Veteran’s Day November 11th. Be sure to thank them for their service.

CIS Champion of Education Awards Pam Pearson accepted the Business Champion of Education Award for Natco Credit Union. It was sponsored by First Bank Richmond. With Pearson is Cindy Gribbons of the Credit Union. Denny Burns, Wayne County Commissioner, read the Youth Worker Proclamation. Vivian Ashmawi is in the background. Tim Loyd, Board Vice President spoke to the group about his experiences. Story of page 23 of subscription WWNews.

LHS Drama Club to Present "Dinner in Oz"

   The Lincoln High School Drama Club will present "Dinner in Oz" by Kandie S. Kelley at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, in the LHS cafeteria.
    The cost includes the play and a light meal provided by the Lincoln High School BPA sponsored by Bonita Klein. The cost of tickets is $9 for adults and $6 for students.
    Join us for a trip down the yellow brick road as Dorothy and her friends try to find the City of Emeralds and the Great Oz. As they make their way through the forest they encounter the wicked witch, mice, a wolf, a crow and flying monkeys.
    They will even join some dinner guests for assistance and encouragement.
    The cast includes Mindy Furst, Dillon Sweet, Kate Wilkinson, Paige Adams, Brittney Corum, Emmy Davis, Maci Sherwood, Bekah Delks, Kendra Dunaway, Nate Runkle, Kailey Ash, Kelsea Black, Rhiannon Finley, Abbey Griffin, Skyla Ammerman, Whittney Corum, Ashley Strait and Jadon Sharp.
    Members of the crew are Sara Newton and Destiny Sizemore.
    The play is under the direction of Beth Bowman.

Help Available for Heroin Users

By Mary Anne Butters
    The first sign of heroin use may not be very obvious, many local mothers agree. It’s the gradual disappearance of jewelry, spoons, power tools, checks, credit cards and cash from around the house. "At first, I thought I was just misplacing things," says one whose son is receiving treatment.

    Even though one heroin hit, about one-tenth of a gram sold in clear gel capsules, may cost as little as $10 in Wayne County today, heroin dependence comes rapidly. And, there’s no such thing as social or casual heroin use, experts agree. Unlike other drugs, heroin addiction can set in after just a few hits, with the body screaming for more.

    Many heroin users start using the powerful opiate by smoking or snorting the drug, says Don Dagner, coordinator of addiction services for Centerstone (formerly Dunn Center) addiction services. But, they quickly discover that the effects are more powerful if injected.
    One injection leads to another, and another with no positive outcome. Even though individual doses may be "the cheapest drug in the county" according to Sheriff Matt Strittmatter, users demand multiple hits to avoid painful withdrawal.
    Outward signs of heroin addiction include: A change of friends, finding spoons with burn marks, finding bleach used to clean needles, constricted eye pupils, itching, vomiting, constipation, weight loss, stopping menstruation, and nodding off after increased activity level.
    Mr. Dagner urges anyone who needs help – or wants to help a loved one – to contact Centerstone. "We have a 24-hour emergency number," he says, but urges anyone with an emergency medical condition to call 911. "We’re here to help people. If someone just wants to talk, we’re here."
   Centerstone, 831 Dillon Drive, Richmond, is located behind Carvers Restaurant on the west side of U.S. 27, just south of I-70.
    The first step is an in-take visit at Centerstone. "Heroin is a very cheap drug and we’re seeing kids as young as eighth grade. We determine what level of care is needed, then refer to an addictions program. People don’t want to come off this drug, because they get very sick. Subsequently, what you see is a big problem in Wayne County."
   Services at Centerstone, a non-profit organization serving Wayne and surrounding counties, are available on a sliding scale, according to one’s ability to pay. Out-patient services are provided by centers in Richmond, Winchester and Connersville.
    Synthetic opiates, including methadone and suboxone, are prescribed to recovering heroin addicts by physician-supervised clinics in the area. And, the dosage is gradually reduced until the body is no longer dependent. However, if a user combines one of these treatment drugs with heroin, the result is often fatal.
    Centerstone does not have in-patient care for those requiring more intense treatment. However, Mr. Dagner recommends that anyone without the ability to pay for in-patient care contact the Salvation Army’s Harbor Light Center in Indianapolis.

Cambridge City Collects Gifts For Samaritan’s Purse World’s Largest Christmas Project.

   Nov. 16-23: Cambridge City Hopes to Gather 350 Gift-Filled Shoe Boxes for Hurting Children Overseas.
    Cambridge City, IN -Christmas is arriving early in Cambridge City, as a local church prepares to serve as a collection point for Operation Christmas Child. soon, with the help of Cambridge City volunteers, the sites will be brimming with festively wrapped shoe boxes full of gifts.
    Through Operation Christmas Child, the world’s largest Christmas project, Cambridge City residents are packing shoe box gifts for children in more than 100 countries suffering from natural disaster, war, terrorism, disease, famine and poverty. From Cambridge City, the shoe box gifts will be sorted and sent using whatever means necessary - sea containers, trucks, trains, airplanes, boats, camels, even dog sleds - to reach suffering children around the world.
   "Operation Christmas Child is a unique opportunity to do something as simple as packing a shoe box that will have a lasting impact on a child a world away," said Patricia Henderson, Operation Christmas Child drop-off site coordinator. "We are excited about the 2009 collection season as community members have already begun packing shoe box gifts."
   Operation Christmas Child uses tracking technology that allows donors to "follow your box" to the destination country (Continued on page 21 of subscription issue of Western Wayne News).