Contributed By Tom Bennett
Budgets for athletics were tight in 1962. That summer, basketball coach and athletic director Milton Johnson of Chipola Junior College drove our Bluebird bus, with our baseball team, gloves, bats and balls, to Miami for the annual Florida junior college baseball tournament.
Groveland, Fla., High had a 6-foot 7-inch, 190-pound center who had averaged 20 points and 22 rebounds his senior year in basketball. He was a rebounding vacuum cleaner and he had a seven-foot wingspan -- although not the state’s top grades. We decided to stop off there and see him. Coach took me with him as we went to the principal’s office and asked permission to speak to Austin "Red" Robbins.
"I think he’s out there in the parking lot somewhere," the principal said. Sure enough, we found the future star center for Chipola, the University of Tennessee and teams of the American Basketball Association cutting class and sitting in a vehicle smoking a cigarette.
Nothing ever perturbed Milton "Bat" Johnson, and he offered a scholarship to and signed Red, arranging for him to be in Marianna by summertime. Then we cranked the Bluebird and drove on to Miami Stadium.
He had a hands-on beginning at Chipola. In the summer of 1961, preparing for his first year as coach, Johnson received permission from the administration to rent an abandoned, one-story 1940’s brick home in Marianna. It was -- I guess still is -- about halfway between the Chipola campus and the town. This would become the dormitory of the basketball team.
Coach Johnson, Team Manager Doug Hayes and I went in with brooms and mops. We carried out the corpses of rats and squirrels. We scoured the walls. We bought 12 of the longest beds we could find in Marianna. That fall the team moved in with Doug and me.
Coach Johnson’s tiny office on the southeast corner of the Chipola gym had a desk, his chair, a typing table with a folding chair, and a filing cabinet. That little table and folding chair inches behind his head became my workspace. One day with as much ceremony as there was in 1960s Florida junior college athletics, he awarded me space in the front of the top drawer of the filing cabinet. There I began storing the scorebooks and my files with the players’ biographies and our all-time records.
For the 1962-63 basketball season, since after all we had Red Robbins arriving soon from Groveland, it was time for the school to have its first press guide of 32 pages. I typed it on stencils. The gentle lady who was President Ned Haven’s secretary – I wish I could recall her name – ran off my 32 stencils 100 times.
A newspaper printed for us a one-color, wrap-around cover for "CHIPOLA 1962-63 Basketball Handbook." This cover has posed-action photos of stars Charles Clark of Enterprise, Ala., and Gary Bryan of Malone, Fla. (Robbins not yet having proved his mettle, though prove it he would) plus the year-by-year Chipola won-lost records since 1947-48 and the team and individual records up to that time.
In March 1963, Coach Johnson drove the Bluebird with the 12 players and Doug and me from Marianna, Fla., to Hutchinson, Kan., 900 miles one way, for the national junior college tournament. We lost in the second round and never had a flat tire or breakdown on the Bluebird.
Milton Johnson was a man without reproach. I saw him get red in the face many times after turnovers or fouls, but never heard him swear or raise his voice. His courtesy to others, his bearing and temperament… these were at such a high level every moment of every day that all around him could not fail to try to emulate the man. I know I have done so ever since, and will to the day of my own departure.
Retired newspaperman Tom Bennett of North Carolina was the Indians’ student sports publicity director in 1961-63, and also was the editor-in-chief of the Chipola Papoose student newspaper in 1962-63.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Community Honors Chipola’s Coach Johnson
Last Tribute to a Lifetime of Accomplishments By Sid Riley
Most men work earnestly for a lifetime, raise a family, love and are loved, age, and pass. Within a relatively short time, after another generation or perhaps two, they are forgotten and gone forever, their genealogy being the only lasting effect of their having ever lived. However, there are some among us who leave a lasting mark.
The memories of these unique individuals normally result from the legacy their life’s work leaves for the benefit of future generations. Usually these individuals are writers, artists, musicians, politicians, philosophers, scholars, explorers and others whose life efforts create enduring results. The number of people impacted by the work dictates the scope of the lasting tribute which is created.
Chipola’s Coach Milton Johnson was such a man. Through the influential role he played during the initial years of development of Chipola College, he has left a legacy which will long endure. In the process he positively touched the lives of hundreds of his players, and peers. He was one of the founders of a sports program at Chipola which will endure as long as the college is here.
Coach Johnson will be immortalized in the annuals of the College for his accomplishments as a coach, and the foundation of a sports program which has developed into a nationally recognized success. He established a tradition of success.
Locally, he is even more revered for his work as a positive role model and mentor for all of those who were fortunate enough to play under his guidance. His lasting, positive influence on hundreds of lives is another of the legacies he left with us.
In his later years, those who loved and respected the man and his accomplishments took opportunities to express their appreciation to him. Tributes such as naming the new college gymnasium/ health center for him, inducting him into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and numerous events and banquets which were held in his honor gave all of those who loved and respected him the opportunity for expressing those feelings. Those who admired the Coach can be assured that when he passed, it was with a feeling of satisfaction for his lifetime accomplishments.
