The Alliance for Safe Kids

Yorktown-Somers Patch–

Yorktown’s Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) members completed the second Yorktown Sticker Shock Campaign which is designed to reinforce public awareness about the minimum drinking age law.

“Preventing underage drinking is everyone’s responsibility within our community,” ASK Executive Director Lisa Tomeny said. “Limiting youth access to alcohol is one of the many ways we can work to prevent youth from drinking.”

Students placed “Hey You! It is illegal to provide alcohol for people under 21!” stickers on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers and any other alcohol products that appeal to underage drinkers.

ASK officials said the goal of the project is to discourage adults and older peers (those who are 21 or over) from providing alcohol to minors.

This year’s participating stores were: Courtesy Shell (Shrub Oak), 7 Eleven (Cortlandt Manor), Commerce Street Beer & Soda, 7Eleven (Yorktown Heights), Chestnut Mobil, A&P (Yorktown Heights), Shell (Yorktown Heights), and Shell (Yorktown Heights).

The stores were encouraged to place signs, identical to the stickers, on the windows of refrigerators containing alcohol.

“We commend the retail establishment that voluntarily participated in this year’s Sticker Shock Campaign,” Tomeny said.

Yorktown Heights, NY – The Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) completes the second Yorktown Sticker Shock Campaign.

The purpose of Sticker Shock is to reinforce public awareness about the minimum drinking age law by placing stickers on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers and any other alcohol products that appeal to underage drinkers.  The stores are also encouraged to place signs, identical to the stickers, on the windows of refrigerators containing alcohol.  The goal of this project is to discourage adults and older peers (those who are 21 or over) from providing alcohol to minors.

The campaign consisted of teams of young people, accompanied by an adult chaperone, placing stickers on multi-packs of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine coolers, etc.) at participating stores.  The stickers read, “Hey You!!  It is ILLEGAL to provide alcohol for people under 21!”.  This year’s participating stores were: Courtesy Shell (Shrub Oak), 7 Eleven (Cortlandt Manor), Commerce Street Beer & Soda, 7 Eleven (Yorktown Heights), Chestnut Mobil, A&P (Yorktown Heights), Shell (Yorktown Heights), & Shell (Yorktown Heights).

“Preventing underage drinking is everyone’s responsibility within our community”, said Lisa Tomeny, ASK Executive Director.  “Limiting youth access to alcohol is one of the many ways we can work to prevent youth from drinking.  We commend the retail establishment that voluntarily participated in this year’s Sticker Shock Campaign.”

Check Out photos from the campaign!

Daily Voice–

YORKTOWN, N.Y. – The Yorktown community will once again come together to become first responders to support teens and families in crisis who are dealing with abuse, depression and violence.

The Alliance for Safe Kids will host the third annual Save A Life forum from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center. The program was formed in response to more than 25 deaths in Yorktown and Cortlandt Manor attributed to drugs and alcohol abuse, depression, bullying and violence, according to a statement from the organization. Previous programs have helped hundreds of teens and their parents speak about various forms of abuse and how to deal with such problems as suicidal thoughts and depression.

“This originally came right on the heels of what seemed to be an acceleration of tragedies a few years back surrounding young adults around our community,” said Lisa Tomeny, executive director at the Alliance for Safe Kids. “The idea is to have a forum to give people in our community some basic skills to be the first responders and recognize the signs of suicidal thoughts or depression or abuse and have some knowledge of what to do.”

This year’s program includes speakers Michael Nerney and Javier Sanchez. Nerney is a consultant in Substance Abuse Prevention and Education with more than 33 years of experience in the field. Sanchez, who is from Youth to Youth International, has been an advocate for youth and has been encouraging teens to realize that once they catch a vision and a sense of purpose for their life, there are no limits to their potential, according to the statement.

“We’re really fortunate to have both of them as speakers,” Tomeny said. “We want to recruit as many people in this community to get informed because that’s really the only way to start helping and turn the tide. Hopefully this will lead us closer to the day when we no longer have tragedies like this.”

Free registration is available at the group’s website at www.savealife2013.eventbrite.com.

The Northern Westchester Examiner–

Forty-four students from the Yorktown and Lakeland school districts graduated from Yorktown Youth Court last week.

