Ave Maria College Parents Fed Up

An open letter by Dr. Edward Peters, a Canon Law Professor who has taught
for three years at Tom Monaghan's Ave Maria College in Michigan. He is with
the Ave Maria Insitute for Pastoral Theology and along with other Ave Maria
parents is concerned about what they categorize as a pattern of
mismanagement and disregard for human dignity in Ave Maria's various
operations. Monaghan is trying to build a new Ave Maria campus near the
small town of Immokalee, Florida and calling it Ave Mara University. The
campus is temporarily operating in Naples in a former retirement home.

Statement by Dr. Peters:

Three years ago, I came to work for the Institute for Pastoral Theology, one
of several projects in the Ave Maria system (itself funded, of course, by
Tom Monaghan) for which numerous accomplished professionals were being
recruited. At that time, these undertakings included, besides my graduate
theological institute, a law school, one (then two) regional liberal arts
colleges, a pair of radio stations, a newspaper, a network of elementary
schools, and a new convent, to name just some. We who committed to these
efforts did so with clear understandings from Ave Maria leadership about
where we fit in the overall operation, what our responsibilities were, what
administrative direction we should plan on, the organizational support we
could expect, and so on. Upon arrival in our new homes and works, we threw
ourselves into these important projects with ability and enthusiasm. By any
measure, each of these Ave Maria efforts achieved manifest, and sometimes
even stunning, results. In short, the dollars provided by Monaghan were
enabling the talent provided by us to make a real difference in the world.

Increasingly, however, it has become clear that Tom Monaghan regards Ave
Maria, not as a kind of public trust with obligations in justice to the
community, nor even as a cooperative effort between one man blessed with
money and many people blessed with skills, but rather as his personal domain
which he can effectively treat however he wants, whenever he wants. He seems
to consider himself the sole contributor to the Ave Maria project, and
therefore acts as though he should be sole decision-maker.

This is very wrong in two ways.

1. Even if it's true that Monaghan is the sole financial contributor to Ave
Maria, it is not true that his are therefore the only contributions being
made to these efforts. People, not dollars, do the real work at Ave Maria.
Monaghan has contributed a significant percentage of his money to Ave Maria,
but many, many talented people have contributed a significant percentage of
their lives to it. It is imperative that their innumerable gifts of self be
given recognition alongside Monaghan's measurable gifts of money, and that
the ideas and desires of those who work for Ave Maria be given as much
respect as the ideas and desires of those who fund it.

2. If Monaghan has, in fact, given money to various Ave Maria projects, that
means those resources are no longer his to do with as he pleases, but
rather, they become the responsibility of various boards and administrators
to expend justly. While any board that receives the majority of its funds
from a dominant donor might feel some pressure to comply with the
preferences of that donor, they must not allow themselves to be relegated to
the role of yes men, simply ratifying every wish or whim of the major giver.
Charitable work is not about control, it's about service. Philanthropy is
not about getting acclaim, it's about proclaiming the dignity and worth of
the projects and people one supports. If Monaghan has made commitments to
Ave Maria, his boards and advisors are bound to hold him to his word; if
they, in turn, have made commitments to programs within Ave Maria, they must
honor them.

There is, unfortunately, as I suggested above, ample evidence that very many
commitments, expressed and implied, are not being honored within Ave Maria.
In witness whereof, incredible as it might be, consider that each of the
once-vibrant major operations listed above has, in less than three years,
either been abandoned by Monaghan (and since disappeared) or is in turmoil,
if not crisis, as a result of his preemptory announcement that he's now
pursuing different plans. Moreover, those who work for (not to mention the
populations served by) these efforts have been given a clear message: if
they don't like it, they can leave, or shift for themselves when he leaves,
as the case may be. But while a man with control of hundreds of millions of
dollars might do whatever he wants, most of us who, with families or other
dependents, pulled up stakes and moved hundreds or even thousands of miles
to work here simply can't.

So far, neither Tom Monaghan's governing boards nor his inner circle,
notably President Nicholas Healy and Chancellor Joseph Fessio, SJ, seem
willing or able to resist the relentless, even reckless, pursuit of whatever
constitutes the latest version of the Monaghan vision, despite the serious
suffering that such vacillations and abrupt reversals impose on the very
people who came here in good faith to serve, and regardless of the
destruction being wrought on their accomplishments. The personal talent,
training, and years that have gone into building up these fine works on
behalf of Ave Maria apparently count for nothing. Ironically, the very
legacy that was being built up with Monaghan's help is now being torn down
at his will. It is a tragic and scandalous waste of the human and financial
resources given by God.

