, “Doing something with a purpose is important to me and hopefully I can add what I have learned through experience and trial and error over the years.”
The move came at a good time personally, as well.
Daughter Adele, 21, had been attending college near her mother in Ohio, but is studying Japanese and is soon moving to Japan.
Son William, 24, lives in Delaware, so this career move bring her nearer to him.
Reeves and her husband have taken up residence on the East side of the lake up near Glimmerglass State Park.

ONEONTA

The second annual Paintfest, sponsored by Oneonta World of Learning, offers a day of “unpredictable painting fun,” 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at ARC Otsego, 63 Lower River St., Oneonta.
Last year, the unpredictability included splashing paint on Oneonta Mayor John S. Nader. This year, who knows?
What’s for a kid not to like?

HOLIDAY TIME: It’s here, the Christmas season. Try the Holiday Show & Sale at the Cooperstown Art Association, the Christmas Bazaar at the Major’s Inn, Gilbertsville, or wassailing at the Fly Creek Cider Mill, or the United Methodist Women’s Bazaar, 66 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Just the beginning.

HARVEST FEASTS: And it seems everyone’s offering harvest dinners, turkey and trimmings, and much more. Check B-4 for details.

TALES OF WWII: David W. Brenner, the former Oneonta mayor and county board chair, will detail the Navy man Christopher Kompare’s experiences from letters home. This is a preview of a book Brenner is writing. 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Oneonta History Center, 183 Main St.

COMING UP

FARM FOUR: To dramatize the farm crisis, Otsego 2000 has organized a Northern Otsego County Dairy Tour, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m., full or half day, on Saturday, Nov. 21. Call 547-8881 for reservations.

There are some 50 – 50! – performing arts groups in our immediate region, and I regret that it has taken me this long to savor the delights of the Oneonta Community Concert Band, which gave a Veterans’ Day tribute concert at the Oneonta Theatre on Chestnut Street this past Sunday.
If that rousing event was any measure of their quality, I have missed out on a lot all these years.
The organization can trace a circuitous history all the way back to 1853, though 1899 seems to be a clearer marker of its present form. In any case, that’s what I call remarkable institutional longevity, especially in the arts.
Its present configuration is led (for some 27 years now) by the ever-enthusiastic and supremely knowledgeable and gifted René Prins, professor, musician and exuberant bandmaster.
His entrance onto the stage of the magnificent old house, currently undergoing exciting renovation, set the tone: He was clad in white trousers, a quasi-military jacket (with medals), and a perky cap.
Jaunty doesn’t begin to do justice to the effect. The program was pretty more-than-jaunty as well: original, thoughtful, well structured and edifying.
There was a bit of what one might expect, and rightly so (“The Star-Spangled Banner,” some Sousa, “God Bless America”), but there were some nice surprises as well. Smug music-lover that I am, I didn’t know that the second movement of Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony was also known as the Pilgrims’ March, for example. That provided a nice bit of “classical” repertoire.
When I saw “Hands Across the Sea” on the program I, again smugly, thought I knew what to expect. But no. The fine print revealed that it was the “Hands Across the Sea Fantasia” by Theodore Moses Ben Tobani, not the better-known, similarly titled march by John Philip Sousa (who, by the way, appeared with his band six – six! – times on that very stage in the early 20th Century).
The Tobani was a revelation, a hefty, cleverly woven medley of national anthems from the world over, composed in 1910. It calls for contrasts, variety of color and mood, and demands sustained concentration and stamina, and the players more than did it justice, as they did to all the selections performed.
It is always a pleasure to discover something new, but then, of course, Mr. Prins knows his stuff backward and forward, and I am grateful to him for the expansion of my musical knowledge.
I love the sound of a good concert band. It is good-natured, bright and bracing, and, at its best, evokes one single stirring image: America.
The Oneonta Community Concert Band’s next appearance will be in February, a concert entitled “Summer in the Winter,” date and venue TBA. As I say so frequently, WATCH THESE PAGES!

Sam Goodyear’s column on the arts in Otsego and Delaware counties appears weekly.

Fans intrigued by the offerings in the B. Sharp Gallery on Franklin Mountain over the past year now have a chance to see works by Bobby Sharp himself.
In the exhibit that opens 3-7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at the gallery on Route 28, Franklin Mountain, Sharp will show works that capture a place – Otsego Lake, the Cornell campus – through an artistic record of its flora.
The exhibit also features Maria Cummings’ experimental water media and Fred Feiler’s paintings in acrylic. The show continues until the end of the month.

