Centaur Stride of Sherman recently installed a new sign that was designed by volunteer and SUNY Fredonia student Alison Gugino. From left are Gugino; Centaur Stride board member Sue Mercurio; instructors Savannah Alday and Tyler Muka; barn manager Jean Lozier; and board officer Claire Tomassini. Submitted photo

SHERMAN — A new sign and logo have been placed at an area horseback riding facility.

Centaur Stride recently installed and dedicated a new sign at their location on Jones Road in Sherman. The sign was created and designed by Centaur Stride volunteer Alison Gugino of Forestville. Gugino was also an art student at the State University at Fredonia at the time she created the sign.

Originally started in 1993, Centaur Stride is a nonprofit therapeutic horseback-riding facility that offers lessons, programs and similar activities geared toward individuals with disabilities. It is through therapeutic horseback riding that individuals build self-awareness, self-confidence, self-discipline and concentration.

Gugino originally was part of a photography internship at SUNY Fredonia that involved her spending time at Centaur Stride. During her internship, the organization was trying to decide how to make a new sign for their entrance to the facility on Jones Road. Previously, there had been a sign near an entrance to the facility’s original barn.

However, this sign was falling apart. In addition, the majority of the organization’s activity was taking place at a driveway close to the cover-all arena on the south side of the complex. In addition to being far from the arena, this driveway was also steep to use.

“The original sign was in the other driveway which we don’t use anymore because of the arena,” Lozier said.

It was during this time that Gugino offered to create a new sign.

“When we were talking about needing a new sign she offered to paint it for us.,” Lozier said. “We purchased the materials and she did the work.”

While the sign was completed last year, Centaur Stride barn manager Jean Lozier said that because it was finished in the fall it was decided to delay installation until this year.

“She (Gugino) didn’t finish it until late (last year) and it wasn’t possible to get it up. So we waited until spring,” Lozier said.

With that the sign was installed in late April and dedicated on May 11. The new sign is located on the front lawn of the facility.

The new sign is constructed of a rounded 4-foot-by-8-foot piece of 3 quarter-inch heavy duty plywood. It is painted a cream color with green lettering to match Centaur Stride’s colors and contains the organization’s address and phone number. It has also been painted on either side so traffic in both directions can see it on Jones Road. It is also viewable from the intersection of Jones Road and Route 21.

According to Lozier, the paint used on the sign is weather proof and meant to withstand outdoor conditions.