Milton Community Youth Coalition

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) featured a group of Milton youth in their national mailer this spring. The article depicts the efforts of CADCA and coalitions like the MCYC in urging Congress to reauthorize the STOP Act, which would ultimately give more funds to prevention based organizations and hopefully lead to a decrease amount of substance abuse in America. Prevention works!

Every year, the Vermont Department of Health conducts a “Common Theme” campaign.  They bring together several youth coalitions from throughout the state, including the Milton Community Youth Coaltion, to spread a message that they hope will keep youth from using alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs.  This year, as a prevention community, we are continuing with a campaign that has shown very positive results. You may have seen the television ads associated with it recently. The “gut feelings” campaign is designed to show teens how using harmful substances, particularly tobacco, is a dangerous decision made by the brain that also affects the other organs of the human body, particularly the heart and lungs. The continuation of this campaign, brought to you not only by the Vermont Department of Health, but also OVX (Our Voices Xposed), is in response to research showing that the number of Vermont teens (14-17 years old) who smoke decreased significantly in 2011. (It’s now 13% of 9^th through 12^th graders, as compared to 18% in 2009.) Through the process of preliminary research for the campaign, mainly interviews of Vermont teens, the Department of Health was able to gain insight into the opinions and perceptions of teens, both smoking and non-smoking:

• The fact that most teens are very aware of the dangers of tobacco, yet a large proportion of them will ultimately try smoking for themselves.

• Once they take that first puff, traditional prevention messages telling them not to smoke aren’t relevant to them anymore (Vermont Department of Health).

The new ads seek to discredit some of the common myths found among teens, and give teen smokers who seem to lack resources the means to quit, with an ultimate goal of creating healthier Vermont youth, and, eventually, a healthier Vermont.

If you’ve ever tried smoking, listen to your gut and quit while you’re ahead. Check out miltonyouth.org for more information.

This year, there is a new addition to the Milton Town School District!  John Barone has been hired as the new superintendent of schools.  We had the opportunity to ask him a few questions about his background, his views on prevention, and what he wanted the community to know about him.  Enjoy!

Q: What is your professional background?

A:  For the last three years I’ve been the assistant superintendent in Barre.  Prior to that, I spent five years as the principal at Colchester Middle School, and before that I spent six years at Essex High School where I taught Spanish for two years and then was an assistant principal for four.  A year before that was the only year I’ve really been out of Vermont, my wife and children and I were in the Washington, D.C. area for a year, and I was dean of students at a school there.  And before that for ten years I taught at Poultney High School in Poultney, Vermont where I was a teacher.  That’s also where I started my administrative career.

Q: Because this is the first time some people are “meeting” you, is there anything you’d like to share with the community?

A:  I guess the biggest thing I want to share with the community is that I’m thrilled to be here.  I’m really excited to be a part of the Milton school system and the Milton community.  I have family and friends here.  They’re the ones that enticed me to apply for the position, and I’m really delighted that I did.  You know, I want the community to know that I have an open door, so if they have any questions or concerns I need to hear from them.
Read more about “Meet the Superintendent: An Interview with Dr. John Barone” »