KIDS ORNAMENT WORKSHOP – 4-5 p.m., Holiday Ornament Workshop for children grades K-6 sponsored by Artware and Main Street Oneonta. Make one ornament for the community tree and one to take home. Main View Gallery, 73 Main Street, Oneonta. Pre-registration required. Free! Contact Artware, (607) 432-0679.
PASTA DINNER – 4:30-7 p.m. Booster Club/SADD Pasta Dinner. Enjoy dinner before the Cooperstown high School Musical “West Side Story.” Adults $6, Seniors $5, children under 12, $3. Cooperstown High School cafeteria.
HARVEST DINNER – 6:30 p.m. Roast pork harvest dinner, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church Parish House. Roast pork, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, applesauce, vegetables, rolls, apple desserts. Please bring your own place setting. $5 suggested donation, take-out available. Public Land Road, Springfield Center.
LECTURE – 6:30 p.m. Paula DiPerna presents “A Network of Early Adopters: The Chicago Climate Exchange Experience as the World’s First Cap-and-Trade to Address Climate Change” Free, open to all. Leslie Rude Memorial Lecture, Anderson Center for the Arts Theatre, Hartwick College. Info, 432-4030.
MEDITATION – 7-8 p.m. Quiet reflection; “The Way of the Heart: Meditation & Sacred Sound” Evening of interfaith meditation, music, sacred poetry, healing practices, and attunement to nature. All welcome, free will donations accepted. The Smithy-Pioneer Gallery, 53 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown. Info, (607) 434- 6074.
ONEONTA WRITERS – 7 p.m. Oneonta writers Annie Sauter and Thomas Travisano featured at “Word Thursdays” Bright Hill’s Word & Image Gallery, 94 Church Street, Treadwell. Intermission, refreshments. $3 admission; free to 18 and under.
MUSICAL – 7:30 p.m. “West Side Story.” Cooperstown High School. Also Friday, Saturday, and Sunday matinee. Free senior citizen pass available to those in CCS School district. Info, (607) 547-8181.
SHAKESPEARE – 8 p.m. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Shakespeare’s funniest play presented by Hartwick’s Dept. of English and Theatre Arts, Nov. 12-22 and 19-21 (2 p.m. matinees Nov. 15 and 22). Tickets $8 general public, $5 Hartwick students, faculty, staff. Reservations suggested. Call (607) 431-4227.


HOLIDAY SHOW & SALE – Cooperstown Art Association holiday member show & sale, Nov. 13 through Dec. 23. Celebrate local art with reasonably priced pieces of original work geared toward holiday gift-giving. Info, (607) 547-9777.
CHRISTMAS BAZAAR – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The Major’s Inn hosts annual Christmas Bazaar. Enjoy holiday spirit with Victorian Charm. Lunch available. Info (607) 783-2393, (607) 783-2967. Also Saturday, Nov 14. The Major’s Inn, Gilbertsville. Proceeds benefit restoration of the Inn.
COMPASS WORKSHOP – 1-4 p.m. “Basic Orienteering,” Sponsored Cornell Cooperative Extension and Watershed Agricultural Council Forestry Program. Use a compass, pace out an acre of land, read topographic maps. Participants will practice skill at Lennox Memorial Forest. $5 per person. 4-H Camp Shankitunk, Delhi. Info (607) 865-6531.
BAZAAR – 2-7 p.m. United Methodist Women’s Holiday Bazaar. First United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut St., Oneonta. Supper 4-6:30 p.m. Supports mission efforts of peace and justice for women. Arts & crafts, stitchery, baked good, natural wreaths, ornaments, antiques, cookies, and jewelry. Also Saturday 10 a.m.-2 pm.. Info: Virginia Wilson, (607) 432-4102
BANQUET – 6 p.m. cash bar, dinner follows. Otsego County Conservation Association honors Dr. Robert and Jean Miller as 2009 Conservationists of the Year. Stella Luna Ristorante, Oneonta.
KIDS NIGHT OUT – 7-9 p.m., Cooperstown Night Out, 6-9th Graders. Games, free pizza, learn about God! Sponsored by Youth for Christ. Cooperstown Elementary School gym.
MUSICAL – 7:30 p.m. “West Side Story.” Cooperstown High School. Also Saturday, Sunday. Free senior citizen pass available to those in CCS School district. Info 547-8181.
DANCE –7:30-10 p.m. Harvest Dance-Pie Night hosted by Doubleday Dancers Western Square Dance Club. Ray Taylor calls, Elma Taylor cues., $10 per couple. Cooperstown Elementary School, Walnut Street. Info (607) 264-8128, (607) 547-8665.
COMEDY – 8 p.m. Catskill Community Players present “A Nice Family Gathering” under direction of Cooperstown director Diana Friedell. South Kortright Central School. $15 Adults, $10 students and senior citizens. Info, reservations 433-2089 Also November 14 (8 p.m.) and 15 (2 p.m. matinee).



