Commercials Target Underage Drinking Problems

By Jen ThomasPrint Story | Email Story
Al Bashevkin, executive director of the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, wants parents to educate youth on the dangers of underage drinking.
PITTSFIELD - Parents of Berkshire County teenagers have a new resource to help curb risky and unhealthy behaviors in their children. • Commercial 1 • Commercial 2 Thanks to a collaboration among law enforcement and several social and health agencies throughout the county, a series of commercials have been created with the intention of educating parents about the best ways to talk to their children about underage drinking. "It's not simply illegal; it's unhealthy and dangerous," said District Attorney David F. Capeless. "What we're trying to do is express to adults that they need to set an example. In the community, we're talking the talk but not walking the walk." The commercials will run 51 times per week on select Time Warner Cable channels, including Comedy Central, the Discovery Channel, ESPN and during Boston Red Sox baseball games and Monday Night Football through the end of the year and into January. Partners used data from the 2006 Berkshire County Prevention Needs Assessment Survey, which surveyed more than 2,800 eighth, 10th and 12th graders in the county about their participation in substance abuse and anti-social behavior and the risk and protective factors that predict those problem behaviors. From that survey, officials at the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition, Berkshire Health Systems, the Berkshire United Way, and the South Berkshire Youth Coalition determined two major concerns of school-aged children - "that outside of the school environment, teenagers don't feel appreciated by adults for their positive qualities and that teens don't believe their parents consider underage drinking to be a serious problem." "We found some pretty startling statistics, some pretty startling data, that gave us pause," said Alan Bashevkin, the executive director of NBCC. The two commercials - titled "Bringing Up Bobby" and "Talk to Them" - address the issues outlined in the survey and feature Capeless in a public service announcement format. On the air since the beginning of September, the informational commercials educate parents on the concerns of Berkshire youth and provide them with an opportunity to get more information. "The vast majority of kids are making the right decisions and we want to promote that. It's just that we need a common message that goes across the whole county and we'll be much stronger," said Ruth Blodgett, the senior vice president of Berkshire Health Systems. "The publicity of alcohol is pervasive in our society, but you have to begin somewhere," said Eric Bruun, a steering committee member of SBYC. "Commercials are the most cost-effective way to reach the most people."
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Dalton Resident Ranks Third in National Snocross Race

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Sal LeBeau on his machine with his sister, Kenna, in the black hat, and friend Brandon and his sister Alea.
DALTON, Mass. — At just 16 years old, Salvatore LaBeau is already making avalanches in the national snocross racing scene.
 
Last weekend, LaBeau raced in the Mount Zion Snocross National race in Ironwood, Mich., the first of eight races in the national circuit series. 
 
Competitions take place across national circuits, attracting racers from various regions and even internationally. 
 
Labeau rides for CT Motorsports, a team based in Upstate New York, on a 2025 Polaris 600R. 
 
This is LaBeau's first time competing on the CT Motorsports team. Years prior, he raced for a team owned by Bruce Gaspardi, owner of South Side Sales and Service in North Adams.  
 
Despite a bad first day on Friday when he fell off his snowmobile and didn't make the final, LaBeau carried on with confidence and on Saturday obtained his first national podium, placing in third for the Sport Lite class. 
 
"I'm feeling good. I'm gonna start training more when I come home, and go to the gym more. And I am really excited, because I'm in 11th right now," the Wahconah High student said. 
 
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