In 2022, there were 48 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County.
Each person lost was represented in Park Square with a sign that a candle was placed in front of.
Thursday's standout was to raise awareness for lifesaving harm reduction practices and the vigil was a time for grief, reflection, and remembrance, and hope.
Names of those remembered were written on the walkway at the North Adams City Hall
A vigil was also held in North Adams on the front lawn of city hall.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The city marked National Overdose Awareness Day with a standout and a candlelit vigil.
In 2022, there were 48 fatal overdoses in Berkshire County— 29 just in Pittsfield. Since 2012, there has been a staggering 418 deaths from overdose in the county.
Each person lost was represented in Park Square with a sign that a candle was placed in front of.
Julie MacDonald, program director of Living in Recovery, reminded attendees that each person grieved as a unique individual with their own personalities, strengths, struggles, accomplishments, disappointments, and life stories.
"We come together on this day with a range of emotions as deep and complex as those that we are remembering. Some of you may have come feeling bruised and broken by such a loss and asking what you could have done to prevent it or what you could have done to lessen your loved ones' pain and suffering," she said.
"For some, there is an array of mixed emotions and a futile search to understand why their loved one suffered so, why they were taken from this earth snatched away in the brutal arms of addiction, but let us remember that no matter how stalked they were by their own pain, their life also had many moments of delight and of happiness, caring and friendship, sharing and love. They mattered in this lifetime and today we remind ourselves and our community of that."
The events were held by participants in the Berkshire Overdose Addiction Prevention Collaborative and the HEALing Communities Study, which aims to reduce opioid overdose deaths by 40 percent over three years in the participating communities.
Thousands of doses of the overdose-reversing medicine Narcan, or Naloxone, have been distributed throughout the county along with education through the effort.
"Think of it like a fire extinguisher, a defibrillator," Betsy Strickler, communications consultant at HEALing Communities explained. "We all know how to use them or are willing to try to use them if we can save somebody's life and you hope to goodness you never need to do that. That's what we want to do with Naloxone."
Thursday's standout was to raise awareness for lifesaving harm reduction practices and the vigil was a time for grief, reflection, and remembrance, and hope.
"Today it really is not only holding space for people who have lost somebody to an overdose and the people we've all lost to overdoses really, it's about raising awareness, because they're preventable," Samantha Kendall of Berkshire Harm Reduction said.
"Overdoses are preventable, the deaths are preventable, so this is an important day not only for harm reduction, I think it should be for everybody because it affects everybody."
Michele and Robert Provencher have been involved with the day of remembrance for years, wearing shirts that honor their son Matthew, who passed away in 2015.
Michele explained that she was wearing the shirt to raise awareness and show that she lost a person very special to her.
"You read it in the paper, you hear about it, but to actually see family members who have lost someone is a big deal," she added.
The couple was involved with the first overdose awareness event several years ago that was formed at Berkshire Medical Center out of a grief support group.
MacDonald spoke to the stigma that is attached to overdose deaths.
"We have parents out there or partners out there, children out there, that don't want to say 'My person died from an overdose,' because very often, that person becomes blamed rather than being a victim to an illness," she said.
"I've been telling everyone, it's like someone is in a diabetic coma because they forgot to eat, but you aren't going to say 'Well just leave them there. They didn't eat today. That's their fault,' It's the same thing. It's a disease."
Director of Public Health Andy Cambi emphasized the importance of the city being a part of the effort.
"I think it's important to show support to all the agencies, especially on this day, and remember the Overdose Awareness Day and just to be part of it and collaborate," he said.
The city has implemented around six Narcan boxes through the study and expects to have ten by the end of the year. It is also available at the health department and Cambi reported that the city is looking into getting its own supply.
MacDonald hopes that education and increased access to harm reduction continue.
"This is something that I think can make a huge difference in our community as long as we keep talking about it, as long as we keep educating," she said.
North County also recognized Overdose Awareness Day, with dozens turning out in front of the North Adams City Hall.
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Berkshire United Way to Massachusetts: Early-Learning Educators Need Better Wages
By Katherine von Haefen Guest Column
As reported in iBerkshires, state education officials met with Western Massachusetts childcare and early education advocates at Berkshire Community College recently. I had the opportunity to share the following testimony on behalf of Berkshire United Way and our community partners.
Early childhood education provides tremendous benefits to our region. High-quality child care dramatically influences brain development and the future health and success for children in school and life, as well as provides a safe and secure space for our youngest community members so their parents or caregivers can work and provide for their families.
Berkshire United Way has invested in improving early childhood development opportunities in the Berkshires for decades. We fund high-quality nonprofit child-care centers that provide slots for income-constrained families. We also support the sector by co-hosting monthly child-care director meetings to work on shared challenges and collectively propose solutions. We advocate for early childhood education and have a great partner in this work, state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.
Staffing is a key component of high-quality care. The research shows that skilled and consistent educators in a classroom create long-lasting change for children. However, wages are stagnant and frequently do not provide educators with basic financial stability. We often hear that educators have left the field because they are unable to make their finances work. Wages need to improve to better reflect the expertise and indelible impact teachers have in the field.
When we look specifically at our region, our data is concerning.
As Berkshire County emerges from the pandemic, we are struggling with transportation, affordable housing and lack of mental health resources, much like the rest of the state. We are also seeing a rise in economically challenged households.
After nearly 10 years of decline, Berkshire County has experienced a significant jump in income inequality, now exceeding the state and national trends and far above comparable counties, according to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. Over half of our population are "economically challenged," meaning they are working but struggling to make ends meet. A single parent with a school-aged child needs between $70,000 and $80,000 in income and public benefits just to meet their basic needs.
A large limb from a 32-foot sugar maple in the park fell next to the fountain area over the weekend. Caution tape and traffic barrels now surround the aftermath.
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The last estimate for construction was overly optimistic because, at the time, it was unclear how long obtaining the two easements would take, Town Manager Thomas Hutcheson said.
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Full cost estimates have not been completed but based on recent repairs made to the Clapp Park splash pad, it is estimated to cost between $350,000 and $450,000.
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King Kone had a soft opening at the end of the week, offering the frozen treats on a "pay what you will" basis while employees perfected the craft.
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