ALLIANCE COMBATS 'BIG CITY' ISSUES FOR TEENS HERE

For those who live in rural areas, it can be easy to turn a blind eye
to the problems facing young people, believing those things can't
happen here, said Blane Martin, a supervisor in Clinton.

"Everybody wants to put their head in the sand and not admit to
anything," he said.

But officials and residents in the southeastern corner of Butler
County are trying to change that.

The Southeastern Butler County Community Alliance was formed in
September 2006 with representatives of Buffalo, Clinton, Winfield and
Saxonburg to educate residents and groups about child safety,
including drug and alcohol abuse and Internet dangers, said Mary
Zacherl, Clinton supervisor and secretary.

On Thursday, alliance members will meet for final adoption of their
bylaws. Then the group can decide how to provide more programs with a
$25,000 grant received from the Alle-Kiski Valley Health Foundation,
Mrs. Zacherl said.

The group was the first to receive a "challenge grant" from the
nonprofit, independent foundation.

"We put together a small group of involved citizens from that region
and asked, 'What is your most pressing health, wellness, quality of
life issue?' And that group said we'd like to make the community
aware of these new threats to teens and young adults that haven't
really surfaced in this region before," said John Pastorek, chief
executive officer of the foundation.

The challenge was for the group to educate at least 500 people on
those dangers in six months. That goal accomplished, the $25,000
grant was received late last year.

The bulk of the 500 people heard information on drugs during two
"movie nights." Nick Mulone donated the use of his South Pike Cinemas
in Buffalo. Those attending heard Butler County Detective Pat Cannon,
then-District Attorney Randa Clark and state police officials talk
about drug abuse and how to recognize it. A former addict also spoke.

That was a great idea, Mr. Pastorek said. "You get to go to the
theater, and you get some popcorn and you get to watch a first-run
movie afterwards," he said.

In between the two movie nights, the group gave presentations to
church groups and in banquet halls. "They had an excellent group of
expert presenters," Mr. Pastorek said. "We're proud that our first
community challenge group has met the challenge."

Mr. Martin said they want to do smaller programs for groups of 10 to
15 people, such as parents and teachers or grandparents.

"It's hard because a lot of parents, they don't face the problem," he
said. "You just don't think it's going to happen in our area, but it
does."

"It's certainly been an eye-opener for me, some of the dangers that
children and families and people have to be exposed to," Mrs. Zacherl
said. "In my generation, you didn't see any of this."

Older people also should be informed, alliance members
said.

"Some people would say, 'Gee I'm a senior citizen. I've been retired
for 10 years. I don't have to worry about teens on drugs.' But they
could be a victim of somebody looking for drug money," Mr. Pastorek
said.

Alliance member Michelle Phillips said she became involved because
the idea of educating young people about the consequences of drug and
alcohol abuse appealed to her.

"The idea of trying to instill the idea of responsibility and
consequences to our youth is really important," said Mrs. Phillips
who, with her husband, owns an insurance business in Saxonburg.

In her case, it is also personal, she said. Her sister, Annette
Miller Clark, died after a car accident that killed her husband,
Glenn Clark. The driver of the other vehicle had been drinking.

"I have a personal interest in the idea of not drinking and driving,
and what happens when you do. We suffered the consequences
personally," Mrs. Phillips said. "No one ever thinks it is going to
happen to them. They never think they're going to cause an accident,
or even be the victim of one."

With receipt of the grant, Mr. Pastorek said, he is hoping that local
leaders emerge for the alliance.

"We want them to be independent to work on their own," he said. "But
I'll be there as a resource."

The foundation has issued a second challenge grant to officials and
residents in Harrison, Fawn, Brackenridge and Tarentum. The goal of
the Highlands Emergency Services Alliance is to increase membership
in volunteer fire companies in the region, and it may do so by
offering scholarships to young people to take fire-training courses,
Mr. Pastorek said.

The Alle-Kiski Valley Health Foundation was formed in 1983 and is not
affiliated with the Alle-Kiski Health Center, formerly Allegheny
Valley Hospital, in Harrison.

"In the past 10 years, we've provided more than $3 million in grants,
programs and services in this region," he said. "We're so unique that
nobody knows what to do with us or how to take us. It's humorous
because we do these great things and everybody says, 'That's the
hospital doing that.' "