Pubdate: Fri, 22 Aug 2014
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2014 The Buffalo News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL
Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Harold McNeil

METHADONE CLINIC OK'D FOR LOWER WEST SIDE

Over the vehement objections of both neighborhood residents and Erie
County officials, the state has decided to grant Hispanics United of
Buffalo and Acacia Network a conditional license to operate a clinic
that will dispense methadone to heroin addicts.

The state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Service, in a
letter dated Wednesday, notified the clinic operators that it is
granting a conditional certificate of operation for the clinic to be
run out of Hispanics United's headquarters at 254 Virginia St. The
letter said the decision was made, in part, after more than 60
community meetings had been held to discuss the proposal with nearby
residents.

"It did not happen. Those 60 meetings did not take place," said Thomas
E. Gleed, a West Tupper Street resident, who Thursday labeled the
assertion "a fabrication."

Gleed and other members of the Virginia, Edward, Trinity, Tupper,
Elmwood Block Club, or VETTE, insisted that they initiated the only
community meeting that the clinic operators have had with residents.
That was just over a month ago.

Prior to that, many have said, they were completely unaware of
Hispanics United's plan to operate a clinic that would dispense
methadone to recovering heroin addicts. That, despite the fact that
operators said plans for the clinic had been in the works for two years.

The Bronx-based Puerto Rican Organization to Motivate, Enlighten and
Serve Addicts, or PROMESA, is the entity to which the state granted
the conditional certificate of operation. Raul Russi, its CEO, said
the clinic operators did hold 60 community meetings over a two-year
period.

"There were some block clubs there that we didn't know were there, but
were there. So for that reason, specifically, we didn't reach out to
some of those," Russi said Thursday.

While Russi took credit for arranging Hispanics United's meeting last
month with the VETTE Block Club, Gleed contradicted him.

"It was not a HUB-sponsored meeting. It was VETTE asking for a
meeting, and (Russi) was horrified when he saw so many people coming,"
Gleed said.

Neighbors opposed to the clinic's location persuaded both Erie County
and the Common Council to go on record opposing the clinic due to
concerns that it would attract drug dealers who prey on methadone
clients to the neighborhood and that the clients would line up for
treatment in the morning near a school bus stop.

After working 20 years to rid their neighborhood of drugs and gangs,
residents said, they do not want to see it slide again.

As a former resident and police officer who patrolled the
neighborhood, Russi said he worked just as hard to clean up the
neighborhood and would not do anything to endanger it.

Last month, a spokesman for Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz
said it was unlikely the state would grant Hispanics United a
certificate without the county's approval. Thursday, Poloncarz issued
a statement expressing disappointment in the state's decision to
approve the operation of the methadone clinic without the county's
support.

"We continue to believe the site location to be wholly unsuitable for
such a clinic. However, now that it has been approved, we will begin
to work with concerned residents to minimize any negative impacts
there may be on the neighborhood."

In this week's letter, the state noted that clinic operators agreed to
comply with a number of conditions in order to qualify for its
certificate, among them a promise to provide video surveillance around
the perimeter of the building and to provide a security patrol.

Russi said that there is a desperate need for the clinic's services in
the neighborhood and vowed that Hispanics United will work closely
with residents to ensure that the clinic's presence is not a liability.

Gleed did not share Russi's confidence Thursday, despite the
conditions agreed to by Hispanics United.

"It would matter more if they followed those conditions in a location
that would be appropriate. ... HUB was never a medical treatment
facility. It was a community center," Gleed said.

Meanwhile, residents have planned a rally against the clinic for 4:30
p.m. today at Hispanics United of Buffalo. County Legislator Barbara
Miller-Williams, D-Buffalo, who represents the district where the
clinic is located, said she will hold a community meeting on the
subject Sept. 10.  
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