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Highlands Today

Turkey & Trimmings Behind The Fences

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

From left: Pete Zeegers, facility administrator, and Ruth Tree, a nurse, set up for the Avon Park Youth Academy Thanksgiving Staff Cook Off on Wednesday.

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By BILL RETTEW JR.

Highlands Today

Published: November 20, 2008

AVON PARK - Although residents and staff at Avon Park Youth Academy forgo many daily pleasures, Thanksgiving celebrations still go on from behind razor-sharp fencing.

Wednesday, academy staff members held a cook-off, with prizes. Residents will enjoy two separate Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings.

One of the residents, "D.K.," prefers dark to white turkey meat. Since residents are juveniles, Highlands Today is withholding their full names.

D.K. hopes he will "feel more comfortable" during the upcoming Thanksgiving celebrations and the time will pass quicker for the next 42 days, prior to his planned release.

"It takes your mind off stress," he said. "It makes the wait go easier."

He and another resident, "P.O.," both helped set up the academy's library, including white table linens and cornucopia, for the staff cook-off contest.

Families are invited to visit the young men, 16 to 19 years old, Sunday, for dinner, along with a separate supper for youth and staff on Thanksgiving Day.

P.O. prefers white turkey meat, and said Wednesday, that he hoped for his release within five days after spending the past eight months and three weeks at the academy.

"Even if you don't have a family at home, you have a family here," he said.

Pete Zeegers is the facility administrator and organized the staff cook-off. He is also a strong proponent of the twin Thanksgiving celebrations for residents.

"One of the major issues is to get families back together," said Zeegers. "It starts with the family. We try to make it as loving as possible for everybody."

The academy sits on 36 acres and the residents live in former U.S. Air Force housing. One hundred and twenty seven full-time and 15 part-time staffers serve 165 residents.

The state of Florida subsidizes the academy, which is run by an independent company, G4S, which operates seven similar facilities in Florida.

The residents are taught everything from culinary arts (together, residents and staff will cook the turkey) to managing a checking account, during vocational independent living and training programs.

Zeegers said both staff and residents have occasional morale issues, and the holiday get-togethers bring everyone together.

"It's a tough job," said Zeegers. "It's not working with church camp kids. These are convicted felons. Some have done some bad things.

"But we're all human beings and trying to improve. A lot of these kids can turn their lives around if they chose to."

John Zeuli is the principal of the academy's school.

"It's very important to have that family feeling because it carries over to the youth and creates a better culture," said Zeuli.

Aseelah Knighten, mental health clinical coordinator, won first place in the cook-off for her spinach dip entry.

She enjoyed partying with fellow co-workers and said it creates fellowship.

Leslie Zeegers is a teacher at the academy and is married to the administrator.

She danced and kidded her co-worker after Knighten accepted the award.

"Everybody is worried about how they're going to pay for Christmas," said Leslie Zeegers. "But all of us really like each other and feel like a big family."

Bill Rettew Jr. may be contacted at 386-5857 or wrettew@highlandstoday.com

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