Boys of Wexford to perform at Arkell

CANAJOHARIE — On Saturday, May 12 at 7 p.m., the Boys of Wexford will present their Erie Canal concert at the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie. The group has performed several summer concerts in Canajoharie over the years, as they periodically include a stop in Canajoharie on their annual Erie Canal trip.

The Boys of Wexford is a group of New England folk musicians who perform a variety of Celtic, traditional, Erie Canal and sea chantey material. For the performance in Canajoharie, the group will be headlined by Claudine Langille, a well-known singer and mandolin player from the group Touchstone, who has several solo CDs as well. Claudine has appeared at clubs and folk festivals around the world.

Tickets for the Boys of Wexford performance will be available at the door at $8 for adults and $4 for children 10-17. Children under 10 are free.

Lanes available for fundraiser

CANAJOHARIE — The Canajoharie-Palatine Chamber of Commerce will hold their annual Bowling Fundraiser at Iroquois Lanes, Canajoharie, on May 15. There are still lanes available in the 4 p.m and 6 p.m. time slots. Cost is $15 for two games, shoe rental and a hamburger and drink. To sign up, or for more information, call (518) 673-2447.

AMVETS Post 2000 holds meeting

FORT PLAIN — The AMVETS Post 2000 recently held its monthly meeting with newly elected Post Commander Howard Gushue Jr., presiding over the meeting. Upcoming events for May and June were planned.

A roast beef dinner will be held Saturday, May 12 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Post. Members and guest are asked to bring a dish to pass and a $5 donation. A Chinese auction will also take place that evening. Memorial Day, after the Fort Plain parade, free hamburgers and hot dogs will be served at the Post.

The Post will be sponsoring a benefit for member, Rodney “Rudy” Schrell, who is currently fighting two forms of cancer. Schrell is self-employed and needs the extra help during this time. The event will take place June 9 at 12 noon. Donation is $10. Baskets to raffle and food donations will be appreciated. Members are currently selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a $200 Gas card or a $200 Price Chopper gift card. For more information, call the Post at (518) 993-3637 or Steve Greene at (518) 993-4212. The Post is located at 990 State Highway 163, Fort Plain.

Treasures in your trunk sale coming

FORT PLAIN — Our Lady of Hope Roman Catholic Church is sponsoring a trunk sale on Friday, May 18 and Saturday, May 19 from 9 a.m. until 12 Noon in the church parking lot at 115 Reid Street, Fort Plain. Bring any garage/yard sale items, crafts, baked goods, jewelry or any other treasures you want to sell. Or, just come to shop and join the fun. Spaces are available on a first come-first served basis at $10 for one day or $15 for both days. For more information, or to reserve your spot(s), call Eileen Katovitch at (518) 993-4693.

Spring cleanup May 18 and 19

ST. JOHNSVILLE — Town of St. Johnsville residents will be able to participate in a spring clean up Friday, May 18 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 19 from 6 a.m. to noon. This is for rural residents only and does not apply to village residents. Dumpsters will be available.

Refrigerators will not be accepted. No construction or demolition material.

Dumping will be for household refuse only. Car tires accepted for a fee of $3 per tire, cash only. No truck or tractor tires will be accepted. Dumping will be at the discretion of the monitor.

Springfest to offer vendors, crafters

ST. JOHNSVILLE — St. Johnsville’s annual Springfest celebration will take place starting today, May 10, and will last through Saturday, May 12. There will be vendors, crafters, blow-up rides, pony rides and village wide garage sales throughout.

On Thursday, at 9 a.m., the chamber will hold a benefit food sale at NBT Bank. Proceeds will benefit the Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Fund.

On Thursday evening, a Springfest Pageant will be held at the St. Johnsville Junior/Senior High School. Registration will start at 5:30 p.m., with the pageant kicking off at 6 p.m. The event will be hosted by Laurie Jean Britton, of BUG Country, who will also take part in Springfest’s Jail-&-Bail, which will see community figures, residents and business owners raising money for the chamber by being play-arrested by the St. Johnsville Police Department. They will be booked and released, with the bail money going to the chamber.

On Friday, there will be a Chamber fundraising chicken barbecue at the American Legion at 4:30 p.m. Dinners will be $8, $5 for half chickens. Dinner will include a half chicken, salt potatoes, baked beans, coleslaw, roll and choice of desserts (peach cobbler or cherry crisp), milk or coffee. Take outs are available. A 50/50 raffle will be held, with the drawing happening on Saturday afternoon.

At 5:45 p.m., village officials, along with Historian Anita Smith, will be at the St. Johnsville Marina to welcome kayakers journeying through the area. The kayakers will stay in St. Johnsville for the evening, enjoying many Springfest features along with a tour of the MRML museum by Director Dawn Lamphere.

On Friday, at 6 p.m, the soap box derby will take place at the Industrial Park.

On Saturday, events kick off early. A child identification station, by the St. Johnsville Police Department, will offer fingerprinting and a card that parents can take away, from 9 a.m. to 12 Noon.

A sidewalk art contest, judged by Dawn Lamphere, will take place at 11 a.m. downtown, with registration beginning at 10:30 a.m.

At 11 a.m. and again at 2:30 p.m., there will be a monster truck demonstration on South Division Street, where a monster truck will crush a car.

Saturday’s parade will begin at 1 p.m., with lineup taking place at the St. Johnsville Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center. The parade will continue to Soldier’s and Sailor’s Park.

On Saturday afternoon, John Geesler’s 24th annual towpath run, featuring 2 and 10 k runs, will take place. Towpath registration starts at 4:30 p.m., with the run kicking off at 5 p.m.

Pfc. Page graduates from aviation course

MERIDIAN, Miss. — Marine Corps Pfc. Michael L. Page, son of Laurie Collins, of Fort Plain, recently graduated from the Marine Aviation Supply Specialist Course with Marine Aviation Training Support Squadron One, Marine Aviation Support Training Support Group 21, Meridian, Mississippi.

Students in this course learn to perform the functions necessary to provide logistical support to aviation activities. They perform tasks dealing with aviation supply support, including financial management, inventory management, material management, personnel staffing and requisitioning procedures.

In addition, graduates from the course leave with an understanding of provisioning and requirements determination, material handling procedures and fiscal accounting and purchasing procedures, in accordance with Federal Acquisitioning Regulations.

Locals honored at commencement

UTICA — The following students were honored at SUNYIT’s 38th annual spring commencement May 5 in the Wildcat Field House on the SUNYIT campus in Marcy,  New York: Francis Conover, of Fort Plain; and Krystyna Petkovsek, of Saint Johnsville.

More than 700 candidates for undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded in 2011-2012 were eligible to participate in the ceremony.

SUNYIT, the State University of New York Institute of Technology at Utica/Rome, is New York State’s public institute of technology, offering degree programs in technology and professional studies.