Coffee House Discussion

Steve Rees (left in picture at left) joined me this morning to discuss the environmental design for our future campus expansion with Ryan Evans (center) and Jeremy Knoll (right).
We met at the Broadway Cafe in Westport, and have established some big plans for 2010.
Ryan emphasized his interest in seeing schools not only tackle the three Rs, but also the two Es: economy and environment.
Ryan is an engineer, and Jeremy is an architect.
Steve is a retired architect and is now helping DeLaSalle students build an electric car and begin production of a number of bamboo bikes.
In the new year, we plan to meet with DeLaSalle students and staff to discuss some of their dreams for the impact we can have on the environment and lives of students with our new building, for which we hope to break ground this fall.
Its exciting working with energetic and idealistic people like Ryan, Jeremy and Steve. And 2010 promises to be our best year yet!
Happy New Year!

Kate O. White, R.I.P.

I found an old picture with Kate Ogilve White in it. She was a bridesmaid in a wedding in 1974. I cropped the picture so that only Kate could be seen (left). She was a lovely person, very gentle and kind, even then.
Twenty years later, she worked for a brief time at DeLaSalle as a secretary. She was soft-spoken and pleasant to everyone.
Kate just died this October. Her funeral was lovely, as only a funeral for a gentle person could be. She never married. She was in her seventies when she died, having suffered from an illness for several years.
I received a call this week from an investment company who informed me that Kate had remembered us in her will.
I was very surprised and touched.
Kate had come from a family who had been well-off at one time, but she lived simply and frugally. She had gone to school in France as a teenager, learned to speak French fluently, and then, for a brief time, worked alongside Dorothy Day in the soup kitchen at the Catholic Worker House in New York City.
When I first met her in 1973, she was working at Rockhurst College as a secretary.
She was unique and wonderful and full of surprises, even after her death with her nice remembrance last week for the DeLaSalle Education Center.
I was privileged to know her.

Before there was a Pat...

....Lantz there was a Bill Lantz (photo at left), both in the birth order, as well as in the DeLaSalle Print Shop!

This photo of Bill Lantz in the print shop appeared in the March 1983 edition of Columbia, the national magazine published by the Knights of Columbus.

Bill left DeLaSalle in 1984, bequeathing his position (and the cases upon cases of old metal print type) to his younger brother, Pat, who has been at DeLaSalle (and in the basement print shop) ever since!

DeLaSalle owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Lantz brothers. They and other members of their family were educated in the building now occupied by DeLaSalle, when it operated as Lillis High School.

Both Bill and Pat received college degrees in printing. Bill continues to help DeLaSalle through his service on the DeLaSalle Student Press Advisory Board.

Hurray for the Lantzs!!

Carolyn Davis

Carolyn Davis (in photo at left) was the business education teacher at DeLaSalle from 1978 to 1985.

She taught typing, record keeping and filing, besides introducing students to an electronic device that was just starting to be widely used at that time: the calculator!

How times have changed!

Godfrey S Kobets

Godfrey Kobets (left in photo) always referred to himself as the co-founder of the DeLaSalle Education Center. This was in spite of the perception of many people that Mr. Kobets, alone, was the founding inspiration of DeLaSalle.

Mr. Kobets, who died in 1996, was a very humble man, and he knew that this important work was not, nor would ever be, the result of any one person. He also wanted to acknowledge the support of his former student and life-long friend, Norman O. Sanders. Norman had taken a partial leave-of-absence from his law firm in 1971 to assist Mr.Kobets with the legal complexities of starting a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-tuition-charging, inner-city alternative school. As a result, Mr. Kobets considered Norman to be another co-founder of DeLaSalle. (In fact, Norman was the Chairman or Co-Chairman of the DeLaSalle Board for 37 years until his death in August 2008.)

The early literature about DeLaSalle listed another co-founder, Christian Brother Theodore Berni. Brother Ted served as the Center's initial principal, and worked at DeLaSalle until the early seventies. We have lost touch with him since then, so we consequently have acknowledged the Christian Brothers organization, which supported Brother Ted's work, as co-founders of the Education Center.

As they say, it takes a village to raise a child, and at DeLaSalle, it took a (religious) community, educators and civic leaders to raise the thousands of children who have been educated at DeLaSalle Education Center. Thanks to all of you "villagers" who have helped us build on the foundations of great individuals like Godfrey S Kobets!

Proud Moment!

I was proud to be alongside the Chief of Police, Jim Corwin (right in photo), as he presented the 2009 CIT Award yesterday to Captain Joe Chapman (left).

Behind us are two Police Commissioners, President Mark Thompson (partially visible behind Captain Chapman) and Jim Wilson.

Commissioner Wilson played a major role in our discussions with the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD), as did Commissioner Karl Zobrist.

I am grateful for all of the hard and difficult work of the KCPD, and for how they have remembered my son (see Tuesday's postings for the story behind this award).

Making a Difference!

George Hudson (left in photo) and Henry Wash (right) are making a difference in the community and at DeLaSalle.