The 2013 commencement ceremony was hosted by Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK), a non-profit organization that represents all sectors of the community working together to provide a safety net for youth and families.

Founded in 2007, the ASK Yorktown Youth Court is a program based on a national model developed by the federal Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The Youth Court is a voluntary alternative to Family Court and the criminal justice system. It is organized and run by teens, adjudicating misdemeanor cases involving other teens with the goal of reducing juvenile delinquency.

The students in this year’s graduating class were:

Yorktown Patch–

In a mock arraignment Yorktown and Lakeland students sentenced a young man Wednesday night to 25 hours of community service for having stolen an iPhone and iPod from a Yorktown High School student’s locker.

During that mock trail, students showcased to friends and family what they have learned about the various aspects of the law over the last weeks. They will soon take on real-life court cases prosecuting other teens who have been found guilty of misdemeanors or violations.

Students, members of the 2013 Yorktown Youth Court graduating class, received their certificates Wednesday.

“Congratulations to you all,” Yorktown Justice Sal Lagonia told the students. “You’ve put a lot of work. Nobody gave this to you. You earned it. And you should be applauded for that.”

The Alliance for Safe Kids’ Yorktown Youth Court program was founded in 2007. It is a voluntary alternative to Family Court and the criminal justice system. It is organized and run by teens, adjudicating misdemeanor cases involving other teens with the goal of reducing juvenile delinquency, according to officials.

Youth Court members serve in the roles of judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, jury, clerk, and bailiff. The legal and binding procedure determines a fair and restorative sentence in the form of community service hours for the youth offender.

Local officials in attendance of the graduation were Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace, councilmen Vishnu Patel and Dave Paganelli, county legislators Michael Kaplowitz and John Testa, and state assemblyman Steve Katz. Yorktown detectives Brian Shanahan and Sean Lewis, as well ASK board president Tricy Cushner and executive director Lisa Tomeny offered encouragement to the graduates.

Below is the list of graduates, members of the Class of 2013 (from both the Yorktown and Lakeland school districts):

Yorktown Youth Court is a program developed and directed by the Alliance for Safe Kids. P.O. Box 106, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598. For more information, visit www.AllianceforSafeKids.org.

Daily Voice –

Dozens of students from Lakeland and Yorktown Central school districts were honored Wednesday night as graduates of Yorktown Youth Court’s class of 2013.

The youth court was founded in 2007 and is organized and run by teens, adjudicating misdemeanor cases involving other teens with the goal of reducing juvenile delinquency. Youth Court members serve in the roles of judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, jury, clerk and bailiff. It is a legal and binding procedure that determines sentence in the form of community service hours for the youth offender.

The graduates participated in a mock arraignment Wednesday of a Yorktown High School student accused of stealing an iPod from a fellow student’s locker. The plaintiff argued for 40 hours of community service, the defendant suggested 15 hours, but the judge compromised with 25 hours.

The ceremony attracted a slew of elected officials, including Assembly member Steve Katz, County Legislators John Testa and Mike Kaplowitz, Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace and Council members Dave Paganelli and Vishnu Patel.

“You have a lot of tough decisions to make, and when you make bad decisions, you don’t end up in this kind of a room for fun,” said Grace, a trial lawyer and former attorney for Yorktown. “My hope is that through this process, you learn. And what you learn, you bring that to your community, which is your peers in your school. And hopefully teach the lessons that you’re taught here, because they’re good ones. They’re good ones for the rest of your life.”

The ceremony was hosted by the Alliance for Safe Kids and held at Yorktown Justice Court. The class of 2013 is:

• Zachary Abbate
• Joshua Beck
• Nicholas Belmonte
• Logan Boilen
• Sean Boyle
• Richie Campanaro
• Ryan Cegielski
• Jack Christensen
• Kaitlyn Comerford
• Tyler Cunnington
• John Del Priore
• Thomas Donatelli
• Brandon Dumoit
• Mason Dyslin
• Jamison Embury
• Hunter Embury
• Scott Epstein
• Timothy Forbes
• Conor Frawley
• Skyler Gironda
• Alban Hoxhaj
• Greg Karales
• Akshay Karve
• Robert Kohl
• Daniel Kramer
• Robert Kramer
• Caileigh Lampersberger
• Brendan Lawlor
• Andrew Levin
• Sam Levin
• Carlton James Mackay
• Vincent Manghise
• Sara Mongno
• Michael Naccarella
• Keegan O’Connor
• Christopher Pinto
• Frank Raguso
• Christina Raguso
• Gregory Rivera
• Gabriel Rivera
• Robert Sam Spallone
• Clare Spallone
• Joey Vulaj
• Joseph V. Woska

