Press Releases
Everytime their is a press release mentioning our block club the article in it's entirety will be posted here.
Groups protest smoke shop
Thursday, November 01, 2007 By Joe Noga West Side Sun News
Neighborhood and church groups gathered last week to protest the opening of a West 130th Street store they say sells drug paraphernalia and drug-inspired apparel. But the store's owner says the merchandise he sells there is legal and he is being unfairly scrutinized for selling his wares. Marchers protested at 420 Smoking Accessories and Clothing, located at 4628 W. 130th St. on the corner of Kirton Avenue, during the store's grand opening on Saturday. The store, sells T-shirts, posters, signs and other merchandise featuring marijuana logos and drug references, along with a small cadre of tobacco smoking pipes, papers and accessories. Ward 20 Councilman Martin Sweeney joined members of the Bellaire Puritas Development Corporation, block club members from the Longmead-McGowan Connection and other concerned residents at the protest. He said the store's owner is hiding behind a shroud of legitimacy while promoting drug use in the neighborhood. "It is obvious that this store intends to sell drug-related products, thereby encouraging the use of illegal substances," Sweeney said. "We support mom and pop businesses here, but not Cheech and Chong. There is no place in Ward 20 for drug use or anything related to it, period." Robert, who said he owns the store but would not provide his last name, says the store does have some smoking accessories, but that is not a big part of his merchandise. He requires proof that customers are age 18 before they can purchase some items. "Every single bit of my merchandise is legal," Robert said. "We're not marketing it as something to use with an illegal substance. I have signs all over the store that say the product is used for tobacco smoking only." Robert says community groups had put pressure on his landlord even before the store opened, but he does not expect the protests to continue. "I'm not selling anything that isn't being sold on Lorain Avenue," he said. "You can look at those stores and see that there's been no trouble out of any of these stores for years." He said protesting his store will not solve the drug problem that plagues the area. "They could do more to get rid of the drugs in the neighborhood than picket my store," he said. Meanwhile, Sweeney said he is pleased with the community's enthusiasm in fighting the store's opening. "The residents in this neighborhood are organized and work diligently on reducing the criminal activity in the community," Sweeney said. "The last thing they want is a store that contributes to drug use opening on the main commercial street in the area."