By Valerie Baldowski
vbaldowski@henryherald.com

The mayor of the City of Stockbridge wants his city, and others in Henry County, to work to create after-school programs for young people in an effort to combat gang activity.

“We’ve got to reach out and do something,” Mayor Lee Stuart said. “We do have gang problems. I’m interested in after-school programs for kids, so they don’t join gangs.”

Stuart, along with Stockbridge City Council members Mark Alarcon and Kathy Gilbert, said the idea of after-school care for children was discussed during a seminar city leaders attended recently in Atlanta entitled “Safe, Healthy and Strong Cities: The Promise of Afterschool Programs.” The seminar, hosted by Savannah Mayor Otis Johnson, was part of the annual Mayor’s Day Weekend, according to Aileen Harris, communications associate for the Georgia Municipal Association.

The seminar presented ideas on ways local governments can enhance after-school programs. “We were fired up when we came out of there,” Stuart said.

Stuart said he hopes to put into practice the ideas he gathered from the seminar as early as this fall.

He said he wants to offer a city-run pilot program in Stockbridge schools on weekday afternoons and Saturdays. The topics offered to children in the program, he added, could include life skills and character education.

Stuart, who took office this year, said he has briefly discussed his ideas with other county leaders. He said he has not determined the costs associated with such programs, nor has he determined where the money would come from.

The two council members attending the seminar echoed their support for some kind of after-school effort.

“Though these sorts of endeavors are not normally considered as municipal services, cities across the state have recognized the value of investing in youth to decrease crime and enhance quality of life for citizens,” said Gilbert. “Cities can play an important role in bringing various program sponsors together to facilitate programs.”

Alarcon said he “learned that all communities struggle with entertaining, educating, and motivating children. It was enlightening to me to see some of the programs.”

Rural cities with limited funds can partner with county governments and pool their resources, to enhance after-school care, said Alarcon.

“That’s really creative, and thinking outside the box,” he added.