- [Joleene] Tonight on WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories.

Meet a recovery peer advocate from Farnham Family Services in Oswego County where synthetic opioids are a major concern.

And the city of Watertown celebrates Earth Day everyday.

Discover how the city manages the landscape to protect and preserve our environment.

Also meet Sackets Harbor poet Christine Grimes.

She shares her verses inside the WPBS Studios.

Your stories, your region, coming up right now on WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories.

(bright uplifting music) - [Announcer] WPBS Weekly: Inside the Stories is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center.

Carthage Savings.

The J.M.

McDonald Foundation.

And the Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation.

Additional funding from the New York State Education Department.

- Good evening, everyone.

Thank you for watching WPBS Weekly: Inside the Story.

I'm Joleene DesRosiers.

We kick off tonight with discussion on one of the most challenging issues in America today, the overdose epidemic.

As part of WPBS TV's Overdose Epidemic Project, funded by the New York State Education Department, we talk synthetic opioids, which are fast replacing the actual drug.

We sat down with recovery peer advocate Dave Powlina of Farnham Family Services in Oswego to learn more.

(soft music) Thank you so much for joining us in the studio for an incredibly important conversation about the overdose epidemic in Oswego with fentanyl.

I am joined by Dave Powlina, who is a recovery peer advocate with Farnham Family Services.

We'll dig into exactly what that title and that role is, but first of all, welcome, and thank you so much for being here.

- Thank you, I appreciate you having me.

- Let's start so the audience understands exactly what your role is.

What is a recovery peer advocate?

- So we are people with lived experience in substance use disorders, or mental health histories, to provide guidance and mentorship for people, wherever they're at in their treatment journey, I would say, the stages of change.

We meet people where they're at, even if they're using, to people who have been in longterm sobriety and are outside of treatment as well.

So we're here to make sure that they understand their rights.

If they need us to be in a treatment meeting with them, or if they're being talked about in their treatment meeting for a review, or something.

If they want us in there, we can be there to support and speak for them.

Meet them in the community, doctors appointments, court appointments, which a lot of people get nervous and scared, and they just like to have that extra support with them to feel a little bit more comfortable.

- Talk to me a little bit about what services are available at Farnham, and how you became a peer advocate, because I think that's, advocate, I think that's crucial.

- Yeah, so Farnham provides outpatient services, opioid treatment program, we have that, in Oswego and Mexico.

We're about to open one also in Auburn.

- [Joleene] Oh, wow.

- So we're expanding rapidly to provide these services to a vast county.

We provide regular groups and one on ones, vocational services, to help people get back into job services, art therapy, we try to do other therapy as well, like yoga, trying to really open it up to the clients to pick and choose which they feel might work best for them, and kind of make sure there's available options for them if something works better for the other, we can always switch them out and do that, so really, a vast model.

- So you really do meet them where they are?

- Yeah.

- So our audience understands where you're at with this, you'll be sober seven years in August.

Congratulations.

- Correct.

Thank you.

- That's massive.

What was your drug of choice?

- It started with opioid painkillers and quickly led up to heroin.

And that was pretty much when it started getting really bad for me.

The opioid pills were a lot difficult to come by, because makers of Oxycontin wanted to change the formulation so they could not be abused.

They did that thinking that it was going to help, but it fueled the beginning of the crisis, and that's a lot of stories I hear is that is when people began to go to heroin, because it's a cheaper option, much more readily available.

You could obviously inject it, snort it, abuse it.

- [Joleene] You went to heroin?

- Yeah.

And it just, it blew up quickly from there.

A lot of people, that's just when it started rising really, really high.

- So when you started using heroin, we had a conversation before you sat down, there was more of the pure heroin in your dosage, but then after a period of time, you began to recognize when, you could tell when there was fentanyl in your dose?

- At least a difference in it.

So usually when I would get heroin, or real heroin, it's a tannish-like substance.

It's not all chalky and white.

So we would be able to get that, and the taste is different, and all this stuff.

And when, this is probably around 2015-ish when it started changing around, we'd be getting stuff that was mainly white, and interestingly too, so I was already using to the point, but there was times where I'd get these bags, and when I would do them, I would get that feeling, I would get like when I first started doing opioids, like the side effects of nausea, and just really hitting me in general, and that is when I could, and that was just one, one bag, too.

And usually that would do it.

So when I would have that, I would start becoming really nauseous and like, whoa, okay, this doesn't feel right.

It feels totally different.

And it just kept continuing from there.

That's what you'd get, that's what you'd get.

