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Chatham Methadone Clinic Meets With Local Group Over Complaints

 Two task forces are dealing with complaints from the community.
Two task forces are dealing with complaints from the community.
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DNAinfo/Andrea V. Watson

CHATHAM — An official of a Chatham methodone clinic that has raised the ire of some neighbors says the clinic has been working with a local group to address problems.

The clinic, Nuway Community Services, 110 E. 79th St., was the subject of a neighborhood meeting in January, where residents complained of clients loitering and littering, which is bringing down the overall quality of the community. Violence is also a concern.

Jerry Davis-EL, a certified alcohol and drug addiction counselor at Nuway, said he has been meeting with a group organized by the Greater Chatham Alliance since April.

Davis-EL said that the clinic has addressed the early morning loitering problem but added that if the community knew the clients better there would be less tension.

“We need to let [neighbors] know these people are human,” he said referring to the clinic’s clients. “We have to show them some love, be transparent and let them know we’re here for them.”

Davis-EL, who has been meeting with Greater Chatham Alliance vice presdent Cee Powell, wants to see a health screening bus as well as a back-to-school drive to benefit the area. He wants to have both toward the end of August.

“My thing is, if you’re in this community, you need to give back; let’s look at the real issue, which is these people need some hope,” Davis-EL said.

Powell said Chatham residents had been complaining about the clinic for almost three years. Last October they formed the Community Management Task Force, which has been addressing issues residents have about the clinic's clients.

Greater Chatham Alliance president Craig Thomas said that his organization has been working on trying to determine who is a client and who isn’t.

“One method we’re employing is taking pictures of these people and asking neighbors to take a picture of anyone doing anything offensive” and bringing them to the clinic for identification. This creates “accountability,” Thomas said.

Another task force, under Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th), is being organized by Roosevelt Vonil, who said he has been working to recruit business leaders, police and other community leaders. He said the task force will have between nine and 11 members, and that once they recruit two more people, they’ll be ready to sit down with the owner of Nuway.

Davis-EL said that Vonil did contact him to say that they wanted to meet, but nothing has been scheduled yet.

January's meeting, which was hosted by Sawyer, became heated as community members expressed their dislike of the clinic in their community.

For the task force, Vonil said, “I’m not interested in jumping up and down, yelling.” 

“I just want to get these issues resolved because they are having a tremendous effect on the quality of life here. We’re not interested in emotional confrontation,” Vonil said.

Sawyer said "progress has been made” since January, describing Nuway president Olajide Solola as "a good guy.”

Solola has said "95 percent" of his clients are from the area.

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