Drains Cut For North Side Rain Gardens ;

Southside Soon Complete To Pioneer Alley

Larry Springer from Central Paving, Ilion, cuts a drain between one of the rain gardens and the gutter this morning, one of the final steps to complete the Village of Cooperstown’s sidewalk project on the north side of Main Street.  Helping is Larry Belsted. Trees – due to be planted in the rain gardens later this month or in early November, after dormancy sets in – will be surrounded by water-friendly plants.  The idea of the rain gardens is to slow runoff so it can percolate through the soil before entering Otsego Lake and the Susquehanna.  Central Paving proprietor Charles Durse, at the scene this morning, said the Southside sidewalk project, underway this fall, will be finished up for the year over the next several days.    It will extend from Chestnut only as far as Pioneer Alley; next spring, it will be completed up to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  (Jim Kevlin/allotsego.com)