THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994 TAG: 9406210168
SECTION: ISLE OF WIGHT CITIZEN PAGE: 08 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940622 LENGTH: ISLE OF WIGHT
``Give us something to do,'' said Tabatha Davis, 18, a junior at Smithfield High School. ``If kids here had something to do, it's more likely they would stay out of trouble.''
{REST} Davis' suggestion drew an eruption of laughter from the friends gathered around the picnic table outside Smithfield High School. But most of the group, having grown up in rural Isle of Wight County, recognize the teenagers' teasing masks the sad truth of her statement.
Many teens who socialize in the county hang out at one of two places: Hardee's parking lot and in Zoom's Convenience Store, where they can shoot pool.
``It's more dangerous to go out over in other parts of Hampton Roads,'' said Jamie Green, a junior. ``And my parents worry when I'm out real late.''
In an informal get-together suggested by a reporter, the eight students sharing lunch and opinions were unanimous in the belief that the county needs more recreational opportunities.
The area's existing sites, such as Nike Park in Carrollton and other public playgrounds, do not meet the needs of children today, they said. The students reeled off suggestions: a skating rink, miniature golf course, bowling alley, a YMCA, a mall.
Having these facilities closer would benefit all residents in the county, they agreed.
According to the teens, these things would give future generations safer, more constructive places to spend their spare time. The rest of the county would benefit because the additional businesses in the county would increase the tax base.
Many of the students' opinions mirrored recommendations included in the Isle of Wight County Office on Youth's 1993-1999 Delinquency Prevention and Youth Development Needs Assessment and Plan. Released in 1992, this document identifies problems and unmet needs of county children and specific goals to target those problems over the next six years.
The assessment focuses on two problem areas: the health of county youth and strengthening families. Several plans expected to result in services include:
Reducing the number of teen pregnancies by increasing the number of parenting programs and services 10 percent by 1995;
Reducing substance abuse 10 percent by 1995;
Promoting parenting education in high school and the community.
According to Linda Porter, head of the Isle of Wight Social Services Department, plans are also being made to improve alternative programs for youth offenders in the juvenile court system. She is working on a committee to organize a multi-service day treatment center for youth involved in the criminal justice system.
The proposed facility, which would serve youth from across the region who are not allowed to attend school, would provide them with academic instruction. The treatment center would provide counselors to visit homes and hold parenting classes for students.
The Office on Youth, which was created in 1991 by the county's Board of Supervisors, focuses on trying to prevent and relieve the social and health problems that plague children nationwide today.
Most of the Virginia Department of Youth and Family Services' funds are earmarked for intervention. ``Our agency is the only one providing preventative services,'' Porter said.
It is also the first one to suffer from state budget cuts, she said. Isle of Wight's Office on Youth operates on a $33,000 budget, 75 percent of which is funded by the state. Last year, budget cuts eliminated funding for two programs, she said.
``All over Virginia, the number of minors committing serious crimes is rising rapidly,'' Porter said. ``Juvenile offenders are a priority concern for the state.
``Here in Isle of Wight, we are facing the same problems that urban schools are dealing with,'' she said. ``Even if something is not a big problem now, it will become one within a year or two unless changes are made.''
Porter doesn't expect these changes to come easily or quickly. It will be a slow, gradual process, evolving as individuals change the ways they think.
``But before I can expect people in the community to rise up to change, they have to be educated,'' Porter said. ``This year, the Office on Youth is trying to raise the public's level of awareness by educating people throughout the county.''
Next fall, the Office on Youth will distribute a youth resource directory that will be sent home with school students. The office will also be represented at the Isle of Wight County Fair in September. The Youth Advisory Council will man an information booth at the fair.
Porter and a part-time clerical assistant are the office's only paid employees. They report to the Isle of Wight Youth Services Board, which has 21 members representing various county agencies and organizations.
Thanks to the Youth Advisory Board, even children get the chance to offer input into the Office on Youth's operation. A group of young volunteers, who meet with Porter monthly, has planned several activities promoting the Office on Youth to the community.
In addition to manning the fair's booth, the group will be sponsoring a countywide talent show, beginning work on its first newsletter and participating in workshops to enhance their leadership skills.
Children who participate reap the most valuable benefits of these activities, such as higher self-esteem and pride in their accomplishments, Porter said.
``The younger we get them the better because we can keep them longer,'' Porter said. ``That gives us more of an opportunity to make an impact on these kids.
``That is community development,'' she said. ``I see that as a big part of what I do.
``After all, what is a community besides for people?''
by CNB