Astorino’s Challenge in Education (ACE) to reward students for excellence in the classroom

Yorktown-Somers Patch–

A permanent prescription drug drop box sponsored by the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) and the Yorktown Police Department has been installed at the police headquarters for residents to safely dispose of unused, unwanted and expired medicine – both for prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

“Prescription drug abuse is increasing at alarming rates, especially for young adults,” said Lisa Tomeny, executive director of Alliance for Safe Kids. “The numbers speak for themselves.”

• Prescription drug abuse results in one death every 19 minutes in the US – according to the Center for Disease Control which has classified it as an “epidemic.”
• 2.4 million Americans abused prescription drugs for the first time in 2011—one-third of those Americans were teenagers.
• 70 percent of users get the drugs from relatives or friends

Teens are accessing these drugs in the comfort of home, Tomeny said, and it can be as easy as opening a cupboard, drawer or medicine cabinet.

The non-profit organization and the police department have been participating in the national take-back days but they wanted to provide a safe and secure place where the community could go at any time to dispose of prescription drugs and not have to wait for months or for a particular day.

“The drop box provides an anonymous, easy and environmentally safe way to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs that are currently in the home,” Tomeny said.

Samantha Greene, a Yorktown High School student, has joined Alliance for Safe Kids in the effort to raise awareness and inform peers and adults of the danger of prescription drug misuse.

As part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Greene will undertake a number of initiatives that will provide information, dispel myths and offer steps that all members of the community can take to prevent prescription drug misuse.

“The reason I chose this project was because I noticed the increasing number of teen deaths due to prescription drug abuse in the news and I wondered why there wasn’t much advocacy for it,” the high school student said. “I knew this was an issue that needed to be brought to attention to the community and this project sounded like the perfect way to do it.”

Her project will feature a video that she hopes will be used in conjunction with school health curriculum as a peer-to-peer approach in providing essential information to teens.

The prescription drug drop box is available at all times. It is anonymous and users will not have to disclose any information when using it. No liquids, needles or syringes are accepted at this time. The box is emptied at regular intervals and the contents are safely incinerated under the supervision of the Yorktown Police Department.

The Alliance for Safe Kids is a Yorktown non-profit organization founded in 2002 and incorporated in 2006 as a charitable organization. For more information, visit their website atwww.AllianceforSafeKids.org.

Yorktown Daily Voice–

A permanent prescription-drug drop box, sponsored by the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) and the Yorktown Police Department, has been installed at police headquarters at 2281 Crompond Road.

The box, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, will allow residents to safely dispose of unused, unwanted and expired prescription and over-the-counter medication.

“Prescription drug abuse is increasing at alarming rates, especially for young adults,” said Lisa Tomeny, executive director of ASK. “The numbers speak for themselves.”

In 2011, 2.4 million Americans abused prescription drugs for the first time, one-third of whom were teenagers. According to the Center for Disease Control, prescription drug abuse results in one death every 19 minutes in the United States, which it considers “an epidemic.”

“ASK and the Yorktown Police Department have been participating in the national take-back days, but we wanted to provide a safe and secure place where our community could go at any time to dispose of prescription drugs and not have to wait for months or for a particular day,” Tomeny said.

Meanwhile, Yorktown High School student Samantha Greene, as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, has launched a community awareness campaign to inform teens and adults about the dangers of prescription drug misuse.

Daily Voice–

The Yorktown Parks and Recreation Department’s ninth annual Outdoor Movie and Concert is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Thursday at Jack DeVito Field behind the Yorktown Community and Cultural Center on Veterans Road.

The free event will kick off with a children’s concert by Zev & Pretzelstein, followed by the movie “Puss in Boots” at dusk. Refreshments will be available for purchase, and attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs.

