THE UNION Articles on
Meth -- January, February 2006

Plea deal set on pot charges, Trina Kleist, February 27, 2006
Family asks for another chance for offender
, Trina Kleist, February 23, 2006
Frequent offender sentenced to rehab
, Robyn Moormeister, February 15, 2006
11 arrested in police sweep
, Trina Kleist, February 9, 2006
Picking up the pieces in drug court, Jeff Ackerman, February 7, 2006
Cops bust server, patron
, Robyn Moormeister, February 3, 2006
Meth arrest lands North San Juan man in jail, Robyn Moormeister, January 31, 2006
Funding debate illustrates problem finding solutions
, Union editorial, January 28, 2006
Meth meetings produce many good ideas
, Union editorial, January 24, 2006
Meth meeting geared toward action
, Trina Kleist, January 21, 2006
Meth meeting summons females to aid problem
, Trina Kleist, January 18, 2006
County's drug problem affects us all, Shirl Mendonca, January 13, 2006
Governor continues to fund Prop 36
, Trina Kleist, January 13, 2006


Plea deal set on pot charges

Men agree not to break the law for rest of the year

Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
February 27, 2006

Federal prosecutors have decided that 40 pounds of processed marijuana buds, 80 mature plants and a dozen firearms are not sufficient evidence to prosecute three San Juan Ridge men on pot charges.

Instead, the men accepted a plea deal this week with the United States District Attorney. In exchange, they agreed not to break the law for the rest of the year.

Donald J. Sauer, 51, of San Juan Ridge; his nephew, Joseph D. Sauer, 26, of Camptonville; and Jamison Starr, 27, also of San Juan Ridge, finalized the agreement in a hearing Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, based in Sacramento.

The three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in October on charges of having marijuana with the intent to distribute it. Starr also was charged with manufacturing marijuana.

Under the agreement, prosecution of the charges will be deferred until Dec. 31 of this year. If the men fulfill the conditions of the deferment, the indictments against them will be dismissed.

As part of the conditions, the Sauers and Starr are barred from maintaining their greenhouses, which must remain uncovered. Their properties are subject to search without a warrant by the Nevada County Sheriff's Office; however, the interiors of their homes are not subject to warrantless searches.

The men will have to submit to drug or alcohol testing. They will not have to forfeit their property, and they must not violate any federal, state or local law.

The conditions remain in place through the end of this year.

The office of the U.S. Attorney in Sacramento released a statement saying a plea deal is "used sparingly."

"We believe it appropriate in this instance, particularly given the limited amount of marijuana actually recovered during the search," the statement said.

Agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency; sheriff's offices from Nevada, Yuba, Placer and El Dorado counties; and the California Highway Patrol raided eight properties on Oct. 12, 2005. All of the properties belong to Sauer family members or were recently purchased from them, according to county deed records.

Officers found a total of 60 to 70 mature marijuana plants and 30 to 40 pounds of processed and packaged marijuana on the properties, which have five greenhouses among them.

At Donald Sauer's residence on the 15400 block of Fawnbrook Road, officers seized five plastic storage containers holding marijuana and 10 firearms. Sauer said he uses the weapons for hunting.

Federal spokeswoman Patty Pontello said the quantities seized were not sufficient to warrant prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Segal, who handled the prosecution, was not available to answer questions about the case.

The federal agents based their case in part on the claims of a confidential source. Donald Sauer claims the source is a relative with whom he has a dispute over the ownership of a family property.

Based on that information, investigators flew overhead in late September and spotted what was estimated to be more than 825 plants on the properties.

But more than two weeks passed between that flight and the execution of the search warrants, federal records show.

About 60 people participated in the raid.

"It was like the Normandy invasion," Nevada County Sheriff's Lt. Ron Smith said.

"A rumor got out that a big raid was about to happen," said Sgt. Bill Evans of the Sheriff's Narcotics Task Force. "We believe, because of that rumor, there was a mad scramble to harvest,"

Donald Sauer told The Union that he has a medical marijuana recommendation for concrete poisoning he contracted when cement got into a boot. Under county guidelines, that would allow him to grow enough plants to produce about 2 pounds of marijuana for personal use during the year.

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Staff writer Robyn Moormeister contributed to this story. To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.


