Pictured is the entryway to Northern Chautauqua Catholic Schools. Submitted photo

DUNKIRK — Parents had mixed reactions over the lack of answers they felt they were getting from representatives of Hispanics United on Tuesday.

At a special private meeting called to address parental concerns about the proposed methadone clinic in Dunkirk at Third Street and Park Avenue, family members were allowed to speak of their worries and ask questions. Several people leaving the school Tuesday thought their voices still weren’t heard.

“They didn’t even bring the person that was in charge. Now they’re going to take all these comments back to these people and do what with them? It’s probably a done deal,” Jean Cole said. “To service 37 people in Dunkirk, they’re going to put in a clinic that will then bring in another 350 more from surrounding areas.”

Parents were concerned that even though these individuals are trying to get better, they’re still battling addiction, and with them might come more drugs and dealers to the area.

“At this school they have to be creative,” a woman in attedance stated. “They go for walks outside, they walk around the block, they’re playground is butted up right next to that facility.”

Parents spoke of security measures that were discussed as possibilities by visiting board members. There were apparent talks of fences and security cameras, but many still had reservations. They were concerned that paraphernalia may be dropped that could then be picked up by young children who don’t know better.

“They use the church parking lot as a track for gym,” another woman in attendance noted.

How Hispanics United found the building which is causing this tension was a shock to many, as well.

“He drove around the block after looking at the old St. Vincent’s Home, which couldn’t meet their needs, and found the building and decided on that one,” Rachel Trippy, a mother of a NCCS student said.

Another woman in attendance was concerned with the statistics of helped individuals.

“They couldn’t give any figures on how many people were helped by the methadone clinics,” she said. “That really bothered me.”

Michele Starwalt, another concerned parent, did loads of research before addressing the visiting group last night.

“How many methadone clinics are less than 200 feet away from a border of a facility that houses 3-14 year olds? There was no answer,” she stated.

She provided a list of several other buildings that fit the zoning requirements and contained zero contaminants that might have been just as suitable.

“No one from OASAS or Acacia Network was there,” she said. “So there were a lot of questions that truly couldn’t be answered.”

The big issue of course was enrollment problems. If this would make families leave or not consider a Catholic education at all, would this lead to a closure of the school? Parents feel that if this was being placed near another public school, families and community members would be up in arms, as well.

“How do we continue to market? You can’t deny that putting the methadone clinic on the opposite corner of the school, people are going to have their opinions,” Jenna Walker, a parent of a NCCS student said. “We have Athenex coming in, somebody new, looking to purchase a home. These are educated people they might be looking at private education for their children. It’s important to them. If they see a methadone clinic nearby, they may just decide to buy a home in Derby or in Hamburg or Eden, and they’re going to send they’re kids to another Catholic school.

“Chautauqua County and the city of Dunkirk have a lot riding on this school,” Walker conitnued. “This school needs to be here, and it needs every elected official in the county and the city to prevent this (clinic) from happening and to possibly change the law, forbidding a clinic like this to be put up near a school or church. Then other communities don’t have to fight and lose sleep over it.”

Eugenio Russi, executive director of Hispanics United of Buffalo was forthcoming with concerned families. He stayed quite late to make sure every single person had the opportunity to have their concerns heard.

“We were invited here by the principal of the school to address the parents and their concerns about the location of the clinic,” He started. “I wanted to be honest with them. I wanted to be straightforward, we stayed until the very last person walked out and I addressed all the questions that they had. We want to be a good partner. We want to collaborate with this community. It’s very important to us and things that are important to this community are important to me also. Our goal is to be a good partner. There are people dying in this epidemic, it’s staggering. We have to do something about it.”