The family entertainment is sponsored by Mohegan Lake Audi, the Alliance for Safe Kids, the Yorktown Police Benevolent Association and Club Fit.

Yorktown-Somers Patch–

Every Tuesday at Murphy’s this summer is Teen Night!

Just for kids 16-20, the outdoor area and restaurant is closed off! A DJ will play music from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Food and drinks will be served. All this and more is included under the $10 cover charge.

Come hang out with your friends and enjoy the beautiful summer nights in Yorktown.

Yorktown News–

The Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) and WestMed Medical Group hosted their first After-Prom Party following Yorktown High School Prom, June 21.

Yorktown seniors were surveyed by ASK regarding the most ideal drug- and alcohol-free after-prom party and ASK, along with local businesses and community members, made it happen, according to ASK representatives.

The party was held at Bounce The Party Place, located on Front Street in Yorktown Heights, where students enjoyed the dance floor, a lounge, arcade games, inflatable jousting, a pool table and a bunch of laughs with top comedian, Adam Mamawala.

Throughout the party, nearly 100 prizes were given away, including an iPad, flat screen TV, Yankee tickets, digital camera, $500 Visa card and more than 90 gift cards from local restaurants and stores.

The event ran from 12:30-3:30am and attendees took home a gift certificate to go to Twist the next day for a free yogurt with toppings as well as a certificate for free entry to the upcoming Murphy’s Tuesday Night for age 16-20 beginning June 26.

College students decorated and set up the event for their former classmates. A few students from the junior and sophomore classes at Yorktown High School attended the event to take the information back to their planning committees for the upcoming years.

Yorktown Patch–

Whiz Kid: Elizabeth Brennan

School: Yorktown High School

Accomplishment: Working toward a Girl Scout Gold Award by launching a “No Texting and Driving” campaign.

For most 16-year-olds, texting is just a part of their daily routine.

But Liz Brennan, a new driver herself, who finished her junior year at Yorktown High School, wants her peers to know that no matter how good they are at texting, it is not something they should ever do while driving.

A Girl Scout since first grade, Brennan chose this campaign for her Girl Scout Gold Award—the highest honor for a scout—as way to get the message out to the public and save lives.

She said she heard about ASK—The Alliance for Safe Kids and knew they were looking for teenagers to be speak out and take on the issue of texting while driving.

“I had a family member in Ireland whose car was hit while he was texting and driving and I knew that it was an extremely important issue,” Brennan said.

With her mentors’ guidance, the Yorktown resident began the project and is making a video that will warn of the dangers. It will be given out to health classes at YHS, to the Youth Corps and the DARE program as well as in the middle school.

“Tricy Cushner at ASK and Catherine Quinn at Support Connection, both my mentors, have helped me so much in finding venues to spread the word,” Brennan said.

She will continue to appear at area events, including the Fall Festival and the Support Connection Breast Cancer Walk in October.

Outside of scouting, the youngest of three siblings works as an “enrichment helper” for students in younger grades, participates in the Big Buddy Program, runs cross country and track, and works at the Boys and Girls Club in Mount Kisco.

With so much taught about the dangers of drinking and driving, Brennan explained, many of her peers may not realize what a big deal it is to text or talk on the phone while driving—as well as many adults, she pointed out, who are just as oblivious.

“It is so quick and easy to get seriously hurt or killed for a simple ‘LOL’ or a ‘YEA’ message,” Brennan said. “If I can have an impact on even a couple of people to refrain from texting, this will be fully worth the effort.”

Yorktown Daily Voice–

After Yorktown seniors enjoy their prom at The Surf Club in New Rochelle on Thursday night, many fun-filled activities await them at an After Prom Party at Bounce The Party Place on Front Street in Yorktown.

For the first time, the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) and WestMed Medical Group will be hosting the event based on suggestions given by Yorktown students themselves.

A DJ will get the free party started at 12:30 a.m. and comedian Adam Mamawala will be performing. There will also be arcade games, inflatable jousting and other attractions. Food requested by students will be provided from Taco Bell, Starbucks, and local delis, along with frozen mocktails, frozen yogurt with toppings and a chocolate fountain.

