NORWICH – With many areas throughout New York State still recovering from flood damage and highway crews continuing to work on roads, grant money from one local Senator will aid the effort.

Senator Thomas Libous, R-Binghamton, announced in late June more than $734,000 in grants that will help rebuild local roads, improve parks and sidewalks, build a walking track in the town of Smithville and replace a partially collapsed sluice pipe in the Town of Norwich.

“I’ve learned a lot from our local transportation experts over the last couple of years,” said Libous, Chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee. “And the one thing that’s really clear is that we have to deliver resources to keep our local roads, bridges and parks in the best possible shape.”

It was announced by Norwich Highway Superintendent Stanley Foulds at Monday’s regularly scheduled town board meeting that a $15,000 grant to the town is secure and should be arriving in coming weeks.

The projects selected were chosen among many applications. While many of the Senator’s grants went directly to safety improvements, Smithville got money to build a walking track at its park.

“Transportation is more than just the bit of asphalt on the other side of your front yard,” Libous said. “It’s walking and bike paths and other means to get where you’re going. Improving any of those things makes a community a better, safer place to live.”