SHEEP/GOATS – 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Internal parasite workshop, FAMACHA© method, focuses on evaluating/anemia in goats and sheep. SUNY-Delhi Large Animal Teaching Facility (Delhi College Farm), 1104 Arbor Hill Road, Delhi. Light lunch served. Also Sunday, Nov. 15 in Cooperstown.
WASSAIL – 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Fly Creek Cider Mill, 288 Goose St., Fly Creek. Demonstrations on making Wassail, a traditional holiday drink, cider mixed with savory spices. Also Sunday. Info, (607) 547-9692
PAINTFEST – 10 a.m.- 2 p.m., Oneonta World of Learning’s second annual PaintFest. Day-long unpredictable painting fun! Free. ARC Otsego’s Oneonta Day Services site, 63 Lower River Street, Oneonta. Info, 607-433-0160.
WORKSHOP – 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., SUNY Delhi Farm, 1104 Arbor Hill Road, Delhi. Sheep and goat de-worming workshop, FAMACHA system certification workshop, Cornell Extension Goat Specialist Dr. Tatiana Stanton provides hands-on training for farmers. .
ARTS FAIR – 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Herkimer County Arts & Crafts Fair, juried show. $4 Admission, free parking. Also Sunday. Sponsored by Herkimer County College Foundation, benefit student scholarship at HCCC.
MOVIE – 10 a.m. “The Polar Express.” The Zone Community Center, Richfield Springs. Free to all. Info, 858-3200.
GOURD ART – 11 a.m. Rogers Environmental Education Center. 2721 St. Hwy. 80, Sherburne. Become an artist by painting on gourds with local artisan & gourd grower Jane Hough. Registration required, supplies limited. $5 for each gourd used. For more info call (607) 674-4014
SPAGHETTI BENEFIT – Noon-7 p.m. Benefit dinner for John Croft. Homemade spaghetti and meatballs. Hartwick Rod & Gun Club, just south of Hartwick on Rte. 205. $6 a plate, proceed to go toward medical bill. Chinese Auction too!
ARTISTS TALK – 3-5 p.m. UCCCA presents an artist talk with GG Stankiewicz and Liz Hoheusle, both currently exhibiting at the Wilber Mansion galleries. Light refreshments served. Upper Catskill Community Council of the Arts, 11 Ford Avenue, Oneonta. Info (607) 432-2070.
OPENING – 4-7 p.m. B Sharp Gallery, featuring Bobby Sharp, Still Life Prints, Maria Cummings, Experimental Water Media, and Fred Feiler, Acrylic Paintings. Through November 29. B Sharp Gallery, 736 State Hwy. 28. South Oneonta. Info 432-2322.
HARVEST SUPPER – 4-7 p.m., Annual Harvest Supper, Otego United Methodist Church. Buffet style, $9 adults, $5 children 5-10, free under 5. Fresh carved roast beef and roast pork, soup, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with roasted red peppers, buttered carrots, rolls, bread pudding, pies. Otego United Methodist Church, Church Street, Otego.
Harvest Dinner – 4:30-7 p.m. at Cooperstown United Methodist Church, 66 Chestnut Street corner of Glen Avenue Turkey, trimmings, homemade pie. Adults $8, children $5. Take-out available. Handicapped accessible. Info, 547-9540.
TURKEY DINNER – 4:30-7 p.m. Turkey dinner, family style, homemade pies. Donation, take-outs available. Schenevus United Methodist Church, 39 Main St, Schenevus. (607) 638-5867
SPAGHETTI DINNER– 5-7 p.m. at Laurens Presbyterian Church $1 per plate , includes salad, bread, beverage & dessert.
MOVIE – 7 p.m. Arkell Museum, 2 Erie Blvd., Canajoharie. “Babette’s Feast” will be shown. Admission $4, complementary popcorn and soft drinks. Rum cake and fresh fruit similar to what Babette prepared available for modest charge. Info: (518) 673 2314 or www.arkellmuseum.org
MUSICAL – 7:30 p.m. “West Side Story.” Cooperstown High School. Also Sunday 2 p.m. matinee. Free senior citizen pass available to those in CCS School district. Info 547-8181.


