FRYEBURG: Keeping Kids Busy and Out of Trouble

Mike Corthell

There is only one stoplight in Fryeburg The main street is lined with trees and a few businesses. No big box stores here. The beauty of this Saco River town and the rural small town feeling is exactly what brings people here. But even small towns have big city problems when kids feel like there's nothing to do.

One of the serious issues the people of Fryeburg face is keeping kids busy and out of trouble. I'm not saying that we don't have opportunities here for our kids. But I think that we, as a community can do more. I won't give my opinion as to the why some kids are not doing well or lay blame at anyone's feet. I think that there are two things we can do to start.

• We can find out what is and is not working.
• Then we can do more of what is working.

That seems like an over simplification but that just might be a good starting point. Teens that I've talked to say there is usually more trouble around town when school is out because of boredom and freedom from routine. 'Idle hands are the devil's workshop' and all that. Are there enough after school programs? And what about during school vacation weeks and summer vacation? The Mt. Washington Valley had a Jaycees chapter at one time. Is it time to bring it back??

I am going to keep this article short. I just wanted just bring up the subject - to start a discussion. I don't want to lay out a list of things that I would like to see done – I want you and you and yes you to post your ideas on Fryeburg & Friends.

''It's your community and it's up to you to make it a *comm-unity''

*com·mu·ni·ty - (com: with/unity: the state of being united or joined as a whole.) - a group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common.