Thursday, August 22, 2002

Sixteen-year-old Chase Wildman of Laurel, along with fellow members of the Mississippi Youth Challenge Program/Delta Platoon helps Wednesday with the clean up on the Rails to Trails in Sumrall

Youth Challenge helps clean up Trace

Teen-agers say it allows them to give back to area

Nikki Davis Maute
American Staff Writer
August 2002

Chase Wildman likes picking up limbs and debris from the Longleaf Trace, even when temperatures reached the 90s Wednesday.

"It feels good giving something back to the community," the 16-year-old Laurel resident said.

Wildman was one of a dozen Camp Shelby Youth Challenge students who worked along the 39-mile recreational trail Wednesday, and he said he expects to spend most Wednesdays during his time at the camp helping out on the trail.

Trail manager Herlon Pierce praised the program, which provides needed help for the state-created district that operates the trail.

"They save us a lot of money and their efforts go a long way in keeping a pristine environment," Pierce said.

The Camp Shelby-based program provides a five-month residential boot camp for high school dropouts between the ages of 16 and 18.

"I like learning about teamwork," said Darrell Lotz, 16, of Oxford.

Sgt. Terry Stewart, community service coordinator, said the program's goal is for the cadets to get either a GED or high school diploma and the success rate is 85 percent.

He said the program is funded for the training of 400 cadets annually, handled in two sessions.

Since the program started in 1994, 3,300 cadets have graduated.

"We are a quasi-military type group, but we're not an in-your-face boot camp-type organization," Stewart said.

Stewart said each student in the program is required to perform 80 hours of community service.

The group can do work for non-profit groups or for the elderly or those who are 100 percent disabled, Stewart said.

Groups also work at the U.S. Forestry Service's Ashe Nursery and at the city's Duncan Lake on James Street.