Huntington marks improvements to preserve

The Town of Huntington is set to mark the completion of $330,000 worth of improvements at Betty Allen Park Preserve in Centerport Wednesday.

Officials are planning to rededicate the preserve at a 4 p.m. event on the south side of Route 25A, just west of Stony Hollow Road.

The project, which included funding from the town, state and federal governments, began in December and included rehabilitation of the spillway at the park and construction of a new fishing platform and fish ladder, which is intended to increase the fish population by creating new spawning areas. The preserve is a popular hiking and nature observation site with a pond that is also used for freshwater fishing.

Funding for the project included $150,000 from the town’s Environmental Open Space and Park Improvement Fund, a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and $65,000 in grants from the federal National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.