METHADONE CLINIC DOESN'T BELONG AT HERSHBERGER SITE

Artis is chairman of the Roanoke chapter of The Dr. Martin Luther King
Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

For the record, I must take issue with your Nov. 13 editorial on our
efforts to rid the Northwest Roanoke community of a proposed methadone
clinic on Hershberger Road. I'd like to take the time to explain exactly
where we are coming from on this issue.

Much has been made of my comments pertaining to economic racism on the part
of National Specialty Clinic and the willingness of Roanoke city government
to allow this racism to happen, as well as my promise to shut the clinic
down, "if they are stupid enough to move into my neighborhood."

However, our efforts are much more than these two statements.

First, unlike the comments recently made on the Nov. 22 NAACP weekly radio
show, I'd like to say that in no way, shape or form do we blame
Commissioner of Revenue Sherman Holland for the opening of this clinic.
City government is trying to scapegoat Holland on this issue.

Simply put, the city did not do its homework on this issue. To cover up
this fact, the city is trying to put the blame on Holland.

Second, we are not against methadone clinics. We are against the location
of this one. We have stated time and again that this clinic needs to be in
a secure hospital setting, perhaps at the new biotech facility or at the
Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem.

I stated this fact several times at my Nov. 11 news conference. I also
talked about a federal program called The Enhanced Use Lease Program, which
would allow this very clinic to relocate on the grounds of the VA hospital.

This program has been used at several VA hospitals nationwide to treat
veterans and nonveterans who suffer from drug addiction. An article by
Reginald Shareef of Radford University appeared on roanoke.com explaining
this program in fine detail.

If this win/win situation concerning methadone clinics can happen in other
parts of the country, why can't we do the same here in Roanoke?

I stand by my comments that the Hershberger Road clinic represents economic
racism on the part of National Specialty Clinics. NSC chose this location
for two reasons.

NSC knows the zoning codes are weakest in Northwest Roanoke. NSC also knows
that the enforcement of those zoning codes is weakest in this part of the
city as well.

This is best illustrated by the city's disregard and unwillingness to have
properly investigated NSC's business license proposal before the issuing of
the business license to NSC.

I also stand by my comments concerning law enforcement in my community -
that it is lax concerning this neighborhood's current problems and couldn't
possibly handle any new problems stemming from a methadone clinic due to
our police department's lack of manpower and lack of direction from the
current police administration.

We are not afraid. Nor are we frustrated, as your editorial stated. We are
not, as David Gnass of NSC puts it, engaging in histrionics.

Common sense says a methadone clinic does not belong in a location next to
schools. It does not belong in a residential neighborhood or in a
burgeoning business area. It does not belong 100 yards from a youth center
currently being built. It definitely does not belong in a neighborhood that
has a history of having problems with gangs and drug dealers.

Opening this clinic at the proposed location is a disaster waiting to
happen. And who's going to suffer most when this disaster happens? My
neighbors, the neighborhood pastors, the schoolchildren, the neighborhood
businessmen and me.

We will not allow this to happen. If this clinic ever opens, we will shut
it down through nonviolent, peaceful protest by any means necessary.