Barbosa Quits as Becahi B-Ball Coach to take Over Executive Charter

Ray Barbosa, who led the Bethlehem Catholic Golden Hawks to a District XI title and a serious state championship run in boys basketball earlier this year, is stepping down as their coach to assume that same role at Executive Charter in Allentown.

As a player, Barbosa was all-time leading scorer at Allen High School. He played college ball at James Madison and UMBC, and even played pro ball in Puerto Rico.

He was head coach of Becahi's program for three years. Though he previously coached AAU, his appointment at Bethlehem Catholic was his first high school head coach job.

Toomey Anderson, the LV Ambassador of Basketball, has previously noted that of 108 boys and girls teams in District XI, there are only seven minority head coaches. Ed Jennings, who runs the SCBL program believes this exclusion carries over to the referees, too. This is no knock on the many excellent basketball coaches who really look out for their players, like Doug Snyder (William Allen), Dennis Csensits (Allentown Central Catholic) or Steve Yoder (Emmaus). But as positions open up, there is an overflowing talent pool of minority basketball coaches that do deserve consideration.

Earler this year, Morning Call senior sportswriter Keith Groller highlighted Dr. Shawn Munford, the head coach of the East Stroudsburg South Cavaliers and 6A District XI champs. He grew up in a single-parent home in Philly, and though he at one time played professional basketball, he went on to earn his physics PhD and is now a professor. But Munford is also a life coach, and not just a basketball coach.

He represents a class of coaches, black and white, who really look out for the kids who play for them. We are fortunate in the Lehigh Valley that so many of these coaches are more interested in the kids than the scoreboard. .

HS Boys' Basketball - Beca Wins Allentown Summer League 'Ship

Bethlehem Catholic, Summer League Champs

Hats off to Bethlehem Catholic's Golden Hawks Boys Varsity Basketball team. This talented squad defeated Allentown Central Catholic on Friday night under threatening skies to win the Allentown Summer League Championship, 44-21. These two schools participate in the "Big School" division of summer league that includes 18 area high schools. Another 12 schools play in the "Small School" division.

During the summer league season, Central beat Beca in their one and only confrontation Beca standout Ryan Young was nursing a sore ankle. But he was ready to play Friday. A shellshocked Central was down 10-0 before it knew what had happened. Though the team did finally start scoring, the Vikings had a 23-point deficit at the half.

Most teams would stay down after that thrashing. But the Vikings, who have come from behind several times this Summer, clawed their way back on Friday night and were three points away as the clock ticked. They ran out of time.

Keeshawn "the Beast" Kelman (Central) and Ryan Young (Beca) fought under the boards. Though I did not score this game, these giants almost certainly led their respective teams in scoring.

Both of these seniors are getting a lot of attention from colleges, but Ryan's "little" brother Kyle is going to be aneven bigger surprise. He's nearly as tall as his brother and is murder from both downtown and under the boards. Beca's third big man is Caden Giordano, who has developed very well over the Summer.

Allentown Central Catholic Vikings

Central will return with seniors Jay Vaughan, Dat Lambert, Jordan McChristian, Keyshawn Kelman and Kevin Kern. Like Beca, there is a lot of depth provided by Sammy "the Ice Man" Vaughan (Jay's brother), Chad Kratzer, Nick Filchner and Jayden Walsh.  

These two teams will certainly be at the top of the East Penn Conference and will meet again during the regular season.

Though Allen High School had nothing to do with this game, Coaches Ray Barbosa (Beca) and Dennis Csensits are both Allen grads.

These games would never happen without the tireless efforts of League Commissioner Glen Klein. He even persuaded The Morning Call's Keith Groller, who has kept the Lehigh Valley better informed about high school basketball than anyone I know, to hand out the trophies.  

Though both Beca and Central are both Catholic schools, they pretty much hate each other, no matter what sport. The games can be very physical. But I had to laugh at what happened when Central's frustrated Dat Lambert got swatted to the macadam by the Young wall in a failed attempt to take it to the hole.

As the game continued, Ryan stooped down and helped Dat to his feet.

Classy.

I told Ryan I would have stepped on him.

Dat scraped up his left knee on Thursday against Allen and actually had to be pulled out of the game when the ref noticed the bleeding. Friday night, the right knee got road rash.

A matching pair.

