Community rallies against substance treatment center
From page 3
wares.
Corson, a resident of Mount Kisco,
pointed out at the CB 10 committee
meeting, that a similar program in
her neighborhood did not have an impact
on the community, but she did not
provide any documentation to support
BRUCKNER DETOX
CENTER OPPOSED
cents
New owner:
I’m developing wellness center
A sense of concern and outrage
is brewing in Throggs
Neck about a possible conversion
of an offi ce building into
an unwanted use.
Commercial tenants at
2800 Bruckner Boulevard received
letters to vacate the
property, and community
leaders have formed a coalition
to fi ght a possible alcohol
Westchester Square reels over vagrants
ulder during a confrontation
Continued on Page 67
Continued on Page 67
BRONX TIMES R 80 EPORTER, MAY 22-28, 2015 BT
A group of local residents came out to say no having a Miracle City substance abuse program
in their community. Photo by Fernando Justiniano
She believes that a campus setting
is more appropriate, and believes putting
substance abusers in a location
alongside a highway will bring drug
dealers to the community to sell their
Local residents Ronnie Rodriguez and Zoraida Torres said no to Miracle City.
Photo by Fernando Justiniano
her opinion.
Miracle City’s chief compliance offi
cer, said that there are two kinds of
822 programs, and the type they are
applying for the counseling component
only.
“Not now or anytime in the future
will we be seeking a license to
dispense or store medication,” she
said, adding that misinformation is
circulating throughout the community.
The 822 program is slated to occupy
25 percent of the property’s entire leasable
space.
Senator Alessandra Biaggi has not
publically stated her opinion on the
matter but a recent inquiry into her
silence was responded to by a staffer
who said the proposed location was removed
from the population, indicating
support for the program.
Miracle City would serve a boroughwide
clientele and because it is a
Medicaid eligible provider cannot refuse
anyone service.
Mary Jane Musano, Waterbury
LaSalle Community Association
president, acknowledged the opioid
crisis, but said that an appropriate
setting needs to be found for programming.
“The (rally) crowd was adamant
that they do not want this,” she said.
FDNY and USMC hero
Christopher Slutman laid to rest
From page 3
all made the journey with Slutman’s
remains.
A week prior to that, Slutman’s
colleague Lieutenant Jack Meara refl
ected on what it was like to be around
Slutman during an operation.
“He was the type of fi reman everyone
wanted to have in their fi rehouse,”
Meara said. “Chris always did the
right thing, Chris always stepped up to
the plate, Chris was always there when
you needed him.”
It was on that same day that The Stephen
Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation
pledged to raise funds to pay off
the Slutman family’s home mortgage.
In that same amount of time, the
FDNY also established a scholarship
fund for Slutman’s three daughters.
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While Bronxites prepared
to take a ‘bite out of crime’
at the annual August 1 Night
Out Against Crime, one crook
turned that around and took
a bite out of a local merchant
who tried to interrupt his
thievery.
A.M.A.F. Fashion business
owner Abdul Sol felt more
than an impact to his quality
of life on the morning of Sunday,
July 9, when a shoplifter
tried to leave his store with
a bag of clothing and Sol sufered
a severe bite on his left
rearm and a dislocated right
with the man.
At his 25 Westchester
Square store, Sol recalled how
the shoplifter had on previous
customer.
occasions
been a paying “He spent money here,
it’s not like I never saw him
before,” Sol said. “He came
around two or three months
ago and bought a pair of
shoes.”
But the Sunday of the assault,
the suspect asked for a
shopping bag, grabbed stuff,
and tried to leave, according
to Sol.
“I told him, ‘No, you can’t
take my stuff.’”
A fi ght ensued and Sol said
he “went to the ground with
him. I hurt my shoulder. He
took a big bite in my arm. I was
at the hospital until 6 o’clock. I
still have pain in my shoulder.
I still can’t lift my left arm.”
Sol said he had seen the
shoplifter associate with patients
from the Bronx Psychiatric
Center, so he fi gured he
was a client.
As Bronx Psychiatric Center,
on Waters Place, continues
to release its patients on
the street during the day, they
interact with homeless people
and drug rehab program.
Complaints have been
fi led with the city about beds
being moved into the building
or illegally converting it
into a residential building,
with some folks planning to
take legal action against the
landlord because they have
leases, according to multiple
sources.
Homeowners and renters
are also circulating petitions
to protest what appears to be
“a substance-abuse rehabilitation
program recruiting
staff” to work in the building
and lack of community notice
or engagement on what
may be sited at 2800 Bruckner
Boulevard.
“The community is defi -
nitely mobilized,” said Steven
Kaufman, an attorney who
is leading the Throggs Neck
Strong coalition looking into
the matter, adding “I believe
with mobilization, we might
be able to stop what they want
to do.”
Tenants in the building
say they got letters over the
last two weeks telling them
to vacate the building by
September, said Bobby Jaen,
Throggs Neck Merchants Association
president and coalition
member.
So far, at least 20 complaints
have been logged with
the NYC Department of Buildings,
including those concerning
“commercial space that is
being turned into residential
space” and those saying tenants
see “beds, dressers, mirrors
and chairs,” being moved
in.
As of press time, a meeting
of the Throggs Neck Strong
coalition has been planned
for the Crosstown Diner on
Thursday, August 3, with Jaen
expecting around 125 people,
following a lot of community
organizing and petitioning
that led to a forceful showing
at an earlier impromptu meeting
on Friday, July 28.
Anthony Mameli, Charles
Ruttenberg Realty’s Bronx
commercial real estate manager,
said the company was
planning a grand opening for
its new offi ce at the building
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