Police Chief Martin Brody, in light of the recent alleged shark attacks, has announced the capture and death of a shark in the waters one mile south-southwest of the town of Amity.
The shark was identified by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Woods Hole, Mass., Oceanographic Institute, as being a nurse shark, one of the most dangerous sharks to humans known to exist.
The town has decided to immediately reopen the beaches it had closed for 24 hours yesterday in light of the shark’s capture.
The Police Chief, however, has said that no autopsy will be performed on the shark to see if it has indeed ingested any parts from a human, saying that they will do so out of respect for Alex Kintner, one of the victims identified.
The Police Chief said not to be alarmed by the presence of shark spotters from numerous government agencies such as the Coast Guard, the Marine Patrol, the Massachusetts State Police, the U.S. Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI and local municipal and county police.
Police Chief Brody was asked if he thought there might be more than one shark, but he said that these types of measures have been implemented so that the beachgoers would be at ease.
Police Chief Brody stressed that the appearance of another shark wasn’t going to happen and that people shouldn’t let anything stop them from seeing Amity’s beaches.
When asked if there was any sort of contingency plan or if they were going to enlist the help of local fisherman Ben Quint, who had offered to rid the town of the shark for $10,000, Police Chief Brody said that there had been thoughts to the matter but nothing definitive.
The beach was full this afternoon, but everyone was afraid to go in until a man took his wife and children in to the water.
Once everyone saw it was safe, Amity’s beaches were in full swing like they always were on the 4th of July.
Soon, however, people began screaming and before anyone knew what truly was going on, there was a chaotic mad rush for the sand from the water and lifeguards were whistling and talking through megaphones to get everyone out of the water.
However, once everyone was out, the shark fin that rose above the water and initially scared everyone off was discovered to be two children with a cardboard fin and snorkels- a hoax.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Amity Town Meeting
In light of the recent alleged shark attacks in the waters near Amity, the town has decided to close the town's beaches for 24 hours during the 4th of July holiday.
Recently Alex Kintner was found dead with signs that indicated it was a shark attack. A young woman, Wendy Watson, was also found dead in such a way that Amity Police Chief Martin Brody thought the deaths clearly were linked.
Alex Kintner's mother has offered a reward of $3,000 to anyone who can bring the shark to justice.
The town held a meeting to discuss the closure the evening of July 3.
After some talking about adding extra deputies to help guard the beach and getting oceanographic specialists to investigate the situation, a town member spoke up and simply asked, "Will the beaches be closed?"
After some hesitation and clear reluctance, Police Chief Brody simply said, "Yes, we are."
However, Mayor Bob Farley spoke up directly after, saying it was only going to be a closure for a duration of 24 hours.
Police Chief Brody's shock at the statement, of which he said he never agreed too, was drowned out by the upset talking of the townsfolk.
This arguing and bickering between the townsfolk only lasted briefly until a man in the back of the room scratched his fingernails on a chalkboard, silencing the previously upset townsfolk with the loud screeching.
Ben Quint, a local fisherman, said he would rid the town of Amity of it's problems.
"I'll catch this bird for you," Quint said. "But it ain't gonna be easy."
In response to the apparent power struggle between the Mayor and the Police Chief, Quint said that he wanted to dispose of the shark himself, saying that "there's just too many captains on this island."
The townspeople around Quint remained shocked and silent as he asked for $10,000 to cure the town's pressing problem.
"If you want to stay alive, then ante up," Quint said. "If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter."
As Quint stood up to leave he said, "For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
Recently Alex Kintner was found dead with signs that indicated it was a shark attack. A young woman, Wendy Watson, was also found dead in such a way that Amity Police Chief Martin Brody thought the deaths clearly were linked.
Alex Kintner's mother has offered a reward of $3,000 to anyone who can bring the shark to justice.
The town held a meeting to discuss the closure the evening of July 3.
After some talking about adding extra deputies to help guard the beach and getting oceanographic specialists to investigate the situation, a town member spoke up and simply asked, "Will the beaches be closed?"
After some hesitation and clear reluctance, Police Chief Brody simply said, "Yes, we are."
However, Mayor Bob Farley spoke up directly after, saying it was only going to be a closure for a duration of 24 hours.
Police Chief Brody's shock at the statement, of which he said he never agreed too, was drowned out by the upset talking of the townsfolk.
This arguing and bickering between the townsfolk only lasted briefly until a man in the back of the room scratched his fingernails on a chalkboard, silencing the previously upset townsfolk with the loud screeching.
Ben Quint, a local fisherman, said he would rid the town of Amity of it's problems.
"I'll catch this bird for you," Quint said. "But it ain't gonna be easy."
In response to the apparent power struggle between the Mayor and the Police Chief, Quint said that he wanted to dispose of the shark himself, saying that "there's just too many captains on this island."
The townspeople around Quint remained shocked and silent as he asked for $10,000 to cure the town's pressing problem.
"If you want to stay alive, then ante up," Quint said. "If you want to play it cheap, be on welfare the whole winter."
As Quint stood up to leave he said, "For that you get the head, the tail, the whole damn thing."
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Week 9 Reading Blog
Monday:
Today had some fairly interesting stuff, including a lot on international issues. There was Pakistan, in which President Obama’s forthcomings, while thanked publicly, isn’t really something that Pakistan is going to come around to, and it was interesting to hear about that. There was also not one but two articles on North Korea, both of which tend to scare me a bit. I don’t really feel comfortable that we have nuclear weapons, but the article says that terrorists have now obtained them there, and it’s a bit troubling to hear that.
