Union Township, Clermont County

IN THIS ISSUE
• Mercy Health-Eastgate
Medical Center opens
• Protect your home
while on vacation
• Special Report: Opioids
• Calendar
• Concert Schedule

Summer2019
Volume 60 Trustees: John McGraw ◊ Matthew Beamer ◊ Robert McGee
Fiscal Officer: Ron Campbell
MERCY HEALTH—EASTGATE MEDICAL CENTER DEDICATED
In early 2018, ground was broken for the new Mercy Health— equipped with the most advanced imaging/screening technology,
Eastgate Medical Center, and, ahead of schedule, the center was including digital mammography, breast ultrasound and biopsy,
introduced to the public at its dedication May 17. stereotactic breast biopsy and Dexa Scan.
The 78,000 square foot, $21 million medical center is open for Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) is located on the third floor and
business with a variety of services that will serve patients from provides the highest level of medical and surgical eye care in
Hamilton, Clermont, Brown and Adams counties, providing a patient clinical offices and an ambulatory surgery center with
one-stop shop for patients that, Mercy Health spokeswoman Nan- three operating rooms.
ette Bentley said, are traditionally under-served. “This a big win for Union Township, Clermont County, and all
The first floor houses Oncology Hematology Care Inc. (OHC), of the eastside to have these specialized medical services availa-
offering integrated cancer care services including chemotherapy, ble so close to home,” said Trustee Chairman John McGraw.
radiation therapy, immunotherapy, a cancer genetics program, Mercy Health – Eastgate Medical Center is located at 601 Ivy
and clinical research trials, among other programs. The Commu- Gateway (off Ivy Pointe Boulevard). For more information, call
nity Resource Center of Hope is an education and resource space 513-752-8000.
offering outpatient spiritual care, support groups, nutrition, and
cooking and exercise classes to cancer patients. Eastgate Imag-
ing, including state-of-the-art comprehensive outpatient radiology
services, and the Outpatient Pharmacy, round out the floor.
Eastgate Family Medicine is located on the second floor and
includes board-certified primary care doctors and health provid-
ers treating patients through all stages of their lives. Eastgate
Outpatient Rehabilitation & Physical Therapy offers physical,
speech and lymphedema therapy, as well as special therapies for
those going through cancer treatment. The Women’s Center is

Ensure the safety of your home while you’re away

Amidst annual preparations for summer vacation we often get the question, “How can I make my home more secure while I am
gone?” Below is a list of suggestions that you can do to make your home safer while you are gone.

1) Ask a trusted neighbor to keep an eye on your house.

2) Have someone mow your lawn.
3) Stop your mail, newspaper and other deliveries.
4) Lock your doors and windows.
5) Leave a few lights on, or better yet, put a few lights in the house on timers.
6) Have someone take your trash cans to the curb on trash day.
7) Do not advertise your absence on social media.

Union Township also offers vacation checks done by the Police Department. When doing vacation checks, officers will come to
your residence and check to make sure it is secure. The vacation check form can be filled out on the Police Department’s website at
utpd.org. Forms can also be filled out at the Police Department in person. If there is an issue, T\this will give us the means to reach
you.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact the Police Department at 513-752-1230.
Page 2 Talk of the Township Volume 60

really mean?
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin,
synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available
legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin, Perco-
dan, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, morphine, and
many others. But the introduction of narcotic pain relievers into
the lives of pain sufferers across demographics is often a gate-
way to hard-core drug addiction, just as the escalation of party
drugs can do the same.

WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

The drug of choice in the 1990s was crack cocaine. In the early
2000s, methamphetamine was king for users across the country,
including Clermont County. Gradually, that preference turned to
The party is going strong, and your friend has just injected her- heroin, with mass production and coordinated distribution sys-
oin which, unknown to him, is laced with fentanyl. Almost im- tems making it cheaper than the labor-intensive local mom-and-
mediately, his lips turn blue and he begins making gurgling pop meth labs. And now, a member of the Clermont County Nar-
sounds with his breathing. His body stiffens as he begins to have cotics Unit (CCNU) said, meth is making a “vicious comeback,”
seizures. He starts to foam at the mouth and exhibits confusion utilizing that same kind of mass production and distribution net-
before he becomes unresponsive. working.
Unless help is rendered quickly, your friend is on his last trip – “It’s alleged that the cartels are behind it,” he said, “making it
this one to his death. cheaper and more accessible than in the past.”
Meth is a crystal-like substance that is either smoked or inject-
********** ed. But even with its recurring popularity, there are other con-
“Medic 51, please respond with the police to the parking lot of tenders out there vying for a share of the market.
WalMart, row 5, for two people unconscious in a black SUV. The CCNU agent said a growing trend among the younger
Possibly an overdose.” Paramedics and patrol officers arrive on crowd is vaping (inhaling of a vapor from an electronic ciga-
scene within minutes and find a middle age male driver and mid- rette). Cartridges are filled with a liquid that usually contains
dle age female passenger unconscious and not breathing after nicotine, flavorings, and chemicals.
overdosing on heroin. But teens sometimes switch out the cartridge with THC, a crys-
If, by chance, they were discovered in time and the dose, con- talline compound that is the main active ingredient of cannabis.
centration of and/or mixture with fentanyl isn’t irreversibly fatal, Today’s THC-laced drugs are not your grandfather’s pot. Be-
rescuers may be able to revive them. tween the 1960s and now, there have been 50-plus years of selec-
If not, it will be yet another tragic result repeated far too fre- tive breeding for higher and higher marijuana potency. And our
quently. And the names, ages and faces may change, but the sce- man from the CCNU said that potency is reflected in THC.
nario remains the same. “Years ago, the percentage of pure THC could be in the neigh-
borhood of three percent,” he said. “Today, it can be as much as
********** 93 percent.”
In addition to vaping, the CCNU has heard about cases of mari-
In the last decade, increasing illegal drug usage has been the juana laced with fentanyl in other parts of the state.
subject of countless news and medical reports. In many of those Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to mor-
articles, Ohio has been named as a hub of illegal drug activity. phine but is 50 to 100 times more potent. It is a prescription drug
that is also made and used illegally. It is often mixed with heroin
TOO CLOSE TO HOME or cocaine as a combination product, without the user’s
Highway troopers made 12,802 drug arrests in Ohio between knowledge. And it can be deadly.
January and September, 2017, an increase of 25 percent over
2016. The arrests follow major highway routes and often run SO WHAT IS UNION TOWNSHIP DOING ABOUT
through neighborhood towns.
Law enforcement officials say Montgomery County’s location
IT?
In 2017, the number of Clermont County residents presented at
has made it an ideal distribution hub for Mexican drug cartels.
hospital emergency departments for drug overdoses totaled 953.
Interstates 70 and 75, two major arteries that crisscross the na-
Of those, 291 were Union Township residents.
tion, intersect in the northeast corner of the region. Officials say
Dr. Brian Treon, Clermont County Coroner, ruled that 76 of
the cartels ship their product directly to Dayton, less than a 10-
those overdoses resulted in death, down from 83 overdose deaths
minute drive from the intersection. Then, local dealers hop onto
in 2016, and 94 in 2015.
one of the "heroin highways" and circulate opioids throughout
the country. The good news is that, out of a population nearing 50,000, 291
hospital overdose presentations is a miniscule number. The bad
news is that one drug overdose is too many. NOTE: Union
THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC Township first responders do not have access to outcomes once
You’ve heard those words time and again, but what do they the patient is delivered to a hospital, due to HIPPA laws, so the

Continued on page 3
Page 3 Talk of the Township Volume 60
Continued from page 2
number of township resident overdose deaths is unknown.
An important aspect of the fight, said Fire Chief Stanley
Deimling, is cooperation among county agencies and task forces.
“We can do so much more if we do it together,” Deimling said.
“There are resources across the county, from safety services
agencies to the Clermont County Narcotics Unit to the Clermont
County Recovery Center, and more.”