Family asks for another chance for offender

By Trina Kleist
Staff writer, trinak@theunion.com
February 23, 2006

A man facing a possible prison sentence for several drug-related arrests deserves another chance at rehabilitation, the six-time probation violator's wife said Tuesday.

Matthew M. Bandy, 43, faces sentencing at 1:30 p.m. Friday in Nevada County Superior Court. His case stems from a drug arrest in 2000. Since July 2004, he has been arrested six times for violating the terms of his five-year probation, mostly on suspicion of having, using or selling methamphetamine.

"He's a drug addict and he needs help," said Bandy's wife, Victoria Bandy. "If he goes to prison, prison isn't going to help him."

The family's plea is fueled in part by the Feb. 14 decision to give another repeat offender an fresh chance at recovery.

Judge John H. Darlington sentenced Dwaine L. Frye to a year in jail, two years in an in-patient drug rehabilitation center, one year in an out-patient program and seven years of probation - instead of at least eight years in prison. Frye's sentence stemmed from four drug arrests between December 2004 and November 2005.

The Frye decision has produced consternation among law enforcement officials who see the same people over and over. They complained that the court's drug rehabilitation programs have no teeth if people don't go to prison as a consequence of failing the programs.

"How can you tell someone there are consequences for their actions?" commented a lawyer who asked not to be named.

The Frye decision also has sparked hope among some other offenders, including Bandy, who face multiple drug charges and frequent probation violations.

Bandy's probation violations did not include any violent crimes. Relapse is part of the reality of recovery, said Victoria Bandy, who also is a recovering addict.

"If (others) are entitled to a second chance, why isn't my husband?" she said.

People who work daily with drug offenders cautioned that each case should be judged on its individual merits. Among the considerations are the offender's circle of support, the willingness the person has shown to get help and work the recovery program, and the larger impacts a prison sentence can have on the offender's family.

Victoria Bandy said the man has helped her raise her two children, and he has two adult children who still need his help.

"If he's in prison, he can't support me and our children," she said.

However, another chance for either Frye or Bandy also implies even more prison time hanging over their heads, legal experts said. Frye faces a 16-year sentence if he fails to meet the conditions of his probation.

Darlington, who has retired, continues to supervise Adult Drug Court on an interim basis. The program offers rehabilitation to people who would otherwise go to prison. It also provides close supervision to offenders and support to their families by a team from county agencies, it and reviews participants' progress in court every two weeks. It is different from the Proposition 36 program, which also promotes drug recovery.

Bandy went through Drug Court with Darlington. He graduated from the program in 2002 with a perfect attendance record and stayed clean for another two years.

But a work injury and a serious motorcycle accident, both in 2004, started him on a slide, Bandy told The Union in an earlier interview.

"That just did him in. He got depressed," Victoria Bandy said. But, she said, her husband failed to apply what he learned in Drug Court and get the support he needed to stay clean when times got hard.

"It's hard for him to ask for help," Victoria Bandy said. "I've been with him for eight years, and I think this time he's really sincere about it."

To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.


Frequent offender sentenced to rehab

By Robyn Moormeister
Staff writer, robynm@theunion.com
February 15, 2006

To the relief of his family and friends, repeat drug offender Dwaine Frye was sentenced Tuesday in Nevada County Superior Court to a two-year, in-patient drug rehabilitation program, instead of a prison sentence.

"I owe you guys an apology," said the handcuffed Frye, 43, from his seat among several other jail inmates, looking at approximately 20 friends and family members in the courtroom. "I'm sorry."

The crowd, which included his mother, son and several people Frye reportedly helped to stay off drugs, emitted sighs and shouts of "thank you" to Nevada County Judge John Darlington when he handed down Frye's sentence.

If Frye violates the terms of his seven-year probation, he will go to state prison for 16 years, the maximum sentence for the 15 drug offenses for which he is charged, said Darlington.

Darlington said several letters of support from the community on Frye's behalf influenced his decision to give Frye a chance at rehabilitation. If not for the outpouring of support, he said, Frye would most likely have been sentenced to prison for at least eight years.

"The number of letters is unprecedented in the 30-plus years I've been in this business," Darlington said. "Frye has put some serious effort into helping people in the addiction community."

Before his latest arrests, Frye was clean and sober for seven years and worked with the local clean and sober community, said Nevada County Public Defender Thomas Anderson.

Frye was arrested in Dec. 2004 on suspicion of possession, sale and transportation of methamphetamine. He posted bond and was arrested in April on the same charges, and posted bond again.

In July, he was arrested on the same charges. The latest arrest, on Nov. 2, was again on the same charges.

As part of Frye's sentence, he must spend a year in county jail with 282 days already served.

He must also participate in a one-year, outpatient program after completion of the in-patient program, submit to drug and alcohol testing, register as a drug offender wherever he lives and pay a $1,656 fine.

Outside the courtroom Tuesday afternoon, Frye's mother Earlene Ashley, 74, said the sentence was fair.

"I've been standing by my son ever since he started getting in trouble, and that would be about 25 years," Ashley said. "I praise God that he has another chance. It's great."

To contact Robyn Moormeister, e-mail robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.


11 arrested in police sweep

Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
February 9, 2006

A coordinated sweep of five separate properties early Wednesday on San Juan Ridge nabbed 11 people on various charges of having drugs and stolen property, according to the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.

Officers found a late-1960s' model Chevrolet Camaro and a newer KTM Enduro, a high-end, Austrian-built motorcycle. Both were reported stolen from Long Beach, Sheriff's Lt. Ron Smith said.

The investigation also turned up methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia; about 22 pounds of marijuana leaves, branches and stems; and a hashish-making operation. There was enough marijuana to process down to about a pound of hashish, Smith said.

At least one of those arrested at the location of the hashish operation had a medical marijuana recommendation, so Deputy District Attorney Ken Tribby, who was present for the raids, decided against prosecuting on that issue, Smith said.

The five properties were on Grizzly Hill, Pleasant Valley, Birchville, Sages and Sweetland roads.

Officers from Grass Valley Police, the California Highway Patrol and representatives from the county Probation Department also participated in the raids that started shortly after daybreak, Smith said.

Those arrested and booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility include:

• John S. Birge, 37, a cabinet maker from North San Juan, on suspicion of receiving two items of stolen property and violating probation. The motorcycle was found at his Pleasant Valley Road residence, Smith said. Bail was set at $10,000.

Birge is on five years of probation stemming from a conviction in a 2004 methamphetamine charge.

• Bryon Arendell, 36, an arborist from Nevada City, on suspicion of receiving stolen property. His bail was set at $10,000.

• Dale M. Lundberg, 42, of Nevada City. No occupation was given. He was booked on suspicion of having methamphetamine, possession for sale, transporting drugs, having drug paraphernalia and having a syringe. Bail was set at $45,000.

• Mary Nola J. Dixon, 28, unemployed, of North San Juan. She was booked on suspicion of having drugs, having more than an ounce of marijuana, having drug paraphernalia and child endangerment. Bail was set at $10,750.

• Rickie Lynn Able, 23, a house cleaner from Nevada City. She was booked on suspicion of having drug paraphernalia. Bail was revoked on an earlier narcotics charge, and no bail was set.

• Jessica Randolph, 26, of North San Juan, Birge's common-law wife. She was booked on suspicion of receiving stolen property and posted bond on bail of $10,000.

• Diana Henry, 39, unemployed, of Nevada City. She was booked on a local warrant on a charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and on suspicion of having paraphernalia in the new case. Combined bail was set at $3,500.

• Rebecca Richmond aka Lundberg, 31, a homemaker from North San Juan and married to Dale Lundberg. She was booked on suspicion of child endangerment and having a syringe, with bail set at $11,000.

• Patrick G. Carter, 20, unemployed; no place of residence was given. He was booked on a warrant related to an earlier charge of having an ounce or less of marijuana. Bail was set at $1,500.

• Manuel Lovato, 35, of Forest Hill, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor paraphernalia possession and released on his own recognizance.

• Joe Thompson, 27, of Nevada City, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor marijuana or hashish possession and was released on his own recognizance.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion. com or call 477-4231.


Picking up the pieces in drug court

By Jeff Ackerman
Publisher, jeffa@theunion.com
February 7, 2006

I didn't have to wait for Oprah Winfrey to show me where to find "A Million Little Pieces." I found them at the Nevada County Courthouse in Nevada City. They were crammed into the small, fourth-floor courtroom of Judge John Darlington's drug court.

If you haven't read John Frey's controversial book, "A Million Little Pieces," I recommend you do. Not because Oprah blessed it (though she has since unblessed it after Frey admitted that he made much of it up and that it should have been written as a work of fiction). Read it because it is as close an inside look at the addicted mind most of us will ever see.