Editors Note: For more on Coach Johnson please read Clint Cox’s "Simply Put" in the Sports Section.
Most men work earnestly for a lifetime, raise a family, love and are loved, age, and pass. Within a relatively short time, after another generation or perhaps two, they are forgotten and gone forever, their genealogy being the only lasting effect of their having ever lived. However, there are some among us who leave a lasting mark.
The memories of these unique individuals normally result from the legacy their life’s work leaves for the benefit of future generations. Usually these individuals are writers, artists, musicians, politicians, philosophers, scholars, explorers and others whose life efforts create enduring results. The number of people impacted by the work dictates the scope of the lasting tribute which is created.
Chipola’s Coach Milton Johnson was such a man. Through the influential role he played during the initial years of development of Chipola College, he has left a legacy which will long endure. In the process he positively touched the lives of hundreds of his players, and peers. He was one of the founders of a sports program at Chipola which will endure as long as the college is here.
Coach Johnson will be immortalized in the annuals of the College for his accomplishments as a coach, and the foundation of a sports program which has developed into a nationally recognized success. He established a tradition of success.
Locally, he is even more revered for his work as a positive role model and mentor for all of those who were fortunate enough to play under his guidance. His lasting, positive influence on hundreds of lives is another of the legacies he left with us.
In his later years, those who loved and respected the man and his accomplishments took opportunities to express their appreciation to him. Tributes such as naming the new college gymnasium/ health center for him, inducting him into the National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and numerous events and banquets which were held in his honor gave all of those who loved and respected him the opportunity for expressing those feelings. Those who admired the Coach can be assured that when he passed, it was with a feeling of satisfaction for his lifetime accomplishments.
Editors Note: For more on Coach Johnson please read Clint Cox’s "Simply Put" in the Sports Section.
Artificial Limbs Available Locally
Skilled Prosthetics Practitioner is building legs in Marianna
By Sid Riley
Need a new body part? How about a new finger, or even an arm, or how about a whole new leg ?…. Dale Petersen, a skilled, licensed prosthetist can make you feel like a new person. Well, it’s really not quite that simple, but Dale Petersen is providing a much needed service to the medical community in Jackson and several surrounding counties.
He has opened Vital Prosthetics here in Marianna at 4299 Third Avenue where he custom builds prosthetic devices in accordance with prescriptions written by area doctors for these items. He specializes in building custom devices in his fabrication lab. He is a sixth generation Floridian, and third generation crafter of medical appliances.
Petersen graduated from high school in Clermont, Florida, and obtained his associate degree from Tallahassee Community. He attended school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where he obtained his technical certification to make orthotic and prosthetic devices. He then became licensed in Florida and Georgia. After obtaining his licenses, he received his Practitioner Certification by successfully completing the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (the ABC) three part exam at Northwestern University.
He has worked as a Practitioner/Technician with a large prosthetic firm in Tallahassee for over twenty four years. Last year he decided it was time for him to go into business for himself..
After investigating, he realized Marianna and the surrounding area needed his services and skills among the medical communities. In January, 2008 he opened Vital Prosthetics.
He can build a custom prosthetic appliance for any body appendage, including fingers, arms, toes, and legs. These are custom built to assure maximum comfort and fit. He specializes in a special cosmetic covering for these items which match skin color, making it difficult for the casual observer to realize the appendage is not flesh and blood.
They will provide free consultation to anyone who wishes to bring an existing prosthetic device to them that may be causing a problem. He also will make house calls for patients when they cannot travel to his office. Additionally, for the first time in Marianna, veterans and military personnel can obtain prosthetics locally.
Petersen is assisted in his business by his wife, Martha Gail. She is the daughter of the well know "Red" Smith who owned and operated Red and Sam’s on Lake Jackson in Tallahassee for many years. They are both avid fishermen. We certainly welcome this family and their unique business to our community, and wish them great success. They can be contacted at 850-526-0063. Their web site is www.vitalprosthetics.com.
By Sid Riley
Need a new body part? How about a new finger, or even an arm, or how about a whole new leg ?…. Dale Petersen, a skilled, licensed prosthetist can make you feel like a new person. Well, it’s really not quite that simple, but Dale Petersen is providing a much needed service to the medical community in Jackson and several surrounding counties.
He has opened Vital Prosthetics here in Marianna at 4299 Third Avenue where he custom builds prosthetic devices in accordance with prescriptions written by area doctors for these items. He specializes in building custom devices in his fabrication lab. He is a sixth generation Floridian, and third generation crafter of medical appliances.
Petersen graduated from high school in Clermont, Florida, and obtained his associate degree from Tallahassee Community. He attended school in White Bear Lake, Minnesota where he obtained his technical certification to make orthotic and prosthetic devices. He then became licensed in Florida and Georgia. After obtaining his licenses, he received his Practitioner Certification by successfully completing the American Board for Certification in Orthotics and Prosthetics (the ABC) three part exam at Northwestern University.
He has worked as a Practitioner/Technician with a large prosthetic firm in Tallahassee for over twenty four years. Last year he decided it was time for him to go into business for himself..