In addition, throughout the party, which ends at 3:30 a.m., nearly 100 prizes will be given away, including an IPad, flat screen TV, Yankees tickets, digital camera, $500 Visa card and 90 gift cards from local businesses and restaurants.

ASK, which was founded in 2002, is a coalition representing all sectors of the community to provide a safety net for the youth and families of Yorktown.

The Examiner–

If you text and drive, don’t worry about Yorktown High Schooljunior Elizabeth Brennan judging you: After all, she used to do it, too.

But after beginning to research the accidents and injuries associated with the practice as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project, Brennan, 16, said she changed her tune.

“Once I went online and i looked up all the different accidents and how quick and simple it really can be, I changed,” she said.

The Gold Award is the highest honor a Girl Scout can receive and typically includes a large-scale community service project.

Brennan, working with the Yorktown-based Alliance for Safe Kids on the project, has put together a poster board that she trots out at town events like Yorktown Community Day to educate her peers.

Brennan said the Alliance for Safe Kids was looking for someone to tackle texting while driving and was thrilled when she was signed up for the task.

She’s also worked with the Yorktown Youth Court to help promote the initiative.

But the dangers of texting while driving are not just a young person’s issue, she said.

“I think it really affects both teenagers and older people,” she said. “It’s not just kids my age doing it. It’s really the adults, too, which is surprising.”

Brennan said her education initiative has been very positively received by the Yorktown community, specifically by older citizens.

“Even when I’m out driving, I see people around me that are texting while driving,” she said. “While I was at Community Day, a lot of people approached me about the issue and that they almost got into accidents while driving.”

Brennan said pedestrians who text can be just as bad of a problem, as they often don’t realize their surroundings because they are distracted.

In addition to the poster board she used for community events, Brennan has also conducted a poll of students on their texting and driving habits. She’s also taken photos of her friends posing as if they were texting and driving — promotional shots she uses to help underscore her message.

“Hopefully that’s getting people to know what it looks like,” she said.

Brennan said she hopes New York joins states like Pennsylvania in enacting bans on texting while driving, a practice that she said would act as a deterrent for drivers.

“I would totally, definitely be for that,” she said.

Next up for Brennan is working with the Yorktown Police Department and visiting health classes at Yorktown High School to discuss the initiative further.

It’s hard work, but she said she knows her cause is important.

“Texting has really been a new issue, and no one has really brought it up,” she said. ‘It needs to be more of a concern.”

Yorktown Patch–

As I write this, there are eight days left in my high school career. This is crazy to think about… and a few weeks after that is prom and graduation. I am extremely excited about both of these events.

When discussing plans for after prom with my group, we saw a void of things to do that are local. Being as involved in event planning as I am, I wanted to try to get involved with the community to plan something.

After speaking with Tricy Cushner of Alliance For Safe Kids, we conceptualized the idea of a after prom party in Yorktown. Our main idea was to have seniors design the party. A survey was released to the Class of 2012 and students’ input was taken into consideration when putting together the party. Whatever seniors wanted at this event, we worked hard to obtain.

“After Prom with a Twist at Bounce” was born. From 12 a.m. to 3 a.m., prom attendees are invited to continue the celebration in Yorktown. Thanks to the generosity of the community, the event will be completely free – admission, food and raffle tickets.

Twist will be on site with free t-shirts and their mobile frozen yogurt and toppings station to create delicious treats. Starbucks will also be present creating coffee and frozen drinks. Food from Taco Bell will be provided along with other fun foods.

Bounce truly is the perfect place for our event. A DJ will play music as students continue to dance the night away. Both the arcade and inflatable jousting area will be available as well.  A photo booth will preserve the memories for years to come.

The entire night will be filled with amazing prize giveaways. Every half hour, dozens of prizes will be given away, everything from Yankee Tickets, an iPad, tons of gift cards from local establishments that are perfect for anyone going to college or looking for some fun this summer, a flat screen TV and much, much more!

This party is going to be a great time for all who attend and the opportunity to win some great prizes is up for grabs.

Also, comedian Adam Mamawala will be performing and people can view his performances at adammamawala.com

The community has truly come together to make this a great night for all seniors and I am very happy to be a part of it.