"'A Million Little Pieces' is about my memories of my time in a drug and alcohol treatment center," wrote Frey in a new author's note released last week. "As has been accurately revealed by two journalists at an Internet Web site, and subsequently acknowledged by me, during the process of writing the book I embellished many details about my past experiences and altered others in order to serve what I felt was the greater purpose of the book. I sincerely apologize to those readers who have been disappointed by my actions."

Lost amid the media howling that followed the Frey "outing" and subsequent smudge on Oprah's book list (there are millions of Americans who wait for Oprah to tell them what to read next) is the fact that Frey's book might have saved thousands of lives and given hope to thousands of previously hopeless others.

And hope is really all you need sometimes. Hope that there is a better life. Hope that someone cares enough to notice. Hope that there are others who know how you feel ... deep down where nobody else can see.

Churches are filled with people searching for hope. Many, for example, believe that Christ is their savior and that through Him they will be saved and will find the straight and narrow path to righteousness, however righteousness is defined these days.

And if that's what it takes to provide someone with a hope strong enough to overcome whatever life's latest challenge might be, who cares whether Jesus actually walked this planet?

I was up at the courthouse Monday looking to help a friend put her million pieces together again. Her name is Natalie, and I met her and wrote about her a few months back. Her perfect life was derailed for a bit when she met pain pills and then methamphetamine. She hit bottom and found herself homeless, jobless and in deep trouble with the law. A million little pieces of Natalie were strewn throughout our fair community.

Over the past few months, Natalie has put most of the big pieces back together. The biggest piece was hope, something she'd lost along the way. She was in court not to deny her wrongs, but to help make them right. She was prepared to pay for her crimes, but she also wanted to let Judge Darlington know that she would be more productive outside a jail cell than inside one.

Waiting for Natalie's turn, I watched in fascination and appreciation and ... yes ... a bit of disgust ... as the parade of troubled souls made its way through the busy court calendar.

Before Darlington entered the courtroom, it was filled with prosecutors, public defenders, court clerks and drug offenders. Seven handcuffed prisoners in orange jumpsuits were paraded into the jury box and sat vying for the attention of their respective public defenders.

There was no sign of a calendar, but I imagine that Darlington's hearing schedule would choke even the best-made Palm Pilot. Most of the hearings that preceded Natalie's were continued to another day for various reasons.

A large fellow in the back started gagging, and from the sound of it, barely made it out the door before losing whatever he had for lunch. It turned out he was on some medication for gout and it wasn't agreeing with him. Darlington thought it best to delay the hearing until the man's doctor had a chance to see him.

Another young man told the judge that he missed his probation meeting because his house burned down. He pleaded (successfully) for Darlington to give him a second chance.

Another fellow said he missed a court date because of a paperwork glitch. "My paperwork is in my truck somewhere and the date is wrong," he said. Darlington gave him a few days to prove it.

There were maybe 20 separate stories that afternoon, each one of them a collection of tiny pieces that, for one reason or another, had come unraveled. Most of the unraveling was accelerated by an addiction to drugs.

When it was Natalie's turn, the judge reminded her that the 120 days in jail she was facing were a far cry from the nine months she could have received for her crimes. Natalie has been living in a halfway house operated by the Community Recovery Resources center for the past three months.

A man named Angel approached the bench and asked the judge to consider the fact that Natalie has been working very hard to pick up the pieces.

"I have watched her grow," he said. "I have seen her commitment to turning her life around."

When my turn came, I simply echoed Angel and reminded the judge that wars are won one battle at a time and that Natalie ought to be considered a victory in this so-called war on drugs. Darlington doesn't really need a reminder. He's been on the front lines of that war for more than two decades.

He gave Natalie a chance to serve her time in the halfway house.

In the end, it matters little to me how much of Frey's story really happened. One thing that hasn't been challenged is his addiction and subsequent treatment. And I know there are at least a million little pieces, because I've seen them with my own eyes.

Jeff Ackerman is the publisher of The Union. His column appears every Tuesday.


Cops bust server, patron

Pair at Brass Rail Tavern arrested for selling drugs

By Robyn Moormeister, robynm@theunion.com
February 3, 2006

After a six-month undercover investigation, a bartender and a patron at the Brass Rail Tavern in North San Juan were arrested Wednesday night for selling drugs and dealing in stolen property.

