the weekly stash mar. 26 - apr. 2

8/9/2019 The Weekly Stash Mar. 26 - Apr. 2

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It was about 1:30am when I met the

gentlemen in a secluded area down on the

shores of the black river. I promised I

wouldnt reveal his name so

we will call him G. He

agreed to this interview for

two reasons. 1.) I used to be

one of his friends biggest

customers when I was using

and 2.) He tells me he actually

feels bad sometimes when he

thinks about all the lives in

this town that he has helped to

ruin. I mean the kids, man.The older people are making

up their own minds. But the

kids of those people, the

ones who buy shit from me;

They get their minds made

up for them. Then their parents sell all the

shit from the house ; and the kids go with

out while mommies in the closet with the

stem. He is shaking his head.as he say this

like he could will the picture that he most

likely has in his mind, of a little kid sitting in

an empty living room while mom and dad

are in the bathroom for hours at a time. I

ask him why he deals, it if it makes him feel

that way. Gotta get mine though. He tells

me. We start to walk slowly and he begins

to tell me that he has seen the same thing as

those kids in the empty living room. Your

mom was hooked on drugs? I ask him.

Shoot, she was a junkie irst rate. She died

when I was ten. I pass along my

condolences and he just

smiles at me with a

crooked grin as he

sidesteps a mud puddle .

There is a part of me that

wants to tell him all the

problems Ive had with

drugs, and how its dealers

like him that made life so

dificult, for so long. But I

decide that I want to ask him

more important questions,so discretion is the better

part of valor, at this point.

Your not from here right;

so how did you come to

sell stuff up here? At irst

he shrugged his shoulders, scufing the

pavement with his gleaming white Nike

uptowns. Then he began to ill me in. See, I

had this iend that lived on the block back

home in the city, He tells me that a n******

can make mad loot up here. He yells me that

for dope you can get (3) to (4) times more

up here for what you can back home. So me

and a couple of my boys we take a ride up

here last summer and we got us a hotel

room. Then we just went out to the club and

scoped it out. We met this iend (drug

addict) . (continued.

SYNOPSIS:

Watertown has seen an

increase of drug useand an epidemic ofaddiction, the

availability of harddrugs is so prevalentthat prices are

dropping and theJefferson county jail ispractically at capacity.

What is it about our

sleepy little burg thatdraws so many dealers,

and creates even

more? We did the legwork to get you thestory.

The Weekly Stash Newsletter Investigating the human conditionDate: 3/26 ~ 4/2 2010 Volume 1, Issue 2

Watertowns

Epidemic

blogtalkradio.com/grid lock8pm Mon/Tues/Thur/ LIVE!

My interview with one of H2otowns most

proliic pharmaceutical entrepreneurs"

http://www.Theweeklystash.ning.com


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the same faces out there making sales to the

iends. It seems to work on a few different

levels, it keeps the cops from recognizing the

same faces, it keeps the iends from getting

friendly with the guys and hustling them out of

product, and it makes the guys hustle harder

so they have enough money to last them till

they can come back to make more. He smilesat me like he just revealed the holy grail to

me. Just then his phone rings again and this

time he doesnt seem to require privacy so I

just wait for him to inish and he says, sorry

bro but I gotta go get this money as he

reaches out for a hand shake. After our bro

hug I graciously tell him thank you for being

so candid, and assure him that his identity is

safe. He pulls his hood up over his head and

hunching his shoulders he strides down the

walk way where a car pulls up just as he

reaches the end. He gives me a little salute,

jumps in the front seat, and hes gone. As I

walked back to my house I thought about what

I had learned tonight.

Watertown is looded with hard drugs. The

people who bring the drugs here, simply do

not care if people are ruining their lives. They

see the population of Watertown as nothing

dumb hicks and iends. The people thathost these out-of-towners actually believe

that these people are their friends. But are to

often used and disrespected in their own

homes. For the most part the self esteem is so

low and the addiction threshold or craving is

so high that they either dont care or see it as

an even trade. They give up their dignity, take

the risk of going to jail, and are hardly

compensated for the risk they take in turn

they get the privilege of furthering their

addiction with people like Gs drugs. We

have so many drugs here because of several

reasons. The irst being: Selling drugs in

Watertown, is easy and exaggeratedly

proitable. The price here is easily three to ive

time as much as it is, even in Syracuse. That

kind of proit brings the captains of the

industry to the area..Continued.

