'BIG, GREEN DRUG-SELLING MACHINE' FINDS NEW LIFE
WITH FOSTORIA DARE

FOSTORIA -- Fully-loaded 1995 GMC Suburban, new electrical and paint
and one incarcerated owner. If interested, contact Fostoria's new
Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer at city schools.

The unveiling Tuesday night of a once infamous chrome-wheeled SUV as
a DARE-mobile marked a new beginning for the truck and the program in
Fostoria.

Mayor John Davoli announced the program, inactive for five years,
would restart in January and introduced the vehicle and the city's
newly-trained DARE officer, Matt Noftz.

"He just completed a two-week training program," Davoli said. "He's
the right guy for the job."

Police seized the truck -- once called "The Big, Green Drug-Selling
Machine"-- from Maurice Haskins. Haskins is serving four years in
prison after being convicted earlier this year of drug possession and
trafficking.

Local automotive shops volunteered time to reform the SUV, Davoli
said. After electrical work, a fresh coat of paint and the
application of custom-designed decals with messages such as
"compliments of a local drug dealer," Davoli said the truck still
makes an impression.

While the window-rattling speakers remain intact, Fostoria Police
Chief John McGuire said the thumping bass now sends a different
message to students.

"They see it and realize they can lose their car," McGuire said.
"They see the consequences of being involved with drugs."