Bartender Mary Jane Mang of Camptonville and carpenter James A. Foster of North San Juan were arrested at the bar after officers from the Alcoholic Beverage Control made one last marijuana buy in a series of several undercover drug deals, Nevada County Sheriff's Narcotic Task Force Sgt. Bill Evans said Wednesday.

Mang and Foster had reportedly been accepting stolen cigarettes and liquor, re-selling them and selling marijuana to undercover agents for several months.

In addition to selling marijuana, Mang is also accused of selling methamphetamine to the undercover officers. Mang was arrested on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance, selling a controlled substance and receiving stolen property.

Foster was arrested on selling a controlled substance and receiving stolen property.

Bail for Mang and Foster was set at $10,000 each.

Bar owner Doug Bigley said he was surprised by the arrests Wednesday night and that he had no knowledge of the illegal activity taking place at his business, which he has owned for 33 years.

"It was a shock to me," Bigley said. "I was sitting in my office and (Mang) knocked on the door. The next thing I knew all of these officers were there slapping handcuffs on her. I just about had a heart attack."

He said Mang used to work for his son in a bar in Camptonville and when his son closed his bar about a year ago, Bigley hired her.

"She's always been a good worker," Bigley said.

Bigley also hired Foster last April to repair the front of the tavern, damaged by a car driven into it. Foster had also done some work for Bigley at Bigley's ranch near Camptonville.

Foster was not working at the time of the arrest.

Bigley said Mang and Foster will never work for him again.

"Everybody knows I'm a redneck and this is all completely strange to me," Bigley said. "I thought they respected me more than that. I've got a lot to lose here."

ABC Public Information Officer John Carr said the tavern's liquor license was suspended for 15 days in May 2001, when someone purchased an alcoholic beverage for resale from someone other than a wholesaler. Other than that temporary suspension, Carr said the tavern's record is clean.

He said no active disciplinary action is being taken against Bigley at this time, but the investigators' report hasn't yet been finished.

Once the report is complete, it will be forwarded to the ABC's Sacramento office where it will be determined if any disciplinary action is taken.

"The penalties against businesses where this sort of thing happens can be pretty severe," Carr said.

He said Bigley's license could be suspended or even revoked based on the investigator's recommendations.

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To contact staff writer Robyn Moormeister, e-mail robynm@theunion.com or call 477-4236.


Meth arrest lands North San Juan man in jail

By Robyn Moormeister, robynm@theunion.com
January 31, 2006

North San Juan resident Michael D. Walker, 39, was arrested Sunday morning after he alerted deputies he had ingredients for manufacturing methamphetamine at his home on the 26000 block of Sweetland Road.

Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal said a deputy driving on Pleasant Valley Road late Saturday night recognized Walker as he pulled up next to him in his older Ford diesel pickup.

"(Walker) has a long history of contact with the Sheriff's Office," Royal said.

Walker told the deputy that he had unprocessed "meth oil" that would yield 25 pounds of methamphetamine and that he wanted to give it to the deputy to get it off the streets.

The deputy drove to Walker's house, where Walker presented a large sock with a quart-sized glass canning jar in it.

The jar contained the oil, reportedly used to manufacture methamphetamine.

Royal said deputies from the Narcotics Task Force found a cardboard box inside Walker's house containing several more jars with the same oil.

Walker was arrested and booked into Wayne Brown Correctional Facility on suspicion of manufacturing methamphetamine.


Funding debate illustrates problem finding solutions

The Union Editorial Board
January 28, 2006

Nevada County Supervisor Robin Sutherland expressed some frustration earlier this week when three of her colleagues opposed her motion for an additional $45,000 for the Prop. 36 program.

She said the money was needed so those convicted of drug crimes would get a 90-day rehabilitation rather than just 60 days. Supervisor Nate Beason, who opposed the request, said Friday that the county has already approved spending $122,000 for the program this year, which comes on top of the $360,000 the state provided.

The drug, of course, that is at the root of the problem is methamphetamine. It takes extended inpatient care to treat people who are addicted to this drug and that makes it an expensive problem.

Beason is the new chairman of the Nevada County Substance Abuse Advisory Board. In this role, he wants to identify all the resources in the county that can be used in this battle against meth abuse and addiction that riddles our county.

