CHRISTIANSBURG TO PROVIDE ITS OWN DARE PROGRAM

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 3, 1993                   TAG: 9302030220
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: KENNETH SINGLETARY
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium
CHRISTIANSBURG TO PROVIDE ITS OWN DARE PROGRAM
After several weeks of debate and soul-searching, Town Council voted Tuesday night to authorize the Police Department to begin a Drug Abuse Resistance Education program in elementary schools.
The decision means the Police Department will have to hire another officer, increasing the department's budget by approximately $25,000 a year, Town Manager John Lemley said.
But Christiansburg will be able to apply for a $10,000 state grant to offset the cost during the next fiscal year. The town may apply for a second grant during the following year, but after that Christiansburg will have to fund the project itself.
The move came in response to Montgomery County Sheriff Kenneth Phipps' decision to stop DARE instruction by his department in Christiansburg schools. In the DARE program, police officers visit classrooms to teach pupils how to react in dangerous situations.
Citing manpower and money shortages, Phipps told council a month ago that he wanted to begin DARE programs in the Auburn and Shawsville combined middle and high schools. In an appearance before council two weeks ago, he repeated his plea for help.
Council members said that they valued the DARE instruction in town schools. They also pointed out that citizens of Christiansburg are residents of the county, too, and should be able to reap county services.
On Tuesday night they reiterated those views while deciding to guarantee DARE instruction for Christiansburg elementary school students.
Lemley told council he had talked with Christiansburg Police Chief Ron Lemons, who told him the program would require one officer to spend three days a week in the Christiansburg and Falling Branch elementary schools for the entire school year.
The Sheriff's Department will continue to run the program in town schools this year, and the town will take over next school year.
"I don't like the idea of being forced into this by the county or some Christiansburg students being penalized, but I don't think we can do without that program in our schools, and we're going to have to bite the bullet," said Mayor Harold Linkous.
Council member Truman Daniel said he thought the decision was "thrust upon us."
In other action, council decided to raise garbage collection fees from $7.50 month to $10 a month beginning with the July billing. The customer utility tax on electric, telephone and gas service will rise from 10 percent of the first $10 of the monthly bill to 20 percent of the first $10 of the monthly bill, beginning in May.
The move comes in response to a potential budget shortfall of $122,000 between garbage revenues and expenses, Lemley told council.
The shortfall is the result of competition from commercial garbage collectors, who have taken over 35 percent of Christiansburg's commercial accounts, Lemley said.
A July 1 increase in tipping fees by Montgomery County added to the town's expenses. Christiansburg did not institute a corresponding increase then, however. `

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB