CENTRALIA — Everyone is encouraged to attend a meeting tonight of the Centralia Community Neighborhood Task Force. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m., at the Community Youth Center at 1224 East Rexford Street, in Centralia.

The Task Force was formed after having three community meetings that focused on effective ways to address crime and addiction in the community.

The first two meetings were well-attended and productive drug awareness and anti-violence symposiums that featured speakers who have expertise in the signs and symptoms of addiction with local resources for family and community members that also included assemblies at Centralia High School. The last meeting was more focused on organizing neighborhood associations.

The Task Force is composed of Judge Ericka Sanders, representatives from the City of Centralia, Community Resource Center, Housing Authority, Law Enforcement and Local Neighborhood Associations.

The Task Force will serve as a resource and information clearinghouse for individuals and neighborhoods interested in creating a neighborhood association and/or watch.

The Task Force members will also collect data within neighborhoods that currently have associations to track their success in reducing crime and identify areas of the city that do not have either a neighborhood association or neighborhood watch group and recruit and assist those residents to initiate one.

All are encouraged to attend.