Empower Tusc Coalition Meeting
- Friday, September 9, 2022
- 9:00am-10:30am
Present:
- David Harris Jr., Community Member
- Kerry Metzger, Tuscarwas County Commissioner, EPT Chairman
- Katie Maurer, Ohio Guidestone Access Navigator/ Hopeline Tusc & Carroll Counties
- Sierra Schweitzer, Y2Y and Takin’ it to the schools
- Katie Kerns, Ohio Guidestone TTS
- Shawn Patterson, The 22 Redeemed
- Peggy Leslie, Harcatus, Civic Sector
- Bill Harding, Citizen Member
- Diana Smith, Springvale Health
- Christine Nicholas, Community Member
- Katelyn Gorius, TCHD
- *Tayler Hamrick- COAD
- *Tracey Penrod- Juvenile Court
- *Robert Bray- WBTC Radio
- *Steve Rippeth, Buckeye Career Center
- *Faith Sefert- OhioGuidestone
- *Michaela Thomas- NewsyMom
- *Kane Tarrance- Brightview Community Outreach Mgr.
- *Miles Riley, SpringVale
- *Terry Wilcox, Community Hospice Chaplin
- *Brian Herzig, Tusc Co Public Library
- Dick Gooding, TV School Board
- Gerald Sanders, Citizen Member
(*) denotes online
Meeting Notes:
- Call to Order and Welcome
- Introductions
- Approval or Correction of Minutes
- a) Any additions or corrections to the minutes
- b) Motion to approve the minutes as written
- Committee Reports
Executive/Steering Committee – Kerry
There will be a Lunch n’ Learn Series that will offer CEU’S: Schedule as follows
- 10/19/22- Get Set and Know What to Expect- Sports Betting and Community Impact. Claire Spada, OCPS, Problem Gambling Network of Ohio
- 10/26/22- Medication Best Practices to Avoid Addiction, Tessa L. Miracle, Ph.D. Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) Louisville Center
- o 11/2/22- The Truth behind the Nicotine Cloud. Mimi Boublik, founding partner of Parents Against Vaping E-cigarettes (PAVe)
- o 11/9/22 Words Matter! Creating a Safe Space for Conversation around Mental Health and Suicide. (Presenter TBD)
The Year end Coalition Celebration will be Held December 9th– Save the date.
- UPDATE- Year end Coalition celebration will be Held on December 2nd at 9am – 11:30 am at the Visitor & Convention Center – Lunch will be catered and there will be entertainment
Alcohol Committee: No report
Faith Based Committee: Hope Sunday went well. Many churches were in attendance. Surveys have been sent out and we are waiting on the responses to see how the message was received. The Pastor’s briefing is scheduled to be held on December 6th with a guest speaker.
Marijuana Committee – Booths at the fair went well with a great turn out at the marijuana booth. A lot of surveys were collected and will be input in to Excel by Faith Sefert to be reviewed by the committee. It has been discussed that next year each booth will require two volunteers. Although Dr.Keating was not able to be in attendance, she will be meeting with local physicians over the next few week to see where they stand on upcoming marijuana legislation. The farm Bureau is against dispensaries coming in to Tuscarawas county. Dick will be attending the Ohio School Board Conference on November 14th to enter a nomination against legalization.
Media Committee – Michaela reported that a National Substance Use Prevention press release was issued in September. Upcoming press releases include Red Ribbon Week, Proclamation of Commissioners and a press release for upcoming lunch and learns. These lunch and learns will be released as Facebook events. Campaigns will continue on rebranding to explain why we are Empower Tusc. and that we have added suicide prevention. We should continue to explain that stars correlate with the committees to people in the community. It is important to like and share social media posts and to check on the website to share with others. When members are in the schools or with committees, take pictures to share on social media. In the future, posts will include information on 988, marijuana posts, committee education and Empower Tusc rebranding.
If it is a formal press release, the agency making the move will send it out, unless it is joint.
Prescription Drug Committee – Jeff will continue Generation Rx community talks. On October 25, Safe Medication Practices training will be held at the Tuscarawas County Library from 6:30-7:30pm and then on October 26, Medication Best Practices to Avoid Addiction L&L from 12-1. The Sheriffs office will continue to implement the “One Pill Can Kill Campaign”. Drug takeback day will take place on October 29th from 10 am to 2pm at Union hospital and Trinity Hospital.
- Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)
Suicide Prevention Committee- Empower Tusc will be hosting the November 9th L&L “Word’s Matter!” from 12-1pm. Shawn stated that on November 14th there will be an information meeting for veterans at the Nazarene church in New Phila. The time is TBD. The CARE program is to begin at the end of the month and information will be sent.
Training October 22 10-1, Greg M. – Compass church
- “Celebrate recovery” -info to be sent out
Tobacco/Vaping committee– Katelyn states that the Community Survey on Tobacco was successful and that results will soon be sent out soon. The Newcomerstown High School leadership class had 22 applicants and 16 were accepted. This class will promote vaping education as a community effort with a spirit week. Local businesses will get involved to build social media content to educate parents and catch attention of parents. Buckeye Career Center had a presentation for their current vaping issue
Indian Valley is currently in the process of implementing think fast interactive. Think fast interactive is a huge success and has been liked by middle school and high school students at Claymont, Newcomerstown and Tusky Valley. If you are interested in learning more about ThinkFast Interactive, you are able to search for it on YouTube. Jodi was scheduled to present a parent presentation on vaping at Tusky Valley but due to lack of parent interest, it was cancelled. On November 2, The Truth Behind the Nicotine Cloud L&L will be held from 12-1pm.
Youth Sector – Sierra reports that a few students will attend the Commissioner Proclamation on October 19 at 1:30pm. Red Ribbon efforts are underway and activities are planned at local schools all month, wrapping up with Red Ribbon Week (October 23-31st). Y2Y has planned things such as door decorating contests, daily announcements and a video promoting RRW. The Dover Halloween Parade will take place on October 26th at 6:45 Pm and students from Y2Y will attend. If you wish to attend, please meet behind Dover High School between 6:15 and 6:30 and wear a red shirt. We do need volunteers
The 922 Initiative– Diane reports that Springvale, The Health Dept, and Empower Tusc were all set up at the Fall festival and that 30 Narcans were distributed. Diane shared plans for the community garden in Dennison. Community garden plans include a memory garden, flag pole, sensory garden and a kayak ramp. So far, a lot of brush has been cleared from the area which will help clean up some of the drug use issues with the area. The 922 initiative will start focusing on what the sensory part of the garden will include. Many agencies are coming together to better the community and plans are that the garden will be completed by summer 2023.
Old Business – no update
New Business/Upcoming Coalition Events *Volunteers needed
- October 19th– Get Set and Know What to Expect Regarding Sports Betting, Youth and Your Community L&L
- October 26- Medication Best Practices to Avoid Addiction L&L
- October 26th at 6:30pm Dover Halloween Parade***
- October 29th– Takeback Day Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital and Trinity Twin City 10-2***
- November 2nd– The Truth behind the Nicotine Cloud L&L
- November 9th– Words Matter! L&L
- November 28th – Twin city Christmas parade 6pm
- Starts in Dennison at the gazebo, ends at the end of 3rd and water street
Public Speaks/Organization Share
Bill made a motion to Adjourn and Shawn seconded. All voted yes at 10:35 A.M
Next Board Meeting – Visitor & Convention Bureau (hybrid option will be available)
124 E. High Ave., New Philadelphia- Friday, November 11, 2022
- Possible attendance at the veterans meeting in the square during our meeting to show support
