SKANEATELES - They hold your hand tightly when they are little, and door gates can keep them from danger when your head is turned. But when children grow into young adults, they sometimes travel beyond reach. Sometimes you can't save them.
Jennifer Meyers / The Citizen
Adults and teens meet at the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles to discuss upcoming plans for The Collective, a group focused on helping young people make better choices - especially in regard to alcohol and drugs.
Adults and teens meet at the First Presbyterian Church of Skaneateles to discuss upcoming plans for The Collective, a group focused on helping young people make better choices - especially in regard to alcohol and drugs.
But the Skaneateles group PACT (Parents and Children Together) is trying to help.
The group formed largely in response to an alcohol-related car accident that killed a Skaneateles High School student.
“A bunch of people in the community were basically talking about what the kids were doing,” said Chuck Gridley, PACT's president. “First just a couple of people, then more and more people got interested.”
While teen drinking is not a new problem, for some reason, according to Gridley and Skaneateles High School senior Nate Lindsey, president of a teen-constructed counterpart to PACT called The Collective, the incidences of alcohol use by Skaneateles youth were particularly high - and still are.
The Collective was formed prior to 2004 but gained a great deal of support after the June 2004 crash that involved local students.
“In the beginning, PACT was trying to look at all the things that affect the teenagers: law enforcement, school, parents - and how kids deal with issues,” Gridley said. “What do local police do when they catch kids drinking? Do they dump out the alcohol, pour it on the ground and send them on their way with a warning? Or do they arrest them? And how does the teenager react to either?”
An open forum was held, hosted by PACT and attended by representatives of the Skaneateles Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, state police, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and the young adults of the community. Task force groups were formed in the aftermath.
“We did send a lot of recommendations to the Skaneateles Police Department. We came out with a better idea of what was going on,” Gridley said. “In my opinion, a lot of things were being swept under the rug before, and that leaves an impression on the kids. Kids knew you could get caught and get away with it.”
Subtle changes were made as a result of the dialog, and progress is evident due in part to a new police chief, Gridley said.
“Chief (Lloyd) Perkins has been very supportive,” Gridley said. “Both with the local police department and the school, things have changed. I think things are looking much better. I think we are sending them (teenagers) a much more consistent message. We're less likely to make them abuse alcohol or drugs if we're not being hypocritical and not sending them the wrong message.”
Since its inception, PACT has evolved into a more cerebral, adult-orientated support group, with an awareness that The Collective is synchronized in its efforts to provide alternative youth activities.
PACT holds monthly meetings, occasionally visited by representatives of The Collective (which in turn receives PACT representatives) at the village library, involving guest speakers along with group discussions regarding interaction with children. Johanna Smith-Ellis, adjunct professor of the child psychology department of Cayuga Community College, is a frequent guest speaker.
She recently discussed the topic of adolescent depression. The meeting was one of several village member Ellen Kuilk has attended.
“I think PACT is a good organization. It's something we need in Skaneateles. It's a good avenue for parents to come together and discuss different issues, to get outside information. And get constructive ways to handle things,” she said.
She does seem room for improvement, though.
“The events I've been at have just been speaking events,” she said. “I would like more events with the teens. If it's not with the party involved, it's hard to have an effect. But maybe the PACT leadership is feeling The Collective is filling that gap.”
That is the strategy, Gridley said.
“We tried to go down that road. We had a committee - a teen task board - to try and find out in a non-threatening way what kind of events they would go to and why they would go to keg parties. But kids have an innate distrust of adults,” he explained.
However, The Collective is reaching a crossroads, in that the adult overseers are searching for replacements. It is conceivable the organization could dissolve, Gridley said.
“Yeah, I would hate to see that happen,” he said. “I think they've done some good work. We don't have anything to fill that gap right now. If The Collective were no longer to exist, we would have to retool and rethink where we're headed: go back to the drawing board. But I'd rather help them continue. They have an adult steering board. But one of the big parts of it is the kids - it's 80 percent. A huge chunk of it.
“They found a way to balance that out,” Gridley said. “Whatever PACT could do to keep the Collective the way they are, we'll do. The kids would not be thrilled with a merger with parents (PACT.)” he said.
One event PACT has been organizing for months will directly involve teenagers, however. Spearheaded by Gridley's wife, Pat, the After The Ball Party, scheduled for May, following the Senior Ball, will offer an exciting non-alcohol related alternative for celebrating following the school event.
“The night of the Senior Ball, statistically across the country, a lot of bad things happen,” he said. “We're selling it as a gift to the seniors for all the hard work they've done in school.”
Also, planned for the fall, will be a revised version of the Safe Homes Web site, wherein parents state their homes are safe from alcohol and firearms, should teen friends want to visit.
Skaneateles Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, state police, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and the young adults of the community. Task force groups were formed in the aftermath.
“We did send a lot of recommendations to the Skaneateles Police Department. We came out with a better idea of what was going on,” Gridley said. “In my opinion, a lot of things were being swept under the rug before, and that leaves an impression on the kids. Kids knew you could get caught and get away with it.”
