OTSELIC VALLEY - The Otselic Valley Fishing and Heritage Association (OVF&HA) has announced a slate of four public programs scheduled for this summer, all open to the public and free of charge.

The first event will take place Saturday, July 13, at the Cincinnatus Area Heritage Society’s Heritage Hall on State Route 26. Beginning at 1 p.m., the two-hour concert will feature nationally renowned guitarist Loren Barrigar and his son, LJ. Barrigar began performing before large audiences at the Grand Ole Opry at the age of 6 and later trained under Jimmy Atkins, brother of guitar legend Chet Atkins. His early career included extensive touring from Nashville to Las Vegas. Now based in Central New York, Barrigar remains in high demand as a studio musician. The event is funded by the Earlville Opera House’s Arts in the Community Grants Program, with support from the New York State Senate and the Governor’s Office, and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. Additional sponsorship is provided by the OVF&HA and member Paul Haegerty.

The second program is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 3, at the North Pitcher Church, also on State Route 26. At 1 p.m., David Moyer will give a presentation on the Paleo-Indians of Chenango County. Moyer is president of the Chenango County Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Society and owner of Birchwood Archaeological Services, a firm specializing in archaeological research and support for public and private sector clients.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, local musician Zach Rowland will perform at the Georgetown Fireman’s Field. A graduate of Otselic Valley Central School, Rowland is an accomplished guitarist and singer who has performed extensively throughout the region.

Rounding out the season is a fall reading series titled “Liberty Has a Country: An Embracive View of the American Revolutionary War.” Sponsored for the fourth consecutive year by the Follett Foundation, the program features three books: Forgotten Allies: The Oneida Indians and the American Revolution, Memoir of a Revolutionary Soldier: The Narrative of Joseph Plumb Martin, and The Frozen River. The series will include presentations and group discussions, concluding with a guided tour of the Shako:wi Cultural Center of the Oneida Indian Nation and other historical sites in the Upper Mohawk Valley. For book reservations or participation inquiries, contact Michael Foor-Pessin at foorpessin@gmail.com. Dates, times and locations will be announced in the coming weeks.

For more information on the Otselic Valley Fishing and Heritage Association or its events, visit www.ovfish.org.

- Information from the Otselic Valley Fishing and Heritage Association