Stoffa Gets Unanimous Approval for West Easton Treatment Center

It began with a simple handshake. There was no written agreement, no set price. It was just two men, County Executive John Stoffa and entrepreneur Abe Atiyeh, who trusted each other.

That's something of a mystery, because they're as different as night and day.

Stoffa is quiet, reserved, cheap with a public dollar and is known above anything else for his integrity. He is often criticized, and with some merit, for indecisiveness.

Atiyeh is loud, spontaneous, financially generous and is known even by those who like him as something of a rascal. He is often criticized, and with some merit, for impulsiveness.

Yet in what has to go down as one of God's little miracles, these opposites attracted and grew to admire each other over the past years. Stoffa and Atiyeh encountered hurdle after hurdle in an often Quixotic quest to establish a treatment center, instead of a warehouse, for the worst element of society - our criminals.

Why? Because they're human beings, and deserve to be treated like human beings instead of animals.

At last night's Council meeting, a $447,125 lease for a 100-bed treatment center for DUI and non-support offenders was unanimously approved, 8-0, with Council Prez John Cusick absent as the result of a teaching obligation. The center will be located at the former Chipman Mills in tiny West Easton, which will get a "temporary resident fee" from Atiyeh for every person housed.

Prison Advisory Board Chair William Argeros and anti-gang activist Terrence Miller told Council that despite a 2006 Expansion, the jail is overcrowded to the point where some inmates end up sleeping on the floor. "This is not the answer," Argeros said of current conditions.

Terrence Miller

Miller noted how we dehumanize persons lost to a life of crime. "We use ex-convict. We use prisoner. We use element. We use derelict. We use addicts. Perhaps if we used different words like person, father, son, brother, then the reasons for creating a facility would change."

Tonight, you will be asked to vote on a lease for West Easton. This is not just a normal lease, but represents a philosophical change in direction. Approving this lease will be an historical event whereby we alter direction in how we treat people who are incarcerated at our jail.

But it is Executive John Stoffa who made the most salient points. Below is an excerpt.

It's Cheaper and Will Reduce Crime

The last building expansion at the jail occurred in 2006. It was budgeted for $22 million that created 243 new beds. This project is budgeted at $1.8 million for 100 beds.

Never before have we had a second site which emphasizes treatment rather than just warehousing people who recidivate at a 69% level. If approved, we'll join a short list of counties in Pennsylvania like Franklin, Allegheny and Pike, who are reducing recidivism dramatically with programs such as this.

This has been a long journey to this point. From Glendon, where we suffered defeat. From Bethlehem Township. And finally, to West Easton.

Community Jail Workforce Proposed

I would also like to begin a community jail workforce to provide cleanup for various community projects, such as cemeteries, especially veterans' graves, those graves that are neglected, Civil War, Revolutionary War. Clean up our roadways. If you want to see a disgusting sight, just go up 191 at 22 and look at the garbage all over the place. This effort would take care of issues like that. Clean up our roadways, parks and the like.

Plans would be to seek first year funding from the Gaming Commission for a van, supplies, tools and the funding for a supervisor to run the program.

Atiyeh, West Easton Borough, Thanked

Finally, I would like to recognize and thank Mr. Abe Atiyeh for his continuing support for this effort. To date, he has not received one penny from this County while spending thousands of his own dollars. Without his involvement, this would not have been possible. And also, to the Borough of West Easton, for their vision and willingness to approve this project. We need to prove to them that we will be a good neighbor and a good partner.

Former Phillies' Hurler Dicke Noles Is Atiyeh's Closer

Abe Atiyeh with his closer, Dickie Noles

After six hearings and 21 hours of testimony that first began last October, Bethlehem's zoners have finally wrapped up testimony on developer Abe Atiyeh's request for a 70-bed voluntary inpatient substance abuse center, more commonly known as a drug and alcohol rehab. What has made this project controversial is its location. It's proposed at the vacant Calvary Baptist Church, located at 111 Dewberry Avenue, and more importantly, right next to Bethlehem Catholic High School.

If approved, it would be operated by The Malvern Institute, a for-profit venture with a 80-bed inpatient facility in Chester County.

A Beca baseball diamond borders the rehab proposed at Dewberry Avenue. Ironically, testimony ended with former Phillies' pitcher Dickie Noles, who came out of the bullpen as Atiyeh's surprise closer.

