By Martha Jacob
Brown County Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Gusweiler spoke briefly at the March 11 Village of Sardinia council meeting regarding a newly organized support group called Kindred Kare Family Support Group.
“This group was specifically organized to so that moral and emotional support could be made available to family members here in Brown County who have addicted loved ones,” Judge Gusweiler said. “I have felt for a long time that this group has been underserved in many ways.
“So offen in my court room I see how this drug problem effects the families of addicts I am dealing with. Some times after a sentencing, I’ll invite family members back to my chambers to talk, and I hear the same things from them over and over.
“Parents, grandparents, significant others and adult children of addicted loved ones blame themselves and wonder what they could have done differently to help their loved ones. My more often than not I will tell them that their loved one needs to understand accountability.”
Judge Gusweiler said that a drug counselor with common pleas, Amber Tengowski offered up her own time to help council these family because they need somewhere to turn and they need to understand they are not alone.
“Kindred Kare will meet on the first Monday of each month between 5 and 6:30 p.m. at the Georgetown Church of Christ,
Judge Gusweiler added, “Anyone dealing with issues like coping, boundaries, addiction and recovery are welcome to attend. The first meeting will be Monday, April 1.”
For more information please send emails to kindredkaregroup@gmail.com.At councils Feb. 11 meeting it had a third reading of an ordinance regulating the parking of vehicles along Highland Avenue between College Avenue and Railroad Street in Sardinia and the ordinance was adopted on Feb. 11. With the third reading the ordinance was set to go into effect immediately.
However, at the March 11 meeting Sardinia resident and owner of Puckett’s Tire and Lube, Dusty Puckett told council that he was not aware of the new ordinance which he felt would hurt his business to not allow parking on the area near his business.
Following a brief discussion by Puckett and council, even though the ordinance was ready to go into effect, it was agreed by council to put the issue back into the Public Safety and Public Works Committees for further discussion.
In other business at the meeting at the meeting Police Chief Lewis reported he had received a request from the Village of Mowrystown, in Highland County for some additional police protection, since the village was without police protection at the time. The matter will be discussed in the future.
Kelly Cole, Brown County Economic Development Director met with village representatives regarding the Block Grant and the logo design for the village was also discussed. Other grants are also in the works for the village including a Nature Works grant. The village hopes to find funding for deuterating sidewalks and curb repairs.
The village passed an emergency ordinance setting auxiliary police pay at $12.50 per hour. A resolution was also passed requesting financing from the Ohio Water Development Authority for construction costs associated with the Purdy Road and Brown Avenue Sewer Extensions Project.