CITY SET FOR DRUG TEAM VISIT , MAYOR HOPES FOR MORE FUNDING

NEW BEDFORD -- Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. hopes a team of experts
from the national drug czar's office will be able to help the city
obtain more funds for its battle against drugs.

The team will be in the city this week to talk to local leaders and
residents about the impact of drug use and current strategies for
combating the problem.

Mr. Kalisz said Barry McCaffrey, director of the White House's Office
of National Drug Control Policy, has told him federal resources often
are not used. "This team will help us identify resources that we can
use," he said. "In a sense we're cutting out the middle man and going
right to the top."

The group, which will include representatives from the White House
Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Justice Department and the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will arrive Thursday
afternoon and leave Friday.

The Washington officials will attend a meeting Thursday to hear about
efforts in enforcement, prevention and treatment and what's happening
in the courts. The meeting is open to the public but will not include
opportunities for public comment. It will run from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at
the Hayden McFadden Elementary School in the north end.

The meeting will be moderated by Mayor Kalisz.

The presentations resulted from a planning session several weeks ago
involving more than 50 people, including representatives of outreach
organizations, law enforcement agencies and treatment providers, the
mayor said.

"The problem is three-pronged, and involved issues of enforcement,
treatment and prevention. These are three very important categories
that segments in our community have all raised a concern about of
late," the mayor said.

Friday, after a 9 a.m. press conference, the Washington visitors will
walk through the Bay Village Housing Development and the Acushnet
Avenue area of the city's south central neighborhood.

"It will be a general survey, a chance for them to get familiarity
with the city and see the diverse neighborhood situations that we
have," said Mr. Kalisz.

The team will write up a report on its visit and make recommendations
to the city at a later date, he said.

Barry R. McCaffrey, a Southeastern Massachusetts native, agreed to
send the team to New Bedford last winter after speaking with Mayor
Kalisz during a function at the White House.

This is the second such visit the drug office has made to a local
community. The Office of National Drug Control Policy sent a team to
Youngstown, Ohio last winter.

"This is a national response to a localized issue," Mr. Kalisz
said.