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Saratoga
Partnership for
Prevention
Youth and Adults Working Together
for a
Safe and Healthy Community
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Date:
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May 10, 2007 |
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Facilitator:
Maureen Cary |
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Location: |
Saratoga YMCA
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Recorder:
Robin Ambrosino |
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Attendees: |
Robin
Ambrosino, L. Beer, Kati Behrens, Stacy Bold, Maureen Cary, Kari Cushing, |
Judy Ekman, D. Greene, E. Herlihy,
John Kelly, Courtney Lamport, Stephanie Lang,
Mike Laudicina, Patti Laudicina, Roland Lavigne, B. Loggins, M. Marcus, Diane McGarry,
T. Moon, Jim Murphy, Karen Pettigrew, J. Stuchin. |
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Materials Distributed: |
Public Health Infectious Disease flyer, Open Your Eyes mailer
from Southern Adk Tobacco Free Coalition, list of DVRC ongoing services,
YMCA's Family Fun event flyer, |
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Overview |
Discussion |
Decisions/Actions
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News &
Announcements
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·
Tonight is the Girls Inc. dinner and auction at
Glen Sanders Mansion. There will be live and silent auctions. Stacy Bold is
working on bringing the agency's programs to regional organizations in an
abbreviated format. The agency has a camp in eastern Galway - very rustic,
high ropes courses, adventure activities. They rent the facility out for
staff development, weddings, etc. They need a summer lifeguard. For more
information contact Stacy at
sbold.gcr@girls-inc.org.
·
Cornell's Summer Youth Employment program is
getting underway. It gives teenagers a chance to work 25 hours per week in
their career path. There are only 14 jobs available this year. 10 are
already taken. Applications are available in school guidance offices.
Transportation is available.
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The YMCA Leaders Club is doing a food drive for
Franklin Community Center through May 18th. Drop off non perishable goods
any time before then.
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Mary Marcus with Center for Problem Gambling
announced that the Racino is opening a new night club at the end of May.
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The school budget is on Tues., May 15. Please
vote. A budget brochure outlining the initiatives is available. The
retirement party for outgoing superintendent John MacFadden is on Friday,
June 15 at the City Center. Invitations are in the mail. Please RSVP.
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Jim Murphy relayed positive feedback and
success from Rowing Club's new initiatives to prevent underage drinking. His
office just finished the Hockey House case in Halfmoon - which was being
used by high school kids as a party spot on weekends. Besides restitution
and community service, the kids who were arrested will attend a program on
underage drinking.
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SATFC
Initiative |
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The Southern Adirondack
Tobacco-Free Coalition has begun a new initiative, called "No Thanks Big
Tobacco." SATFC
serves Warren, Saratoga, and Washington
counties, and focuses on raising awareness about tobacco companies' efforts
to become known for their community service work. The tobacco companies are
using local organizations' reputations to clean up theirs. To combat this
community outreach, SATFC is encouraging area businesses not to accept
donations, sponsorships, giveaways, promotions, samples, etc. from big
tobacco companies. The New York State Fair recently decided not to have the
Skoal booth this year, Saratoga Speedway and the Adirondack Balloon Festival
have also signed on, pledging not to accept sponsorships or donations from
tobacco companies. Janine Stuchin encouraged partnership members to
participate in the "No Thanks" program. She is willing to tailor the wording
of agreement to any business. She cautioned that local agencies often
looking for grant or stipend funding, it's not always obvious who is behind
the funding stream -- may not say Altria or Philip Morris. SATFC will
have a recognition ceremony every fall to let the media know who is part of
the program.
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Partnership
Updates
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Upcoming newsletter
· Robin Ambrosino gave an overview of local and
national story ideas that will go into the next newsletter. She encouraged
people to contact her with any information they'd like to have included --
professional or personal --by May 18. Judy encouraged people to subscribe to
JoinTogether for national trends and news related to substances.
Pre-prom press initiative
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A letter to parents about how to keep kids safe during prom season will
appear in tomorrow's (5/11/07) Saratogian. People were very enthusiastic
about signing -- relatively little effort for a big environmental splash.
Maureen Cary would like to establish a committee of people working on
environmental strategy opportunities over the summer - i.e., holidays,
graduation, prom, alcohol awareness month, etc. -- so that we're underway by
the time the school year begins. The committee can use other communities'
ideas that we can tailor for our own or come up with new ideas.
DARE All Stars Camp
This is the 6th year for DARE camp, and the
first week of July 16th week is already full. July 23rd, July 30, and August
6 still have openings. Some seniors and juniors will be working as camp
staff. Staff will be incorporating environmentally friendly initiatives into
camp this year -- i.e., less paper communication, tote bags, systematic
recycling, etc. More information can be found at the
Partnership website.
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Kati will be at camp for a part of each day, but Maureen and Robin will be
in the office more often this summer, working on the sustainability process.
The Partnership is headed into another competitive grant cycle next year,
which is another way of saying, "Can we survive without federal money." Even
if we are successful in receiving the next round of grant money, the amount
given will decrease each year. The Partnership needs to start planning how
the coalition will operate in the next several years. Staff will gather key
leaders this summer.
Survey Results Follow-up
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A series of articles in Saratogian related to our local survey results were
supposed to start before the prom. Not sure if this will happen as planned
but the series is still in the works for graduation season.
·
Fall Summit update. A committee of Partnership and school staff are
working on setting a date for the summit, which is still in the planning
stages. The goal is for a weekend breakfast at the high school this fall
with parents, students, and community members to discuss the survey results,
the issues they bring up, and anything we've overlooked in tackling this
problem -- i.e., large spike in pot use at the high school, binge drinking,
alcohol use that's higher than national average. Goal is to stay ahead of
drug use trends and emphasize laws and norms that discourage underage
drinking. Planning committee is looking for a well- rounded mix of people
from all community sectors.
Jim Murphy mentioned increasing resistance to jurors' upholding marijuana
laws. Each time he impounds a grand jury, he brings up the need to uphold
the law despite jurors' personal views on it, and Jim has noticed more and
more people comment that it's dumb for marijuana to be illegal. There don't
seem to be any other messages countering the impression that pot is not a
big deal.
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Staff will contact Partnership members over the next few
weeks about forming this committee. Or if you're interested, let us know.
Karen Pettigrew and Mike Laudicina expressed interest in being on this
committee.
· If anyone knows kids who would benefit
from camp, contact Kati
Behrens.
· Karen Pettigrew said her son-in-law may
have an environmental workshop that could work at camp. Robin will contact
her for more details.
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Stacy Bold will contact Maureen about survey results they
just received about girls' issues.
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Please forward names of people who should be invited to the
Fall Community Summit to
Robin. |
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Next Meeting
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The next Partnership meeting will
take place on Thursday, June 14th at 12 p.m. in
the School District Administration offices at 3 Blue Streak Blvd.
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