White Plains CitizeNetReporter - <i>King Komments:</i> Pot, Beer Incidents Demand Night Programs for Youth

King Komments By Councilman William King. May 7, 2002 1:40 PM EDT: Councilman King, having learned of a marijuana-smoking incident involving approximately a half-dozen White Plains teens about a month ago is calling for creation of more night time programs for White Plains youth.

News of a party amongst teens in White Plains where there was almost a serious accident, coming on the heels of the tragic teen incident in Harrison, and the story about the out of control party last year in Chappaqua, really hit me. It is not just hitting close to home – it is home.

Arne Abromowitz (Recreation Commissioner) has not returned my call, although I did speak to Frank Williams, (Youth Bureau Director), who has heard similar concerns at recent PTA meetings and, as is Frank’s way, he is going to focus immediately on the issue.

I have talked to a couple of close friends whose kids are in high school and middle school. Teen drinking seems on the rise. Clearly this has to be addressed They suggest, and I agree there should be more night time activities for kids, football and basketball games at night, Battles of the Bands.

I’ll chaperone dances if I have to – and my Third Grader will be going to them soon. If you give kids something to do during some of the hours of their free time, that gives them less time to do other stuff.

Glen (Hockley) and I have previously talked about this overall problem and I was glad to hear him bring it up in the last campaign.

Dialogue with Teens Needs to be Stepped Up

Another thing is to convene kids on this and hear what they have to say – and then act on it. As both my friends say, it has to be kid-driven but with parents and adults ready and able to assist.

There is a group of teens that meets regularly with the Mayor and George Gretsas from the different high schools called the Youth Council. I believe, from reading Monday’s obituary of Matt Sigona, the senior from Fordham Prep who died tragically this past weekend in a car accident (no evidence of alcohol being a factor from what I have heard), that he was a member of this Youth Council.

It would be a fitting tribute to Matt and his family if the Youth Council could inform the Common Council of the problems, concerns, and solutions they have been discussing with the Mayor and city staff over the last few years at an upcoming Common Council meeting. We would all like to hear what our teens have to say.

”We’ve really got to move.”

The City and the school district need to set aside money (as in our upcoming budgets that we are discussing this month, starting July 1), to help support such activities. And work with other communities.

As we have read, it has happened in Chappaqua and Harrison and now White Plains, and I am sure most other places in Westchester. We’ve got to hop on this one. We’ve really got to move. I also wish the school district would study starting high school later at 9 A.M or 9:30 A.M. and going through the late afternoon.

Non-School, Non-Public Funded Groups Involvement an Answer?

I would add that, based on my own growing up, that to me, my most meaningful experiences as a teenager were with a non-school, non-public funded group. It was called “Explorers,” the next phase of Scouting after Boy Scouts. It was for ages 14-18 and my group was coed.

We eschewed working on merit badges for going on interesting trips (like hiking down the Grand Canyon and rafting down the Colorado River, and canoeing in northern Wisconsin and Canada), and did public service projects – our focus was on Emergency Response – we took a lifesaving course taught by EMT’s and we assisted in sandbagging the river and rescuing people when there was a 100-year flood in my hometown in Illinois.

Our Explorer post evolved from Boy Scouts but many new members joined without having been in Boy or Girl Scouts. It was jointly started by parents and us kids (yes, I was a kid once). There may be a group or groups like this in White Plains, but I have not heard of them. If they exist, more parents should be aware of them, and think about getting their kids involved with them and helping out by chaperoning trips, etc.

If no such group does exist, I would be up for seeing how one or more could be started up – but it should come from the kids, not be handed down by the city or the school system which just never is “cool enough.” But, we, the City and the school district, should provide places for kids to go, especially at night, and Glen and I have discussed looking at our City budget as we all discuss it from this important perspective.


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