GUARD AIRCRAFT VISITS ST. FRANCIS, NORTH AS PART OF DARE ACTIVITY

Helicopter Gives Imaginations A Whirl At Local Schools

Morgantown Police DARE Officer Joel Smith (left) and Officer M. Charlton
show off a helicopter used for drug investigations as part of the DARE
program at St. Francis Elementary School Wednesday. The officers also
visited North Elementary with the copter Wednesday.

BY KATIE LONG

The

If you think standing around in a snowy field being swathed in sub-zero
freezing winds Wednesday sounds like torture, you aren't a fifth-grader at
St. Francis Central Catholic or North Elementary schools.

The U.S. Army helicopter that landed at both schools Wednesday morning
banished any brrrs from the kids' lips, leaving only smiles, oohs, ahhs and
one very pressing question.

The landing was arranged by Morgantown Police Drug Abuse Resistance
Education officer Joel Smith in conjunction with the West Virginia National
Guard.

Pilot Monty Murphy joined Smith and MPD officers Lt. G. Cress, R. Miranov
and M. Charlton in bringing a bit of the battlefield to the football field.

Smith said there are two WVNG helicopters available to law enforcement
throughout the state full-time, for use by the Reconnaissance and
Interdiction Detachment. The copters are used with the DARE program because
they are so often utilized in drug investigations.

The copter comes in handy for other subjects, too, Smith said.

At both St. Francis and North elementaries, Smith recently combined his
DARE lesson with a science lesson, teaching the children how the helicopter
flies, how it is built and for what kinds of missions it is used.

But that didn't stop about 10 little hands from shooting up in the air
Wednesday -- gloves or no gloves -- to ask the most important question of
all: How fast does it go?

Smith told the kids the copter can fly at about 120-160 miles per hour.

"Wow," said one boy. "Holy Cow," said another.

"Man, that's fast," said all 10, gazing at the powerful aircraft in awe.
Smith pointed to the students' expectant faces and said that's what the
DARE program is all about.

Learning, with a good dose of fun.

The fifth-graders from both schools will attend their DARE graduation Jan.
30 at St. Francis.