ILLEGAL DRUGS ARE EVERYBODY'S PROBLEM

Early Friday, vandals broke five windows at Curt and Sharon Batiste
Gillins' Y'a Bon Village Coffeehouse in Galveston. They also tried to
set the place ablaze with a small amount of flammable liquid that
caused minor damage to a window frame. Neighbors blamed drug dealers
who hang out in a small park across the street.

Open letter to the people of Galveston:

My husband and I are humbled by the community's response to the
vandalism that occurred at our business this week. We sincerely thank
each of you for your encouragement and support.

Illegal drugs are everybody's problem.

To people involved in activities that destroy families and
neighborhoods, my message to you is that education cures poverty. You
can learn skills that will enable you to support yourself without
risking precious lives, incarceration or addiction.

To residents of affected neighborhoods, keep expecting flowers on the
sidewalks and safe streets; ask your city leaders for help in achieving that.

To city government, encourage economic development in blighted areas
and make poor neighborhoods a priority for city services.

To educators, don't write off the dropouts; they'll either be
tomorrow's leaders or criminals.

To the police, remain vigilant in even the worst neighborhoods; the
citizens need your help.

And to everyone, please pray for us, our safety and the success of
our business as a model of what can be.

Together, we can make a difference.

Sharon Batiste Gillins

Galveston