Atwater Chatter: First Autumnal Weekend Edition

FIRST OF FALL NEWS from in and around the 8,000-ish-resident Los Angeles neighborhood we call Atwater Village. Atwater Village's Ilia is Cole Massie's Dog and ASPCA's Dog of the Year [ASPCA] Osprey Spotting on the L.A. River [L.A. Creek Freak] Cute Atwater 3 bedroom Spanish [Silver Lake Open House] How You Like Sarah Palin Now? [AV Photo of the Month] Glendale (and Atwater Village) on Film: 1952's Crime Wave [Tropico Station]

Update on Cole Massie, Neighborhood Superkid

JUST BECAUSE HIS EPISODE of TLC's "My Life As a Child" has already aired doesn't mean we've seen the last of this cable-ready Atwater Village youngster. Here's an update: I thought I should let you know Cole was nominated (by me) and has been entered to Karate Angel's 2007 Karate Kids Hall of Fame. You can read the entry here. There has been much talk about him on fightingarts.com and judoforum.com. His entry by me to Karate Angels Kids Hall of Fame has granted me Sensei of the Month and Club of the Month on their site. Althought I think I was just doing my job pointing out a very inspiring kid to the world, I most humbly accept that award. I do hope news of his award reaches him some day, as I really don't know if they contact the winners or not. In any case it's a good update to add to your blog. He is a wonderful kid and an inspiration to all... I know he wants to be just another kid... But I hope he knows to so many he is so much more. - Richard Favinger Jr., Youth Instructor, Webmaster, Pottstown Judo Club TLC has also added a post-filming update from Cole here.

Cole Massie, Neighborhood Superkid

LET'S FOLLOW THE RAPID RISE of one Atwater Village youngster: TLC series 'My Life as a Child' - "Monday's opening installment looks at ... Cole Massie, a 9-year-old Atwater Village boy with a delightfully sunny disposition despite the serious challenges cerebral palsy has thrown at him." [San Bernadino County Sun] Boy with cerebral palsy learns karate - "The sensei announced that in 25 years as a teacher he never had one student score 100 percent on his yellow-belt test. Cole Massie was his first." [LA Daily News] Kids liven up press tour - "Cole, who has cerebral palsy and was on stage with his service dog whom he called his brother: 'I'm in a wheelchair and all this stuff. I can do things your average person can, just in a different way.'" [LA Times] Strides Rider in Rose Parade - "We were delighted on New Years Day to see our own rider, Cole... riding atop the Ronald McDonald House Charities float..." [Strides News] Got Some Game - "The youngster battling cerebral palsy got a group of USC players to get him out of his wheelchair to play catch." [The Press-Enterprise] Surely there's more to come. Cole's episode of "My Life As a Child" airs Monday Feb. 26 on TLC. Photo from TLC