M'burgh Village to Turn Vacant Land into Park

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Members of the Middleburgh village board have agreed to turn an unused strip of land off of Pine Street into a Pollinator Garden.

Board members agreed to the garden after a presentation by Trustee Amanda Fernandez.

Trustee Fernandez explained, "Volunteers in our community approached me with the idea of placing a pollinator garden on the strip of land that the village owns on Pine Street. We’re still working out the details - size and dimensions - but everything involved (planting, maintenance and upkeep will be done by volunteers). This will also free up DPW labor time since we’ll be decreasing the amount of land they have to mow over there."

She added, that breaking ground and planting will have to be done within the next few weeks.

Board members agreed it was a good idea since it will decrease the time DPW workers will have to mow the strip. It will basically be "set the seeds and forget," Trustee Fernandez added.

Trustee Bob Tinker praised the plan saying, "The less to do there the better."

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In other action, board members:

* Agreed to allow American Legion members to sell poppies from May 27 to June 1 and the VFW to sell from May 20 to 25.

* Approved a loan application from Lisa Tenneson from For Get Me Not Soda Shoppe for a SCBG Loan Repayment program for $20,000 at one percent interest for five years.

* Heard Mayor Tim Knight say that the community band concerts will be held on the high school lawn from June 28 through July.