Through their employment with United Services Community Action Agency, a non-profit organization serving low-income families, they are offering job readiness and career development training to area teens. They came by the school yesterday to explain their program and recruit some of our students.

Henry Wash has also developed an important male mentoring program called High Aspirations. We hope to work with him on this project in the new year.

Another Warrior for Justice!

I have known John Kurtz (left) and his wife, Patricia, for many years. Patricia is a teacher and formerly served on the Kansas City School Board. John is a lawyer.

I used to work for the agency where John made a his first, major contribution to the community, the Missouri Council on Criminal Justice (MCCJ). John was a legend at MCCJ for his untiring advocacy in the development of innovative police and court services in Western Missouri. (When I worked at MCCJ, I was responsible for juvenile grants. In that position, I funded DeLaSalle, and became extremely impressed with their work and the founding genius of Godfrey Kobets, who later hired me.)

John entered law school while working at MCCJ, and then went to work for the Public Defender's office. He later became a private attorney, but he never lost his passion for justice and helping the "underdog".

I was such an "underdog" in November 2002 when I called John and asked him for help and advice. Two officers from the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) had shot my son the week before in a stand-off in the living room of my house. Aaron had been depressed and had made a crank call to the police. When I allowed the police into our house on November 11, 2002, Aaron stood silently in front of them with two knives in his hands, which he refused to drop. In seconds, he was shot eight times because the policemen thought he was going to attack them and me. I watched helplessly and in shock as Aaron died.

John guided us through an amazing series of discussions over two years with the KCPD. We never lost sight of the tragedy of our son's death, but we never made the police out to be "bad guys". Police training for encounters with the mentally ill was woefully inadequate at that time. But that soon changed.

Now, an annual award in Aaron's memory has been established by the KCPD (see below). And John Kurtz was our guide and, still is, our hero.

Annual CIT Award!

Yesterday, I was blessed to be part of the presentation of the Kansas City Police Department's annual CIT Award.
Captain Joe Chapman (left in photo) was given the 2009 Award for his dedication to promoting the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) model locally and state-wide.
I have heard a lot about Captain Chapman and it was an honor to meet him.
I am so fortunate to have an award developed in memory of my late son, whose life may have been saved if the CIT program had been in wider use in 2002.
At the award ceremony, they always mention that the CIT Award was established in memory of Aaron Dougherty. I never expected that an award like this would mean so much to me. I believe that CIT program, and the recognition of its importance and the creation of an award, is saving lives in Kansas City!

Denarian Johnson

Denarian Johnson is our Reading Teacher at DeLaSalle. She was helping out in the kitchen this morning at the Holiday Breakfast for our students.

She's a "special" person, not only because of her helpful attitude, but also because she just earned her Master's Degree in Special Education last Friday!

In Her 18th Year With DeLaSalle!

Was there ever a librarian with more patience?

Since I am married to a librarian, I know that patience is a requirement for the painstaking, detail-oriented work that so many librarians perform, often with great grace.

But Heather Hildebrand is in a class by herself.

She is one of the most patient, and kind, persons I have ever met.

We're blessed with a great staff, and Heather Hildebrand, in her 18th year with DeLaSalle, is a shining example of what is so wonderful about DeLaSalle!

Holiday Breakfast!

Carolyn Watkins (dishing out the eggs in the picture) helps out wherever she can.

Not only is she our Human Resources Manager, but she takes care of our facility and maintenance. She was serving a Holiday Breakfast this morning for our students. (Working alongside her is PACES director, Glenda Willis, at right in picture).

A Boxful of Memories!

I have always liked the 017 Desk Calendars, measuring 31/2 inches by 6 inches, with a two-page spread for every weekday. It's a great format for scheduling and annotating the many daily appointments I needed to keep in my thirty years at DeLaSalle.
As I was cleaning out my desk this week for my eventual transition, I boxed up thirty years-worth of those calendars, filled with mostly good memories.
This boxful of memories includes many meetings with staff and funders and Board members that kept me so engaged and focused on helping DeLaSalle grow and mature and develop over the years.
Many of you have your names inscribed somewhere in one of those bundled and rubber-banded yearly collections of appointments. But more importantly, you're in my heart, where you will be fondly treasured and remembered!

Mrs. Marguerite Brooks

When Marguerite Brooks' husband died many years ago, she established a Foundation in his memory. Her husband, the late Marvin Brooks, was a longtime educator and administrator in the Kansas City School District.
Mrs. Brooks recently turned to DeLaSalle to help her with printing for the Foundation. We're proud to help Mrs. Brooks carry on Marvin's legacy in this small way. In effect, Marvin's legacy has now been extended to helping students at DeLaSalle! Isn't it remarkable how good people beget more good by seemingly simple actions!

2009 Movie Benefit A Success!

Thanks to supporters like Sprint, represented by Gene and Bobette Agee (center in photo at top), DeLaSalle's 2009 Movie Benefit on November 12 raised nearly $250,000!

Special thanks go to AMC Theatres, Dan and Leslie Hogan, Ann and Tyler Prochnow, and John and Susan McMeel, as well as many other wonderful friends of DeLaSalle.

Dan Hogan is on the DeLaSalle Board of Directors, which is chaired by Gary Ballard (right in photo). Gary, Dan and other DeLaSalle Board members work tirelessly, and often without recognition, helping DeLaSalle do its great work!

She's One of Our Graduates!

Chekesheia Wright (right in photo) graduated from DeLaSalle in 2005.

For the past five years, she has been working as a Mental Health Tech for a group home operated by Western Missouri Mental Health Center.

She and Michael Thibeaux (left in photo) are going to get married in May. They are a beautiful couple, and have big plans for their lives!

Chekesheia would like to come back to talk to the DeLaSalle students sometime, and tell them her story. She has a wonderful smile, and a great attitude. We're proud of her and the way her life has developed!

Katie Wendel

Katie Wendel (left) is the Chairperson of the DeLaSalle Board, and inspiration for our staff Holiday Party. Katie insisted we have a nice party, and helped raise the money for a buffet in downtown Kansas City. DeLaSalle has an incredible Board of Directors!

The Veterans!

Brandee Bell (left) and Francie Grandanette (right) have worked together for many years at DeLaSalle. Brandee is a counselor and Francie is our art teacher.

Visiting!

One of the nice things about staff Holiday Parties is the opportunity to visit with one another. In this picture (left to right), Marquita Walker, Jan Werner, Lisa Bower and Denarian Johnson catch up with one another.

What's that shoe doing in my (former) front yard?

Driving to work from an appointment this morning, I saw this very unique shoe sitting upright and by itself in the front yard of the house we used to own on Tracy Street.

At first, I was struck by the exotic red-ness of the shoe. Isn't it unique!

I decided to stop and photograph it.

I'm sure there is an interesting story about this shoe. We lived in this house for 10 years when our children were small. Occasionally, they would find unique objects in the street and yard. But this is a first.

The house is just a block from DeLaSalle. In those days, I would often walk to work, or walk home for lunch. Those were the days!

Those memories came back to me this morning while I pondered the shoe. What could it mean?

Would I find other treasures when I got back to work? Is a one-shoed person waiting for me in my office at DeLaSalle?

And why is this shoe sitting outside on a very cold morning in Kansas City in the (almost) winter?

Life is full of questions.

The Phil Curls' Advantage Computer Lab

On Friday afternoon, November 20, we dedicated a brand-new computer lab at DeLaSalle in memory of the late State Senator Phil Curls, Sr.

This lab was donated and installed by the GTECH Corporation.

Not many people knew that Phil was a graduate of the old De La SALLE. Phil also helped Godfrey Kobets secure significant government funding in the early days of DeLaSalle Education Center.

Phil's niece, Missouri State Representative Kiki Curls (third from right in the above picture), was the driving force in establishing this lab in memory of Phil. We were honored to have Phil's wife, City Councilwoman Melba Curls (fourth from right) join us for the dedication. The star of the show, though, was DeLaSalle student, Mushirah Rashid (fifth from right, and holding the plaque with Mrs. Curls), who spoke eloquently about the impact this lab would have on the students at DeLaSalle.

Friends in High Places!

Bill French (right in photo at left) lives for part of the year in Oregon, but that's not the only high place he occupies!

He's also in charge of the Cloud L. Cray Foundation, a private foundation established by the Cray Family that supports the development of economic education throughout the region.

The Foundation supports DeLaSalle's efforts to teach our students how to achieve economic success in their lives.

Bill lived in Kansas City for 45 years, and ran the development department at the University of Missouri at Kansas City (UMKC) for many years. He was probably the best fundraiser in Kansas City, but now that he as retired from UMKC, I'm hoping to unseat him as the best fundraiser sometime in the near future!

We're grateful to Bill for his advice, friendship and support, and thankful that the community has such generous and thoughtful families as the Cray family!

Colleagues and Friends

Wade Freeman (left in photo at left) and Tom Turner (right) are good friends of mine and of DeLaSalle.
Wade did his community service at DeLaSalle when he was a senior at Rockhurst High School in the 1980s. He has stayed in touch ever since, particularly when he worked at El Centro and then served as Executive Director of Don Bosco in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Even though Wade now works in the business sector, he is a real believer in the importance of non-profits and DeLaSalle.
Tom Turner runs the Bishop Sullivan Center, one of the best non-profits in town (second to DeLaSalle, of course!). Tom helps poor families get (back) on their feet, and runs a soup kitchen three blocks from DeLaSalle. Occasionally, our students help out at their food pantry and even deliver food baskets to homebound families.
I appreciate their advice and counsel to me and to DeLaSalle. Friends like them and others in the community are significant contributors to DeLaSalle's success!

The Electric Car Project!

Andrew and Mario are among several DeLaSalle students who will be working on The Electric Car Project this school year.
Volunteer Steve Rees has organized a group of renowned car buffs to work alongside the DeLaSalle students on this project beginning in January. Steve has already received a donation of a 2000 Lola that had been driven in a recent Indy 500 race! The group will drop an electric engine into this car body and eventually drive it solely on electric power.
Who knows; they may develop a breakthrough that will revolutionize the auto industry. More importantly, they may revolutionize the lives of Andrew, Mario and other DeLaSalle students!

On the Air

I was interviewed on KCUR Radio (89.3 FM)today by Steve Kraske (right in photo at left). For more information about the show and a link to the "podcast", go to http://www.kcur.org/uptodate

Michael T. White, Esq.

Mike White is one prince of a guy!

Mike (in photo at left) was President and then Co-Chairman of the DeLaSalle Board of Directors in the early 1980s.

He was a law partner with DeLaSalle co-founder, Norman O. Sanders, about a decade earlier, after which he ran an electrifying campaign for County Executive. He was one of the most popular and successful politicans in the area for a number of years. Many people thought that Mike would eventually run for national office.

But Mike decided against all that "jazz", retired from political life, and now practices law and plays real jazz, on the saxophone for the Mike White Quartet! He and the band recently released their Latin Jazz CD, Tiempo.

The Tiempo CD is dedicated to the memory of DeLaSalle’s co-Founder, Norman O. Sanders, who died last year at the age of 78. Sanders dedicated his life to the mission and students of DeLaSalle. All of the proceeds from the sale of this CD will go to the DeLaSalle Education Center. So if you are looking for a good stocking stuffer, to go with your St. de la Salle Christmas card (two blog entries ago), go to www.delasallecenter.org and click the "DONATION" tab. In the comments section, simply put the number of Tiempo CDs you want, and we'll ship them out!

"Big" Brother!

We recently found a number of very special Christmas cards in our archives.
The cover (left) shows a rendering of the old De La SALLE Academy building at 1524 Paseo. Interestingly, there is a normal size rendering of St. Jean Baptiste de la Salle welcoming two students into the old school, with a "Big"rendering of St. de la Salle to the side. (Technically, St. de la Salle was not a brother, he was a priest, although he was the founder of the Christian Brothers.)
Inside the card is a chronology of the Catholic school's history, from the foundation of the school as St. Patrick's in 1887, to the closing of the De La SALLE High School in April 1971.
I took a magnifying glass to the corner of the rendering where I saw the artist's name written as "Burdette".
I'll send you one of these cards if you respond to this to Blog. No donation is required And if you're the artist or a friend of the Brothers, Godfrey Kobets or Norman Sanders, I'll send you two!

I meet the (In)Famous Jack Cashill!

I have to confess that I am quite a fan of Jack Cashill (right in photo at left). I got to meet him today at a luncheon sponsored by Ingram's, the business magazine for which he is the executive editor.
He's very conservative, and has some quirky views on conspiracy theories, but he is usually on target and very thoughtful.
He writes a monthly column in Ingram's titled "Between the Lines". He pokes fun at "the establishment" and human foibles. It's worth a look every month. He rarely disappoints.
We live about three blocks from one another in Brookside, and our daughters hung out for a while in grade school. But before today, we never met.
I hope I don't ever end up as "fodder" in one of his columns!

Marilyn Hardy

Tomorrow night, December 7, 2009, Marilyn Hardy (picture at left) will lead the St. Louis Church choir during the Fourth Annual Mass of Forgiveness and Healing. This will be the fourth time she has not only led the choir for this event, but also played the organ, piano and synthesizer during Mass.

I'm grateful to Marilyn for her outstanding musical talents, which she has shared in thousands of events and liturgies in Kansas City for many years. In fact, Marilyn played and sang for Karol and me at our wedding over 35 years ago! So we go back a long way!

Bishop Robert W. Finn of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph will preside at the liturgy tomorrow night at 6:30 pm. The Mass is offered for all those who suffer and need healing and/or forgiveness. I helped to start this event to share with the community how God heals us of our suffering or loss, no matter how humiliating or tragic. I will remember in a special way my own son, Aaron, who was shot and killed in our house by two police officers seven years ago.

Please join us if you can.

2007 Grad Vernesha Creal

I ran into 2007 DeLaSalle graduate, Vernesha Creal, this morning. She is in the picture to the left. (Unfortunately, my camera's "date function" stopped working properly!)
Vernesha works as an aide in a home for the developmentally disabled. Her co-workers describe her as a hard worker, and someone who brightens up the day for everyone.
Vernesha proudly noted to her colleagues that she had graduated from DeLaSalle and that I was one of her "teachers".
I'd like to think I had a teaching impact on Vernesha, but, like many of you who support DeLaSalle, my impact was less direct, but nonetheless meaningful.
We're all making a difference when we support the education and development of our community's promising youth, like Vernesha!

Scary stories!

As you can see from the front page of Monday's KC STAR, I was surrounded by "Defiance", "stealing" and alcohol! Nonetheless, I was steadfast!

DeLaSalle Neighbors

You can count on three important services along Troost Avenue: The US Mail Service (as personified by our former faithful mailman, Bob, at left), Henry's Garage (Henry Grandison, proprietor, at right) and DeLaSalle (out of camera range), whose back entrance faces Troost Avenue and is adjacent to Henry's Garage!