On Saturday, he was back on the court.

I'd bet they all were.

A-Town Boys Varsity Hoops Summer League to End in Holy War

I spent every night this week in Allentown. You might think this is because of all the excitement concerning the Fed Ed prosecution, but what really drew me there is basketball. Whether it's been at a high school gym on rainy night or Cedar Beach, it's been a great season. It's the last time my grandson, "Who Dat?," will be playing there, but he's going out on top. In his three previous years of summer basketball, his teams never even made it to the playoffs. But this year, the Allentown Central Catholic Vikings are going to the 'ship. They'll be playing Bethlehem Catholic in a Holy War scheduled to start tonight at 6 pm. The game will be postponed if it rains.

Throughout the summer, 30 talented boys high school varsity teams have played at Cedar Beach. JV and Girls' teams have also participated in this increasingly popular summer league. It was started 30 years ago by Glen Klein, a Parks employee who also runs the Cedar Beach Bash every summer. I don't know how he does it, but he makes it seem easy.

"It's all about the kids," he tells me.

And it is. During the summer, many varsity basketball players are away at camps, the beach or AAU tournaments. This gives an opening for other players to show a coach what they're worth, and excite the rest of us in the process.  Also, coaches become far more flexible. Because the games are unofficial, they are much more likely to experiment and just relax a little themselves

During the school year, these young athletes have to adjust to the academic grind, learning about sines, cosines and tangents. But on these hot Summer nights, they teach their parents (and grandparents) and make us all remember what it is like to have fun.

It's the perfect atmosphere for someone like Kwame Alexander's mythical and confident Filthy McNasty to emerge :

At the top of the key, I'm
      MOVING and GROOVING,
POPping and ROCKING--
Why you BUMPING?
      Why you LOCKING?
Man, take this THUMPING.
Be careful though,
'cause now I'm CRUNKing
      CrissCROSSING
FLOSSING
flipping
and my dipping will leave you
S
  L
   I
    P
     P
      I
       N
        G on the floor, while I
SWOOP in
to the finish with a fierce finger roll ...
Straight in the hole:
Swooooooooooooosh.

Above, you see poetry on a page. At Cedar Beach, you see poetry in motion as hundreds of Filthy McNastys make their mark and choose to do something positive

There's Sam "The Ice Man" Vaughan, whose excellent ball control, quick hands and eye for openings makes him an excellent guard. He never gets frazzled. When Sammy comes on the court, Central starts scoring and building leads. Chad Kratzer has come out of nowhere and is proving to be just as exciting as was his father, a former Dieruff Huskie, back in the day. Jayden Walsh is as smooth as silk. Downright elegant. Nick Filchner and Jordan McChristian, both of whom are growing about an inch every week, are deadly from the three-point zone. Kevin Kern is a warrior and team leader who will rip balls (and heads) off his opponents.

Who Dat never stops. Last night, he had a good game against Emmaus with 17 points. But his real strength is his defense. He pressures ball handlers and forces turnovers. He will do what he can to get that ball back, including diving right on top of it. He did that last night on the macadam surface and managed to get a nice gash on his leg. He tried unsuccessfully to hide this from the refs in the closing seconds of the game. But he was busted and had to back to the bench, where a coach threw duct tape or something on it.

But that was OK because as Who Dat went out, the Sam "Ice Man" Vaughan came in.

Game over.

Central took the sting out of the Emmaus Hornets in a 57-53 defensive contest.  

In other quarter-final action last night under threatening skies, Bethlehem Catholic's Golden Hawks clipped the Allen Canaries in a high-scoring 70-67 game that included a trademark Allen dunk and Becahi's murderous treys.

Both of these games could have gone either way. Allen and Beca were tied at 40 going into the second half. Emmaus and Central were never separated by more than 5 points.    

ATown Throwdown Starts Thursday

Unless Mayor Edwin "Fed Ed" Pawlowski removes the rims up on the basketball courts at Cedar Beach Park like he recently did at Andre Reed Park, an exciting weekend of basketball will coincide with this year's Sportsfest. It's the "A-town Throwdown," starting this Thursday (July 13) with tip-offs 5 pm.. The tourney includes 48 boys varsity, 24 boys JV and 30 girls varsity teams. In addition to the local teams, there are entries from Philly, New York and even France.

The tournament itself has tweeted, "A lot of talk this summer about @Becahi_Hawks and @ACCHSboysbball . Who will make it to Sunday? #NoWhereToHide."

I think that qualifies as talking smack, which I love.

Allentown Central Catholic, currently tied with Reading at the top of Summer League at 7-1, is in a pool that includes heavyweights Northeast HS (Philly) and Bensalem. The Vikings will face Palmerton on Thursday night. Under coach Coach Dennis Csensits, they have developed into a tough team that combines a very stingy defense with a balanced offensive attack.

They're not hiding.

Nor is anyone else. This year there is far more parity than ever.

You can see the varsity boys tournament pools here. Click on your team and you'll see their schedule through Saturday.

Note to the tournament directors - just make sure the rims are there or there will be no place for you to hide.

Allentown Wins Basketball War Against Bethlehem

Elusive Deandre Tillett sinks Becahi free throw. 

This weekend was a treat for high school basketball fans, who got to see three high school teams from Allentown measure up against three Bethlehem schools for baller bragging rights at the 12th annual Yasso-Rothrock Christmas City Classic. Allentown schools may struggle on the gridiron, but a basketball court is a different story. Hoops City, which hosts one of the best summer leagues in the northeast at Cedar Beach, won two of the three games.. These were league games, too, so they count.

For me, it was great to see so many young men whom I remember watching as tots. They are a great group, and as far as I'm concerned, they are all winners.

Becahi defeats Dieruff, 73-60. -  After a disappointing season last year, the reinvigorated Golden Hawks seemed to catch the Huskies completely off-guard. Senior Kweku Dawson-Amaan effortlessly scored 27 points by somehow always be in the best post position. He was no show-off, either. He just did his job. Just when Dieruff would bottle up Kweku, Senior Miciah Fraction would take it downtown. Nine of his 13 points were three-pointers. Beca is going to be very tough this year.

Vikings Plunder Freedom, 55-42. - If this game had ended at the first quarter, Freedom would have won. Nick King sent in a three-point buzzer beater from half-court as the quarter ended, giving the Patriots an 11-6 lead. But after that, it was all Central or perhaps i should say is was all Zay Jennings. This diminutive senior was everywhere, and ended the game with 28 points, including four 3-pointers. This very talented team is also very young. Eight of the 11 varsity players are just sophomores. One of them is big Shackylle Dezonie, who looks more like an NFL lineman than a basketball player. He scored 11.

Canaries Fly Through Liberty Hurricane, 72-62. -  Liberty has some great players like sophomore Alex "the Iceman" Serrano, who just goes out and scores. But how do you defend against an offense that includes Talek Williams (30 points) and Tyrese martin (20 points)? The answer is you don't. Allen dominated this summer at Cedar Beach and is on ots way to a great season.

SCBL Fall Basketball Championship On Sunday

Dat got banged up pretty hard before this foul shot. He was jammed, face first, onto the hardwood floor

Instead of playing football this Fall, my grandson Dat Lambert has been working hard to make Central's Varsity team, either as a starter or #6 or #7 off the bench. He does drills at South Mountain nearly every night, and on Sundays, has been playing in SCBL (Select Basketball Competition League). Players from high school teams all over the Lehigh Valley were pooled together and six teams were formed.

Dat is playing for the Bulls. His team includes Jordan Harrington (Whitehall), Justin “JP” Paz (BECA), Ryan Young (BECA), AJ (CCHS), Ryan Young (BECA) and Hector Morales (Allen). On Sunday, they qualified for the 'ship, and will face the Spurs on Sunday at 3 pm at the Swain School.

After that, it's tryouts time.

Vive la France at Sportsfest!

ABC, a team from France, is one of the entries in this year's A-town Throwdown at Sportsfest. I was thrilled to be able to speak to some of the players yesterday and exchange a few pleasantries in their own language.

Central Catholic, who played them yesterday, invited the team to their tent for some hot dogs after the game. Today, starting at 9 am, the 16 varsity boys teams who are still in the hunt will continue. The ultimate winner will have to succeed in four games on the hottest day of the year.

These include Allen, Becahi, Ben Franklin, CB West, Central, Delaware Valley Charter, East Stroudsburg North, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, Nazareth, Northampton, Parkland, Quakertown and Reading.

