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Community Awareness Meeting Fills St. Peter’s Parish Hall on Topic of Drug Awareness

photo by Cookie Steponaitis Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel stands before the over two hundred community members who attended the Drug Awareness Community Meeting at the St. Peter's Parish and asks the community to band together to create a zero tolerance for illegal drug use and trafficking.

Tuesday December 6, 2011

By Cookie Steponaitis

     Some came out of curiosity. Some came out of concern. Others were there to acquire information and still more came in response to the front page Burlington Free Press story in which Vergennes Police Chief George Merkel sounded an alarm about increased drug related issues in and around the “Little City.” For the two hundred plus in the audience, this wasn’t any normal Wednesday night meeting. The discussion centered on a topic that all shared a common passion for, the quality of life in Addison County and the importance of our children.

     Seated at a table at the front of the room were professionals from law enforcement, education, probation and some brave individuals who shared personal narratives about the impact illegal drugs have had in their lives and those around them. Moderator Scott Gaines explained the purpose of the meeting was to raise community awareness and provide a question and answer period that would focus the group on where to proceed next to develop orchestrated efforts and targeted goals based on the information provided by Chief Merkel. Using a Power Point presentation and speaking with great personal conviction Chief Merkel stated, “Vergennes is a safe community and folks here are committed to each other and the children. The Vergennes area is not unique to Vermont and we need as a community to formulate a plan to deal with the increased trade and use of illegal drugs. We can choose to ignore it or we can face it as a community and change the impact of illegal drugs in our area.

      Sharing the role of providing the community with information was VUHS senior Andrew Coyle and VUHS teacher Lee Shorey, who both spoke from personal experience about the impact drugs can have on young lives. “Getting them to believe they are worth something and getting them to believe that they can do something is one of the greatest challenges. When they are involved and proud of something they are linked in. It is remarkable the change that occurs. Mentors and resources are key and looking around there is so much represented by who is sitting in this room tonight,” shared Lee Shorey responding to a question from the audience about what can people do to make a difference. Senior Andrew Coyle shared his own personal experience battling drug use and how he, “…had experience with many types of drugs, but was sober for the past year and loving life.”  

    Chief Merkel, quoting statistics from the ANWSU Youth At Risk Survey that showed 39% of the surveyed students reported having used marijuana in the past month and 9% had tried the gateway drug before the age of thirteen, pressed the audience with the need to establish a community wide zero tolerance for drug use, drug abuse and stressed the fact that it is a community effort that would make a lasting difference. VUHS Co-Principal Ed Webbley spoke of the partnership with Chief Merkel, his officers and the school staff in dealing with drug related issued. “Since Chief Merkel has come on board there is an open relationship with regard to problem solving,” remarked Principal Webbley. “The Chief and his drug dog made an appearance at Winter Ball and established a tone. We talk about issues and patterns that previously we had not before.”

    Questions and comments came from the people in attendance and others from the panel spoke including Doctor Tim Bicknell, State Police Officer Hodsdsen and people from other various support agencies and programs. At the conclusion of the two plus hour meeting, some were exhausted and some were emotionally spent, but all there were still listening and waiting for word of where to go from here. “It is important to understand,” concluded Chief Merkel. “This meeting is not about our teenagers, but our children are a place to start. Illegal drug related crimes account for approximately 80% of the Vergennes Police Department‘s time. It extracts a tremendous toll on our resources and our area. The State Drug Task force has been cut by 60% due to cutbacks and the purpose of this meeting was to begin a grassroots movement toward a zero tolerance in our town around this issue.” As the group dispersed and some people stayed behind to talk about the upcoming January Wednesday night second meeting to be scheduled, the original screen of Chief Merkel’s Power Point presentation was still illuminated behind the panel of presenters. In bold type it echoed the question of the night; Illegal Drugs and What are We Going to do about them?

   The word WE was darker than the rest, signaling the focal point of the meeting, the energy and  passionate dialogues, questions and sharing that anchored a couple of hundred people to their seats and took them away from the routines of their daily lives. Generations were present as well as representatives from various vocations Addison County has to offer. Generations joined in a common bond of love of community and pride in the place they choose to call home. As one octogenarian commented to this reporter on the way out into the parking lot with fierceness in her eyes and a small grin, “I knew this had to be important, because the Free Press doesn’t even usually know where Vergennes is, let alone put it on the front page. I kinda figured people would be here tonight. The chief sounded the call and people came."

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