Detention Facility Partnership

DeLaSalle Education Center operates a school in the Jackson County Juvenile Court Detention facility. Randy Kreuger (left in the photo) is the superintendent of that facility, while Marilynn Chance (right in the photo) is our Detention Coordinator (for educational services) . It is a great partnership that also includes the Kansas City School District.

News article about my transition

This morning's Kansas City STAR carried this picture of me along with a story about my transition to being a fundraiser again for DeLaSalle. Here is a link to that story: http://www.delasallecenter.org/delasalle.aspx?pgID=978

Forgiveness

Sister Maria Teresita Coloma (left) is in a prayer group with me that meets on Saturday mornings. She is from the Philippines, and and has had some amazing experiences.
Like the time she and some other sisters provided refuge for a young girl fleeing from an under-age marriage and who was being pursued by angry, torch-bearing men. The way Sister told that story, I felt like I was right there with her! That's another story that I hope to share here sometime.
But in the course of our sharing this morning, Sister mentioned a movie she had seen this week about Dorothy Day. (The late Dorothy Day was the co-founder, along with Peter Maurin, of the international Catholic Worker movement in the 1930s.)
In the movie, the original Catholic Worker house in New York had run out of food and donations, and they were unable to offer hospitality to anyone. Bickering broke out among the staff and those being served. Dorothy did not know what to do; so she went across the street to the church and began to pray.
She experienced a deep peace and returned to the house where she apologized to the staff and to those they were attempting to serve. She said she had recognized that she had failed them all by not trusting enough in God to take care of this work of charity. She had been unwilling as well to accept the suffering that was associated with serving the poorest of the poor. Soon afterwards, the food kitchen was back in full operation, and the work later grew and expanded due to the humility and faith of those working in this enterprise.
I was deeply touched by this example of faith-filled humility. I realize how often I may have hurt others by my pride.
If I have hurt you in any way, I hope you will forgive me, and even let me apologize to you in person. Our work at DeLaSalle is too important to let the failures of any one person stand in the way of our service.
It is good to reflect and think about why we suffer and endure hardship. Sometimes, we are being blessed with a deeper faith and humility, like Dorothy Day and Sister Teresita!

He's much more "in focus" in person

Former DeLaSalle Board President, David F. Oliver is a very focused person. Too bad my picture-taking skills could not do justice to this facet of his being!

He's also very metaphysical, intellectual and inspiring.

We visited over coffee and croissants this morning at Aixois Restaurant, and caught up on the deeper elements in our lives. David has a deep spirituality and sense of being. He is one of those people whose attention in a conversation brings great comfort to others. He listens deeply and has the ability to "read" the meaning of a conversation beyond just the words that are spoken. He is compassionate and a leader.
He is a lawyer and serves on many boards and assocations, including the Kansas City Civic Council. I have been graced with his friendship for many years, and hope that we remain friends for many more years.

Hilltop School

In 1995, DeLaSalle Education Center took over the management and staffing of Hilltop School under a contract with the Lee's Summit School District.
Hilltop School is part of the residential treatment campus operated by the Jackson County Family Court. In the photo above are (left to right) Dr. Jerry Keimig, Director of Special Services for the Lee's Summit School District, Ruthie Stephens, DeLaSalle Hilltop principal, and Mike Barnett, Hilltop Facility Manager for the Jackson County Family Court.
This great partnership with the Court and Lee's Summit School District benefits day students from the Lee's Summit School District as well as young people residing at Hilltop under Court custody.

History

I've been talking recently with Earl Baker (left in the photo) who was one of the first African-American graduates of the old De La SALLE.

For those of you who don't know, the old De La SALLE was a Catholic boys high school that was founded in 1910 by the Christian Brothers.

Interestingly, that school had several different names over the years.

From 1910 to 1941, the school was officially called the "De La SALLE Academy".

When World War II started in 1941, the name was changed to the "De La SALLE Military Academy".

Then, in 1960, the name changed again, this time to the "De La SALLE High School".

That school closed in 1971, and the name was "borrowed" by the founders of the new DeLaSalle, one of whom was a Christian Brother, Brother Theodore Berni. (Brother Theodore left the new program after a few years, but the other two founders remained far longer. Godfrey S Kobets remained until he retired at the age of 70 in 1985, and Norman O. Sanders remained as Chairman of the Board until his death in 2008!)

As you know, the new DeLaSalle is neither a boys' school (it was, and still is, co-ed) or Catholic (it was, and still is, non-sectarian). Moreover, the name was "stylized" in 1985 to eliminate the spaces beween the French spelling of the "De La SALLE" name, and to lower the case of the last four letters in "SALLE".

Earl Baker entered the old De La SALLE in 1953, when it was De La SALLE Military Academy. He was one of five African-Americans in his class. (The previous year in 1952, the first two African-Americans entered De La SALLE. One of those individuals was Jasper Harris, who later eanred two doctorates and who served as interim superintendent for the Knsas City School District in 1986.)

Earl Baker graduated in 1957. He's promised to tell me more of his experiences in the integration of that institution and I will make sure to update this blog when we talk more.

