Don Davis for N.C. Senate

“Leadership for Our Future”

Contact: Brenda Clements

Phone: (252) 747-7555

Date: March 21, 2008

For immediate release:

Greater dreams as new skateboard park opens

(Snow Hill, North Carolina)–Skaters, parents, and several Greene County officials assembled as Snow Hill Mayor Don Davis, candidate for N.C. Senate District 5, announced the opening of a new skateboard park.

“This project was the result of many residents in our community coming together. I am proud that our skaters came together to design this park. We were able to pull in our local youth and empower them. In fact, a local youth was appointed to Snow Hill’s recreation board. He was very instrumental in pulling in other youth into this effort. Not only did they design the skateboard park, but they also engaged in the decision-making process considering cost and other factors,” Davis stated.

Local skaters met on top of a half pipe to cut the ribbon on their new skateboard park.

“It is important that we provide youth with a voice in our government. We must reach out to them. We cannot start too early. Government is not something that they should have to wait until later in life in order to participate. As we are able to successfully engage youth and provide constructive activities for them, I believe that this is how we are able to keep them in school and out of gangs. As a result of civic engagement, I believe that our youth are exposed to new models, which may help them make better decisions about their lives. I also believe that they are able to better gauge what they expect from elected officials,” Davis added.

Joining the skaters were off duty law enforcement officers, who pulled out their skateboards and negotiated the new equipment in the skateboard park. “Community policing is key. We must encourage community policing. There must be a relationship between law enforcement and the community. Clearly, the village-concept must be operative,” said Davis.

Davis is one of six candidates vying for the N.C. Senate District 5 seat to replace N.C. Senator John Kerr, who announced late last year that he would not be seeking reelection. N.C. Senate District 5 is composed of Greene County and parts of Pitt and Wayne counties. The skateboard park is located on Greenridge Road in Snow Hill. Park hours are from dawn to 10 pm.

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