RAVENetwork - Maur Hill Mount Academy

RAVENetwork
The Maur Hill - Mount Academy Alumni Association
February, 2013
Welcome!
Hello fellow Alumni and happy new year. It is with great pleasure and excitement that we bring you another edition of
RAVENetwork! We are thrilled to have been able to share school news and the accomplishments of fellow members
through the RAVENetwork in 2012 and look forward to doing so in 2013. As a member, you should be very proud
of the accomplishments and developments the Association achieved in 2012 through your generosity. For 2013 and
beyond, the Association’s focus will remain on expanding and strengthening the work of the school and the lives of its
Alumni by continuing to connect the former students to the school and to one another.
Go Ravens!
Kelly Bieri ’98 – Co-President
Garin Nolan ’98 – Co-President
Alumni News!
Honored Service and Staying Involved
The Air Force Association (www.afa.org) recently held its annual convention and
Air & Space Conference in the Washington, DC, area. The convention activities
included a memorial service at the site of the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, VA.
The memorial service was attended by current and former leaders of the U.S. Air
Force, including the Secretary of the Air Force, the Honorable Mike Donley, and
the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Mark Welsh. Also attending were
members and leaders of the Air Force Association.
Pictured at the memorial with the bronze statues recognizing the Air Force Honor
Guard are Jim McCoy (MH ‘48) and Pat Condon (MH ‘59), both former National
Presidents and Chairmen of the Board of the Air Force Association. McCoy
retired as the sixth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, the highest ranking
enlisted position and advisor to the chief of staff. Condon served on active duty in
the USAF for 33 years and retired as a major general.
Save the Dates
Bob Goalby Golf Tournament - May 3
Homecoming 2013 - October 11, 12, 13
1933, 1938, 1943, 1948, 1953, 1958, 1963, 1968, 1973, 1978, 1983, 1988, 1993, 1998, 2003, 2008.
Alumni News cont...
Pregont to Open Chiropractic Office
Dr. Melinda Pregont ’05 will open Trusted Care Chiropractic, LLC in Atchison, KS,
March 2013. Trusted Care Chiropractic, LLC will offer wellness health care which
includes chiropractic and acupuncture, the first-of-its-kind in Atchison, Kansas. The
practices will be offered in a holistic, noninvasive and hands-on approach. Working
as a partner with the Atchison area community, Dr. Pregont plans to cultivate wellness knowledge within Trusted Care Chiropractic, LLC. Dr. Pregont will treat male
and female patients of all ages, with an emphasis on pediatric and family wellness.
Dr. Pregont is a 2012 magna cum laude graduate of Cleveland Chiropractic College – Kansas City, with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree. Raised in Highland, KS,
Dr. Pregont moved to Atchison, KS during her high school years where she graduated from Maur Hill-Mount Academy. As a 2009 graduate of Benedictine College,
Dr. Pregont holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Biology. Being a lifelong athlete,
Dr. Pregont played a combined eight years of basketball for both Maur Hill-Mount
Academy and Benedictine College. Dr. Pregont plans to pursue post graduate seminars to continually enhance her knowledge in the wellness care of chiropractic and acupuncture fields. In her spare
time, Dr. Pregont enjoys traveling with her husband of three years, Justin Pregont’05.
“I am so excited to be bringing an alternative yet complimentary form of health care to my hometown area,” said Dr.
Pregont, Trusted Care Chiropractic, LLC. “Wellness is my passion and I look forward to sharing this passion with a
community that has done so much for me.”
Trusted Care Chiropractic, LLC is located at 310 Commercial Street, Atchison, KS 66002 (across the street from the
Atchison YMCA).
A New Community Leader
A ‘97 graduate, Jack Laurie, was sworn into office as the new Atchison County
Sheriff on January 14, 2013. Laurie says he’s appreciative of the support he’s received
from voters. “I look forward to taking office and making some positive changes. I’d
just like to thank everyone in my family and friends and all my supporters who have
stuck with me throughout the campaign.” Also sworn in that day as County Attorney was Jerry Kuckelman ’77.
The Alumni Association is proud of all are members who lead our communities.
Alumni Spotlight!
The Alumni Association’s “RAVENetwork” will highlight our outstanding Alumni. Please contact us if you
would like to nominate someone to be featured in the Alumni Spotlight.
