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Topics - BuzzKill

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PURE Bullshit and CAICA / Whats up with this bull shit, shit?

« on: December 06, 2006, 06:47:47 PM »

OK - so some folk are not to interested in the PURE / Sue / Izzahell & CaCa saga. Thats understandable. It can get old. So, don't read it. Read what is meaningful to you. But understand this: it isn't Bull Shit, just b/c you aren't interested.
.
It is in fact a serious issue. Yes, there is a lot of flippant and silly and sometimes vulgar and profane posting on these subjects - but the subject itself is serious. It is no more correct to call the various issues surrounding these parties "Bull Shit" than it would be to call the issues in the Hidden Lake; or Thayer; or Straight inc (take your pick) forums or threads Bullshit.

You wanna know what IS BullShit?
Making this the one forum on all of Fornits that requires a sign in.
THAT is Bull Shit.

Or, is this just the beginning of a change of policy on Fornits?

Has Ginger finely surrendered her Libertarian values?

World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) / WWASP says thank you!

« on: November 30, 2006, 10:27:57 AM »

What Bee flew up your but this time TSW? Have I missed something "new"?

The Troubled Teen Industry / Scheff and Zender statement / discuss

« on: October 09, 2006, 11:17:09 AM »

Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 9:22 am Post subject: Reply with quote
Sue Scheff is Awarded $11.3 Million in Internet Defamation & Invasion of Privacy Claim in Jury Trial

Parents Universal Resources Experts, Inc.
10/8/2006 11:41:59 AM

The jury sends a strong message that freedom of speech has limits

Broward County, Florida (October 8, 2006) ? The Internet can be as destructive as it can be useful. This case will make people think twice before setting out on a campaign to destroy others.

Sue Scheff?s attorney David Pollack stated, ?No good deed goes unpunished.? Sue Scheff has been a victim of Internet Defamation. After her daughter was abused and harmed at a teen help program (World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools, WWASPS, Carolina Springs Academy), she set out to help others so they would not fall into the same trap.

WWASPS, a corporate giant, filed a lawsuit against Ms. Scheff in 2002 in an attempt to silence her. Ms. Scheff prevailed in a jury trial. WWASPS filed an appeal and again Ms. Scheff prevailed.

It is not often a person is awarded $11.3 million dollars from a jury of their peers. But in the case of Sue Scheff and her organization Parent?s Universal Resource Experts, Inc. (PURE) v. Carey Bock, the jury felt compelled to send a very strong message ? which they have. Included in their $11.3 million dollar verdict, they awarded Sue Scheff and PURE $5 million in punitive damages. ?The punitive damages speak volumes,? says Scheff, ?it was set to punish the defendant for what she did to my children and me. Just because you don?t like someone or what they do, it does not give you carte blanche to post false statements about a person on the Internet.?

Since 2001 PURE and Sue Scheff have helped thousands of families providing various resources for their children as well as works closely with the Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA). Isabelle Zehnder of CAICA, said ?you just can?t go around destroying people on the internet. The $11.3 million verdict should send a strong message.? She went on to say, ?We work closely together, our organizations complement each other. We are both against abuse but not against treatment ? there is a big difference.?

In the meantime, Carey Bock maliciously and intentionally started a campaign on an Internet forums against Sue Scheff and her organization, PURE. According to a witness during trial, Ms. Bock?s animosity towards Ms. Scheff had to do with the fact Sue Scheff would not disclose the name of a minor who was raped and Ms. Bock needed this child?s name for a potential documentary she would profit from. Ms. Bock lost that opportunity and went on a campaign to destroy Sue Scheff and PURE. Bock accepted $12,500.00 from WWASPS? attorney, the very organization she claimed harmed her two boys, and the organization that Sue Scheff successfully defeated in a jury trial in August 2004.

One of the witnesses testified Carey Bock was infuriated that Sue Scheff would not provide her with the information about the child. The jurors saw Ms. Bock?s e-mails and postings, one of which threatened: ?Sue, you are going down, I bet you are scared to death!?

With no other way to defend herself and her children, Ms. Scheff filed a lawsuit against Carey Bock and Ginger Warbis/Fornits Website in December 2003.

Ms. Bock was represented by Jan Atlas of Adorno and Yoss until June 2006 when Mr. Atlas withdrew as counsel, shortly after Ms. Bock was deposed and revealed the only reason she defamed and nearly destroyed Sue Scheff and her organization was simply because she didn?t like her. After Jan Atlas withdrew from the case, the Judge postponed the trial to give Ms. Bock ample time to find new counsel or represent herself. Obviously, Ms. Bock chose to ignore these options and did not even attend her own trial.

What is rather shocking is that after Sue Scheff was awarded $11.3 million because she was defamed and harmed on the Internet, and after the Daily Business Review reported this tremendous victory, a press release was submitted filled with false allegations and inaccuracies in an attempt to deflate this victory and to further harm Ms. Scheff. The inaccuracies are as follows:

? They claim Philip Elberg defeated Sue Scheff and PURE on behalf of his client, Ginger Warbis/Fornits.

The case was dismissed without prejudice - meaning it can be brought back to court on the same claim. It was the decision of Sue Scheff and her Attorney, David Pollack, to focus on one defendant. Philip Elberg won nothing in this case.

? They claim Sue Scheff filed a counter-suit against WWASPS that was dismissed.

They fail to say the case was dismissed on a jurisdictional issue, not on the merits of the case.

? They claim Sue Scheff refers children to abusive programs due to her referrals of children to the Whitmore Academy.

For over 30 years The Whitmore had a successful program with no allegations of abuse.

? They claim Cheryl Sudweeks, owner of the Whitmore Academy, pled guilty to specified charges in a Utah criminal court.

Cheryl did not admit any guilt. There was NO substantiated evidence against the Whitmore. The state admittedly had no case and agreed to a plea in abeyance. An article misstated facts and later corrected their mistakes, claiming Cheryl could never run a youth program in the county for the rest of her life. This is not true and they corrected their error.

? They assert Ms. Scheff makes money from the plight of frightened parents.

Ms. Scheff does not charge the parents for her services. To the contrary, Ms. Scheff is a parent and child advocate.

? They claim a Federal Judge told Ms. Scheff to remove misrepresentations from her website showing she had a college degree.

Ms. Scheff?s bio was written by a third-party. Within 24-hours she found the error and had it immediately corrected and removed; the Judge had nothing to do with it.

? They claim Sue Scheff won by default.

A jury of her peers reviewed evidence, deliberated for hours, and concluded her damages equaled $11.3 million dollars, $5 million of which were punitive.

? They claim the case had no merit.

This case had merit - it was defended for over 2 years - the facts spoke for themselves. The trial with a jury verdict of damages over $11.3 million sends a loud message. You can?t post lies and false statements about people simply because you don?t like them or what they do.

? They claim this was an empty and hollow victory.

A verdict of $11.3 million is far from empty or hollow. Whether is it collectible or not, the message is worth $11.3 million. Not all positive gains are weighed financially.

The press release dated October 6, 2006, was filled with inaccuracies and was obviously written to further discredit Sue Scheff and PURE.

After the trial was over, the jurors waited in the hall to meet with Ms. Scheff. They embraced her and told her that they wanted to send a message that people can?t use the Internet to invade a person?s privacy or to destroy lives. They encouraged Sue Scheff to continue her good work with children and families.

Related Links

CAICA Website
www.caica.org

PURE Website
www.helpyourteens.com

Inaccurate Press Release
www.caica.org

Contact Information
Isabelle Zehnder
President and Founder
Coalition Against Institutionalized Child Abuse (CAICA)
360-903-3951
[email protected]

Open Free for All / Bowling for Columbine

« on: September 22, 2006, 11:34:10 PM »

I was watching this tonight, until we lost the station. It got me thinking - how unusual is our murder rate, and why?

How many people do you all know, who were murdered - or who murdered someone else? I don't mean that you know about - but that you actually know - spent time with on at least a few occasions.

I can count The Lovesay Brothers. They beat their land lord to death with an ash try stand.

Lester Rose and Randy Arrowood - they shot two men to death and would have shot the girl - but she got away.

Whimper killed his wife and left her in the trunk of her car at the airport.

Pudd shot and killed GW.

And these are just the cases I know of - among the people I know. I've left out the suicides and accidental shootings.

Is this normal?

And is it true that our murder rate is astronomical compared to other "western" nations? In the case of Canada - the gun ownership rate seem equal to or greater than our own - and they have the same media influences (Music; Movies; violent games) According to Moore, so why do they have a much lower shooting rate? Any thoughts?

Moore seemed to be trying to argue it is all a big race war - but that doesn't fit the facts. *Generally* whites kill whites and blacks kill blacks. Of corse there are exceptions - but this is a general rule of thumb. Whites aren't killing blacks by the score because we fear or hate them - nor are they killing us in large numbers for such reasons. So, racial strife can not account for it. So, what does?

And as for Columbine - and the many other cases of school shootings - what can explain it? BTW - I've n oticed they have occured in rural or small town school systems. It is not a product of urban rot and ruin, as some assume. Any thoughts?

Aspen Education Group / Swift River Dan

« on: September 05, 2006, 02:56:45 PM »

Hey Dan who was in Denver -
Fire me off a PM or email.
I'd like to know how your doing; and I have a couple questions related to Swift River.

The Troubled Teen Industry / Cults in Our Midst

« on: July 09, 2006, 06:42:00 PM »

This may belong over in the 'Have you read it' Forum, but I found it so extremely pertinent to this issue - so called "Teen Help" programs - that I wanted it posted here.

Anyone with any interest in how many of these programs "work", get yourself a copy of "Cults in Our Midst", by Margaret Singer.

I have found that in every chapter there are paragraphs I wanted to quote here - descriptions of "The Program" abound - though not by name. I feel the same would certainly be true of many other programs and how they operate. I know what is reported to have occurred in the Whitmore Mansion, for example, would fit very in well with many of the author's case study accounts of cult victims.

I just finished chapter 8. I felt I couldn't wait to finish the book to make the suggestion it be read. Chapter 8 deals with something all WWASPS persons are very familiar with - the seminars. The author gives a accounting of them - what they are, and how they "work", and the harm they can do. There is no question what is discribed is exactly what the WWASPS seminars are.

If you are a WWASP program parent; or a WWASP grad or drop out - reading this chapter could go a long way to helping you understand what exactly it is you were (or are) involved with.

If you are considering a teen help program of any kind, I would go so far as to say this book is must reading.

In fact, If you are anyone who is sensitive and idealistic - perhaps a little stressed and or depressed - and prone to respond to a friendly overtures on the part of another human being (and who isn't?) you should read this book. Because the best defense is a good offence. If you know the tactics of those who would deceive you - manipulate you - and enslave you - you can better recognize it when it happens.

World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) / Su Flowers; in Loving Memory

« on: June 03, 2006, 10:52:00 AM »

https://www.legacy.com/Obituaries.asp?P ... ID=3067730

Flowers, Susan Maska - FLOWERS - Susan Maska, on Jan. 15, 2005, devoted mother of Jessica, Nicole and Danny Deniken and Kalab Barnhill, cherished daughter of Edward Maska and ...
Published in the Star-Ledger on 1/21/2005.

I wish I had know about this when it happened. I wish I could have somehow helped her, as she was sick. I had heard she had Breast cancer, but never heard anything more. I feel a real sense of loss. I liked Su very much. She was a fascinating person, with more get up and go than anyone I have ever known! I have many fond memories of her and conversations we had.

Open Free for All / Attn Cat Lovers/ Why I eyes ya. . .

« on: May 31, 2006, 03:04:00 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CEJHVtmdsQ

More amazing stuff - from the feline world this time. Flat cracked me up!

new link. Old one went down. [ This Message was edited by: BuzzKill on 2006-06-10 09:35 ]

Open Free for All / People are Amazing - check this out

« on: May 22, 2006, 11:13:00 PM »

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid ... ld&pl=true

the fist link went down - but this one is better anyway.

The Troubled Teen Industry / Dore Frances / reviewing

« on: April 30, 2006, 10:25:00 AM »

Dore Frances didn't like Maia's book. She gave it a poor review. Suppose it could have anything to do with the fact she sells programs? Could be. . .

Seems to me any true professional, would be extremely glad that such a book had been written, as it explains all the greatest dangers the ed cons insist they can help a family avoid. "Help at Any Cost" also explains some of the unethical practices taking place among the Ed cons. So, wouldn't any honest, ethical ed con be glad this book was written? Seems so to me.

In my opinion, this review of Dore's is nothing more than a money grab. What she's really saying: Parents, don't educate yourselves - call me!

I'd say so in an Amazon review of my own, but they only allow one review per person.
Someone might want to take a moment and provide a review explaining the motivation behind some of the negative reviews - that being money. And b/c of some programs practices of paying individuals for referrals - even the program parents are so motivated; And brain-washed besides.

2 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

From a Mother of a child who was in a program & an Ed Consultant, April 10, 2006
Reviewer: Dore Frances "defrances" (Bend, Oregon) - See all my reviews

This book was a long read for me personally. It was brutal.

In my opinion, unless you are the parent of a teen who needs intervention and yuo have tried all local resources with no results, unless you have had to sit down with yourself and make that gut-wrenching decision that leaves you feeling like the bottom of the world has just dropped away, unless you have personally visited programs and schools and cried each visit because you see someone there just like your child, unless you spoke to the staff and students, and spent time doing complete background research yourself, unless you have placed your child in the hands of others and had to trust that you were leaving your child in the very best place for them at that time, unless you went through the process with your child as an involved parent and looked at your own faults, unless you celebrated with your child all their accomplishments and heard them say "Thank you for saving my life", even 5 years after they graduated, unless you spend time in this industry in one way or another, unless the very best for the child is always your first concern and priority, you really cannot, in my opinion, make an honest opinion or evaluation about this book.

In my ten years of experience as an educational consultant and child right's advocate, and twenty years as a mother, most programs and schools, adolescent escort services, therapists, and educational consultants are ethical and treat children with dignity. As in any business, and as it is in life, people are human, and will make choices and mistakes that are not always in the best interest of those they serve. That is sad, unfortunate and a fact of human behavior and life.

In the news we only hear about the boot camps that are committing horrendous mistreatment of adolescents and teens. We very rarely hear about the success stories. Any person or program that attempts to steal a soul and harm a child needs to be out of business today.

No matter how "bad" a child may behave or what choices they make to get themselves into trouble, it is never necessary to subject them to brutality of any kind or steal their worth as a human being. This book seems to bring up some very old information and not enough new information.

Again, unless you step into the shoes yourself, anyone can write anything at anytime and make it appear the way in which they feel will "sell" more books to already fragile family's in need of help.

I did not see any "realistic" alternatives to helping these families with their children. Is that the next book?

Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) (Report this)

Wonder what she means by realistic alternatives??
Suppose she is PO'd Maia helps explain how to gage weather any intervention at all is needed? And then explains how to get help without resorting to the likes of Dore?

[ This Message was edited by: BuzzKill on 2006-04-30 16:22 ]

World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) / Royal Peak Academy/ CO/ Hinton

« on: April 08, 2006, 09:40:00 AM »

Been wondering where Randal Hinton might crop up next, After Booneville sent him packing?

Now we know.

He is the Director of WWASPS' brand spankin new program in Colorado - Royal Peak Academy.

A recent report coming from a father who pulled his son shortly after he was enrolled, states that Randal Hinton man-handled a 13 year old - threw him to the floor and injured the boys head - and then lay the blame for the injury on this father's son.

For the benefit of those unaware of the history - Randal Hinton is the Tranquility Bay employee, who with the help of Jay Kay, tortured Layne Brown. Accounts of this can be found in the articles written during the attempts by Randal Hinton to purchase the old Kemper Military academy in Booneville MO.

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewtopic.php?topic=9116&forum=9

Ther is also a very moving account given in the French Documentary on Tranquility Bay / WWASPS.

Interestingly - I notice that Royal Peak has been removed from the teen soultions options dot com web site - but it was there last time I looked.
I can email a copy of the web page as it appeard on 2/28/06, if anyone wants to see it.

IF you go take a Peak now - you'll see Royal Peak has vanished from the list - this dispite being advertised as: Nestled against the foothills of the Greenhorn Mountains, Royal Peak Academy offers a gorgeous campus setting with amenities that are second to none.

Wonder what's happened? Wonder if Jane Hawley will still help you pack your kid off to Royal Peak?

Heres the text from the web page I speak of:

Note: See video of individual Programs and Schools by clicking on "More About This School..." under each School.

Horizon Academy - California/Nevada Border
Horizon Academy is located on the California/Nevada border, surrounded by beautiful mountains, sand dunes and expansive stretches of untouched arid land. Horizon Academy is in a secluded location with a small town atmosphere providing a friendly, family-oriented environment.
Monthly Tuition: $3,290 Loan Payment: $350
More About This School...

Royal Peak Academy - Colorado
Royal Peak Academy is a small private school located in CaÃ±on City, Colorado which is approximately 2 hours south of Denver. Nestled against the foothills of the Greenhorn Mountains, Royal Peak Academy offers a gorgeous campus setting with amenities that are second to none.
Monthly Tuition: $2,890 Loan Payment: $340
More About This School...

Red River Academy - Texas/Louisiana Border
Red River Academy is ideally located along the Red River which weaves through Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Just a short drive from Houston and Dallas, the Academy is located in a rural environment well suited to remove the distractions that keep many adolescents from putting their education and growth back on an appropriate path.
Monthly Tuition: $2,990 Loan Payment: $345
More About This School...

Darrington Academy - Georgia
Darrington Academy is located on the outskirts of Blue Ridge, Georgia. Nestled in the southern most portion of the Blue Ridge Mountains, this quaint little town a little more than an hour north of Atlanta provides the perfect setting for students to develop academically as well as in character.
Monthly Tuition: $3,290 Loan Payment: $350
More About This School...

Midwest Academy - Illinois/Iowa Border
A Specialty Boarding School located on a secluded 60 acres in the Tri-State Area of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.
Monthly Tuition: $3,490 Loan Payment: $380
More About This School...

Sky View Christian Academy - California/Nevada Border
Sky View Christian Academy is a private Christian boarding school located near the northern California/Nevade border. Sky View Christian Academy uses a specialized academic curriculum to assist students who do not do well in the traditional classroom setting.
Monthly Tuition: $2,990 Loan Payment: $345
More About This School...

Spring Creek Lodge Academy - Montana
Spring Creek Lodge is located on 80 acres of prime forest land in Western Montana near Thompson Falls.
Monthly Tuition: $3,490 Loan Payment: $380
More About This School...

Academy at Ivy Ridge - New York
The Academy at Ivy Ridge is located in upper New York State along the St. Lawrence River and close to the Adirondack Mountains.
Monthly Tuition: $2,990 Loan Payment: $345
More About This School...

Carolina Springs Academy - South Carolina
The program is situated on a beautiful campus. It is placed on the upstate farmland, a one-hour drive from Greenville, Columbia or Augusta, Georgia.
Monthly Tuition: $3,290 Loan Payment: $365
More About This School...

Cambridge Academy - Mississippi
Located on 80 acres of lush green Mississippi surroundings, Cambridge Academy is about 40 miles from Mobile, Alabama.
Monthly Tuition: $2,790 Loan Payment: $335
More About This School...

Cross Creek Programs - Arizona/Utah Border
The Cross Creek Programs are located in Southern Utah's Color Country near St. George and Zion National Park.
Monthly Tuition: $4,490 Loan Payment: $420
More About This School...

Tranquility Bay - Jamaica
Tranquility Bay is located on the friendly tourist Island of Jamaica, just a few hundred miles off the coast of Florida.
Monthly Tuition: $2,950 Loan Payment: $345
More About This School...

Reality Trek - Utah
Reality Trek is a licensed, educational and therapeutic outdoor program for teens 13-18 years of age. Located in Northern Utah, our program involves a journey of emotional growth through a non-deprivation teaching environment.
30 Day Tuition: $8,500 Loan Payment: N/A
More About This School...

Majestic Ranch Academy - Utah
The Majestic Ranch Academy is located on the Utah side of the Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah border in the rural community of Randolph.
Monthly Tuition: $3,490 Loan Payment: $380
More About This School...

Pillars of Hope - Costa Rica
Pillars of Hope is located in what many have described as "the most beautiful country in the world." Costa Rica is just a short, direct 3-hour plane ride from many major US Cities. Pillars of Hope Academy has a "world class program in a world class environment."
Monthly Tuition: $2,190 Loan Payment: N/A
More About This School...

Camas Ranch - Montana
Camas Ranch, a branch of Spring Creek Lodge Academy (SCLA), is a specialty school designed for 18 to 24-year-old young men. It is an independent campus located on a 3,000+ acre-working ranch approximately 1 Â½ hours from SCLA.
3 Month Tuition: $3,490 Loan Payment: N/A
More About This School...

| Home | Testimonials Video

Open Free for All / ACLU Drug Law Reform Project / education loans

« on: April 07, 2006, 10:49:00 PM »

If any one has been denied federal education loans due to a drug conviction, you might have a case that will interest the ACLU.

If so, you can contact:

Daniel Bear

Legal Assistant

ACLU Drug Law Reform Project

831-471-9000 ext 10

[email protected]

Magna est veritas, et prevalebit

World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) / the French Documentary on Tranquility Bay/WWASPS

« on: March 18, 2006, 07:28:00 PM »

A friend of mine wrote to see about obtaining a copy and the following email was received. She forwarded it to me, and I asked her permission to post it here.

It seems to confirm that WWASP is trying to keep the film from being distributed here in the USA.

From: Maï¿½lle Guenegues
To:
Subject: Re: Documentary exposing WWASP
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 2:24 AM

Hello,

Thank you very much for you request regarding "Tranquility Bay" by Mathieu Verboud & Jean Robert Viallet.

We can sell you a NTSC copy of the film for $65 + $20 for shipping.

If you agree with these conditions, please send me a confirmation by email.
We will then send you an invoice and the vhs as soon as we receive your payment.
There is 2 weeks delay to have the NTSC copy made.

Please, make sure that all taxes & bank costs are at your charge.

Kind regards,

Maï¿½lle Guenegues
Doc & Co
13 rue Portefoin
F-75003 Paris
Tel: 33 1 42 77 56 87
Fax: 33 1 42 77 36 56
email: http://www.doc-co.com

Subject: Re: Documentary exposing WWASP
Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 9:49 AM

Hi ,

After giving it a second thought, and since I'm not up-to-date as to the current status between WWASP and the production company and distribution of this title in the USA. I'd rather you direct your request directly to them. Here is their email: [email protected]
http://www.doc-co.com

**World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS) / Harold Dabel/ Pillars of Hope/ THOMASVILLE/ sigh. .**

« on: March 09, 2006, 02:55:00 PM »

http://www.timesenterprise.com/homepage ... d=topstory

Published: February 14, 2006 12:00 am

Magnolia rezoning hearing March 6

By Brewer Turley

THOMASVILLE ? The Thomasville Planning and Zoning Commission will meet March 6 to determine whether plans to turn the old Magnolia-Chappelle school property into a boarding school have a future.

Dr. Harold Dabel, director of the Pillars of Hope school in Costa Rica, along with partner Doug Pennock, have applied to have the property rezoned from R1 residential to R1 conditional use, college or university.

Dabel and Pennock have a contract with the Thomas County School System to purchase Magnolia for $750,000 ? the highest bid entered for the property. However, the purchase is contingent upon the City of Thomasville?s ruling on the zoning request.

?We want to continue using it as a school. There are a lot of classrooms already ideally sized, and things that work really well for us in a boarding school environment,? Dabel said. ?Some areas will be converted into dormitories.?

Dabel said the school will work with teenagers, mostly between the ages of 14 and 18, sent there by their parents.

?The type of students that come in are typically students who have fallen behind in their schooling for different reasons,? he said. ?Some kids suffer from depression. Some were home schooled and the parents have seen it just wasn?t working.

?Other students had some type of issues, gone to therapy, and been recommended to go to a boarding school, where they can be supported with high standards and 24-hour chaperoning.?