Examples of others looking at the problem abound.

This year's United Way campaign is focused on funneling resources toward groups that are battling the meth problem. The Women's Town Hall on Meth has developed an action plan and is working on a resource guide. The Grand Jury has called it an epidemic while outlining a long list of costs, both social and financial, that come with this problem.

It's abundantly clear that we can't expect government to cover all of the costs associated with meth use. The total costs associated with just the Prop. 36 program is around $475,000 in this fiscal year. This likely just represents a fraction of the costs when you look at court time, jail time, lost wages and broken families.

There's no simple or cost-efficient way to reduce the impact of meth use in our community. Beason's goal of identifying all the resources is an important step in developing a comprehensive strategy. But it's only a step in what's going to be a long journey.


Our View: Meth meetings produce many good ideas

The Union editorial board
January 24, 2006

We're all aware of the debilitating effect that methamphetamine use has had on our area.

But only a few of us are attempting to develop a comprehensive strategy to tackle a drug problem that destroys families, fills our jails and puts everyone at risk.

Deborah Jordan, a mother of two, is one of the innocent victims. She was assaulted after a meth user abducted her on a sunny day in 2003 in Grass Valley. Last week, she went public with her survivor's tale in an interview that appeared in The Union.

On Friday night, she was among the speakers at the Women's Town Hall Meeting on Meth. After just their second meeting, this group released a list of ideas that — if pursued — could make a real difference in the long battle to curb methamphetamine use in this area.

Among the 29 suggestions made on Friday night is establishing Neighborhood Watch groups to monitor suspicious activity, developing resources and ways for teenagers to be educated about the perils of meth use, seeking funds for transition homes and recovery programs, increasing awareness of available programs and demanding a zero-tolerance environment.

The Grand Jury said this summer that western Nevada County is in the grips of a meth epidemic and provided numerous examples of the cost this drug has inflicted on our bottom line as well as our social fabric.

Now, this group of women has taken the next step. They have offered a number of sensible ideas that deserve careful consideration.

What can we implement immediately? What can families, friends and neighbors do? Will Grass Valley, Nevada City and Nevada County officials study these ideas and then work together to develop a plan to secure more funding or commit more resources to combat meth use? Will our local elected figures elevate their leadership role in fighting this social ill?

Those who organized and attended the Women's Town Hall meetings deserve our praise and now support. If we are indeed serious about reducing meth use and changing the culture that seems to sustain it, we need to look at these ideas and implement them in some coordinated manner.


Meth meeting geared toward action

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
January 21, 2006

About 75 people gathered at the United Methodist Church in Grass Valley late Friday to map out community actions to fight methamphetamine addiction.

Participants of the Women's Town Hall Meting on Meth returned, over and over again, to a single theme: Meth addiction affects everyone, and everyone needs to get involved to solve the problem.

Deborah Jordan, who had been viciously assaulted two and a half years ago by a meth user, set the tone when she read a letter sent to her just days ago from her assailant. Jacob Hill wrote from a state prison:

"I believe people use drugs to escape pain and because they have little purpose in life. ... To have purpose in life, you want to have a family, support them, spend time with them, draw close to God.

"There are so many things I wish I had done differently. For me, it seems like it's too late."

Then the women, and a few men, broke off into groups to talk about what they could do. Their own stories started coming out.

A teacher: "I'm tired of people saying, 'it's in the schools, why don't the teachers do anything?' We're doing everything we can, but our hands are tied."

A woman who works with women in jail 12-step groups: "They tell me, 'When you go to Juvenile Hall, say hello to my kids.'"

A neighbor: "They grow marijuana for medicinal reasons. The kids are out. They say the parents are sleeping."

Another mother: "My daughters were terribly addicted to drugs and I didn't know. I wish somebody would have called me."

