Yea baby… I be famous… Not as famous as our little friend Cole, but hey, we need to start some place, right? That’s right, me, I made the front page of our local paper, the Pottstown Mercury.

Judo brings equality for Pottstown man…
Brandie Kessler, Reporter, Pottstown Mercury:

One Pottstown man who often sat out during extracurricular activities as a boy because of his blindness is now leading dozens of local youngsters as they learn the ropes with the Pottstown Judo Club.

“Many people who are legally blind can see fairly well,” said Richard Favinger Jr., the youth instructor with the Pottstown Judo Club. “I’m one of them.”

As a child, Favinger often found himself alienated by other children who knew he was different and were cruel to him, but he was also alienated by the extracurricular programs for children such as baseball or football, or most of the other activities his classmates and peers were participating in. …

Read the rest of this article at the Pottstown Mercury website…

The article as written by local staff reporter Brandie Kessler, who several months ago did an equally inspiring article about a local boy who is both deaf and blind, and attends one of our local elementary schools.

Several months ago I had contacted her expressing my dismay as to the state of programs and sports available to local blind or disabled children. Simply put, there are few athletic programs offered or available to such kids. Many parents don’t even know such programs exist or know there are people, such as myself willing to help…

It’s also a fact I lived threw myself… that many parents, and there disabled children are simply scared, scared of rejection, scared they may get hurt, scared others will make fun of them, scared there children can not succeed because of there disability or because they are different. My aim was to disprove that…

We also wanted to make a point that, even though you have a disability, LET NO ONE TELL YOU, YOU CAN’T DO SOMETHING! You have so little to loose, and so much to gain, just give it a shot! There is ALWAYS a way… And with the right people to guide you, any one can learn, have a little fun, and kick a little ass!

Pottstown Judo will GLADLY accept ALL students who wish to learn the art of judo, including blind and visually disabled, or other disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy. No parent should ever have to hear “We don’t accept disabled children“.

Friends, Cole and Matt both have CP… Cole participates in karate, and Matt participates in judo. You can read there blogs! Cole was also recognized on KarateAngles.com – Kids Hall of Fame (June 2007). (I wonder who nominated him?  )  and good friend Dr. Andre Watson who is blind, and a member of the 2008 USA Paralympic Blind Judo Team… are just some examples of our good friends.

So, won’t you come join us too? We’ll see you on the mat!

Please feel free to link or ping this article and post, and PLEASE pass it along to all your friends. If you want more information, just contact me, I’d be happy to help… And as always leave your comments!

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Just an update post, and some links to the local articles…

Schools Debate gets Personal

After 14 months of debate, and almost as many proposals for the future of elementary education considered, it’s understandable that the nerves of Pottstown School Board members might be a bit frayed.

School Board Behaves like Children, but Fails to Lead on their Behalf

The motives of Pottstown parents, community advocates and the school board are said to be “for the children,” but this town’s behavior, though childish, has little to do with what’s best for kids.

In what can only be described as a three-ring circus, the Pottstown School Board on Thursday reversed course for the third time, rescinding with a 5-4 vote its November decision to consolidate elementary education into three buildings and return to the concept of keeping all five elementary schools.

Articles as published in the Pottstown Mercury. See story links for full details…

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Didn’t we finally beat this thing to death? Isn’t it time to give it a rest? Apparently not… But just in case your still wondering, our illustrious school board voted again… Why does it take a 4-hour meeting to review things that have been solved and voted on already?

Evan Brandt, The Pottstown Mercury:
February, 20th 2009

After four hours of debate, accusations and passionate advocacy on both sides of the thorny issue of configuring elementary education in Pottstown, the decision was made to do nothing…

The decision came after nearly three hours of public comment from 41 of the more than 200 people who packed the middle school auditorium.

An unofficial Mercury tally of those comments put the ratio of those opposed to the plan that featured converting Edgewood Elementary School into an early learning center at two against to every single speaker in favor.

The Pottstown School Board capped the public comment with a muddled debate of their own — a debate that even included references to what God would want and that also  required frequent intervention by the board solicitor to ensure that everyone knew what they were voting on.

And once the voting began, with a 5-4 vote — a vote accompanied by the applause of parents of Edgewood students who had turned out in force (and in red t-shirts) — the board abandoned all current school consolidation and renovation plans.

Specifically, the board rescinded its November action to close Rupert and Barth elementary schools, convert Edgewood into an early learning center and educate grades 1 through 5 in renovated and expanded Franklin and Lincoln schools.

That vote was followed by another, this one inexplicably unanimous, to keep all five neighborhood elementary schools and for them tho maintain the traditional grade configuration.

Can we finally call it quits, unlikely…

But I think the 3+ hours of public comment and over 200 people that showed up to the meeting tell you something. I think it’s so clear a deaf person could hear it, but just incase you misunderstood the comments, allow me to translate.

TAKE YOUR $52-MILLION DOLLAR MEGA SCHOOL AND CONSOLIDATION PLAN AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS SIDEWAYS!

There, I feel much better now!!!

For my further distaste of this issue see my post I need my edumacation…

Possibly Related Posts:

• Between Life and the Keyboard
• National White Cane Safety Day
• Orientation and Mobility: SEPTA Regional Rail – Part 2
• Ladies and gentleman I give you JUDO at the White House…
• Ladies and gentleman I give you the presidents speech…