Four months after a fatal shooting at the Campbell Park recreation center, no physical evidence of the tragedy remains. As summer approaches, the recreation center at 601 14th St. S. buzzes with teens who are members of the popular teen program.
On Feb. 23, Ronald Durham, 17, was shot once in the chest with a handgun in the parking lot of the recreation center after a “jam night.” His accused killer, Jimmie Flournoy, 16, is charged with second-degree murder. Flournoy is currently awaiting trial and has been out on bail since March 19.
The day after the shooting the Campbell Park teen council came together with teen supervisor Christopher Lampley, 30, “We talked about how precious time on earth is,” he said. “It hit home that they have to think twice before acting crazy.”
“That shooting wasn’t typical,” Lampley said, “and it won’t happen again.” According to news reports, the victims’ family criticized security measures at the event. Since the shooting, the center has changed its entry and check-in procedures “They will not be allowed to wander in and out,” said Patricia Davis of the Juvenile Welfare Board, which funds the center. “The center has taken new measures to protect the children and that is the most important thing,” she said.
“This area isn’t as bad as [the media] makes it seem,” Marcus Childs, 15, says of his neighborhood. Childs was one of the disc jockeys at the February “jam night.” It was the first time he had witnessed a shooting.
Today, 50 local teens belong to the teen council and, on average, 25 visit the center every day. Inside, teens play pool and fooz ball, work in computer labs, watch movies and play rambunctious games of basketball in the gym. A sign on the wall reads: “RESPECT -- Everyone has a right to it.”
That motto has become a staple element of the teen council program that was created three years ago. Lampley was hired when the Juvenile Welfare Board accepted the city’s grant proposal to start a program that would teach five key concepts to local teens: community, education, positive actions, positive role models and strong minds.
Campbell Park became the first teen site in St. Petersburg. In 2003, the city of St. Petersburg’s Building Blocks for Success Program funds seven additional teen centers at a cost of $328,286 per year, said Davis of the Juvenile Welfare Board.
The Campbell Park teen center is “a very successful program,” Davis said. She attributes much of its success to Lampley. “He is truly exceptional,” she said.
Lampley experiments with new ideas and opportunities for the teens, hoping to instill pride in the teens and the neighborhood. He recently received a grant that allowed him to purchase new red and black uniforms for the sports teams representing Campbell Park. “It really makes them stand out,” he said of the Campbell Park Soldiers.
Lampley has also worked to expand the teen field trip program. This summer, Campbell will be the first teen council from St. Petersburg to travel out of state, as members head for Atlanta on June 30 to attend a youth conference.
Like Lampley, the teens of Campbell Park are also continuously striving for excellence. Leon HighSmith, 17, recently graduated magna cum laude from Northeast High School and describes himself as the kind of person who “stays away from the negative.” According to HighSmith, “the center keeps kids occupied and off the streets.” HighSmith utilized the centers’ tutoring programs throughout his high school career.
Dino Burns, 16, was the teen council member of the year in 2002. Burns says that he loves coming to the center every day, volunteers as often as he can and gets good grades.
Lampley believes that the teens of Campbell Park “feel no ill effects,” after the February shooting and continue to demonstrate a solid grasp of the skills he strives to teach.
“I still feel safe here,” said Nadia Covington, 17. “I love it here. We have fun and we’re good kids.” she said.