After more than an hour of brainstorming, participants came with these ideas:

Prevention

• Get all the mothers together, march down to meth labs and post Zero-Tolerance signs

• Plan a March Against Meth

• Develop teen talk circles

• Study Mothers Against Drunk Driving for strategies

• Study the court system and get involved in elections of court officials

Education in Schools

• Get a curriculum into the hands of people who need it

• Develop a resource booklet for students who ask for help

• Identify and work around roadblocks to education

In the Community

• Get the media more involved

• Develop a resource guide so people know what help is available

• Put resources on the county Web site

• Get video cameras into the hands of teenagers for programs that can be shown on local television

• Tell the stories of what recovering addicts need, including year-round jobs

• Tell about the cost of not funding recovery, including crime

• Get the hospital to have an education program

Recovery

• The area needs more recovery transition homes for men and women

• Families need to educate themselves on what support they can give to the recovering family member

• Take addicts to places where they can be of service to community

• Develop a recovery program for atheists that is not based on belief in a higher power

• Community-wide fundraising

• Support and spread the word about existing programs that work

Neighborhood Watch

• Get to know your neighbors, their habits and their vehicles

• When you see something suspicious, call the authorities

• Organize your neighbors, using the excuse of fire safety if necessary

• Get their telephone numbers and e-mail addresses and share with each other

• Ask PG&E to install lighting if your street is dark

• Post Zero-Tolerance signs

• Take ownership of our neighborhoods.

• Pay attention to what's going on, including peculiar smells

"The biggest thing I want to see come out of this is a resource directory that tells us all what is going on in our community and where to get help," Jordan said.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.


Meth meeting summons females to aid problem

By Trina Kleist
Staff writer, trinak@theunion.com
January 18, 2006

Women will gather Friday to decide how to unleash their innate maternal qualities on Nevada County's problem of methamphetamine addiction.

The Women's Town Hall on Meth will meet at 6:45 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Grass Valley, located at 236 South Church St.

Though all people are welcome, the meeting seeks to harness the energy and vision of women to map out specific actions that will be taken, said one of the event's organizers, Marilyn Nyborg.

"We want to call on the mothering qualities of every woman, whether she's had children or not - the qualities of nurturing, caring and compassion - to support what is, what needs to be fixed and what needs to be created," Nyborg said Tuesday.

The meeting comes out of a Nov. 4, 2005, meeting during which women agreed that the abuse of meth affects the community in many ways. Friday's meeting continues in that vein, with a focus on action, Nyborg said.

Participants will look at five areas and will be asked to brainstorm ideas for acting in each:

• Neighborhood Watch activity.

• Education in the schools.

• Education in the community.

• Recovery, including one-on-one mentoring and funding programs.

• Prevention, including what can be done in the areas of law enforcement, monitoring the courts and making the county unfriendly to meth labs.

Organizers see community education as a central component of any action against addiction.

"People think they're not touched by it, but they don't realize how invasive this is," Nyborg said. Property values, the level of crime and taxpayer-supported services all are impacted by the ripple effect of addiction.

"It is our problem," Nyborg said.

For more information about the Women's Town Hall Meeting on Meth, contact The Union's readership editor, Dixie Redfearn, at dixier@theunion.com or 477-4238.

To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion.com or call 477-4231.

Know and Go
What: Women's Town Hall on methamphetamine

When: 6:45 p.m. Friday

Where: Grass Valley Methodist Church

Info: No cost; meeting will be a call to action. Deborah Jordan will be speaking briefly at the beginning of the meeting.


Lake Wildwood: County's drug problem affects us all

By Shirl Mendonca
January 13, 2006

Oprah Winfrey and I may both have egg on our faces; at least I'm in good company. In December, I wrote about a book that Oprah has been touting on drug addiction recovery called "A Million Little Pieces."

I still think the book is excellent but it appears as if James Frey may have stretched his facts a bit. Dixie Redfearn brought this to my attention so I'm passing it on to you. To learn more, type in "James Frey, smoking gun" on Google.

On the topic of drug addiction, we are all aware of the devastating effects of methamphetamine. In November, there was a town hall meeting for women of the community to learn what was happening locally and what resources are available; there was a tremendous panel and a number of women got up and spoke of their own experiences to a packed room.

On Jan. 20, there will be a follow-up meeting at 6:45 p.m. at the Methodist Church on Church Street in Grass Valley. I would personally like to invite all the women of LWW and Penn Valley to join with other women in the community to help find creative solutions to this problem. Call me if you want more information or if you want to car pool. Representing about 20 percent of the Western Nevada County population - we should be there.

Before you all settle down for a long winter's nap, get out your calendars. The wildflowers at Bridgeport seem to bloom earlier and earlier each year. According to Barbara Pixley, the docents will start leading walks on the Buttermilk Bend trail on Feb. 18.