Tuesday:
Today there was some interesting things, but also some things that were quite troubling. First there was a very large earthquake in Italy, in which at least 150 people have died. Things like that, well, you just don’t like hearing about, though I know no one does. Then, there are reasons for hope domestically, with a high approval rating for Obama already in the country and a recent poll that finds that things might be getting better in the economy. Things like an earthquake sometimes just can’t be stopped, but it’s nice to see the things domestically that we can control get better.
Wednesday:
Today, there were some things that really troubled me. While it was good to see that gay and bisexual people have begun to be more open in their home country of Iraq, it is horrible to hear that they have also been killed because of these things. I understand that these types of prejudices probably will never die, but it’s still hard to fathom that these types of things are happening in this high quantities. As for the cultural forbearing to be more open, that’s all well and good- cultural things are something I can’t control and have accepted for being what they are. But murdering like this- it’s hard to turn a blind eye.
Thursday:
Oh, that human body, does it ever cease to amaze? There has been recent research that suggests that there are different types of fat in the body that actually BURNS calories, and quite a bit. It’s not quite to the level where your own fat works itself off (though that would be awesome), but it definitely doesn’t hurt the mindset. There were also some interesting stories about what Obama is doing for illegal aliens, trying to make an orderly system for them and there was also an interesting story about exiles from Cuba wanting to increase U.S.-Cuban relations. Isn’t it about time something is worked out?
Today had some fairly interesting stuff, including a lot on international issues. There was Pakistan, in which President Obama’s forthcomings, while thanked publicly, isn’t really something that Pakistan is going to come around to, and it was interesting to hear about that. There was also not one but two articles on North Korea, both of which tend to scare me a bit. I don’t really feel comfortable that we have nuclear weapons, but the article says that terrorists have now obtained them there, and it’s a bit troubling to hear that.
Tuesday:
Today there was some interesting things, but also some things that were quite troubling. First there was a very large earthquake in Italy, in which at least 150 people have died. Things like that, well, you just don’t like hearing about, though I know no one does. Then, there are reasons for hope domestically, with a high approval rating for Obama already in the country and a recent poll that finds that things might be getting better in the economy. Things like an earthquake sometimes just can’t be stopped, but it’s nice to see the things domestically that we can control get better.
Wednesday:
Today, there were some things that really troubled me. While it was good to see that gay and bisexual people have begun to be more open in their home country of Iraq, it is horrible to hear that they have also been killed because of these things. I understand that these types of prejudices probably will never die, but it’s still hard to fathom that these types of things are happening in this high quantities. As for the cultural forbearing to be more open, that’s all well and good- cultural things are something I can’t control and have accepted for being what they are. But murdering like this- it’s hard to turn a blind eye.
Thursday:
Oh, that human body, does it ever cease to amaze? There has been recent research that suggests that there are different types of fat in the body that actually BURNS calories, and quite a bit. It’s not quite to the level where your own fat works itself off (though that would be awesome), but it definitely doesn’t hurt the mindset. There were also some interesting stories about what Obama is doing for illegal aliens, trying to make an orderly system for them and there was also an interesting story about exiles from Cuba wanting to increase U.S.-Cuban relations. Isn’t it about time something is worked out?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Reading Blog Week 8
Monday:
Today, I thought there were some interesting things in the paper. Really, I thought the most interesting thing was that the chairman of G.M. has reportedly resigned from his position. It says that it was kind of expected, but really I’m quite surprised. It just seems that maybe, to me, he didn’t really need to lose his job. It’s a top to bottom thing, not just him. Though, at the same time, I can’t feel too sympathetic- he has A LOT more money than I do and he has mismanaged a company, though it might not be all his fault. I don’t know, I’m undecided on this one.
Tuesday:
Quite surprisingly, I’m quite enticed by the newspaper today. A couple good stories right on the first page, including a stirring picture that I feel is quite powerful. A Pakistani man is being brought away, staring right into the camera when no one else is. Eerily provocative. Also, there was a good story on people being admitted to colleges if they are able to pay in full for tuition and room/board, and not have to take out loans. This is kind of disturbing. I do get it, I get it completely. Colleges want to make money and they want the best for their students- they don’t want them to default on their loans while they are trying to get through life. Still, I feel it’s terrible. I know several people who deserve to be in college but can’t because of monetary concerns, and its only going to increase with this development. It really is too bad.
Wednesday:
After 2 days of good stuff in the paper, I think that today was a little lackluster. Still good stuff, but a little lacking from the past 2 days. I thought that the best story was how 3rd party groups have been reselling tickets, marking up their prices significantly. I just feel it is good because of how much I think it affects my life. I spent a ton of time waiting for Red Sox tickets online, only to be out of luck after waiting several hours. Then, I go directly onto StubHub and find there are tickets already for sale. Disgusting. People are trying to turn a profit on things that are for the people. I do get that you can make a lot of money doing this, but I do also like how the NY Times has paid attention to this.
Thursday:
Yeesh. Can I get some good stories here? Something interesting? Jeeze, 3 days in a row where there is at least something interesting going on here, but goodness, nothing at all today. Come on NY Times, give me something to go with here!
Today, I thought there were some interesting things in the paper. Really, I thought the most interesting thing was that the chairman of G.M. has reportedly resigned from his position. It says that it was kind of expected, but really I’m quite surprised. It just seems that maybe, to me, he didn’t really need to lose his job. It’s a top to bottom thing, not just him. Though, at the same time, I can’t feel too sympathetic- he has A LOT more money than I do and he has mismanaged a company, though it might not be all his fault. I don’t know, I’m undecided on this one.