On Friday, November 20, 2009, we honored another African-American graduate of the old De La SALLE, the Honorable Phil Curls. Phil was one of the founders of Freedom Inc, and was a Missouri State Senator for many years. Phil died in 2008. An international company, GTECH Corp, funded a brand new computer lab at DeLaSalle in Phil's memory. Phil's wife, Councilwoman Melba Curls (a current DeLaSalle Board member), attended Friday's dedication, along with her daughter, Monica, and Phil's neice, Missouri State Representative Kikki Curls. We were blessed to have this computer lab established at DeLaSalle in Phil's memory, and to have had Phil's family with us that day.

Thanks!

While I can't really give you this beautiful turkey with all the trimmings during this Thanksgiving season, I would like to offer you a few reflections as thanks for your support for my nearly thirty years with the DeLaSalle Education Center!

When I was hired by Godfrey Kobets in 1980, we were facing lean times due to federal budget cuts.
Our Board of Directors helped to develop annual fundraising benefits, and we began an aggressive development department. We survived those tough times, and grew stronger.

As the 1990s approached, we achieved recognition from the US Department of Education, starting over 70 alternative schools locally and around the country.
We operated a residential drug treatment program for five years, took over the management of two schools located in juvenile court facilities, and even began and operated an alternative middle school for six years.
In 2004, we began buying several adjacent properties for an eventual school expansion. In 2010, we hope to break ground on the first addition ever to DeLaSalle’s existing campus. (Hence the reason for my "hard hat" in the photo above!) We're already halfway towards our $6.2 million goal for this capital project!

This addition and the overall renovation of DeLaSalle will secure the repair and upkeep of the existing 60 year-old facility. It will create a new and protected entrance-way for DeLaSalle students from Troost Avenue and offer a concrete foundation for DeLaSalle’s future.
After my own personal tragedy in 2002, I began to look more deeply at ways that I could contribute to DeLaSalle’s future and to offer healing and support to others who suffer. This summer, I decided to formalize my plans, and our Board of Directors offered me the opportunity to become the first Director of Sustainability for DeLaSalle Education Center starting in 2010.
In this new position, I will focus on completing the fundraising for the capital campaign and then raise money to help secure the future of the organization.

Based on recent economic events, it is clear that non-profit organizations need to plan for uncertainty. For DeLaSalle, that means building an operating reserve fund capable of sustaining its mission during the most difficult financial times. I feel very fortunate to transition to this new position after a new executive director is hired and trained. A nation-wide search for my successor is currently underway, led by MSA Search Consultants. We expect a new director to be named by early Spring 2010. You can view this position by going to http://www.npconnect.org/page/search_jobs/?cl_v=ra&cl_cid=12151&cl_aid=63795&cl_six=20

While change is not always easy, it is a natural part of growth. I feel wonderful about this positive, managed approach to an important organizational change. I am excited as well to leave an enduing legacy with DeLaSalle by now addressing the transition to new leadership for DeLaSalle.
Thank you for all of your support and for your personal interest in me and my future. I am blessed and very thankful for your contributions to DeLaSalle over these thirty years of my service to this great organization!

Whatever Happened to this Hero?

The unthinkable happened last winter at a basketball game on Kansas City's West side.

An apparent grudge led some intruders to interrupt the game between DeLaSalle students and young people from Southeast Community Center.

The intruders sprayed gunshots randomly around the basketball court, wounding two individuals. Players and guests, including nine DeLaSalle staff and family members, hit the floor as the bullets whizzed overhead. Amazingly, no one was seriously injured.

Moreover, several people heroically covered children with their own bodies. One of those heroes was Jullaion Jones, a nineteen year old DeLaSalle student, who courageously shielded DeLaSalle Vice-Principal Sean Merritt's son with his sprawling body.

Jullaion's actions that day earned him exposure in one of the nation's most widely read magazines, People (see above).

But even well-earned fame can exact a hard price. Friends and strangers recognized him wherever he went; some began calling him "Hero", with just a hint of irony in the tone of their voice. Three months later, Jullaion stopped coming to school. Sean Merritt repaid the favor to Jullaion by paying occasional visits to Jullaion's home, asking and even pleading with him to return to school.

Several weeks ago, Sean's son, Desean, was getting a haircut at a local barbershop. Desean's mother recognized Jullaion outside the barber shop. Jullaion seemed discouraged, and she kindly offered to help him out, but he declined.

Yesterday, a producer for the Oprah Winfrey Show called me to ask if they could run Jullaion's picture from People for their "Heroes Across America" show on Tuesday, November 24. I said sure, and then wrote her what had happened to Jullaion after his remarkable story was told across the country.

Jullaion is still a hero to us, and of course to Desean. I hope Oprah runs his picture on November 24, and that Jullaion tunes in, and maybe even returns to DeLaSalle.

"...a rose e're blooming...."

For more than a month, three small buds remained on the sprawling old rose bush in my back yard.

I wondered whether these buds would ever bloom. I had been surprised to find them alone and clustered together on a sprig extending from one of the major branches of the bush after a spell of cold weather ended in early October.