Subtle changes were made as a result of the dialogue, and progress is evident due in part to a new police chief, Gridley said.
“Chief (Lloyd) Perkins has been very supportive,” Gridley said. “Both with the local police department and the school, things have changed. I think things are looking much better. I think we are sending them (teenagers) a much more consistent message. We're less likely to make them abuse alcohol or drugs if we're not being hypocritical and not sending them the wrong message.”
Since its inception, PACT has evolved into a more cerebral, adult-orientated support group, with an awareness that The Collective is synchronized in its efforts to provide alternative youth activities.
PACT holds monthly meetings, occasionally visited by representatives of The Collective (which in turn receives PACT representatives) at the village library, involving guest speakers along with group discussions regarding interaction with children.
Johanna Smith-Ellis, adjunct professor of the child psychology department of Cayuga Community College, is a frequent guest speaker.
She recently discussed the topic of adolescent depression. The meeting was one of several village member Ellen Kuilk has attended.
“I think PACT is a good organization. It's something we need in Skaneateles. It's a good avenue for parents to come together and discuss different issues, to get outside information. And get constructive ways to handle things,” she said.
She does see room for improvement, though.
“The events I've been at have just been speaking events,” she said. “I would like more events with the teens. If it's not with the party involved, it's hard to have an effect. But maybe the PACT leadership is feeling The Collective is filling that gap.”
That is the strategy, Gridley said.
“We tried to go down that road. We had a committee - a teen task board - to try and find out in a non-threatening way what kind of events they would go to and why they would go to keg parties. But kids have an innate distrust of adults,” he explained.
However, The Collective is reaching a crossroads, in that the adult overseers are searching for replacements. It is conceivable the organization could dissolve, Gridley said.
“Yeah, I would hate to see that happen,” he said. “I think they've done some good work. We don't have anything to fill that gap right now. If The Collective were no longer to exist, we would have to retool and rethink where we're headed: go back to the drawing board. But I'd rather help them continue. They have an adult steering board. But one of the big parts of it is the kids - it's 80 percent. A huge chunk of it.
“They found a way to balance that out,” Gridley said. “Whatever PACT could do to keep the Collective the way they are, we'll do. The kids would not be thrilled with a merger with parents (PACT.)” he said.
One event PACT has been organizing for months will directly involve teenagers, however. Spearheaded by Gridley's wife, Pat, the After The Ball Party, scheduled for May, following the Senior Ball, will offer an exciting non-alcohol related alternative for celebrating following the school event.
“The night of the Senior Ball, statistically across the country, a lot of bad things happen,” he said. “We're selling it as a gift to the seniors for all the hard work they've done in school.”
Also, planned for the fall, will be a revised version of the Safe Homes Web site, wherein parents state their homes are safe from alcohol and firearms, should teen friends want to visit.
The group formed largely in response to an alcohol-related car accident that killed a Skaneateles High School student.
“A bunch of people in the community were basically talking about what the kids were doing,” said Chuck Gridley, PACT's president. “First just a couple of people, then more and more people got interested.”
While teen drinking is not a new problem, for some reason, according to Gridley and Skaneateles High School senior Nate Lindsey, president of a teen-constructed counterpart to PACT called The Collective, the incidences of alcohol use by Skaneateles youth were particularly high - and still are.
The Collective was formed prior to 2004 but gained a great deal of support after the June 2004 crash that involved local students.
“In the beginning, PACT was trying to look at all the things that affect the teenagers: law enforcement, school, parents - and how kids deal with issues,” Gridley said. “What do local police do when they catch kids drinking? Do they dump out the alcohol, pour it on the ground and send them on their way with a warning? Or do they arrest them? And how does the teenager react to either?”
An open forum was held, hosted by PACT and attended by representatives of the Skaneateles Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, state police, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and the young adults of the community. Task force groups were formed in the aftermath.
“We did send a lot of recommendations to the Skaneateles Police Department. We came out with a better idea of what was going on,” Gridley said. “In my opinion, a lot of things were being swept under the rug before, and that leaves an impression on the kids. Kids knew you could get caught and get away with it.”
Subtle changes were made as a result of the dialog, and progress is evident due in part to a new police chief, Gridley said.
“Chief (Lloyd) Perkins has been very supportive,” Gridley said. “Both with the local police department and the school, things have changed. I think things are looking much better. I think we are sending them (teenagers) a much more consistent message. We're less likely to make them abuse alcohol or drugs if we're not being hypocritical and not sending them the wrong message.”
Since its inception, PACT has evolved into a more cerebral, adult-orientated support group, with an awareness that The Collective is synchronized in its efforts to provide alternative youth activities.
PACT holds monthly meetings, occasionally visited by representatives of The Collective (which in turn receives PACT representatives) at the village library, involving guest speakers along with group discussions regarding interaction with children. Johanna Smith-Ellis, adjunct professor of the child psychology department of Cayuga Community College, is a frequent guest speaker.
She recently discussed the topic of adolescent depression. The meeting was one of several village member Ellen Kuilk has attended.