After investigating, he realized Marianna and the surrounding area needed his services and skills among the medical communities. In January, 2008 he opened Vital Prosthetics.
He can build a custom prosthetic appliance for any body appendage, including fingers, arms, toes, and legs. These are custom built to assure maximum comfort and fit. He specializes in a special cosmetic covering for these items which match skin color, making it difficult for the casual observer to realize the appendage is not flesh and blood.
They will provide free consultation to anyone who wishes to bring an existing prosthetic device to them that may be causing a problem. He also will make house calls for patients when they cannot travel to his office. Additionally, for the first time in Marianna, veterans and military personnel can obtain prosthetics locally.
Petersen is assisted in his business by his wife, Martha Gail. She is the daughter of the well know "Red" Smith who owned and operated Red and Sam’s on Lake Jackson in Tallahassee for many years. They are both avid fishermen. We certainly welcome this family and their unique business to our community, and wish them great success. They can be contacted at 850-526-0063. Their web site is www.vitalprosthetics.com.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Defending Dozier
(Part Two) Telling the "rest of the story".
By Sid Riley
Unfortunately, you can throw mud and dirt further than you can throw clean sand. The same axiom is true for news. When the media chooses to dig out accusations and possible negative events while ignoring hundreds of possible stories about positive influences, good programs, and years of professional work from dedicated personnel, the negative stories will be picked up by national television, and news wire services around the world. The positive, truthful stories will receive little notoriety.
This is the second story of a series of stories in this paper’s effort to tell the full history in "Defense of Dozier", as a rebuttal to the wild claims and exaggerated stories about historical events which might or might not have occurred at our local Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in the 1950’s. These claims have not been proven or substantiated, but much national media attention has been generated which includes very negative publicity for our community.
(This week we have focused on the medical staff and medical treatment at the school).
Truth in Medicine:
If severe physical abuse was occurring at Dozier, the effects of that abuse would quickly come to the attention of the existing medical staff at the school. For vicious beatings to be administered involving hundreds of lashes with giant whips, causing blood to splatter on the walls of the room….medical treatment would have to follow.
This means the Doctors and nurses who were on staff would have to help "hide" the fact that the beatings were occurring. Their professional ethics would have to be discarded for the benefit of the school’s administration. Those who knew the medical professionals who were involved will attest to the integrity of these people and their absolute belief that if these injuries had existed they would have immediately taken action to disclose these practices to the public and to the State authorities.
This is one of the strongest points for believing that there is no truthful substance to the questionable claims currently being made by a few previous residents of the school….almost sixty years after the events were to have taken place. Many feel their fabricated and exaggerated claims are driven by hopes of personal gain from the political practices of today which often result in claims against the State being rewarded with huge payments from the public coffers, in order to avoid litigation and negative publicity.
During the 1930’s and into the 1940’s, medical services to the reform school were provided by Dr. Baltzell. This fine physician was recognized throughout the county for his benevolence, professionalism, and ability. To think of him as being complicit in a cover-up for beatings being administered to children at Dozier is unimaginable to those who remember him.
Lenox Williams:
(Excerpt from the interview with Mr. Williams as related to medical treatment.)
"The boys always had great medical care. They also received any dental treatments they needed. I can recall a couple of instances where boys had disfigurements from birth and we felt the boy was having emotional problems as a result of these defects. I arranged for them to be sent to specialists who then recommended remedial plastic surgery to correct their problem. This had a dramatic effect on their self esteem and ability to function in their society. Dozier did more for those boys than they could have ever hoped for in their previous home environment."
"We always had a great medical staff on campus. I know if there had ever been any type of physical abuse going on they would have noted it and reported it to me immediately."
Dick Hinson:
One leading senior citizen in our area who remembers Dr. Baltzell, Dick Hinson, called to remind us about the serious problems with infection which existed during much of this era. Penicillin had not yet been developed, and many, many small wounds frequently became infected. Hinson relates how Dr. Baltzell used a special black ointment which he spread on the wound and the red streaks of infection which emanated from the spot.
"If these beatings had really occurred as these gentlemen are claiming, there most certainly would have been infections which resulted. Dr. Baltzell and his treatment would have been an absolute necessity. His involvement could not have been avoided…and he would not have allowed any abuse to go unpunished," Hinson related.
"Another dear friend and very, very ethical professional who administered to the boys at Dozier was Dr. Richard Schulz. I can assure you, there was no medical evidence of injuries from any form of mistreatment from the administration while he was in service there". Hinson stated emphatically. "He insisted on nothing but the highest level of moral standards, and it would have been inconceivable for him to not report any abuses to authorities."
Dee Calloway:
Dee Calloway who is a registered nurse, worked as part of the medical services team at Dozier from 1966 thru 1973. She was a medical assistant to Dr. Wexler who was then the campus physician and who also lived on the campus. "He was an excellent physician. He loved the boys and they loved him", she relates.
