What to do, what to do?

It’s a question that teens and young adults around Covington County have asked for years.

It’s a valid question. What is there to do around here for teens and young adults?

The answer can be found with another question.

What exactly is it you want to do?

If you want a dance club, a &uot;cool&uot; place to hang out, or just somewhere to sit and listen to music - you’re pretty much out of luck.

There aren’t any such facilities in Covington County - that we know of - where kids can just hang out and be kids.

There are no &uot;teen clubs,&uot; and there aren’t any dance clubs.

Kids in Covington County don’t have many options when it comes to Friday and Saturday night entertainment.

Andalusia is home to the Clark Theater, but how many times can you see the same three movies in one week? The theater provides a valuable service to Covington County citizens. It’s the only theater in at least three counties. It’s a nice, clean place to watch a movie. But, teens want more.

Come this Friday night, Acts of Kindness is going to relaunch the Friday Night Live program in the old Coca-Cola plant on Church Street. With enough support, this could be just the thing so many teens and young adults are seeking. But, without support from its target demographic - it won’t work.

As for dance clubs, they really haven’t existed and been viable in this area since the old Blanton’s Roller Rink closed in the early ’90s. They probably never will

unless someone takes the initiative to open one

and make sure it stays clean and drug and alcohol free.

No, teens and young adults are relegated to traveling to Dothan - home to at least three teen and young adult clubs, or the beaches of Northwest Florida where not only do the clubs exist, but so do the drug subcultures and ease of purchasing alcohol as a minor exist.

Teens and young adults are also relegated to finding a field and setting up shop there. And there’s nothing wrong with that. We’ve all been to a field party or two.

No, teens and young adults in Covington County are faced with the challenge of finding something to do with their free time, and with summer approaching, they will have plenty of it.

We applaud those few who have made the effort to provide for the teens and young adults in our area. You are making a difference. But we challenge everyone else to lend a hand and let’s all work together to find the younger generation something to do

before they all find the wrong thing to do.