ELDRED — The Town of Highland is the recipient of TWO grants which will allow the town to update, beautify, and provide extended services for taxpayers. The Town’s awards include $9,500 towards Youth Programming, funded from the County of Sullivan through the Sullivan County Youth Bureau. The bulk of the funds will be used to help subsidize the Summer 2024 and Summer 2025 Koinonia Nature Camp, which runs July 1-August 31st located at 165 Lakeview Drive Road, Highland Lake, NY 12743. The program not only extends a general discount to Town of Highland residents, but it also provides subsidies and scholarships to children aged 4-12 to attend camp Monday-Friday, with aftercare available until 5pm. They also have a Youth Leaders Program for teens aged 13-15. The camp was also in receipt of $30,000 from the Town of Highland AARPA Emergency funds designation, which will cover the town’s contribution through 2025. Those funds had to be designated by the end of April 2025. 

The Town of Highland also received a grant for $8,900 as part of a Sullivan 180 Municipal Partnership Grant. These funds will be used for sign replacement and beautification throughout the Town of Highland. The planting and beautification effort is led by Karol Sundholm, the Marion O’Neill Culture Club and the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce. Signs will be replaced along the entrance to the town on Route 97 from Lumberland and Route 55 from Bethel. The work has also recommenced on the Sullivan Renaissance Silver Feather Grant which was awarded in 2021 for the purposes of River Access and Beautification in the amount of $100,000.

“These grants allow the Town of Highland to keep spirits and services high and taxes low in our community, a promise we made to residents. We could not accomplish this without the help of Sullivan 180, the Youth Bureau, the county, our hard-working Highland Highway Department, who provide in kind labor contributions for many of our projects, and community partners like the Greater Barryville Chamber of Commerce and Koinonia,” says Town of Highland Supervisor John Pizzolato.