Interns brighten Sullivan County towns

By SANDY LONG

NARROWSBURG, NY — Nicole Terwilliger looks forward to spending her summer beautifying the town of Narrowsburg. The 17-year-old Sullivan West High School student is participating in a paid summer internship program through Sullivan Renaissance. She is also volunteering for a second beautification project focused on Kenoza Lake.

In conjunction with the Center for Workforce Development (CWD) and the Sullivan County Personnel Department, the program provides internships to 25 students who support various multi-level beautification and community development projects throughout the county.

Terwilliger first learned of the program while working on a memorial garden project at her high school. “I’ve always been interested in gardening, and I like being involved in these communities and meeting new people,” said the high school senior. Although she’s bound for Alfred State College to study animal science, Terwilliger said that gardening would always have a place in her life.

Terwilliger’s project will include planting, weeding and maintenance of flowerbeds at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch of the Western Sullivan Public Library, at Veterans Park and at the eagle-viewing deck on Main Street, where she will assist in the installation of a new eagle-spotting telescope.

Madeleine Wootan, a member of the Narrowsburg Beautification Group, is serving as Terwilliger’s supervisor for the project. “We try to beautify the town and foster its economic well-being,” said Wootan. “Nicole is helping us to accomplish those goals.”

The program, now in its fourth year, kicked off with an employment orientation in May, followed by a “Gardening 101” program that introduced the interns to horticulture and gardening techniques. Interns received certification for learning about plant identification, weeding, mulching and pest management, as well as safe operating techniques for garden tools. The interns will also hone their leadership skills during a training event to be held in July.

The young gardeners will keep journals of their activities in order to track the progress of their projects. The completed journals, as well as an essay, must be submitted at the conclusion of the project.

Denise Frangipane, who coordinates the program, described it as having great value to both the interns and the communities they serve. “Interns have an opportunity to explore a career, and a number of them have continued their education in the field or gone on to careers in landscaping,” she said.

The internship program is administered by the CWD and funded by Sullivan Renaissance, a beautification and community development program that is funded by the Gerry Foundation.

For more information, visit www.sullivanrenaissance.org or call 845/295-2445.

Gardening angels needed!

The Narrowsburg Beautification Group is seeking volunteers to help with various gardening activities throughout town. The group gathers on the second Tuesday of every month and the fourth Thursday of every month starting at 7:00 p.m. at the Tusten-Cochecton Branch of the Western Sullivan Public Library. All are welcome and are asked to bring their own tools. On June 17 at 7:00 p.m., master gardener Alison Peck will share her expertise at the library.