Dieruff Throws Scare Into Parkland

Dieruff Scares Parkland

Summer league basketball is more relaxed than the winter games.Usually, teams are missing a few guys, and coaches are more apt to experiment. In many ways, that makes the games a lot more fun to watch. They are usually played at Allentown's Cedar Beach, with 20-minute halves in which the clock keeps running. If it rains, the kids descend on one of the area high schools.

That's what happened on Tuesday night. When the skies briefly opened up, the games were sent to Parkland High School. I was there to see my grandson playing for Central Catholic against Freedom High School. But in the court next to me, something very strange was happening, and just about everyone soon had their eyes on the other game.

Parkland High School is the elite basketball team of the Lehigh Valley. But they had their hands full with Dante Rockmore and the Dieruff Huskies. The Trojans were getting beat, at times by as much as eight points.

In the final two minutes of the game, however, Parkland's Trojans erased their deficit and finally took the lead with just three seconds to go. The Trojan who took the bite out of the Huskies is a very physical Jake Bartholmew, who plays with my grandson on the LV Blue Chips 15U AAU team.

Kids from high schools all over the Lehigh Valley will descend on Cedar Beach tonight for summer basketball. If you like basketball, drop in some time. You're in for a treat.

Becahi Boys Basketball Ekes Out Its First Win

Though I have many stories to tell,I spent most of last night watching Bethlehem Catholic basketball. Though the team started out 0-4, it never gave up on itself and scored its first victory last night against Freedom, 63-61. Bonita Crowe, who some of you know, has to be very proud of her grandson. He's Chance Neilley, and had a game-high 21 points. He has also been a consistent scorer in Beca's losing efforts.

Though Freedom got off to an early lead, it just could not put Becahi away. Then, in the 4th quarter, the Golden Hawks took the lead briefly, and then things went back and forth in a very exciting game. 

Fabulous Freddie Simmons seems to have made the transition from football into basketball. It was nice to see some of his senior team mates there to cheer him on. 

Antwon Keenan, who had been injured, should return to the roster soon,and that will help, too.

I've seen them lose and now I've seen them win. Their smiles should have stopped the rain. 

  

Stellar Tourney Beckons!

Easton's freshmen in familiar red

The nation's largest outdoor high school basketball tournament starts on July 9 at Cedar Beach Park in Allentown. It will include JV and Varsity boys and girls basketball teams from all over the Lehigh Valley, as well as New Jersey, New York and even a team from Florida. It's the 2014 Stellar Basketball Tournament. Now these games will be on Service Electric. They'll be broadcast on the radio. Butyou'll enjoy it best if you're there.

Almost every night, teams from all over the lehigh Valley are already playing there. Last night, for example, Easton's freshman team beat Freedom's JV team in an exciting game that went right down to the final seconds.

After that, Easton's JVs beat Becahi's JVs in yet another nail-biter.

The climax of the night came when an Easton JV ended the game with a dunk. Even the Beca fans had to applaud.

Notre Dame's 121 Grads Reminded, "God Is Always Here"

National Honor Societ listens to MVB (most valuable Bishop)

Notre Dame Green Pond's gridiron was filled to the brim on a sunny June 1 with over 500 raucous people. But instead of a rooting for the Crusaders' improving football team, these fans were cheering for 121 graduating sons and daughters, who were saying good-bye to their second home over the past four years. But valedictorian Gabrielle DeMatos Grys reminded them, "We are never alone. God is always here."

This emphasis on spirituality, along with a sprinkle of humor here and there, was the common theme throughout the ceremony. Salutatorian Jimmy Capella, for example, insisted on starting his address by taking a selfie. But his address focused on the impact of the Blessed Mother. In fact, at a school named after her, Capella finished his speech by reciting the Hail Mary.

Most Rev. John O. Barres, Bishop

Capella was by no means the only person taking pictures. Parents flooded both sides of the outdoor stage for their own shots of the ceremony. Even Valedictorian Grys took a selfie before she started her speech, explaining her class had commanded her to do it.

Selfies must matter. But according to Grys, accolades and big paychecks mean little. In fact, she even conceded her class is not the smartest or most athletic that Notre Dame ever graduated. But what sets them apart is that they care about others. "We impact the people around us in a positive way."

Graduation photographers

And then, perhaps in a hint to the moms and dads in the crowd, she quoted F. Scott Fitzgerald.

"It’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it."

The MVB (Most Valuable Bishop), as Seniors referred to The Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop of the Allentown Diocese, was presented with a gift, after which he delivered the commencement address. He reminded the audience of the example that Pope Francis, increasingly referred to as the "People's Pope," has set for people of all faiths. Calling the Holy Father a man of "communion and peace," he called on the graduating class to be men and women of communion and peace.

More graduation photographers

Graduates of this class will go on to pursue their education at 52 different colleges and universities, from Moravian College to Georgetown University. Scholarships have been awarded to 14 students.

Notre Dame High School is a private, co-ed Roman Catholic high school near Easton, Pennsylvania, United States, in Bethlehem Township. With an enrollment of about 570, taught by a 40-person faculty, it includes 9th through 12 grades. Joseph R. Kramer, Jr., is the Principal.

Summer Hoops Under Way

Instead of going to a meeting, I spent last night at Allentown's Cedar Beach Park. Local high school teams were playing basketball, and it cost nothing to watch. Teams came from all over the Lehigh Valley. I saw Saucon Valley, Freedom, Easton, Liberty and Emmaus, to name a few. But I was there primarily to watch Becahi and Whitehall.

Many varsity basketball players also play football, and their coaches won't release them from the weight room for these games. So they arrive late, or not at all. But that's good news for 8th graders like Mikey Esquilin (left) and Dat Lambert (right). They both not only played, but even started. That's the beauty of Summer Hoops, when the coaches and kids are more relaxed, more willing to try different things, more willing to have fun.

Mikey and Dat are both point guards, and have been playing with or against each other since first grade. Over the years, they've become great friends. But all that goes out the window when they face each other. They had a blast, and also play on the freshman and JV teams, along with AAU. They basically play 6 days a week. They are lucky, too, because they both have had plenty of support from people who, unlike me, know how to play the sport.

Dat's first baptism into basketball came at the hands of Rodney Robinson. He taught him to dribble with his left hand by tying his right hand behind his back. Judge Emil Giordano, who really should give up the judge biz fir professional coaching, was next. He taught Dat how to steal. Dat also played under cerebral Craig Golden for the 'Canes. He taught Dat to use his head on the court. Chuck Rockmore, whose Wall2Wall teams have won multiple tournaments, taught Dat enthusiasm. His biggest supporter, however, has been his mother. She gets him to all these practices.

Mikey has had different coaches, including his Dad and a Salvation Army coach who never lost a game. His mom and grandmother are at every game, rooting him on.

Last night, Rodney watched Dat play. "Keep your head up," he'd remind him."Don't lose that dribble too soon," whatever that means.

I take pictures.

Whitehall drubbed Becahi in this game, though nobody seemed to notice the score. Dat blamed his new shoes. He and Mikey skipped off to the playground (at least that's what they said) while parents gossiped.

He's definitely getting a lot bigger than his mom. 

I did give Dat a few pointers, too, but I had no idea what I was talking about. Dat politely listened.

Notre Dame Graduates 123: "The World is Ours"

The stands were packed at Notre Dame's gridiron on June 2. But instead of shoulder pads and helmets, the uniform of the day was Oxford caps and graduation gowns. The Bethlehem Township High School said good-bye to 123 Seniors, who have been accepted by 86 colleges. "The world is ours," announced Valedictorian Jessica Ann Petrakovic, an Easton resident. If Notre Dame's graduating seniors are any indication, it will be a better world.

Among all the scholarships and honors bestowed, the one that meant most to graduating seniors was a simple plaque from Diane Silviotti to graduating senior Hunter MacMillan. Silviotti, herself a Notre Dame grad, suffers from cerebral palsy, was the victim of $22,000 home robbery in 2009 and was unable to pay her property taxes. MacMillan came to the rescue, raising $1,000 by devoting a summer to collecting aluminum cans. He was aided in that quest by Principal Joseph Kramer.

Diane Silviotti

MacMillan is also the departing Student Council President.

There should have been 124 graduates. But one of them, Kimmy Gillow, passed away in her Freshman year after a courageous battle against cancer.

Students released orange balloons in her honor.

In a stirring valedictory address, Petrakovic predicted, "We will all mess up beautifully and we will all be far better people for it." Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson, she encouraged graduates to go "where there is no path and leave a trail." But the Most Reverend John O. Barres, Bishop of the Allentown Diocese, cautioned that wherever that trailblazing might lead, it had better include Sunday Mass.

Bishop Barres used his cape to fly away when it was over.

Bishop Barres also reminded graduates of the admonition of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists.

"Be who you are and be that well," advised the 17th Century French Bishop.

A little more worldly, Salutatorian Jamee Beth Lopiano, of Bethlehem, spoke of high school memories that will stay with them all.

Notre Dame High School is a private, co-ed Roman Catholic high school near Easton, Pennsylvania, United States, in Bethlehem Township. With an enrollment of about 570, taught by a 40-person faculty, it includes 9th through 12 grades.

Friday High School Football Picks

I enjoy high school and college sports much more than on the professional level. For on thing, I can afford to see the games. For another, they're so unpredictable. My calls this week are below. Tell me who you like, if you dare.

Bangor bangs Northern Lehigh (Got this one wrong. N. Lehigh came out on top, 34-27)

Catty claws Palmerton (48-7)

Pocono Mountain West pulverizes Dieruff. (postponed 'till 1 PM today)

Liberty lambasts overconfident Easton. (Easton might think Liberty is an easy target).. (Easton wins, 31-21, but Liberty led in the first quarter.)

Nazareth numbs Central Catholic (prepare for last rites) - (Wow! Central upsets Nazareth 27-21, but game suspended until Saturday, 6 PM.)

Northampton knocks Freedom. (Freedom knocked the conkrete out of 'em, 34-16)

Notre Dame beats Palisades (They're due.) (But not yet. Palisades pounds out a 23-7 win).

Whitehall whoops Emmaus (How the Hell did they ever come up with "Zephyrs"? Sure, it beats Hoboes, but not by much.) (Zephyrs beat the Hornets, 27-14. An explanation of the Zephyr is in the comments.)

Pleasant Valley unpleasant to Allen. (This game was called after the first half, with Pleasant Valley up 42-0)

Wilson whacks Salisbury (I know, I have a soft spot for Wilson). (Wilson wins! 48-19!)

Northern Lehigh pastes Pen Argyl

Parkland pulverizes Becahi. (Forget the Atiyeh rehab and build a hospital).

Updated Saturday PM. - With two games left, I am 4 for 9. I'll order a new crystal ball.

What Are Becahi's Three Words of Discipline?

... Freedom or Liberty.

Friday HS Football Picks

I'm jumping in this in the middle of the season, but better late than ever. Every Friday, I'll post a list of my high school football picks. I actually do follow HS football, and go to a few games every year. I find it more exciting, more unpredictable and a lot cheaper than the pros. So below are this weekend's picks. You can let me know where I'm wrong. If you're good at this, I'll be begging you for your predictions every Friday.

Pocono Mtn W over Allen; (17-6)

Bangor over Catty (going out on a limb here); (14-35)

E Stroudsburg S over Dieruff; (53-14)

Easton over Freedom; (35-21)

Nazareth over Parkland; (21-420

Emmaus over Northampton;  (35-14)

Pen Argyl over N. Lehigh; (41-28)

Saucon Valley over Salisbury; (38-7?)

Notre Dame over Southern Lehigh (in an upset);  (7-15)

Wilson over Palisdes;

Liberty over Central Catholic (upset);

Whitehall over Becahi.

Updated Friday night: Looks like I'm 6 for 9 so far. Not sure about the SV score.

On Independence Day, BP Salute to 2011 High School Grads

Bethlehem Press Editor George Taylor has put together a nice slideshow of this year's grads from LV Academy, Moravian Academy, Liberty HS, Freedom HS, LV Charter School for the Performing Arts, Bethlehem Catholic HS, Notre Dame Catholic HS, LV Christian HS and Saucon Valley HS.

House Unanimously Passes Grucela Bill to Grant HS Diplomas to Viet Vets

It's unanimous!

When I first told you about Operation Recognition for Vietnam veterans, proposed by State Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, one of you snarked that "populist proposals in the run up to one's election are easy to identify." Grucela decided to retire at the end of his term this year, but continued to pursue legislation that would recognize Vietnam War vets who left school early to serve their country. Today, the House unanimously agreed they should be awarded High School diplomas.

Under this bill, school boards may establish a program identical to what has already been used in the past for World War II and Korean War veterans.

"Some veterans may have felt uncomfortable returning to school at a later age or simply needed to work full time to support themselves," Grucela said. "Whatever the reason, a high school diploma is a mile marker in life that provides a sense of accomplishment and should not be denied to them. My legislation would offer a small, but important show of appreciation to all those who sacrificed their education to ensure our freedoms."

Any honorably discharged veteran who served in the Vietnam War between Feb. 28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, would be eligible for a diploma. The veteran would have to have attended high school between 1958 and 1975 and have been a member of a graduation class during the years 1962 through 1975.

School boards would also be able to award a diploma posthumously to an eligible veteran.

Grucela is a former teacher and a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Grucela: Vietnam War Vets Deserve High School Diplomas

Earlier this week, I told you about legislation introduced by State Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, enabling unpaid surveyors to file mechanic's liens for unpaid bills. To a man, you all pretty much hate the idea and I appreciate your candor, especially since it's directed at Rich and not me.

OK, so how about this - a program known as Operation Recognition for Vietnam veterans. It's similar to what we did for WW II and Korean War vets. That bill was unanimously reported out of the House Education Committee this week, and grants high school diplomas to veterans of the Vietnam War who were unable to complete high school because of their military service.

"There are many men and women who were unable to finish their high school education because they left to serve their country," Grucela said. "They may be leading productive lives now, but I believe we should give to them what they gave up -- a high school diploma. It’s a small, but important show of appreciation to all those who sacrificed their education to ensure our freedoms."

A school board would also be able to award a diploma posthumously to an eligible veteran.

Grucela is a former teacher and a member of the House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness Committee.

Is this better than the surveyor bill?

Finally, Liburtie For Freedumb at Bethlehem Area School District!

Last week, about seventy-five parents from both Freedumb and Liburtie, Bethlehem's two high schools, crowded into a school board meeting room. That's no surprise. After all, Bethlehem Area School District's standardized test scores are the lowest in the Lehigh Valley. For the fifth time in five years, little things like math and reading proficiency have dropped.

But parents had something far more important than a lousy education on their minds.

They wanted to talk about home field advantage.

In the NFL, that usually translates to seven points. Math proficiency may be down, but Liburtie and Freedumb parents still know that the team with the most points wins. Unless it's coached by Bob Stem. In PIAA football, down-marker chains must face the press box, which gives the home team a better look at close downfield plays.

But Freedumb High School's football team has a problem. No matter who it plays, it's away. I guess those state scores must be right. Nobody's home. Even when they're home, they're away.

Freedumb's parents would like to rotate with Liburtie as the "home" team every other year, just like Dieruff and Allen high schools in nearby Allentown. But Liburtie likes things just the way they are.

Liburtie Coach Beavis: "We come first, dumb ass."

Freedumb Coach Butthead: "Eh heh, heh. He said 'come'."

Liburtie Coach Beavis: "Shut up Bunghole! I'll kick yer ass!"

Freedumb Coach Butthead: "I peed in the gym once."

So how are school board members going to fix this problem? School board member Judith Dexter, in an email to Freedumb parent Mary Ellen Ingeno, said this: "I am ... considering the suggestion of a press box to solve the problem." Huh? And get this. "I am also worried that the Freedom Liberty game, which is now a joy and a highlight of the seasons, could become a violent time. Rocky thinks that people just won't move, and I tend to worry about that, too. If Freedom and Liberty fans are mixed in with one another, if emotions stay as high as they are, we could have trouble, and possibly even so much that the games won't be able to go on."

Of course, this concern is absurd. The Morning Call editorial board has the best suggestion for Bethlehem's shell-shocked school board: "[I]t must show leadership and produce a true compromise. It can look to the Allentown School District for a solution. ASD, and others in the state with teams that share football fields annually rotate 'home' and 'away' sides. It's simple, it's fair, and it doesn't cost one cent."

But who's counting? Certainly no one from Freedumb or Libertie. And those lousy test scores? "I coudn't do that assignment. I'm dietetic."

Fortunately for us, Superintendent Joseph Lewis decided yesterday that "fairness" demands that the two high schools rotate sides every year.