ARCHIE MOUNTAIN PHOTO
UNITY — Thanks to the effort of several members in the TRAILS (Transitional Reentry and Inmate Life Skills) program at the Sullivan County House of Corrections, residents at Sullivan County Health Care will have a perfect place to relax and enjoy the warm weather for years to come.
The new gazebo located on the common area across the driveway from the Health Care facility was opened for business with the official ribbon cutting Monday afternoon.
About 25 residents of Sullivan County Health Care attended the ceremony along with county employees and enjoyed refreshments following the ribbon cutting by Health Care residents Flo Young and Edith Crosby.
They were assisted by Tyler Barry, a TRAILS participant. Barry was the only TRAILS member to work on the gazebo construction project from start to finish over the past three months. Others graduated from the program and were released from the Unity facility prior to the conclusion of the project last week.
According to Dave Berry, superintendent at the Sullivan County Department of Corrections, TRAILS is a 90-day counseling and transition services program in place prior to the inmate’s release back into the community.
When it came time to cut the ribbon, Superintendent Berry asked Tyler Barry to assist Young and Crosby with the big pair of ribbon cutting scissors. Handling the ribbon duties were Sullivan County Commissioners Jeff Barrette, Ben Nelson and George Hebert.
During the production period the TRAILS participants got experience by working with carpentry teacher Michael Bennett at the Sugar River Valley Career and Technical Center in Claremont during the summer months. Once school was back in session, Jonathan Nelson of Concept Carpentry took over for Bennett.
Also participating in the ribbon cutting ceremony were Superintendent Berry, Bryan Huot, LaValley Building Supply Inc., and Alex Herzog, director of SRVCTC
Other support for the project came from Preferred Business Systems, LaValley Building Supply Inc. and Carroll Concrete.
Berry said funds to cover the cost of the gazebo project came from money raised by the inmate commissary and phone use funds.
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