“I think PACT is a good organization. It's something we need in Skaneateles. It's a good avenue for parents to come together and discuss different issues, to get outside information. And get constructive ways to handle things,” she said.
She does seem room for improvement, though.
“The events I've been at have just been speaking events,” she said. “I would like more events with the teens. If it's not with the party involved, it's hard to have an effect. But maybe the PACT leadership is feeling The Collective is filling that gap.”
That is the strategy, Gridley said.
“We tried to go down that road. We had a committee - a teen task board - to try and find out in a non-threatening way what kind of events they would go to and why they would go to keg parties. But kids have an innate distrust of adults,” he explained.
However, The Collective is reaching a crossroads, in that the adult overseers are searching for replacements. It is conceivable the organization could dissolve, Gridley said.
“Yeah, I would hate to see that happen,” he said. “I think they've done some good work. We don't have anything to fill that gap right now. If The Collective were no longer to exist, we would have to retool and rethink where we're headed: go back to the drawing board. But I'd rather help them continue. They have an adult steering board. But one of the big parts of it is the kids - it's 80 percent. A huge chunk of it.
“They found a way to balance that out,” Gridley said. “Whatever PACT could do to keep the Collective the way they are, we'll do. The kids would not be thrilled with a merger with parents (PACT.)” he said.
One event PACT has been organizing for months will directly involve teenagers, however. Spearheaded by Gridley's wife, Pat, the After The Ball Party, scheduled for May, following the Senior Ball, will offer an exciting non-alcohol related alternative for celebrating following the school event.
“The night of the Senior Ball, statistically across the country, a lot of bad things happen,” he said. “We're selling it as a gift to the seniors for all the hard work they've done in school.”
Also, planned for the fall, will be a revised version of the Safe Homes Web site, wherein parents state their homes are safe from alcohol and firearms, should teen friends want to visit.
Skaneateles Police Department, Onondaga County Sheriff's Department, state police, the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office and the young adults of the community. Task force groups were formed in the aftermath.
“We did send a lot of recommendations to the Skaneateles Police Department. We came out with a better idea of what was going on,” Gridley said. “In my opinion, a lot of things were being swept under the rug before, and that leaves an impression on the kids. Kids knew you could get caught and get away with it.”
Subtle changes were made as a result of the dialogue, and progress is evident due in part to a new police chief, Gridley said.
“Chief (Lloyd) Perkins has been very supportive,” Gridley said. “Both with the local police department and the school, things have changed. I think things are looking much better. I think we are sending them (teenagers) a much more consistent message. We're less likely to make them abuse alcohol or drugs if we're not being hypocritical and not sending them the wrong message.”
Since its inception, PACT has evolved into a more cerebral, adult-orientated support group, with an awareness that The Collective is synchronized in its efforts to provide alternative youth activities.
PACT holds monthly meetings, occasionally visited by representatives of The Collective (which in turn receives PACT representatives) at the village library, involving guest speakers along with group discussions regarding interaction with children.
Johanna Smith-Ellis, adjunct professor of the child psychology department of Cayuga Community College, is a frequent guest speaker.
She recently discussed the topic of adolescent depression. The meeting was one of several village member Ellen Kuilk has attended.
“I think PACT is a good organization. It's something we need in Skaneateles. It's a good avenue for parents to come together and discuss different issues, to get outside information. And get constructive ways to handle things,” she said.
She does see room for improvement, though.
“The events I've been at have just been speaking events,” she said. “I would like more events with the teens. If it's not with the party involved, it's hard to have an effect. But maybe the PACT leadership is feeling The Collective is filling that gap.”
That is the strategy, Gridley said.
“We tried to go down that road. We had a committee - a teen task board - to try and find out in a non-threatening way what kind of events they would go to and why they would go to keg parties. But kids have an innate distrust of adults,” he explained.
However, The Collective is reaching a crossroads, in that the adult overseers are searching for replacements. It is conceivable the organization could dissolve, Gridley said.
“Yeah, I would hate to see that happen,” he said. “I think they've done some good work. We don't have anything to fill that gap right now. If The Collective were no longer to exist, we would have to retool and rethink where we're headed: go back to the drawing board. But I'd rather help them continue. They have an adult steering board. But one of the big parts of it is the kids - it's 80 percent. A huge chunk of it.
“They found a way to balance that out,” Gridley said. “Whatever PACT could do to keep the Collective the way they are, we'll do. The kids would not be thrilled with a merger with parents (PACT.)” he said.
One event PACT has been organizing for months will directly involve teenagers, however. Spearheaded by Gridley's wife, Pat, the After The Ball Party, scheduled for May, following the Senior Ball, will offer an exciting non-alcohol related alternative for celebrating following the school event.
“The night of the Senior Ball, statistically across the country, a lot of bad things happen,” he said. “We're selling it as a gift to the seniors for all the hard work they've done in school.”
Also, planned for the fall, will be a revised version of the Safe Homes Web site, wherein parents state their homes are safe from alcohol and firearms, should teen friends want to visit.
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