MORAN — Fresh Start, a newly formed organization dedicated to removing illegal or abused drugs from the community, is taking shape.
The organization, spearheaded by Marmaton Valley High School 11th-grader Michael Swift, has met regularly since Swift oversaw its formation with the help of several local teenagers and adults in June.
The most recent meeting Wednesday evening drew only a handful of classmates — not unexpected, Swift said, with fall sport practices beginning this week and USD 256 school starting today.
While the turnout was small, Swift said, the meeting was still productive.
He spoke about two projects Fresh Start hopes to launch in the coming months.
Swift hopes to distribute “Fresh Start” bags to every household in the community.
The bags would be used by residents seeking to dispose of any illegal drugs or outdated medication to prevent them from being abused.
The idea is to have a secure receptacle set up somewhere in Moran for residents to deliver the bags. Ideally, a law enforcement agency would handle the disposal of the cargo.
There are several issues to take care of first, noted Lori Holman, who is assisting Swift with his effort. The city must give permission for such a receptacle, and it would have to be designed so it could not be stolen or opened. An indoor location would be preferred, although liability issues would likely arise then.
Swift said he would contact other communities that have handled such efforts in the past — Joplin was cited — to see how those programs worked.
If successful, Swift said he would like to see Fresh Start bag projects expanded to Elsmore, Savonburg, Mildred and LaHarpe.
SWIFT’S OTHER focus is finding a potential home for a teen center in Moran, by using either a vacated building or other locale for youth to meet during down time.
Earlier suggestions of opening a swimming pool or paintball arena are remote because of the costs and liability involved, Swift said. “Those are hard to do without any grants,” he said.
He envisions a center filled with arcade games, a pool table, perhaps a television and furniture.
The group suggested several potential locations in Moran. Swift said he would begin networking to determine each site’s potential.
“I’m still abiding by the idea that boredom is what starts people” down the wrong path with drugs, Swift said. “We need to create something lasting in Moran.”
