POTSDAM – Two parks in Potsdam will get $65,000 from Albany for enhancements.

On Monday, Sen. Joe Griffo, R-Rome, made a stop in Potsdam to announce the funding along with village Mayor Reinhold Tischler.

A portion of the money will be used to complete a veterans memorial plaza in Ives Park, honoring area residents who have served in all wars. The money will also help renovate the park’s gazebo.

The other portion of the funding will be used to replace all of the old street lighting in Garner Park with more energy-efficient LED lighting that would now be owned by the municipality, according to Griffo’s office.

“After the village realized the benefits it experienced by previously replacing the lighting in Ives Park with LED lighting, the village has decided to expand these benefits to Garner Park with the goal of reducing costs, being more environmentally conscious and eliminating dark spots at night,” a news release from the senator’s office says.

“Our village parks are essential to the quality of life in our communities, so it is important that we always maintain them as safe, clean and attractive places for our residents and visitors to enjoy,” Tischler said in a prepared statement from Griffo’s office. “As a former mayor himself, Senator Griffo appreciates the many benefits that local parks can bring to a community, and we are grateful for the Senator’s efforts to secure funding that will help us enhance both Ives and Garner parks so that the public can continue to enjoy all they have to offer.”

“In nearly every community, local parks often serve as a centrally located destination for the public to gather and experience the outdoors, whether attending a concert, going for a jog or honoring a memorial,” Griffo said in a prepared statement. “Parks are a place where people can find calming peace and solace, so we must always do whatever we can to ensure that our parks are as clean, safe and beautiful as the public deserves. I know how much Ives Park and Garner Park mean to this community, so I am glad to have secured this funding that will not only honor our veterans and repair the gazebo, but will also help the village continue to pursue its goal of energy efficiency.”

Griffo represents the 47th Senate District. It covers a north-south swath running through the center of St. Lawrence County, from Massena to Pitcairn, including Potsdam. It extends south into Lewis and Oneida counties.