Author Topic: Eating my own vomit was good for me  (Read 2698 times)

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Offline Anonymous

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Eating my own vomit was good for me
« on: October 09, 2005, 01:07:00 AM »
Posted on Sun, Oct. 02, 2005  
 


Around Kidder, Thayer has backers

By STEVE ROCK and SCOTT CANON
The Kansas City Star

 
 

KIDDER, Mo. ? Although some Kidder residents express concern about allegations surrounding Thayer Learning Center, there are city and church leaders who passionately defend the school.

Thayer has provided an economic boon to struggling Caldwell County and the city of Kidder, which has fewer than 300 residents. It?s easily the largest employer in the city and ? coupled with a related business operated by Thayer owners John and Willa Bundy ? has pumped more than $10,000 of tax revenue into county coffers since 2003.

And some parents and students, despite acknowledging the facility?s abrasive approach, think it helps straighten out troubled teens.

Judy Smith, the county?s economic development director, firmly believes in Thayer?s mission and has toured the facility.

?I saw kids? lives changed for the better,? she said.

Richard Evans, Kidder?s part-time city clerk, said Thayer students had fixed up the city park. They manned the color guard at the town parade, he said, and entered the city?s talent show.

Evans also said the school offers good wages, and that has drawn new residents to Kidder.

Caldwell County Sheriff Kirby Brelsford has publicly supported Thayer despite numerous abuse allegations on file in his office. In a Jan. 26 story in the North Missourian of Gallatin, he said: ?Our department hasn?t had any major problems with them at all through the past couple of years. ?

?It seems everybody?s head-hunting this place. The public?s trying to eat them alive before the facts are all in, and I don?t think that?s fair.?

More recently, Brelsford told The Kansas City Star that he ?should have stayed more neutral.? He also said Thayer doesn?t get preferential treatment from his office even though Thayer officials donated uniform pants ? valued at less than $200, he said ? to the Sheriff?s Department several years ago.

?I would not do that again,? Brelsford said of accepting the donation. ?That doesn?t look good.?

Church officials also have come to the facility?s defense.

According to former Thayer employee Linda Raichel, members of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? which claims the Bundys and several other Thayer employees as members ? came to her home. The visit occurred after she had called the state?s child-abuse hot line and had expressed concerns to Brelsford about the treatment of some children.

?They told me that I was costing Thayer money and that I needed to apologize and drop it,? Raichel said. ?I told them, ?When hell freezes over, I will drop it.???

David Jensen, president of the Hamilton branch of the Mormon church, doesn?t remember the conversation quite that way.

?I guess my recollection was that ? it wouldn?t do her any good or the school any good by making complaints,? he said.

?She has the thinking of, ?Well, this is strange; this isn?t how I?d treat my kids.? I tried to help her understand that this is a business.?

Jensen said he has been to Thayer two or three times and had never seen signs of abuse.

Even some former students who didn?t relish their Thayer experience have been encouraged by the final results.

Bess Burnett, 18, of Maryland was troubled by drug use and failing school work when her parents sent her to Thayer.

She despised her time at Thayer ? where she was once forced to eat her own vomit, she said ? and thought too much force was used in twisting girls? arms behind their backs.

But she is now working, living alone and attending a technical college in Florida.

?In the end, it was all worth it,? she said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reach Steve Rock, call (816) 234-4338 or send e-mail to [email protected].  


 


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

© 2005 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.kansascity.com
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »

Offline Anonymous

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Eating my own vomit was good for me
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2005, 02:04:00 AM »
Quote
On 2005-10-08 22:07:00, Anonymous wrote:

"

 Posted on Sun, Oct. 02, 2005  

 




Around Kidder, Thayer has backers



By STEVE ROCK and SCOTT CANON

The Kansas City Star



 
 


KIDDER, Mo. ? Although some Kidder residents express concern about allegations surrounding Thayer Learning Center, there are city and church leaders who passionately defend the school.



Thayer has provided an economic boon to struggling Caldwell County and the city of Kidder, which has fewer than 300 residents. It?s easily the largest employer in the city and ? coupled with a related business operated by Thayer owners John and Willa Bundy ? has pumped more than $10,000 of tax revenue into county coffers since 2003.



And some parents and students, despite acknowledging the facility?s abrasive approach, think it helps straighten out troubled teens.



Judy Smith, the county?s economic development director, firmly believes in Thayer?s mission and has toured the facility.



?I saw kids? lives changed for the better,? she said.



Richard Evans, Kidder?s part-time city clerk, said Thayer students had fixed up the city park. They manned the color guard at the town parade, he said, and entered the city?s talent show.



Evans also said the school offers good wages, and that has drawn new residents to Kidder.



Caldwell County Sheriff Kirby Brelsford has publicly supported Thayer despite numerous abuse allegations on file in his office. In a Jan. 26 story in the North Missourian of Gallatin, he said: ?Our department hasn?t had any major problems with them at all through the past couple of years. ?



?It seems everybody?s head-hunting this place. The public?s trying to eat them alive before the facts are all in, and I don?t think that?s fair.?



More recently, Brelsford told The Kansas City Star that he ?should have stayed more neutral.? He also said Thayer doesn?t get preferential treatment from his office even though Thayer officials donated uniform pants ? valued at less than $200, he said ? to the Sheriff?s Department several years ago.



?I would not do that again,? Brelsford said of accepting the donation. ?That doesn?t look good.?



Church officials also have come to the facility?s defense.



According to former Thayer employee Linda Raichel, members of the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ? which claims the Bundys and several other Thayer employees as members ? came to her home. The visit occurred after she had called the state?s child-abuse hot line and had expressed concerns to Brelsford about the treatment of some children.



?They told me that I was costing Thayer money and that I needed to apologize and drop it,? Raichel said. ?I told them, ?When hell freezes over, I will drop it.???



David Jensen, president of the Hamilton branch of the Mormon church, doesn?t remember the conversation quite that way.



?I guess my recollection was that ? it wouldn?t do her any good or the school any good by making complaints,? he said.



?She has the thinking of, ?Well, this is strange; this isn?t how I?d treat my kids.? I tried to help her understand that this is a business.?



Jensen said he has been to Thayer two or three times and had never seen signs of abuse.



Even some former students who didn?t relish their Thayer experience have been encouraged by the final results.



Bess Burnett, 18, of Maryland was troubled by drug use and failing school work when her parents sent her to Thayer.



She despised her time at Thayer ? where she was once forced to eat her own vomit, she said ? and thought too much force was used in twisting girls? arms behind their backs.



But she is now working, living alone and attending a technical college in Florida.



?In the end, it was all worth it,? she said.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To reach Steve Rock, call (816) 234-4338 or send e-mail to [email protected].  





 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



© 2005 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.

http://www.kansascity.com

"


good for you bess
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 07:00:00 PM by Guest »