Small Town News

City social hosting ordinance considered at WASA Night

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Bill White honored as posthumous Best Friend of WASA

Posthumous recognition of Bill White as the Best Friend of WASA put long-time Willcox Against Substance Abuse director Sally White in tears.

Sally's husband, Bill, died Dec. 3 after a battle with cancer. Phyllis Cohorn, board chair, said, "Bill was always a quiet person, but has always been there, and he stood behind her and helped every step of the 22 years" since Sally started WASA.

"This was totally unexpected," White said of the award at WASA's annual meeting March 16. "But I couldn't have done it without him. He has always supported me and WASA. My kids called WASA their other sibling."

"2009 was a horrible year; and I don't know how I'd have made it without my staff, Wendy Cohorn, Jennifer Chunn and Derrick Dix. Without them, WASA would have gone down the tubes," White said, adding, "Thank you for recognizing Bill -1 couldn't have done all of it without him. Now, working with these kids is what keeps me going these days."

Also during the annual meeting and Friends of WASA Night, Willcox Meth Task Force leaders, Willcox Department of Public Safety Director Jake Weaver and Dr. Dawn Walker of Walker Family Medicine, made a presentation about methamphetamine and what the task force has done over the last four years to combat its use in the Willcox area.

Since July 2005, the Meth Task Force has educated community members on the dangers of methamphetamine use and costs incurred by meth use in the community. It also got an ordinance approved to limit the sale of pseu-doephedrine within city limits to reduce the ease of making meth.

"The best treatment for meth use is prevention, and that's what we've done" Walker said, with Weaver stating later there was a sharp decline in use by 2006.

A community discussion was also held regarding underage drinking/social hosting.

White said that when WASA started 22 years ago, "we were losing teens at a high rate" due to drinking and driving and related accidents, including gun use under the influence of alcohol. "We reached our peak in 2001, when we were losing a kid every eight months. And it's starting to be more like that now."

Weaver said, "Social hosting is when adults allow teens and those underage to consume alcohol on their premises. Parents say they would rather their kids and friends drink at home than go to the desert or on the streets. So they feel this is acceptable."

"But it is still illegal and it is detrimental to the health of our children.

"We want to explore the possibility of drafting an ordinance specifically related to social hosting to show that the leaders of this community want to take a proactive stand," he said. "So we want to start a dialogue and get some feedback on the issue."

Weaver said a state statute already makes it against the law to give alcohol to anyone under the age of 21, or to possess alcohol if you are under 21; so this ordi-. nance would reinforce the community's commitment to the law, and remind those adults who consider it that it is against the law.

Those arrested would be charged with a city violation instead of the state's misdemeanor violation.

Weaver said a proposed ordinance would have to go through the city attorney before it could be approved by the City Council, and the City Council would then decide the range of penalties and whether it would be a misdemeanor or petty offense.

Willcox Middle School Principal Doris Jones asked if "there will be anything in the ordinance about juveniles hosting each other," and Weaver replied that that is still against the law, since juvenile possession of alcohol is against the law.

Joe Walker asked if those parties which are known to exist outside of city limits, are occurring inside city limits as well.

Weaver said he has seen a decrease in parties within city limits over the last 17 years because "we are more aggressive in patrolling and we have more resources with a smaller area to patrol."

Lineva Donahue asked what we could do as a community to provide a place for kids to go "to entice kids not to have their own parties."

Student Izamar Maga-na replied, "Music and free food!"

Derrick Dix, a WASA staff member, said providing non-alcoholic parties after prom or graduation may help; and college student Tami Donahue added that "kids need to plan their own (non-alcoholic) parties" to want to take part in them.

One parent, Helen Fraze, said she would like to see a place where kids, as well as their parents, can go to dance.

White said dances for families used to be popular, but it "got to the point where WASA would hold a dance and get a band and 15 people would show up. We couldn't afford it."

Student Paolo Aguilera said, "high school drinking depends on the individual. Some always do it. Some follow. And some don't want to."

He added, "Some kids can't have fun without drinking. Some kids don't learn until later what that does to them."

White said, "One father asked me why we make a big deal about underage teen drinkers. I just said, because kids are killed. I honestly don't have any agenda other than saving kids lives."

"This would be a social policy statement saying the community doesn't condone this," Weaver said.

Entertainment at the meeting was provided by members of the 21st Century Grant Horizons Music group, directed by Shelley Lamb and Message Theater students. Food was catered by GMa D's; and the program was emceed by Message Theater student Paolo Aguilera.



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© 2010 Arizona Range News Willcox, Arizona. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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