The Northern Westchester Examiner–

Our modern lives are so hectic and fragmented that it can be difficult to remember the real value of community, a virtue on display in spades at Saturday’s Yorktown Community Day and Alliance for Safe Kids Taste of Yorktown event in Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park.

The event was an explosion of community, a Technicolor testament to all that Yorktown has to offer. Here at The Northern Westchester Examiner, we were excited for the chance to enjoy a beautiful spring day and interact with our friends and neighbors.

Led by the Alliance for Safe Kids — a powerhouse community organization that has long occupied an important niche to do tremendous things for Yorktown, several other organizations were represented that are among our favorites. We were glad to see Yorktown Relay for Life, the Yorktown Teen Center, the Yorktown Rotary, the Yorktown Police Benevolent Association and so many other excellent area resources represented.

We think Yorktown is also well-served by Town Supervisor Michael Grace, who gamely allowed town residents young and old to catapult him into the dunk tank. It’s important to have a leader with a sense of humor and a real focus on community pride — qualities Grace has in spades.

At the Taste of Yorktown portion of the event, it was nice to see the community welcoming not just old favorites like Murphy’s and Traveler’s Rest but embracing new restaurants like Jewel of Himalaya and Karen Symington Muendell’s Yorktown’s Farmer’s Market. It’s easy to forget all the love, warmth and power that can come from good neighbors and a community that places its faith and trust in each other. Yorktown is a phenomenally lucky community, and we’re grateful and proud to cover such a robust and giving community.

We hope the citizens of Yorktown appreciated the reminder as much as we did Saturday.

The Daily Yorktown–

The spirit of Yorktown was on display Saturday at the 23rd annual Yorktown Community Day and seventh annual Alliance for Safe Kids Taste of Yorktown at Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park.

Hundreds of residents took advantage of the sunny skies and warm temperatures to visit booths manned by local businesses and organizations and enjoy food prepared by 13 restaurants and three dessert places.

“This is the kind of thing that brings the community together,” said Town Board member Vishnu Patel. “This is the kind of thing we need more of in the community. It makes you forget your pain for a day. Everyone is smiling. It’s a wonderful thing.”

Children enjoyed face painting and inflatable amusements, while adults learned about efforts to create a dog park and a monument to the Battle of Pines Bridge. The Yorktown Police Department, Fire Department and Volunteer Ambulance Corps all had demonstrations.

Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace, Town Court Justice Sal Lagonia, Art Lander of Alliance for Safe Kids and WABC meteorologist Lee Goldberg served as tasting judges in the cook-off.

The Alliance for Safe Kids, founded in 2002, is a coalition representing all sectors of the community that works together to provide a safety net for youth and families. Its mission is to promote awareness and prevention of substance use and abuse and other destructive behaviors damaging to youth.

The Daily Yorktown–

Every day is Mother’s Day, according to moms everywhere, but this Sunday is when special attention is shown to women with children.

In Yorktown, business owners are busy helping kids and husbands choose the right gift.

Yorktown Jewelers, located in the Roma Building, is donating 10% of its proceeds from Saturday’s sales to Alliance for Safe Kids while also entertaining customers with a mariachi band from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“We’re calling it a Mother’s Day Serenade,” said owner Myron Ruales. “We’re also having a champagne toast with every purchase. A mother is special and people like to celebrate the occasion.”

Ruales said business has been steady with customers spending an average of $100 to $300 on a wide variety of jewelry, including personalized items with birthstones and children’s names.

“We always have excellent prices and we’re offering sales for Mother’s Day,” he said. “We’re expecting the bulk of business to be on Saturday since most people are off Saturday. People are buying though, thank God.”

The Examiner–

Hundreds of Yorktown residents converged on Franklin D. Roosevelt State Park three community building events on Saturday. The Yorktown Chamber of Commerce started the day’s activities with the HealthYorktown 5K run that benefited the Yorktown and Lakeland education foundations. Following the race the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) held organized Yorktown Community Day and the seventh annual Taste of Yorktown event.

Thirteen area restaurants participated in the competition, and the public enjoyed fun and games presented by dozens of town charities, businesses and organizations. Taste of Yorktown winners included Nuttin’ To It Catering and Thyme.

