BUCCELLATO'S INTERVIEW WITH THE DAHLONEGA NUGGET

[Anonymous]

THOUGHT THIS SHOULD HAVE IT'S OWN THREAD...

THE DAHLONEGA NUGGET

News
Hidden Lake officials see Chapter 11 as chance to regroup
By Sharon Hall
Published: Wednesday, June 3, 2009 10:28 AM EDT

Hidden Lake Academy founder Dr. Leonard Buccelatto, like many corporate leaders in today's economy, is hoping Chapter 11 will be a tool in rebuilding the private therapeutic boarding school he founded in Lumpkin County 1994. The academy voluntarily filed a petition for Chapter 11 with the bankruptcy court May 14. The move, Buccelatto says, will allow the school to regroup and make arrangement to pay down its debt rather than face foreclosure on part of its property.

“The school has applied for bank refinancing. HLA only asks that people understand and bear with us during this rebuilding time,” Buccelatto said. “With the current economic times we believe this type of financial scenario will, unfortunately, be repeated throughout the country.”

It's not just the poor economy HLA is suffering from, however. Much of its woe stems from a 2006 petition for a class action lawsuit filed by the parents of several HLA students. Buccelatto called it a “contract dispute-the parents wanting some of their tuition monies returned after their child had attended HLA. The petition made no claims of harm or damage to a child.”

In fact, Buccelatto says, some of the students named in the petition graduated from the academy and have since gone on to college.

In August 2007 Federal Judge William C. O'Keley denied the potential class action suit, despite “a well-orchestrated and vigorous campaign by the plaintiffs and their attorneys, very few parents joined the petition,” Buccelattor says.

HLA agreed to settle out of court with the parents for a reported $400,000, a fraction of the amount initially demanded, Buccelatto says.

Even after the settlement agreement, however, the negative campaign launched when the petition was filed continued, Buccelatto says. He called the tactics used on the Internet, in the local press, by some local community members and aimed at the school's referral sources “vicious and unrelenting ... It became very evident that the goal of the people involved was to discredit, and to ultimately close the school ... creating as large a financial burden to the school as possible by attacking [our] referral sources through fear and intimidation. It would be a gross understatement to say that these events did not have an impact on the school. The financial reality is one the school is still reeling from.”

HLA suffered a severe drop in enrollment, and was faced with $1.5 million in legal fees, along with its usual loan payments and other costs of operation.

At one point HLA was the second largest private employer in Lumpkin County, with 138 faculty and staff, 90 of whom lived in the county. Additionally, 12 local people were employed by the food service contractor used by the school.

In 2004, the academy paid over $600,000 to local vendors for various products and services, and an additional $730,000 for food service purchases.

In addition, parents, alumni and prospective students and their families spent an average of 2,800 nights in local lodging and purchased over 8,000 meals in local restaurants.

“The financial circumstances have been devastating. But since the resolution of this matter, HLA is rebounding, with students once again enrolling. We are slowly getting back on track; our referral sources are all back helping us to repair the damage that was done to the school,” Buccelatto says. “Hidden Lake Academy is a wonderful program which will survive this ordeal.”




Copyright © 2009 - The Dahlonega NuggetGuest 3
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Report this postReply with quote Re: HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY,INC. FILES BANKRUPTCY
by Jill Ryan » 16 minutes ago

This is totally slanted and wrought with mistruths.Jill Ryan
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Report this postReply with quote Re: HIDDEN LAKE ACADEMY,INC. FILES BANKRUPTCY
by guest9 » 11 minutes ago

I think maybe we should post all the liens against HLA by the local vendors...even during it's hayday...Buccellato never paid them. He literally screwed the local vendors. Fact is fact, records don't lie.

[Anonymous]

So basically what Ms. Hall is saying is that it's okay to fuck over a bunch of children and their parents as long as it's in the best interest of Dahlonega's local economy?

Ms. Hall - FUCK YOU. You have no idea what our children went through and what we went through. Why don't you do some investigative reporting and interview former parents and students from HLA? Are you afraid your dirty little secrets are going to get out?

[Anonymous]

Buccelatto.... butch-a-latto.... sounds like a beverage served at Starbucks.

[Anonymous]

Actually, Buccellato means cake, a very special kind of cake served usually at Christmas in Sicily, thus "SPONGECAKE".

[Anonymous]

Oops, forgot to mention it is also known as a sweet bread...but since 'sweet' was out of character...."spongecake" will suffice.

[Anonymous]

I think the Nugget article should have been titled " An Interview with Spongecake"....  I was quite impressed that Buccellato did not deviate from his narcissistic madness.

[TheWho]

Its good to see that the economy is starting turn around.  These chapter bankruptcies are expensive but once we get thru them the companies and schools like HLA will be in a much stronger position financially which will allow them to grow and better support their local community.

[Anonymous]

Its good to see that the economy is starting turn around.  These chapter bankruptcies are expensive but once we get thru them the companies and schools like HLA will be in a much stronger position financially which will allow them to grow and better support their local community.

Fail troll is fail.

vicious and unrelenting

 :rocker:  :rocker:  :rocker:

[Anonymous]

allow them to grow and better support their local community.

Yep, gotta support the locals. That's how they get away with murder. Sadly, that's too often, literally, the case. What's a life or two, as long as the local cash cow is flush.

