By JOSHUA THOMAS

C-S-E News Staff

FORT PLAIN — Young Fort Plain resident Vanessa Van Slyke, entering third grade in the upcoming 2012-2013 school year, approached the Fort Plain Village Board Tuesday night with suggestions regarding the closed Clinton Avenue Extension.

“This young lady has written a letter to the village board in reference to the hill becoming closed off to where her and her parents live,” said Mayor Guy Barton, noting, “she has come up with some ideas that would be very beneficial to the village,” asking Van Slyke to read her letter.

Momentarily shy, Van Slyke turned the letter over to her mother, who began, “My name is Vanessa Van Slyke, and I want to fix the hill.” It was noted that the hill’s closure sometimes causes Vanessa to be late for school, and significantly lengthens her walk from the top of the hill, as she’s forced to take the detour.

Vanessa’s ideas included selling popsicles and lemonade. She requested that the board allow her to set up a stand to raise money for the cause. The village provided permission for Vanessa to sell refreshments on Wednesday, outside Village Attorney John Kirkpatrick’s Canal Street office.

“I know we’re going to do some work on it with money from the government, but we haven’t got it yet, so we have to start somewhere,” said Barton of Clinton Avenue Ext., continuing, “We really appreciate a thoughtful young person like yourself in the community. I wish more people would do what you do,” adding that the village board members would all undoubtedly be her customers.