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Community Works responds to donors' concerns By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Requests from donors for a public explanation of a youth shelter sex scandal have prompted Community Works of Medford to send nearly 2,000 letters defending the agency's integrity and decrying negative media attention. "Our board takes very seriously its responsibility for due diligence and good stewardship of the organization," read a Nov. 20 letter from director Arnie Green to agency patrons. "In this spirit, and with the advice of legal counsel, we have not responded to inappropriate, inaccurate and biased reports in the local media ... ." The letter followed dozens of queries from supporters concerned about criminal charges at the agency's Youth Diagnostic Shelter in Talent, said Ed Roussell, development director. "The board has fielded a lot of questions," he said, "mostly from people who say, rather naively, 'Why don't you say something?'" Green consistently has declined to comment on criminal allegations against former youth shelter workers, including one who pleaded guilty to felony sex charges and another awaiting trial in March. "In general, we don't feel that we can respond," Roussell said, citing advice from lawyers. Stories about the shelter in the Mail Tribune have been perceived as inaccurate and biased by some board members and administrators, Roussell said. Articles about the fate of property deeded by Jackson County to Community Works failed to include the entire history of the 1997 arrangement, he said. And they implied that Jackson County officials demanded that Community Works return nearly three acres of land and buildings. "When, in fact, that hasn't happened at all," Roussell said. However, an Oct. 2 memo from County Administrator Sue Slack recommended that the county negotiate to regain ownership of the property and Commissioner Jack Walker repeatedly has called for the property's return. "I don't know how much clearer I can make it," Walker said Wednesday, reiterating his position. Roussell said the volume of stories about the shelter and the March drowning death of a boy under the care of another Community Works program has "created an impression of bias." He did not specify what type of bias the agency detected. "The issue of bias has to do, I think, with an impression that a great deal of reporting has gone on about this topic before any outcomes, any final outcomes, have been determined by the court and others," Roussell added. Several of the donors who received the letter said they felt reassured by the note. Eve Nye, 99, of Medford, last year donated at least $25,000 to the agency as part of a matching grant. "My reassurance comes from my personal acquaintance with Arnie Green. I would trust him with my last dime," said Nye, who added that the shelter situation was unfortunate. "I just believe they got a couple of people in there that were absolutely wrong and that it wasn't checked over well enough." Other donors questioned whether the agency should blame its woes on media attention. "It's easy to play the media card," said Chris Borovansky, Jackson County Fair manager and a longtime supporter of Community Works. "I think when you can't say anything, it's easy to use the media as a whipping boy." Bill Thorndike Jr., a Medford business and philanthropic leader, also received the letter. He said the message and the attached guest opinion published in the Mail Tribune and written by Fran Orrok, Community Works' board president, did a good job of reaching out to donors. "It's reflective of healing a wound," he said. "There's no question that Community Works suffered a couple of serious wounds with the drowning of the young person and the shelter situation." In the week since the letter was mailed - with an enclosed envelope for donations or comments - supporters have sent in more than $1,800, Roussell noted. Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.