IN THE NEWS- INDOOR SKYDIVING OFFERS THOSE WITH DISABILITIES 'MAJOR RUSH'

From The Miami Herald..

When an inoperable tumor on her spine put Jessika Kattah in a wheelchair, the self-described adrenaline junkie knew that she was paralyzed and wouldn't be able to walk again.

But she could still fly.

Kattah and other adventure seekers with disabilities have found a home once a month at iFly, the indoor skydiving range in Davie, Florida. Every second Thursday of the month, iFly hosts All Abilities Night, at which individuals with physical challenges can safely try the free-fall simulation in a giant vertical wind tunnel, with the help of friendly, knowledgeable instructors and a supportive group of families and friends.

And if you're thinking that floating in a giant wind tunnel is nothing like jumping out of an airplane with a parachute, Kattah, 30, is happy to tell you that you're wrong.

"You definitely get that sensation of flying," says Kattah, who knows a thing or two about skydiving- she did it twice before her medical condition intervened. "But the fact that I'm able to get out of my chair, that's what's so great. You forget about your disability. You're just like everybody else. We're not normally granted that opportunity. It's so freeing and liberating, and there's no chair attached to you."

Flight instructor manager Chris Dixon agrees. "It's very similar. Once you get in free fall, it's the same thing." Minus the nerves that come with stepping out of a plane, that is.

Almost anyone between the ages of 3 and 103 can participate at iFly. General manager Jim Braun says iFly recently hosted a group that included a 3-year-old and his 87-year-old great-grandfather.

You can't fly if you're pregnant or weigh more than 300 ponds ( and if you're over 260 pounds, you need to alert iFly staff). People with recent back, neck or heart problems should check with a doctor before signing up, and iFly recommends no one with a dislocated shoulder get into the tunnel- the wind could dislocate your shoulder all over again.

Fliers wear a special suit, goggles and helmet and watch a short instructional video before entering the tunnel with an instructor ( fliers with disabilities generally get two). Each flier gets two minute-long "flights." In between sessions, the instructors- almost all are experienced skydivers- perform tricks, shooting up and down and around the wind tunnel, eliciting gasps from the onlookers. Just don't expect to be able to do the things these guys do- they've put in hundreds of hours of flight time.

IFly, which also has locations across the country, discounts its flights for those with disabilities on All Abilities Night ($39.95; regular packages start at $60.96).

"It's our way of giving back to the community," Braun says.

All Abilities Night is becoming something of a community itself, he says. Few people emerge from the wind tunnel without a big grin. Encouraging applause erupts from the people sitting in the observation area. Braun says the camaraderie at the events- so far, there have been four All Abilities Nights- has grown and deepened.

"It's not just for the flier but the families, too," Braun says. "It's a meeting place. The atmosphere is always good on these nights."

Instructor Marcus Lewis echoes his sentiment: "We're supposed to give the gift of flight. So we do."

On a recent evening, Chuck Petscher of Davie, who is legally blind, gave iFly a shot. "I'll do this," he joked, "but I'm not jumping out of an airplane."

After his flight,which he pronounced "awesome, a major rush," he described the experience "like swimming in the air" and said iFly's friendly, inclusive atmosphere was a refreshing change from many events for those with disabilities that he's attended.

"When you're handicapped, you usually have to do things a different way from everybody else," he says. "Here, you're doing what everybody else is doing. That's what turned me on to it."

Kattah and her boyfriend Reinaldo Maiz, 28, who also uses a wheelchair, plan to skydive for real some day soon ( Maiz, unlike Kattah, has never jumped out of a plane). The couple, who were heading to St. Augustine to surf the following day and share their experiences as paraplegics on a blog on Kattah's website under the hashtag #ItsThatWheelKindOfLove, think of iFly as a great warmup to the real thing.

"It's something I have to try," Kattah says of her desire to jump out of a plane despite being paralyzed.

"One of the reasons I write about these experiences is that people don't know services like iFly are out there," she says. "For some people with cerebral palsy or a spinal cord injury, it's a real life changer. Many of us feel we're confined to our disability, but All Abilities Night provides an opportunity for people to do something they never thought they'd be able to do.

"If you have that inkling of wanting to do it, do it. Don't let fear guide you. In the end you're going to be happy you did it."

PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

Talking about a weekend of Philly Sports..

* The Phillies are playing well, winners of 4 in a row, going for 5 this afternoon vs. Atlanta. It seems as though the younger players, like Nick Williams, are adding much-needed life and energy into the team. Aaron Altherr and Williams are playing so well, they are challenging guys like Odubel Herrera and Mychael Franco to keep pace. If you don't hustle around the young up-starts, you look really bad.

This was yet another reason why the Phillies' front office blew it at the beginning of the season, by signing washed-up has-beens like Michael Saunders, Clay Bucholtz and Howie Kendrick. Not only didn't they produce, or were often injured, they took away playing time and roster spots of young prospects who could've helped the club early on when the games mattered.

Hopefully this isn't the case next spring, when young stars Rhys Hoskins and Scott Kingery, to name a few, make a bid to crack the Phillies' Opening Day line-up.

Add to the fact that the pitching staff is coming around. A rotation of Nola, Pivetta, Valasquez and Eichoff doesn't look too bad. A veteran ace to anchor the young rotation would be ideal. Texas' Yu Darvish is a free agent after the season, but he will soon turn 31.Clayton Kershaw, if he opts for free agency after the 2018 season, would be a prime candidate. Actually, a Cole Hamels would look good right now. How about another Cole, Garrett Cole of the Pirates? He is younger and will be a free agent.

I still think Valaquez' future is in the bullpen. I'm not sold on the inconsistent Eichoff. And where do guys like Jake Thompson, Ben Lively and Zach Efflin fit in?

It's good to know there should be lots of competition next spring. Even for the res tof this summer, players are jockeying for position to stake a claim to make the team in 2018.

* The Phillies are having a Beatles Appreciation Night at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, September 25, vs. Washington. By then, Monday Night Football will be on and no one will really care about a meaningless baseball game during the week. The organization is giving away a free Phillies/Beatles ski cap that night. It promises to be a night full of Beatles' music and fun.

Hopefully they don't play "I'm A Loser" over the loudspeakers.

* What grade would I give Matt Klentak on his recent trades ( the trade deadline is today at 4 p.m.)? I would say a C is fair. You couldn't expect him to get much back for Kendrick and Hellickson. The fact that Klentak got anything a tall in return for an injury-plagued Kendrick was amazing. But if Seattle could trade their best prospect for a lesser relief pitcher than Pat Neshek, whom the Phils traded to Colorado, then why didn't the Phillies get more than 3 class-A lottery ticket-hopefuls?

The big part of the deals was getting increased international pool money to spend for Latin prospects. Let's hope the club uses this extra money to sign a few more talented Latin prospects to add depth to their farm system.

* eagles training camp is in fulls wing. 23,000 fans showed up at the Linc on Sunday morning to watch open work-outs. So far, no one has gotten hurt in camp, aside from a scare with Alshon Jeffery the other day, landing on a shoulder ( he seems fine).

The competition looks stiff among the wide receivers, going form one of the worst in the league to guys like Nelson Agholar and Jordan Matthews having impressive camps so far. Either the receivers look really good or the corner backs suck worse than expected ( or a combination of both).

I can't see the Birds going into the season with these defensive backs. Hopefully they add some help before camp breaks. If they continue to struggle into the exhibition games, doesn't GM Howie Roseman have to do something to improve the secondary? It would be a shame, after a productive off-season of improving the offense and defensive line, to blow games because the corners are giving up big plays?

Scary to think opposing wide-outs like Dez Bryant and Odell Beckham Jr. get to run wild against the Philly secondary twice this season. The Eagles' pass rush better generate a lot of pressure and sacks in order to give those D-backs a break.

* What's wrong with Allen Iverson? He didn't show-again- for a 3-on-3 event in Dallas over the weekend. Is he that much of a slacker that he was a no-show as he was in Philadelphia several weeks ago? Or is there another hidden reason, such as a legit medical problem, a substance abuse problem or worse?

In Philly, the excuse could've been Iverson was at the casinos or out partying the night before. But in Dallas?

* Flyers' single game tickets should be going on sale around Labor Day, which is only a little more than a month away. Plus Sixers' tickets go on sale sometime in August, with the schedule being released as well. I may only try to attend one game this year ( I'm still not happy with their blood-sucking front office) but I will watch them on TV, a step up form past seasons. It will be fun to plan my weeknights around 76'er games, like in the Iverson era.

SPORTS QUIZ

How many teams were there in major league baseball in 1960/

. Today's topic is OLD-TIME BASEBALL...


1. How many teams were there in major league baseball in 1960?

2. Who tied Willie Stargell for the National League's Most Valuable Player honor in 1979?

3. What team's fans got into the park free for the club's first home game after the 1981 season?

4. What two expansion teams joined the American League for the 1961 season?

5. What was the home team in the first baseball game ever televised, on August 26, 1939?

6. What Kansas City Royals outfielder went 11-for-23 for a torrid .476 batting average in the 1980 World Series ( vs the Phillies)?

7. What American League club once gave a young Maury Wills a spring tryout before cutting him?

8. What speedster led the American League in stolen bases every season from 1956 through 1964?

9. What American League star handled a catcher's record 950 consecutive fielding chances without an error from 1957 to 1959?

10. What ball park did the Cincinnati Reds leave for Riverfront Stadium in 1970?





ANSWERS-

1. Sixteen
2. Keith Hernandez
3. San Diego Padres
4. Los Angeles Angels and Washington Senators
5. Brooklyn Dodgers
6. Amos Otis
7. Detroit Tigers
8. Luis Aparicio
9. Yogi Berra
10. Crosley Field

IN THE NEWS- COMPLAINT ALLEGES WIDESPREAD BULLYING OF STUDENTS IN SPECIAL ED

The following article is from our own Philly.com...

Advocates say the Philadelphia School District has downplayed or ignored pervasive bullying of students in special education in classrooms throughout the city, and they want federal education officials to open n investigation and order changes.

The Education Law Center-PA filed its complaint to the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights on behalf of one district parent, but described bullying against four children. In announcing the action Thursday, the center said the problem is systemic and amounts to system-wide discrimination against children with disabilities, a group that includes thousands of Philadelphia students.

In some cases, it contends, the district failed to respond to or investigate instances of bullying, despite parent complaints over months and years.