And a lot of people just obviously took it, because what else are they gonna take?

And it's not like you really know what's in the heroin anyway.

Which is a scary thing.

- [Joleene] So the high wasn't the same?

- No, it was a lot more intense, for what I was doing, my tolerance level at that point, when I did just one, it hit me a lot harder than it would have in general.

And that's pretty much when I knew, it was different.

But I didn't really care at the time, because I just wanted to get high.

I wanted to be as high as I could, for as cheap as possible.

And that was the option.

- What was the turning point for you when you recognized that the fentanyl was detrimental, and it was taking lives?

- So, probably around 2014 or 15, that's when the deaths started to get really increased.

Access to treatment, medication assisted treatment services were not as open as they are now.

Really, Crouse was the only one that did methadone, and there was maybe 15 doctors in the area that provided suboxone at the time, another opioid medication assisted treatment.

So around that time, really started getting bad, and I kept hearing a lot more overdoses, and yeah, just it was terrifying.

It really was.

- So now, when users are on the street, and they're getting opioids, or heroin, is there a dose largely synthetic?

- Yes.

Probably, I can't really say a percentage, but I believe that, what I share with clients too, whatever you are taking, always assume that there's fentanyl in it, because people put fentanyl in everything.

They put it into cocaine, they're putting it, you see a lot of cocaine overdoses now, with fentanyl.

The molly, it's just sad.

You really can't get real drugs anymore, I guess, that would be less dangerous than the current substances, especially now that they're adding a horse tranquilizer to it.

- [Joleene] I was gonna bring that up.

- Xylazine.

- Yup.

- Which is becoming extremely ridiculous.

Cheap, you can buy a kilogram for around four bucks.

And four bucks and you get a kilogram of that?

You can mix it in and do all this.

It's causing a vast number of overdoses where it's very difficult to bring them out of it, because Xylaxine is not an opioid, so the Narcan does not hit it.

It takes the opioids out, but you're still being, your respiratory system is still depressed because of the effects of xylazine.

So now it's even more terrifying, when the people are injecting it, it can lead to necrosis, it can lead to seeing their muscle abscesses, see it to the bone, like Krokodil, way back in 2010 or 11, 12, when it came out.

Well, it came out before that, but when it was around prevalent.

So yeah, you really can't assume anything is real drugs anymore.

- Interestingly, we're calling this overdose epidemic, or addressing the overdose epidemic, you can't even categorize something as an opioid epidemic anymore because it's these synthetic drugs.

- Yeah, there's all these different analogs and other drugs that are putting in to mimic the effects, to boost the high, to last longer.

It is mainly synthetic, and there's really not much you can do anymore.

You really can't.

It's a very difficult thing for it to stop.

I mean, if we had some of the things that we're doing now, five, 10 years ago, maybe.

But it's to a point now where harm reduction is almost the only answer for it.

Unless the government steps in and wants to decide to decriminalize and create products itself, that's my opinion, at least.

You're not gonna get a safe supply of drugs.

- During our first meeting, you told me that when you hear about the death of a young person, you automatically assume it's an overdose.

Are overdose deaths that prevalent, and what is the drug that causes these overdose deaths?

- So overdoses, I would say, it doesn't necessarily mean you're gonna die, right?

But when I do see, it tends to be true.

It does.

A lot of these kids are doing these drugs, thinking they're real, especially the counterfeit pills.

Right?

They look exactly like the substances on the street.

The pills that the pharmaceutical companies make.

So these kids are grabbing these drugs thinking that they're getting a Xanax bar, another painkiller.

I mean, you also see it in the celebrity life too, where Philip Seymour Hoffman overdosed and died on painkillers, Prince overdoes and died on painkillers.

A lot of these, Mac Miller overdosed and died on painkillers, pills that were laced with fentanyl.

So it's just, I don't know if it's because I hear it so much, and that's just what my assumption is.

But really, kids are going through a tough time now.

They really are, especially with COVID, and being at home, when they all had to do that at school and all that stuff.

So the majority of it, I would say, is elicit opioids, fentanyl.

It could be a whole variety of different substances, too.

You really don't know unless you test it, and that's really hard to do for the average person.

- I appreciate your time.

I appreciate you being so vulnerable and sharing your story, and helping us educate the public, so thank you very much for being here.

- Thank you.

I appreciate it.

- This interview was part of WPBS TV's Overdose Epidemic Project, and is produced in association with the New York State Department of Education.

For more interviews and stories on this topic, visit wpbstv.org.

Meantime, spring is here.

Which means Earth Day is just around the corner.

