D.A.R.E. A GREAT PROGRAM

On Wednesday night, I attended my third, and last, DARE graduation since my
family moved to Stow. The graduation ceremony was not only an
acknowledgement of the students' involvement and participation in the DARE
program throughout the fifth-grade school year but was also delightfully
entertaining!

Thank you to Chief Mark Trefry for taking the time to share his personal
and professional observations. Thank you to Rachel Belanger, Stow Police
Department ....the behind-the-scenes worker bee for the 14 years that the
DARE program has been part of the fifth- and eighth-grade curriculum.

The Center Elementary staff was clearly not only supportive of the messages
that the program reinforces to the children...but Principal Greg Irvine and
the staff had clearly worked very hard....in particular, the fifth-grade
teachers: Mrs. Maitlland, Mr McDowell, Mrs. Sullivan and Miss Geer; Mrs.
Dyer taught the children two terrific songs; Mrs Benson put together a
touching computerized photo collage of the informal photos of the children
throughout the year, intermixed with the individual fifth-grade school photos.

Videographer extraordinaire Lew Halprin took his time to tape the
graduation so that it could be shown on Channel 9....look for the Stow TV
schedule in the newspaper. And Officer Darren Thraen set aside time each
week to instruct our children...to reinforce the concept of
consequences....to instill the facts and figures related to drug and
alcohol use and its potential outcomes....rolled together with time in the
classroom, on the play fields and at the cafeteria tables....with a warm
smile and an engaging style...to which the students clearly responded very
positively.

The existence and continuation of the DARE program in Stow relies on
community support and donations...Thank you!

Carole Makary

Taylor Road