Adams supervisors discuss safety after senior ‘skip day’ turns violent

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 17, 2001

A &uot;senior skip day&uot; party in Broadmoor last week has caught the attention of the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

District 5 Supervisor Lynwood Easterling, who represents the Broadmoor area, said he plans to meet with Natchez-Adams Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis and members of the Broadmoor Ballpark Commission to discuss the problem.

&uot;It could have been a total disaster,&uot; Easterling said. &uot;We’re going to see if there is some way we can curb that and not let it happen again.&uot;

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At about 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Adams County Sheriff’s deputies rushed to the ballpark on reports of gunfire and fighting.

At least 300 young people, ranging in age from middle school students to people in their early 20s were at the park and alcohol was visible, said Adams County Sheriff Tommy Ferrell.

No one was injured but deputies did find bullet casings at the scene.

Easterling said he understood the importance of having events for young people but officials need to be able to control such gatherings.

&uot;We want all the parks – the county parks – to be safe places for all ages to go to,&uot; Easterling said.

Of additional concern to Easterling are reports of alcohol during the party.

&uot;Alcohol and county-owned parks to me do not mix,&uot; he said.

Recently, the Adams County Board of Supervisors voted to post signs banning alcohol at all county parks. Those signs have not yet been posted but Easterling said he wanted to make sure they are put in place.

In other business Monday, the board did not approve an Emergency Watershed Protection project for the Sunshine Shelter for Abused and Neglected Children.

The Sunshine Shelter recently received a residence at 174 Booker Road in Morgantown but it can not use the property because of an erosion problem.

&uot;The house will just slough off in St. Catherine (creek) if something is not done,&uot; said Gail Healy, director of the Sunshine Shelter. &uot;It is basically of no use to anybody the way it is right now.&uot;

Endangered property must belong to the public to be eligible for EWP, which also requires a match from a local governing agency.

Even though the Sunshine Shelter may be eligible because it a nonprofit organization that helps children, the EWP program requires the taxpayers to forever maintain the work even if the property is later sold to a private owner.

&uot;My concerns are in the long run what is that going to cost the county,&uot; Easterling said.

Healy said she had talked with her board about using the house as a shelter for at-risk children, such as those who have mothers overcoming drug additions.

This type of shelter differs from that offered to children currently staying at the Sunshine Shelter because it tries to prevent the problem before it starts, she said.&uot;They’ve already been abused,&uot; Healy said about the residents of the Sunshine Shelter. &uot;This would be preventing abuse.&uot;

Supervisor Darryl Grennell, who made the motion in support of the project, said he did not understand why the board did not support the work since its attorney said it was OK.

&uot;He basically gave the board the blessing,&uot; Grennell said.