CLERMONT COUNTY MENTAL HEALTH AND

RECOVERY BOARD
One such resource is the Clermont County Opiate Task Force,
which was started by the Clermont County Mental Health and
Recovery Board in 2013 to identify and implement solutions to
the opiate epidemic. Among the statistics the task force re-
searched are:
CLERMONT COUNTY NARCOTICS UNIT AND
• Clermont County averages more than one opiate overdose UTPD
per week; The Clermont County Narcotics Unit, under the auspices of the
Clermont County Sheriff’s Office, is a collaborative effort among
• from 2008 to 2012, the county had Ohio’s 4th highest rate of
that department and other local police agencies.
residents diagnosed with opiate dependence or poisoning at
The CCNU manages longer-term investigations involving ille-
the time of discharge from the emergency room, almost two
gal narcotics and trafficking, surveillance, undercover purchas-
times the state average;
ing, search warrants, and managing confidential informants.
• Hepatitis C reports in the county rose 140 percent from 2009 The team is comprised of two investigators from the Sheriff’s
to 2012, due in part to needle use; Office, and officers (agents) from Union, Miami and Pierce
• the number of clients in treatment at Clermont Recovery townships, under the supervision of the sheriff. The team has
Center has risen 400 percent since 2010. county-wide jurisdiction and, as a county-collaborative unit, also
has the use of drug-sniffing K9s from various local agencies.
Statistics like those above are grim, but out of them come some Because of his earlier collaborative work with the county’s
positive ideas toward slashing some of those numbers. Crisis Intervention Team, Union Township Police Chief Scott
One of those ideas was the Quick Response Team (QRT), Gaviglia was asked to co-chair the Opiate Task Force upon its
which was formed in 2016. It partners its recovery coach mem- inception in 2013, and continued to serve as co-chair for four
bers with first responders and treatment centers to follow up with years.
overdose victims to offer recovery options. Through a grant, Un- “I recognized, and still do, the value of the task force, and have
ion Township signed up immediately to participate in this out- always recognized the importance of the Clermont County Nar-
reach program. cotics Unit,” Gaviglia said.
As victims of overdoses are taken by EMS to hospital emergen- Under his direction, the UTPD has proven its commitment to
cy rooms, they are asked if they will agree to a follow-up visit bythe fight by dedicating two of its officers full-time to the Narcot-
the QRT and, if so, are asked to sign a release. A member of the ics Unit, acquiring a second drug-sniffing K9, and using directed
QRT and the UTFD (or other county EMS agencies) visit the patrols to apprehend those involved in drug trafficking.
home of the overdose victim to discuss recovery options. Dr. Lee “Since the unit is multi-jurisdictional, it is my belief that the
Ann Watson, associate director of the Clermont County Mental CCNU was able to make enough arrests to keep the epidemic
Health & Recovery Board, said that so far, statistics are good. from reaching truly terrifying proportions,” Gaviglia said. “The
“Of those (who signed up), approximately 50 percent go into work our two officers, and the entire unit, do has had an extreme-
treatment, and approximately 80 percent of those stay in treat- ly positive impact on the community.”
ment,” she said. The Union Township Police Department does its part in identi-
Watson said that, as part of the program, a recovery coach stays fying and stopping drug-associated crimes. The number of drug-
in contact throughout the process. associated arrests in 2015 was 565. That number increased in
“It is important to recovery to maintain a personal connection,” 2016 to 710; to 1,057 in 2017; and to 1,118 in 2018. Offenses
she said. And those recovery coaches are “graduates” of the re- range from illegal possession to trafficking in drugs, from posses-
covery process themselves, so they can identify and empathize sion of heroin to illegal manufacture of drugs.
with the patient.
Dr. Watson said that there are other ways the QRT can help. UNION TOWNSHIP FIRE AND EMS
“We can make cold calls, and accept referrals (usually from The Union Township Fire and EMS Department responded to
family members),” she said. “Again, about 50 percent of the re- 173 overdoses in 2015. That number rose to 196 in 2016; and
ferrals go into treatment.” 217 in 2017. Of the 236 overdose patients in 2018, 190 were
treated with Narcan (Naloxone).