The clear and sunny day also included a dunk tank, with special guest Yorktown Supervisor Michael Grace, and a performance by Unfunded Mandate, the band made up of Lakeland Central School District administrators and staff.

The Alliance for Safe Kids, Inc. invites you to stop by anytime, day or night to visit the newest addition in the lobby of the Yorktown Police Department.  Our community is extremely fortunate to now have a dedicated Prescription Drug Drop-Off Box available to residents twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.  ASK is encouraging those who would like to safely dispose of prescription or over-the-counter medications to consider making their first visit –You can empty all your tablets, capsules and patches into a bag for drop off.  You cannot drop off liquids, needles or syringes.  Safely disposing of expired or unused prescription medications is a critical step in helping protect our youth.

Upon discussing the desire to purchase this Drop-Off Box during an ASK Youth Court presentation, the board was approached by one of the senior court members, Samantha Greene, a 15 year old Yorktown High School Student who said she had been looking around the community trying to come up with a meaningful Gold Project which is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn.  It requires a real passion to make a difference in the community, the skills to organize the tasks needed to do the job and the insight to establish a method that will sustain the goals long after the award is received.  Samantha soon proposed a tremendous outline supporting an optimistic public relations approach to utilize an extensive media campaign in response to the two key factors in prescription drug abuse among teens:  the misperception that abusing medication is not harmful and the ease of access to these drugs at home or a friend’s house.

Samantha has recently launched a program designed to significantly reduce the prescription drugs in Yorktown homes that are either no longer needed or outdated.  These same drugs unfortunately have become the target of theft and misuse, oftentimes by people who have access to the residence.  Our 12-17 year olds have made prescription drugs the number one substance abuse for their age group, and much of that supply is unwittingly coming from the medicine cabinets of their parents, grandparents and friends.  More and more adults recognize the need to remove these substances from the home and legally and safely turn them over to law enforcement for proper chain of custody and court ordered destruction. Law enforcement is the only entity legally able to accept these medications and process them properly so that they do not fall into the wrong hands. Law enforcement takes control of and destroys drugs on a regular basis as part of their regular operations.

ASK has a sincere hope that this box along with supporting Samantha’s project for awareness and education will help prevent prescription drug abuse, especially among middle school and high school students, whose #1 drug of abuse is pharmaceuticals that are often obtained from the family medicine cabinet.

Most importantly, we ask YOU to talk to your teens about the risks, and be specific.  Tell them that taking prescription or OTC drugs without a doctor’s approval and supervision can be a dangerous- even deadly- decision.  Dispel the myth that these drugs are less harmful than street drugs because they are available through a doctor or at the local drug store.  For more information, visit: www.allianceforsafekids.org, www.theantidrug.com, and www.notinmyhouse.com.

Daily Yorktown–

It’s not often a group of teenagers get together to discourage underage drinking, but that’s exactly what the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK) did.

As part of its first Yorktown Sticker Shock Campaign, teams of ASK youth, accompanied by an adult chaperone, placed stickers on multi-packs of alcoholic beverages at participating stores that read, “Hey You! It is ILLEGAL to provide alcohol for people under 21!”

“Limiting youth access to alcohol is a proven effective strategy to reduce underage drinking,” said the group’s Executive Director Lisa Tomeny. “Activities such as ‘Sticker Shock’ help reduce youth access to alcohol and also show that teens can be the driving force behind this movement.”

The thrust behind the campaign is to raise public awareness about the minimum age law. The stores also are encouraged to place signs, identical to the stickers, on the windows of refrigerators containing alcohol.

The stores in Yorktown that participated were DeCicco’s, Yorktown Beer and Soda and Mobil Mart.

According to statistics, youths who start drinking before age 15, as compared to those who wait until 21, are seven times more likely to be involved in a car crash after drinking. In addition, one-third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related.

ASK, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2002, is a coalition that represents different sectors of the Yorktown community to provide a safety net for youth and families.

Yorktown Patch–

The campaign consisted of teams of young people, accompanied by an adult chaperone, placing stickers on multi-packs of alcoholic beverages (beer, wine coolers, etc.) at participating stores. The stickers read, “Hey You!! It is ILLEGAL to provide alcohol for people under 21!”

