Published: January 24, 2008 08:52 pm      

Mercer celebrates ‘100 Best’ distinction

PRINCETON — Mercer County officials took time out Thursday morning to celebrate a unique accomplishment for a third consecutive year.

“I’m very excited to announce that Mercer County is receiving the 100 Best honor for a third consecutive year, in part, because of the community’s collaborative programs that benefit children and youth,” Greg Puckett, executive director of Community Connections, said. “Over the past 10 years, the Creating Opportunities for Youth Coalition and its variety of partners have reached out to area young people through various community based programs and other initiatives to help sway them away from the pressures of substance abuse, health disparities and negative peer pressures.”

Thursday’s announcement marks the third consecutive year that Mercer County has been selected for the unique honor by America’s Promise Alliance, and the second consecutive year that Monroe County has received the award. The program honors and recognizes outstanding communities across the nation — both large and small — that are the best places for young people to live and grow up.

“Now as a three time recipient of the 100 Best Communities honor, our community continually thinks outside the box and have never rested on our laurels,” Puckett said. “Like our state, we are resilient. We are strong. And we believe that things can change. We have a can do attitude, and value collaboration, not competition. We look for ways to do tasks with partners and, although we know problems exist, we face them head on with new and innovative strategies.”

Travis Helmandollar, the Safe and Drug Free Communities director for Mercer County, said the region is working actively everyday to fulfill the five promises to youth identified by America’s Promise. The five promises are caring adults, safe places, a healthy start, effective education and opportunities to help others.

“It’s with great pride and enthusiasm that we celebrate today — celebrating not only the efforts of our county as a whole, but the phenomenal individual successes of each organization, business, church, school, teen center and individual person who has worked on the grassroots level,” Helmandollar said. “Together we have earned an honor.”

“We’ve been trying to meet these five promises for years and years, and as you can imagine, it’s been difficult,” Shannon Atwell, of the Childlaw Services of Mercer County, said. “This award — as it has already been said — doesn’t try to gloss over the problems we have. We know the statistics and stories. But we know we are making progress. It’s because of a collaborative effort we are making progress.”

Joe Coburn, president of the Mercer County Commission, said the commission has supported all of the endeavors and grant applications filed by Puckett.

“I will say the County Commission has supported every grant idea Greg has come to us with,” Coburn said. “They have the numbers to prove the underage drinking and smoking has stopped. The County Commission is really proud of this — that Mercer County is one of the top Top 100 Communities for Youth. I think we all should be proud of the work they’ve done.”

Sandy Counts, of Princeton Community Hospital, said the health care field also plays an important role in fulfilling the five promises of America’s Promise, including ensuring a healthy start for newborns.

Puckett said the West Virginia Division of Tobacco Prevention has agreed to allow for another $15,000 in funding — $10,000 of which will go to Mercer County for banners to be placed in every school and another promotional materials. Puckett said Bluefield Regional Medical Center has agreed to allow the Bluefield Wellness Center to hang a large banner recognizing the Top 100 Communities Award on a side wall of the Bluefield Wellness Center in downtown Bluefield.

Puckett also unveiled a road sign Thursday recognizing the 2005 and 2007 honors, and said a new sign will be prepared soon with the 2008 honor.

“There are many within this community that are wondering how Mercer and Monroe counties are getting this honor,” Puckett said. “You may be skeptical of what we see. I will tell you that we do not live in a perfect place. No one does. But it is the vision of something great that can truly make change. That is what this award is about. It is about the effort and ability to make a difference. Not the glowing statistics. We don’t always have those. But we do have partners willing to say — ‘that’s not right and I want to make it better.”

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com