ALBANY, NY — Grants and awards given to numerous projects throughout the state were announced on December 10, and in Sullivan County one of the projects that will benefit is the O&W Rail Trail program. The project will receive two grants totaling $149,000 and the funds will be used to advance work being done to complete a 50-mile stretch of the trail.

The ultimate goal is to link all of the portions that are already complete with one continuous trail running from Summitville to Livingston Manor. The funds will also be used to analyze completed and undeveloped segments to develop a plan with cost estimates for repairs upgrades and new segments.

SullivanArc will receive $54,286 to expand the direct support workforce by training a special population of English-language learners and other low-income individuals. This initiative seeks to conduct outreach and training and address employment barriers such as language and transportation.

The Town of Highland will receive $489,700 to build a new five-bay town shop on town property located on the west side of New York State Route 55 in Eldred. This facility will replace the current town shop that is located in the floodway of Halfway Brook, which was flooded during hurricanes Ivan, Irene and Sandy and tropical storm Lee.

The Town of Liberty will receive $745,299, which will be used to construct improvements within the White Sulphur Springs Water District.

The Town of Rockland will receive $115,000, which will be used for stream-bank stabilization as part of the larger Riverwalk project, which will include pathways, boardwalks, signage and landscaping. The town will receive another grant of $305,000 to build the Livingston Manor Riverwalk, which will parallel Main Street and connect to Renaissance Park. The Riverwalk will exist as a town-managed easement across six privately owned parcels and one town-owned parcel.