Tuesday:
Quite surprisingly, I’m quite enticed by the newspaper today. A couple good stories right on the first page, including a stirring picture that I feel is quite powerful. A Pakistani man is being brought away, staring right into the camera when no one else is. Eerily provocative. Also, there was a good story on people being admitted to colleges if they are able to pay in full for tuition and room/board, and not have to take out loans. This is kind of disturbing. I do get it, I get it completely. Colleges want to make money and they want the best for their students- they don’t want them to default on their loans while they are trying to get through life. Still, I feel it’s terrible. I know several people who deserve to be in college but can’t because of monetary concerns, and its only going to increase with this development. It really is too bad.
Wednesday:
After 2 days of good stuff in the paper, I think that today was a little lackluster. Still good stuff, but a little lacking from the past 2 days. I thought that the best story was how 3rd party groups have been reselling tickets, marking up their prices significantly. I just feel it is good because of how much I think it affects my life. I spent a ton of time waiting for Red Sox tickets online, only to be out of luck after waiting several hours. Then, I go directly onto StubHub and find there are tickets already for sale. Disgusting. People are trying to turn a profit on things that are for the people. I do get that you can make a lot of money doing this, but I do also like how the NY Times has paid attention to this.
Thursday:
Yeesh. Can I get some good stories here? Something interesting? Jeeze, 3 days in a row where there is at least something interesting going on here, but goodness, nothing at all today. Come on NY Times, give me something to go with here!
Monday, March 30, 2009
Profile:Duane Erickson
Kids were tackling each other mercilessly, taking each other out and screaming with elation as they had finally done it, they had won. The pile was growing and growing as more kids reached the pitcher’s mound, celebrating with their teammates.
And at the bottom of the pile was a 63 year old man with a prosthetic hip.
As a new youth baseball season is about to begin in Nashua, NH, Duane Erickson is about to begin his 26th season helping out the youth community.
A local business owner, Erickson has been involved in the community for most of his life, though he wasn’t even born in New England. Part of a struggling farming family in Illinois, Erickson worked to make ends meet for his family and maintain his elite grades in high school, all the while becoming a budding local baseball star.
With all of these elements combined, Erickson earned a scholarship to play at Arizona, where he played for 4 years against the likes of Reggie Jackson. What he takes from it though isn’t the plays he made or the line drives that he hit, but rather the meaningful lessons that he learned in such an environment.
“To play on such a high level was one thing,” Erickson said, “but to learn what I did through the process was quite another.”
Erickson has devoted himself to the youth of Nashua not to just teach them how to field a ground ball, but rather to want to field the ground ball, to want to put in the effort required to do it.
“It’s one thing to teach a young player how to hit, but it’s another thing to have the player desire to learn how to hit, to get into the meat and potatoes of it and to put in the time and effort to accomplish it. If you do this, you begin to see them not only change as a ballplayer, but as a person too.”
Erickson recently struggled for his life, spending a significant stay in the hospital after internal hemorrhaging forced him to the emergency room. This, he says, helped him realize that, perhaps, his time may be running short and that it is his responsibility to help kids any way he can.
“Coming out of it, I just realized that maybe God was saying, ‘Don’t let up, you’ve got some time. Use it.’ From then on, I felt it’s been kind of my duty to help out. I feel that’s a responsibility for everyone, to help when there’s an opportunity.”
Erickson works mainly behind the scenes and fails to garner the credit he deserves, all the while refusing to take any sort of monetary profit from it.
“I’ll tell ya why I don’t take the money. What if a kid doesn’t have any money to give? Does it make him any less deserving to play ball? Does it make him any less deserving to learn? No.
“If you’re doing the right thing, I think, then money shouldn’t matter on either end. It’s hard to say something like this while businesses, including mine, are going through the struggles that they are, but the reward for me, knowing that when my time is done I will have helped even just one kid, that’ll be enough.”
And at the bottom of the pile was a 63 year old man with a prosthetic hip.
As a new youth baseball season is about to begin in Nashua, NH, Duane Erickson is about to begin his 26th season helping out the youth community.
A local business owner, Erickson has been involved in the community for most of his life, though he wasn’t even born in New England. Part of a struggling farming family in Illinois, Erickson worked to make ends meet for his family and maintain his elite grades in high school, all the while becoming a budding local baseball star.
With all of these elements combined, Erickson earned a scholarship to play at Arizona, where he played for 4 years against the likes of Reggie Jackson. What he takes from it though isn’t the plays he made or the line drives that he hit, but rather the meaningful lessons that he learned in such an environment.
“To play on such a high level was one thing,” Erickson said, “but to learn what I did through the process was quite another.”
Erickson has devoted himself to the youth of Nashua not to just teach them how to field a ground ball, but rather to want to field the ground ball, to want to put in the effort required to do it.
“It’s one thing to teach a young player how to hit, but it’s another thing to have the player desire to learn how to hit, to get into the meat and potatoes of it and to put in the time and effort to accomplish it. If you do this, you begin to see them not only change as a ballplayer, but as a person too.”
Erickson recently struggled for his life, spending a significant stay in the hospital after internal hemorrhaging forced him to the emergency room. This, he says, helped him realize that, perhaps, his time may be running short and that it is his responsibility to help kids any way he can.
“Coming out of it, I just realized that maybe God was saying, ‘Don’t let up, you’ve got some time. Use it.’ From then on, I felt it’s been kind of my duty to help out. I feel that’s a responsibility for everyone, to help when there’s an opportunity.”
Erickson works mainly behind the scenes and fails to garner the credit he deserves, all the while refusing to take any sort of monetary profit from it.
“I’ll tell ya why I don’t take the money. What if a kid doesn’t have any money to give? Does it make him any less deserving to play ball? Does it make him any less deserving to learn? No.
“If you’re doing the right thing, I think, then money shouldn’t matter on either end. It’s hard to say something like this while businesses, including mine, are going through the struggles that they are, but the reward for me, knowing that when my time is done I will have helped even just one kid, that’ll be enough.”
Steve Damish
Overall, I think that, going forward, the biggest thing any of us can do is to just keep trying new and fresh ideas to help keep the newspaper remain as unique as it has been for years. And I think as a journalist student, now is the time to try and get these things going. As for my personal commitment, its hard to say. In these classes I can try and do new things so that when I get out of school I could bring something different to the table and help keep these newspapers going. However, its hard to ascertain whether I truly believe I will be in the industry going forward. Despite Mr. Damish's comments, which I did find to be quite valid, its still hard to have that as a career mindset going forward. However, I would say what Mr. Damish has done for me is that journalism still remains an option going forward, despite everyone's best attempt to tell me otherwise. I don't know what I would like to do going forward, but to hear him talk the way he did helps me keep a firm mindset that journalism will be there if I want it to be.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Reading Blog Week 7
Monday:
There were 2 stories in particular that I enjoyed in today’s paper. First there was the front page story of Mexican drug cartel violence pushing its way into America. Scary stuff. It’s not only that it’s spilling into the United States, but that it is such a big problem that it has been forced to spill into the United States. Though I think it’s a little ignorant to ask it to stop completely, I hope it does get curbed considerably. Also, there was a nice story hidden in the paper about the Pope visiting Africa and what it meant for the people there. For people that have extremely difficult lives, it’s nice to see that things like this are being done to help out.
Tuesday:
There were definitely some interesting things in today’s paper. For one, there was an article about how those AIG ceo’s were giving back that bonus money. Really, I’m proud of them for doing it. They didn’t have to, but they felt it was right, which is good. Perhaps it was because everyone was outraged, but still, it’s nice to see it. Also, there was truly troubling story on the front page, one about a young girl being strip-searched, seemingly needlessly. It is pretty gross and disturbing to think that this has happened in a public school and that it would even be considered. Hopefully it get’s the court ruling that it needs.
Wednesday:
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s paper, especially two stories on the front page that caught my attention. First there was the story about a New York school changing the grading system from A’s and B’s to a 1,2,3,4 system, something that I find a little odd. Instead of getting a D or an F, kids now get a 1, something that is classified as ‘not meeting New York State’s academic standards’. I’d kind of be insulted by that. I’d rather get a D knowing I tried than being told I just don’t meet standards with a 1. Also, I found the article about our next international challenge perhaps being in Mexico. If things continue to escalate as they have been, it would be quite an interesting development. I would be very interested to see where this one goes.
Thursday:
There really wasn’t a ton in today’s paper that really interested me too much. Not that it was bad, but I just am kind of sick of the same thread of stories being printed every, every day. However, there was an interesting little article about a bill that would repeal the death sentence in New Hampshire. It was passed, but people also say that it will be vetoed by the Governor. This interested me quite a bit. First, I didn’t even realize we had a death penalty or that someone had recently been sentenced. Also, it was interesting to me to see that it would be vetoed regardless of what the state senate voted for. Interesting stuff.
There were 2 stories in particular that I enjoyed in today’s paper. First there was the front page story of Mexican drug cartel violence pushing its way into America. Scary stuff. It’s not only that it’s spilling into the United States, but that it is such a big problem that it has been forced to spill into the United States. Though I think it’s a little ignorant to ask it to stop completely, I hope it does get curbed considerably. Also, there was a nice story hidden in the paper about the Pope visiting Africa and what it meant for the people there. For people that have extremely difficult lives, it’s nice to see that things like this are being done to help out.
Tuesday:
There were definitely some interesting things in today’s paper. For one, there was an article about how those AIG ceo’s were giving back that bonus money. Really, I’m proud of them for doing it. They didn’t have to, but they felt it was right, which is good. Perhaps it was because everyone was outraged, but still, it’s nice to see it. Also, there was truly troubling story on the front page, one about a young girl being strip-searched, seemingly needlessly. It is pretty gross and disturbing to think that this has happened in a public school and that it would even be considered. Hopefully it get’s the court ruling that it needs.
Wednesday:
I thoroughly enjoyed today’s paper, especially two stories on the front page that caught my attention. First there was the story about a New York school changing the grading system from A’s and B’s to a 1,2,3,4 system, something that I find a little odd. Instead of getting a D or an F, kids now get a 1, something that is classified as ‘not meeting New York State’s academic standards’. I’d kind of be insulted by that. I’d rather get a D knowing I tried than being told I just don’t meet standards with a 1. Also, I found the article about our next international challenge perhaps being in Mexico. If things continue to escalate as they have been, it would be quite an interesting development. I would be very interested to see where this one goes.
Thursday:
There really wasn’t a ton in today’s paper that really interested me too much. Not that it was bad, but I just am kind of sick of the same thread of stories being printed every, every day. However, there was an interesting little article about a bill that would repeal the death sentence in New Hampshire. It was passed, but people also say that it will be vetoed by the Governor. This interested me quite a bit. First, I didn’t even realize we had a death penalty or that someone had recently been sentenced. Also, it was interesting to me to see that it would be vetoed regardless of what the state senate voted for. Interesting stuff.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Week 6 Reading Blog
Monday
Today’s New York Times I think lacked a bit of the stories that I wanted to read. There was a fairly interesting one about how changing Barack Obama’s campaign bandwagon into things like new education policies and medicare and such. It really was fairly interesting, but nothing too earth-shattering. There was a particularly deadly international section today, including an avalanche that killed some people. Lovely. Where’s the fun stuff?
