In a very real sense, Seneca County is opening another opportunity center.
The new Seneca County Youth Center was unveiled to visitors Thursday. It is ready to serve juveniles, ready to provide a greater opportunity for them to change direction.
For many youths who will be detained there, part of charting a new course involves adding structure to their lives. That will be made easier due to the structure provided by the new facility itself.
The old building - built in the 1950s to be an orphanage - literally contained obstacles to that goal. A nurse's station might be pressed into duty as a private meeting room for a youth and an attorney, a law officer or probation officer. Multiple demands placed on a recreation area made actual recreation a challenge.
The new facility - coupled with a dedicated, capable staff - can provide a more disciplined atmosphere where youths will have the opportunity to turn their lives around. If the youths seize that chance, the new center will be well worth the investment.