Aside: I know of no one in the Michigan-based operations of Ave Maria who
wants to see the proposed Florida project fail. But it is a travesty to gut
numerous thriving operations in one place to feed a fledgling one in
another. If indeed it turns out that, like the man who set out to build
before figuring the cost (Lk 14: 28-30), Tom Monaghan has insufficient
resources to fund both, then the proper response is to humbly admit the
mistake before others come and laugh, to relinquish the direction of the
Florida idea to others-being content, therefore, to be just one among many
who would make contributions to it-and return to honor the commitments made
in the community wherein he has spent his life and within which he can still
point to many accomplishments. That, obviously, is a decision Monaghan would
have to make for himself, and it would not be an easy one. Whatever else is
happening here, he has my prayers on that.

Personally, though, and notwithstanding the unprofessional treatment I have
frequently experienced at the hands of Ave Maria leadership, I had hoped
that I would quietly continue to work in what's left of my graduate program
and to manage on what's left of my salary while I earnestly seek employment
elsewhere. But suddenly there has arisen a move to transfer what remains of
the Ave Maria College in Michigan to an entirely different school, and that
move threatens not just me, but more importantly, my son.

A bright and very involved student at Ave Maria College for three years, my
son was repeatedly assured that he could graduate from a fully functional
AMC, and not from the some legal fiction thrown together by Ave Maria
leadership with their penchant for institutional shell games. That discovery
was what led to my statement. Simply put: the forbearance with which I have
tolerated contempt for my rights and dignity will not be shown to those who
disregard my children's. I will fight any attempt to abandon the Ave Maria
College that was offered to me and my family and which we accepted in return
for my hard work. That clearly being understood, I still hope and pray that
Monaghan and his staff will cancel this plan and honor the promises made to
my son and to the other students and families of Ave Maria College.

But more fundamentally than that: While the damage already done to certain
Ave Maria projects is irreparable, several others still survive here.
Irrespective of whether Tom Monaghan returns to Michigan or pursues other
projects, I believe that, if freed from the undeserved and useless anxieties
imposed on them, the remaining original Ave Maria projects can rise above
the traumas of the last few years and resume with even greater vigor their
very important services to Church and world. Moreover, I believe that they
will, if they are once again treated by Tom Monaghan with the same deep
respect and spirit of mutual cooperation that they have always shown to him.


Edward N. Peters, JD, JCD
Professor of Canon Law
Institute for Pastoral Theology

It's Friday!

Well, it's finally Friday. Seems like a strange week what with a holiday Monday, but the weekends back! Looks like the rain finally has appeared for Inland Florida. We've been getting the normal summer afternoon thunderstorms to green that grass in the front yard. We'll be preparing the Sunday Morning News this weekend and hope for some time relaxing and catching up on odd and ends around the house. Thanks to all for your comments and suggestions on the stories on the Southwest Florida Online blog!

-Don

Watermelon Crops At Risk

Watermelon Vine Decline and Fruit Rot - Update
by
Pam Roberts, Rosa M. Muchovej, Gene McAvoy and Phyllis Gilreath

This spring, Southwest Florida watermelon growers have been hammered by a
disorder currently being called watermelon vine decline. The problem was
first seen in the spring of 2003 in southwest Florida and fall of 2003 in
west central Florida, when a number of growers reported problems with
watermelon vine collapsing as the crop approached harvest or soon after
first harvest. Initial symptoms appear as a slight yellowing or weak area
in the field, followed by wilting of the vines, scorched and brown leaves,
defoliation, and rapid mature vine collapse. In most cases progression of
symptoms is quite rapid with a week to 10 days between the onset of symptoms
and destruction of an entire field. In a high proportion of affected
fields harvested fruit displayed a greasy necrosis (brown) on the interior
portion of the rind that rendered the fruit non-marketable. In almost all
cases fruit quality was greatly reduced.

It is estimated of that approximately 60% of the watermelon acreage in the
Immokalee area was affected this spring with losses ranging from 30% to near
total depending on the field. Estimates of losses to growers range from
$25 million dollars to over $50 million dollars.

The disease is particularly vicious in that it manifests itself after
growers have made their maximum investment in bringing the crop to maturity.
In cases where fruit necrosis is present the disease is even more
devastating as a grower loses additional money in the form of harvest and
transport cost to market as well in addition to loss of confidence of the
buyers who have had to turn back loads.

Under the leadership of Dr. Pam Roberts Pathologist at UF/IFAS-SWFREC, in
Immokalee, investigations on the disease and its occurrence are under way
thanks to an emergency grant from the Assistant Vice-President and the Deans
of IFAS. With grant funds Dr. Roberts has recruited three plant
pathologists who are worldwide-recognized specialists in melon declines and
other disorders to help look into the problem.

