By Tim Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
The Board of Directors of the Community for Substance Abuse Wellness (CSAW) met on Wednesday, February 6. At the meeting, in the discussion of previous business of the Board Kolhoss made a report of a meeting she attended with the Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. Kolhoss reported that Masto is very much involved in substance abuse prevention programs. She feels that community groups like CSAW will make the difference in the war on drugs, Kolhoss said.
Masto expressed support for the Crystal Darkness campaign; according to Kolhoss Masto agrees that we need to focus on the positives—those kids who are not involved in drugs. Espinosa then gave a report on the Crystal Darkness presentation made at Mack Lyon Middle School. Espinosa informed the board that the presentation was well received; the pictures in the booklet had been very persuasive, she said.
The Crystal Darkness representatives that gave the Mack Lyon presentation “did a great job with the presentation,” Espinosa said. “They are young and the kids really listened to them. Crystal Blackwell, the teacher in the classroom, felt like it was a great presentation and wants them to come back next semester for the second group of eighth grade students.” The Board then heard reports from Sherry and Bruce Whitney in taking the Crystal Darkness information to the elementary schools in the Valley and to the Town Advisory Board. The report to the Town Advisory Board was a great success as many businesses in the community took the Crystal Darkness literature to distribute in their establishments. Bruce Whitney reported that Judy Metz, owner of Sugars Home Plate, called and asked for more of the Crystal Darkness literature to be distributed in her restaurant.
In the business before the Board, Bruce Whitney informed the membership that they were going to update the community survey they were passing out at their presentations. Instead of a paper survey they would have scantron that made it easier to fill out, to read, and assemble the data.
Whitney also informed the Board that he would be making a presentation to the Town Advisory Board in Moapa on February 27. Whitney discussed the need to work with Judge Lanny Waite to get his support for a youth twelve step program in the Valley.
“We feel that it is important to get a youth program up and going,” Whitney said. “Too often people think that substance abuse is an adult problem; what people must realize is that it is a problem that afflicts all age groups.”
