Honesty from SMOC needed Sunday, July 10, 2005
Joan M. Eames, Framingham Metrowest Daily News
I live in the residential neighborhood impacted by SMOC's purchase of 517 Winter St.  I am angered about the clandestine way SMOC's managers handled this takeover.  The neighbors learned of the proposed purchase early in May through an unintended release of information rather than a SMOC announcement.

Then, on May 29 this paper reported SMOC's Mr. Desilets said, "I believe the neighbors should be involved in a dialogue with us around a program we might put in that neighborhood."  This dialogue never occurred.

On June 3, this paper reported that Desilets stated, 517 Winter "will be the new location for Sage House," a drug rehab facility.

An especially disturbing action on the part of SMOC's managers occurred recently in Worcester.  The Telegram-Gazette reported on June 6 that State Senator Harriette Chandler stripped $200,000 from the state budget that was slated to support a SMOC facility for former drug addicts in a Worcester residential area.  She did so because SMOC changed the plan in favor of placing people who are active drug addicts in the facility.

Yet another highly questionable action on the part of SMOC was to list Selectman Charles Sisitsky as a member of SMOC's Board of Directors.  In fact, at a televised meeting of the selectmen, Sisitsky emphatically denied that SMOC had ever asked him to serve on the board.

SMOC is funded primarily with our tax dollars.  If SMOC's managers are unwilling to work openly, honestly, and cooperatively with local residents and officials, its public funding should be reallocated to agencies who do.

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