A spokesman for the Philadelphia School District declined to discuss the allegations, but defended the district's policy and response to bullying.

One parent cited in the complaint said Thursday that her 9-year-old son, a third-grader with autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, was bullied for two full school years, targeted over his book bag and sneakers, his appearance and his disabilities.

"My son is really terrified," said the mother. Fearing reprisal, she asked that her name and the name of her child and his school be withheld. His name and those of other students were redacted in the publicly released complaint.

The woman said her son once suffered a concussion after classmates kicked and punched him and another time went to a hospital after students punched him in the genitals. School officials noted the bullying in their formal student evaluation but never addressed it, she said.

Once excited to go to school, the 9-year-old now shakes and vomits at the thought of returning, his mother said. He has talked about killing or harming himself. And when she recently suggested they soon would have to shop for school supplies, he panicked, crowding himself into a closet, crying.

"He said, 'mommy, please don't make me go back to school.'" she said.

The boy's experience is not isolated, said Alex Dutton, one of the lawyers who filed the complaint. Students have been called names and assaulted, suffering academic losses and emotional problems because of bullying. Parents have asked school officials to transfer their children, but have been refused. They have filled out forms airing their concerns, only to be told that their children were not being bullied.

"What we see is that parents, having tried for months to get the district to do something, make the rational choice to keep their children home on days when they are demonstrating extreme aversion to school," Dutton said in a statement. "Rather than intervene in accordance with federal anti-discrimination laws, the district's response was to refer these families to truancy court, where the problem is framed as a failure of the family. This is not only discriminatory, it erodes any semblance of trust between district staff and the families they serve."

Jody Manning, an official with PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center- an arm of a group that advocates for children with disabilities- said children with special needs are two to three times more likely to be bullied than their peers without disabilities. In Philadelphia, more than 18,000 students are considered to have disabilities- about 14 percent of the student body in traditional public schools./

But, Manning pointed out, "school districts actually have a heightened obligation to protect these students" because of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Lawyers in the case are asking for individual relief for every student name din the complaint, but also systemic relief. They want federal officials to order the school system to allow administrative transfers for victims,, to force revisions to the district's bullying policy that make special considerations for students with disabilities, and to provide citywide training on the subject. The Office of Civil Rights must first make a determination whether the complaint warrants a formal investigation.

Lee Whack, a spokesman for the Philadelphia School District, said Thursday that he could not comment on the specifics of the complaint.

But, Whack said,, " we actively and consistently investigate and address instances of bullying that are reported. If a child ever harmed we act with urgency to remedy the situation. The safety of all students is our first priority."

SPORTS QUIZ

Today's topic is: ALL SPORTS


1. What did John Doyle, baseball's first pinch-hitter, do in his historic at-bat on June 7, 1892?

2. What was the nickname of San Diego's ;last ABA team?

3. What NFL team surrendered only 20 points in 13 games in 1927 while posting an 11-1-1 record?

4. Who was the only player to start in the major league all-star game for different leagues in consecutive seasons, 1982 and 1983?

5. What two brothers opposed each other in the 1964 World Series?

6. Who homered in his first two World Series at-bats, on 1972?

7. Who was the first welterweight to win the middleweight boxing title, knocking out Jake LaMotta on February 14, 1951?

8 Who, in 1970, was the first player selected to an all-star game starting lineup as a write-in choice by the fans?



9. What guard was named to the NBA second all-star team for seven seasons in a row starting in 1962-63 but never made the first team?

10. What Chicago Cubs outfielder played in a National League record 1,117 consecutive games between 1963 and 1970?





ANSWERS-

1. He singled
2. Sails
3. New York Giants
4. Manny Trillo
5. Clete and Ken Boyer
6. Gene Tenace
7. Sugar Ray Robinson
8. Rico Carty
9. Hal Greer
10. Billy Williams

PHILLIES PHODDER

I have ripped Phillies GM Matt Klentak- rightfully so- for numerous reasons lately- but I give him kudos today for trading Jeremy Hellickson and Howie Kendrick last night.

The return was as expected- prospects. From Baltimore, the Phils got outfielder Hyun Soo Kim. Hee will finish the season as a reserve, playing behind the outfield of Altherr, Herrera and Williams.

Kim becomes a free agent after the season. The Phillies can cut ties and start over.

The Phils get money off the books by getting rid of the one-year vets. They also got more money in the international pool. The prospects are at the single-A level, so they are a few years away form sniffing Philadelphia.

The organization is stockpiling left-handed starters in their farm system, a wise move. They are without a lefty starter on the big league level, so it's nice to see them add depth in the minors.

Will they make any more moves before the Monday 4 p.m. deadline? Probably not. Nava is on the DL, so he will be an August waiver transaction. Maybe reliever Beniot goes. It looks like Joseph, Herrera and Hernandez will stay for the remainder of the summer.

The Joseph situation will be an interesting one. The club would love to take a look at 1B prospect Rhys Hoskins, sharing time with Joseph at first base. My feeling is that we won't see Hoskins until September. As conservative as they are, the front office will want Hoskins to be in the International league play-offs and possibly win a championship. As long a Joseph continues to play well, they can justify keeping Hoskins a t Lehigh Valley.

They will need to do something in the off-season to break the logjam. Joseph is still only 26 and has shown power. But I think Hoskins' ceiling is higher, with  a  combination of power and the ability to reach base. The market for Joseph may be higher then, and a package for pitching would be sweet and open up a spot for Hoskins.

I think the team will tire of Herrera's antics and will try to unload him too. Immaturity is his problem, and unless he changes his tune in the off-season, I can easily see Herrera packing his bags.

Hernandez is a solid player but Scott Kingery is ready to take over second base. I don't see a position for Cesar in the future. Galvis or maybe \Crawford have shortstop locked down. Blanco won't be back as the utility guy. I think Hernandez will be dealt, as Kingery is emerging and the Phillies can get something decent in return for Cesar.

Nola is becoming an ace-type pitcher, if he stays healthy. Pivetta looks like a keeper in the rotation. Who knows about Valasquez and hos role as a starter or close Eichoff has the stuff but needs to be more consistent.. Garcia will get a closer look as a potential closer, with Neris shifting back to 8th inning set-up man.A group of Lively, Efflin, and Thompson  may fill out the rotation, with possibly  a free agent veteran stabilizing the staff.

The games may not mean much for the rest of the season, but the stories will remain, and the off-season will be intriguing too.

All through this dreadful year, I'm wondering "What's the plan?" What's the point of signing a Kendrick or Saunders or Bucholtz in the first place? Is it a total rebuild, playing the kids, or are they trying to be competitive but mixing the prospects with veterans?

It's kind of scary to know that even the Phillies themselves don't seem to be sure if there is a plan or not.

I have two games remaining to attend: the Pete Rose Wall of Fame induction, two weeks from tonight, and a Saturday night encounter with the world champion  Cubs.

The Rose ceremony should be electric. And the Cubs series in late August will be fun, especially if more kids form the Iron Pigs make their way to Citizens Bank Park by then.

Finally, the organization is doing everything they can to get  fans in their empty seats for the rest of the summer. Promotions will be heavy, including added events like Beatles night on Monday, Sept. 25 vs. Washington. They are giving away a combo Phillies/Beatles ski cap for the price of your ticket.

Basically, after the trade deadline comes and goes on Monday, it will be all-Eagles form now on, at least until the Baseball Winter Meetings and spring training.

IN THE NEWS- DISABILITY ADVOCATES RELIEVED BY FAILURE OF HEALTH NILL

Advocates are breathing  a sigh of relief after a pared down health care repeal was rejected by the U.S. Senate, but they say that threats to disability services remain.

The Senate voted 49 to 51 early Friday against a plan to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act. The proposal- dubbed the "skinny repeal"- was the third in just as many days to fall flat and signaled the end of Republican efforts to upend the health law, at least for the time being.

"The defeat of this disastrous health care bill is a huge win for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families," said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc. "Medicaid and the home and community-based services and supports program funds are safe, for now."

Disability advocates have been united against Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, chiefly due to deep concerns about changes to Medicaid.

Plans included in a bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May, and mirrored in nearly all of the Senate proposals, would have fundamentally altered the program by imposing first-ever caps on federal funding.

Since its inception, Medicaid has operated as an entitlement program with states receiving matching grants from the federal government to cover the cost for anyone who's eligible.

The Republican proposals sought to dramatically alter that dynamic, shifting to a per-capita cap system where states instead would receive a fixed amount for each beneficiary no matter the cost of their care. States would have been left to make up the difference.

Congressional Budget Office estimates for the various plans Republicans put forth indicated that if enacted, federal spending on Medicaid would have been more than $700 billion lower by 2026.

Advocates railed for months against the plan, arguing that such a drastic reduction in funds from Uncle Sam would no doubt lead cash-strapped states to scale back their Medicaid programs. Optional offerings like home and community-based services for people with disabilities would likely be the first to go, they said.

Faced with such a threat, people with disabilities from a cross the country sprung into action, reaching out to lawmakers and holding demonstrations culminating with a Capitol Hill protest this week organized by the disability rights group ADAPT where 64 activists were arrested.

"Lawmakers should take away from all of this a clear message that Medicaid must be preserved and that their job is to protect our care, not to take it away," said Julia Bascom, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. "Going forward, these reforms must be done in an open, democratic and bipartisan way and affected communities like the disability community must be involved and listened to from the start."

Even as they praised Friday's development, however, advocates warned that threats to disability services remain as Congress works out a budget and as lawmakers consider renewed efforts to reshape the nation's health care system.

"We know that the threats to Medicaid and health care are not over," said Alison Barkoff, director of advocacy at the Center for Public Representation. "We will continue our fight to protect health care, Medicaid and disability rights."

SPORTS QUIZ

Today's Sports Quiz is about: ALL SPORTS



1. What did the O stand for in onetime baseball owner Charles O. Finley's name?

2. What year did big league crowds first pass 10 million- 1937, 1947 or 1957?

3. What fabled basketball team once drew 75,000 rabid fans for a game in Berlin?

4. What thoroughbred horse finished second to the Triple Crown winner in each of the three races in 1978?

5. How many gold medals did swimmer Mark Spitz win at the 1968 Olympics?

6. How many ABA teams did the NBA absorb at their merger?

7. What was the only team ever to beat the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers in an NFL championship game?

8. Who did the U.S. beat to capture the hockey gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics?

9. How many World Series homers did Roger Maris hit the year he had 61 in the season?

10. Who was the first quarterback to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl?





ANSWERS-

1. Oscar
2. 1947
3. The Harlem Globetrotters
4. Alydar
5. Two
6. Four
7. The Philadelphia Eagles
8. Finland
9. Zero
10. Fran Tarkenton

PHILLIES PHODDER

Did you read Marcus Hayes' column in the paper this morning? It's concerning the Phillies and it's a total joke.

I've been expecting Hayes to write  an article, ripping the Phillies, especially GM Matt Klentak, for his many blunders. He and team president Andy MacFailure and owner John Middleton have made a bad team even worse. They are historically- bad, on pace to lsoe well over 100 games.

Yet Hayes thinks Klentak is OK and even applauds his patience in not trading key players.

No wonder he hasn't written such an article, tearing apart Phillies management. Turns out he is a shill for the Phillies as well, like many of the current, mediocre media in Philadelphia nowadays.

I guess mediocre can appreciate mediocre.

Hayes called for the firing of Eagles GM Howie Roseman during the off-season, yet he praises Klentak?

He asserts that trading only Pat Neshek so far ( for marginal prospects from Colorado) is "enough." The team should "stand pat", yes this great ball club that will lose over 100 games. Don't break 'em up jsut yet...

Hayes states that problem-child Odulbel Herrera has "minimal character flaws." and that pitchers Hellickson and Benoit- two underachieving vets who need to go- provide "stable leadership" to this disaster of a team.

Hayes is a pompous jackass when he belittles the loyal, frustrated fans for "crying" about this woeful team, siding with Klentak, who chooses to ignore the plea for help form the fans.

Hayes couldn't be more off-base on this one. The Phils may not get equal value if they unload the low-hanging fruit like Hellickson and Benoit, Nava and Kendricks are injured, so they may not get dealt until the August waiver period, and guys like Herrera, and Franco continue to wallow and may need a change of scenery. I get all of that.

I agree that Trading Tommy Joseph may a risky move, but let's face facts- Joseph is what he is, a nice player, but he sure doesn't have the ceiling like a Rhys Hoskins, who continues to play well at the Phillies' front office is super-conservative when it comes to their young players is an understatement.

When you are in a situation like the Phillies find themselves in, sometimes you need to think out of the box  and take chances. Look at what the Yankees did with their young prospects.

Joseph needs to go to make way for Hoskins. It makes no sense at all for them to split time for the rest of the season, nor does it make sense for Hoskins to "simmer" at Leigh Valley as Hayes suggests.
 Shades of Ryan Howard all over again.

John Middleton. where are you? You came out in early May, when the team was holding it's own, chest all puffed out, proclaiming on the radio that you would "do whatever it takes to bring a championship to Philadelphia."

Since this team has imploded we do'n' see or hear form Middleton. He hides in shame in his bunker at Citizens Bank Park.

He doesn't reassure the "crying" fans that changes will be made and that this losing summer will not be tolerated. Someone has to pay for putting the fans through this hell.

Instead, Middleton counts his money, the same cash he has been sitting on for years, the same coin he promises to spend on free agents down the road. We will see.

I don't trust this front office. They screw-up too often with poor player evaluations, bad free agent signings, lackluster trades, and less-than-thrilling draft selections.

Aren't all the empty seats this summer at CBP speaking to Middleton? Or is he as stupid as the people he hired?

John Middleton, show us you care. Do something!

ROBOTIC DEVICE SHOWS PROMISE FOR KIDS WITH CEREBRAL PALSY

From Disability Scoop..

Training with a robotic device may help some kids with cerebral palsy gain strength and improve both posture and walking abilities, researchers say.

A small study affecting a subset of individuals with cerebral palsy that's marked by excessive bending of the hips, knees or ankles.

After participating in 15 training sessions with the system, six children studied showed improvement in posture and muscle coordination as well as walking features like step length, toe clearance, range of motion and heel-to-toe pattern, according to findings published this week in the journal Science Robotics

For the study, the kids participated in 16-minute training sessions over the course of six weeks. They were evaluated at the beginning and end of the study period.

The children wore the robotic device- a pelvic belt attached to several wires- while walking on a treadmill. Tension on the wires was adjusted in real time based on data captured by cameras. The device applied downward force- similar to what a typical child experiences carrying a backpack- in order to retrain certain leg muscles.

"Currently, there is no well-established physical therapy or strengthening exercise for the treatment of crouch gait," said Sunil Agrawal, a professor of mechanical engineering and of rehabilitation and regenerative medicine at Columbia University who worked on the study.

"Feedback from the parents and children involved in this study was consistent. They reported improved posture, stronger legs and faster walking speed, and our  measurements bear that out," he said. " We think that our robotic TPAD training with downward pelvic pull could be a very promising intervention for these children."

Those behind the study are now looking to conduct additional clinical trials on the method including a larger group of kids in addition to examining more variables and potentially looking at children with hemiplegic and quadplegic cerebral palsy as well.

SPORTS QUIZ

OLD-TIME BASEBALL is the topic of today's Sports Quiz...


1. What American League team did Bob Hope once own a piece of?

2. What Cy Young Award-winning pitcher earned a Ph.D and made it big in kinestology?

3. What Toronto Blue Jays first baseman broke up three no-hitters in the first five years of the team's history?

4. What ballpark hosted the first major league all-star game played on artificial turf?

5. What team introduced tri-color caps to the majors?

6. What shortstop led the National League in singles four times while playing for three clubs between 1960 and 1969?

7. What San Francisco slugger was the first man in modern history to belt a grand slam home run in his first major league game?

8. What affliction knocked Houston Astros righthander J.R. Richard out of the line-up in July, 1980?

9. Who entered the record book in 1970 by becoming the first pitcher since Cy Young to win 100 games in both major leagues?

10. Who hit the first home run ever in a major league all-star game?





ANSWERS_

1. Cleveland Indians
2. Mike Marshall
3. John Mayberry, Sr.
4. Houston Astrodome
5. Montreal Expos
6. Maury Wills
7. Bobby Bonds
8. A stroke
9. Jim Bunning
10. Babe Ruth

PHILLY SPORTS CORNER

PHILLIES-

Finally, the Phillies make a trade! GM Matt Klentek dealt all-star reliever Pat Neshek to Colorado for three minor league prospects last night.

Apparently the prospects aren't very highly regarded, but it's better than nothing. The best of the lot seems to be 20 year-old shortstop Jose Gomez, who leads the South Atlantic League in batting this summer.

Hopefully this opens the door for more moves this week. Granted, Klentek is now a bit limited, with Daniel Nava on the disabled list and Howie Kendrick nursing a sore wrist. If they don't go this week, they should go during the waivers period in August.

Others can still be swapped. Beniot, Herrera and Joseph are possibilities, especially Joseph. His spot would clear the way for Rhys Hoskins to come up form Lehigh Valley.

Herrera needs to go, period. it was good he didn't play last night because of his screw-ups Tuesday night. It was a long overdo message that needed to be sent.

You are not get equal value for Herrera right now. It may be better to wait until the Off-season to show him the door. Either way, he is an immature player, and I think the team would be better off without him polluting the young players with his careless attitude and inconsistent hustle.

Without Herrera in the line-up last night, the Phils played  the smooth Aaron Altherr in center field and won, 9-0 over the red-hot Houston Astros.

An outfield of Altherr, Nick Williams and Dylan Couzens gives you speed, power , athleticism and youth. Make it happen , Matt Klentek.

EAGLES-

Finally, first-round bust Marcus Smith was released yesterday. The Eagles waited until the first day of training camp for veterans to part ways with Smith.

Smith failed to show up this spring for voluntary OTAs. The hand-writing was on the wall.

He couldn't cut it at linebacker or defensive end. When the Birds drafted DE Darrick Barnett and signed free agent Chris Long during the off-season, there was no need for keeping the underachieving Smith on the roster.

To be fair, Smith never should've been drafted as high as he was. He was projected to be more of a 2nd or even 3rd round guy. The Eagles reached for him, a combination Howie Roseman and Chip Kelly disastrous selection.

Smith is only 25, so he will probably hook on with another club. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good. I just have the feeling he is what he is- an average player at best.

More surprising was the trade of guard/tackle Allen Barbre to Denver for a conditional late draft pick. Issac Seumalo was named the starter at guard. The eagles seem to have depth on the offensive line. Barbre is 33, but he was a good swing-man as a starter and reserve.

I give the Eagles credit for going young here. They want to build an offensive line that will grow together, aside form Jason Peters and Jason Kelcie.

Training camp continues, with the full squad working out for the first time today. The first pre-season game is two weeks form tonight, a match in Green Bay with the Packers.

SPORTS QUIZ

Today's category is: SPORTS NICKNAMES



1. What name did Memphis' ABA club go by in the 1972-73 season?

2. What NFL team boasted the No-Name Defense?

3. What's the nickname of the University of Colorado football team?

4. What's the nickname of the team Holy Cross sends off to the basketball wars?

5. Who on the Cincinnati Reds' Big Red Machine was known as Doggie?

6. What was the name of the ABA's first Pittsburgh team?

7. What major league right handed pitcher was dubbed The Dominican Dandy?

8. What's the nickname of the Harvard football team?

9. What American League reliever was named Senor Smoke?

10. What was the nickname of the Dallas entry in the North American Soccer League?





ANSWERS-

1. Tams
2. Miami Dolphins
3. Buffaloes
4. Crusaders
5, Tony Perez
6. Pipers
7. Juan Marichal
8. Crimson
9. Auerilio Lopez
10. Tornado

IN THE NEWS- DOZENS WITH DISABILITIES ARRESTED ON CAPITOL HILL

A disturbing piece from Disability Scoop..

After the U.S. Senate narrowly voted to begin debate on a health care bill that includes sweeping changes to Medicaid, several dozen protesters with disabilities were arrested.

U, S, capitol Police said 64 people- many in wheelchairs- were arrested Tuesday in the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building while participating in an action organized by the disability rights group ADAPT.

Those arrested were among some 250 people demonstrating after the Senate voted to begin debate on legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, with Vice President Mike Pence casting a tie-breaking vote.

"I'd rather go to jail than die without Medicaid, " the protesters chanted.

It's unclear exactly what legislation will emerge from the debate, if any. Senate Republican leaders have floated a proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act as well as an option to simply repeal parts of the law, but neither plan has attracted sufficient support thus far.

Either way, advocates say changes would be devastating for people with disabilities.

"Today, a majority of senators ignored the pleas of their constituents and moved ahead with debating disastrous health care proposals that will result in people losing health care coverage and threaten the Medicaid home and community-based service system," said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc. "All roads from this vote are bad for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

The Republican proposal to replace the law includes fundamental changes to Medicaid, a program that millions of Americans with disabilities rely on for access to everything from doctors and hospitals to supports that allow them to live and work in the community.

Currently, states receive matching grants from the federal government to provide services to anyone who meets Medicaid eligibility requirements, no matter the cost. Under the Republican plan, however, states would get   fixed amount for each beneficiary regardless of the true cost of their care. with states left to make up the difference.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that the proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would lead to $756 billion less in federal spending on Medicaid by 2026.

Advocates say that home and community-based services would likely be the first to go if states scale back offerings due to reduced federal funding since those services are considered optional under current Medicaid policy.

PHILLIES PHODDER

 So, the Phillies lose again ( as expected) to the Houston Astros. Losing is an after-thought  in this dismal season of woe. Our friend, Odubel Herrera, once again made the news.

He did a bat-flip on a fly ball last night, one which brought ridicule and jeers from the Houston dugout. Then he again failed to run out a dropped third strike.

OK,, giving him the benefit of the doubt, maybe Herrera didn't see the Astro catcher drop the ball? But shouldn't he try to run when he finally realizes the fact?

It was bad enough for manager Pete Mackanin to take him out of the game at that point. Finally, the manager takes a stand. It will be interesting to see if Herrera is in the line-up tonight.

GM Matt Klentak should've demoted his ass to Lehigh Valley long ago. Another Klentak blunder was giving Herrera a big contract extension. Herrera didn't always hustle before he got the money and ran..er..strolled. Why should he care now?

He's got a smug attitude. He won't change. He is what he is- a Rule 5 guy. He's got talent, but he's not that good in center field. He's no Garry Maddox, or even Aaron Altherr.

The media in Philly, aside form Angelo Cataldi, are shills for the Phils. Totally clueless.

Herrera is a cancer on the team. God forbid a Nick Williams starts dogging-it because of Herrera. You don't want a guy like that around the clubhouse, especially with even younger players on the horizon.

I could excuse Herrera for his stupidity on the bases, in the field and at the plate. Everybody makes mistakes, even if they are the same damn mistakes over and over.

What I can't forgive is the lack of hustle. It doesn't take talent to run a ground ball out. It's probably the easiest thing he will do each time he plays.

Herrera makes the effort to go the the stadium each day. He became a ballplayer, I suppose, because he was good at it. He has family and friends and fans back home who must follow his exploits daily.

So why isn't he always busting it for them, if not for himself?

Let's not allow the Herrera issue to cloud what is really going on with the Phillies this week: Klentak has yet to make a move on the trade front.

Forget the low-hanging fruit that are the one-year contracts he should unload- Neshek, Nava, Hellicksopn, Kendricks. Forget the bolder moves he could make- Herrera, Joseph, Hernandez. What's the point of these one-year deals if you can't flip them in July and get something for them? What was the point of signing deadwood like Michael Saunders, while keeping a young player like Nick Williams down at Lehigh Valley? What's the point pf not clearing roster spots for Rhys Hoskins to come up to Philadelphia?

Herrera needs to go, that's a given. But don't let Klentak off the hook so fast. He's got until Monday to make some moves. Even then, it may be too late to get real value in trades.

Or maybe baseball knows what the Phillies refuse to see: these guys aren't worth a damn, and the Phillies have once again over-evaluated their personnel?

You gotta wonder where Andy MacFailure and John Middleton are during this mess. Maybe they are laying low, letting Klentak hang himself? Maybe they will make changes after the season ends? Or maybe they are enablers, and they are bigger dopes than what we believed?

So, back to Herrera. Do you really think he will wake up one day, see the light and error of his wicked ways, and change the way he plays , along with an attitude adjustment?

Maybe if you're Matt Klentak, you do.

IN THE NEWS- WOMAN CALMS PANICKED CHILD ON TRANSATLAMTIC FLIGHT

Nice story from The Charlotte observer...

She's a shy Jewish woman from Charlotte. He's a little boy, apparently African and Muslim, who was screaming aboard a transatlantic flight.

Their July 14 encounter between Brussels and New York made the eight-hour flight go easier for their fellow passengers. The virtually wordless connection- neither spoke the others' language- also offered a lesson in compassion that has circulated widely online.

By her account, Rochel Groner, 33, is among the least likely people to make a public display. "I'm the type of person who would let somebody step on my foot for like a half-hour before I would  say something," she says.

But an hour into the flight , a return home after Groner and her husband Bentzion chaperoned teens to Israel, Groner heard sounds of distress behind them. Not cries from a baby. Not a bored teen.

"It was just kind of a shrieking without any words," Groner says. "I recognized it right away as a child with special needs."

Groner knew this not through training, although she used to teach elementary school, but from experience. She and her husband run Friendship Circle, which pairs teen volunteers with children with special needs such as autism. They also run ZABS Place, a Matthews thrift boutique that employs 28 young adults with "special talents."

Social connections work a special magic, Bentzion Groner says. As a 16-year-old diagnosed with leukemia, he says, visits and gifts from friends :literally changed everything. I'm a big believer in that. It's something that we as adults forget, that friendship could be a life changer."

And so it was over the Atlantic aboard Brussels Airlines Flight 501.

As the wailing continued, tension mounted. Sleeping passengers woke up, startled by the noise. Others stirred, restless and increasingly irritated. The phone between the attendants' station and the flight deck kept beeping.

After 15 minutes, Rochel Gronercould sit still no longer.

"I kind of feel this responsibility, like, I know what this is, but I;m not sure if anybody else knows what ths is,"she says. "You cannot fly for eight hours  with someone crying, you just can't."

People with autism, in particular, dislike enclosed places, Bentzion Groner, They need to be in control of what's around them. The boy's identity and condition are unknown.

Groner got out of her seat. She asked for a pen from the flight attendant, grabbed a nausea bag abd threaded her way down the aisle.

The boy looked to be about 8 and wore an African tunic and pants. He stood at his seat and sobbed, tears streaming down his face. His mother, who wore Muslim clothing, sat beside him.

Groner put her hand out. The boy looked at her, stopped his wailing,and took it. They walked into the aisle and plopped down together on the floor near the emergency exit.

"I put him in my lap and gave him a firm hug and I just started to rock him," she says. His body had been tensed. Soon, "you could feel his muscles start to relax."Groner doodled on the nausea bag, tracing the outline of her hand as the boy watched, absorbed. Groner Talked and smiled  at him, and grabbed more nausea bags, At one point, the boy traced his own hand.

So it went for another hour or two. A travel pillow, some orange juice and cookies helped calm the child. The boy spun a fidget spinner and held it to his cheek, soothed by it's rhythm. He even smiled and laughed.

The rest of the trip went smoothly, Groner said, although one crew member suggested to her husband that she didn't need to intervene. Another attendant thanked her after the flight, she said, and so did several passengers.

Brussels Airlines confirmed the incident, saying the child "showed stressed behavior" during the flight's meal service.

"Our Brussels Airlines crew did its utmost to comfort the child, when two passenger offered their assistance as they were specialized in comforting people showing symptoms of stress." the airline said in a statement. "After some minutes, the symptoms disappeared. It goes without saying that our cabin crew remained during this entire period next to the child and the two passengers who were assisting and thanked the two passengers for their spontaneous support."

The boy's mother, in a few words of English, also thanked Groner. She did not get their names.

Groner believes God put her on that flight.

"Everybody's been on a flight with a screaming child, and this is another way to defuse the situation," she says. "Just ask: is there something I can do? Smile, don't scowl."

IN MY LIFE- COMMERCIALS, LOURDES, LISTS & A DOG'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Things happening these days..

* More stupid TV commercials I've seen recently..

-A Pizza Hut ad where some girl/woman/ lady dresses in different characters- an old man, as a guy lifting weights in a gym, etc.. while singing the praises of Pizza Hut pizza. Really stupid and pointless, obviously a millennial-driven commercial. Not funny or clever at all. Makes me not want to go to the Hut.

- Another dumb car commercial ( they make the worst!) whereas this young girl is dribbling a basketball alone in her driveway. She is fantasizing taking the last shot in a big, championship game,swishing the jumper as time runs out to win the game as she exalts "She shoots, she scores!"

Suddenly the scene dissolves into a car dealership as she is standing by a new car, and a dopey car salesman standing next to her says , "Yes Erin, you cans core with a new deal..."

It's totally stupid because why would a young girl fantasize about hitting a game-winning basketball shot while she is out looking for probably her first new car? Is this girl hallucinating, perhaps schizophrenic? Is she having delusions, right there in the showroom, next to a salesman who equates her sickness into getting a new deal on the car of her dreams?

The marketing and writing people on 5th Avenue in New York City must really think the American public are morons and will buy anything.

- Herr's potato chips, well, in this case, Herr's Pub-Style Pretzels. I try not to eat junk food anymore, but if I did, I wouldn't buy Herr's just for this goofy ad alone.

The owner of Herr's( who should be ashamed of himself) goes to English to meet a real English pub owner, thick British accent and all, where they sit around, nothing better to do, and bullshit about pretzels. The English guy claims the pretzels ( or Herr himself, I'm not sure which), is a "duck". They trade the word "duck" a few times  ( "are you saying 'duck'? .. as in the animal? Quack, quack?").

It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen, a total embarrassment, and not cute, clever or funny at all..

* This August marks 45 years since me and my family traveled to Lourdes, France. My parents always wanted to take me to the place where the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Bernadette in 1858. It was a three-week vacation, with prayer and dreams that I may be physically cured form my disability by the powerful and famous Lourdes baths.

I remember it was a really long trip over. We left at night, catching a flight from Philly to Boston, then on to Paris.

We spent several weeks in Lourdes, a lot of rosaries said and masses attended. We took part in numerous processions, of which they had both day and evening candle-light events. I remember the sea of wheelchair and stretchers lined up along the great open space in from of the massive Basilica, whereas different priests, bishops and even cardinals would bless the sick.

