In recent weeks Highland Landing Park Manager Lenny Auchmoody has installed a series of LED lights at the waterfront park that illuminates the area in the evening hours. He said the Selux Corporation was the low bidder on the lighting at approximately $21,000 and provided 7 tall and 21 short LED lights.

Auchmoody said these LED lights use very little electricity, “plus as you look at them they are a warm light. Right now there are four more lights that need to be installed, three short ones and one tall one, on the south end of the park.”

Auchmoody said nearly all of the electrical infrastructure is in place and soon he expects to install the few remaining lights, weather permitting. He also noted that 11 sitting benches have been installed facing out toward the Hudson River.

“Right now, at this moment, we need to build a set of steps that will come off the back porch [of the environmental center] and land on a set of bricks. The frame is not built yet but the steps are in the building,” he said.

Auchmoody said inside the building the walls are framed out and the needed electric wires have been roughed in. In addition, walls for the inside bathrooms on the north end of the building will be completed.

Auchmoody said before the inside of the environmental building can be finished he has to rent a storage space to house his workshop tools and supplies. At a later date, he is considering building a permanent storage structure on the park grounds.

Auchmoody said the late NYS Assemblyman Frank Skartados obtained $125,000 that is targeted to finish the building. He said, “in all honesty,” there is not that much left to do to finish the park work and he expects this to be done in the Spring.

Auchmoody said Skartados also obtained another grant of $250,000 that will be used to bring water and sewer to the environmental building. The town’s engineering firm estimated the cost for this phase at $234,000, however, only one bid came in for $596,000. There may be additional requests for proposals sent out to see if the cost will come in at a lower amount.