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.