Let the sun shine in

MILLERTON — After being awarded what Millerton Mayor John Scutieri described as “one of the biggest grants the village has seen,” the village has installed photovoltaic solar panels that will make the Millerton water department and highway facility “green.” The mayor said the work was expected to take about three weeks; that window of time has just expired.“That’s from NYSERDA [New York State Energy Research and Development Authority], and we are paying for only 9 percent, or $28,000 for those solar panels,” Scutieri said. “Considering that’s a $300,000 project, it really is just a fantastic deal for the village.”Village Trustee Yosh Schulman was instrumental in getting the NYSERDA grant for the village to finance the project. The eco-friendly panels are expected to save the village big bucks in energy costs.The mayor said the panels are attached to the rooftop, the building’s highway area will be fenced in. There will be an 8-foot tall fence to enclose the water department area as well. Scutieri described the fence as black-coated and “a lot better looking” than what is there now.“We’re doing the best we can in terms of aesthetics,” he said, adding he hopes to have plantings that will eventually soften the look in the future as well.