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April 19, 2005
Suitor Loses
Kemper Bid: Boonville Council Rejects Offer
By JOHN SULLIVAN of the Tribune’s staff
BOONVILLE - The
Boonville City Council wasted no time last night in rejecting a
controversial proposal for the purchase of the former Kemper
Military School.
The city council
spent just a few minutes on the proposal in open session, though the
matter had been scheduled for a closed meeting. No discussion
preceded the motion by Councilman Morris Carter to reject the
proposal and return a $100,000 check that was given as proof of
intent to purchase the property by Robert Lichfield.
The eight-member
council voted unanimously to reject the sale, with one council
member, Glenwood Einspahr, absent.
Lichfield, a
Utah businessman, and business associate Randall Hinton have drawn
media attention since their offer to buy the 50-acre Kemper property
became public March 24.
Lichfield is the
founder of World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools,
a network of teen behavior-modification programs in the United
States and abroad that is facing scrutiny by law enforcement and
legislators for allegations of child abuse.
Kemper Military
School closed in 2002, and the city of Boonville later purchased the
property for about $500,000. Lichfield planned to purchase the
property through Golden Pond Investments Ltd. of Utah, which he owns
with his wife and other partners.
Hinton, who
planned with his brother Russell Hinton to reopen the school as a
military-style academy, has worked for several World Wide programs
and is owner of White River Adventure, a Puerto Rico boarding school
for defiant teens.
At least one
former student of his has alleged abuse by Hinton, including the use
of pepper spray and humiliation tactics.
Hinton has
declined to comment on the allegations, saying only that he believes
he helped the teen overcome drug addiction.
Many Boonville
residents expressed concern about the prospective sale last week at
a public hearing. Boonville police recommended further investigation
into World Wide and its leaders before the city council made a
decision.
City Hall
observers speculated last week that the council would throw out the
proposal, as it attracted unwanted attention to the city.
Mayor Danielle
Blanck said after the meeting that the decision reflected her city’s
consternation about behavior-modification programs.
"I just think
that the community didn’t want to have that kind of school in the
middle of town," she said.
Before the vote,
Columbia activist Lesli Rackers implored the council to reject the
offer, citing what she believed was evidence that Hinton would have
continued his affiliation with World Wide despite his repeated
denials to the contrary. Hinton said his financial connection to
Lichfield does not guarantee an affiliation to the association.
Rackers, 34,
said she called Hinton’s White River Adventure yesterday morning to
talk about her daughter, a sometimes-defiant but emotionally healthy
teen. Within minutes, Rackers said, a staff member recommended she
call Teen Help, World Wide’s marketing arm.
"It’s with this
finding and the knowledge I have about" World Wide "that I’d oppose
Randall Hinton and anyone else associated with" World Wide, she told
the council.
Hinton denied
that his school makes referrals to World Wide affiliates. "I could
not imagine that," he said.
Mark Farrell,
secretary of the Kemper Military School Alumni Association, said
none of the allegations against World Wide and Hinton has been
substantiated. He said few investors besides Lichfield would likely
have the estimated $15 million needed to fix the aging campus.
"How many other
feasible offers has Boonville had?" Farrell asked.
Hinton said
after the meeting that he felt saddened by the council’s decision.
"It’s sad people don’t want to help kids," he said.
He said he plans
to look into other towns to see whether he could start up his
program elsewhere. He declined to say which towns he will look at.
"There’s about
five other schools that are empty," he said.
Reach John
Sullivan at (573) 815-1731 or jsullivan@tribmail.com.
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