 |
| May 05, 2024 |
Welcome! Click here to Login
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Click to visit the
Official Town Site
|
|
|
|
|
|
General News: Residents Meet to Help Teens
|
| Residents Concerned About Helping Teens |
August 30, 2006
On Tuesday evening, a group of about 40 concerned Cornwall citizens and representatives of a county alcohol and drug abuse prevention office met at the public library to talk about how they can reach out to the youth of the town and village and provide some type of safety net for teens at risk.
Many people in the village are talking about how the streets of Cornwall-on-Hudson have been busier this summer – especially after dark when groups of teenagers start forming outside of the Cumberland Farms or in the shadows of the gazebo. Cases of vandalism, burglary, and harassment are up – and police have arrested four local teens in the past month who now face criminal charges for their roles in these cases.
A Really Bad Summer
“This has been a really, really bad summer,” said Cornwall-on-Hudson police officer Jill Nye, who was one of a dozen people to speak out at the meeting. “It starts when you throw a rock through a window,” she said, “ and unless it is stopped, it snowballs into alcohol, drug abuse, and suicide.” She said they had seen drug abuse by children as young as 8-years-old.
The police have been busy trying to hold the teens accountable to the letter of the law, but the community leaders and parents at the meeting wanted to figure out what more they could do to create positive alternatives for local youth. The meeting was organized by the Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Council of Orange County as part of its program to build “Communities That Care.”
Community Prevention Program
Ruth Bowles, the coordinator of the Council’s Community Prevention program, presented a social development strategy that depends on a community-wide mobilization. Her message fell on welcoming ears.
Reverend Thomas Margrave of St. John’s Episcopal Church shared his dream of having a safe, supervised place, like a drop-in center, where kids can go to hang out with “no questions asked.” His church was targeted in July by vandals who spray-painted obscenities on an exterior wall. “The community has to get pro-active to make things available for the kids who don’t fit in,” he said.
Skateboarders Want a Place to Skate
A round of applause came up when someone suggested building a skateboard park. Skaters on the steps of Cornwall-on-Hudson Elementary School are repeatedly chased away from what they say is the only place around for them to go. Three young skaters attended the meeting and one, a 10th-grader, pointed out that none of his skating buddies smoke or do drugs but that they do want a decent place to skate.
The citizens group can be considered in formation – a second meeting will be held in October at the village town hall. Watch this space for an announcement of the day and time.
Comments:
No comments have been posted.
Add a Comment:
Please signup or login to add a comment.
|
 |
|
|
|