"After Dr. Wexler retired Dr. Richard Schulz became our doctor. He held a medical clinic each day, seeing those that needed medical care. Both of these doctors had a policy where they could be called at any time, day or night, by the nurse on duty." Calloway continues. " Nutrition was excellent! If a child required a special diet, these foods were ordered and special meals were prepared to accommodate these needs. All meals were well balanced.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s there were several residents who were put on psychotropic drugs by a psychiatrist. Back then we didn’t have specific diagnosis categories of behavior such as ADD, ADHD, etc., it was just ruled as an emotional disorder, nervous system disorder, or retardation. Also, there was a percentage of the population that was gay, and sometimes that entered the medical arena." She continued.
"In 1963-64 there was a "Charlie John’s Commission" who came on campus from Tallahassee to "clean up homosexuality" on campus.
"We all loved those boys. Now some were very mean, and had to be treated with that in mind. We had innocent boys who were only nine or ten years old that desperately needed to be loved and should not have been there. We had others who should have been in prison. For instance we had students Cotton and Morris Brown who killed a Jackson County Deputy, James Bevis with his own gun. Then we had the Indian boy from the Everglades who viciously attacked Mr. and Mrs. Jackson at their home on highway 71 N. Mrs. Jackson later died from injuries resulting from that attack.".
"In all of those years I was working as a nurse on the evening shift, there was NEVER a child brought to us for medical treatment who had in any way been abused. Lenox Williams, the Superintendent, would never have allowed abuse of a child.
It was not uncommon for boys who were about to be released to run away from Dozier to prevent being sent back home. I have had them tell me they never had it so good. ‘Good food in my belly, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and good care’. It really angers me to have all of this wonderful work tainted by the greedy, outrageous claims of a few past residents."
By Sid Riley
Unfortunately, you can throw mud and dirt further than you can throw clean sand. The same axiom is true for news. When the media chooses to dig out accusations and possible negative events while ignoring hundreds of possible stories about positive influences, good programs, and years of professional work from dedicated personnel, the negative stories will be picked up by national television, and news wire services around the world. The positive, truthful stories will receive little notoriety.
This is the second story of a series of stories in this paper’s effort to tell the full history in "Defense of Dozier", as a rebuttal to the wild claims and exaggerated stories about historical events which might or might not have occurred at our local Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in the 1950’s. These claims have not been proven or substantiated, but much national media attention has been generated which includes very negative publicity for our community.
(This week we have focused on the medical staff and medical treatment at the school).
Truth in Medicine:
If severe physical abuse was occurring at Dozier, the effects of that abuse would quickly come to the attention of the existing medical staff at the school. For vicious beatings to be administered involving hundreds of lashes with giant whips, causing blood to splatter on the walls of the room….medical treatment would have to follow.
This means the Doctors and nurses who were on staff would have to help "hide" the fact that the beatings were occurring. Their professional ethics would have to be discarded for the benefit of the school’s administration. Those who knew the medical professionals who were involved will attest to the integrity of these people and their absolute belief that if these injuries had existed they would have immediately taken action to disclose these practices to the public and to the State authorities.
This is one of the strongest points for believing that there is no truthful substance to the questionable claims currently being made by a few previous residents of the school….almost sixty years after the events were to have taken place. Many feel their fabricated and exaggerated claims are driven by hopes of personal gain from the political practices of today which often result in claims against the State being rewarded with huge payments from the public coffers, in order to avoid litigation and negative publicity.
During the 1930’s and into the 1940’s, medical services to the reform school were provided by Dr. Baltzell. This fine physician was recognized throughout the county for his benevolence, professionalism, and ability. To think of him as being complicit in a cover-up for beatings being administered to children at Dozier is unimaginable to those who remember him.
Lenox Williams:
(Excerpt from the interview with Mr. Williams as related to medical treatment.)
"The boys always had great medical care. They also received any dental treatments they needed. I can recall a couple of instances where boys had disfigurements from birth and we felt the boy was having emotional problems as a result of these defects. I arranged for them to be sent to specialists who then recommended remedial plastic surgery to correct their problem. This had a dramatic effect on their self esteem and ability to function in their society. Dozier did more for those boys than they could have ever hoped for in their previous home environment."
"We always had a great medical staff on campus. I know if there had ever been any type of physical abuse going on they would have noted it and reported it to me immediately."
Dick Hinson:
One leading senior citizen in our area who remembers Dr. Baltzell, Dick Hinson, called to remind us about the serious problems with infection which existed during much of this era. Penicillin had not yet been developed, and many, many small wounds frequently became infected. Hinson relates how Dr. Baltzell used a special black ointment which he spread on the wound and the red streaks of infection which emanated from the spot.
"If these beatings had really occurred as these gentlemen are claiming, there most certainly would have been infections which resulted. Dr. Baltzell and his treatment would have been an absolute necessity. His involvement could not have been avoided…and he would not have allowed any abuse to go unpunished," Hinson related.
"Another dear friend and very, very ethical professional who administered to the boys at Dozier was Dr. Richard Schulz. I can assure you, there was no medical evidence of injuries from any form of mistreatment from the administration while he was in service there". Hinson stated emphatically. "He insisted on nothing but the highest level of moral standards, and it would have been inconceivable for him to not report any abuses to authorities."
