Pubdate: Wed, 13 Sep 2006
Source: Farmington Daily Times (NM)
Copyright: 2006 Farmington Daily Times
Contact:  http://www.daily-times.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/951
Author: Cory Frolik, The Daily Times
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

SUMMIT TO BRING GROUPS TOGETHER TO HELP FIND METH, GANG SOLUTIONS

FARMINGTON - Climbing solo is an activity not  recommended by 
climbing experts. Similarly, the problem  of methamphetamine is too 
grand, too enormous to tackle  alone, say San Juan County community leaders.

For this reason, officials and community members from  all across the 
board are assembling next week to share  ideas on how to best address 
the problem of  methamphetamine use and criminal gang activity in the 
area. Called the San Juan Safe Communities Initiative  Summit 
(SJCIS), the event will focus on these  increasingly problematic 
activities in the county.

On Sept. 20 to 21, community members - including city  and government 
officials, school officials, health  organization experts and others 
- - will gather to listen  and contribute to a large-scale discussion 
on combating  these serious issues.

The purpose behind the summit is for agencies,  organizations and 
individuals to develop a  comprehensive action plan to decrease 
substance abuse  and crime caused by gangs in the area. By operating 
under one unified plan, San Juan Safe Communities hopes  resources 
can be better utilized, communication between  different groups can 
improve and a network will be  created to attack the problems on all fronts.

The summit begins Wednesday, Sept. 20, with a  presentation on four 
of the task forces created to  develop action plans on the issues. 
The task forces are  prevention, intervention, law enforcement and 
gang activity.

Lyn Noland, a recovering meth addict, will be the  summit's keynote 
speaker. Noland, the drug court liaison and spokesperson for the 
governor of  Tennessee, said it is her mission to let people know 
that recovery from meth is possible.

Noland will speak at a segment of the summit that is  open to the 
public. At 7 p.m. Wednesday night, San Juan  County residents are 
invited to listen as she outlines  her experience with the drug.

The Summit concludes Thursday, Sept. 21, after  community leaders 
discuss the possible applications of  the comprehensive action plan.

Soon thereafter, a document of the entire proceedings  will be made 
available. The discussion then continues  Nov. 8 to 9 with Summit II.

Correcting theses problems will take wide-spread  cooperation, 
according to Marjorie Black, a coordinator  for the summit.

"It will take the entire community of San Juan County  working 
together to improve the quality of life that we  all enjoy. It will 
take all of us to be committed to  diminish the problems associated 
with substance abuse  and gangs," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman