LONGNECKER KEY-NOTE SPEAKER
(June 2000) Jaynie Selby-Longnecker, Founder and Executive Director of Benchmark Young Adult School, Redlands, California, 800-474-4848, was honored by being invited to be the key-note speaker for the Redlands Adult School graduating class of 2000, which included 17 Benchmark students. Copies of the address can be obtained from Benchmark.

FAMILY SUES ECKERD
(July 1, 2000) The family of Michael Wiltsie filed a wrongful death suit against both a counselor and his employer, Eckerd Youth Alternatives as a result of their son’s death in Florida last February.

PAUL HURD RESIGNS AS HEADMASTER OF HYDE SCHOOL-BATH
(August 28, 2000) Malcolm Gauld, President of Hyde Schools, 207-443-5584, announced that Paul W. Hurd II resigned as Headmaster of Hyde School in Bath, Maine, and Judee von Seldeneck, Chair of the Hyde Board of Governors, will lead the search committee for a new Headmaster.

DISCOVERY ACADEMY FAMILY GROWS
(August 21, 2000) Tori Ballard, Admissions Director for Discovery Academy, Provo, Utah, 801-374-2121, announced the birth of Carsten J Ballard on August 21, 2000 as a “healthy 6 lb, 6 oz, 18” bundle of joy!” Tori’s maturity leave comes to an end on October 2, 2000 and will return to admissions duty from both the school and her home office.

SUN EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANTS
(September 2000) Renee Sinclair and Meg Chun, (Sun Educational Consultants) of Bend, Oregon, 541-318-5402, have visited over 60 schools and programs and are starting to take clients as Special Needs Educational Consultants. Both have been teaching for 15 years and are “specialists in providing services to students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, learning disabilities, and students with ADD/ADHD.

NEW STAFF AT NORTHSTAR
(September 2, 2000) Trina Packard, the new Ex. Director of the NorthStar Center, Bend Oregon, 541-385-8657, who replaced founder and past Executive Director Dennis Crowell, announced new staff, including Sue Isacson as Program/Academic Director, Robbi O’Kelly as Clinical Manager, and Shelly Fitts as Wilderness Supervisor.

ON-TRACK DIRECTOR VISITS WOODBURY OFFICE
(September 5, 2000) Bob Nolan, Director of the On-Track wilderness program (part of the Brown School) outside Austin, Texas, 888-791-2577, stopped by Woodbury Reports to introduce himself and explain some of the improvements that have been instituted in the program since he took over early this year.

HUFFINE CLINICAL DIRECTOR FOR SAGEWALK
(September 6, 2000) Chris Kocurek, CEO of SageWalk, the Outdoor School, 800-877-1922, Bend, Oregon, announced Dr. Jay Huffine, a clinical psychologist, has been hired as the Clinical Director for the program.

PALACIOS JOINS WILDERNESS QUEST
(September 10, 2000) Jeff Johnson, Admissions for Wilderness Quest, FAX: 435-587-3164, announced Ramon Palacios, LCDC was hired as a Substance abuse Counselor. Most recently he was a substance abuse counselor with Brown Schools in Texas. Palacios will be working with students in the field and assist in facilitating the 3-day Family Workshop at the end of the programs 42-day wilderness experience.

JASON YORK NEW ASPEN DIRECTOR OF ADMISSIONS
(September 11, 2000) Kreg Gillman at Aspen Ranch and Gil Hallows at Aspen Achievement Academy, in Loa, Utah, 435-836-2472, announced Interim Director of Admissions Jason York has had the “interim” removed from his title and now is the Director of Admissions for the two programs.

CEDU SOLUTIONS FOR RUBY CREEK ROAD
(September 12, 2000) Julia Andrick, spokesperson for the CEDU Family of Services, Sandpoint, Idaho, 208-265-0607, announced that CEDU, at a community forum held in September at the Naples Youth Hostel “unveiled a four-part proposal addressing their neighbors’ concerns involving Ruby Creek Road.” At issue were neighbors’ concerns about the traffic on county roads to CEDU’s Ascent program and Northwest Academy. The full detailed plan will be presented to the County’s Planning and Zoning Commission on September 25th, and to the County Commissioner on October 2, 2000.

GAGE PLEADS NOT GUILTY TO SEX CHARGES
(September 13, 2000) According to the Nugget Newspaper in Sisters, Oregon, the Deschuetes County District Attorney Mike Dugan reported “Steve Gage pleaded not guilty on Monday, September 11 to charges that he had sex with girls in his care when he operated Royal Haven Equestrian Center for Girls.” It was reported he also pleaded not guilty to “charges of criminal mistreatment for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care, and charges of theft and money laundering.” In the article, Gage’s daughter expressed her belief that he was innocent, based partly on knowing him, and partly on having lived at the program for a time, and partly that “he turned himself in, and did not flee even when he knew an arrest was imminent.” A three month trial is expected to start in January or February 2001.

DEATH AT OBSIDIAN TRAILS
(September 20, 2000) David Schutt, Lake County District Attorney, Oregon, filed charges of criminally negligent homicide against Charles Matthew Sharp for the death on the evening of September 18th of an Obsidian Trails youth while the youth was being restrained. Sharp was arrested and lodged in the Lake County Jail until his bail of $500 was paid by Obsidian Trails. The investigation continues and an autopsy will be performed. Related stories and comments can be found at Woodbury Reports Online, in the News & Views Section.

JAYNIE SELBY-LONGNECKER GRANDMA FOR 5TH TIME
(September 21, 2000) Jaynie Selby-Longnecker, Benchmark Young Adult School, Redlands, California, 800-474-4848, became a fifth time Gramma on Sept. 16th by the birth of Austin William Skaggs.

ASPEN ACQUIRES SUNHAWK ACADEMY & CHOICES, INC.
(September 25, 2000) Elliot A. Sainer, CEO of Aspen Youth Services, Cerritos, California, 562-467-5507, announced the acquisition of SunHawk Academy, “a residential educational and treatment program for adolescents” in St. George, Utah, and Choices Inc., “a provider of community-based services that operates eight drug courts in four locations in Nevada. Aspen currently operates in 44 locations in eight states.

NORTHWEST ACADEMY GOES TO 24 MONTHS
(September 26, 2000) Lori Rist, School Director for Northwest Academy (A CEDU School & Part of the Brown Schools), Naples, Idaho, 800-858-1933, announced that starting on September 1, 2000, the school is transitioning to a 24-month program, which is completed six months earlier than what it has been. They are also moving to “single gender teams for students in approximately the first year of their Northwest Academy program, which will offer younger school students less distraction, allowing better focus on their core issues.”

IDAHO CHILDREN’S TREATMENT PROJECT
(September 26, 2000) The State of Idaho, under the umbrella of the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare is well into the process of updating “Idaho Rules for out-of-home care for children.” As one part of that process, meetings have been held to develop and revise rules relating to Therapeutic Outdoor Youth Programs. “Currently, children participating in therapeutic outdoor programs in Idaho are not provided statutory protection of their health and safety through licensure. Children placed in these programs are often exposed to higher risks than youth in residential treatment facilities, because of the outdoor environment. The typical therapeutic outdoor youth program operates from six to eight weeks for an individual child. In Idaho, therapeutic outdoor youth programs are exempt from regulation if they operate for less than nine weeks. We are considering removal of the nine-week exemption and development of licensure requirements to address health and safety for youth who participate in therapeutic outdoor programs.” They state the new rules will not affect Boy or Girl Scout camps, Recreational campus such as those sponsored by YMCAs, or Church camps. Several private programs in Idaho are participating, and Donna Brundage, CEDU’s director of risk management, is the committee chairperson for the outdoor behavioral industry in Idaho.

HITCHCOCK CEDU SW REGIONAL ACADEMIC DIRECTOR
(September 26, 2000) Julia Andrick, spokesperson for the CEDU Family of Services, Sandpoint, Idaho, 208-265-0607 x130, part of the Brown Schools, announced Greg Hitchcock is the southwest regional academic director for CEDU High School and CEDU Middle School in Running Springs, California, replacing Will Laughlin who is now the Executive Director of academics for all CEDU schools.

NEW RECORD FOR WOODBURY REPORTS ONLINE
(October 1, 2000) With more than 47,000 unique visitors to the Woodbury Reports Online in the month of September, a new record was set for the web site. Previous totals were 35,674 in August, 36,260 in July, 36,736 in June, 35,443 in May, 28,145 in April, and 36,153 in March. Fifty six schools, programs and educational consultants are currently taking advantage of this web traffic to advertise a link to their own web site, which is turning the Woodbury Reports web site into the most effective portal into the network of Emotional Growth Schools and Programs for struggling teens on the Internet.