STUDENTS TAKE A TRIP TO CAPITOL BUILDING

A recent trip to Des Moines for some Woodbury Elementary students was
designed to encourage them to live drug-free lives, as well as providing
the students a chance to see Iowa government in action.

Woodbury fifth-graders taught by Mrs. Alman and Mrs. Stevens were able to
take a bus to the Wallace Building and the Capitol Building courtesy of the
Marshall County Sheriff's Office Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.)
program.

"There was no Marshalltown bus available, so I used grant money secured for
D.A.R.E. [through a drug-free community program] to pay for a bus to take
us," said Marshall County Deputy/D.A.R.E. Officer Steve Sodders.

The trip was part of National and Iowa D.A.R.E. Day, Sodders said, and
students were able to hear Iowa's drug czar, Marvin Van Hafften, read a
proclamation and tour the Capitol Building accompanied by Rep. Mark Smith.

The students were treated to a musical program by a retired D.A.R.E.
officer and even got a chance to see the voice behind the anti-crime
cartoon dog "McGruff," as voice personality Jim Parker did a magic and
ventriloquist act dealing with drugs and how to be safe.

Although Sodders said the fifth-graders had plenty of fun, spending time
with a law enforcement officer had another purpose.

"I think it gives them a positive opinion of law enforcement as a whole,"
he said. "They know we are there to help them work out problems and stay
safe no matter the circumstances.

"They feel comfortable talking to other law enforcement officers - and any
time we can increase communication with people in the public, that works
out for everyone."