In the spring, this same bush had exploded with hundreds of blooms. After all of the blooms had fallen in June, I pruned the bush like I do every summer, hoping for another blossoming perhaps before the fall. But none occurred.

All through October I watched those three buds and waited. The buds remained tight with just a hint of red color hiding under their green leafing.

Last Wednesday, on November 11, my wife told me that one of the buds had bloomed (see picture). Karol was excited, because, you see, that day, and this old rose bush, have an extremely special meaning for us.

Seven years ago, our son, Aaron Francis Dougherty, was shot to death in our house. He had been profoundly depressed and had called the police to our house in an act that I can only conceive of as madness. When the police ordered him to drop his knives that he held in his hands, he ignored them. Seconds later, two police officers shot him eight times, thinking that he was advancing on them. I witnessed this horrific event. I saw that he never moved. He was just 26 years old, barely a man.

That night, as we washed the blood from our dining room floor, we did not know what to do with the bloodied water in our washpan. Then Karol said we should empty the pan in the rose garden. Which is what we did on that night of the day he had been shot: November 11, 2002.

Before that day, for the fifteen years we had lived in this house at that time, this bush bloomed only once each season. Beginning in 2003, the bush bloomed in the spring and in the fall.

This year I waited and watched and, finally, witnessed the second blooming again. This time there was only a single lonely bud, but on the single most meaningful day I could hope for this bush to bloom. I was reminded of my son, a rose before blooming.

It was a beautiful day, and a gorgeous memory.

TIRES!

See the tires under the sign?

They were painted by Francie Grandanette's art class about a year ago. They signify a future vision of DeLaSalle that will be emerging in the next twelve months.

Beginning this December, our Capital Campaign for the Future will be taking shape on Troost Avenue.

We have been working on this campaign for four years. We have already acquired three plots of land along Troost and in back of our current building. We have architectural plans for a new addition, and half the funds pledged to begin construction.

A student sculpture will appear first. And guess what the "building blocks" for that new sculpture will be? See the next picture!!

MORE TIRES!

That's right! More tires!

They're barely visible in this picture I took this morning, but if you look closely, you'll see some darkened shapes along the interface of the ground and the brick building. (Okay, it's a lousy picture, but trust me, they're tires!)

Craig Booker and his environmental science class were out on Friday afternoon moving these dirty old tires from Henry's Garage to the back of our building. I know Henry was glad to get rid of these filthy discards, and I can't say I'm too happy to have them on our property.

But something wonderful will develop out of this environmental problem: a "Green Sculpture" developed by Theo Bunch and his art pals from the KC Art Institute in conjunction with our students! It will be original and UNIQUE! Look for it to start "sprouting" in December. And just imagine what might come next!

Warriors of Mercy

Quillona Forte (left in picture) and Rochelle DePriest (right) have changed lives at DeLaSalle.

Q (as she is known to the students and staff) has been a counselor at DeLaSalle for twenty years; Rochelle has been a counselor at our Hilltop and Kobets' (high school) site for nine years, and she is a founding counselor of our recent mental health team, the Team of Care.

Q and Rochelle are both deeply passionate about improving the lives of our students.

And, I might add, they took a big gamble on one of those lives today. I believe that their belief and hope for that former student will pay off in a possibly mysterious way.

Let me explain. I think you will understand.

A young man with an explosive anger began attending DeLaSalle two years ago. He was born and grew up in Haiti, and then moved with his family to New York City. His family decided to relocate in Kansas City five years ago, and sent him ahead to live with his grandmother. He was kicked out of several schools for his outbursts, and ended up at DeLaSalle.

He did terribly at first. He fell in with a rough crowd. Apparently, he was involved in a violent act with an accomplice. As far as we can tell, the accomplice did most of the violence, if not all of it. But our former student was involved in the terrible incident, and maybe did more than that. We do not know for certain.

But Rochelle and Q reported to me today that it was only after this incident more than a year ago that he began to change his behavior at school. Gradually, he became responsible and more mature. His outbursts decreased.

Then he was arrested for armed criminal assault. He spent 9 months in jail. His court hearing was today, and Rochelle and Q were there. They said he had "thrown himself on the mercy of the judge". He did not ask for, or work out, "a plea". He told the judge that he deserved whatever sentence he received. He hoped for mercy, but had no assurance he would get it.

He faced at least 15 years in prison, maybe more. But before the judge sentenced him, she asked Rochelle and Q why they were there at this sentencing.

Q said she had worked with this young man at DeLaSalle and that he had changed. She had corresponded with him weekly over the nine months he had been incarcerated. She said that she believed he was a different person now, and that she believed he would not ever do anything again like he had already done. She said that he was in the process of being truly rehabilitated.

Rochelle said that she would be willing to work with the former student after he was released from prison. Neither of these staff suggested that additional time in prison was still not necessary for justice to be served. A person had been hurt and property had been taken in a violent fashion. Neither they, nor DeLaSalle, would ever disregard the need for justice to be served.

The judge deliberated, and then told the court that she was willing to take a chance on the young man. Instead of fifteen years in prison, he would have three, she said. What he had done, she said, was wrong and required justice. But mercy was also a factor, she observed, and she was willing to exercise it, she emphasized, because of DeLaSalle.

