Wheaton drug prevention programming still uncertain

It's been about eight months since the city of Wheaton and Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 officials put the brakes on their longstanding drug and alcohol prevention program.

Since then, the city's cut back to provide just one police officer to teach the program, known as DARE, at only the fifth-grade level. City staff members were tasked with investigating alternative prevention programs with success rates above what they've seen with DARE.

That exploration began last May, and it has yet to see a final outcome. The city council will soon embark on its budgeting process. Last year, that process resulted in the near elimination of the DARE program and funding.

Wheaton City Manager Don Rose said Monday discussions between the city and school district on a drug prevention program have been ongoing. Rose said it's really up to the school district right now to decide exactly what they need and want in such a program.

Any program must balance the needs of the school district, the tight budget of the city and the city's drive to have a beefed-up police presence on the streets. Some police and parents have called the drug prevention program the city's No. 1 public relations effort. The program addresses both prevention needs and provides positive law enforcement models for students at a young and impressionable age.

Happy birthday

Wheaton is also continuing its planning of the city's upcoming 150th birthday celebration. The initial organization meeting of the celebration's steering committee met on Jan. 31. Mayor Mike Gresk is seeking more volunteers to come to the next informal meeting at 7 p.m., Feb. 13, at city hall. The actual birthday isn't until February 2009.