Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 22, 1993 TAG: 9306220367
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Basketball is the first love for Moyers and his friends. But they like variety in their sports and summer activities to keep from getting bored.
So they applauded when Roanoke City Manager Bob Herbert and other city officials announced Monday that recreational and youth programs will be expanded this summer.
"I like it. Now there will be more to do," said Moyers, 13.
Trevor Carrington, 14, agreed. "Now there will be pool parties and other things," he said.
Joshua English, 9, was happy about an expanded summer playground program that will include arts, crafts and pool trips, in addition to sports.
About 40 youngsters attended the news conference in Eureka Park, where city officials outlined the summer programs.
Herbert said the city will spend $175,000 on summer programs for youths between ages 7 and 19, ranging from job internships to summer playground camps to teen parties.
This will be almost a sixfold increase over the $30,000 that was spent last summer on similar programs.
Herbert said the city wants to offer more recreational activities so youths won't turn to alcohol, drugs and violence.
"It is our obligation to provide summer activities for young people," he said.
George Snead, director of public safety, said the programs should reach 3,000 to 4,000 youngsters.
City officials want to prevent criminal activity and violence that has occurred in past summers when youngsters complained they had nothing to do, Snead said.
"We hope to give them so many positive things to do that they won't even think about negative things," he said.
Herbert said this summer's programs are the culmination of work that began in spring 1992.
"We brought together neighborhood leaders, community representatives, service providers, parents, teens and city staff to look at what our young people needed and wanted in the way of summer programs," Herbert said.
"We began several of these efforts last summer, and this year we have added additional funds and developed them into new, expanded programs that should appeal to a wide range of interests and ages."
The programs are: Drug Abuse Resistance Education Camp, Youth Internships and Jobs Internship Training Camp, Stars Come Out At Night, Adventures in the Park and Teen Summer Pool Parties.
"These programs serve several purposes," Herbert said. "Many are educational, all of them are designed to help build self-esteem and pride, and they offer our youth safe, fun activities that are drug- and alcohol-free."
Many private businesses have helped with the programs by providing merchandise and services at reduced prices, Herbert said.
\ ROANOKE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS\ \ Drug Abuse Resistance Education Camp: A weekly, four-day program based on outdoor challenges and activities that will be led by city police officers as an extension of the DARE classroom program. Ninety-eight students, selected by DARE officers and school principals, will take part in horseback riding, canoeing, hiking and swimming as alternatives to drug abuse.\ Summer interns: The city will provide 12 internships in municipal departments. Each intern is paid $5 an hour and has a 20-hour workweek. There will be a related Internship Training Camp for 25 youngsters that is designed to teach young teens skills such as work ethics, applying for a job and getting a first job.\ \ Stars Come Out At Night: A program of athletics and other activities each weeknight, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., for youths 12 to 17. The program, to be offered in six parks, will include soccer, basketball, swimming and guest speakers.\ \ Adventures in the Park: A playground program for children who have finished the first grade or are between ages 7 and 12. Activities include sports, crafts, arts, group games and pool trips. It will be provided in eight parks between 8:30 a.m. and noon each weekday.\ \ Summer pool parties: Five summer parties for teen-agers will be held at Washington and Fallon parks, from 9 p.m. to midnight.\ \ For more information: Call 981-1448.
by CNB