Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jun 2006
Source: Eureka Reporter, The (US CA)
Copyright: 2006 The Eureka Reporter
Contact:  http://www.eurekareporter.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3289
Author: Christine Bensen-Messinger
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

DADS AGAINST METHAMPHETAMINE TO HOLD CLEAN-UP PROJECT AT FOOT OF DEL NORTE

For the first time since its inception in March, Dads Against 
Methamphetamine is holding its third weekend outing to focus on 
something that will help improve Eureka.

Dennis Sutton, group founder and a recovering methamphetamine user, 
started the group in an effort to keep himself drug free while 
helping others in similar situations.

In addition to meeting weekly, Sutton has led the group on a hike and 
held a weekend barbecue, but this Saturday, the group is going to 
spend time cleaning up trash in the area surrounding the foot of Del 
Norte Street."This is going to be a community service event," Sutton 
said. "(Its purpose is) to give something back to the community, 
instead of taking, taking, taking like we may have done in the past 
in our using (meth), period."

In addition to people who participate in DAM, Sutton said he has gone 
to other similar groups and invited them to help as well as any other 
interested community residents interested.

"I hope I can get the community (involved)," he said.

As for why he chose the area, Sutton said when he was a boy he used 
to go fishing on the dock at the foot of Del Norte and when he was 
recently walking his dog in the area, he noticed all the trash.

"It just popped in my head (that) maybe I can do a community service 
project down there," he said.

Eureka Police Capt. Murl Harpham said Sutton contacted him about the 
project and EPD will do what it can to help DAM clean up the area, 
which is heavily populated by transients.

"What the police department (is) going to do is walk through there 
and run everybody out of there Thursday, prior to them going in there 
Saturday," he said.

Harpham said he also has a call into Gary Bird, who heads special 
programs at the city, to see if the city can supply Sutton's group 
with a trash bin.

"We'll be providing a dumpster for them," Bird said. While it is 
helpful when groups such as DAM clean up areas in the city, Harpham 
said there is one downfall.

"It's great. The only downside, I would say, is that they clean up 
areas that the transients have totally thrashed and left so much 
garbage that they can't even live there," he said, adding that once 
it's cleaned up, the transients return. "The good side is it cleans 
up an unsightly mess for a while."

Anyone interested in joining the clean-up effort may gather at the 
foot of Del Norte Street on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Anyone interested in learning more about DAM, which Sutton said is a 
nonprofit, or donating to it, can phone Sutton at 707-832-8664.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman