Tag: Drug Treatment Facilities

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Northeast Times Says Stick it Elsewhere

The Northeast Times in their editorial this week notes that the NorthEast Treatment Centers plans to open a methadone treatment facility at Roosevelt Boulevard and Grant Avenue.  We sympathize with their concerns.  Treating people with drug addiction can be a challenge.

Addicts have no constitutional right to get their fix in the middle of a stable and decent neighborhood in a stable and decent section of Philadelphia. The rights of immediate neighbors as well as those in the entire Northeast to live without an influx of drug addicts far outweighs the right of those addicts to get treatment in a neighborhood that does not want them.

I have to commend those folks in Bustleton for somehow having managed to exist without having any drug addicts living among them.  It is truly an amazing story that I have referred to Matt Drudge for investigation.  You have a good population up there and not even one druggy.

Or could it be there there are folks up there who are drug addicts and maybe you would rather have them treated elsewhere.  You know, send them to some down and out section of the city, send them to Frankford?

Certain sections of Philadelphia may be down and out, but dragging the Northeast down with them would be patently unfair. It won’t happen if Bustleton residents have their say – and if the politicians back them up.

It might be more unfair if other sections of the city have to bear the burden of your drug addicts.  So let’s get to the bottom of this, once and for all.  If the clients who will use the facility come from your neighborhood, they are yours.  Keep them.  We have enough of them now.  And if we find we have some of them down here with us, in the “down and outs”, we’re sending them back.

Read the entire editorial here.

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Frankford Day Nursery to be Converted to Joy of Living Recovery House

oct-21-2007-007You wouldn’t think this nice little building would be a source of controversy.  The Frankford Day Nursery (4445 Penn Street) served the community for close to 100 years and now is closed and up for sale.  At the recent town hall meeting, some residents expressed concern that it was being converted to a transitional residence of some kind.  Both state representative Tony Payton and councilperson Maria Quinones-Sanchez said they knew nothing of such plans but would look into the rumor.

At the Frankford Civic meeting last night, the operators of the Joy of Living recovery house attended and talked about their plan to use the day nursery building as a recovery house.  They had been in contact with Tony Payton’s office and in fact had some kind construction permit.

So there was some confusion in Tony’s office about what to do and how to do it.  When this expansion of the Joy of Life services was being planned, the operators should have come to the Frankford Civic to discuss the issue.  It would have been good if Tony’s office had told them about it.

New Rule:  You don’t open a drug related facility in Frankford without getting community support from the Frankford Civic Association.

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We Are Saturated

A town hall meeting was held in Frankford Tuesday night at St. Joachims in the parish hall.  You will find many opinions from those in attendance at to the success of the meeting.  Some folks were at the meeting with the belief that it was to discuss the conversion of the old Frankford Day Nursery into another half way house.  This was not the case and that misunderstanding should fall on the organizers of the meeting.

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The meeting appeared to have been hastily organized but that impression may have come from incorrect or little information available before hand.  However the outcome of the meeting was an acknowledgment by councilperson Maria Quinonez-Sanchez that yes Frankford has a serious problem and it is going to take some work to fix it.

Sounds like a commitment to me.  There is no magic wand that will solve the kind of problem we have in Frankford.  The decision to actually adddress it will do for me. Drugs are a part of modern life and several folks at the meeting spoke out that we are not against the services being offered to the poor souls hooked on drugs.  We are opposed to being the main location for all these services.  That has to end.

Next we need to enforce the existing laws and regulations to shut down those services that are not run properly.  And finally we have to go after those flop houses that exploit these folks, take their money and do nothing for them. They are sucking the sould out of the community and deserve to be run out of town.

How can you help?  Report every flop house you know to the councilperson’s office and let them find out if they are licensed.  215-686-3448 or 3449.

Now thanks to Maria Quinones-Sanchez and Tony Payton.  Also, as I was listening to the tape tonight I think I heard that a representative from Senator Specter’s office was in attendance.  If so, thanks Arlen.  If I missed anybody, let me know pols.

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Counselwoman Guarantees Little in Town Hall Meeting, Comes Through With Snack Table

Town Hall Treats

Regular readers will know that I was more than a little miffed when Councilwoman Maria Quinones-Sanchez bailed on the Friends of Overington Park’s Tree Planting, leaving me hungry for the cookies and orange juice she promised.  But boy did she come through at last night’s town hall meeting.  She promised better interaction with city agencies, a more streamlined communication with our civic associations, and attentiveness when residents bring problem properties to her attention.  But she guaranteed tastiness coming through with that spread.  If she never does another thing for Frankford(or ever starts), her heroics calling in the snack foods will long be remembered.

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Very important Town Hall Meeting Tuesday, February 3rd

There will be a town hall meeting tomorrow  (February 3, 2009) at Saint Joachim’s Church from 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM regarding the rehab situation in FKD. This is the meeting that the NE Times reported would take place. It is the meeting Frankford has been promised since the summer. And it must be important else they would have given the community proper notice so that all could attend.  Apparently they do not want many of us to be there.  Please come and show your interest.