Serving the 71st District with Mike Boland

Here's a picture of myself, your humble narrator, with Tom Stocking. Tom's the guy wearing the sharp looking Packer's jacket.

Tom is an individual with disabilities, but he doesn't let that keep him from fighting for what he believes is right.

Tom Stocking lives in Port Byron, but bus service only goes to Hampton, and that can be a great hardship for lower income individuals living in more rural areas of Rock Island County. With some help from places like ProjectNOW, Tom could probably access transportation that's dedicated to individuals with disabilities, but Tom's not in this just for himself.

Because of efforts of individuals like Tom Stocking, there is now a board that meets on a regular basis, with the goal of expanding bus service to more rural areas of Rock Island County. I've had the privilege to be a part of a couple of those meetings, and I believe that there's great hope down the road that a number of different transportation funding streams can be brought together to expand bus service in Rock Island County. METROLink, as well as Project NOW, The Iowa-Illinois Center for Independent Living, Bi-State Regional Planning Agency, and a number of other individuals and organizations are now involved, so it's a genuine community effort.

Tom stopped into Mike Boland's office earlier this week to give me an update about the committee, and Bobbi-Sue took that opportunity to shoot a photo of Tom while he spoke with me.

# posted by Mike Huntoon @ 8:44 AM