Barbara is the coordinator of the Wildflower Walks at Bridgeport and a LWW resident. Along with other docents including Nancy Chittendon, Daphne Towns and Diane Merten of LWW, tours will be offered every Saturday and Sunday through Memorial Day. You can also take the hike on your own or arrange for a private group tour. You won't want to miss this. It is absolutely gorgeous when all the wildflowers are blooming on the hillsides and the Yuba River is running high and fast in the canyon about 100 feet below the trail. It is just spectacular!

While you are waiting for spring, a good place to relax and have some quiet time is the constantly improving Penn Valley library right across the street from LWW. What a gem we have here.

Christopher Derks, Library Assistant 2, has been working at the library for three years and says that the foot traffic seems to have tripled just in the last couple of years. Christopher works with Laura Tuers, Supervisor of the Penn Valley branch, and Erica Light, Library Assistant 1, and says that he loves the friendly, community oriented atmosphere.

Due to the ideal shopping center location, Christopher says that the library draws a wide variety of patrons including families, children, teens and retirees. Everyone loves the fact that you can order a book online and pick it up in Penn Valley. If you get books from GV or NC, you can return them to the Penn Valley branch.

But watch out; the large book deposit box outside the library closes and locks automatically when it is full. With so many readers, that happens frequently.

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Got a tip about someone or something in Lake Wildwood? Contact Shirl Mendonca at 432-3787 or shirlmendonca@gv.net via e-mail.


Governor continues to fund Prop 36

By Trina Kleist, trinak@theunion.com
January 13, 2006

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget for 2006-07 includes continued funding for Proposition 36, and a recommendation that legislators add teeth to the drug rehabilitation program.

In western Nevada County, people who work with recovering addicts applauded both moves.

Prop. 36 is a probation system for people who have been found to have drugs, transport them or be under the influence. They go into court-ordered treatment and report back to the court on a regular basis.

People who have been found to be dealing in drugs or involved in a violent crime are not eligible.

Voters approved the initiative in 2000, which required the state to fund the program at $120 million per year for 5 1/2 years.

Warren Daniels, director of Community Recovery Resources, praised Schwarzenegger for funding the program in the first year after the mandatory funding stopped.

"He could have let the funding run out for the program," Daniels said. "The fact that he wrote it into the budget is huge."

Nevada County receives about $365,000 from the state for the program. Between 107 and 200 local people currently participate, said Judge Robert Tamietti, who heads the program.

Schwarzenegger has also recommended that lawmakers change the law to let judges jail program participants who violate the terms by using drugs again.

Currently, Prop. 36 allows a participant to violate the terms up to five times. On the sixth violation, the judge can send the violator to the county jail for up to 30 days.

After that, Daniels said, the violator would go on regular probation, which does not include the rehabilitation services or the regular court review of Prop. 36 probation.

"It sets the person up for failure," Daniels said. "That's why they're there already, because they can't stop using drugs."

Schwarzenegger is asking lawmakers to change the law so that judges can send a violator to jail earlier in the process.

In Nevada County, people who work with Prop. 36 probationers - including Daniels, Tamietti and District Attorney Ken Tribby - agree that their Prop. 36 clients would do better in the program if Tamietti could use the threat of county jail time early on, instead of at the sixth probation violation.

"It's an immediate consequence," Daniels said. "If you screw up and you come to court ... the judge has the ability to send you to jail then and there."

In other alternative courts in Nevada County, immediate orders for short terms in the county jail - or at least, the threat of them - have been a major element of success, Daniels said. Such jail terms typically are for one to three days.

The practice is called "flash incarceration."

The organization that backed the original Prop. 36 initiative says it doesn't work.

The Drug Policy Alliance, a national network with an office in Sacramento, has threatened to sue to block any effort to add the option of flash incarceration to Prop. 36.

There is concern that any jail sanctions would become an excuse for courts to return to relying on jail as a solution to the drug problem, alliance spokesman James May said.

"There have been no specific studies done on this that shows flash incarceration works," May said.

The Drug Policy Alliance also criticized Schwarzenegger for his proposed $120 million funding level. Actual costs of implementing Prop. 36 were about $138 million over the past two fiscal years, according to information the alliance cited from the state Department of Alcohol and Drug programs.

The alliance called for funding of at least $140.6 million to keep spending at current levels and adjust for inflation.

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To contact staff writer Trina Kleist, e-mail trinak@theunion .com or call 477-4231.


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