..) and she put us on to this dude. We

made us a deal with him that we make sure

hes taken care of and he does all the hand to

hands for us .

I notice that he is fumbling around in his

pocket for something, then I hear it, its his

phone, on vibrate. He looks at it and tells me

hes got to take this call and steps away from

me. I make sure that I walk far enough away

so I dont hear what hes talking about. As I

light up a cigarette I notice the glint of moon

light relecting off the glass laden surface of

the mighty black. I lash back to being a kid,

jumping the fence across the street from

Arts Jug so we could get to the service

catwalk, and cross over to the water street

tussle. We used to go there as kids and

explore the abandoned warehouses. Im

reminded of how much Watertown has

changed. In those days we didnt mothers

selling their body for a crack hit or people

overdosing on heroin at a stop light. We

didnt have the population that we have now

either. Nor did we have the rate of

unemployment due to the level of unskilled

population. Seems like even though we have

a comparable amount of manufacturing and

a developing diversity in the range of

employment available, we still dont offer

much in the way of job training for those

that are permanent residents. I digress, and I

notice G is off the phone now and walking

back to where Im standing. listen bro, we

got to speed this up, I got places to be I nod

my head and toss out my cigarette, expelling

a plume of smoke. Okay man, I just have a

couple more questions anyway I tell him. I

was hoping you could let me in on how the

operation works, you dont have to be

speciic just the broad strokes of it. Yeah,

sure, I mean its really no secret. We come

up here with about three or four guys we

trust from back home. We bring up about

*** coke and then we sell it as fast as we can

and get the hell out of here. Then when we

are ready to come back we bring three or

four different guys with us. So we dont have

She is seventeen, on herown, pregnant, And has

been addicted to cocainefor almost two years.

Tel: 315-782-2002

Mobile: 315-523-6143

:[email protected]

Manufacturers ofSuboxone r

community at its

Very best


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The Business of Addiction

Downtown Watertown

The second reason is the ease at which dealers

can operate in this town. They dont stand out

on street corners and lag down cars here. They

sit in a house and play Playstation while they

have their iends run all over town selling

their dope for them. Then its just a matter of

sitting back and collecting the money. Another

reason, more to the heart of the problem is of

course demand. Watertown has 13% addiction

rate to go along with about a whopping 19%user rate. Let break that down. According to

the National Institutes for Drug Addiction,

Watertown has approximately 4,300 persons

addicted to either cocaine, heroin, or a mixture

of drugs that include methamphetamine, psy-

chedelics, marijuana, and assorted pills, that if I

named them all, would take up the entire page.

According to that same study, Watertown has

an additional 1000 users of drugs. These are

people that admit to using but have never

sought any form of medical care due to their

usage. Now here is where it gets stunning. Wa-

tertowns population in 2008 was 27,310. Thatis nearly 1/5th of the population.

Watertown has little or no activities for our

children of low income. There is practically no

community activities geared toward troubled

neighborhoods, we used to have playgrounds

that had activities in the summer. Or at least

the programs that are in place are not well

advertised. And there is hardly any employ-

ment opportunities or training for those that

are unable to qualify for loans. It is as if our

community has lost all sense of responsibility

to each other. If there is no hope of ever elevat-

ing oneself out of poverty then medication ofthe soul seems like an attractive alternative to

the feelings of inadequacy and shame that are

so prevalent in our community today. We have

no more outrage at the condition of our broth-

ers and sisters. It is hope that wakes the tired

eyes in mornings of discontent and allows us to

not only get by but thrive on the challenges

that life has in store. When we allow our com-

munity to become stagnant, and its people to

fall on the way side, we allow the same for our

moral convictions. Soon we become as stone.

Unmoved by the plight of others,. unfazed. We

haven't got the time. Between episodes of Jerseyshore and our dedication to our gadgets. We con-

vince ourselves that someone else will help them.

When we decide collectively to commit the selless

act of concern, and when we can look past our

stereotypes, prejudices, and assumptions, we

are truly helping ourselves become the person

that we wish we were. In turn, making the com-mitment to uplifting your community as a means of

insuring that your family has a community that of-

fer's the best chance possible for its residents to not

only survive but lourish, with each person having

the opportunity to reach their unlimited potential.

