Underage drinking/drug task force future perilous

MONTROSE �” Though the Underage Drinking and Drug Task Force’s future is shaky, the coalition is working hard that a crucial community component is not lost.

“(No funding) has caused us to look at resources we do have and really ask, what are the most important things we are doing and how can we sustain them over time,” UD/DTF program director Kristine Manlove Bagnara said. “One key piece ... is the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey.”

In September, the organization got word that it would not be receiving an almost $100,000 federal grant that had funded the coalition for several years.

“One way to look at this is as an opportunity,” she said. “Sometimes lighter resources allow you to look out and see how you can work more closely with others.”

Wednesday, the coalition invited community leaders and youth-serving organizations to the Montrose Pavilion for a luncheon where attendees learned more about the importance of the survey. The results of the 2009 survey were presented in the form of a skit put on by Montrose High School STARS (students teaching absence, relationships and self-control) students.

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