CHRISTMAS BAZAAR – 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Fox Hospital Auxiliary Christmas Bazaar. Many handcrafted articles available. Fox Hospital Lobby.
SHEEP/GOATS – 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Internal parasite workshop, FAMACHA© method, focuses on evaluating/anemia in goats and sheep. Cornell Cooperative Extension in Otsego County, 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown, NY, and nearby Farmers’ Museum. Light lunch served.
WORKSHOP – 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Cornell Cooperative Extension in Otsego County, 123 Lake Street, Cooperstown. Sheep and goat de-worming workshop, FAMACHA system certification workshop, Cornell Extension Goat Specialist $10.
MUSIC OF FRANCE – 10 a.m.- 2:30 p.m. Christ Episcopal Church, 46 River St., Cooperstown. Pre-concert lecture at 2:30 followed by Organ recital at 3 p.m. Music of Clerambault, Marchand, Couperin, Messiaen, Durufle, Langlais, Dupre, Widor. Reception following recital. Sponsored by Oneonta Chapter
HERITAGE SUNDAY – 1 p.m. service followed by potluck dinner. Otego United Methodist Church, Church Street, Otego.
MUSICAL – 2 p.m. “West Side Story.” Cooperstown High School. Adults $9, students $18 and under $6. Free senior citizen pass available to those in CCS School district. Info 547-8181.
WWII PROGRAM – 2 p.m. David W. Brenner speaks on life and times of Navy man Christopher F. Kompare. Brenner shares the Kompare’s letters, censored during wartime. Also enjoy musical tribute of Trevor Runison, to his grandfather, a WWII bomber pilot. Greater Oneonta Historical Society History Center, 183 Main Street, Oneonta. Info, 431-9509,
ORGAN RECITAL – 3 p.m. Pipe Organ Recital. Roberta Rowland-Raybold, c.a.g.o. Organist/Choirmaster performs music of Clerambault, Marchand, Couperin, Messiaen, Durufle, Langlais, Dupre, Widor. 2:30 p.m. Pre-concert lecture, St. Agnes Chapel. Reception follows. Donations welcome. Christ Episcopal Church, 46 River Street, Cooperstown.
CONCERT – 3 p.m., Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble. Features works inspired by literary masterpieces. Free, donations accepted. First United Church, corner of Chestnut and Church streets, Oneonta. Handicapped accessible. Info 432-7085.
OPEN HOUSE – 3-5 p.m. Butternut Valley Alliance open house. Valley residents welcome to gather to discuss/share information on watershed protection, historic preservation, small farms, gas drilling, scenic open space and economic development Empire House Restaurant, 32 Marion Avenue, Gilbertsville. Free musical entertainment, refreshments. Optional Fall Harvest Dinner follows, featuring locally grown ingredients. Reservations for Fall Harvest Dinner, call the Empire House, (607) 783-2859. Info http://sites.google.com/site/butternutvalleyalliance/
CONCERT – 3 p.m. Frank W. Cyr Center, West Main Street, Stamford. Michael Cannon, piano. Free admission, donations suggested, refreshments served. Info, friendsmusic.org.
SPAGHETTI/CONCERT – 3:30 p.m. Music by “The LPs.” Songs for every generation and taste, country gospel, folk and country, sing-along favorites. Spaghetti supper to follow. Freewill offerings welcomed. Westford United Methodist Church, Rte.. 34 Westford. Freewill offerings welcome.
CHORUS – 4 p.m., New Berlin Art Forum hosts “The Singing Boys of Pennsylvania,” acclaimed young artists aged 10 to 14. Performance at St.. Andrew’s Church sanctuary, S. Main Street, New Berlin. Tickets $10. Info 847-9747, www.newberlinartforum.org


Library Program – 7 p.m. Friends of Huntington Memorial Library present Author Ginnah Howard who will read from her recently published novel, “Night Navigation,” focuses on one year in the life of a troubled upstate family. Huntington Memorial Library, 62 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. Free. Public welcome.