By...Joey Spencer

The practice of addiction treatment facilities in the Watertown NewYork area, of cutting short the treatment of addicts, at precisely thesame time as their insurance runs out, is reprehensible and detrimentalto the well being of the patient. In Watertown, there is a pervasivepractice of manipulating addicts while they are most vulnerable. Thereis the common instances of coercing those with manageable addiction

issues, into entering unnecessarily into in-patient treatment facilities.Then there is the get even attitudes ofsome addiction professionals.For instance, if the person seeking treatment should have the audacityto retain independent thought, and wish to take part in structuring hisor her own treatment; they are treated as though they are incapable ofco-managing their own care. While being presented with an attitudethat is both callus and arrogant. According to OASAS, NIDA, and theInternational Center for Advancement in Addiction Treatment, (all ofwhich are the foremost authorities on Addiction) The single most de-cisive factor in creating a comprehensive recovery program that is suc-cessful and permanent, is essentially empowering the patients in theirown healing process. However, it seems that in our region, some ad-diction professionals are more concerned with being right, not having

their authority challenged, and filling the beds of in-patient treatmentfacilities. They have struck up a symbiotic relationship with these facil-ities, with the goal ofhording patients and their Medicaid insurancepayments. Instead of treating the patient with dignity and respect, theyare treated as a means of cash flow. Regardless of the well being of thepatient, they are coerced into treatment solely for the collection ofMedicaid funds. This practice ignores the welfare of the patient andfocuses only on the extrication of dollar amounts from the Medicaidprogram. This is happening everyday at the Samaritan BehavioralHealth out-patient care facility on outer Washington street in Water-town. There is a sense of indifference toward the concerns and inputfrom patients. There is an attitude of superiority, where every addict islooked at as unintelligent yet manipulative. There is also the intoler-ance of independent thought. If a patient has his or her own beliefsconcerning spirituality, the disease model of addiction, or the mannerin which he or she would like to address their issues. They are treatedwith distain not only by staff but by other patients at the goading ofstaff. I have personally been told by staff, if you do not find god thenyou will never stay clean. This of course is the opinion of a single staffmember and not the entire program. However, this demonstrates thelack of respect for independent beliefs, and the audacity of staff. This isa problem that needs the attention of someone who can enforce statepolicy. And see through the staging of administration.

Coming Next Week .

The summer jobs preview~ Alisting of seasonal jobs that will be availablesoon.I got skills~ We interview VESID andgive you the details on how to get trained.

Featured Articles~ Taxes~ Where doesthe money go.Pay it forward~ getting your charity on

Tel: 315-782-2002

Mobile: 315-523-6143:[email protected]

...From page 1


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The First Annual Meeting Of The

Silver7s Foundation ~~ The meetingschedule is tentatively set for 7pm onWednesday April 21st. This is a strategysession for completing the non-profitstatus paper work. This is also chance tobring up ideas for public notice of ourservices. Snacks and drinks will beavailable. Please confirm your attend-ance with Joey Spencer. 315-523-6143The meeting will take place at:

173 E. main street apt# 1Watertown ny 13601.

204 Franklin StreetWatertown NY 13601Ph. 315-405-8318Cell. 315-921-3453

Silver7s Foundation was founded with the principle

that individualized addiction treatment, allows theaddict to be more comfortable with the idea of whatrecovery is, and it also allows the empowerment ofinclusiveness. In creating his/her own recoveryprogram, they became invested in their own future,while bolstering their sense of self. It also produces amore invested participation. We are opposed to anytreatment that requires the addict to surrender therewill and life over to the care of anything other thanthemselves. We are not subscribers to the theory thataddiction is an incurable life long disease. These arepoisonous ideals, coercive and destructive in theirpractice. And Proven to be unsuccessful.We are dedicated to helping addicts gain theknowledge, confidence, support, and finances, in orderto get comprehensive treatment, for the individual.Instead of manipulating the addict to change any lifelong belief systems.We hope to accomplish this through our research intobehavioral modification technics, medication as need-ed, group counseling, and positive reinforcementthrough family involvement and/or group activities.The financial aspect will be administered throughdonations, grants or endowments.We would greatly appreciate any support.Donations to be made out to:

The Silver7s Foundation173 E. Main Street

Watertown NY 13601Ph. 315-782-2002

Fax. 315-658-4751Email: [email protected]

APRIL 2010

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Quality Gently Used ClothingFor Women And Children

Great Selection ~ Better Prices

We Accept DonationsPick-up and DeliveryCall Ahead.

the weekly stash mar. 26 - apr. 2

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