This year’s participating stores were: DeCicco’s,Yorktown Beer and Soda, Mobil Mart.

The purpose of Sticker Shock is to raise public awareness about the minimum drinking age law by placing stickers on multi-packs of beer, wine coolers and any other alcohol products that appeal to underage drinkers. The stores are also encouraged to place signs, identical to the stickers, on the windows of refrigerators containing alcohol. The goal of this project is to discourage adults and older peers (those who are 21 or over) from providing alcohol to minors.

“Limiting youth access to alcohol is a proven effective strategy to reduce underage drinking”, said LisaTomeny, ASK Executive Director, “Activities such as Sticker Shock help reduce youth access to alcoholand also show that teens can be the driving force behind this movement.”

Consider these facts:

• Traffic crashes are the number one killer of teens and over one third of teen traffic deaths are alcohol-related.

• Youth who start drinking before age 15, compared to those who wait until age 21, were:- 12 times more likely to be unintentionally inured while under the influence of alcohol- 7 times more likely to be in a motor vehicle crash after drinking- 10 times more likely to have been in a physical fight after drinking

Preventing underage drinking is everyone’s responsibility, including parents, teens, public health agencies, law enforcement, and retail establishments.

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The Save a Life program is designed to teach and give strength to teens and adults so they may assist others in crisis. By informing people of the warning signs that indicate trouble, community members learn when to step in to help. In the past seven years, there have been over 25 deaths in the Yorktown and Cortlandt Manor communities. These have been caused by drugs and alcohol, physical and emotional abuse, and depression. With such an incredibly high number of incidents, the community has agreed on this program to address the causes and present prevention measures.

Save a Life was presented by The Yorktown Interfaith Ministerial Association and the Alliance for Safe Kids (ASK). This is the second year the event has taken place. Any student that attends in entitled to receive three hours of community service credit, along with a signed certificate.

When the youths were asked if parents understand them, not a single hand was raised. That’s because each generation experiences more challenging situations that the one before it. But every adult in attendance clearly cares enough to try to get a clue. Looking around the audience, Taryn Grimes, the keynote speaker, announced, “We’re not in this alone.” More than half of the Yorktown Stage Community and Cultural Center was filled with adults and teenagers that care enough about their community to want to make a difference.

One of the main goals of the program is to get people to know one or two things they can do to help or at least recognize a problem by. When a child is bullied, his or her self-esteem falls. It only takes a single occasion to be hurt permanently. “You remember if you’re being bullied,” Grimes said. Not only does it impact a child’s life, but it affects adults as well, and apologies don’t always matter. If somebody simply says “sorry” ad dismisses the topic, the pain remains. Grimes recommended a “three-pronged apology,” which consists of what you did wrong, why you did it, an apology and the promise to never do it again. By addressing every aspect of the mistake, the victim will feel more reassured than they would otherwise.

“Every choice you make creates who you are,” Grimes said, so it’s important to choose carefully. Bullying occurs when people feel insecure about themselves, and victims tend to feel like failures. “You’re not perfect; stop pretending you are.” Grimes instructed. “Find a reason to be happy.” Grimes herself has dealt with a bullied child. At the age of seven, he came home from school and said, “I can’t take it anymore.” “The more my family focused on the bullying, the worse it got.” Grimes said. It’s best to focus on making your child strong, as strength is the only thing that can really combat the bully.

There were 10 students under the age of ten that said in the groups that they have told their parents they are suicidal. With such an intense number of young children feeling society’s pressure strongly, it’s critical that parents learn to recognize the signs of depression and insecurity, according to one of the event organizers Lisa Tomeny, executive director of ASK.

The Save a Life program offers two variants, one for teens, and one for adults. The teen workshops offer guidance for caring confrontations and helping friends with the discussion of suicide, returning from rehab, and the signs of danger. The adult workshops provide information on how to take action, trouble with the law, suicidal teens and neighbors, and talking with other parents.

“Life is not always about what happens to you. Life is about how you respond to what happens to you.” Grimes said. When your child is bullied, you may want to go to that child’s parent or the school and bully them. But instead, you could “use this experience to help make (you) a better person.” “You have control over where you’re going in your life,” Grimes said, and “the respect you give out to other people will come back to you.”