Alternative 1

We will be posting a list of alternatives to the miserable boot camp, known as Victory Forge. We will then be providing a brief write-up on some of them.

The one alternative that has garnered rave reviews for the counselors who we have been talking to, is run by a foundation called "The Starr Foundation". They run several schools in Michigan and Ohio which are part of the Starr Commonwealth. We ran a brief query of news story on this organization and it appears that local government officials and MI and OH senators visit these locations frequently to get a first hand look at the potential. President Elect Obama has also stated his admiration for this place. We talked to some of the people running this program and they are professional, grounded and have NO past history of run-ins with the authority. Now that is a refreshing change. We also had a parent visit one of the locations and they reported back to us that the grounds were beautiful and looked like something out of a well manicured golf course. The housing is first rate and the children are not placed into a tiny little house. They have the opportunity to be free but disciplined and guided. A stark contrast to the little house on Biltmore crammed with children.

For more information, go to the Starr Commonwealth website. You can see pictures of the place and get a good idea of what a place for troubled teen should look like.

If you have information on this or other schools, please send them our way.

Weierman was not in the Military?

According to Military Personnel Records - this the repository of all military records - Alan Weierman (the self professed COL of Victory Forge) is not really a Colonel. He never achieved that rank, which did not surprise us. What was surprising though was that the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) was "unsuccessful in identifying a military service for" Alan Weierman.

The NPRC needed some specific information to be sure, but their preliminary search did not show that Weierman was in the military.

Alan, want to prove us wrong? Want to prove to us that you indeed are a Colonel and that you indeed were in the Military?

We are not holding our breath as Weierman has what is known as a compulsive lying disorder. Beware.