Pubdate: Tue, 19 Dec 2006 Source: Hendersonville Times-News (NC) Copyright: 2006 Hendersonville Newspaper Corporation Contact: http://www.hendersonvillenews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/793 Author: John Harbin SHERIFF: D.A.R.E. CAMP WILL CONTINUE Henderson County Sheriff Rick Davis announced Monday that three Henderson County Schools would be receiving School Resource Officers and by doing this reorganization D.A.R.E. Camp would be continued in the summer. Davis held a press conference Monday morning at Flat Rock Middle School along with Principal Bill Reedy; Beverly Davis, principal of Rugby Middle School; and Carolina Patterson, principal at Apple Valley Middle School. In October, prior to Davis winning the November election, the fate of D.A.R.E. Camp was unknown. Davis said at the time he planed to keep the D.A.R.E. curriculum 100 percent intact. But the camp and dances may or may not continue. Monday, he dispelled that rumor and assured citizens that D.A.R.E. Camp would continue. "All of us at the Henderson County Sheriff's Office are excited about the opportunity to place School Resource Officers in three Henderson County Schools," Davis said. "Beginning January 3, Flat Rock Middle, Rugby Middle and Apple Valley Middle Schools will have an assigned deputy at their respective locations," Davis said. Davis said that by working smarter at the Sheriff's Office and using resources in a more efficient manner, the office can not only place the officers in Henderson County middle schools but can also keep D.A.R.E. Camp in the summer and reach even more students. "For too many years our D.A.R.E. Officers were spending much of their time outside of the classroom performing logistical work and fundraising to support our annual summer D.A.R.E. Camp," Davis said. "Their time, when not teaching D.A.R.E., can be better used serving the students, teachers and schools of Henderson County as School Resource Officers. We can accomplish this transition without asking for a single extra tax dollar." Davis introduced Corporal Ricky Bishop, who will be placed at Flat Rock Middle School, Deputy Jason Garren, who will be placed at Apple Valley Middle School, and Deputy Scott Estremera, who will be placed at Rugby Middle School. "Each School Resource Officer will maintain a teaching schedule within the D.A.R.E. Program," Davis said. "In fact, it is our goal to have them teaching D.A.R.E. in the elementary schools that feed into their respective middle school. The future of our county truly rests with the youth of our county and it is our commitment at the Henderson County Sheriff's Office to support them in all ways possible." Robert Danos, program director of Camp Mondamin in Tuxedo, discussed his role in keeping D.A.R.E. Camp alive. "Last May, Sheriff Davis showed me the way D.A.R.E. Camp had been financed in the past and asked me, as a summer camp administrator, to help him find a smarter way," Danos said. "Returning to the All-Star Retreats at Camp Pinewood under this structure will allow an increase from about 285 children last summer to 320 this coming summer." Danos said that the campers and counselors will essentially notice no change. "The only hard part of this process was earlier in the summer when several people were writing upset letters to the paper assuming that the program was being cut since they did not see the annual fundraising going on," Danos said. "I am grateful that Sheriff Davis did not let campaign pressure rush our process." - --- MAP posted-by: Elaine