Continued on page 4
Page 4 Talk of the Township Volume 60
Continued from page 3
Narcan is used to treat an opioid overdose by blocking the ef- wrenching response when law enforcement shows up at the door
fect of the opioid by binding to the specific opioid receptors in to tell a teenager her father was just found in the parking lot of a
the brain responsible for slowing the breathing rate. It will also big box store with no response, a needle in his arm. And it is the
eliminate existing opiates from the receptors, effectively counter- wreckage of the lives of young children left behind to be farmed
acting the effects of the overdose. It is administered either by out to foster homes.
injection or as a nasal spray. “The deadly effects of opioid addiction know no boundaries
Chief Deimling said there can be issues with the administration when it comes to socio-economics or race,” Chief Gaviglia said.
of Narcan, whether by professionals or the general public. “Opioids do not discriminate and have proven to be an equal
“You never know what the mental condition of the patient is opportunity killer.”
going to be when they wake up, nor do you know what dose will
have what effect,” Deimling said. “It is always different depend- RESOURCES
ing on the drug taken, strength, what it is mixed with, the number
Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board
of times taken, the source, and other factors.”
Clermont County Opiate Task Force
Deimling said the patient can be confused, agitated and even
513-732-5400
violent.
www.ccmhrb.org
“UT EMS personnel usually attempt to titrate (adjust the dose
for maximum benefit without adverse effects) the dose to bring Clermont Recovery Center
the patient back slowly and only to the extent that they control Quick Response Team
their own adequate respirations,” he said. 513-735-8147
Then the patient can be safely transported for medical care at a
hospital for short-term monitoring, and hopefully referred to long Clermont Recovery Center
-term follow-up care. Traditional Outpatient Services
“If they are brought out of the overdose completely to the point 513-735-8100
that they are fully conscious, they can be a danger/risk to them- Clermont County Hotline
selves and others,” Deimling said. “But they can also then refuse Mental Health and Addiction Assistance
further care or transport, which decreases the chances of getting 528-SAVE (7283)
long-term help.” www.getcleannowclermont.org
Another problem with the patient’s refusing care is that the
effects of Narcan are going to last less time than those of the TREATMENT CENTERS IN CLERMONT COUNTY
opioid taken.
“Therefore, if they are not closely monitored so that they can Clermont Recovery Center
be re-dosed with Narcan, they will again lapse into a state of 1088 Wasserman Way
unconsciousness, inadequate breathing and possibly death,” Batavia, Ohio 45103
Deimling said. 513-735-8100
BrightView
THE FATAL FIX 1100 Hospital Drive
Chief Deimling said that the dangers of opioids are not only Batavia, Ohio 45103
due to their availability. 513-834-7063
“The majority of the
opioids abuse case we Sunrise Treatment Center
see involve substances 25 Whitney Drive, Ste. 122
manufactured or creat- Milford, Ohio 45250
ed outside of some 513-941-4999
pharmaceutical lab
The Ridge Residential Alcohol & Drug Treatment Ctr.
which has quality con-
25 Whitney Drive, Ste. 120
trol measures, inspec-
Milford, Ohio 45150
tions and regulations,”
513-318-3639
he said. “They are dan-
gerous drug combina- Teen Challenge
tions cut and mixed with no two doses ever being the same, so 1466 U.S. Route 50
you never know what or which time will be fatal. It can and does Milford, Ohio 45250
occur in any neighborhood, in any area of the community, in any 513-248-0452
age group.”
The devastation caused by drug addiction is measured not only Adams Recovery Center
in the bodies that end up in the morgue. It is a punch in the gut Outreach Department
every morning when a mother has to face again the reality that 121 North Main Street
her child isn’t coming back. It is the utter sadness when a young Georgetown, Ohio 45121
man has to break off the engagement because he can no longer 937-213-3920
tolerate his fiancé looking wildly for her next fix. It is the heart-
Page 5 Talk of the Township Volume 60