We also met privately with a really nice lady at the center where miraculous cures were validated by the Lourdes medical staff. We saw pictures of cures, which apparently happened quite frequently. Cures of diseases such as Diabetes and Cancer, and yet there were more dramatic and profound healings too, whereas someone afflicted with, let's say, a tumor in the face was suddenly, instantaneously and miraculously cured.

The part I will personally never forget was a quick bath in the miraculous waters of Lourdes. Freezing cold, mountain water, which I was immersed in for only a few seconds, that water splashed on my legs, as prayers were said. You weren't allowed to dry off with  a towel- it happens naturally. I also vividly recall touching the smooth rock in the grotto under the niche where Our Lady stood and seeing hundreds of crutches hanging form the ceiling of the Grotto, evidence of the many unexplained cures that happened there over the years.

Before we left Lourdes, my mom filled up a jog of the precious holy water to bring back home. She would give out small bottles to people she knew who were sick. In fact, about 1/3 of the container remains to this day, 45 years later.

Even though I was not cured physically, I was healed in other ways. I saw that my affliction could be much worse, as it touched me greatly, seeing the sick around me, and how truly lucky I was, especially to have such  a wonderful family and people who loved me.

I also found my calling in life- as a social worker, wanting to help others. Lourdes gave me hope, faith and a new-found purpose in life.

From Lourdes we spent an overnight in Paris  before catching a jet for home. We took a taxi tour of the city, and it truly was "The City of Lights." Looking up at the awesome Effel Tower was a sight I'll never forget, and seeing all the little bridges glowing with light int he dark, crossing the sparkling River Seine was also memorable.

We flew back to America, missing home ( I missed my Baseball that summer- most of the french newspapers only had a one-inch blurb and a score of the previous day's game), but fortunate to make a trip of a lifetime, 45 years ago this August.

* In yesterday's paper, there was a list of the top 10 people in all of television- daytime shows, nighttime, cable , you name it, who are the highest paid . Annual earnings included income from additional activities such as producing, non-TV performances, endorsements and merchandising. Here's the list:

1. Dr. Phil, $79 million ( Psychologist)

I like Dr. Phil and learn a lot form his shows. He is also into producing and internet stuff now. I was surprised he was cashing-in that much coin, however.

2. Ellen DeGeneres, $77 million (talk-show host).

Ellen is just so-so in my book, but I can easily see how most women can relate to her, both young and old.

3. Jerry Seinfeld, $69 million (comedian, long-ago sitcom star)

I was never into Seinfeld, believe or not. I just didn't think it was hilarious. I do respect that concept of making a show out of nothing at all.

4. Gordon Ramsey, $60 million ( angry celebrity chef).

I know of him but never watch him.

5. Ryan Seacrest, $58 million ( TV Mr. Everything)

From hosting a  daily morning radio show, to a weekly music countdown show, to co-starring with Kelly Ripa every morning on TV, to his New Year's Eve gig in Times Square, to recently being announced as hosting the renewed American Idol on ABC, Seacrest is a busy guy. He also has his own line of suits, and he hosts red carpet events like the Oscars pre-show stuff.

6. Louis C. K., $52 million ( sitcom start, comedian).

Really don't know who this guy is- yet he made over $ 50 million last year?

7. Judge Judy Sheindlin , $47 million ( courtroom drama queen)

If Judy Judy can make this much money in a year, I wonder what old Judge Wapner on The People 's Court  would've been worth in his day?

8. Kim Kardashian West $45.5 million ( "reality" show star).

Don't get me started on the Kardashians. What can they do? They can't act, sing, dance, tell jokes. They are all wealth.They are a joke, Bruce/Caitlyn Jenner included.

9. Simon Cowell, $43.5 million.( record executive and talent evaluator/judge)

I love Simon. American idol was never the same without him. I hope they sign him for the new version in the fall. I'm sure much of his fortune is also form being a record executive.

10. Steve Harvey, $42.5 million.( host, TV and radio guy, author)

Another guy who does it all. I don't find him as funny as others do. I do give him credit for his work ethic. But his so-called "advice" books are a joke. He screwed-up the Miss Universe Pageant when he announced the wrong winner ( how is that still possible?), and he seems to be on every freakin' ABC night game show.

* Finally, I attended a birthday party for my girlfriend's cute little puppy, Katie, over the weekend. She turned 1. It was a fun affair, and i helped plan it. Hard to believe that Party City has a small section devoted to dog'd birthdays ( sorry, nothing on cats). Everything form tablecloths with paw prints to cups, napkins and paper plates.

Yes, we had hot dogs at the cook-out celebration. And the song "Who let The Dogs Out" was played. Katie had three different outfits that she wore thru-out the festivities, including a short that read "Party Animal" on the back.

Presents? She got furry toys, squeaky toys and chewable treats. About 30 people showed up, and it had to be a kick when they were asked, "What are you doing Sunday afternoon?"

All in all, a fun time, proving once again that this world has truly gone to the dogs...

SPORTS QUIZ

Today's Sports Quiz focuses on: ALL SPORTS



1. What year saw the demise of the ABA?

2. What was celebrated at Yankee Stadium on April 27, 1947?

3. What pitcher did Commissioner Bowie Kuhn fine for sprinkling marijuana on his breakfast pancakes?

4. What's the most goals Gordie Howe scored in a single NHL regular season- 49, 52 or 55?

5. What two networks televised the first Super Bowl?

6. What team did Rick Barry play his last NBA game for?

7. How many losses did Denny McLain suffer the year he won 31 games?

8. Who won an American League batting title with an average of .301?

9.What team made the first selection  in the NFL's first college draft, held on February 8, 1936?

10. How many Stanley Cup hockey titles did the Chicago Blackhawks win during the 1950s?





ANSWERS-

1. 1976
2. Babe Ruth Day
3. Bill Lee
4. 49
5. NBC and CBS
6. Houston Rockets
7. 6
8. Carl Yastrzemski
9. Philadelphia Eagles
10. Zero

IN THE NEWS- AUTISM DRAMA SET TO DEBUT ON ABC

News from Disability Scoop..

A new prime-time drama with a lead character on the spectrum will premiere this fall.

ABC said this week that it will debut "The Good Doctor" on Sept. 25 at 10 p.m. ET.

The hourlong show stars Freddie Highmore as Shaun Murphy, a young surgeon who has autism and savant syndrome.

Developed by the creator of "House," " The Good Doctor" finds Shaun adapting to his job at a prestigious hospital after leaving behind a quiet life in the country.

While medically gifted, Shaun's social deficits sow doubt among his co-workers about whether he belongs.

"Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues," according to ABC.

"The Good Doctor" is not the only autism-focused show being unveiled in the coming months.

Netflix will release eight episodes of "Atypical," a half-hour show presented from the perspective of a teen with the developmental disorder who's seeking independence, on August 11.

PHILLIES PHODDER

This is a big week for Phillies' GM Matt Kletak. He needs to step to the plate and get real.

With  only a week to go before the July 31st trade deadline, Klentak has yet to make a single move. He has a host of players on one-year contracts- including Howie Kendrick, Daniel Nava, Pat Neshek, to name just a few. Pitcher Jeremy Hellickson becomes a free agent after the season.

I don't get the point of signing these washed-up vets for a season and not get anything back for them.Most haven't performed to expectations. Michael Saunders was so bad, he was let go in June (probably a month too late).I get it that the return won't be great, but something is better than nothing, plus moving the old guys opens up spots for prospects in Lehigh Valley to be promoted to Philly.

What was the plan? Nick Williams, who has played great since being recalled from triple A, was called up too late instead of Saunders.

Is Klentak inexperienced? In over his head? He has continually made excuses for his sorry-ass team that is on a pace to lose over 100 games.

Last summer he didn't make a move either, standing pat with a losing squad. He had asked for too much for tradable guys like Hellickson, then was cornered into a box whereas the Phils resigned Hellickson for a one-year, over $ 17 million contract. Big mistake.

So was the signing of bums like Bucholtz and Saunders. The Phillies spent approximately $40 million on free agents last off-season. They had money to burn- no harm? Not exactly. Their mistakes blocked young prospects such as Williams form coming to Philadelphia sooner.

It's one thing having money to to spend. it's another thing to spend it wisely.

Once again, the Phillies' front office shows they can't evaluate talent.

So what has Klentak done so far? Not much. His free agent signings were overall busts. His lone trade- reliever Ken Giles to Houston- is questionable. The jury is still out on Vince Valasquez, who was the key aquisition from the Astros.

 His talent evaluation, both on the major and minor league levels, has sucked. He has been ultra conservative slow in bringing up the kids from the Iron Pigs.

Klentak called Howard Eskin's question before the game on Saturday "ridiculous," when Eskin asked if there was added pressure to trade players such as Neshek and Nava as the trade possibilities dry up. Klentak bristled at that suggestion, But Eskin is right. Trading players such as Joseph, Herrera and Hernandez can wait until the off-season ( although dealing Joseph now would open a spot for Rhys Hoskins, and it may be wise to deal Herrera now while he's hot); but you can't trade the one-year contracts after the season, and you may not get much during the August waiver period.

Klentak hasn't been able to relate to the suffering fans. He preaches patience and stupidly talked of Saunders as "someone who could carry a club for a month if he gets going." He utters analytical, nerdy , geeky nonsense about "exit velocity," things the everyday fan could care less about.

Why doesn't a so-called baseball man like Andy MacFailure oversee this important trade discussions? He's another guy who has gone into hiding since the team imploded in May.

What is owner John Middleton thinking? When the team was doing OK early in the season, Middleton went on the radio with Angelo Cataldi on WIP and proclaimed that he would do whatever it takes to bring a winner to Philadelphia. Now, he hides in shame in his bunker, afraid to face the fans and media,

And what about the media? Isn't there one writer in the city who will stop kissing Klentak's butt and rip him? Guys like Todd Zeleski, David Murphy and Jim Salsbury are shills for the team. Marcus Hayes called for the firing of Eagles' GM Howie Roseman, yet he remains quiet in regards to Klentak.

In the days of writers like Hochman, Lyon and Conlin, one of those guys would've certainly called for Klentak's head by now.

