Hot Springs Chamber discuss drug awareness
<p><strong>Kathy Kendall explains the status of the Hot Springs Community Awareness Group during the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce meeting.</strong></p>
HOT SPRINGS – During their February meeting, the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce discussed their plans for the Chinese New Year and heard an update on the Community Awareness group.
According to Kathy Kendall, from the Community Awareness Group, their new center is open 12 hours a week and sees over 100 kids each week. They have been open for approximately five months.
It was also noted the head start program started last Friday with 14 kids in attendance. The program is experimental and they are working with the tribe in funding and operation. They are currently operating from the school’s kindergarten room. Kendall said they do need food donations since they feed the kids as part of the program.
“This is just a really positive move in Hot Springs, when it seems like everybody is just in a negative space and arguing politics and negativity and backbiting around town,” said Leslee Smith, president of the chamber. “Here we have this really positive movement going in to help our kids.”
The group is proud of what they have accomplished with the center so far. Kendall said it was a little rocky getting started, but things were going well now.
Kendall also noted they recently did a confidential survey with the kids; they targeted kids in their teens as well as the preteen years right before. She said they were fairly open with their responses and many of the participants mentioned drug and alcohol use.
“You would be surprised at the drug use and the alcohol use that is going on with our kids, starting at age 11,” she said.
The surveys indicated much of the drug use was prescription based. Kendall said it was an eye opener and the kids’ honesty was good; she felt it gave them a direction to go with how they work with the kids.
The Chamber also discussed their plans for Hot Springs’ celebration of the Chinese New Year.
The town’s celebration will be held on Saturday, February 13 around downtown. Smith noted they would have the dragon, as they normally do, as well as other attractions. Since this is the Year of the Monkey, to celebrate, some of the kids are making monkey costumes for the parade.
The parade route will go through downtown and possibly out to the Symes. After, Smith said there would be additional celebrations at some of the area’s businesses.
Smith also gave an update on the Hot Springs City Council meeting. She said it was a “fairly tame” meeting. The council closed out the project for installing the new water tower and began operations for a new sewage project. They are also hoping to bring in more grants for infrastructure improvements.