By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Monday evening’s Fed Up Rally on the courthouse steps drew dozens of people concerned with the issue of drug addiction in Crawford County.
The Fed Up Rally featured guest speakers Tony Grotrian, Bucyrus Police Chief Dave Koepke, Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold, and Mary Jean Hensley of Together We Hurt Together We Heal. The rally was the organized by Sarah Carman of Ohio Change Addiction Now (Ohio CAN).
Carman explained why she put the rally together.
“My family is just riddled with addiction, and I know one member has been shamed and made fun of even as a grown woman. So I thought ‘you know let’s get with this Ohio CAN and help erase some of the stigma, educate, embrace and empower,’” Carman said.
Tony Grotrian who was part of the Hancock County Opiate Task Force and the facilitator for You Are Not Alone spoke first. Grotrian explained that his life changed on Aug. 28, 2009, when his grandson Aaron died of an overdose from heroin. Grotrian said that Aaron’s parents tried searching for a rehabilitation place for their son, but couldn’t find one.
“I had to step up. It doesn’t go away. No one can say not us: not Findlay; not Crawford County,” Grotorian said.
Grotorian said that he had read something that turned a light bulb on in his head – involvement from the community to help stamp out drug abuse.
Aaron’s Law, or House Bill 249, allows Narcon to be made available to everyone and is named after Grotorian’s grandson.
Koepke recounted the murderous acts of Kevin Keith who had riddled an apartment in an act of revenge against a drug informant, as well as the Donald Hoffman murders of last year. Koepke noted that in both murders hard drugs were involved.
“We can’t make a difference without your help,” Koepke said. “It starts with everyone joining together and to never give up or give in. Crawford County is worth the fight.”
Koepke was positive that the tide of drug abuse has turned in the community.
“One or two officers at a time can’t overtake the problem,” Koepke said. “I have to give thanks to the Neighborhood Watch groups. I think that is what helped turn the tide.”
Judge Leuthold recounted that when he became Municipal Court Judge the county’s main concern was DUI, but soon after taking the bench he was seeing people who were addicted to opiates in court.
“As Municipal Court judge I had to make life and death decisions,” Leuthold said. “I watched young people die because I let them out. That is not easy. I started speaking with community leaders warning them of the tidal wave that was coming. It became worse and worse. Then groups started popping up as well as churches which have saved hundreds if not thousands.”
Judge Leuthold reminded the crowd of the old adage “tough times don’t last, but tough people do,” before thanking the efforts of the Bucyrus Police Department, the Neighborhood Watch Groups, and the Guardian Angels for helping to clean up the city.
“While every case is different, one thing I can say those that deal drugs in Crawford County will be held accountable,” Leuthold said. “I will move heaven and earth for someone who wants help with opiate addictions, but if they don’t want help, they will be held accountable.”
Leuthold closed by saying that he was going to stay on the bench until the problem is solved.
Mary Jean Hensley of Together We Hurt Together We Heal was the final speaker of the afternoon. In Hensley’s speech she noted that TWHTWH was started by three moms who had three sons addicted.
Hensley noted that TWHTWH will be holding their fifth annual fundraiser in September, and in November the fifth annual Community Cares March will be returning to Bucyrus.
A Fed Up Rally was also held at the Galion Municipal Building Monday afternoon.