[Anonymous]

Selective posting allowed on The Dahlonega Nuggets web-site where one may comment on articles published...referring to the recent article on Hidden Lake Academys bankruptcy, the Nugget allowed the following comment to be posted:

sunshine wrote on Jun 4, 2009 9:32 AM:

" Sharon, you forgot the many donations of time, money, physical and financial support that Hidden Lake's students and faculty have contributed to the area non profits. The Gold Party sponsored by Hidden Lake and Len Buccelatto provided thousand of dollars annually to many non profits serving those in need in Dahlonega. Those in need that the county can or will not help. Stand tall Hidden Lake you do have local supporters who are proud and thankful that you are here. "

[Anonymous]

Selective posting allowed on The Dahlonega Nuggets web-site where one may comment on articles published...referring to the recent article on Hidden Lake Academys bankruptcy, the Nugget allowed the following comment to be posted:

sunshine wrote on Jun 4, 2009 9:32 AM:

" Sharon, you forgot the many donations of time, money, physical and financial support that Hidden Lake's students and faculty have contributed to the area non profits. The Gold Party sponsored by Hidden Lake and Len Buccelatto provided thousand of dollars annually to many non profits serving those in need in Dahlonega. Those in need that the county can or will not help. Stand tall Hidden Lake you do have local supporters who are proud and thankful that you are here. "

Yes Sunshine. Isn't Buchi just a saint.

Instead of spending our money on

Decent food, as falsely advertised
A sanitary environment, as falsely advertised
Credentialed counselors, as falsely advertised
Putting in a Science Lab, as falsely advertised
Taking the kids to real doctors and dentists, as falsely advertised
Building the infamous Chapel, as falsely advertised
Etc, Etc, ad nauseum

He chose to donate that money to the lovely non-profits of Dahlonega. And, if that weren't enough, he provided them with free labor too, under the guise of "therapy" for the kids.  I bet the NPs just love him. Oldest trick in the book. Grease the palms of the locals and you can get away with murder, quiet literally, if regard to this industry. All about Buchi's reputation. It was a good run, but many of us know the true Buchi and his motives.

Anyone wanna guess who Ms Sunshine is? I don't think it's a local resident involved with a NP.
I put my money on Kathleen, the PR Queen. But, we can pretend otherwise.

[Anonymous]

sunshine wrote on Jun 4, 2009 9:32 AM:

" Sharon, you forgot the many donations of time, money, physical and financial support that Hidden Lake's students and faculty have contributed to the area non profits. The Gold Party sponsored by Hidden Lake and Len Buccelatto provided thousand of dollars annually to many non profits serving those in need in Dahlonega. Those in need that the county can or will not help. Stand tall Hidden Lake you do have local supporters who are proud and thankful that you are here. "

Sharon wasn't around to know the full facts of what transpired at HLA academy.  Matt Aiken was taken off the HLA story since he worked there years back and the new Editor, didn't want any bias to be thrown back at the paper...which makes no sense as the article was so slanted, wrought with mistruths and only provided a network for Buccellato to spew more lies.  Even though The Nugget is a small paper, the reporter should have researched the facts.  Sharon only had to go to the downtown pharmacy or look up all the liens by all the local supporters and see behind Buccellato's mask.  There was no way Mr. Wonderful "volunteered" the children, without getting something in return, even if it was a bow to his Highness.

[Anonymous]

http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/artic ... ogcomments

Here is my comment:

Sunshine - You are oblivious to the fact that HLA did not pay many of its vendors for services rendered over the years (well before the lawsuit) and that those dollars "donated" to the Dahlonega community were monies from parents who expected a program to have certified counselors, certified teachers, etc - not a member on staff whose MD had been revoked but was paraded around as the Director of Addictions Counseling and "counselors" whose degrees were from paper mills. Our money may have helped your community, but it didn't help our children.

Let's see if it gets posted by Ms. Hall.

[Anonymous]

This is posted on einet.net....a little out-dated and more like Buccellato's interview...

"Hidden Lake Academy - Therapeutic Boarding School
A co-ed therapeutic boarding school in Georgia, meeting the therapeutic & academic needs of struggling teens. College preparatory, fully accredited, interscholastic sports. Therapy provided by 43 full time masters level therapists & psychologists."

[Anonymous]

http://www.thedahloneganugget.com/artic ... ogcomments

Here is my comment:

Sunshine - You are oblivious to the fact that HLA did not pay many of its vendors for services rendered over the years (well before the lawsuit) and that those dollars "donated" to the Dahlonega community were monies from parents who expected a program to have certified counselors, certified teachers, etc - not a member on staff whose MD had been revoked but was paraded around as the Director of Addictions Counseling and "counselors" whose degrees were from paper mills. Our money may have helped your community, but it didn't help our children.

Let's see if it gets posted by Ms. Hall.

I don't see your comment yet. I also don't see one that I submitted myself. Unfortunately, I didn't save a copy of mine to post here. Both of our comments were, however, well within the limits of "acceptable language and tenor" ...to my mind, at least.

Either Ms. Hall is the one in charge of approving said comments, and is a gutless/brainless stooge and lackey for HLA, and/or Buccellato or his PR firm is pulling a bullying number on the Nugget. I can think of no other reason for those comments not to have been posted.

So much for "freedom of the press." Money and influence can ensure that the truth gets buried under a heap of saccharin lies, critical and pertinent omissions, and blatant obfuscation.

Is the Dahlonega Nugget nothing more than a vehicle for Press Releases these days? Maybe revenue's been down with the economy being what it is these days, and they're trying to muscle in on Reputation Defender's territory.