Allentown Named "Playful City"

According to an article at the City of Allentown website,  Allentown is one of only two communities in PA to be named a "Playful City USA Community" by KaBOOM  a non-profit organization that promotes unstructured play. 

According to KaBOOM CEO Darell Hammond: 

“Allentown took a stand and determined that the future of their community—their children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, not an expenditure, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from these Playful City USA Communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

In the article, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski  cites these two programs for city youth: SPP, a free Summer Playground Program available at most Allentown school playgrounds, and ACHIEVE, a program that partners with the Allentown School District, City Health Bureau, Wildlands Conservancy, Public Library, Fire Department, and Recycling Bureau.

My family and I are greatly looking forward to the new, handicapped-accessible, interactive, and free Destination Playground that will be built at Cedar Beach Park. This will be a great place for families from all over Allentown to meet for a common cause: our children. It's time for all the citizens of Allentown, young and old, natives and transplants, to start focusing on what brings us together, rather than on what separates us. Equal Opportunity for all. Our parks are for everyone to enjoy, even the "outsiders" who have relocated here-- as they are branded by the handful of Konstant Krankypants Kvetchers known kollectively as the "Defenders of the Parks" (wink wink) and "led" by embittered, vendetta-driven, 2005 Allentown Mayoral election loser Mike Molovinsky and his coded racist agenda.  

Oh and speaking of Cedar Beach Park, don't miss SportsFest there this weekend! 

Hooray for Allentown for being forward-thinking, for Moving Forward Together (well, most of us anyway), and for caring about our kids.

Post written by Mr. & Mrs. Dottie.

Allentown Named "Playful City"

According to an article at the City of Allentown website,  Allentown is one of only two communities in PA to be named a "Playful City USA Community" by KaBOOM  a non-profit organization that promotes unstructured play. 

According to KaBOOM CEO Darell Hammond: 

“Allentown took a stand and determined that the future of their community—their children—deserve a commitment to the cause of play. This is an investment in the future, not an expenditure, and cities and towns across the country can replicate initiatives from these Playful City USA Communities so that they too can bring play back into the lives of their children.”

In the article, Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski  cites these two programs for city youth: SPP, a free Summer Playground Program available at most Allentown school playgrounds, and ACHIEVE, a program that partners with the Allentown School District, City Health Bureau, Wildlands Conservancy, Public Library, Fire Department, and Recycling Bureau.

My family and I are greatly looking forward to the new, handicapped-accessible, interactive, and free Destination Playground that will be built at Cedar Beach Park. This will be a great place for families from all over Allentown to meet for a common cause: our children. It's time for all the citizens of Allentown, young and old, natives and transplants, to start focusing on what brings us together, rather than on what separates us. Equal Opportunity for all. Our parks are for everyone to enjoy, even the "outsiders" who have relocated here-- as they are branded by the handful of Konstant Krankypants Kvetchers known kollectively as the "Defenders of the Parks" (wink wink) and "led" by embittered, vendetta-driven, 2005 Allentown Mayoral election loser Mike Molovinsky and his coded racist agenda.  

Oh and speaking of Cedar Beach Park, don't miss SportsFest there this weekend! 

Hooray for Allentown for being forward-thinking, for Moving Forward Together (well, most of us anyway), and for caring about our kids.

Post written by Mr. & Mrs. Dottie.

Racism at Philly Pool

Reading this unbelievable news has made me feel like I am living in America circa 1869 rather than 2009. Valley Swim Club in Philadelphia was paid $1,900.00 by Creative Steps Day Camp to use its pool, but when the creative campers arrived at the pool, all the white kids who were swimming there immediately exited the pool, and the black campers who had just arrived were told they had to leave. One camper overheard a parent at the pool say, "What are all these black kids doing here? I am scared they might do something to my child." John Duesler, the president of the Club said, "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion of the club."

Read Article Here.

Here is Melissa Harris-Lacewell's response ...

What a bummer to read about this, after hearing the exciting news about PA Representative Patrick Murphy (D) standing up and taking the lead on getting rid of the absurd "don't ask don't tell" policy in the military to move us toward real equality for gays.

This Philly pool incident just reminds me of how far we still have to go for true equality for all Americans in America.

Racism at Philly Pool

Reading this unbelievable news has made me feel like I am living in America circa 1869 rather than 2009. Valley Swim Club in Philadelphia was paid $1,900.00 by Creative Steps Day Camp to use its pool, but when the creative campers arrived at the pool, all the white kids who were swimming there immediately exited the pool, and the black campers who had just arrived were told they had to leave. One camper overheard a parent at the pool say, "What are all these black kids doing here? I am scared they might do something to my child." John Duesler, the president of the Club said, "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion of the club."

Read Article Here.

Here is Melissa Harris-Lacewell's response ...

What a bummer to read about this, after hearing the exciting news about PA Representative Patrick Murphy (D) standing up and taking the lead on getting rid of the absurd "don't ask don't tell" policy in the military to move us toward real equality for gays.

This Philly pool incident just reminds me of how far we still have to go for true equality for all Americans in America.