Georgia County Government - October 2008 - (Page 42) UNION COUNTY continued from page 41 among the most prevalent offenders in the county’s jail. Too, the burdensome caseload on the Department of Family and Child Services (DFACS), and domestic violence, and the effects on children that are often involved, have shown improvement as well. “Rural people didn’t know what they were ingesting,” Paris adds. “The programs informed them and provided help.” According to Watkins, Commissioner Paris was the “champion” of the effort. “Thanks to Commissioner Paris, who stuck his neck out and was open about this problem in this community – which isn’t something a local elected official would be bragging about – we had what we needed. A county government official who wanted to be involved in the solution, who wanted to identify the reality of the problem and who wanted to help everyone buy into what needed to be done. This could not have been done without his leadership.” However, Paris likes to give the credit to others who he says, “really are the ones who did the work.” He also is very thankful to SAMHSA for having confidence in our community to responsibly handle the grant funds. Union County Commissioner and ACCG Third Vice President Lamar Paris believes the New Hope Treatment Center will succeed in its goal to become self-sustaining. Why Meth’s Grip is Especially Deadly Why had meth become such a problem in communities in rural Georgia? Beaver explains: “In the early stages, meth is like a ‘wonder drug’ for those who experiment with it. They become addicted very quickly, and the body and mind begin to wear down as tolerance Hall County Excellence at Work The Hall County Board of Commissioners Community Vitality Lake Lanier and the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains provide a beautiful backdrop for Hall County’s varied mix of agricultural, industrial, health-care and retail industries. Shared Vision As Commissioners, our shared vision for Hall County is to be a model of excellence that promotes sustainable quality of life by partnering with citizens and businesses to make ours a community of choice for living, working and leisure activities. Creative Leadership Through our varied approaches and ideas, we are working together to implement a unified agenda, fulfi ll a common purpose and provide efficient and effective leadership for all citizens of Hall County. For more information about Hall County, Call (770) 535-8288 or log onto www.hallcounty.org 42 339869_HallCounty.indd 1 GEORGIA COUNTY GOVERNMENT 8/13/07 11:55:31 PM http://www.hallcounty.org
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