"Work Center" planned in Clark Fork--We're Concerned (Sandpoint: office, money)

[banjomike]

I don't like those 'boot camp' operations much. There were a lot of them once, 20 years or more ago, scattered all over the west, and all of them tended toward physical abuse as 'rehabilitation' to cow kids into submission.
This outfit sure sounds like one to me.

If it was me, I would certainly want to have a close look at their program and their history, no matter where they are located. I've known both kids and adult counselors who were hooked into those outfits, and never heard a good word about them from either group.

As far as I know, Outward Bound is the only organization that has actually helped the kids, but my knowledge is old now, so I can't even vouch for them any more. I suspect this outfit's allowance of parents may be just a come-on, but I could be wrong. Even so, until I knew otherwise, I would be suspicious until I looked over their program at depth.

[Heidi60]

In my area there was a rental turned into a half-way house which upset many of the neighbors who attended the city meeting to express their concerns. What we learned is that the federal government decided that it is discriminatory to house those people outside of residential areas. It is supposed to benefiticial for the residents to have normal neighbors and live among those without drug/drinking issues. I hate riding my bike past that house as the language, smoke (they aren't permitted to smoke inside) and behavior of the residents are not comforting, but I'm glad it is blocks away from us.

Sadly, if they actually starting a group home like that, there isn't much one can do.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by Heidi60

In my area there was a rental turned into a half-way house which upset many of the neighbors who attended the city meeting to express their concerns. What we learned is that the federal government decided that it is discriminatory to house those people outside of residential areas. It is supposed to benefiticial for the residents to have normal neighbors and live among those without drug/drinking issues. I hate riding my bike past that house as the language, smoke (they aren't permitted to smoke inside) and behavior of the residents are not comforting, but I'm glad it is blocks away from us.

Sadly, if they actually starting a group home like that, there isn't much one can do.

Actually it takes very little to address such a place. About $3. A gallon of gas and a pack of matches. Oh wait, did I say that out loud?

Our government cares far more about the "rights" of criminals, than of victims.

[banjomike]

This isn't about criminal rights. These camps are built for kids with discipline problems and other troubles of adolescence. Do not confuse the two, as they are much different.

The real problem may be in the camp's curriculum… it's well known boot camp style bullying doesn't help the kids, and this sounds outfit sure sounds like another boot camp to me.

If this is built, the few escapees from the camp won't be the big problem. It will be the disgrace heaped upon the community for allowing it in the first place. That's why, nowadays, these compounds are built in bigger cities. There is less scrutiny in a big town, and a big town doesn't care so much about it's reputation as an excellent place to move to even if there are few amenities to life other than the scenery. For a tiny town, every person who decides to move elsewhere is a much bigger loss, and the panhandle is particularly vulnerable to bad mouthing in other places.

How many Nazis actually lived in that infamous compound of theirs? That alone indicates the power of rumor once it takes root and begins to spread. As we have all seen, burning the compound down to the ground changed no one's opinion. All of us here have refuted it until we're sick of the question, but it still persists.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

I don't think the center will be built in Clark Fork--there is such massive resistance to it, even from the local officials. But keep your fingers crossed for us!

[banjomike]

The fingers are crossed!

Requiring the company to show it's agenda and operating plans up front can make a huge difference.

A few years ago, over in Montana, a spurious outfit looking for some easy money from a little town that needed jobs blew into town in a bunch of big SUVs. They said they were looking to build a privately operated prison and promised everyone in the area could find good jobs working in it.
The citizens were delighted at first, until a few skeptics began questioning the company after doing a little digging. The more that was dug up, the crookeder the company looked, and a town hall meeting with the company officials decided it all- when they failed to provide too many correct answers, the outfit blew town, leaving the SUVs, with official looking decals on them, abandoned. It turned out they were all rentals. The outfit was looking to take whatever they could get out of the place and scam. A sort of corporate con game.

If it looks fishy, it's probably fishy.

[Sandpointian]

I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon, but I was kind of hoping these places would move away from the area. A friend of a friend was nearly beaten to death by a couple of teens from one of these schools when she picked two up hitchhiking.

NID was a dumping ground for too many people with issues from WA, CA and OR for too long. It is time to assert ourselves and say NO!

S.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Sandpointian

I hate to sound like an old curmudgeon, but I was kind of hoping these places would move away from the area. A friend of a friend was nearly beaten to death by a couple of teens from one of these schools when she picked two up hitchhiking.

NID was a dumping ground for too many people with issues from WA, CA and OR for too long. It is time to assert ourselves and say NO!

S.

I remember that assault! That was horrible. Poor woman. It happened just east of Hope, and it affected the entire community of Hope, and Clark Fork, too. I think that may be one reason why so many people have come out against the center. People are really stepping up to the plate and saying NO!

And fortunately the two young perps were caught. They blamed each other, if I remember correctly. Fine, upstanding young men...

And if you're a curmudgeon, we should all be curmudgeons...

[Muck Boots Lady]

Hi, I'm new to CD and fairly new to north Idaho. Just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in on "Work Centers".

Another point is Emergency Services response time out to Clark Fork. It's a loong drive for Sheriff or ambulances and a lot can happen in fifteen to twenty minutes. I hope those that review the permit application will be taking this into consideration.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Muck Boots Lady

Hi, I'm new to CD and fairly new to north Idaho. Just wanted to put my 2 cents worth in on "Work Centers".

Another point is Emergency Services response time out to Clark Fork. It's a loong drive for Sheriff or ambulances and a lot can happen in fifteen to twenty minutes. I hope those that review the permit application will be taking this into consideration.

We've got our own sheriff in Clark Fork! And he is against the center being built. But otherwise you're right, of course.

BTW, I think those two hoodlums who beat up the lady from Hope had escaped from a school in Montana. Not much one can do about that on the Idaho side, except being less friendly toward hitchhikers. How sad.