Dee Calloway:
Dee Calloway who is a registered nurse, worked as part of the medical services team at Dozier from 1966 thru 1973. She was a medical assistant to Dr. Wexler who was then the campus physician and who also lived on the campus. "He was an excellent physician. He loved the boys and they loved him", she relates.
"After Dr. Wexler retired Dr. Richard Schulz became our doctor. He held a medical clinic each day, seeing those that needed medical care. Both of these doctors had a policy where they could be called at any time, day or night, by the nurse on duty." Calloway continues. " Nutrition was excellent! If a child required a special diet, these foods were ordered and special meals were prepared to accommodate these needs. All meals were well balanced.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s there were several residents who were put on psychotropic drugs by a psychiatrist. Back then we didn’t have specific diagnosis categories of behavior such as ADD, ADHD, etc., it was just ruled as an emotional disorder, nervous system disorder, or retardation. Also, there was a percentage of the population that was gay, and sometimes that entered the medical arena." She continued.
"In 1963-64 there was a "Charlie John’s Commission" who came on campus from Tallahassee to "clean up homosexuality" on campus.
"We all loved those boys. Now some were very mean, and had to be treated with that in mind. We had innocent boys who were only nine or ten years old that desperately needed to be loved and should not have been there. We had others who should have been in prison. For instance we had students Cotton and Morris Brown who killed a Jackson County Deputy, James Bevis with his own gun. Then we had the Indian boy from the Everglades who viciously attacked Mr. and Mrs. Jackson at their home on highway 71 N. Mrs. Jackson later died from injuries resulting from that attack.".
"In all of those years I was working as a nurse on the evening shift, there was NEVER a child brought to us for medical treatment who had in any way been abused. Lenox Williams, the Superintendent, would never have allowed abuse of a child.
It was not uncommon for boys who were about to be released to run away from Dozier to prevent being sent back home. I have had them tell me they never had it so good. ‘Good food in my belly, a roof over my head, clothes on my back, and good care’. It really angers me to have all of this wonderful work tainted by the greedy, outrageous claims of a few past residents."
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
JCARC Out Of $$$$ 1/29/09
By Sid Riley
Local Social Services Organization Is Suffering From Funding Cuts
The local social services organization, JCARC, was started on a modest basis in 1974 with the mission to help the mentally disabled in our community lead a better, more productive and more fulfilling life. It was initially involved with national programs such as the "Special Olympics" and similarly directed programs.
Through the years the scope and costs of its programs has expanded dramatically. Some of the operating funds are generated through internal programs such as the JCARC nursery system, the JCARC woodworking shop, the JCARC yard work and cleaning crews, and other fund generating development-work programs. Other funding is realized through State social services funding. The organization also operates several group homes where clients are able to live in an assisted living environment.
The JCARC has grown and expanded steadily since 1974, reaching a high of sixty employees. It recently built a new operations building which is located in Marianna on Pennsylvania Avenue. This facility houses the horticulture programs and all mobile work crews. There are a total of 58 individuals with disabilities who report to work or for training at this facility each morning. The JCARC currently works with a total of 148 individuals in our community who have these types of disabilities.
The State of Florida is now experiencing severe funding problems and is in the process of budget trimming. The "social services" area is one of the areas where the cuts have been the deepest thus far. This has created the current plight for our local JCARC. Through reductions in the hours of client participation which the State is willing to pay JCARC for their services, and due to reductions in outside contract services for the JCARC cleaning work crews, the organization has already lost over $385,000 in funding.
Reportedly, the organization has been unable to meet its payroll obligations and benefit obligations earlier this month, causing their health insurance program to be cancelled, and employees to go without pay for several weeks. They utilize an employee leasing program for their payroll and benefit systems, and that leasing company has thus been forced to discontinue their participation with JCARC until cash flow can be restored.
The Jackson County Times contacted Program Director, Francis Henderson to find out more about this situation. She stated that their organization is rapidly taking steps to react to this problem. They have reduced their staff by 12, they are relocating the sign shop and woodworking shop to reduce lease costs, and are exploring several other cost cutting measures. Mrs. Henderson did state that the payroll will be brought to current status this week, and the health benefits have already been reinstated. She appeals to the community, civic organizations, and private individuals for help in this very worthwhile organization’s "Time Of Need".
Local Social Services Organization Is Suffering From Funding Cuts
The local social services organization, JCARC, was started on a modest basis in 1974 with the mission to help the mentally disabled in our community lead a better, more productive and more fulfilling life. It was initially involved with national programs such as the "Special Olympics" and similarly directed programs.
Through the years the scope and costs of its programs has expanded dramatically. Some of the operating funds are generated through internal programs such as the JCARC nursery system, the JCARC woodworking shop, the JCARC yard work and cleaning crews, and other fund generating development-work programs. Other funding is realized through State social services funding. The organization also operates several group homes where clients are able to live in an assisted living environment.
