Persistance Is Not Necessarily A Virtue...

Published in THE SALEM NEWS (MA) 01/08/2011.
The Meth Clinic that already failed to get a foothold in Salem due to public demand TWICE in Salem is appealing for a THIRD time.. Some people just don't know when they're not wanted..

Salem News: If At First You Don't Suceed...FAIL AGAIN!!

Originally published in THE SALEM NEWS (MA) 12/18/2010:
A proposed Methadone Clinic, already booted out by a massive neighborhood protest. once again tries to gain a foothold in Salem. Unfortunately, their choice for an alternate area-in the vincinity of the local HIGH SCHOOL..as well as traffic concerns... once again bring up an uproar and the clinic was denied..Will there be a next chapter in this saga? Stay tuned...

Salem News: Psychic Zoning

Published in THE SALEM NEWS 10/15/2010:
This cartoon was based on an SALEM NEWS article about the city's proliferation of Psychic readers(fortune tellers,etc.) after certain restrictions to allowing these business were removed. It also seemed to me that if anyone can start such a business with simply just filling out a license and paying a fee, maybe some more controversial enterprises that have had trouble setting up in Salem might use this little loophole to get around it by simply combining services..

Salem News: Zoning Aftermath

Published 07/06/2010: The outrage over the proposed Meth clinic is forcing some changes in the local zoning laws- and in one unexpected way!

Salem News: Trapped Rats

Published 06/19/2010: A public meeting was held in South Salem over the proposed Methadone clinic. The turnout was MUCH more than expected, as many South Salem residents filled the Meeting area to over capacity, everybody agreeing that the South Salem Area is NOT a good place for a Meth clinic. It didn't help the clinic's cause that the Clinic's representatives never even showed up to plead their case, effectively chickening out.

Salem News: NIMBY

Published 06/09/2010: Last week, out of the blue, an announcement was made that a former furniture store on Canal Street was being planned to be made into a Methadone clinic, where recovering heroin addicts could go for doses of the drug to ease their cravings. This did NOT sit well with the residents of South Salem, were the proposed clinic is located. Salem, like many other cities, is known as a "Shelter Town" and often has- what's the PC term?- transients congregating around town and sadly, on occasion, being disruptive.
That, plus the fact that the Canal Street location is an often congested traffic area,next to a small shopping plaza, gas stations, fast food joints, and that canal is NOT on a public transporation route, meaning that the clinic's patients will have to walk thru the residential neighborhoods nearby to get to the place-it is NOT sitting well with the neighbors, who already have to cope with the Salem State College students on top of that..bacisally, it has cused a major uproar, with many people worried that the people who use the clinic will try to rob their houses, urinate in their lawns, harass their children, hang around the shops ..The fact that there have been many reports of hypodermic needles being found around the city lately hasn't helped either. A public hearing is scheduled for later this month.