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Purple flags in Natick are an unsettling visualization of lives lost to opioids

August 31, 2022 by Deborah Brown 1 Comment

The lawn of First Church Natick once again is the site the Purple Flag Project, a striking installation of thousands of flags placed in remembrance of the number of lives lost to opioid overdose in Massachusetts in 2021. The sobering number this year has been confirmed at 2,290 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. That’s up by 186 from 2021. The display was put into place yesterday by volunteers working with SOAR (Supporting Outreach and Addiction Recovery), a Natick-based support group for those with a loved one suffering with substance abuse.

Purple Flag Project, SOAR, Natick

Eileen Collett, one of SOAR’s founders, said each flag “represents a person and that’s how we think about them. Every one of these people had someone who cared about them. When you see all the flags, you see the depth of how many there are and the despair of the numbers.”

Collett considers herself one of the lucky ones. Her son is in long-term recovery, married and expecting a baby soon. “A lot of my friends in this group don’t have that luxury. It’s alarming that there’s not more being done.”

Purple Flag Project, SOAR, Natick

In addition to the purple flags, red flags are also placed by family members and friends to remember the lives lost in any year to substance use. Red flags are available in a bin for anyone to personalize and add to the display.

The Purple Flag Project will be on display in Natick Center through September 11. From there it will go to the property of Newton-Wellesley Hospital, where it will be visible along busy Route 16 September 12 – 26. Next the project will go to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, where it will be on view October 2-8.

Purple Flag Project, SOAR, Natick

Filed Under: Community, Education, Health



Natick hearing on possible alcohol sale changes focuses on public health, next steps

August 25, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Momentum is gathering in Natick to change rules for selling alcoholic beverages at restaurants and other establishments in an effort to support existing businesses, encourage new ones to set up shop, and allow for new business models. While we thought Wednesday’s Select Board public hearing on the topic might bring out residents and businesses in support of such change, the focus largely wound up being on the possible public health impacts of having fewer license restrictions (see Natick Pegasus recording just before the 1-hour mark).

Shortly after the hearing opened, Board Chair Paul Joseph introduced Katie Sugarman of Natick 180, a town coalition focused on addiction education, prevention, and recovery. The outfit shared a substantial memo (embedded below) in response to proposed changes, such as allowing pitchers of beer to be served and doing away with a rule that no more than 35% of restaurant sales come from booze. The memo incorporates findings from public health research as well as from what other communities are doing.

Sugarman highlighted points from the memo during the hearing, including a recommendation that if pitchers are sold, the beer shouldn’t cost less than if you buy it by the glass or bottle, and that if the 35% figure is nixed that establishments still be required to share annual revenue breakdowns in order to track trends.

Among other things, Sugarman recommended that the town not make too many moves at once, and rather phase in changes so that data can be collected and analyzed. For example, if the town allowed a higher percentage of revenue to come from alcohol sales, it would want to see whether any correlation surfaced between that and alcohol-related incidents in the police logs.

Sugarman said she appreciates some of the Alcohol Policy Working Group’s initial proposals, including a requirement for in-person responsibility and intervention training for servers (something that proved difficult during the peak of the pandemic) and strict and escalating penalties for establishment violations.

She wrapped up her comments with a suggestion to “think about these as not just individual policy changes but how they all could collectively impact the community norms around drinking culture.”

The board discussed the proposed changes among itself, and no members of the public chimed in—hey, it’s still summer. The public hearing will continue in weeks to come, though, so as Joseph said, the public discussion on this has only begun. The Board could vote for some changes along the way, but public discussion will continue.

Joseph said the holy grail deliverable for the working group was to consolidate five separate documents for on-premises consumption into one comprehensive policy. Board direction and public input will guide the contents of that policy.

As discussions have gone on, issues outside the focus of on-premises consumption policy have arisen as well and could be addressed by the town in any number of ways, including a mix of Select Board, home rule, and Town Meeting approvals.

There is some urgency to making changes, as the town has been known to have lost out on businesses moving here. With the recent go-ahead for new buildings in town that include restaurants space, Natick is looking to welcome businesses that might be stymied by current policies.

“There is a timeliness aspect to this in terms of economic development, but as we’ve been saying, we do want to do it in a responsible manner,” Joseph said.

To that point, Hickey said he hopes the Board will focus on the handful of issues related to alcohol policy that have kicked around for years, and not get caught up in side issues that could bog down approvals.

Jospeh suggested a next step would be coming back with a proposed policy document to which the Board can respond. The public hearing will continue at the next Select Board meeting, slated for Sept. 7.


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Filed Under: Business, Health



West Nile Virus detected in Natick mosquitoes

August 25, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The West Nile virus has been detected in mosquito samples in Natick, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

The virus can be spread to humans and animals via the bite of an infected mosquito, and according to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 5 people infected develop a fever. Far fewer get a serious illness.

The risk of infection is still considered low in Natick, according to the state. Last year, Natick had no positive West Nile virus samples.

Residents are encouraged to take common sense precautions, including using spray if outdoors between dusk and dawn.

Natick coordinated with the Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project to spray a designated area after sunset on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Residents can opt out of future spraying at their properties.

Natick spray area

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Filed Under: Animals, Health

Volunteers sought for 2022 Natick purple flag display to recall lives lost to opioids

August 17, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

SOAR Natick seeks volunteers on Monday, Aug. 29 at 5pm to install purple flags at First Congregational Church at 2 East Central St., in Natick Center to recall the many lives lost over the past year to opioids. In Massachusetts, that number totaled 2,290.

The flags are slated to be displayed initially in Natick, then beginning Sept. 12 in Newton, and beginning Oct. 2 in Boston. The display ends Oct. 8.

opioid purple flags first congregational church

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Filed Under: Education, Health

Flutie 5K for Autism registration is open

August 15, 2022 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

You’ve got plenty of time to train for the Flutie 5K for Autism, slated for Saturday, Oct. 16 at Lookout Farm in Natick, and registration is now open. If you’re unable to take part in-person on Oct. 16, a virtual option is available for runners and walkers Oct. 16-23.

The action on Oct. 16 starts at 8:30am.

The annual event raises funds to support families affected by autism.

Here’s how to volunteer at the event.

The Doug Flutie Jr., Foundation for Autism has also expanded its Flutie 5K for Autism to include more locations across the United States and the globe.

Doug Flutie Foundation, Natick


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Filed Under: Charity/Fundraising, Health

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