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First Lady Nancy Freudenthal speaks at a Town
Hall meeting in Star Valley as a panel of community
leaders
and a rapt audience of parents and concerned citizens listen.
STAR VALLEY – Star Valley is ready for change.
Through the work of local teens, lawmakers, community
leaders and prevention programs, the community is educating
itself on the issues surrounding underage drinking. Wyoming
First Lady Nancy Freudenthal commended the community for
taking that critical first step in creating change, and
discussed the work yet to be done.
With Cheyenne teen Erica Leffler, Freudenthal showed some of
the ways kids in other communities are taking a stand. She
flashed CAN (Change Attitudes Now) trading cards featuring
herself and Gov. Dave Freudenthal, as Leffler talked about
her work with Cheyenne CAN. Leffler serves as a role model
for younger kids, and that’s where the trading cards come
into play. They’re effective tools to encourage healthy
habits, she said.
Following remarks from Department of Family Services
Director Rodger McDaniel and Wyoming Department of
Health/Substance Abuse Division Director Steve Gilmore, the
focus shifted to a local panel. The panel included the
editor of the local Star Valley Independent newspaper; high
school and middle school principals with the district
superintendent; local law enforcement and local government
leaders. A polite, courteous and well-informed audience sent
questions to the community panel.
Schools Superintendent Jon Abrams told parents how the
schools and community have collaborated to better address
problems. Every one is dealing with the same troubled teens,
yet each from their individual standpoint. By bringing in
all aspects of the teen’s life, problems are addressed more
thoroughly and teens are more apt to get the help they need,
he said.
High school Principal Shannon Harris explained how the
school uses random breathalyzers at special functions, such
as prom, to discourage teen drinking. She’ll add one more
full-time counselor and a full-time psychologist to her
school staff next year, hoping to provide students with
better resources when they’re in trouble.
Law enforcement talked about compliance checks at county
liquor stores and bars, providing good news as the number of
citations has decreased with an increase in compliance check
frequency.
Afton Mayor Chad Jensen discussed a resolution passed by the
town council encouraging statewide community support for the
First Lady’s Initiative and for reducing underage drinking.
The petition calls on communities to actively petition the
legislature to increase alcohol excise taxes until they
reach the national average, and to use proceeds to fund
education for youth and to supply treatment for minors with
alcohol problems.
Freudenthal cautioned her audience that while community
support is critical, law enforcement, schools and local
government can only do so much to address underage drinking.
In the end, kids get alcohol from adults, either knowingly
or unwittingly; and it’s the adults in the community who
have the opportunity to bring about real change. |