Dabel was briefly hired as part of the management team for the Dundee Ranch, a Costa Rican boarding school that was shut down in 2003 amid allegations of student mistreatment.

?Two weeks after I got into Costa Rica, the school had closed down,? he said. ?The decision to close was made by the administration and by the owner of the school at that time. Within a week, all of the students? travel arrangements had been made to return to the United States to their parents, or to another school.?

After the school?s closing, Dabel transformed the facilities into Pillars of Hope, an international boarding school that still helps teens today.

If the rezoning request is approved, Dabel said a local advisory board would be put together to give the school direction. He also said the historical legacy of the Magnolia Chappelle School will remain intact.

?We?re huge on investment in tradition and history. Those are things we would love to resurrect,? Dabel said. ?We will make sure the grounds are well kept. We plan on investing quite a bit in beautifying the area of the school.?

Magnolia was an all-black high school prior to the integration of all public schools, after which it was a middle school. Most recently, the facilities housed Hand-In-Hand Primary School, which relocated last year.

Dabel is now hoping to use the old school to teach other students.

?The kids we work with are great. They go on to be very successful. They?ve just made some poor choices,? he said. ?But once you get them away from that environment, they have tremendous potential, and they prove it.?

Part of the curriculum of the school is to teach students about community service, by way of local projects and fund-raisers.

?They become all about service. That?s what the community will see if we are provided the opportunity,? he said.

The Thomasville Planning and Zoning Commission will hear the rezoning request, then make a recommendation to the Thomasville City Council for final consideration. The commission meeting will be held at City Hall March 6, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

To contact reporter Brewer Turley, call (229) 226-2400, ext. 226.

Open Free for All / A Dam Shame

« on: March 08, 2006, 10:18:00 PM »

I have no idea of this is ligit - but I got a kick out of it, and thought some of you might as well.

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of
Michigan. This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's
letter before you get to the response letter.

This is the State's Letter:
SUBJECT: DEQ File No.97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

Dear Mr. DeVries:
It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental
Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the
above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as
the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized
activity: Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across
the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the
start of this type of activity. A review of the department's files shows
that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has
determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and
Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act,
Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to
324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated. The Department
has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a
recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations.
We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot
be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist
all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow
condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the
stream channel. All restoration work shall be completed no later than
January 31, 2005.Please notify this office when the restoration has
been completed so that follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our st
aff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized
activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated
enforcement action. We anticipate and would appreciate your full
cooperation in this matter. Please feel free to contact me at this office if
you have any questions.

Sincerely,
David L. Price, District Representative
Land and Water Management Division

Response sent back by Mr. DeVries:
Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.

Dear Mr. Price,
Your certified letter dated 12/17/02 has been handed to me to respond to.
I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson,
Michigan. A couple of beavers are in the process of constructing and
maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring
Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I
think they would be highly offended that ! you call their skillful use of
natures
building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to
attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose.
I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam
skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam
persistence,
their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.As to your request, I
do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam
permit
prior to the start of this type of dam activity.My first dam question to you
is:
(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers, or (2) do
you require all beavers throughout this state to conform to said dam
request?
If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through the
Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other
applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if
there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of
the
Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public
Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled
Laws, annotated. I have several concerns. My first concern is; aren't the
beavers
entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially
destitute
and are unable to pay for said representation -- so the State will have to
provide
them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both
of the dams failed during a recent rain event, causing flooding, is proof
that this
is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In
other
words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing
them and calling their dam names. If you want the stream "restored" to a dam
free-flow condition please contact the beavers -- but if you are going to
arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter,
they being
unable to read English.

In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their
unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water
flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy
Spring Pond. If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental
Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural
resources(Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams). So, as far as the
beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated
enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2005? The Spring Pond
Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or
your dam staff to contact/harass them then.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention to a real
environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears! ! Bears
are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be
persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are
going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not
careful where they dump!)Being unable to comply with your dam request, and
being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this
response to your dam office.

THANK YOU.
RYAN DEVRIES & the DAM BEAVERS