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By JEAN LACOE; Times Leader Staff Writer
Saturday, March 13, 1999 Page: 1A
OLD FORGE – Old Forge residents won their battle to keep a methadone clinic
out of their community.
New Directions and the building’s owner agreed to terminate their five-year
lease, said James T. Mulligan Jr. of Moosic, the attorney for a pharmacy owner
who was fighting to keep the clinic out of the building his business occupies.
Glenn Cooper, executive director of New Directions in Allentown, confirmed
Friday he signed the termination agreement, but was unaware that building
owner Paul Chromey of West Pittston had also done so. Chromey was unavailable
for comment Friday.
“The prospect of a protracted legal battle is not really in anyone’s best
interests—because it’s expensive and during that time no one is getting any
services,” Cooper said. “We’re not spending five years in court, even if in
the end we’re successful, and it’s questionable whether we could do that
financially.”
The Borough Council denied Cooper’s initial occupancy permit application
for 730 S. Main St. Council members have not yet announced their decision on
whether to approve the clinic’s latest application, and Cooper recently
accused them of stalling in making a decision.
Mulligan said Chromey must return New Directions’ security deposit before
the agreement is finalized.
“Once those things are finalized, and I believe they will be finalized, my
clients will withdraw their complaint,” he said.
Albert S. Bilski Jr. and his wife Janet said the lease with Chromey gives
them exclusive authority to sell “prescription drugs or related items” in the
building.
The couple asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction to prevent
Chromey from renting to New Directions. A hearing was scheduled for March 24.
Cooper said New Directions will not abandon its quest to locate a clinic in
Northeastern Pennsylvania. They have already looked at several sites, although
Cooper declined to say where they are looking. “We will continue to
persevere.”
The clinic will only stop if another credible methadone clinic will set up
shop. “I would say that’s not going to happen,” Cooper said.
The clinic applied to treat 75 patients with methadone, a prescription
medication dispensed to heroin addicts. The application also sought a permit
so the clinic could treat an unspecified number for alcoholism.
Cooper blames local politicians for the opposition the clinic faced in Old
Forge.
“I think the main fault lies with the politicians and other supposed
opinion leaders who sort of played on people’s fears,” he said. “To make
themselves look like heroes, they’ve really distored the whole debate.”
Borough resident Ed “Buddy” Kania, 53, the former Old Forge mayor and
former councilman who led the residents’ fight against the clinic, said he was
“delighted” the clinic will not be located in Old Forge.
“I’ve said it before, methadone clinics do not belong in downtown U.S.A.,”
he said. He credits the “wonderful ladies of Old Forge” for running the
campaign to keep methadone out. They tied red ribbons to telephone poles,
created posters and T-shirts and collected more than 3,000 signatures on
petitions that are still circulating.
Kania now plans to urge the council to adopt stricter zoning regulations to
keep the methadone clinic situation from happening again.
Jean LaCoe is the social issues team leader. Reach her at 829-7155.