Molly (McClowsky) Merrigan ‘73
The Maur Hill-Mount Academy Alumni Association was truly moved by a recent Kansas City Star article highlighting
the work of one of our own. Molly (McClowsky) Merrigan graduated from Mount Saint Scholastica Academy in 1973
and earned a law degree from the University of Missouri in Kansas City. Merrigan served as a prosecutor in Jackson
County before being appointed Family Drug Court Commissioner in Jackson County in 1998. Since that time, Merrigan
has collaborated with a team of lawyers, social workers, and child advocates to make the Jackson County Family Drug
Court stand out as one of the premier courts of its kind.
As commissioner of Jackson County’s Family Drug Court, Merrigan takes
a more personal approach when handling cases involving families. Last
September, Children and Family Futures, which advises courts under a
contract with the Justice Department, announced that Jackson County’s
program was one of five model courts in the U.S. According to a recent
article on Merrigan in the Kansas City Star, Merrigan’s court was one of
the first to take the now-familiar drug court treatment model and adapt it
to the difficult cases of child abuse and neglect. Substance abusing parents
who are at the risk of losing their children because of complaints of abuse
or neglect must complete an intense drug and alcohol treatment program
and must submit to frequent drug testing to assure Merrigan that she can
safely reunite the parents with their kids.
The Alumni Association wants to highlight the achievements and continued success of Molly (McClowsky) Merrigan ’73. She is improving the
lives for many children and giving help to those who desperately need it.
MH-MA alumni and friends are proud of her accomplishments and we look forward to a new generation of leaders that
generated from her successful program and guidance.
Jackson County Family Drug Court hailed as a Model.
By MARK MORRIS, The Kansas City Star. Posted: 10/04/2012
With more than three decades of work with the drug and alcohol addicted, Molly Merrigan calibrates her tone carefully
when addressing those who appear in her courtroom. She can be painfully sharp when she hears a drug addict spew
out a false excuse. “You’re not going to get visits (with your children) unless you get into treatment,” Merrigan told one
woman last week. But a few minutes later, knowing that another client was on the verge of losing any chance at regaining either her sobriety or the custody of her children, Merrigan leaned low over the bench. The woman — slender and
waifish — hadn’t been to drug treatment in a month and just had been diagnosed with serious depression, another
burden on top of addiction and poverty. “I’m really worried about you,” Merrigan assured. “You’re really struggling
with some depression. I want you to go to treatment and get a medication assessment. This can’t feel good.” “It don’t,”
the woman sniffed and then agreed to re-enter drug treatment the next morning. As commissioner of Jackson County’s
Family Drug Court since December 1998, Merrigan has worked with a team of lawyers, social workers and child advocates to create one of the top programs of its kind in the nation.
Continued on next page, McCowsky-Merrigan
Continued McCowsky-Merrigan
Last month, Children and Family Futures, which advises courts under a contract with the Justice Department, announced
that Jackson County’s program was one of five model courts in the U.S. Merrigan’s court was one of the first to take the
now-familiar drug court treatment model and adapt it to the wrenching context of child abuse and neglect. Substance
abusing parents on the verge of losing their children because of complaints of abuse or neglect must complete a rigorous
program of drug and alcohol treatment and frequent testing to assure Merrigan that she can safely reunite the parents with
their kids.
The program is limited to 110 families at a time and is not available to parents accused of the worst kinds of violent physical or sexual abuse. Still, many of the mothers and fathers who appear before Merrigan appear overwhelmed by the prospect of organizing the chaos in their lives. “I’ve done this kind of work for more than 30 years and no one would choose
to be this way,” said Merrigan, who previously worked as a prosecutor in Jackson County’s more traditional drug court
program. “They love their children, but they make some poor choices.”
The parents of almost 3,000 children have participated in the program since its founding 14 years ago. Nearly 500 parents
have graduated over the years. Parents appear in court twice a month, rather than waiting for hearings that sometimes can
be months down the road in more traditional family court settings. Merrigan said the frequent appearances allow her to
catch her clients “being good” more regularly. But it also allows her to make a swift assessment as to whether participants
are making the real progress in cleaning up their lives necessary for reunification with their children. As an encouragement, the court permits parents to visit their children, who usually are staying with other family members or foster parents. Progress in the program is rewarded with longer visits with progressively less supervision. If parents lose interest in
the program and their children, Merrigan said, she can quickly begin the process of terminating their parental rights, a
taxing but sometimes necessary step.
Some families who are working through the program said they appreciate the strict accountability that the commissioner
and others administer. Tina Weaver of Kansas City and William Yardley of Oak Grove last week regained joint custody
of their two young sons after making hard-won progress against their drug abuse. Weaver said she’s seen two sides of the
commissioner, the nurturing encourager and the taskmaster. “She knows everybody and treats them kindly,” Weaver said.
“But she chewed me out once and I had to go (to) inpatient (treatment). “She doesn’t want to take anybody’s kids away.
