FRANKFORT
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Village on lookout for ash borers
While Frankfort, with its substantial population of mature ash trees, is an inviting target for hungry emerald ash borers, there are no signs of an infestation, village officials recently said.
Traps have been set throughout the village and are monitored, Trustee Dick Trevarthan said. Evidence of the emerald ash borer has been found in only one tree in the village, and that tree has been removed.
Residents should be vigilant, too, watching out for the dying leaves at the top of a tree that mark the first sign of the insect’s presence, Trevarthan said. “If this guy really gets started in our village, we’ll have our hands full,” he said.
Possible remedies include chemical treatment and tree removal, Village Administrator Jerry Ducay said. Some towns are reportedly bringing in predatory bugs in the hope of eradicating the emerald ash borer.
It’s unlikely that the village can be kept completely free of the invasive insect, Mayor Jim Holland said. “Everybody tells me that it’s coming across the state,” Holland said
— Pat Harper
FRANKFORT
Grants for retailers and restaurants
Retailers and restaurant owners interested in a downtown Frankfort location may qualify for a village grant of up to $10,000 if a proposed grant program is passed in August.
The grant program proposed by the Frankfort Downtown Partnership, a coalition of downtown business people and residents, won approval this month from the Village Board’s Community Services Committee, Trustee Cindy Heath said.
New retail entertainment and restaurant businesses could apply for grants to fund projects that upgrade the appearance and safety of the business, but not for operating expenses.
Heath said that grant applications would be available from the town’s Community Development Department and that applications would be reviewed by the village staff.
If trustees approve the program at Monday’s board meeting, $50,000 would be available for grants to eligible businesses in the 2009-2010 budget.
— Pat Harper