So Klentak has a week to prove me wrong and start changing the face of a historically-bad ball club. No more excuses. Man up that your moves so far have failed miserably. Offer the fans some hope. Don't just talk about moves, do it! Take a bold step and trade for a Giancarlo Stanton, money be damned. Put a face on this woeful franchise, give the fans something to cheer about. Damn the service time and play Scott Kingery soon. We know what this current crop of Phillies can-or can't do. Let's turn the page and finally see what the future holds.

Phillies' fans have waited too long and deserve better. Matt Klentak, you are on notice, starting now.

IN THE NEWS- ANALYSIS FINDS VOTER TURNOUT LOW AMONG THOSE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

Timely article from Disability Scoop..

Despite increased talk of disability issues during last year's presidential campaign, new research suggests that voter turnout still lagged among this population.

The number of people with disabilities who cast a ballot in the 2016 election was about 6 percentage points lower than among the general population.

That's according to an analysis of the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey Voting Supplement from researchers at the Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations.

About 56 percent of those with disabilities voted while slightly more than 62 percent of the overall population mad eit to the polls, the report found.

The gap in turnout between those with and without disabilities grew slightly to 6.3 points in 2016 compared to 5.7 points for the previous presidential election in 2012.

"These figures show the continued difficulties people with disabilities face in exercising the right to vote," said Douglas Kruse, a professor at Rutgers and a co-author of the report. "Standard turnout predictors such as education and income do not fully account for the disability gap. It's also due to many people with disabilities being socially isolated and perceiving that public officials are less responsive to their needs."

Participation varied considerably depending on the type of disability an individual had, with the analysis finding the lowest turnout- 43.5 percent- among those with mental or cognitive impairments.

Notably, the report authors said that people with disabilities who were employed were just as likely to vote as those in the general population who had jobs.

Of those with disabilities who were registered but did not vote, about 20 percent said they did not like the candidates or the campaign issues, the report found. Others cited barriers like transportation as reasons for staying away from the polls

SPORTS QUIZ

With the Eagles opening training camp this morning, today's Sports Quiz focuses on: OLD-TIME FOOTBALL...



1. What later u.S. President played against the Chicago Bears in 1935 as a member of the College All-Stars?

2. What running back,plays taped to  his wrist, quarterbacked the Baltimore Colts in relief of Johnny Unitas and Gary Cuozzo in 1965?

3. What school did Hall of Fame running back Earl Campbell play his college ball?

4. What NFL team originally drafted star quarterback Jow Theismann?

5. Who signed with the AFL's Buffalo Bills to become pro football's first soccer-style kicker in 1964?

6. What linebacker was the first man from a losing team to be selected the Most Valuable Player in the Super Bowl?

7. Which of Sonny Jurgensen, Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas had the highest percentage of pass completions in his NFL career?

8. Which eye does the Oakland Raiders' warrior depicted on the team's helmets wear a patch over?

9. What Los Angeles Rams defensive end rushed the passer in the 1979 NFL playoffs on a broken leg?

10. What NFL team avoided being shut out in a record 274 consecutive games, from 1950 to 1971?





ANSWERS-

1. Gerald Ford
2. Tom Matte
3. Texas
4. Miami Dolphins
5. Pete Gogolak
6. Chuck Howley
7. Bart Starr
8. The right
9. Jack Youngblood
10. Cleveland Browns

CHIRPING BIRDS

In honor of Eagles training camp starting today, here is my early evaluation of the Birds' roster......


Quarterback-  Carson Wentz or bust. He had a good year in his rookie season, coming out of the box blazing with three straight wins, then tailing off later in the year.

Once OT Lane Johnson was suspended, Wentz began to have "happy feet" behind a patchwork offensive line. Once Johnson returned it was amazing how Wentz improved.

Baring in mind that Wentz really didn't have a pre-season ( he was hurt in the first exhibition game), and he was named starting QB only a week before the regular season opener, Wentz did all right.

With a year of experience under his belt, he should do better. Add  more weapons with a vastly improved receiving corps, and a legitimate third down running back, and Wentz should shine.

He's got to stay healthy If Wentz goes down, back-up Nick Foles is capable but there's a reason why he couldn't cut it as a starter in Philadelphia, St. Louis and Kansas City. If Wentz succeeds the Eagles can be great with another draft or two, certainly playoff contenders. If Wentz fails, then the franchise is set back a decade and GM Howie Roseman- among others- gets fired and owner Jeff Lurie starts over again.

Running Back- Improved with Blount on board. Will Smallwood come back form his injury? How much does Sproles have left in the tank, as both a rusher and a receiver? Will Marshall make a contribution? What about rookie Darnell Pumphrey?

The Eagles will again be primarily a passing team. but they should be able to run the clock out late in games, picking up first downs, with their current crop of running backs.

The future every- down rusher may not be on the roster yet. The next priority in hte 2018 draft may be that guy.

Wide Receiver- Should be so much improved. Can't wait to see Alshon Jeffery and Torry Smith- the big, possession-type receiver and the speed burner the team has needed since DeSean Jackson left. It will be interesting to see what the two rookies WRs , Gibson and Hollins, contribute. Will Nelson Aghalor be involved at all,plus does he catch the damn ball and finally show why the Birds drafted him in the first round?

I won't think about life at wide -out after this season. The team still needs a future fast , young receiver for Wentz to grow with. If Jeffery has a good year, hopefully he is signed with a long-term contract.  If not, the Birds can move on from his one-year deal and look to the future.

Tight Ends- Will Zach Ertz finally live up to his potential and be a Pro-Bowl quality tight end? Or is he what we have seen so far- average? With these new receivers spreading the field, Ertz should find more gaps and open spaces in the middle. Ditto Brent Celek. He's getting up there in age, but Celek can still make a play now and then. And what about Trey Burton? He showed promise last season.  The tight ends should flourish this season. If not, it may be time to look in a different direction.

Offensive Line- Maybe the strength of the team. Lots of depth. Advantage having Lane Johnson back for the entire year. Can never have too many O-linemen. The line may not be Cowboy-quality  but it ain't bad.

Center will be interesting. Undersized Jason Kelcey had problems last season. If he gets off to a bad start with stupid penalties and poor pass protection, the fans will go nuts. Jason Peters may not be what he once was because of age, but if he doesn't break down, he solidifies the line.

Defensive Line- Another strength. Newly-acquired Tim Jerrigan should be an upgrade, as will first round selection Derrick Barnett. The Eagles will need to get a consistent pass rush to off-set their weak secondary.

Fletcher Cox needs to step it up, as does Vinny Curry. Both got contract extensions and both had sub-par years. Will Connor Barwin be missed?

Linebacker- A good starting unit, but if any of the starters go down, look out. Not much depth here. Mychael Kendricks has been halfway out the door several times, even he remains an Eagle and could prove valuable with the lack of depth. He would probably flourish in a new setting, but right now the Eagles need him. Plus he's a good trade chip down the road.

Middle Linebacker Joe Walker is back form a devastating injury. The team was high on Walker last year. before his injury. A trade or addition through the waiver wire near the start of the season wouldn't surprise me

Defensive Backs- The supposed weak-link of the team. The Eagles are solid safeties but their defensive backs look shaky at  best. Will the fans be lamenting this year about the secondary giving up big plays again?

Again, the front seven need to add a consistent pass rush to the defense, basically just to take heat off the weak secondary. Here is another part of the team that needs upgrading.



Scary when second year guy Jalen Mills is the guy you count on  to shut down Dez Bryant or Odell Beckham Jr. Hopefully there are more pleasant surprises than patchwork emergencies.

Special teams- Sproles should still be the primary punt returner. If Smallwood doesn't do kick-offs, maybe one of the speedy rookie receivers or Pumphry takes the job.

Caleb Sturges was a solid kicker last season. In fact, if Pederson doesn't screw-up the Cowboy game at Dallas, Sturges may have had an even bigger impact on the year. Punter Donnie Jones is pretty consistent.

Coach- Make-or-break season for Doug Pederson. He's gotta win at least 9 games to keep his job in my mind. A losing record, or even a mediocre 8-8 slate gets him fired, especially after the front office went out and improved the wide receiver position.

I liked Pederson's aggressiveness last year, but you gotta know when and when not to be aggressive and take risks. The Dallas game was plain stupid,e specially after the squad fought so hard to put themselves in a position to ice the game late with a field goal, and Pederson screws it up but calling a really dumb play to mess up third down, then refusing to try a long field goal ( even though Sturges made a 50-yarder earlier in the game) and punting the ball back to the Cowboys instead ( who eventually erased a 10-point deficit with less than six minutes remaining and won the game in overtime).

Make the playoffs and Pederson is a God in the city. Miss the playoffs and he's a bum. That's the bottom line of being head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.

PHILLIES PHODDER

* I was at Photo Night last evening at Citizens Bank Park. Got to meet many of the players. A sulrty, humid night, thunderstorms held off so fans could take the field and take pictures of the 2017 Philadelphia Phillies.

First, let me say that the Phillies staff- ushers, public relations- are all very nice. They are the best of all the sports teams in the city.

Meeting the players was fun. I felt kind of bad for them, looking at all the young, fresh faces. Most of these guys are still only kids. They just aren't good enough, but meeting them helped the feeling sink in that hey, these guys are human.

Some players skirted quickly through the line of fans, especially Cesar Hernandez. Maybe it's the language barrier but it never seems to like Photo Night, at least not as much as some of the other players.

Freddy Galvis is always genuine, a nice man. Hoby Milner spent time with the fans, posed for pictures, signed autographs, and really seemed to enjoy the experience.

The broadcast crew were all there, except, of course, for Mike Schmidt. He wa sin the ballpark. He does the home Saturday games. He chooses not to participate. I've been to three Photo Nights now and Schmidt has yet to mingle with the fans on this special promotion when everyone else is there.

Schmidt had a bad reputation for being a diva way back to his playing days. He claimed to have changed, that he is more accessible and approachable to the everyday Joe.

I could see missing one time for a legitimate excuse, but three years in a row? Let's be honest: Schmidt doesn't want to mingle with the average fan, maybe afraid he will have to give an autograph to a kid for free? Is it beneath him not stroll on the field and shake a few hands for 15 minutes?

His absence, fairly or not, only makes him look like a total jerk.

* After fighting back from a seven-run deficit last night vs. Milwaukee, the Phils blew it in the 9th, Hector (Nervous) Neris giving up the winning run/

Neris' ERA is close to 5.00 in the 8th inning, whereas his ERA in other innings ( primarily the 8th inning) is under 1.00. That tells me he is not a closer. Maybe the pressure is too great for Neris? He is proving to be a better set-up man, but for now he remains the closer, basically because the team has no one else to close.

