Orion Village President Jim Cooper compares the village’s taking on the railroad to David battling Goliath.

“We’ve had exciting discussions with Burlington Northern Santa Fe since the closure of the 13th Avenue bridge three years ago,” Cooper told village board members on Monday, Jan. 18. “I’m not going to say we lost, I’m not going to say we won,” Cooper said.

He reported on phone calls and e-mails earlier in the day as the village and railroad tried to reach final agreement on what Orion would receive in return for not opposing the removal of the bridge, which the railroad wants to do soon.

For more details on the agreement between the railroad and the village, see the Jan. 29 issue of the Orion Gazette.