SHERIFF: D.A.R.E. CAMP WILL CONTINUE

Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis announced Monday that three
Henderson County Schools would be receiving School Resource Officers
and by doing this reorganization D.A.R.E. Camp would be continued in
the summer.

Davis held a press conference Monday morning at Flat Rock Middle
School along with Principal Bill Reedy; Beverly Davis, principal of
Rugby Middle School; and Carolina Patterson, principal at Apple
Valley Middle School.

In October, prior to Davis winning the November election, the fate of
D.A.R.E. Camp was unknown.

Davis said at the time he planed to keep the D.A.R.E. curriculum 100
percent intact. But the camp and dances may or may not continue.

Monday, he dispelled that rumor and assured citizens that D.A.R.E.
Camp would continue.

"All of us at the Henderson County Sheriff's Office are excited about
the opportunity to place School Resource Officers in three Henderson
County Schools," Davis said. "Beginning January 3, Flat Rock Middle,
Rugby Middle and Apple Valley Middle Schools will have an assigned
deputy at their respective locations," Davis said.

Davis said that by working smarter at the Sheriff's Office and using
resources in a more efficient manner, the office can not only place
the officers in Henderson County middle schools but can also keep
D.A.R.E. Camp in the summer and reach even more students.

"For too many years our D.A.R.E. Officers were spending much of their
time outside of the classroom performing logistical work and
fundraising to support our annual summer D.A.R.E. Camp," Davis said.
"Their time, when not teaching D.A.R.E., can be better used serving
the students, teachers and schools of Henderson County as School
Resource Officers. We can accomplish this transition without asking
for a single extra tax dollar."

Davis introduced Corporal Ricky Bishop, who will be placed at Flat
Rock Middle School, Deputy Jason Garren, who will be placed at Apple
Valley Middle School, and Deputy Scott Estremera, who will be placed
at Rugby Middle School.

"Each School Resource Officer will maintain a teaching schedule
within the D.A.R.E. Program," Davis said. "In fact, it is our goal to
have them teaching D.A.R.E. in the elementary schools that feed into
their respective middle school. The future of our county truly rests
with the youth of our county and it is our commitment at the
Henderson County Sheriff's Office to support them in all ways possible."

Robert Danos, program director of Camp Mondamin in Tuxedo, discussed
his role in keeping D.A.R.E. Camp alive.

"Last May, Sheriff Davis showed me the way D.A.R.E. Camp had been
financed in the past and asked me, as a summer camp administrator, to
help him find a smarter way," Danos said. "Returning to the All-Star
Retreats at Camp Pinewood under this structure will allow an increase
from about 285 children last summer to 320 this coming summer."

Danos said that the campers and counselors will essentially notice no change.

"The only hard part of this process was earlier in the summer when
several people were writing upset letters to the paper assuming that
the program was being cut since they did not see the annual
fundraising going on," Danos said. "I am grateful that Sheriff Davis
did not let campaign pressure rush our process."