DARE PROGRAM LANDS AT MOUNTAINVIEW

Five fifth-grade classes at Mountainview Elementary got a gust of
excitement during their school day Thursday as Morgantown DARE Officer Joel
Smith, along with pilot Claude Laplante, landed a bona fide U.S. Army
helicopter on the school's field.

Oohs and aahs emanated from all 125 mouths as the two men circled the skies
above the school before finally touching down. After the enormous blades of
the helicopter came to a safe stop, each class had a chance to check the
copter out from inside.

"What's this, Officer Smith?"

"Officer Smith, what's this do?"

"Is this a gun, Officer Smith?"

"Will you take our picture with the helicopter, Officer Smith?"

Smith, representing the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program, honored
each and every request for information, answering, much to the boys'
chagrin, that no, the metal object protruding from the front of the
aircraft was not a gun. It's a tube that allows air inside the copter for
mechanical reasons.

The helicopter was provided by a National Guard unit out of Parkersburg.
"There are two helicopters there that are available to law enforcement
throughout the state full time," Smith explained, "with the RAID
(Reconnaissance and Interdiction Detachment). We were able to bring this
helicopter here today in conjunction with the DARE program, because the
copters are usually used for drug work."

Smith said he thought the experience would be educational as well as fun
for the students.

"This may be the closest some of these students ever get to this kind of
thing," he said.

Smith said he worked with the principal at Mountainview, as well as Mon
County Schools Superintendent Michael Vetere's office, to make the landing
a reality.

"The school board thought it would be a great opportunity for the kids," he
said. "I think it's worked out really well."

Fifth-grade teacher Jennifer Smith agreed.

"It wasn't the easiest thing to make this happen," she said. "But I think
it's great. We would like to thank Joel so much for doing this."

Jennifer Smith then paused to have her picture taken while sitting inside
the cockpit.

Mountainview had some more law enforcement officers on hand Thursday:
Officer Gina Panico and Sgt. J. Thorne were also there to help the
fifth-graders with their schoolwork.

As part of their math and science curriculum, fifth-graders at Mountainview
built cardboard rockets. Thursday was launch day, and Panico and Thorne
used their radar equipment to judge the speed at which the rockets flew.