A mistake was made earlier in the season when Pat Neshek, who made the all-star team and who has been tremendous this summer, wasn't made the closer. He only likes to pitch an inning at a time, so why not the 9th and allow Neris to do what he does bast, which is set-up? Mackanin's fault.

Mackanin also had a questionable move last night in the 8th inning. After the Phillies erased a seven-run deficit and tied the game at 8-8, they still had a runner on first base with no outs and momentum on their side. The manager asked Cesar Hernandez to sacrifice the base runner, Cam Perkins, getting the go-ahead run in scoring position.

 Instead, Hernandez popped up the bunt. Perkins missed a signal, thinking it was a run-and-run, and got doubled off first.

Bad on all counts. Hernandez for not getting the bunt down; Perkins for getting doubled-up; and Mackanin for calling the play.

He killed all momentum and tried to have the club suddenly play small-ball when this team is fundamentally poor. Blame he players and coaches for that, but blame Mackanin for calling the stupid play.

Yes, I suppose that's the book to sacrifice. But Mackanin knows his team sucks at small-ball.

It was yet another one-run loss.their 26th this season, and another game the Phillies should've and could've won.

* Big week for GM Matt Klentak. He needs to step to the plate and trade some veterans on one-year contracts. He may not get much in return, but he will open roster spots for prospects currently in Lehigh Valley to be promoted.

Seattle got a needed relever recently, giving up their top prospect and three other kids. And the reliever even isn't as effective as Neshek.

Meanwhile, the trade market is slowly drying up. Klentek did the same thing last summer before the July 31 deadline. He was asking for too much in return and ended up keeping Hellickson.

Between Hellickson ( who didn't help his trade value last night), Kendricks, released Michael Saunders and Clay Bucholtz ( who gave the Phillies all of one game before he got hurt), that's about $40 million in wasted money. It's not my money, but owner John Middleton can't be happy. Not only didn't the players perform up to expectations, the club may not get be able to deal these vets.

Hence, they are stuck with this deadwood until the end of the season, and the road is blocked from Lehigh Valley to Philly.

I don't know if Klentek is too timid, or in over his head, or too inexperienced to make trades with the best of general managers. Hopefully Middleton is taking note and makes changes in the front office as needed.

What has Klentak done? Poor trades, slow bringing up the kids, bad free agent signings, indecisive player management and really awful player evaluation.

The writers in town need to ge ton his case,e specially if he stands pat this week. Unlike the Stan Hockmans in the past, who would rightfully rip a Klentak, the writers now tend to give Klentak a free pass.

Marcus Hayes called for Eagles' GM Howie Roseman's firing over the off-season- where is he in regards to Klentak?

Klentak has a week to rpove to everyone he knows what the hell he is doing, and that there is a plan.

Don't talk about getting a Giancarlo Stanton- do it!

Give the fans some hope and allow them tot rust you with the rebuild. Right now, there is little reason to have faith in the front office as again they get stymied in July.

IN THE NEWS- PROSPECT OF CUTS TO DISABILITY SERVICES LOOMS LARGE

More from Disability Scoop..

With a vote anticipated on a Republican health care plan that would fundamentally transform Medicaid, disability advocates say the threat to disability services remains very real.

After a week of ups and downs, Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate are determined to hold a vote on health care next week. But precisely what they will vote on remains unclear.

One option is a bill to repeal many tenets of the Affordable Care Act without any immediate plan to replace it.

Alternatively, the Senate could vote on a Republican proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that's been in the works for months and is similar to legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May.

That plan calls for monumental changes to Medicaid, a program which millions of Americans with disabilities rely on for everything from doctor and hospital coverage to supports that enable them to live and work in the community.

Currently, Medicaid operates as an entitlement, with the federal government providing matching grants to help states cover the cost of services for anyone who meets eligibility requirements. Under the Republican proposal, however, Uncle Sam would provide a fixed amount for each beneficiary regardless of the true cost of their care leaving states to make up any difference.

The Congressional Budget Office said this week that the most recent version of the Republican bill to replace the Affordable Care Act would lead to $756 billion less in federal funding for Medicaid by 2026.

Such a decline in spending would no doubt force states to scale back their offerings, disability advocates say. And, since home and community-based services are considered optional under current Medicaid policy, these offerings would likely be the first to go, they say.

It's not certain that either approach- repeal and replace or repeal and delay- has the votes to succeed. But advocates are leaning on people with disabilities and their families to speak up.

"We're telling our base, and people across the country, that it's not over yet," said Julia Bascom, executive director of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. "We have to fight harder than ever in these final days to save Medicaid and protect our health care, and we need every voice to do it."

Earlier this week, The Arc hand-delivered nearly 1,000 letters to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky,. and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, D- N.Y., from people nationwide expressing why Medicaid matters to them.

Meanwhile, the self-advocacy group ADAPT, which has held demonstrations on Capitol Hill and in numerous cities that have led to dozens of arrests over the last month, continues to hold protests calling on senators to oppose the health care bill. And, the National Council on Independent Living is hosting a march and rally for disability rights in Washington on Tuesday.

"We urge senators to oppose this legislation," said Peter Berns, CEO of The Arc. "The cuts to Medicaid included in this bill are an assault on people with disabilities."

SPORTS QUIZ

Today's Sports Quiz is about: OLD-TIME BASEBALL



1. What Oakland A's pitcher became the youngest ever to spin a no-hitter, on September 21, 1970?

2. What major league club did Hall of Famer  Ferguson Jenkins first pitch for?

3. What first baseman committed the only error in the first major league all-star game?

4. Who succeeded Stan Musial as the regular left fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals?

5. Name the three Alou brothers.

6. Who retired with 573 home runs, the most ever hit by a righthanded batter in the American League?

7. What was Pete Rose's position when he broke into the majors?

8. What Pittsburgh Pirates righthander posted an 18-1 record in 1959 for a stunning .947 winning percentage?

9. What club did President Richard Nixon adopt as his favorite team after the Washington Senators skipped town?

10. What American League pitcher was the only man to win the Cy Young Award three times in the 1970s?





ANSWERS-

1. Vida Blue
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Lou Gehrig
4. Lou Brock
5. Felipe, Matty and Jesus
6. Harmon Killebrew
7. Second base
8. Elroy Face
9.California Angels
10. Jim Palmer

IN THE NEWS- SUBMINIMAL WAGES FOR DISABLED WORKERS

Part 2 of the report from the Bangor News..

Employers nationwide have been found to incorrectly pay their workers with disabilities. Between 1997 and 2016, there were 77,855 subminimum wage violations across the country, requiring employers to pay their workers with disabilities about $16.5 million in back wages, according to the U,S, Department of Labor's enforcement data.

"There's all sorts of ways you can get in trouble if the federal government or the state Department of Labor chose to really dig around," said Gail Fanjoy, with KFI. "It's a lot to go through to not pay people minimum wage."

Congress has moved to limit the use of sobminimal wages nationwide by requiring workers currently being paid one to receive information about job-help services available through their state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation programs, which can match them with training, adaptive equipment, experiences to learn on the job and, eventually, higher-paying jobs for which they can apply. The new rules require workers to meet with vocational rehabilitation staff no later than July 22, and once a year thereafter.

As of July 10, about two-thirds of people receiving subminimal wages at Skills had been told about vocational rehabilitation services, said Julie Rabinowicz, the director of policy and earning minimum wage or better, and are therefore planning to apply for services with vocational rehabilitation,' she said.

Johnson said Skills "fully supports" vocational rehabilitation services "to integrate folks with intellectual or any type of disability into competitive employment."

At Skills, workers paid the subminimal wage are also residents of its day programs. They typically work 10 hours a week- two hours a day, Monday through Friday, according to the 2015 investigation report. Skills also offers in-home assistance to people with disabilities, such as help taking medications or house cleaning, if they are living independently or in group homes.

Though they can an do earn more than minimum wage based on their productivity, Skills' clients currently work for a subminimal wage in three areas, Johnson said: as custodial staff, making and assembling goods under contracts with outside companies, and sorting goods for Skills Inc. Thrift Store. All employees who dismantle and refurbish computers for Skills' eWaste Alternatives computer recycling program earn at least the state minimum wage, in addition to those who work at the front of the thrift store.

Currently, most of the people earning subminimum wage work behind the scenes at the thrift store- "some of whom have been working in support of the store for a very long time, love their jobs and have come to rely on the money they earn," Johnson said. The store has operated at a loss for years.

Subminimum wage, Fanjoy argued, is unfair from the start. "No one times me in my job and pays me less than a fellow executive director. The rest of society doesn't operate like that," she said. "There's this huge population of people, often with intellectual and developmental disabilities, that are subjected to those kinds of archaic practices, put in positions that they're lousy at by virtue often of their disability, and paid sub-standardly."

Having a sawmill as a program of a nonprofit raised questions for Gloria Vollmers, a professor of accounting at the University of Maine who reviewed information from Skills' 990 tax forms filed with the IRS.

At issue is whether the sawmill employed enough people with disabilities to warrant it being a nonprofit service. "Where does the gray area end in which you can have a business within a nonprofit and still call it a nonprofit?" she said.

Between tax years 2006 and 2015, the sawmill employed an average of 10 people with disabilities each year at subminimum wage, out of roughly 30 to 40 employees total, according to the 2010 and 2015 investigation reports.

Martin, who oversaw their work, received $148,109 in tax year 2006. While the workers with disabilities continued to earn less than minimum wage, his compensation rose each year, and in tax year 2008 he started collecting a portion of the mill's earning. Between tax years 2009 and 2013, he received an average bonus of $211,156 per year on top of an average salary of $113,300.

"That just struck me as stunningly high," Vollmers said.

Martin could not be located for comment. Johnson declined to provide his contact information, and no phone number or email was publicly available.

A small-sized sawmill in Maine started collecting a share of sawmill revenue, Davis also started receiving a bonus based on the performance of Skills' business enterprises. He received 10 percent of the net earnings of several of the organization's enterprises. In tax year 2011, Davis began earning an additional bonus of 10 percent of the mill's net earnings, according to the tax forms. On average, these bonuses netted him an additional $29,700 per year in addition to his base salary of $120,000, not including benefits, for four years.

