MAKING THE GRADE ... AT 7TH AND MONTANA!

                             

Bells were ringing at 7th and Montana this morning on news that the View Park Preparatory High School -- a public charter school for underprivileged kids founded by Neighbor Mike -- was featured in a heartwarming article on the front page of today's Los Angeles Times.  Actually, the ringing sound was coming from Mike's own cell phone as he received call after call congratulating him on both the article and the work he is doing to raise the standard of education in South Central Los Angeles.  Mike founded the View Park school after spending years at Harvard-Westlake, a private school catering to some of the brightest and richest students in the country.  This morning's article focuses on one of the teachers he brought with him to View Park, Phil Holmes, and the tremendous impact he's had on the lives of students who really need a chance.  As for Mike, he's taking all the attention in stride.  "I feel Vaklempt," he said, smiling.  "What's Vaklempt and how do you spell it?," I asked.  "It's a Yiddish word," he explained, "and it means emotional."  Actually, I did a little research and according to the Yiddish Online Dictionary, it's spelled Farklemt and it means "depressed, distraught, choked up, extremely emotional, on the verge of tears and grieving."  All of which is to say, I take it they don't teach Yiddish at View Park Preparatory High School ...!