The JCARC has grown and expanded steadily since 1974, reaching a high of sixty employees. It recently built a new operations building which is located in Marianna on Pennsylvania Avenue. This facility houses the horticulture programs and all mobile work crews. There are a total of 58 individuals with disabilities who report to work or for training at this facility each morning. The JCARC currently works with a total of 148 individuals in our community who have these types of disabilities.
The State of Florida is now experiencing severe funding problems and is in the process of budget trimming. The "social services" area is one of the areas where the cuts have been the deepest thus far. This has created the current plight for our local JCARC. Through reductions in the hours of client participation which the State is willing to pay JCARC for their services, and due to reductions in outside contract services for the JCARC cleaning work crews, the organization has already lost over $385,000 in funding.
Reportedly, the organization has been unable to meet its payroll obligations and benefit obligations earlier this month, causing their health insurance program to be cancelled, and employees to go without pay for several weeks. They utilize an employee leasing program for their payroll and benefit systems, and that leasing company has thus been forced to discontinue their participation with JCARC until cash flow can be restored.
The Jackson County Times contacted Program Director, Francis Henderson to find out more about this situation. She stated that their organization is rapidly taking steps to react to this problem. They have reduced their staff by 12, they are relocating the sign shop and woodworking shop to reduce lease costs, and are exploring several other cost cutting measures. Mrs. Henderson did state that the payroll will be brought to current status this week, and the health benefits have already been reinstated. She appeals to the community, civic organizations, and private individuals for help in this very worthwhile organization’s "Time Of Need".
Jackson County Deputy Kevin Wright Dies In Tragic Car Accident 1/29/09
By Sid Riley
Non Duty Related Single Vehicle Crash Occurs On River Road
This Sunday, Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts sadly announced the death of one of his senior deputies. Deputy Sheriff Kevin Wright (35) was apparently on his way home, traveling north on River Road near Sneads early Sunday morning in his personal vehicle when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned. He was ejected from the car as it overturned several times. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the incident.
"He was one of those who loved helping others, and he set an example for all who knew him. He will be greatly missed." Sheriff Roberts stated. Wright had been with the Department since 1998, serving as a School Resource Deputy on assignment at Jackson Alternative School and at Hope School on an "as needed basis", at the time of his death.
Deputy Wright was well liked by the students, and always presented a positive image. The flag at Jackson Alternative School will be flown at half mast in his honor until after the funeral. He will be given full departmental honors by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at his funeral.
Kevin Wright was a 1991 graduate of Sneads High School. He leaves behind an eight year old daughter, Madeline Grace Wright, who is this year’s "Little Miss Sneads". His father, Jimmy Wright, is a Sneads City Councilman. The official obituary is presented in this issue. Our condolences go out to his family.
Non Duty Related Single Vehicle Crash Occurs On River Road
This Sunday, Jackson County Sheriff Lou Roberts sadly announced the death of one of his senior deputies. Deputy Sheriff Kevin Wright (35) was apparently on his way home, traveling north on River Road near Sneads early Sunday morning in his personal vehicle when the vehicle left the roadway and overturned. He was ejected from the car as it overturned several times. He died as a result of injuries sustained in the incident.
"He was one of those who loved helping others, and he set an example for all who knew him. He will be greatly missed." Sheriff Roberts stated. Wright had been with the Department since 1998, serving as a School Resource Deputy on assignment at Jackson Alternative School and at Hope School on an "as needed basis", at the time of his death.
Deputy Wright was well liked by the students, and always presented a positive image. The flag at Jackson Alternative School will be flown at half mast in his honor until after the funeral. He will be given full departmental honors by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department at his funeral.
Kevin Wright was a 1991 graduate of Sneads High School. He leaves behind an eight year old daughter, Madeline Grace Wright, who is this year’s "Little Miss Sneads". His father, Jimmy Wright, is a Sneads City Councilman. The official obituary is presented in this issue. Our condolences go out to his family.
In Defense of Dozier 1/29/09
By Sid Riley
A Multitude of past employees rise to defend the honor of Dozier School.
The recent negative publicity about treatment of residents at Arthur G. Dozier School For boys (Formally Florida Industrial School for Boys) which has now spread to international proportions has generated outrage from many local residents who worked there during the era in question. They feel that they are the victims of a "witch hunt" motivated by media sensationalism and the personal greed of two former detainees of that reform school.
Since the school was opened in 1900 there have been hundreds of thousands of man hours expended by thousands of hard working employees who were dedicated to helping the wayward boys who were sent there. As a result of their work, thousands of Florida’s troubled youth were positively influenced. Many of these former employees have now come forward in defense of the administration of that period, and the environment which existed on the campus of Dozier at that time. This feature will present their side of the story.
We will be presenting this story in several parts in sequential issues. We are beginning with interviews conducted with the past Superintendent of Dozier School for Boys, Lenox Williams. He is retired and still resides in the Marianna area.
Sid Riley – " Please describe the environment at Dozier during the many years you worked at the campus."
