Drug Issues Abound; Nolan Open to Solutions

To the Editor: 
The drug epidemic is a complex issue. It crosses all socio-economic lines; it hits white-collar professionals as it does blue-collar homes. Sadly, often, critical judgments follow. 
The drug epidemic knocked on my front door, and as a result through the struggle and pain, I was forever changed. I am now the executive director of a non-profit called the “Be Still Foundation,” which seeks to support families in crisis.
As such, I hear from parents all over this country on their personal plight and heartache regarding drug abuse. Interestingly, they come from all walks of life! Even more distressing, the problem is everywhere!
I first met Robert Nolan in 2005 when my oldest son John passed away under the influence of drugs. Nolan was a colleague of my husband.
I remember this thoughtful man running around with my family members assisting in coordinating the after-funeral reception. As a volunteer firefighter, he attained use of the fire hall and was hands on regarding all of the logistics. These are acts of compassion that a grieving mother holds forever in her heart.
No doubt much of Nolan’s compassion was fueled by the struggles in his own home. There’s another saying that goes, “It doesn’t matter what befalls a man, but it is how he gets up after a fall.” In this regard, Nolan and his wife Michelle of 39 years have experienced and weathered tremendous struggles and yet through it all, they have stepped in and stepped up.
While many parents get to experience a time of empty nest, Nolan and Michelle were sacrificially raising their grandchildren. Their oldest grandson, an Eagle Scout, is currently an engineering student at Rowan University.
Nolan’s commitment to his home is the exact dedication he puts into everything he is involved with. I recently heard a conspicuously edited radio spot by Richard Harron, where he takes a quote completely out of context intimating that Nolan is indifferent to the opioid epidemic in this county. Can you even imagine such a skewed piece of propaganda?
Given Nolan’s personal walk through this problem, I couldn’t think of a better person who would be open to solutions to our county’s drug problems, ones that surpass pre-election rhetoric, and I certainly couldn’t think of a better sheriff than one who has experienced the system from both sides of the criminal justice system.
Since my husband is an integral part of Nolan’s team, I couldn’t be prouder to support two men who have endured some big crises in their own lives and done so with such integrity standing steadfast as fathers, husbands, grandfathers, and leaders.