Community service dream
I’m 13 years old and in the eighth grade at A.G. South Middle School. I have lived in Masontown all my life. I’ve watched friends and classmates make wrong decisions in their lives and get into trouble. I think a lot of them had too much time hanging out in the streets and this led to their getting into trouble. About two years ago, some very special adults in this community had a dream. Dr. Martin Luther Jr. had a dream, Joseph, Jacob’s favorite son of the Bible had many dreams, and these adults also had a dream, a dream to create a youth center for kids to have a safe place to go and get off the streets.
This dream through a lot of hard work and prayer has become the Power Plant Youth Center. But now it is too small. I’m not sure of the exact numbers of how many of us come every Friday and Wednesday nights, but I do know that these numbers keep getting bigger. We need a bigger youth center.
This is a place that I can come and share some time with old friends and meet new friends to have fun and learn about what is important in life from the volunteers who dedicate their time to this youth center.
Now my personal dream is to have a community youth center that is open everyday. One that not only kids can come to but also adults. A place where we can have a real gymnasium, a stage where we could put together a drama club and perform.
Different rooms where we could have computers, maybe even an indoor movie theater. My dream is that kids and adults can come from other communities to Masontown and have a place where we can dream. Maybe through more hard work and prayer anything could be possible. Help me with my dream. Help us get this community youth center.
Brittany Stewart
Masontown
On Ellerbe march
There were three critical elements notably absent from the recent march protesting the murder of 12-year-old Michael Ellerbe. First, there were more people from other communities than from Uniontown. Local failure to participate spoke volumes. I am still trying to understand why so few people participated.
Recently the media reported that a 13-year-boy shot his mother in the head with a gun. In that case the police were able to apprehend the child with the gun. Michael was shot in the back.
Second, none of the speakers spoke about the importance of participating in the election process.
Since Nancy Vernon is not going to bring the case to trial, the best way to handle her is to vote her out of office. She is not good for Fayette County. Every person living in the county must register to vote. This is the best thing you can do for Michael.
Third and final element was that no speaker mentioned the importance of not hating. The glory that will permeate from Michael’s ashes will not be released through hate.
It is better not to hate. In fact, it is far better to be the object of hate than the perpetrator of hate.
Ronald Michaux
Connellsville