County's Substance Abuse Prevention Group to Host Forum

08:35AM / Friday, October 25, 2013Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The recently formed Berkshire Opioid Abuse and Prevention Collaborative is hosting a community forum on prescription drugs and heroin abuse on Oct. 30 from 8:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Ralph Froio Senior Center, 330 North St., 2nd floor.

The community is invited to attend to learn how the proliferation of pain-killer prescription drugs has affected the community, what the collaborative is doing to prevent and reduce access and what treatment options are available. The forum is also designed to obtain feedback from the community. Members of the public are invited to share their own knowledge about pathways to use, access issues, youth and parent attitudes about use of prescription drugs and heroin.

Guest speakers include Ron Hayden, chairman of the emergency room at Berkshire Medical Center; Jennifer Michaels, medical director of the Brien Center for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; a member of the Berkshire County Drug Task Force; a parent of a young person in recovery; and a person in recovery.

The abuse of prescription drugs and heroin is an alarming problem in Berkshire County. The Brien Center reports that prescription pills are the third most common substances abused by adolescents — behind marijuana and alcohol.

During the period from 2000 to 2013, there were 169 confirmed fatal overdoses in Berkshire County attributed to opioids, methadone and heroin. Data shows that the vast majority of people who abuse pain killers get them from the home medicine cabinet, or from friends and relatives. Doses of prescription pain killers prescribed have increased every year since 1996.

For more information on the forum, contact Karen Cole at 413-442-6948 or kcole@berkshireunitedway.org.

Tags: information session, opioids, prescription drugs,

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Pittsfield ConCom Sees Revised Work Plans for Wahconah Park

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
02:26PM / Thursday, August 13, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Conservation Commission will dig into the notice of intent application for Wahconah Park's overhaul.

The commission heard an update on the historic park's reconstruction during its regular meeting on July 23.

The grandstand is expected to be down by early September, and the city has been working with SK Design Group and the Department of Environmental Protection to revise work plans, which can be complex on a site located entirely in the floodplain.

The revised plan includes supplemental materials to address the DEP's comments, clarified riverfront area compliance, a separated wetland replication area floodplain, a fully documented stormwater conveyance and treatment approach, and addresses wetland floodplain and construction sequencing impacts.

It was continued to Aug. 13 so that commissioners can review the new documents and comment.

"The revised design will replace the aging and failed drainage infrastructure," explained James Scalise of SK Design Group, on behalf of the city.

"…We have avoided and minimized impacts to regulated resource areas. We've reduced the potential for erosion control, drainage failure, and uncontrolled discharges."

The over-a-quarter-century-old structure was deemed unsafe in 2022, and planners have determined that starting from square one is the best option; a $15 million rebuild is on the table.

The project team was before the ConCom in May after receiving several comments from the DEP. Because of the difficult permitting path, they requested a continuance and have spent that time responding.

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