She’s all about reunification.”
Shannondoha Ross now can live with her 2-year-old daughter, Kaylyn, while she finishes the family drug court program.
Ross — whose drug history includes cocaine, both powder and crack, methamphetamine and prescription pain medication abuse — already had lost custody of two daughters to divorce and gave up a third to adoption. She said she couldn’t
bear the thought of losing a fourth child in a Family Court proceeding. That moment of clarity came when Ross realized
that without some good decisions on her part, Merrigan was prepared to take Kaylyn away. Ross said she never wants to
forget that moment. “Please, God, don’t let me forget how bad this hurt,” Ross said. “That tore my heart out. But that’s the
law.”
Phil Breitenbucher, program director for the California-based Children and Family Futures, said more than 350 family
drug courts have been established throughout the U.S. since the 1990s, and Jackson County’s stands out among the “premier” programs in the country. Part of its success stems from the Community Backed Anti-Drug Tax, which helps fund
the court. But he also said that participants have almost immediate access to treatment because of good teamwork between
public agencies and private service providers. Merrigan’s work also stands out, Breitenbucher said. “Commissioner Merrigan knows these people very well,” he said. “She knows the grandparents. You don’t see that in ‘business-as-usual’ courts.”
According to a federal study published in May, the number of children in foster care declined about 26 percent nationally
between 2000 and 2010. Some of that, Breitenbucher said, is attributable to the work of family drug courts. But Merrigan
doesn’t see her work, or that of the dozens of others who help her every day, getting any easier. She predicted that with
deep cuts in social service programs and a lingering economic crisis, Missourians soon will see a surge in the kind of child
abuse and neglect that feed cases into her courtroom. “We are off the map for new cases,” Merrigan said.
Announcements
Kim Taylor ‘87, received her 2nd Secretary’s Exceptional Achievement Award (National Award from the Secretary of
Labor) for work she did on controlling and analyzing Health and Retirement Plans.
In Memory of
Please keep the alumni and friends that have passed, along with their families, in your prayers. A Mass is said at Maur Hill - Mount
Academy in their memory. May they rest in peace.
John Schmitz, Sr ‘46, February 2, 2012
Mary (Boos) Kopaska ‘55, April 10, 2012
Leonard Penning (children attended), June 27, 2012
David L. Farrell ‘67, September 7, 2012
Millard Miller ’44, September 22, 2012
Gerald (Jerry) Coyle ’54, October 7, 2012
Sister Brigid Kelliher, OSB, October 21, 2012
Donald Kern ’51, November 1, 2012
Ruth Morrow ‘34, November 11, 2012
Jeanne VanHoozer (children attended), November 15, 2012
Rita Kessler (wife of Ron Kessler ‘53), November 17, 2012
Alice Schuele (children attended), December 11, 2012
Mick Flynn ’50, December 19, 2012
Gummie Gonzales (father of Marty Gonzales ’71), December 20, 2012
Frances (Fritzie) Heydman ’53, December 27, 2012
Kriste Knoll Woods ‘63, January 1, 2013
Jack Davis ’58, January 19, 2013
Connie Kasten (mother-in-law of Tim Regan ’74), January 4, 2013
Mary Jane Hayes Trotter ’43, January 6, 2013
Bud Morley ‘54, February 1, 2013
Join/Renew your Alumni Association Membership
It’s a simple step and will immediately plug you into classmates and other
alums. The membership is $35 for a single member and $50 for a joint membership (2008-12 grads are free). Visit the Alumni Assoication page on the
school’s website (www.mh-ma.com), or call the alumni office at MH-MA.
Did you know?
Alumni are able to create an account and update their contact information
through the online alumni database. Once you are registered, you can search
the database to reconnect with fellow alumni. Visit the login page under the
“Alumni” section of the school’s website.
Share Your News with Alumni and Friends
Send an e-mail and keep us informed on marriages, births, anniversaries,
retirements or accomplishments. Please contact Bernadette Urban, burban@
mh-ma.com.
This RAVENetwork was created by the Alumni Association,
Please contact us if you have any comments or questions.
Alumni Association, [email protected], 913-367-5482
MH-MA Alumni Association
Board of Directors
Kelly (Garrity) Bieri ’98
Co-President
Garin Nolan ’98
Co-President
Greg Lutz ’75
Secretary
Jim Hempstead ‘60
Kelly (Paolucci) Mendoza ‘84
Jean Miller ‘91
Deke Nolan ‘00
Mick Hundley ‘02
Ted Henry ‘05
Bernadette (Enzbrenner) Urban ’63
Alumni Director