Mother speaks of pain of loss as Arnold and New Kensington residents hold anti-drug march and open-air forum

Roxanne White, a mother from Arnold, has taken steps to ensure no other parent has to experience what she experienced on Mother's Day.

In fact, she took many, many steps Saturday afternoon when she joined about 30 others in a March to Save Our Community down the main streets of Arnold and New Kensington.

The goal was to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal drugs and help prevent overdose deaths in both cities.

Tragic discovery

Glendon “Bubba” Starr, 37, was a graduate of Valley High School and worked as a welder to support his family.

He had been battling drug addiction for many years and, according to his mother, was clean for two years before relapsing.

White found Starr dead on her kitchen floor on May 12.

He had previously been drinking with people in the North Hills area.

White said his medical reports indicate he died from a mixture of alcohol and fentanyl.

“My doctors tell me I'm still in shock and every day is very exhausting,” White said. “I'm still waiting for the phone to ring, for my son to call me every day like he normally does and ask what we're making for dinner. He loved to cook. He's a big boy, so he loves to eat as much as he loves to cook.

“He was very funny. Very loving and friendly, but he just had his addiction. It got him.”

Shortly before he made the tragic discovery, White had been caring for his young daughter Amyah.

“I don't want anyone to ever have to go through that,” White said. “That's why I'm here, and I don't want people to remember my kid any other way than what a great, loving person he was. I don't want them to remember him and say, 'Oh. He just died of an overdose.'”

“That's not fair to my child, and that's not fair to other people's children. You have to remember that person, who they were. They're other people's children. They're other people's grandchildren. … Drugs aren't picky.”

Tackling a problem

Arnold City Council Officer Rob Haus said there have been 30 overdoses in the city this year, including five deaths.

On Mother's Day alone, there were five overdoses, including Starr's.

Cheryl Banks, known in town as “Arnold’s mother,” was the driving force behind Saturday’s march.

She talked about her neighbors and that some of her friends' children had died as a result of illegal drug use.

“Our community is dying,” Banks said. “These are my people, so to speak. These are my children, so to speak. And I'm watching drugs take over my family. It's sad. They're taking control and somebody has to put a stop to it. My neighbor died earlier this year.”

“The drugs, the violence behind the drugs – we're just losing it. We want to make a difference. Let these people see that there are other ways. Let's make a difference.”

The march began at 18th Street Ball Field and ended at Roosevelt Park.

It also served as a mock funeral procession, complete with a wooden coffin pushed on wheels, surrounded by people carrying signs.

The signs included messages such as “Do better – our children are watching,” “Please don’t die,” “Just say no,” and “You are loved.”

Slogans included “No to what? Drugs” and “We need hope, not dope.”

The message caused many residents to leave their homes, most of them waving in support.

Arnold Mayor Shannon Santucci, with assistance from an Arnold official, helped coordinate the route to protect pedestrians and minimize impacts on traffic.

Local organizers had originally planned to demonstrate against the direction of traffic and, if necessary, to use several demonstrators as human shields against oncoming traffic.

The event was held in partnership with Voice of Westmoreland, an organization that advocates for the interests of Westmoreland County residents.

The group conducted a survey in Arnold over the summer to find out what changes residents wanted.

According to organizer Mackenzie Fangman, there were 178 respondents and 25 percent of them said that drugs and violence were major problems in the city.

Another 25% said that more activities for children were needed in the city.

“We wanted to get as many people to talk to us as possible to get a really good idea of ​​what people are seeing in their community and what their concerns are,” Fangman said. “We have a mini-branch here, Arnold Community United. We have a lot of members here and a lot of people who are very concerned about their community. That's what we're about. We want to bring a community together and solve problems together.”

The Saturday program continued in the park with food stalls and several speakers.

There was a makeshift memorial wall on one of the park fences. People hung pictures of people who had died of an overdose in the past year or two.

Voice of Westmoreland members shared information about the resources available to families and how people can get involved in their community.

Local chapter leader Rose Piern said Banks came up with the idea for the march at one of their meetings and they were proud to be part of it.

“We are a community-based grassroots organization and we believe that everyone deserves a decent life. And we are here to help people figure out for themselves what that means and help them find ways to achieve that,” Piern said.

“I think it's a great thing to see so many people coming by to learn more about what's happening in Arnold. We also have a lot of resources here. We hope people will take advantage of them.”

Among the local leaders marching was Arnold City Councilman Aaron Moore.

“I think this is desperately needed,” Moore said. “We need to recognize drug-related crime and those who have lost loved ones to this drug epidemic. Getting people out on the streets and seeing us spread awareness is just the first step. There has to be follow-up. There has to be something next.”

He praised the efforts of Arnold Community United and stressed the need to address homelessness and related issues.

“We have a lot of things to raise awareness about here in Arnold,” Moore said.

White believes that events like the march and the knowledge that there are people out there who want to help the community cope with the grieving process.

“We all need to look out for everyone else's children and help them. It doesn't matter whose child it is,” White said.