LINK BETWEEN LOSS OF MILLS, GROWTH OF REGION'S DRUG TRADE

Today's installment of our special 10-part series, "Decades of
Addiction-Drugs in North Central Mass.," focuses on how illegal drugs and
drug trafficking got a foothold in the region, and have continued to grow
since. Most officials, residents and police who spoke to the Sentinel &
Enterprise said the drug problem began to take off in the region as
manufacturing jobs began to disappear in the 1980s and 1990s.

The closing of area mills, along with the General Electric plant in
Fitchburg and Fort Devens, sent the local economy reeling.

At the same time, major drug dealers took advantage of the situation and
the region's geographic isolation, and set up shop in North Central
Massachusetts. And people who used drugs began turning to harder drugs like
heroin and cocaine, which led to even more crime.

"There's a direct relationship between drug problems and socioeconomic
distribution," said Leominster Ward 4 City Councilor Robert Salvatelli.
"There used to be a strong blue-collar community that suffered an economic
downturn. There were some great factories that are no longer functioning."
Downtown Fitchburg was once lined with three-story department stores, a
five-star restaurant, a Sears and several five-and-dime stores. Now 16
storefronts sit empty along Main Street between Day and Academy streets, at
times littered with beer bottles, trash and broken glass. This installment
of the series illustrates just how long drug trafficking and drug addiction
have been a problem in North Central Mass., and how some public officials
turned a blind eye to the problem when it began. But other regions have
struggled with illegal drug use and trafficking, yet have been able to
resurrect even the most run-down downtowns through a multi-layered approach
to the problem.

If city officials want residents to visit Main Street in Fitchburg, they
must first commit to nearly round-the-clock foot patrols. Residents, and
the thousands of students who attend Fitchburg State College, will come
downtown if they feel safe there, and if there's something for them to do
once they arrive.

Homeless people or drug addicts should not be allowed to loiter downtown,
bothering or frightening residents.

Police should move them along. If they won't move, they should be
arrested. We need a zero-tolerance policy for police throughout the region,
not just in Fitchburg, because drugs are a regional problem.

We also need city officials to work together to bring companies into the
region to fill some of the now-empty downtown buildings, whether they're in
Fitchburg or Leominster.

FSC can also be a huge part of Fitchburg's downtown revitalization. The new
administration has already proven they want to be a vital part of the
community. Working with our Statehouse delegation, they could free up
state funds to help rebuild empty storefronts in the downtown and make them
vibrant once again.