Timely because, as usual, our education budget is on the chopping block. How can we have such an extreme lack of foresight? These are our children, our future, our nation's hope! If we keep slicing and dicing, our students will barely survive, much less thrive. If extra curricular activities are cut, events like this magnificent production will go away, along with everything else. Poof! Extinct! We can't let that happen!

It is also a telling tale. The familiar story in itself is still valid; youths without focus create unhealthy avenues of release. Do we really have to quote statistics about how much more expensive welfare and correctional facilities are than crime prevention and educated, active participants in society? In the midst of all the hype and focus on our disadvantaged teens with "nothing to do" we see 100-plus high school students singing, laughing, acting, engaging, growing, sharing and working together. No doubt that between rehearsals, homework, jobs, sports, and a few hours of sleep, these kids ran OUT of time!

What better example could there be than to use this on-stage model of Homer's finest to carry the messages that 1) we need to support legislation that invests in education, and 2) by doing so, we are helping create wholesome, creative opportunities for our area's teens. Let's make our stand BEFORE the Jets and Sharks make theirs!

We are not trying to undermine the teens who are struggling for attention, space and meaning. On the contrary, witnessing this gala event made it all the more apparent that we need to do something NOW to help. Clearly, there are many individuals and organizations in Homer, like CACH and their parent focus group, who are already involved. Let's ALL join together and figure this out!

The Boys & Girls Club would like to offer its assistance by creating TEEN NETWORK, a forum for communication, understanding and action. It will be free and open to our entire community of concerned citizens, parents, families and youth as a place to meet, discuss, brainstorm, create bridges, facilitate growth and offer guidance and protection through the use of adult volunteers. Our games room is available on Tuesdays evenings from 6:15-7:15 p.m. Please mark your calendars for the first meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, March 16. At this time, we will decide how often to meet and hopefully cheer on any brave souls willing to step forward and volunteer their time and services towards this worthy cause.

The Boys & Girls Club is not equipped to handle these demands without your help. Let us share some insight on the magnitude of this pressing need. Since the closing of the Teen Center and the opening of TeeNighTs in September, our memberships for ages 12 and up has increased tenfold! We are trying to juggle 20 percent more members with the same staff, extra Friday and Saturday evening hours with diminished funding, while trying to accommodate 6 year olds and 16 year olds in a shared space that now reaches 85-90-plus youth each day in our afterschool program. In addition, the springtime weather has reactivated the large number of skateboarders who are enthusiastically enjoying the longer daylight hours engaged in their worthy sport. Please note that the skateboard area is a city park, open to the public and attractive to idle groups. It is impossible for us to additionally monitor this zone. This, too, is becoming a challenge. We are overwhelmed.

Now is the time for action!

We're all in this together.

See you at the meeting, (and vote YES on Proposition 1!)

Jane and DeWaine Tollefsrud run the Homer Boys & Girls Club and can be reached at 235-2772