KIDS SAFETY – 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Safe Kids of Otsego County plush animal sale & safety information, Bassett Clinic Lobby, River Street, Cooperstown. Info, 547-5256, richard.mccaffery@bassett.org
ADOPTION MEETING – 7-9 p.m. First in series of monthly info and support meetings for families considering adopting, or who have adopted a child. United Methodist Church, Milford. Childcare provided. Info, Lori Solensten, (607) 638-05538 or 1-800-327-0306.


READING – 7:30 p.m. Author Ginnah Howard reads from her recent novel “Night Navigation.” Craven Lounge, Morris Conference Center, SUNY Oneonta. Free, all welcome. Info (607) 436-2571.
GUEST SPEAKER – 7 pm. John Phillips speaks on “Three Hundred and Fifty Years of Firearms.” Monthly meeting of the Fly Creek Historical Society. Fly Creek Methodist Church, Fly Creek. Free, all welcome. Refreshments served.


KIDS ORNAMENT WORKSHOP – 4-5 p.m., Holiday Ornament Workshop for children grades K-6 sponsored by Artware and Main Street Oneonta. Make one ornament for the community tree and one to take home. Main View Gallery, 73 Main Street, Oneonta. Pre-registration required. Free! Contact Artware, (607) 432-0679.
OPENING RECEPTION – 5-7 p.m., “Art of the Art Faculty: SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College,” an invitational art exhibition. Martin-Mullen Art Gallery, Fine Arts Building, SUNY College at Oneonta. Music, refreshments, open to all. Through Dec. 18. Info, Tim Sheesley (607) 436-3456, www.oneonta.edu/academics/art/gallery.html
RAW FOODS – 7 p.m., Angel Stokes-Monarch and Matt Monarch, international speakers, discuss benefits of the raw food lifestyle for greater health, weight loss, and reversing diseases at The Green Earth, 4 Market Street, Oneonta. Tickets $15, reserved in advance at www.rawspirit.org/events.php Info, contact Nathan, Melinda at (607) 643-8280. (Topical info www.RawReform.com, www.therawfoodworld.com)
BOOK DISCUSSION – 7 p.m., “Our Endangered Values” by Jimmy Carter. Otego UMC Book of the Month Group discusses book at Harris Memorial Library, Otego. December’s selection: Joyce Carol Oates’ “The Falls”; January selection: Richard Russo’s “That Old Cape Magic.” Open to all, books are available through the Four County Library System.
LECTURE – 7:30 p.m. “Days of Rage: A Firefighter’s View from the Streets in the 60s,” presented by George Hymas of Pierstown. Humas, former firefighter in Essex Co, NJ, discusses civil unrest and its causes, and the firefighter’s daily life during that period in Newark. Friends of the Village Library Lecture Series. Cooperstown Village Library Meeting Room., 22 Main, Cooperstown.
TURKEY DINNER – 5-6:30 p.m. Senior Citizen Turkey Dinner served by CCS students. Cooperstown Middle/High School cafeteria.
DECORATE FOR Santa – Help Rachel decorate the cottage in Muller Plaza for Santa’s Saturday arrival. oen hour of teamwork! Contact Rachel Jessup at rjessup@NBTBank.com, or call 432-5800


WILDLIFE – 7:30 p.m., Little Pika, a rabbit-related alpine creature is feature top at Delaware-Otsego Audubon Society. Jean Miller presnet on the Big Horn Mountain area of Wyoming. Elm Park Methodist Church, 401 Chestnut Street, Oneonta. Info, Eleanor Moriarity, (607) 435-2054, ellie2@directv.net


SOCCER – Boys Soccer State SemiFinals. National Soccer Hall of Fame, Oneonta. Times and locations, http://nysphsaa.org/championships/fall09/bsoccer.asp Saturday SemiFinals $8.00; Sunday Championship Finals $8.00
FLU CLINIC – 8:30 -11;30 a.m. Reservations only. Bassett Healthcare Oneonta seasonal flu clinic/vaccination for adults and children 3 and up. 125 Main Street, Oneonta. $25 cost, or lower with Medicare, Medicare Advantage, or Medicaid or HMO cards. Contact, (607) 433-1790, 800-227-7388.
WINTER PREP –1 1 a.m. Rogers Environmental Education Center. 2721 St. Hwy. 80, Sherburne. Walk some of the trails with a naturalist, & learn how plants & animals prepare for winter. For more info call (607) 674-4014
ZONE COMMUNITY CENTER AUCTION – 5 p.m. dinner and preview, auction 6:30 p.m.m. Zone Community Center, Walnut Street, Richfield Springs. $5 admission fee includes dinner and door prizes. To donatie an item that to make the