Wednesday, October 11, 2000

We appreciate the many teens from eastern Fayette County and parents who have contacted [and asked] Jitterbuggers teen club to expand into the city of Fayetteville to replace the Market Teen Club which met its demise this summer.

The mission of our teen club is to provide quality entertainment options for young people, and through our website we have helped over 22 communities in 11 states begin the process of identifying available resources, lay framework and get an operating facility going, either through independent financial sources, grants, lending or a combination of all three.

To take on this endeavor requires a community to have the following characteristics: 1) A city government willing to buy into the idea.

2) A school board receptive to endorsing the concept through the use of surveys or classroom letters outlining what would be required at a teen center.

3) A police department that is pro youth, i.e., willing to put preventive efforts to aid youth as opposed to using entrapment, intimidation and a concept of the only good teen is one under youth probation and paying money to support four other counties besides Fayette.

4) A church system that recognizes young people need a place to go where they can have fun, be safe and not be segregated by various religious beliefs or false misconceptions.

5) A business environment that recognizes the opportunity of having a community facility for their young people and will support it with their finances and time.

6) Finally, the young people and their parents must buy into the need and support it with their talents and time.

We are pleased to see that the city of Peachtree City has now begun a proposal to build a community center/teen center to be financed partially by a hotel tax-bond issuance. The YMCA facility on Huiet Road between Peachtree City and Fayetteville has worked with the Jitterbuggers teen club to promote concerts and one day will have budgeted an area for teen expansion. Finally, several independent businesses in Peachtree City have contacted us with possible merger expansion plans to include a new site for the Jitterbuggers teen club.

To be successful, all six components must exist within the community. Sadly, the city of Fayetteville must realize what has already been recognized by churches, businesses, the school board and parents and teens: That Fayette County has almost 10,000 young people between the ages of 12 and 20.

Without providing them a safe environment free of unscrupulous adults and an "arrest them at all cost" mentality, we will be driving away the most important part of any community the young people.

An old fable this brings to mind is the city of Hamlin that failed to pay the Piper, and with that he responded by luring out all the young people, never to return again. The vitality of the community was zapped, never to recover. How long can we accept the statement by many of our young people, They can't wait to get the hell out of Fayette County! The Piper is the city of Atlanta and Buckhead. Where do you want your teens to be, Fayetteville?

We have made it our personal mission to stop this exodus and by working one-on-one with the kids have surpassed 12,250 in attendance, 30 local bands from eight different schools performing over 125 times and a membership and repeat customer base of over 350 young people.

We will be representing Fayette County as the opening number in The Children's Healthcare Parade Dec. 2, 2000 along with the 250-member concert performing band of Salem High School, Conyers, presenting 40 young people doing a ballroom dance to the tune, "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."

Richard Thompson

President, Jitterbuggers Teen Club

National Headquarters

Peachtree City

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