Daniel Zuckerman reports in The Daily Mail that the Greene County Legislature’s Finance Committee authorized contracts on the budget for the Rip Van Winkle Skywalk project Feb. 13. The first phase of the project, work on the sidewalks on the bridge, resumed Jan. 9. The next phase of construction includes scenic lookout points on the bridge, and sidewalks linking the bridge to the Olana State Historic Site in Greenport, and the Thomas Cole House in Catskill. The state has provided $124,500 for designing, planning, permitting, and surveying in the first phase. A second grant from the state is for $875,000 to construct sidewalks. "It’s like our gateway," Greene County Economic Development and Tourism Director Warren Hart said. "It’s creating walkable communities." He said, eventually, there will be public hearings to give residents a chance to comment on the project designs. Read the full story in The Daily Mail.