THURSDAY
The Lime Hollow Nature Center began work in May on converting the barn into classrooms and workshops at a cost of $275,000, said Ilya Schmulenson, the center’s executive director.
The center is short of money, but with town of Cortlandville allocating $5,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act grant program at Wednesday's town board meeting, it will help close the gap.
“It really shows the town’s commitment to help provide space for the community to be able to engage with nature,” Schmulenson said. “We’re able to leverage the town’s contributions and support in raising the additional money."
Along with the nature center, a dozen other nonprofits were also given grants.
The town board established the “Town ARPA Funds Designated for Not-For-Profit Organizations” April 20 and planned to give out $50,000 to 10 nonprofits.
The money comes from the town’s $890,000 share of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden signed into law in March 2021.
Tom Williams, the town supervisor, said at the Town Board meeting in May that increasing funding was possible.
Of the 17 funding applications, the town awarded $5,000 each to the following 13 groups:
Disabled Americans Veterans Post 153
Catholic Charities of Cortland County
CAPCO Adult Education Program
Cortland County Historical Society
Lime Hollow Nature Center
The Chapel
Access to Independence of Cortland County Inc.
Lamont Free Memorial Library
4-H Camp Owahta – Cooperative Extension of Cortland County
Josie’s Journey – Canine Comfort Business, Lending A Caring Paw
CNY Living History Center
McGraw School Marching Band
Seven Valleys Health Coalition
SATURDAY
SUNY Cortland’s free-standing solar array boasts 2,443 panels on 2.4 acres, producing 1,118 Kilowatts of electricity. It’s all part of the college’s efforts for a better environment. But without the help of 12 sheep — give or take — this zero-carbon initiative might get a little bit too green.
With all the hard-to-reach spots a solar array creates, regular methods of lawn care become more daunting. The sheep, meanwhile, handle it with ease. It’s a practical choice, according to Daniel Dryja, director of facilities operations and services. But that doesn’t make it any less fun to have these four-legged solar stars on campus.
In addition to making Cortland’s solar power more cost effective, the sheep have another advantage over lawnmowers: without the need for gasoline, less pollution goes into the air. The sheep, all rams, are a breed called Mouflon, selected for the job because they graze on a wide variety of plants and love the shade. On loan from Highland Solar Grazers in Tompkins County, they’ve kept busy among the university’s solar panels near Route 281 since 2021.
The idea to use the sheep began with Zach Newswanger, vice president of facilities management. Once the disruptions caused by COVID-19 began to end, the idea was implemented by Dryja, who also coordinates with the shepherds who maintain the flock.