"Any nonprofit makes a profit, but they make a profit that is plowed back in the organization, so you don't generally give it to the director or managers as bonuses," said Carolyn Ball, an associate professor of public policy and management with the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine.

Paying high salaries and awarding bonuses is not illegal, Ball noted, but it does raise further questions about how an entity is using its money to serve clients.

These concerns were echoed by Fanjoy, of KFI, after she learned about the extent of the bonuses.

"When we had a thrift store, for example, then the money would come into the organization," she said. "I can't imagine why you would set it up to benefit any one person, especially an administrator."

The Skills board's choice to allow bonuses came at the expense of the bottom line. In tax year 2013, Skills ran almost $500,000 in the red. This was the same year Davis and Martin collected their highest salaries.

"They paid themselves and not their agency," Fanjoy said. "(The board members) totally, absolutely failed to do their job."

*******************************************************************************

Today, the sawmill is showing that it's possible to pay people with disabilities a minimum wage and still stay in business.

When Martin, the mill manager, left in tax year 2013, Robert Zelie, who had worked with Skills as a log buyer, took over operations. Under Zelie, workers with disabilities received a raise in pay; all employees were making at least minimum wage by January 2015.

Davis, the CEO, retired in 2016, the same year Skills sold the sawmill to Zelie, who has continued to employ workers with disabilities without using subminimum wage. They are still employed there today, making the same wages as their coworkers without disabilities.

"When I bought the mill, I bough it in the spirit of maintaining employment for these people," Zelie said. "We're still trying to do it with people in mind and employment, not so much just the bottom line."

IN THE NEWS- WORKERS WITH DISABILITIES PAID LITTLE WHILE EXECUTIVES GOT SIX FIGURES

I can relate to the following story, by Bangor daily News, as it happened to me..(Part 1 of 2)

A Maine nonprofit paid some of its workers with disabilities as little as $2 to $3 an hour, while consistently paying top managers six-figure salaries, according to a Bangor Daily News review of the organization's tax filings and a federal investigation report. One year, the organization paid a manager $570,000, which an accounting expert called "stunningly high."

Skills Inc., based in the Somerset County town  of St. Albans, is the only employer remaining in Maine that pays some of its workers with disabilities less than the state minimum wage, under a little known federal law from 1938.

But while it has paid an employee as little as $2,14 per hour, it quadrupled a former manager's salary between tax years 2006 and 2013, ultimately paying him $569,844 in tax year 2013, according to the nonprofit's tax documents filed with the Internal Revenue Service. it was an increase of almost $260,000 over the previous year.

In that time, Skills also more than doubled its then-CEO's salary, paying him a high of $217,696 in tax year 2013. The nonprofit's tax year runs from July 1 to June 30.

Skill offers residential and day programming to people with intellectual disabilities, and its largest source of revenue is Medicaid, which is funded with a combination of state and federal tax dollars. In tax year 2015, Skills reported $13.8 million in total revenue.

the organization also offers its clients jobs for pay that's based on their determined productivity level, regardless of the state's minimum wage, sorting items for its thrift store, cleaning area businesses, and packaging candle wicks and other goods. It used to employ clients at a St. Albans sawmill called Sebasticook Lumber.

"At Skills, Inc. we believe that meaningful employment is one of the cornerstones of a happy life," states its website.

On its tax forms, Skills defines the enterprises where it employs clients, such as the thrift stores and lumber mill, as programs of the nonprofit, which means the organization can funnel any revenue it receives back into its operations.

But the former mill manager, Vernon Martin, received an annual bonus of 25 percent of the sawmill's earnings between tax years 2009 and 2013 instead of returning that revenue to the organization, according to the nonprofit's tax forms. In tax year 2013, Skills ran almost $500,000 in the red, while Martin collected his largest paycheck yet.

Former CEO Tom Davis also received a bonus starting in tax year 2009: 10 percent of the earnings of the nonprofit's thrift stores, kennel and cleaning service. In tax year 2011 Davis started earning an additional bonus of 10 percent of the sawmill's earnings. Skills sold the sawmill in 2016.

"We acknowledge that not all decisions made were the best decisions and some of those decisions created unplanned, unforeseen and unintended programmari property tax on the facility due to its nonprofit status, according to the St. Albans town office.

While the Skills board of directors allowed the two nonprofit administrators to receive a combined $3.44 million over seven years, the nonprofit was violating the subminimum wage law. Skills accrued 75 violations between 2001 and 2016 as a result of insufficiently paying its workers with disabilities- the most of any other Maine employer in that time, according to U.S. Department of Labor enforcement data.

Sills' financial and operational details, gleaned from public records, show the latitude employers have to make decisions about the compensation of people with disabilities. They also call into question the validity of a law that allows employers to pay people less "whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by a physical or mental disability, including those relating to age or injury," if the employers can prove the workers are not as productive as others.

"Even if they paid (workers) minimum wage, that's outrageous. That's just unheard of," said Gail Fanjoy, when told about the salaries and bonuses paid to the Skills administrators. Fanjoy is a board member of the Maine chapter of the Association of People Supporting Employment First, and is executive director of KFI, which provides job coaching and day programs to people with disabilities. "I'm absolutely speechless."

Johnson, who served as Skills' director of finance from 2010 to 2016, when she took over as executive director, said Skills' financial history is " not  relevant to who we are today. We're a lot different than we were back then."

She noted that Davis, as the CEO during that time, and the board of directors were responsible for decisions about compensation.

"The board acknowledges that more attention should have been given to monitoring and adjusting those plans and changes should have been made in a more timely fashion," Johnson wrote in an email.

As the director of finance, Johnson earned an average salary of $80,000 between tax years 2011 and 2015. As executive director, she does not receive a bonus based on program revenue, she said.

The organization couldn't employ as many people with disabilities if it didn't pay them a subminimum wage, she said. It currently employs 47 people at subminimum wages, according to Johnson.

The chairman of the board, Jack Dyer, did not return four phone calls. Five other board members, who were responsible for reviewing performance and approving compensation, declined to comment or did not return phone calls. Davis did not return five phone calls over three weeks.

***************************************************************************

The subminimum wage was first established by the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Maine and other states have gradually moved away from the practice. New Hampshire became the first state to abolish the subminimum wage in 2015, and fewer Maine employers have been using it in recent years.

In 2013, 13 Maine employees obtained subminimum wage certificates-which are good for two years- from both the U.S. Department of Labor and the Maine Department of Labor to allow them to pay subminimum wages, according to the Maine Department of Labor. In 2015, eight employers were authorized.

Today, Skills is the only one paying employees a subminimum wage after Pine tree Society stopped using it July 1. "We believe in discovering people's abilities and helping them grow and live more fully," said terry Berkowitz, the chief operating officer at Pine Tree Society, which serves children and adults with disabilities. "We just felt like the subminimum wage doesn't... align well with that general philosophy."

The practice of paying people with disabilities less than minimum wage has been heavily debated in disability rights circles in Maine and around the country, with employers arguing it allows some people to have job opportunities they otherwise wouldn't qualify for. Others decry it as discriminatory and outdated, and as pushing people around menial tasks when more rewarding jobs exist that could be better suited to their strengths.

Employers decide how much to pay people with disabilities by timing them at certain job tasks and then comparing their speed to the speed and pay of employees without disabilities elsewhere That means the subminimum wage employer must call at least three other firms to devise an average baseline wage, say, for cleaning a bathroom. It then compensates its workers with disabilites at a commensurate level- for example, paying them half of the baseline wage if they take twice as long to clean a bathroom as workers without disabilities. There is no minimum amount workers with disabilities can earn.

What has been less debated in Maine is the limited government oversight over employers paying people subminimum wage. It's largely up to the employer  to set wages, which legally could be as little as a few cents per hour; there is no independent approval or review of the pay rates. The Maine Department of Labor foes not know which individuals receive subminimum wage, nor does it check to ensure workers are in positions that best suit their abilities.

It's often only when there's a complaint and subsequent investigation that families and communities can know how people who are blind, or have Downs Syndrome or autism, are faring at work.

"We have to go on the same system , the same methodology that we use for every other employer in the state of Maine." said Pam Megathlin, the director of the Bureau of Labor Standards at the Maine Department of Labor. "it's just like any other wage-and-hour law. We are not out there knocking on the door of every employer to make sure they're in compliance every day."

Between 2001 and 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor investigated nine Maine employers and discovered a total of 292 subminimum wage violations; the department required back pay of about $42,800 to 213 employees. Skills accumulated the greatest single number of wage violations; 75, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Most of Skills'violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act occurred between 2013 and 2015. At the time of the federal investigation in 2015, Skills employed 80 workers across seven programs who were eligible to be paid subminimum wage. Of those 80 workers. .70 were improperly paid.

to the investigation reports requested under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigators found Skill made math errors when computing the wages, and failed to conduct time studies every six months, as employers are required to do. In some cases it didn't conduct time studies at all. It also didn't keep records of the results of certain time studies, appeared to have copied results from previous time studies and didn't adjust wages after conducting studies. Investigators also found that Skills improperly conducted wage surveys, such as by not contacting enough outside employers or not providing their sources' contact information as they're required to do.

Davis, Skills' CEO at the time of the investigation, told investigators that the violations might have resulted from the "decentralized nature" of Skills' operations, according to the 2015 investigation report. Each program was in charge of handling its subminimum wage operations. In some cases, workers either did not have the training to follow the subminimum wage requirements, or they did not do work they were supposed to do.

"Yes, we did have some compliance issues that needed to be addressed," Johnson, Skills' current executive director, said. "We did address them immediately and implemented a new system of controls and protocols and procedures to make sure that those deficiencies did not happen again. All compensation and pay was appropriately corrected."

it was the eighth time Skills, or one of its programs, had been investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor. A 2010 investigation resulted in five subminimum wage violations for Sebasticook Lumber. A 2001 investigation into Sebasticook Farms found one violation. (Sebasticook Farms was the former name for Skills before it merged with Ken-A-Set, a thrift store, in 2005). Three investigations into Ken-A-Set in 1992 found 51 subminimum wage violations.

Two other investigations found no subminimum wage violations but did find one violation of the Family and Medical leave Act for Skills' failure to reinstate an employee after that employee took leave.

After all the investigations, Skills owed its subminimum -wage  employees back wages totaling $38,879.

To be continued.