Lenox Williams – "You have to realize that the campus conditions, the composition of the residents, established policies, public practices, laws, social norms, levels of staffing and funding, and many other related factors were all in a state of evolution during the 108 years Dozier has existed. You can not take the standards of today, the expectations of today, and the legalities of today and apply them to any past era. We had an open, unsecured campus with full public access. Our resident population consisted of everything from poor little eight year olds, who should not have been there to mean, cruel young adults that were capable of killing. We had over 900 detainees and a staff of only 143 employees. With what resources and funding we had available, our staff delivered more than what could have been expected. They had good food, loving care, good medical treatment, free education, sports programs, and fair treatment. Every cottage had a resident parent who lived upstairs, most of them with their families. Their children played with the residents, and a wholesome, family type relationship existed in many instances. "
Sid Riley – What do you mean when you say the "type" of resident changed?
Lenox Williams – "At the beginning of my term there the population consisted of many, many unfortunate young boys who were the products of broken homes, had no parents, and were ‘street children’ in our cities. They had been deemed as ‘incorrigible’ by the authorities, perhaps for some minor incident, and sentenced to Dozier. Many of them were so innocent and young you could not help loving them. A small percentage of the population was cruel criminals that were mixed into the population. Some were homosexual. Some had mental illnesses. There were no programs to help these individuals. Today, the mix has been segregated so that these various categories have their own places and treatment programs within the State systems."
The fencing was completed in 1982, and it then became a restricted campus. It was installed after the Jackson family incident occurred when three runaway youths were trying to steal a car at the Jackon home and ended up severely beating and injuring the father, son and mother who resided at the home."
Riley- Was it common for boys to escape and run?
Lenox Williams – "Sure, we had those that chose to run away. Often it was just before they were to be released and they did not want to return to their former lives. On other occasions it was because they were under pressure from other boys. Of course some wanted to go home because they were homesick. Sometimes the older boys would run just to go on a binge and to hopefully see some girls. The hardened criminals escaped at times in an effort to return to their criminal lifestyles. I think you will always have some of this occur anytime you try to restrict the movement of people."
Riley –
Was homosexuality and sexual abuse a problem?
Lenox Williams –" I am sure some homosexual incidents took place. I assure you that it never took place with the knowledge of my administration. It might have happened in a ‘boy on boy’ condition, but to my knowledge never occurred between an administrator and a boy. I did have a couple of employees through the years that I was suspicious of their motives, so I quickly had them removed from the staff."
Riley – Tell me about the infamous "white house".
Lenox Williams – " Sure, we whipped their butts if they misbehaved, broke the established rules, and deserved it. Giving a student a whipping was very legal, very accepted, and very anticipated. In my opinion, it had a positive effect on the boys and the campus. It was always done in a controlled, supervised manner, and did not constitute abuse in any way by the standards of that time. There was a policy which listed how many licks they got for various offenses. It was no different than the same type of punishment being administered in every school in the nation at that time. The descriptions being printed about the inhuman beatings of a hundred licks, and the types of paddles used has been greatly distorted by time and/or the media. The outlandish claims of using giant whips and causing blood to splatter are all false.
Riley – Do you believe any boys were ever killed and their bodies hidden?
Lenox Williams – "Absolute Hogwash Bull****! We had a boy drown in the swimming pool, another drown on a fishing trip, and one boy was killed by another boy and left in a drain culvert, but there certainly was nothing hidden or clandestine about those incidents. I do not believe anything such as hidden bodies and administration caused deaths ever happened throughout the entire 100 years of the school’s history, …I know for sure it never happened on my watch!"
" It is unfortunate that the grave yard was not properly recorded and maintained during past eras."
Riley – Do you have any opinions about the claims past residents are making which make Dozier appear to be a cruel, terrible place?
Lenox Williams – "These gentlemen who are making these claims were there before I came onto the scene, but I am very suspicious of their motives. I think their motives may be driven by hopes of books, movies, or a claim against the State. They openly stated they were inspired by the Anderson incident down in Bay County. I think the inspiration may have been generated by the $5,000,000 settlement our fine politicians chose to give that unfortunate family. Some of their statements and claims are so outlandish I can not give any credence to them."
"In my opinion it is all exaggerations which are motivated by hopes for making money on books, movies and other means from opportunities created by the sensationalism. Some unfortunate things happened over the 100 year history of the institution, but many, many positive, good things also happened. Anything that was bad happened because of the acts of an individual who was bad, not because of accepted practices. Remember, corporal punishment was legal, widely accepted, and was being used in almost every public and private school in the nation at the time these events were claimed to have occurred."
This story will continue next week.
A Multitude of past employees rise to defend the honor of Dozier School.
The recent negative publicity about treatment of residents at Arthur G. Dozier School For boys (Formally Florida Industrial School for Boys) which has now spread to international proportions has generated outrage from many local residents who worked there during the era in question. They feel that they are the victims of a "witch hunt" motivated by media sensationalism and the personal greed of two former detainees of that reform school.
Since the school was opened in 1900 there have been hundreds of thousands of man hours expended by thousands of hard working employees who were dedicated to helping the wayward boys who were sent there. As a result of their work, thousands of Florida’s troubled youth were positively influenced. Many of these former employees have now come forward in defense of the administration of that period, and the environment which existed on the campus of Dozier at that time. This feature will present their side of the story.
