From the Desk of Mayor Callaway - January 2012

During my term as Mayor, the City of St. Albans has taken a proactive approach in combating substance abuse.  The Drug Prevention Task Force was established in the summer of 2006 following the drug overdose deaths of two young people in our community.

After five and half years of service, the task force has over 80 member made up of representatives from professional organizations, law enforcement, churches, civic groups, and concerned citizens.  When the group started, the first order of business was to develop a vision statement to provide a direction for the task force to follow.  Our vision is to have a safe, caring, and healthy community.

The task force has accomplished several goals since its inception.  Working with the Kanawha County Board of Education, we have put in place a random student drug testing program, a St. Albans Police Officer is assigned fulltime to our high school to provide enforcement and education services, and a partnership has been formed with Prestera Community Mental Health to provide counseling and therapy services for area students.

The task force also provides three, 24 hour help lines.  To report illegal or suspicious drug activity you are asked to call 304-348-8111.  If you need to talk to someone concerning a personal problem or a drug related issue call 304-201-1111.  To receive help with a drug intervention or treatment for drug addiction the number to call is 304-341-0251.

Another recently established program under the guidance of the task force is the St. Albans Teen Court.  The court is a legally sanctioned diversionary juvenile court program for teens 12 to 18 years of age.  The purpose of the court is to give first-time offenders a second chance.  The jury, prosecuting attorney, and defense attorney are all teenagers while the judge is a professional practicing attorney.  However, after the case is heard the sentencing is decided by the teen jury.  The Teen Court addresses behaviors at the outset that, if not attended to, could eventually harm the youths, their families, or others in the community.

Several drug abuse prevention strategies have been developed over the years.  One of the most effective ways to combat the problem is to provide an environment that is drug free and stimulates a person’s interest in a positive activity or subject.  To meet that challenge, the Alban Arts Academy was developed to meet the needs of individuals with interests in the arts.  The academy provides an opportunity to learn skills and demonstrate those skills to an audience while building self confidence and an understanding that to be successful a person must be able to think clearly.

The Spring 2012 semester starts in January with classes in painting, sculpture, costuming, acting, puppetry, stage combat, improv, and the development of a traveling acting troupe.  The classes are for all ages and are offered at a reasonable cost.  A limited number of full scholarships are available.  Contact Adam Bryan, Academy Director at 304-721-8896 for details.

These are just a few of the activities and projects undertaken by the task force over the years.  The task force meetings are held the first Tuesday of each month at 10:00 a.m. in the conference room at City Hall.  Anyone wishing to participate in the task force is invited. 

Your friends at the City of St. Albans wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a safe, caring and healthy 2012!

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 304-727-2962.

A Welcome from the Mayor