LIVING IN MANVILLE
By Mary Ellen Zangara Special Writer
A series of events at Manville schools last week helped highlight the anti-drug use message of national Red Ribbon Week.
The events were organized by the PTAs at each school and the Manville Municipal Alliance, a municipal group working to educate students on the dangers of drug and tobacco use.
The week began with 15 parents from the Weston School PTA gathering Oct. 21 who spent an hour and a half cutting red ribbons, which were tied all over the school and property surrounding the school.
Every tree, pole and even the chain link fence was decorated with a red ribbon this was the first time the school was completely adorned with red ribbons for the national campaign.
Each of the schools had a different theme each day for the students to participate in.
The young students at Weston School began the week with paper T-shirts designed by the students to Pledge to be Drug Free each shirt had the student’s family name and a drug-free message on it and hung in the hallways inside the school.
The next day, students wore something red to show that they were Saying No to Drugs. Other events were Hugs Not Drugs Day (to bring a stuffed animal to school), Sock it to Drugs (a day to wear crazy socks), and Be a Sport, Don’t Do Drugs.
Students at Roosevelt and Alexander Batcho Intermediate schools also marked the events, adding a few of their own as well.
At Roosevelt School, fourth- and fifth-graders added a day to wear camouflage-themed clothing for Join in the Fight Against Drugs, and wore blue-colored clothes for Drugs Give You the Blues.
The week ended with the Halloween Bash and each student received Twizzlers licorice sticks to remind them Don’t Let Drugs Twist Your Mind.
Alexander Batcho Intermediate School students wore their clothes backward for Turn Your Back on Drugs day, and wore their favorite sports jerseys for Team up Against Drugs Friday.
Students in ABIS and Manville High School also listened to comedian and speaker Matt Bellace at an assembly sponsored by the Manville Municipal Alliance. An evening presentation by Dr. Bellace for parents focused on helping their teenage children make the good decisions, regarding drugs and activities.
Red Ribbon Week was organized in memory of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique (Kiki) Camarena, who joined the DEA in1974 and was killed while investigating drug trafficking in Mexico.
In 1985, the National Federation of Parents for Drug Free Youth joined with the DEA to implement the Red Ribbon campaign. The National Red Ribbon Week is celebrated every year Oct. 23-31.

