Pubdate: Mon, 03 Feb 2003
Source: Tyler Morning Telegraph (TX)
Copyright: 2003 T.B. Butler Publishing Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.tylerpaper.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1669
Author: Casey Knaupp, Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

HENDERSON COUNTY COUPLE PLANS MEETING TO FIGHT METH

ATHENS - An Athens couple has planned a meeting Thursday that will
bring concerned citizens of Henderson County, along with law
enforcement and elected officials, together to discuss the
proliferation of methamphetamine labs in the county. Larry and Betty
Dow are concerned about the number of meth users and labs found in the
county and are hoping to form a citizens committee to wipe out the
growing problem."We have a reputation for being the meth capital in
Texas," Dow said.

He said he has documentation to back the claim.

"We want to get the citizens together," Dow said. "We're not going to
take it anymore."

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Senior Citizens Center, off
Texas Highway 31 East in Athens.

Dow said he has spoken to Henderson County sheriff's officials,
commissioners, the neighborhood watch director and a local drug
enforcement agent who plan to attend the first-ever meeting. He said
the officials have experience in dealing with situations like meth
labs and users and could offer insight to the citizens.

"Our goal is to rid our county of meth labs by taking actions as a
group," he said. "We need to clean this mess up."

Dow worked as a detention officer for five years at the Henderson
County Jail and he and his wife have volunteered for the past year at
the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for kids of Trinity Valley
in Athens.

He has seen kids abused by meth users, families destroyed and kids'
lives ruined before they ever start, Dow said.

He said he and other citizens feel they do not have the manpower to
handle the meth problem in the county and feel the state needs to get
involved.

Dow said the group intends to talk to state Rep. Betty Brown,
R-Terrell, and state Sen. Todd Staples, R-Palestine, to see if they
can offer aid to the county. This option and others will be discussed
at the meeting. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake