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Alpena schools get new DARE officer

News Photo by Julie Goldberg Christina Bednarski, Alpena County sheriff’s deputy and Alpena Public Schools DARE Officer, shows the DARE flag with Thunder Bay Junior High School seventh-graders Nathan Parris, Landen Gagnon, and Gabe Ratz on Thursday.

ALPENA — There’s a new Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer for Alpena Public Schools: Alpena County sheriff’s Deputy Christina Bednarski.

Bednarski, who is the liaison officer at Thunder Bay Junior High School, takes over a role that fellow Alpena County Deputy Jim Marquardt filled for 30 years. She’s nervous about filling those shoes, but excited about the opportunity.

“I’m going to be able to reach out to the fifth-graders that are in the outlying schools, so when they come into the junior high, they’ll have at least one familiar face that they relate to or talk to,” Bednarski said Thursday. “I’m hoping to impact them positively by being that familiar face in the junior high.”

Bednarski is the DARE officer at Hinks, Sanborn, and Wilson elementaries, and All Saints Catholic School, while Alpena Police Department Officer Tim Marquardt is the DARE officer at Besser, Ella White, and Lincoln elementaries, and Immanuel Lutheran School.

Bednarski said Tim Marquardt has reached out to her to make sure she’s on track and know what’s going on.

“He’s done a great job taking me under his wing and helping me out on how to figure out how to do all of this,” Bednarski said. “He’s been a huge help and a positive light on the whole program, because I was nervous. Working with him has been a huge blessing.”

“I have no doubt because of the rapport that she’s built with the junior high kids (and) that she’s going to be successful at it,” Tim Marquardt said. “Christina will grow into her role.”

Tim Marquardt said Alpena County Sheriff Steve Kieliszewski has faith in Bednarski being a DARE officer.

Bednarski is nervous about DARE graduation ceremonies, because of the public speaking aspect, but she’s looking forward to seeing the fifth-graders graduate.

“I’m hoping that what is taught in these DARE classes really sticks with the kids,” Bednarski said. “I hope that something I say to these students will influence them just enough to the right side of the fence of decision-making.”

She hopes to make a positive impact on the fifth-graders while talking to them in the classroom.

“I’m hoping to teach them to say something when they see something wrong,” Bednarski said. “The biggest thing for them to take away is to be a good citizen (and) you have to take your part in policing other people.”

Julie Goldberg can be reached at 989-358-5688 or jgoldberg@thealpenanews.com. Follow her on Twitter @jkgoldberg12.

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