Wednesday, February 20, 2002
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Wednesday, February 20, 2002 |
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Let's start planning now to help older teens So call me sentimental. I was recently looking at some "souvenirs" of my 1995 write-in campaign for city council, and came across three items that were part of my platform. One was to control apartment development, another was to eliminate the unregulated privately owned sewer monopoly we used to have here, and another was to create a teen center. As a community, we have certainly come a long way in the past seven years, in some ways very good, in others not so good. But one thing is for sure: we still don't have a teen center. All of us can list many reasons why we live here in Peachtree City, and I would venture to say that most of us are generally very satisfied with our quality of life. We are extremely fortunate to live in a city that is safe, clean, and well-planned with a myriad of amenities for almost everyone. I did say almost everyone. Let's face it, folks, there is a major hole in the older youth barrel, and I am convinced that if we don't plug the hole sooner rather than later, we are going to be drowning in a sea of regret. And you don't have to necessarily have kids of your own in the 12-to-17 bracket to experience the potential fallout. Some of us have nieces, nephews or grandkids in that age group. Others have friends and neighbors with kids that age. And all of us pay taxes. It costs far less to provide a positive environment for older kids than what it costs to put them through drug rehabilitation or jail. This is not to say the choice is between an adolescent center or jail or to imply adolescents are doomed for trouble, of course, but it is to say we ought to make wise use of our tax dollars. Let's be objective, then we'll be realistic. Objectively, one must readily admit that Peachtree City is a fantastic place to raise a young family, or even to make one's retirement. However, while certainly there are opportunities for kids 12-to-17 to engage in school activities, sports, or become active in their church youth group, there is no central place for our youth to collectively congregate in a constructive, yet fun location. You see, not every youth goes to church, or if they do, is involved in the church's youth group. Not everyone is an athlete, and not everyone centers their life around school. But nearly everyone wants to be a part of something and to share a common thread in the community. We don't have a movie theatre, we don't have a bowling alley, we don't have a Dixieland Fun Park. Our older kids need a hangout and something more. They need a community program with a mission to provide youth with a positive environment in which to thrive. They need a place to call their own and to have fun, but also a place to develop self-worth and a sense of accomplishment. Have you ever been to the Gathering Place? If you're under 50, there's a reasonably good chance you have not. It is a marvelous facility, of course, but it was designed for and is primarily used by the senior citizens in our community, which leads me to the realistic part of the issue I spoke of a moment ago. We are very lucky to get 30 percent of the city's registered voters to participate in an election. Very sad, but very true. Of those who do take the time to vote, would you say older voters have a disproportionate influence in the outcome of an election? Of course they do. Is it because they are smarter than most people? Perhaps, but a far more accurate choice of words would be to say that they are wiser. They know the value of a vote, they don't take it for granted, and they effectively let their collective voices be heard. Which explains, in part, why we have a Gathering Place, of course. Unfortunately, if you are 15, you don't have a vote. That doesn't make you any less important than anyone else, but you simply don't have a dog in the fight. Well, bow wow. Call me crazy, but I'm ready to go to bat for you. Frankly, I figured if the referendum to buy Braelinn Baptist Church and turn it into a Community Center had passed, the community's youth would indeed be served well. Needless to say, that did not happen. Unfortunately, "what ifs" don't get us very far at this stage of the game. So, I have my own Field of Dreams. If we build it, they will come. And when they come, they will very likely not be doing something they shouldn't be doing. Our kids have a lot of time on their hands, and sex, drugs, and alcohol happens right here in our own little Utopia, whether you want to admit it or not. In my opinion, we have not adequately provided for this segment of our community for too long. And though they may not vote, they still count. Now what I am not advocating is to shoot first and ask questions later. A great deal of thought and planning needs to go into this. Where will be build such a facility or can we use an existing structure? How are we going to pay for it? Exactly who will it serve? What will it offer? Can we coordinate something with the county in order to pool our resources? Are Friday nights for middle school and Saturday nights for high school students? What kinds of activities and formats are wanted? What kind of staging areas are needed? How do we effectively maintain adult supervision without being oppressive? Can we integrate the private sector into the equation? How can we ensure the facility is a useful complement to PTC should it ultimately fail in its primary mission? Quite obviously, the list goes on and on. I have my own ideas as to the answers to these questions, but that's the whole point. Nobody has all the answers. My college degree is in marketing, and I make my living listening to my customers. Not trying to sell them something they don't want, but actually listening to what they say and figuring out a way to solve their problem. Well, that is exactly what we need to do here. We need to listen. We need to gather together those who can inject energy, creativity, feasibility and practicality into the mix such that we wind up with the best possible finished product. It will take teamwork and commitment from everyone. To that end, I have presented to Mayor Brown this vision and he has endorsed the concept wholeheartedly. We need to bring together focus groups to learn everything we need to learn, and then find a way to do it, and do it right. Please feel free to contact me with your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions. I am but one person who wants to make a difference, but there is power in numbers. It is my goal to have a facility or program ready to go by the end of my term next year. Let's complete the mission, and let's make everyone count. Thanks for your support. Dan Tennant Peachtree City Councilman DanTennantPTC@aol.com
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