She said that she knew the work of DeLaSalle, and was impressed that two veteran counselors had taken the time to continue working with this individual while he was in jail. She said the promised involvement of DeLaSalle was "better for the community" than having this young man spend fifteen years in prison, and come out a possibly hardened criminal.

Rochelle and Q are true "Warriors of Mercy". Mercy is often unexpected and undeserved. As Portia in The Merchant of Venice noted:

"The quality of mercy is not strain'd,
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown..."

Theo Bunch

I want to introduce you to Theo Bunch, an artist studying at the Kansas City Art Institute. (Theo is the tall guy in the picture.)
Theo is a founding member of ArtPlay, a group of about 40 artists whose mission is to remake the urban environment through promoting the interplay of art into everyday life. One of their initiatives is the development of urban gardens. Theo and his colleagues are helping DeLaSalle students to incorporate such "living" art into their coursework and futures. We all know that "green" jobs are expected to be a strong economic force in the future. Theo hopes to insure that DeLaSalle students are at the forefront of this important cultural and economic change engine. We're grateful for the great help of Theo and ArtPlay and other environmental visionaries who have been so helpful to our mission of remaking the lives of urban youth through education!

Little House on the Prairie is the reason that Saori Miura is here in the United States, teaching graphic arts at DeLaSalle.

She grew up watching this show on television in Akita, Japan, and vowed that one day she would visit Missouri where Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote her Little House books.

In 1994, her dream came true when she took a ten-day tour of the Midwest. During the trip, she befriended her tour guide, a Japanese woman who lived in Missouri.

When she went back to Japan, she returned to her government job that included postal work, insurance and banking services. (Sounds like an interesting combination of job duties!)

In 1996, she contacted her former tour guide to arrange an extended stay in the United States. She quit her well-paying government job, after which her father would not speak to her for several days. She stayed with the tour guide's family in Branson, Missouri while she convinced the dean of admissions at the local College of the Ozarks to allow her to attend college. (She had always wanted to go to college but had deferred that dream while in Japan as she had already passed the more rigorous government exam.)

She worked her way through college participating in the unique work study program at the College of the Ozarks. She completed a double major in graphic arts and child development after four and one-half years. She then enrolled at Central Missouri State University where she earned a graduate degree in technology and occupational education, and then an educational specialist degree.

This is her fourth year of teaching at DeLaSalle. She is one of the most successful teachers at DeLaSalle, and is deeply passionate about helping our students complete their diploma and to prepare for the world of work.

And guess what? Her birthday is the same day as Laura Ingalls Wilder!

Melanie Parker - Class of 1991

When I went to vote this morning in our local election, the first person I met was 1991 DeLaSalle graduate, Melanie Parker (Photo at left). Melanie reminded me of her love for DeLaSalle, and how it has helped her in her life. She is a CMT (Certified Medical Technician) and is now working on her LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) certification. Congratulations, Melanie, and bravo to all of the young people served at DeLaSalle over these 39 years!

This fall, DeLaSalle Education Center took over the management of the group home school on the Jackson County Family Court's mid-town campus.

Nekandra Coulter (to the right in the picture) now runs that program for DeLaSalle. She has administered special programs for DeLaSalle for the last three years. She works with veteran DeLaSalle teacher, Michele Tolson, in the basement of the Jackson House group home, serving as many as 14 young men at a time.

Nekandra and Michele are outstanding examples of the creative and inspired staff helping to change the lives of young people every day. In her spare time, Nekandra is working on her doctorate at Rockhurst University. We're proud of the many wonderful staff at DeLaSalle, and for their contributions to the betterment of our community!

Father Jim Flanagan

I came to Kansas City in 1972 to work for the summer in a jail.
No, I was not incarcerated, or in a work release program!
I volunteered my time that summer for a unique religious organization, doing something that I thought I was being called to do: to help in the education of men who were imprisioned.
This summer program was sponsored by the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT). SOLT was founded in 1958 by Father James H. Flanagan, the man to the right in this picture with me. (This picture was taken this morning after church.)
Interestingly, the 1972 SOLT summer program was composed of two other projects besides tutoring inmates in the jail. One of those other projects was working in the summer school at the newly founded DeLaSalle Education Center.
Although it was 8 years before I went to work in 1980 for Godfrey S Kobets at DeLaSalle, I remember being very impressed in my first meeting with Kobe, as we called him. He was a man's man, tough and uncompromising when it came to educating youth from the inner city. Kobe had a deep passion and love for the young people at DeLaSalle.
I also vividly remember meeting Father Flanagan for the first time that same summer. He was another man's man, a tough but loving priest who had played football for Notre Dame and served as a Navy frogman in the Normandy invasion and other postings in World War II. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston in 1952, and founded SOLT in New Mexico 6 years later.
Was it coincidence that I met these two men in 1972, and decided one year later to move permanently from Wilmington, Delaware to Kansas City?
There are no coincidences, only blessings, and these blessings in 1972 changed my life irrevocably!