Since the disease first appeared in 2003 numerous samples and field visits
have been made. To date, results obtained so far are inconclusive but
indicate that there are nutritional deficiencies in most fields tested, for
both plant tissue and soil nutrients. The most frequent soil deficiencies
on the samples we collected are K and S, with some fields having B, Mn and
Fe deficiencies as well. A number of the tissue samples were deficient in K
and S most frequently, but some showed deficiencies of N, P, Mg, Cu, and Mn.

Although nutrient deficiencies have been detected, it is believed that they
simply may have contributed to weakening the plants, thus increasing
susceptibility to disease and allowing for some pathogenic organism to
invade the plant.

There seems to be no consistency regarding soil moisture as it varies from
very wet (> 20%) to very low (< 3%) in the various sampled fields. It does
appear that wetter areas are affected first, but then the decline spreads
over drier areas of the field.

Microorganisms including fungi and bacteria were isolated from symptomatic
tissue. The predominant fungus recovered was Fusarium spp.; however,
Rhizoctonia and Pythium spp. and additional isolates were recovered using
selective and semi-selective culture media for commonly occurring root
pathogenic fungi and bacteria. Further isolations are now being made from
special media. Symptomatic fruit tissue is also being tested for recovery
of pathogens. Isolates and bacterial cultures are being maintained for
pathogenicity screening in the next few months. The ability to cause
similar symptoms by planting in soil from infested fields will be
investigated in greenhouse studies.

Samples are also being examined for transmissible agents by electron
microscopy and recovery of double-stranded RNA and indicator plant
inoculations for further investigation of viruses/viroids, especially those
that could be transmitted by insects. Screening of plant tissue for known
viruses by serological testing has not yielded any viruses other than those
commonly found in watermelon fields in South Florida.

In summary, considerable effort and resources are being directed towards
finding the cause of the problem and avoiding it in the future. However to
date all studies are inconclusive, and no firm conclusions can be made.
Recently the Florida Watermelon Association offered to contribute additional
funds to help identify the causal agent and possible remedies.

LaBelle's "FREEDOM DAY"

It's National Freedom Day. The purpose of this holiday is to promote good
feelings, harmony, and equal opportunity among all citizens and to remember
that the United States is a nation dedicated to the ideal of freedom.

Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former slave, fought to have a day when
freedom for all Americans is celebrated. When Wright got his freedom, he
went on to become a successful businessman and community leader in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Major Wright chose February 1 as National
Freedom Day because it was the day in 1865 that President Lincoln signed
the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Do you know what the 13th Amendment
did?

This amendment, an important change to our written law, outlawed slavery in
the United States. Wright gathered national and local leaders together to
write a bill declaring February 1 "National Freedom Day" and President
Harry Truman signed the bill in 1948 making it official.

I feel that the idiots at the LaBelle airport need to know when and
what the REAL FREEDOM DAY stands for and then watch how quick they change
the name of it. Even our County Commissioners don't know, obviously,
especially when they give $5,000 of our tax money to an idiot to conduct
the mess that was at the airport this weekend, it certainly appeared to be
a Biker Rally and not a celebration of what Freedom Day really is.
Nothing like holding it in the heat of the day and then spreading it so far
out that half the people couldn't get to the food and drinks. We had to
assist a couple of the older people out of the ditch that they had to cross
to get to drinks. County Commissioners gave the idiots $5,000 yet they
still charged $60 per booth for the people to have a booth, plus they had a
donation bucket for some plants that were given to them.
Just where does all the money go and where is the money they made last
year? Considering that the County gave them money, their books should be
open for inspection and a report made back to the County Commissioners in
the Sunshine!! Must be nice to use taxpayers money, county employees and
state equipment to make money for ones self and not have to give anything
back, oh well, CROONISM and the waste of taxpayers money once again is
alive and well in Hendry County.
-A TAXPAYER TIRED OF SEEING OUR TAX DOLLARS WASTED ONCE AGAIN, Jocko

Famous Last Words

This will be a short meeting
You can put it together yourself in five minutes
One slice of pizza won't blow my diet
You'll housebreak him in no time at all
They'll feel terrific once you break them in
We've been in business for 30 years, we're not going anywhere
When it sez "empty" there's always a gallon or two left
If you knew anything at all, you wouldn't be a Traffic Cop
You can make it -- that truck isn't coming all that fast
That's not poison oak
I don't burn, I tan
Take off your clothes, the doctor will be right with you
Your table will be ready in 5 minutes
Of course they're mushrooms, toadstools come to a point
No trouble at all, don't give it a second thought
We service what we sell
Believe me, nobody's dressing up

-Thanks to JTH