Milton Roy/Morgan Yacht survivors???

[mbell1960]

I was there for the new years explosion. I remember your dad had a used disposable bazooka from Nam.
I remember the Cassidys well. I liked all of them. I hope Liz is still married to Steve Gay. They were both good people to be caught up in the straight daze! I went and saw Jean and Scotty about 15 years ago in Memphis at their program Second Chance. Scotty had cleaned up,shaved and had on a sharp suit! I think the world of them personally but God!, they had incorporated christian slogan and memory verses overlaid on the Straight program. What a nightmare it must have been to go through that program! Jimmy Cassidy had moved there also and was working for the gas dept for Memphis.
Speaking of Jimmy, He was funny as hell! He was best friends with Jeff Ross (remeber him?) When I started drinking beer again after the 6 month followup they thought I was crazy as hell. Of course after a year they were back to burning weed. Liz had a great sense of humour also.

[Anonymous]

Straight spin-offs and predecessors still in operation  Second Chance, Memphis, Tennessee.  
Second Chance in Memphis, TN is an active juvenile therapeutic community which combines Straight-like therapies with Christian living. Its founder, Scotty  Cassidy, claims that before opening Second Chance he worked in adolescent drug rehabilitation programs in the Tampa area. There are notes from a Straight staff meeting which mention a Straight official at Straight-St Pete named Scotty Cassidy. A newspaper article mentions that a Scotty Cassidy was scheduled to be the founding director of Straight-Dallas.

[Anonymous]

My last contact with steve was in the early '80s.  He told me he was selling it all and moving to vegas to be a professinal gambler.

[Anonymous]

Cassidy was and is a muthafucker, as was his sis and parents too.

[Anonymous]

Another staff member not mentioned here was Amy Wright. She was hot as hell in 79. 7 years later she ballooned up about 250lbs. Internalized self-condemnation? Another staff member that caused me to scratch my head was Doug Hemminger. He became room mates with Dave Searcy and got a permanent done to his hair. Makes one wonder!
Sure glad this shit is long past history!

[Woof-a-Doof]

Maybe it's distance from that time period, but I don't think of it that often...in great detail. When I see names of, Amy Wright, Doug Hemminger, Dave Searcy and the like, it does seem to validate some fragments of memory, non of which are entirely pleasant. These particular individuals, Doug Hemminger, Criss Castler and others were cruel people.

Once, I developed jock itch from the sweltering heat in the Morgan Yacht building. I went to the medication line and Criss Castler gave me Asorbine Junior. I asked him if he thought it was the right choice, he assured me that it was. Like a fool I applied the Asorbine Junior...that was the most gawd awfull pain I have ever felt on my skin. When I applied it, I almost busted out a stall in the bathroom. It burned for almost 3 hours.

Makes one wonder, did they actually have our best interests in mind? NOT! Like the Anonymous poster said perviously....I am "Sure glad this shit is long past history"




Inconsideratus cogito ergo ego non sum

Latin: I dont think much, therefore I might not be

[Anonymous]

I remember Lynn and Scoott, I remember Brett well and still talk to his sister occassionaly (Christie). Good to see you all here. This is margaret heath.
Straight Morgan Yacht survivor and sarasota survivor.
Remember the Red Pole. I have been back to see it and i think ginger has pictures of the morgan yacht that we gave her. I often notice broken beer bottles in front of the morgan yacht and the gandy building when you visit on the weekend.
sue cookson is out of jail and stayed with me for a while to get on her feet, I owed her that as she got me out of straight. As far as I know now she is still in ST. Pete and working and doign better.

margaret heath

to reach me if you wish email the mistress of the board aka "ginger".
Good to see you all again and Im glad your ok and surviving.

[mbell1960]

Hey Margaret, I remember you and probably Lynn.
This is M Bell And was in straight at the same time as you were. I am glad to see old names and hear they are doing good. I think I saw a post where you helped Sue Cookson after she got out of prison. That means alot in this old world! Say hello to Sue the next time you see her and tell her to cool down her jets a little. Now is the time to keep a low profile and under the radar! Straight was a trip no doubt and it is interesting that so many people still have such after-effects from it. I just thought everybody(staff included) knew what bullshit it was. For me I have had to deal with emotional issues because of my Mom and step-dad over the years. Straight never was a mind bender for me compared to family issues. I looked at it as a reprieve in fact at 17 years old. Any way best of luck to all of you and I hope life offers its best to you.

[Anonymous]

liked your facial hair when you were on 1st phase - I was jealous.

[Woof-a-Doof]

Wow, Margaret Heath, I remember you. You also had a brother that was locked up with us. I also recall an incident with you and George Ross in the "green room". I never really formed a firm opinion about George Ross other than accepting (use of that term is loose at best) him as a "Senior Staff". But that day in the "green room" sealed the deal. What he did, how he did it...sucked and was wrong. I always felt like you were owed a huge apology, and my guess is that you never got that apology. After all this time, I think about that incident and I still feel horrible about it. How about this...I am sorry Margaret for that day. What was done to you in the name of theraphy was wrong. No one deserves to br treated as you were. I also apologize for knowing what I witnessed was horrible and I failed to report the incident. All of us there that day that witnessed what happened and said or did nothing were wrong. And for this I offer my sincerest apologizes.

Good to hear Sue is out of where she was! If ya see her, let her know I wrote and about 4 days later I saw here that she was released. I suspect I will be recieving the letter back soon. At any rate, tell her hello! As our paths have often crossed in past 25-30+ years I am sure we will again cross paths.

Mark Bell---you ever get back to florida much? I have a packed bowl for ya when ya do...Gimme a holla maybe you , myself and 85DJ can all have a sit down. Shit, maybe we can get a buncha folks from our time period and have a "get together"!

[mbell1960]

I don't get down to Florida near as much as I'd like to Dave but raincheck that bowl for sure!!
I would like to move back down there one of these days. [ This Message was edited by: mbell1960 on 2005-06-02 06:04 ]

[seamus]

amy wrong and mike lived in venice when that life scam was open.funny thing though they lived near the old venice bowl,2 houses down from the biggest heroin/dilaudid spot in the area.ifostered at the pattersons briefly,and at woofadoofs too i  think.I used to see amy walking into 33flavors all the time and say shit about her to her face. damn i do miss chuck cannon.i knew him pre/post program,in spite of himself a great guy. i lost track of him when i moved to miami ,then the midwest. ::rocker::