Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 16, 1990 TAG: 9006160321
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B4 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Philip Trompeter, a Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court judge who is heading the council, took issue in his opening statements with a recent Roanoke Times & World-News editorial suggesting that the city is losing its war against drugs.
"Whether we lose it or win it, it is our collective responsibility to the community to show that efforts can be made to make a difference," Trompeter said.
Formation of the council, whose members were appointed by City Manager Robert Herbert, is one of the key recommendations made last year by a task force that studied the drug problem in Roanoke.
The council now will attempt to follow through on as many as possible of the more than 50 recommendations in the task force study.
"The original task force did not want this study to just stay on the shelf," said Director of Human Resources James Ritchie.
The makeup of the council crosses all segments of the Roanoke Valley - including law enforcement, educators, businessmen, the clergy, drug treatment specialists, civic groups and local-government administrators.
Included on the council is Dr. Carol Gilbert, director of the trauma program at Roanoke Memorial Hospital. "There's not a day that I don't make my rounds and deal with a victim of drugs or alcohol," Gilbert said.
The council will form subcommittees to deal with prevention enforcement, treatment, public information and legislative issues.
Although the council's meeting Friday was mainly organizational, comments by members gave some insight into the uphill battle they face.
"I spent the last two decades watching the drug problem develop, and I hope to see in the next two decades something done about it," said Police Chief M. David Hooper.
One of the council's jobs will be to convince all of the Roanoke Valley that there is a serious drug problem in the community.
"I feel very strongly that our valley has been in denial," said Bob Lynn of Lewis Gale Hospital's alcohol and drug treatment program.
"Hopefully we are emerging," he said. "But there are certain parts of the community that I feel have a very strong denial problem."
by CNB