BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
WARFIELD — Warfield Park was buzzing with a feel-good mix of fun, food and music as the town turned out for a community event hosted by Martin County’s Community Action for Recovery Enhancement and Support program alongside Judge/Executive Lon Lafferty and the Fiscal Court.
Dr. Bonifacio Aranas, who earlier this year wrapped up an impressive 47-year medical career serving Warfield, was recognized.
The celebration did not stop there. Local artist Katie O’Connor’s new mural graces Warfield Park was unveiled while the crowd soaked in live performances by the beloved “Hobo from Hode” and some standout school groups.
It was a perfect blend of hometown pride and creativity, with the community coming together to celebrate both its past and its future.
The Community Action for Recovery Enhancement and Support program was established as a plan for spending money the county received from the nationwide settlements with pharmaceutical companies, distributors and manufacturers involved in the opioid crisis. These settlements were part of lawsuits in which states, including Kentucky, sought to hold these companies accountable for their role in promoting and distributing opioid medications in a way that contributed to widespread addiction and overdose deaths.
Settlement deals included companies like Johnson & Johnson and major drug distributors such as McKesson, AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health.
These settlements to local governments are intended to provide resources to help communities affected by the opioid epidemic recover, fund treatment programs and prevent further harm.
