Pittsfield Drug and Alcohol Meeting Minutes

6:30 pm at the Pittsfield Youth Workshop

June 27, 2010

In attendance: Zach Powers, Officer John Webber, Sarah Sadowski, Dan Ward, Denise Morin, Leslie Vogt

Meeting called to order at 6:30 pm.

The goal of tonight’s meeting was to plan National Night Out activities (August 3^rd) and review the PDAC Leadership Board development opportunity provided by the Center for Excellence.

I. National Night Out

a. Table with pamphlets (Dan will stock up at the clearinghouse)

b. Police will do food- punch ticket system

i. Given the community-health focus of the event, two parents expressed the opinion that free soda should not be offered

ii. Sarah will request a gift card from Target, a NNO sponsor. Officer Webber will solicit food, Denise volunteered to secure a water donation. Zach asked that the PD address be used when soliciting donations.

c. Rain plan: event will be held anyway. Dan will check on borrowing a tent from Mickey Riel

d. Sarah will check on the availability of the Elks drug trailer

e. Other groups will include Pittsfield Players, Liquor Commission, Sparky the K9 dog, ID kit, Explorers (jump tent)

f. The PDAC table will feature the Fatal Vision goggles purchased with the NH Charitable Grant. It is very important that the goggles are used to bring youth in but that any thoughts of “cool” are immediately dispelled with a debrief, in which Dan or Officer Webber will explain about the other negative impacts that the goggles do not convey (sick o the stomach, etc.)

g. Advertising: do we need a sandwich board? Something more permanent? Zach will collect a quote for a sign with changeable lettering to go by the Town Hall

h. Sarah will notify the Chamber of Commerce about the event

II. Board Training

a. Sarah met with Jamie to go over a brief history of the coalition and where we are at the moment

b. Jamie will be contacting some coalition members via email by July 8^th with a few questions. Please respond to her before the next meeting (July 12^th) if possible.

III. Financial literacy

a. Leslie explained the asset-building coalition efforts underway in NH in communities such as Franklin, Gorham and Berlin. Although financial literacy is not included in the PDAC mission scope, strategies to improve individual economic well-being are important and may be of interest to some of our coalition members. Activities consist of a campaign to get folks to open savings accounts with their spare change and tax prep- it’s not just for AARP members. Zach shared his PYW experience working with Citizens Bank on a workshop.

IV. NH Charitable Update

a. A letter will be drafted to the Select Board proposing the reallocation of funds from the NH Charitable grant.

i. The car crash simulation funds are proposed to go to supporting existing prevention efforts per public feedback from the community forum (PYW?)

ii. MADD speaker funds to pay for a victim advocate to speak during homecoming. Officer Webber will try and locate the name of a previous speaker.

iii. Which officer will be assigned to Now that you are 16?

V. Other points of business

a. Denise reported that plans for the prescription lock box at the PD are well underway! The box will be installed in a few weeks once a bullet-proof window goes in. Dan reported using some of the national campaigns to reduce prescription drug abuse may maximize the launch.

b. Local kids may be smoking the cigarette ends found in the grey disposal systems located around town. The town hall custodian will be emptying the bin frequently and Sarah will advise local merchants to “water” the receptacles to deter this underage access to tobacco.

c. Regional Community Readiness interviews to commence shortly. Interviews will be conducted by Marley, a college student working for CRCPC over the summer. They should take approximately 30 minutes and will help the region determine what future prevention efforts will work best in the area.

The meeting adjourned at 8 pm.

The next PDAC meeting will be Monday, July 26^th at 6:30 pm at the Pittsfield Youth Workshop.

Respectfully submitted,

Sarah Sadowski