Millions of young people will be recognized for their contributions to their communities and the Charles County Sheriff's Office's youth programs will be highlighted during the 17th Annual National Youth Service Day celebration April 14-16.
National Youth Service Day is organized by Youth Service America (YSA) and records and celebrates the positive contributions young people make to their communities year round. During the Charles County Sheriff's Office's annual Teen Court awards banquet in 2004, the Department of Justice, a supporter of National Youth Service Day, announced it had selected the Sheriff's Office as the agency it would highlight during the celebration.
"The young men and women of Charles County have made many contributions to our community by participating in our programs and it makes me very proud to know the Department of Justice will recognize them during National Youth Service Day," said Charles County Sheriff Frederick E. Davis. "I hope it makes them very proud to know they are role models for all the young people in our nation."
The Charles County Sheriff's Office has planned two major activities to celebrate National Youth Service Day. First, informational signs will be placed at each of the Charles County public high schools. Each sign will display a different message about the penalties associated with certain traffic violations, including speeding in a school zone, speeding on a highway, failing to control speed to avoid a collision and failing to stop or remain stopped for a stopped school vehicle operating alternately flashing red lights. One of the signs displays the penalties for negligent or aggressive driving and names the factors associated with such driving, including speeding, overtaking and passing vehicles, running lights, passing on the right, following too closely, failing to yield and not staying in the lane. The signs will be posted at the exit of the student parking lots and each sign will be rotated among the schools. The Sheriff's Office is posting the signs in cooperation with Westlake High School Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) and will unveil the signs April 14 at 2:30 p.m. at Westlake.
Also as part of National Youth Service Day, the Sheriff's Office will set up an information center at St. Charles Towne Center with display boards and handouts that address youth smoking, motor vehicle safety and the effect shoplifting convictions have on teenagers. Representatives from the Westlake High School SADD and from the Sheriff's Office's youth programs, including the Teen Court, Cadet, Criminal Justice and Explorer programs, will provide information about their respective programs. The information center will be open April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the center court in the mall.
The Sheriff's Office encourages adults and young people alike to participate in the National Youth Service Day activities. For more information, call Maryellen Kraese, Teen Court coordinator, at 301-609-3916 or e-mail kraesem@ccso.us.