Tuesday
I didn’t mind today’s paper, a little less on the budget stuff, which was a nice change of pace. There was a particularly interesting article I saw, one that had a new portrait of William Shakespeare. The pictures of him before were, to say the least, unflattering in their view of the author. However, this one, one that is said to be of Shakepeare’s time and one that just came out, offers one that makes him look a bit better. It just looks a lot better and it was interesting to read about.
Wednesday
For once, the front page of the paper didn’t have something about Obama’s plan for the stimulus package! How awesome it is. However, I did find an interesting article saying some banks want to give back their money, feeling bad they took it. Thank you very very much banks. There are a lot of other people who may need it a little more than you. I do appreciate that they have a conscious and they feel it necessary to only take what they think is fair. Very respectable.
Thursday
There was a very interesting article today in the NY Times, about how the newspaper business is beginning to legitimately fail in some cities, leading for them to be pared down to a one paper town or sometimes a no paper town. It really is kind of weird to be seeing this. You always, always think of big city newspapers and how much they mean to the rest of the country and now they are beginning to fall. It’d be weird not to get the Boston Globe on a Sunday at my house in Nashua, and I don’t really want to see it happen.
Today’s New York Times I think lacked a bit of the stories that I wanted to read. There was a fairly interesting one about how changing Barack Obama’s campaign bandwagon into things like new education policies and medicare and such. It really was fairly interesting, but nothing too earth-shattering. There was a particularly deadly international section today, including an avalanche that killed some people. Lovely. Where’s the fun stuff?
Tuesday
I didn’t mind today’s paper, a little less on the budget stuff, which was a nice change of pace. There was a particularly interesting article I saw, one that had a new portrait of William Shakespeare. The pictures of him before were, to say the least, unflattering in their view of the author. However, this one, one that is said to be of Shakepeare’s time and one that just came out, offers one that makes him look a bit better. It just looks a lot better and it was interesting to read about.
Wednesday
For once, the front page of the paper didn’t have something about Obama’s plan for the stimulus package! How awesome it is. However, I did find an interesting article saying some banks want to give back their money, feeling bad they took it. Thank you very very much banks. There are a lot of other people who may need it a little more than you. I do appreciate that they have a conscious and they feel it necessary to only take what they think is fair. Very respectable.
Thursday
There was a very interesting article today in the NY Times, about how the newspaper business is beginning to legitimately fail in some cities, leading for them to be pared down to a one paper town or sometimes a no paper town. It really is kind of weird to be seeing this. You always, always think of big city newspapers and how much they mean to the rest of the country and now they are beginning to fall. It’d be weird not to get the Boston Globe on a Sunday at my house in Nashua, and I don’t really want to see it happen.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Meeting Story
Soon, Portsmouth students who have disciplinary problems with the school may find themselves in a student’s worst nightmare: school on Saturday.
The Portsmouth School Board met on Monday to discuss the idea and it was debated heavily.
“In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to,” Lisa Gallagher, a senior and one of five Portsmouth High School students who attended, said. “But I don’t like this idea.”
“Maybe if [the students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up,” Bob Farley of 64 Elm St. said.
School Board member Tim Steele made the initial motion to approve the new policy to require students who have disciplinary problems during the week to return to school for a Saturday morning session.
“I know this isn’t good news for the parents,” Steele said, “but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.”
The board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7.
Steele said the proposal was made in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions, which is when a student is held under the supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom, with no opportunity to make up the class work for the day. Steele said the new program would mean that the student would miss no class time.
Steele said the sessions would happen from 8 a.m. to noon many times throughout the school year and would require $3,000 to fund for faculty.
“I work six days a week – including Saturday morning – and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday,” Peggy Bacon, a Portsmouth parent, said. “Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need the change?”
Steele said that amongst the disciplinary problems at school, smoking on the campus was the biggest problem the school as encountered.
“I just want to keep students from smoking in the high school bathrooms,” Steele said.
Other items discussed on the agenda were efforts to increase the education budget and a report detailing a 25 percent decrease in the rental of school rooms and buildings since last year and how to rectify that.
The Portsmouth School Board met on Monday to discuss the idea and it was debated heavily.
“In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to,” Lisa Gallagher, a senior and one of five Portsmouth High School students who attended, said. “But I don’t like this idea.”
“Maybe if [the students] have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up,” Bob Farley of 64 Elm St. said.
School Board member Tim Steele made the initial motion to approve the new policy to require students who have disciplinary problems during the week to return to school for a Saturday morning session.
“I know this isn’t good news for the parents,” Steele said, “but I hope the threat of Saturday classes will make the students think twice before breaking the school rules.”
The board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7.
Steele said the proposal was made in an effort to reduce the number of in-house suspensions, which is when a student is held under the supervision of a faculty member in an empty classroom, with no opportunity to make up the class work for the day. Steele said the new program would mean that the student would miss no class time.
Steele said the sessions would happen from 8 a.m. to noon many times throughout the school year and would require $3,000 to fund for faculty.
“I work six days a week – including Saturday morning – and it’s bad enough to get my son off to school Monday through Friday,” Peggy Bacon, a Portsmouth parent, said. “Why should I have to worry about Saturday as well? Why do we need the change?”
Steele said that amongst the disciplinary problems at school, smoking on the campus was the biggest problem the school as encountered.
“I just want to keep students from smoking in the high school bathrooms,” Steele said.
Other items discussed on the agenda were efforts to increase the education budget and a report detailing a 25 percent decrease in the rental of school rooms and buildings since last year and how to rectify that.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Week 5 Reading Blog
Monday:
There was quite a few things that piqued my interest in this issue of the NY Times. Really though, most interesting to me was how some of the state schools in New York were getting a lot more students than they thought they initially would and they are having to put the kids into forced triples and such. A lot of state schools are getting more applicants than ever before, but they aren’t going to accept more than they can hold, despite looming budget cuts, which I think is commendable. However, for a school like UNH which is one of the most expensive state schools in the country, I’m curious as to what we’re doing.
Tuesday
Really, I’m kind of sick of all the economy stuff. Come on! I get it’s extremely important and it holds the balance of really the world, but I’m getting kind of annoyed with it. It’s really on me, but seriously, how much can someone take of this before they lose it? Though, I do like how every one of these big companies isn’t getting off easy. One of the headlines, “Two Fallen Mortgage Giants Are Unlikely to be restored”. Thank you. I know people are losing jobs and stuff, but how many poor people lost their homes and lives with these mortgage companies? Keep it up.
Wednesday
Really, there was only one story I could focus on today. “So You’re Dead? Don’t Expect That to Stop the Debt Collector”. Really??? Give these poor people a break! It says they are calling to recoup something like $300. Let’s be serious here, I get that times are hard, but are your times harder than these people? It really saddened me to see this, especially how they aren’t legally bound to repay it, but they’ve been duped into thinking they have to. Really, quite disgusting.
Thursday
Yeesh, today I’m kind of at a loss. So much doom and gloom in the paper. Come on; give us a story where a little girl saved a city by baking cookies. That’s what I want sometimes. Not always have the stimulus plan is working or how more companies or families are losing their jobs and houses and the like. I get that it leads a newspaper, but I do hope that sometime soon I see something a little bit happier.
There was quite a few things that piqued my interest in this issue of the NY Times. Really though, most interesting to me was how some of the state schools in New York were getting a lot more students than they thought they initially would and they are having to put the kids into forced triples and such. A lot of state schools are getting more applicants than ever before, but they aren’t going to accept more than they can hold, despite looming budget cuts, which I think is commendable. However, for a school like UNH which is one of the most expensive state schools in the country, I’m curious as to what we’re doing.
Tuesday
Really, I’m kind of sick of all the economy stuff. Come on! I get it’s extremely important and it holds the balance of really the world, but I’m getting kind of annoyed with it. It’s really on me, but seriously, how much can someone take of this before they lose it? Though, I do like how every one of these big companies isn’t getting off easy. One of the headlines, “Two Fallen Mortgage Giants Are Unlikely to be restored”. Thank you. I know people are losing jobs and stuff, but how many poor people lost their homes and lives with these mortgage companies? Keep it up.
Wednesday
Really, there was only one story I could focus on today. “So You’re Dead? Don’t Expect That to Stop the Debt Collector”. Really??? Give these poor people a break! It says they are calling to recoup something like $300. Let’s be serious here, I get that times are hard, but are your times harder than these people? It really saddened me to see this, especially how they aren’t legally bound to repay it, but they’ve been duped into thinking they have to. Really, quite disgusting.
Thursday
Yeesh, today I’m kind of at a loss. So much doom and gloom in the paper. Come on; give us a story where a little girl saved a city by baking cookies. That’s what I want sometimes. Not always have the stimulus plan is working or how more companies or families are losing their jobs and houses and the like. I get that it leads a newspaper, but I do hope that sometime soon I see something a little bit happier.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Week 3 Reading Blog
Monday
There were some interesting stories in today’s issue of the NY Times, but mostly it was just more about the financial stimulus package. I get it already. The most interesting thing to me though was the story of how Germany, after a few high-profile movies have been shot there recently, has been trying to become a bigger player in the movie-making industry. They talk of how Germany is trying to gather steam in creating more and more studios but has recently been denied by political officials. They talk of how many movies have been there recently and the type of money and attention it has brought to the country and it’s culture.
Tuesday
In all the stories that I read in today’s NY Times, the two I found most interesting were the one about General Motor’s trying to cut health care and the innovative medical methods used by football players in the Super Bowl. The General Motors one was interesting simply because I am still at a loss as to how they are in such dire need of money. How did this happen? It’s sad to see such a big, U.S. born and bred company struggle so mightily. The other article I found interesting was how two of the best players on the Steelers used their own blood as a regenerative technique in their bodies so that they could play in the Super Bowl. Quite a risky gamble, and quite a big reward.
Wednesday
As much as I found interesting today in the NY Times, I was utterly disgusted by the front page. Well, what’s going on in the world? A huge economic deficit, youth Medicare problems and a war that has gone on too long. And yet, what do we get on the front page? A picture of Alex Rodriguez’s teammates supporting him as he talked to the press for the first time since admitting to using steroids. I say now, is this REALLY as big a deal as any of the other issues on the front page, or for that matter, most of the pages? No, of course not. It truly hurt me to see that.
Thursday
How in the world does this stimulus package keep having new information come out on it every single day? Every newspaper we’ve read so far has had some mention of it on the front page! It’s crazy. I do have to say though that it was a nice tie-in with the front page picture, unlike the disgusting display in yesterday’s paper. A nice picture with a caption explaining how this grandson and grandmother now make a lower monthly payment on their house, right next to the story on the stimulus package. It helped to heal the wounds from yesterday a bit.
There were some interesting stories in today’s issue of the NY Times, but mostly it was just more about the financial stimulus package. I get it already. The most interesting thing to me though was the story of how Germany, after a few high-profile movies have been shot there recently, has been trying to become a bigger player in the movie-making industry. They talk of how Germany is trying to gather steam in creating more and more studios but has recently been denied by political officials. They talk of how many movies have been there recently and the type of money and attention it has brought to the country and it’s culture.
Tuesday
In all the stories that I read in today’s NY Times, the two I found most interesting were the one about General Motor’s trying to cut health care and the innovative medical methods used by football players in the Super Bowl. The General Motors one was interesting simply because I am still at a loss as to how they are in such dire need of money. How did this happen? It’s sad to see such a big, U.S. born and bred company struggle so mightily. The other article I found interesting was how two of the best players on the Steelers used their own blood as a regenerative technique in their bodies so that they could play in the Super Bowl. Quite a risky gamble, and quite a big reward.
Wednesday
As much as I found interesting today in the NY Times, I was utterly disgusted by the front page. Well, what’s going on in the world? A huge economic deficit, youth Medicare problems and a war that has gone on too long. And yet, what do we get on the front page? A picture of Alex Rodriguez’s teammates supporting him as he talked to the press for the first time since admitting to using steroids. I say now, is this REALLY as big a deal as any of the other issues on the front page, or for that matter, most of the pages? No, of course not. It truly hurt me to see that.
Thursday
How in the world does this stimulus package keep having new information come out on it every single day? Every newspaper we’ve read so far has had some mention of it on the front page! It’s crazy. I do have to say though that it was a nice tie-in with the front page picture, unlike the disgusting display in yesterday’s paper. A nice picture with a caption explaining how this grandson and grandmother now make a lower monthly payment on their house, right next to the story on the stimulus package. It helped to heal the wounds from yesterday a bit.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Week 2 Reading Blog
Monday:
Today had some interesting stuff, including the peanut plant problems and an interesting article on some colleges that are offering free tuition if you are accepted. In a time where the front page of the paper says that the bailout plan is going to partially rely on private funds, it’s good to see some people taking a stand and rewarding people and helping less fortunate families economically. If only we could get UNH to do some of the same…
Tuesday:
Today kind of irked me a bit. I am sports fan through and through, but seeing how Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids on the front page of the New York Times kind of put me off a bit. It is a sport! And you know what was below it? The elections in Iraq, something that could significantly help to end the war. But no, steroids in baseball (which weren’t even illegal in the game then by the way) are the bigger story to the editors. Come on! I had a little more faith in the NY times that the most important things in the world would be in the forefront.
Wednesday:
This edition of the NY times had quite some interesting stuff in it, but by far the most interesting to me was the government bailout plan. I had hardly realizes that $3.5 trillion dollars would be put into the economy. That is unbelievable. What is even more unbelievable is how much, or rather how little, is actually coming from the bailout fund. Only $350 billion is coming from it, which, while quite a lot of money, now pales quite badly in comparison to how much would be put back into it. Also, quite oddly to me, Wall Street reacted with a downturn. Really? More money means less money? Oh, how little I know about it.
Thursday:
Today’s paper wasn’t as interesting to me as it has been throughout the week, but there were a couple things that I found intriguing, especially internationally. There were a couple stories, one about a new prime minister in Zimbabwe and the other about a warrant going out for the arrest of the president of Sudan. The Zimbabwe one interested me because it told of how the old prime minister had to help swear in the new one and that they are rivals of one another. The other was interesting to me because well, it was about their president getting arrested! Also, it talked of the varying implications of such an action, something that could prove disastrous for Sudan if done incorrectly.
Today had some interesting stuff, including the peanut plant problems and an interesting article on some colleges that are offering free tuition if you are accepted. In a time where the front page of the paper says that the bailout plan is going to partially rely on private funds, it’s good to see some people taking a stand and rewarding people and helping less fortunate families economically. If only we could get UNH to do some of the same…
Tuesday:
Today kind of irked me a bit. I am sports fan through and through, but seeing how Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids on the front page of the New York Times kind of put me off a bit. It is a sport! And you know what was below it? The elections in Iraq, something that could significantly help to end the war. But no, steroids in baseball (which weren’t even illegal in the game then by the way) are the bigger story to the editors. Come on! I had a little more faith in the NY times that the most important things in the world would be in the forefront.
Wednesday:
This edition of the NY times had quite some interesting stuff in it, but by far the most interesting to me was the government bailout plan. I had hardly realizes that $3.5 trillion dollars would be put into the economy. That is unbelievable. What is even more unbelievable is how much, or rather how little, is actually coming from the bailout fund. Only $350 billion is coming from it, which, while quite a lot of money, now pales quite badly in comparison to how much would be put back into it. Also, quite oddly to me, Wall Street reacted with a downturn. Really? More money means less money? Oh, how little I know about it.
Thursday:
Today’s paper wasn’t as interesting to me as it has been throughout the week, but there were a couple things that I found intriguing, especially internationally. There were a couple stories, one about a new prime minister in Zimbabwe and the other about a warrant going out for the arrest of the president of Sudan. The Zimbabwe one interested me because it told of how the old prime minister had to help swear in the new one and that they are rivals of one another. The other was interesting to me because well, it was about their president getting arrested! Also, it talked of the varying implications of such an action, something that could prove disastrous for Sudan if done incorrectly.
Monday, February 9, 2009
February 9 Class Story
This morning, a 17 year old Sudanese refugee and a local police captain combined to miraculously save an unconscious 80 year old as he lay helpless in the wake of an oncoming train in Old Orchard Beach.
Police Captain Janet Paradiso rammed her car into that of Francois Truffaut, who had passed out on the train tracks, 30 seconds before the train barreled by. “It was that close,” Police Chief Brian Paul said.
James Laboke, a Sudanese refugee living in Old Orchard Beach for three years, was on his four mile everyday walk to work at the Eezy Breezy resturant when he saw a car stopped on the tracks, the engine still running. He found a man that appeared to be unconscious with the doors locked so he pounded on the windows with no luck. He then ran 100 yards to the police station.
The Amtrak Downeaster, a passenger train that runs from Portland, Maine to Boston, leaves Portland at 5:55 a.m. and is scheduled to go through the town at 6:10 a.m. Paradiso arrived on the scene at 6:05 a.m., traveling a mile after hearing the initial police call.
“I don’t remember a thing,” Truffaut said from his hospital bed at Southern Maine Medical Center. Truffaut also said he was a diabetic, connecting with the police report that said he may have gone into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing. Truffaut had been coming to the tourist community from Quebec City since he was a child.
Laboke reported to work on time and humbly didn’t say anything about the heroics. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Charles Champaigne, Labokoe’s boss at the Eezy Breezy. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”
Laboke later said, “I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”
Police Captain Janet Paradiso rammed her car into that of Francois Truffaut, who had passed out on the train tracks, 30 seconds before the train barreled by. “It was that close,” Police Chief Brian Paul said.
James Laboke, a Sudanese refugee living in Old Orchard Beach for three years, was on his four mile everyday walk to work at the Eezy Breezy resturant when he saw a car stopped on the tracks, the engine still running. He found a man that appeared to be unconscious with the doors locked so he pounded on the windows with no luck. He then ran 100 yards to the police station.
The Amtrak Downeaster, a passenger train that runs from Portland, Maine to Boston, leaves Portland at 5:55 a.m. and is scheduled to go through the town at 6:10 a.m. Paradiso arrived on the scene at 6:05 a.m., traveling a mile after hearing the initial police call.
“I don’t remember a thing,” Truffaut said from his hospital bed at Southern Maine Medical Center. Truffaut also said he was a diabetic, connecting with the police report that said he may have gone into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing. Truffaut had been coming to the tourist community from Quebec City since he was a child.
Laboke reported to work on time and humbly didn’t say anything about the heroics. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Charles Champaigne, Labokoe’s boss at the Eezy Breezy. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”
Laboke later said, “I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Week 1 Reading Blog
Monday: Today was a bit of a downer, what with the massive amount of deaths in a Kenya explosion and the Cardinals losing. It’s terrible that I put those two in the same sentence, but whatever. The reporting on the Kenya deaths was interesting, as it brought into play further deaths in Kenya that had happened recently and how it would affect the political landscape of the country. It was interesting to see how the reporter tied a terrible story into the ongoing political intrigue of the country.
Tuesday: Today I found some interesting stuff, particularly the article about lithium in Bolivia. I hadn’t realized how big lithium may be; only knowing that it powers things like cell phones and laptop batteries and such. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was a mineral, but it seems to be key for the upcoming future of the auto industry and it was interesting to read about that and how Bolivia can make or break this future.
Wednesday: Again, there were quite a few interesting stories in the newspaper today, but the one that most piqued my interest was the article concerning the study showing the shoddy practices behind the concepts and procedures that put criminals behind bars. This was interesting to me because it would affect a lot of people if it were shown to be technically true. Would killers be set free based on inaccurate evidence? It would be bad for not only the society of America, but also a shot against the judicial system, one that would need to be reviewed in whole. It would be quite the mess.
Thursday: Today was definitely an interesting one that had quite a few interesting articles, including one that described how digital pirates were winning the ever-long fight with Hollywood studios. However, the most interesting article to me was how a huge snake’s remains, titled the titanoboa, were found in Colombia. It is said that at the time it was about 42 feet long and weighed over a ton! What was most interesting though is how it can show scientist just how hot it was back then and how organisms reacted to the heat, something that they believe can help today in projecting the potential future of global warming.
Tuesday: Today I found some interesting stuff, particularly the article about lithium in Bolivia. I hadn’t realized how big lithium may be; only knowing that it powers things like cell phones and laptop batteries and such. To be honest, I didn’t even know it was a mineral, but it seems to be key for the upcoming future of the auto industry and it was interesting to read about that and how Bolivia can make or break this future.
Wednesday: Again, there were quite a few interesting stories in the newspaper today, but the one that most piqued my interest was the article concerning the study showing the shoddy practices behind the concepts and procedures that put criminals behind bars. This was interesting to me because it would affect a lot of people if it were shown to be technically true. Would killers be set free based on inaccurate evidence? It would be bad for not only the society of America, but also a shot against the judicial system, one that would need to be reviewed in whole. It would be quite the mess.
Thursday: Today was definitely an interesting one that had quite a few interesting articles, including one that described how digital pirates were winning the ever-long fight with Hollywood studios. However, the most interesting article to me was how a huge snake’s remains, titled the titanoboa, were found in Colombia. It is said that at the time it was about 42 feet long and weighed over a ton! What was most interesting though is how it can show scientist just how hot it was back then and how organisms reacted to the heat, something that they believe can help today in projecting the potential future of global warming.
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