Recognized annually, Earth Day is reserved to remind us of the importance of demonstrating environmental protection.

Right here in Watertown, that reminder happens everyday.

(bright music) (birds chirping) - [Lynn] For me, every day is Earth Day, because we live in this environment.

- [Luke] For Lynn Godek, being mindful of the environment is one of the reasons she volunteers for Tree Watertown, a program that educates the public about tree benefits while planting trees all around the city.

- There are so many benefits to planting trees.

They provide sun shade.

They help cool, give you a microclimate.

They absorb excess water.

So in the areas where there's drainage issues and flooding, trees can help with some of that.

Every child from a young age knows that trees help with exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide.

They also help with pollution.

And they provide beauty and variety to our streets.

- [Michael] Our volunteers play a huge role in our forestry program.

They really are the backbone of our program.

They help to tell our story.

- [Luke] Michael DeMarco spearheads the Urban Forestry Program, an initiative designed to promote and preserve the urban forest and improve management of public trees.

- Some of the things that we're doing for Earth Day everyday is we're planting trees for the future.

Trees are important for all communities.

They help to provide sense of place, literally framing the built environment, and also helping to mask some of the blemishes of our built environment, but also they help to make people feel good.

- We usually pick one location and have a variety of trees.

We pick a day, send out notice that we are planting trees and ask for hands, and everyone that's available comes and shows up.

And we put the trees in the hole.

- [Luke] Tree Watertown would not be possible without volunteers within the community.

And for volunteers like Lynn, it's about more than just planting trees.

- I've been volunteering specifically with Tree Watertown since 2020.

I remember the first time I came out to plant trees with Tree Watertown.

It was at Knickerbocker School, and I dragged my son along with me.

He wasn't sure that he wanted to come at first, but afterwards I remembered him telling me that he was glad that I made him come.

I remember when we first showed up, it was so fun to see everyone standing around milling and waiting to get started.

It felt nice to be part of a larger group that was going to be planting these trees for Watertown.

- [Luke] For 29 years, Tree Watertown has helped to plant 8000 trees in the city with an internal goal of planting 10,000 by 2030.

- Last year, we planted trees on another local street, and I was just blown away by how many people showed up that day.

I'm not even sure what the estimate count was for that day, but it was a lot.

I think we had two people per tree.

So we each got to plant a tree, and we were done really quick.

- I'd say the most volunteers come from our schools, from Watertown School District, Watertown City School District, as well as the Immaculate Heart Central Schools.

It's just amazing.

Sometimes you see youth outnumbering the adults.

It's actually, it's pretty cool to see that, because we know we're in a pretty good place for when the youth grow up, hopefully they'll be sharing that with other upcoming folks.

- [Luke] Folks can learn about the trees planted at Watertown's Downtown Arboretum, an outdoor tree museum located on Washington Street, and established by Tree Watertown.

- We have a brochure, we have an online story map that's located right at the sidewalk in front of the Flower Library.

You can scan that QR code, and take a self-guided tour of the 200 block of Washington Street, learn about over 38 different species, and 100 different specimen trees.

- [Luke] For 22 years, the City of Watertown has been recognized as a Tree City USA, a title the city has worked hard to maintain through various tree planting projects, the Downtown Arboretum, and other initiatives that demonstrate the time and care the city puts in to protect their trees.

But for the city of Watertown, planting trees is just the beginning.

- I remember learning about the harmful effects of plastics and for example, the rings around soda cans.

I still cut them to this day because I learned when I was a child that animals can get stuck in them, and I learned to shut off my water, and turn off lights when I'm not using them.

And it's wonderful to see that my children are still being educated in a similar way.

- A simple way for folks within our community to recognize Earth Day as really an everyday celebration is just to be conscious of your natural surroundings.

Don't take for granted the opportunity to go for a hike, look around the natural resources that we have here, and that are worth protecting.

It's little things, like picking up the litter that's blowing down the street.

It's not yours, pick it up.

- If you're thinking about volunteering and helping with the environment and planting trees in Watertown, just do it.

Just come and join us, and if you don't know what to do, or where to go, look online, look to Facebook and the Tree Watertown Facebook group.

There's always options and opportunities to volunteer and help out.

- [Luke] In Watertown, for WPBS Weekly, I'm Luke Smith.

- WPBS is proud to showcase various musicians and poets on our show.

Tonight, we share the witty and powerful work of Sackets Harbor poet, Christine Grimes.

(upbeat music) - I'm Christy Grimes.

