Pubdate: Sat, 12 Jun 1999 Source: Orange County Register (CA) Section: News Page: 14 Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register Contact: http://www.ocregister.com/ Author: Greg Smith-The Associated Press TEEN-AGE PLAIN PEOPLE ARE RAISING A COLORFUL RUCKUS IN AN IOWA TOWN Youth: Amish Kids' Sunday Drinking Is Nothing New, But Rowdy Vandalism And Outbursts Are Shocking Parents And Neighbors. Hazleton, Iowa-Every Sunday here in Amish country, bearded men, up at dawn, load their horse-drawn buckboards with benches for worship services. The women, wearing dark, ankle-length dresses and white bonnets, pack the food and other items for the day's big meal. As for the Amish teens, many of them have their own ritual. They drink. "Sunday night is a party night for them," Sheriff Leonard Davis said. "It's pretty much beer and whiskey - a liquid diet." When the calls about underage drinking come in Sundays, deputies know they will probably be busting up beer bashes involving children of Old Order Amish families who have no electricity, motor vehicles or other modern conveniences. Hazleton, population 700, is home to about 400 Amish, or Plain People as they are sometimes called because of their simple clothing and way of life. About 150,000 Amish live in 22 states and Canada. "Hazleton is known, at least among the Amish, as being the most strict community in the state," said Linda Egenes, a journalism instructor at Maharishi University in Fairfield who has completed a book on Amish family life in Iowa. That made it even more of a jolt to the community when, on March 14, as many as 40 Amish teens went on a rampage against one of their own. Just after midnight that Sunday, Amish teens vandalized Roman Raber's farmstead. As his family huddled in fear inside, vandals broke 44 windows, destroyed three doors, overturned two buggies, and damaged curtains, antiques, a lamp and mirrors. Numerous alcohol-related citations were issued, and deputies charged four Amish teen-agers with criminal mischief. They pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 90 days in jail. Egenes said that generally "young Amish people are allowed to flirt with worldly ways, somewhat, and within reason" in their late teens, when they are allowed to drive a horse and buggy. The wordly ways might involve dancing, drinking and dating. "In Pennsylvania German, the Amish call it Rum Springa, which literally means 'running around,'" she said. "But what happened in Hazleton - I would say this definitely presents a problem. It would be considered to be way out of line." In Hazleton, Amish parents worry about the drinking. "There's been some of it before. You talk to them, you definitely do. Everyone's got problems. If you don't work on your problems ..." Eli Raber said from his front porch before shrugging and going back inside. He would not say whether he was related to Roman Raber. Maurice "Tex" Pentecost, 64, who has befriended dozens of Amish teens in the Hazleton area over the years, said they generally are "good kids." "I put up 627 bales of hay last week and a bunch of them came over to help and didn't charge me nothing." Pentecost said. "Drinking up here has been going on for years. These kids' parents and grandparents did it. They didn't raise hell like this bunch, but it's nothing new. These kids, they're very regretful of what they did." CoeAnn Cornish, who is not Amish but lives with her husband, Mark, in Hazleton's Amish settlement, said that a few weeks ago a group of Amish teens who had been drinking pulled up in their yard and started yelling and "being a nuisance." They knocked over a kerosene barrel before her husband chased them off. "For the most part, they're good kids. I wouldn't trade my neighbors for anybody," Cornish said. "But this drinking and vandalism is bringing a lot of tension around here." - --- MAP posted-by: Patrick Henry