THE UNION TOWNSHIP AMPHITHEATRE

E !! FREE
FRE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES !!
Sycamore
Kevin McCoy Band Leroy Ellington Band
Community Band
8 p.m. June 1 8 p.m. June 8
7 p.m. May 25

Anderson Sycamore
Model Behavior
Community Band Community Band
8 p.m. June 22
7 p.m. June 15 7 p.m. July 6

Chuck Brisbin and

The Gamut 3 Day Rule
The Tuna Project
8 p.m. July 27 8 p.m. August 3
8 p.m. July 20

Fillmore Philharmonic
Wild Rice Robin Lacy & DeZydeco
Brass Band
8 p.m. August 24 8 p.m. August 31
7 p.m. August 10

Bulletin Board
POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Police Department will begin taking applications for the
Citizens’ Police Academy on May 1. CPA will run from August
to Nov. 1. For more information, contact Lt. Rees at:
[email protected]
POLICE NIGHT OUT is set for 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday,
Aug. 15, at Veterans Park. Watch local media for more info.

SERVICE DEPARTMENT
Save the Date—The date for Mt. Moriah Cemetery’s annual
Lantern Lighting Ceremony is set for 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Satur-
day, Sept. 21. You won’t want to miss this poignant event, one
of the township’s keystone events. More information to follow. Union Township Trustees 
U.T.F.D. OFFERS CPR CLASSES Matt Beamer, John McGraw and 
Each year, the Fire Department offers free Cardiopulmonary Bob McGee participate in the 
Resuscitation (CPR) and AED classes to the public. All classes Willowville Elementary 
are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and are held in the
Queen City Room of the Civic Center, 4312 Aicholtz Road.
Memorial Day Parade, May 17. 
Dates for remainder of 2019 are: July 13; Sept. 21; and Nov. 9.
Reservations are required and must be made online. Registra-
tion becomes active one month prior to each class.
To register, go to the Sign-Up link under Quicklinks at
www.union-township.oh.us. If you need information about the
class, e-mail: [email protected], or please call
513-752-3215. PLEASE NOTE THIS NUMBER IS FOR IN-
FORMATION ONLY—NOT FOR REGISTRATION.
Union Township Board of Trustees PRSRT STD
John McGraw U.S. POSTAGE
Matthew Beamer PAID
Robert McGee CINCINNATI, OH
4350 Aicholtz Road. PERMIT NO. 4666
Union Township, Ohio 45245

Union Township, Clermont County

Monthly Meetings Contacts

Trustee 2nd & 4th Thursday 7 p.m.
EMERGENCY NUMBER 911
Zoning Commission 2nd Wednesday 7 p.m.
Trustees & Administration 752-1741
Board of Zoning Appeal 1st Thursday 7 p.m.
http://www.union-township.oh.us

Don’t forget to make the Union Town- Fiscal Officer 753-2216

ship U.S. Postal Service Contract Unit your
Planning & Zoning Department 753-2300
one-stop shop for all your postal needs.
Stamps, envelopes, packages, priority mail, Fire Department 528-4446
express mail. Conveniently located on the
http://www.utfire-ems.org
lower level of the Civic Center.
Stop in and see us today!! Police Department 752-1230
http://www.utpd.org

Service Department 753-2221

www.union-township.oh.us/service
We’re on the web! www.union-township.oh.us
Post Office 947-7330

UTTV 947-7336