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photo by Teresa Moore
The Lawrence County Juvenile Center hosted an open house to show area residents its new facility on State Route 93 at the former Mended Reeds building.
Juvenile center opens to public
Renamed facility shares upgrades with community
Published Saturday, November 7, 2009
ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP – It opened its doors to Lawrence County juveniles this summer. Friday, it opened its doors to the public.
The Lawrence County Juvenile Center hosted an open house to show area residents its new facility on State Route 93 at the former Mended Reeds building. The county purchased the building this year for $800,000. The lion’s share of the money — $500,000 — was state money. The public pronouncement was positive.
“They’ve done an outstanding job here in converting it over,” Ellnora Smith said. “It is absolutely beautiful.”
Others agreed.
“This is so different than what they had before,” Bilreka Ferguson said. “What they had before was old and cramped. This is what they needed.”
Even the name is new: When it was in town, the facility was known as the Dennis J. Boll Group and Shelter Home.
Director Brett Looney said the name change was needed to better reflect its services to the community.
“The group home conjured up images of an orphanage,” he said. “This center is for delinquent youth. I think the new name does a better job of describing what we do.”
If the group and shelter home did conjure up images of an orphanage, its building didn’t help matters any. The home on Ninth Street in Ironton, more than a 100 years old, was almost Dickensian in appearance.
The new facility, though old, had been renovated when it was occupied by Mended Reeds. It got some additional work when the county purchased the building and moved its juvenile center there.
Not only are juveniles housed there, they get their education there, too. The Alternative School was moved to one end of the first floor this summer as well, making the building a one-stop-of-sorts for youth in trouble.
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Comments
Posted by ribbon (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 6:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like that new building is going to work out. By providing education in the same building, seems like an excellent idea . Perhaps if the young juveniles are treated like they were in prison, they will not break the law or give their parents a difficult time.
Sounds more positive than negative.
Posted by RabidTiger (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 8:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
SUPERVISION--IS BUT ONE OF THE KEYS TO SUCCESS...!!
FAITH=TRUST=Belief in God... and Stressing that to
these 'Children'... is what they need.
They are CHILDREN and NOT ADULTS...
'Train Up A CHILD' in the way they should go...
(to paraphrase a Proverb)
The site is up and running... Keep a Sunday Service
for the kids there... and an Evening or Nightly Songfest
and teaching for them a couple of times a week
to HELP THEM STAY FOCUSED....
Why not establish a Choir..??
Always Give Them A CHANCE...
If they fail... Give Them Another Chance...
Start them at the begining and show them the
Love of Jesus Christ...
Its coming up the Season of THANKSGIVING...
and the time we celebrate the Birth Of Jesus...
What a great time to start life anew...
God BLess you all...!!
Posted by ribbon (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Children who think they are adults and commit adult crimes should be treated like adults. Adults attend church. You can raise a child in church and they can still stray. Yes, give our children a chance. But only one and make a good strong punishment so not to make the same mistake twice. Just FYI not till our young children and adults get into trouble, do the realize that Jesus is real and then they remember their upbringing.
Posted by ribbon (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 8:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Just remember to pray for our young.
Posted by barkbeetle (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Les Boggs, the so called architect of this move was not present at it's opening and wasn't quoted in the story. Must have had a great reason to be out of town...I thought this project was going to be the apple of his (black) eye...Guess beauty is in the (black) eye of the beholder...
Posted by Rolly (anonymous) on November 8, 2009 at 7:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Barkbettle, tell us more!
Posted by lawintern84 (anonymous) on November 9, 2009 at 7:44 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Quietly, like sheep going to slaughter.........
I am truly at a loss for words to describe the caliber of office holders we have elected in our communities. I am amazed at the apathy and the total extinction of zeal and interest plaguing the general public at large when considering running for an office or at least demanding accountability from our leaders. We have allowed and even sanctioned to an extent the politicians to barter away our ethics and morals for personal gain. We continue down the same path of power brokers past and expect different outcomes. To barter deals behind close doors, to enrich friends with tax money and conveniently slip out of town when critical demands come calling is inexcusable. Think back when the hospital was closing (which should have never happened) the most critical and crucial meeting where the actual vote was taken to in fact close the hospital, which would affect the County forever, two Board members were conveniently out of town. Can not meetings that are so critical to the financial health of the County be moved up or postponed for two or three days so any and all may participate? Is personal vacation or fun time of our leaders more important than accommodating their sworn duty to the office and community? Is it impossible for leaders to engage the public and be transparent in their dealings? Could not the Commissioners consider suggestions from the public on ideas for a Group Home alternative that may have had the potential of saving hundreds of thousands of dollars for the tax payer? Could the EMS stations be mortgaged to cover current shortfalls and be retained and paid off with less tax payer money as opposed to selling the assets off at fire sale prices then leasing them back with nothing to show for it except a greater liability for the County? The people's good should be the highest law and leadership is action not position. Change starts with one idea, one person. Shall our future be stagnate or shall we clean the sewer!!!!!
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