During a three-hour hearing earlier this month, zoners heard from a trinity of educators concerned about the rehab's location. Bethlehem Catholic Principal John Petruzzelli worried that the treatment center would hurt the school. "Please do not impair or harm this neighborhood," he asked zoners. "Please do not threaten our ability to interest parents and attract students. Please don't threaten our viability." Dr. Bill Nelson, former Director of Student Services at Bethlehem Area School District, told zoners that student safety is "more important than anythng, more important than education itself." Greg Zeborowski, a retired behavioral analyst who worked with addicted students over a 37-year career, warned that addicted people are an "agitated, anxiety-ridden and edgy population."

When testimony resumed on January 25, Atiyeh Attorney Blake Marles first called called Donald Muenker, the principal of an elementary school located right next to a rehab in West Rockhill Township. Although he conceded that his young students are under much stricter supervision than you'll find in a high school, Muenker insisted he's never had a problem with the rehab center next door, and even uses it as an evacuation site.

After finishing with Muenker, Marles made the call to the bullpen, and out came tall, lanky North Carolinian Dickie Noles. During the 1980 World Series, Noles was the Phillies' relief pitcher who nearly started a riot with a brushback fastball that went right under George Brett's chin. But Noles told zoners and over sixty spectators last night that he's an alcoholic who has undergone rehab treatment himself.

"Treatment works," Noles assured everyone, who went through rehab in 1983. "If it works with me, it works with anybody."

For the past 18 years, Noles has been employed by the Phillies as their Employee Assistance Director, helping ball players who sometimes have drug, alcohol, money or relationship problems.

After a tough cross, Spadoni poses with Noles

As some members of the audience groaned, Noles stated that a rehab next to a high school - or anywhere else for that matter - would pose no safety concerns. "I see no problem. We're people." Noting the stigma associated with addiction, Noles pointed out that 1 out of every 4 persons in the hearing room has a loved one with an addiction. As the loud whispers and groaning continued, the former hurler added, "I see treatment differently than this whole room does. That's pretty obvious." Nevertheless, "I gave up a night with my grandbaby to be here. I'm kinda' glad I came."

After being cross-examined by attorneys with fastballs, Noles had to answer curves from some of the same people who were groaning at him. Kent Aitchison told the former pitcher, "I don't want it in my neighborhood." Sue Glenser complained the rehab would be full of "convicted felons." Clinical psychoanalyst William Henry suggested an association between addiction and "criminal violence."

As he attempted to answer concerns, the former hurler at one point complained, "Playin' baseball is way easier than this!"

"And a lot more money, too!" wisecracked Bethlehem City Council Solicitor Chris Spadoni.

"I wasn't there when they were makin' money," answered the right-hander.

When audience member Kerry Rogers asked about drug trafficking inside rehabs, Noles finally had enough. He threw no brushback, but did tell the audience, "I'm appalled. I don't think many people in here understand what treatment is about."

Whether Noles gets the save remains to be seen. On February 22, zoners Gous Loupos, Bill Fitzpatrick and Ron Lutes will listen to arguments from attorneys. After that, they will make a decision by March 30.

8-Bed Adult Mental Health Treatment Center Proposed in Bethlehem Tp

An 8-bed adult mental health residential treatment center might be coming to Bethlehem Township. Located at the northeast corner of Brodhead Road and Fritch Drive, it's just a stone's throw from a 300-bed work release and treatment center proposed by developer be Atiyeh.

NHS Human Services' Regional Director George Dermody and Attorney Jack Gross informed Bethlehem Township Commissioners on August 15 of their intentions to move to Bethlehem Township from Allentown State Hospital, where they are currently housed. They will need zoning approval for a special exception, but decided to acquaint Commissioners with the project first.

According to Dermody, the facility will employ 17 people and the facility will be locked. Residents will stay there for extended acute care for up to six months, and will included people recently released by hospitals or who are court-ordered to undergo this treatment. After that, residents will be discharged into a "supported apartment setting."

The ultimate goal, says Dermody, is to stop the revolving door at hospitals.

Solicitor Jim Broughal told Commissioners, "This one caught everyone's attention," and added that he had encouraged NHS to appear and provide a "first hand perspective of exactly what they're proposing."

NHS's track record in Bethlehehem Township is spotty, according to Commissioner Jerry Batcha. They operate a group home on Coleman Street for adolescent girls. "I've heard over the years a number of complaints that police continue to be called to that site." But Dermody insisted that NHS intends to "build good community relations" and that there are differences in the kinds of treatment needed for adults, as opposed to teenagers.

According to NHS, they operate a similar facility in York.