K of C hall new home for martial arts classes

After three weeks without a place in Rogers City to conduct Children?s Self Defense Classes, Thunder Bay Martial Arts of Alpena has found a new home for the program. According to instructor Dan Schackmann, a handful of parents formed an action group to find a new building and were successful in their efforts.

The group contacted the Rev. Charles Donajkowski of St. Ignatius Church to see about the availability of the school gym, but when they learned the facility did not have enough available dates, inquiries were made about the use of the Knights of Columbus Hall, south of Rogers City. The new location has been given the okay with classes resuming yesterday (Wednesday) at 6 p.m.

?I?M REALLY amazed,? Schackmann said. ?The parents really like the program and they quickly got behind taking action to make sure the program didn?t go away. I am really grateful for that support.? Schackmann said the K of C Hall is ?safe and big enough? to house the more than 70 students who signed up for the second semester. ?We?ll finish out this semester and make up for the days that we lost and the program will go on,? said Schackmann.

Only two classes have to be made up because one of the classes would have been during spring break. ?As upsetting as it was to everybody, it turned out to really not be that big of an interruption,? said Schackmann. The martial arts program was shut down at Rogers City Elementary School when an instructor left behind a hidden prop school officials said resembled a handgun. The discovery was made the next school day by a pair of fourth graders, one of whom attended the martial arts classes. Concerned school officials say it violated school poliocy and decided to not allow the classes to resume on school property.

MANY PARENTS are relieved the program will be restarting but remain upset with the decision of superintendent Ed Schultz and have a few questions they would like answered. Jennifer Kuznicki of Rogers City, who has had a student in the program for four years, isn?t prepared to let the issue go without letting her feelings known. ?Some of us parents have been talking and we really would like to voice our opinion against the decision,? said Kuznicki. Before it was learned the K of C Hall could be used for the program, as many as 100 parents were expected to show up for Monday?s school board meeting at the Grambau Center. Now it?s expected to be much less, one parent said.

Board member Dana Labar, who also has a student in the class, said the administration has been handling the issue. ?Mr. Schultz is following what he interprets as school policy,? said LaBar Tuesday. Molly LaFleche believes the issue of a prop/gun being mistaken as a weapon was blown out of proportion.

THE MOTHER of a martial arts student is concerned that the weapons policy was compromised when a muzzleloader was shot on school property, LaFleche said.

She said this was only two days after Schackmann was asked to discontinue conducting classes in at the elementary school. ?To me that (muzzleloader) could be more dangerous than this gun (prop), but that was allowed,? said LaFleche. Two other allegations made by school officials involved an expired insurance policy and Schackmann not paying for the rental of the gym for the second semester. Schackmann said the insurance never lapsed and that he was under the understanding that he didn?t have to pay until later in the semester. The instructor said he would have paid the rental fee if it was requested earlier.

SCHACKMANN HAS taken some positives from the experience and is considering opening some type of fitness or activity center in Rogers City. ?I started to look around at these empty buildings that have been here — I know they have been here for years and never used,? said Schackmann. He is considering other martial arts programs and Yoga, as well as aerobic classes. Schackmann said they would involve young people and the elderly.