We will be presenting this story in several parts in sequential issues. We are beginning with interviews conducted with the past Superintendent of Dozier School for Boys, Lenox Williams. He is retired and still resides in the Marianna area.
Sid Riley – " Please describe the environment at Dozier during the many years you worked at the campus."
Lenox Williams – "You have to realize that the campus conditions, the composition of the residents, established policies, public practices, laws, social norms, levels of staffing and funding, and many other related factors were all in a state of evolution during the 108 years Dozier has existed. You can not take the standards of today, the expectations of today, and the legalities of today and apply them to any past era. We had an open, unsecured campus with full public access. Our resident population consisted of everything from poor little eight year olds, who should not have been there to mean, cruel young adults that were capable of killing. We had over 900 detainees and a staff of only 143 employees. With what resources and funding we had available, our staff delivered more than what could have been expected. They had good food, loving care, good medical treatment, free education, sports programs, and fair treatment. Every cottage had a resident parent who lived upstairs, most of them with their families. Their children played with the residents, and a wholesome, family type relationship existed in many instances. "
Sid Riley – What do you mean when you say the "type" of resident changed?
Lenox Williams – "At the beginning of my term there the population consisted of many, many unfortunate young boys who were the products of broken homes, had no parents, and were ‘street children’ in our cities. They had been deemed as ‘incorrigible’ by the authorities, perhaps for some minor incident, and sentenced to Dozier. Many of them were so innocent and young you could not help loving them. A small percentage of the population was cruel criminals that were mixed into the population. Some were homosexual. Some had mental illnesses. There were no programs to help these individuals. Today, the mix has been segregated so that these various categories have their own places and treatment programs within the State systems."
The fencing was completed in 1982, and it then became a restricted campus. It was installed after the Jackson family incident occurred when three runaway youths were trying to steal a car at the Jackon home and ended up severely beating and injuring the father, son and mother who resided at the home."
Riley- Was it common for boys to escape and run?
Lenox Williams – "Sure, we had those that chose to run away. Often it was just before they were to be released and they did not want to return to their former lives. On other occasions it was because they were under pressure from other boys. Of course some wanted to go home because they were homesick. Sometimes the older boys would run just to go on a binge and to hopefully see some girls. The hardened criminals escaped at times in an effort to return to their criminal lifestyles. I think you will always have some of this occur anytime you try to restrict the movement of people."
Riley –
Was homosexuality and sexual abuse a problem?
Lenox Williams –" I am sure some homosexual incidents took place. I assure you that it never took place with the knowledge of my administration. It might have happened in a ‘boy on boy’ condition, but to my knowledge never occurred between an administrator and a boy. I did have a couple of employees through the years that I was suspicious of their motives, so I quickly had them removed from the staff."
Riley – Tell me about the infamous "white house".
Lenox Williams – " Sure, we whipped their butts if they misbehaved, broke the established rules, and deserved it. Giving a student a whipping was very legal, very accepted, and very anticipated. In my opinion, it had a positive effect on the boys and the campus. It was always done in a controlled, supervised manner, and did not constitute abuse in any way by the standards of that time. There was a policy which listed how many licks they got for various offenses. It was no different than the same type of punishment being administered in every school in the nation at that time. The descriptions being printed about the inhuman beatings of a hundred licks, and the types of paddles used has been greatly distorted by time and/or the media. The outlandish claims of using giant whips and causing blood to splatter are all false.
Riley – Do you believe any boys were ever killed and their bodies hidden?
Lenox Williams – "Absolute Hogwash Bull****! We had a boy drown in the swimming pool, another drown on a fishing trip, and one boy was killed by another boy and left in a drain culvert, but there certainly was nothing hidden or clandestine about those incidents. I do not believe anything such as hidden bodies and administration caused deaths ever happened throughout the entire 100 years of the school’s history, …I know for sure it never happened on my watch!"
" It is unfortunate that the grave yard was not properly recorded and maintained during past eras."
Riley – Do you have any opinions about the claims past residents are making which make Dozier appear to be a cruel, terrible place?
Lenox Williams – "These gentlemen who are making these claims were there before I came onto the scene, but I am very suspicious of their motives. I think their motives may be driven by hopes of books, movies, or a claim against the State. They openly stated they were inspired by the Anderson incident down in Bay County. I think the inspiration may have been generated by the $5,000,000 settlement our fine politicians chose to give that unfortunate family. Some of their statements and claims are so outlandish I can not give any credence to them."
"In my opinion it is all exaggerations which are motivated by hopes for making money on books, movies and other means from opportunities created by the sensationalism. Some unfortunate things happened over the 100 year history of the institution, but many, many positive, good things also happened. Anything that was bad happened because of the acts of an individual who was bad, not because of accepted practices. Remember, corporal punishment was legal, widely accepted, and was being used in almost every public and private school in the nation at the time these events were claimed to have occurred."
This story will continue next week.
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