I'm a poet in the North Country, and I have two books of poetry, "Finding Fruit Among Thorns", and "Last to Leave".

And this poem I'm going to share with you is about my time growing up in Texas and hunting with my family.

It's called "Full Freezers".

In November, when we'd return from a weekend at our deer lease in central Texas, filled with scrub brush and mesquite heavy with boughs of mistletoe growing plump on spindly branches, we'd drive home with the large white igloo loaded with quarters from deer my dad had shot and skinned and sawed in two, working blade through bone.

When we arrived home, I'd have to help, plastic baggies at the ready.

When dad would cut backstrap and roast, mom trimmed tiny slices, avoiding tendons and glands, and fed them into a grinder with crackers and bread while I caught red spirals pouring into my wrapped hands, filled the pouches, flattened them, working air from flesh, and wrote the date on a small piece of masking tape, all the while, breathing through my mouth, trying to avoid the thick smell of raw venison that settled into my skin like grease, slick on my hands, smudges under my nails.

At night, I'd scrub my fingers with soap, sniff, then repeat, as I tried to wash the scent away.

The smell from the moment hoof stepped into clearing, oats and wheat grain beckoning, a snort of hot breath in cool air as shell cocked in the chamber, the smell of burnt gunpowder, metal, of hunting season, and full freezers.

- Before we head out for the evening, a new show is on the horizon on WPBS, a timeless romantic comedy gets an exciting adaptation in Masterpiece's retelling of Henry Fielding's novel, "Tom Jones".

This four part miniseries starts April 30th at nine p.m., and here is your first look.

(people chatting) (bright music) - Once upon a time in merry England, there lived a boy called Tom.

My Tom Jones.

(exciting music) (fireworks exploding) (man laughing) (wood clatters) (man grunts) - Where is he?

Don't tell me there's nobody here!

- You can see I'm all alone!

Oh.

(laughing) (man groans) Oh, darling.

- Can a man ever be a gentleman who doesn't know who his father is?

- Mr. Alworthy proved himself as good as any father.

Your mother did you a favor when she left you in his care.

- Sophie!

My lovely girl!

- I've come to look after my grandfather, not chase after young fellows.

- [Man 1] Tom wants to do the right thing.

- Will a young man addicted to vice be capable of recognizing the right thing?

- Oh, Mr. Jones.

- He's resting.

(soft music) - My niece is an heiress.

- The best match in England.

- [Man 2] She's promised to a good young man.

Who all his life has treated you with the honor of a brother.

Your birth condemns you.

- I do not consent to this marriage!

- Enough!

You silly girl.

(slams table) - You don't wanna be giving your heart to a bad boy.

- It doesn't seem at all bad to me.

He doesn't look at me as though I'm some kind of exotic flower.

- She shall be wed this very week into her own class.

- Don't you want me to be happy?

- I want you to be rich and safe!

- Get off of me!

- I have no money, no standing.

The only thing I've ever had to offer you was my mouth.

- Fearfully romantic, though.

(exciting dramatic music) - You and me and the world before us.

I cannot live in it without you.

(soft music) - That does it for us this Tuesday evening.

Join us next week for a fresh look inside the stories.

Top tips for a senior population for both family and seniors themselves, and Johnny Spazano of The Border joins forces with Steven Fuller of South Louis High School to create fire grilled southwest zucchini boats.

Also, Canadian filmmaker Mitch Beaty shows you the 1000 Islands from a completely different angle.

Meantime, if you have a story idea you'd like us to explore, we're all ears.

Drop us an email at wpbstv.org, and let's share it with the region.

That's it for now, everyone.

We will see you again next week.

Goodnight.

- [Announcer] WPBS Weekly: Inside the Story is brought to you by the Watertown Oswego Small Business Development Center, a free resource offering confidential business advice for those interested in starting or expanding their small business, serving Jefferson, Louis, and Oswego Counties since 1986, online at watertown.nysbdc.org.

Carthage Savings has been here for generations, donating time and resources to this community.

They're proud to support WPBS TV, online at carthagesavings.com.

Carthage Savings, mortgage solutions since 1888.

Additional funding provided by the J.M.

McDonald Foundation.

The Dr. D. Susan Badenhausen Legacy Fund of the Northern New York Community Foundation, and the New York State Education Department.

- That settled into my skin like grease, slick on my hands, smudges under my nails.

At night, I'd scrub my fingers with soap, sniff, then repeat, as I tried to wash the scent away.

The smell from the moment hoof stepped into clearing, oats and wheat grain beckoning, a snort of hot breath in cool air.

(bright music)