Pubdate: Sun, 16 Jul 2006
Source: Herald-Dispatch, The (Huntington, WV)
Copyright: 2006 The Herald-Dispatch
Contact:  http://www.hdonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1454
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?159 (Drug Courts)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/women.htm (Women)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

VARIETY OF EXPERTS ON HAND FOR DRUG FORUM

HUNTINGTON -- Panel members for a community forum on drug abuse 
prevention are bringing to the table a vast array of experience and expertise.

The forum, which will be conducted at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 27, in 
the Rhododendron/Dogwood Room at the Big Sandy Superstore Arena in 
downtown Huntington, is sponsored by The Herald-Dispatch. The public 
is encouraged to attend.

"At the root of the drug and violence problem in our community is the 
demand -- the drug abuse," said Ed Dawson, executive editor of The 
Herald-Dispatch. "But residents often feel helpless to do anything about that."

"There are people and groups working on the front lines of this 
problem, and we hope this forum will help the public understand the 
issues and what the community can do to help."

Here is a look at the panelists:

Raymond Byrd is the father of Karen Stultz, 39, who was shot to death 
in April 2004 along Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington. Last year, a 
jury convicted Huntington teenager DeAaron Fields of killing Stultz. 
Prosecutors maintained during the trial that she was killed because 
of a $40 crack cocaine debt.

Since then, Byrd has helped create a court-ordered drug treatment 
program in Lawrence County, Ky., called Stopping Addiction through 
Values and Education, or S.A.V.E.

The program contains a mentor component and includes group sessions 
in which participants talk about drug education and faith.

Anne McGee is a project director with United Way of the River Cities. 
She is responsible for building and coordinating the newly formed 
Cabell County Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership.

The partnership was birthed from a 2003 survey that identified 
substance abuse issues as a major concern among local residents. To 
help address the problem, the United Way and other community partners 
applied for and received a yearlong prevention planning grant that 
will help develop a broad base of prevention programming.

Kim Miller is manager of Renaissance for Women through Prestera. The 
program helps women overcome drug addiction and allows their children 
to remain with them at the center.

Bill O'Dell is a community development specialist who works with the 
West Virginia Prevention Resource Center and the Marshall University 
Research Corporation. He is certified through the West Virginia 
Certification Board for Addiction and Prevention Professionals as a 
certified prevention specialist.

He has a long history of working on topics such as youth development 
and leadership, alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention and community 
mobilization.

Carol Richard is a recovering drug addict. She began abusing 
marijuana and became addicted to methamphetamine several years ago.

In 2005, Richard, a mother of two, completed a six-month stay at the 
Renaissance Program for women. The program helps women overcome 
addiction while allowing them to remain with their children.

Bennie Thomas has been a part of the Cabell County school system for 35 years.

A retired teacher and later director of attendance, Thomas is now a 
member of the Cabell County Board of Education.

Thomas said he enjoyed the time working with students who were often 
at risk of not graduating and "on the lower end of the totem pole."

Brent Walters has been an assistant prosecuting attorney in Cabell 
County for more than five years. His primary assignment is to handle 
all juvenile prosecutions. Walters also represents the prosecutor's 
office in the Juvenile Drug Court in Cabell County, which is the only 
juvenile drug court operating in West Virginia.

He also has had special training in and spoken on gang violence and 
prosecution of gang members.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman