TIME & TAZEWELL:

REMEDY OF A SERIOUS DRUG PROBLEM WOULD HAVE MADE A BETTER ARTICLE

Following several weeks of discussion, a strange debate is finally winding
down in Tazewell County. A two-page article in the pages of Time magazine
last month that chronicled the region's rampant drug problem also prompted
widespread anger among county officials and community leaders, many of whom
argued the unwanted national media attention painted an ugly picture of the
region.

The magazine article itself was criticized by all five members of the
county's Board of Supervisors, who argued that it failed to mention anything
positive about Tazewell County.

Sheriff H.S. Caudill said he was correctly quoted some of the time and taken
out of context some of the time during the course of a 10-minute telephone
interview. Caudill said he was disappointed in the slant the magazine took,
adding that the overall picture portrayed by the article, including comments
such as "sagging barns" and the "patch of Appalachia" were unnecessary.

The supervisors took the debate another step forward with the formation of a
committee designed for the specific purpose of developing an action plan on
how to respond to the magazine article. Following two meetings and several
lengthy discussions, the committee concluded last week that no action would
be the county's best course of action. The committee further recommended a
renewed focus by county officials on promoting positive news in the region.

The final recommendation of the committee isn't surprising. However, it is
surprising that it took the formation of a committee, and several meetings,
to reach the seemingly obvious conclusion. The time spent debating the
merits of the Time magazine article would have been better utilized
channeling a positive energy or a renewed action plan to address the
regional drug abuse problem.

Although I'm sure many people got excited when they heard that Time magazine
was in town, its obvious not everyone was prepared to accept the final
published report that hit newsstands across the nation. There was a concern
expressed by some officials that the article could cast a negative light on
the county, and Southwest Virginia in general, and negatively deter future
tourism efforts.

While certainly a valid concern, I don't necessarily think we will have to
worry about tourists canceling their planned visits to the Pocahontas
Exhibition Mine, the Breaks Interstate Park, or the Historic Crab Orchard
Museum in Tazewell.

The national attention also won't stop the construction of the state prison
in Pocahontas, or slow progress on the regional industrial park plans in
Bluefield or Richlands. Although the large-scale drug court planned by
officials to reach first-time non-violent drug offenders wasn't mentioned in
great detail, it's also doubtful that the article will have any impact on
the pending federal grant application for the project.

Although a window for positive national attention may have been lost, the
time wasted debating the merits of the article could have been better spent
addressing solutions to the drug problem, such as the new drug court.

The epidemic abuse of prescription narcotics is a regional problem that is
not limited just to the borders of Tazewell County. It's a threat across
southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, and it will take a continued
and coordinating regional approach to curtail this growing scourge.

Yes, it's unfortunate that a few of the positive things under way in
Tazewell County, such as the state prison or small business incubator in
Richlands, went without notice in the article. However, the purpose of the
article wasn't to report on tourism or industrial parks. It was instead a
frank look at an alarming drug problem in a small community. We could
belabor this argument forever and it won't change a magazine issue that many
have already forgotten about.

The anger that was targeted toward this particularly story would be better
served if it was channeled toward some type of community service - be it a
neighborhood watch program or a drug-awareness initiative - aimed at helping
to prevent the rampant abuse of prescription narcotics.

If officials are successful in eradicating this regional drug scourge, maybe
Time magazine will be willing to come back to the area and report on how a
small community overcame an overwhelming epidemic.

That would certainly be a story worth reporting on.