Reminder: Methadone Clinic protest Saturday at 10:30am

Here a re two more reminders we received regarding the protest against the Methadone clinic at 100 E.  79th street. It begins Saturday, November 1 at 10:30am:

here's the Greater chatham Alliance press release:

CHICAGO--Members of the Greater Chatham Alliance Community Organization (GCA), area residents, local educators, parents and business owners will hold a march and rally to demandthat owners of the Nuway Community Services Methadone Clinic, (79th and Michigan), finallyresolve the ever-growing, public nuisance, disturbance and loitering complaints created by their patients receiving treatment.

The demonstration will take place on Saturday, November 1st starting at 10:30 am in front of the Chatham Avalon Medical Center, located at 110 E. 79th street. Area residents from both Chatham and Park Manor, local school educators and parents, and 79th street business owners will discuss how the loitering and disturbance situation has created conflict on the 79th street corridor all the way to 76th street from Michigan Avenue to King Drive).

Residents will discuss examples of morning incidents where methadone patients hide in their backyards or side entrances, or stand in front of their garages and alleys to avoid police detection as early as 5:00 am--one hour before the clinic opens.Ruggles elementary school parents and teachers will cite occasions like naked manfound sleeping in the nearby school park or patients lingering all day on and near schoolgrounds after receiving treatment.

Area business owners will be asked to discuss examples of how ill-tempered patients loiter in their stores, which often lead to confrontations with their staff and customers.

GCA has repeatedly asked to meet with Olajide Solola, President of the Nuway CommunityServices Methadone Clinic, to ask him to provide a patrolling security service that would marshal non-resident methadone patients to leave the area after receiving their treatments.

The organization feels that this would not only be a reasonable and fair negotiated step toavoid patient and resident / business confrontations, but also stem sales by some patientsto other methadone clients in order to buy heroin from local drug dealers who canvass the area.GCA, as a spokesman for the community, will seek other options to help press for the relocationof the clinic if the clinic owners do not provide a comprehensive security patrol.

This one is from Cee Powell, a resident:

Good morning JP,

The reason for this correspondence is to implore you to help me get the word out about this protest. Attached you will find the information regarding said protest that is being decimated throughout the community. The reason I feel this touches home with you is because as a father I'm sure it would concern you to know that on a regular basis I myself along with the staff from Chatham Foods have had to ask patients from that clinic to leave off of school grounds during our children's recess and during school hours. Once we had to wake one up from under a tree and when she left I give you one guess as to which direction she walked. A couple of months ago we the residents of 7600 & Prairie had 6 of them removed from a foreclosed property on our block, and when we asked the police officer who they were he said he recognized 3 of them from the methadone clinic.

JP I know this is a long email, but this needs to be addressed because I have had parents complain many times about the unsavory people that are just hanging around because of the park waiting to get in the clinic. Please keep in mind we are not asking them to pack up and leave because we do understand this clinic provides a service, but what we are and have been asking is that the owner put stricter guidelines regarding the loitering as well as any security guards to ensure the patients leave our area after they receive their treatment. All we're asking for is they enforce a strict program policy as follows: Patients be seen by appointment onlyPatients are to arrive no earlier the 10 minutes before said appointmentPatients are to leave the surrounding area immediately following treatment

We feel this will eliminate the unwanted loitering around our schools, residences and businesses. If this form of resolution cannot be met or considered here are other suggestions: 1. The clinic can just move to a factory district Where the police will come out to move them onbecause manufacturers won't allow that lingering. 2. Or urge them to relocate to a shopping mall, wherewe know the mall owner developers will have a toughsecurity presence to send them merrily alongtheir way home! 3. Or the clinic finally gets two (2) armed, patrolling car, security guards to monitor our area from an hourbefore the clinic opens--until it closes.