of the POCONO PLATEAU

A LOOK AT the proposed Evergreen Detox Facility, formerly the Sportsman and then the Blakeslee Inn, that Pocono Raceway would like to open in Blakeslee. The 3.2 acre site would be a state licensed detox facility, primarily housing people for five to seven days, some longer depending on the substance from which they would be withdrawing. Evergreen would be an attractive facility, much like a highend hotel. There would be nurses and a doctor on site 24 hours a day, and a 1 to 7 ratio of nurses to patients across all three shifts. The

50-bed facility would house people who voluntarily sought treatment, and would include a percentage of Medicaid beds, so it would be accessible to everyone in the community. Patients would be able to leave if they wished, but the facility would be secure, and patients would be transported in and out of the facility; they would not have cars or phones. According to Joseph Mattioli IV, one of the principals, 55 to 60 jobs would be created if the facility is approved. At left is the proposed exterior; a classroom area is at right.