James Parks

James Parks, 30 yrs old, killed in Amity waters today, a shark is suspected. Beaches will remain closed until further notice.

Two boys are caught creating panic in the water by using a fake shark fin to scare Amity beach goers.

The Meeting

Swimmer Slaughtering Shark Killed 

On July 3, the giant killer shark that was suspected to be the murderer of teenage girl Chrissie Watson, and young boy Alex Kinter, was caught and killed. The shark has been hung up for display at the pier. 

Following a town meeting that concluded beaches would be closed until they were deemed safe again, fisherman and boaters alike took to the waters to catch the bloodthirsty monster.

The fisherman who caught the beast in waters one mile south-southwest of Amity, and will be rewarded $3,000 for their selfless efforts. 

The shark was identified as a tiger shark by one of the world’s foremost experts in sharks, Matt Hooper, a marine biologist from the Woods Hole, Mass., Oceanographic Institute. 

Tiger sharks are among the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmer’s deaths along the East Coast of the United States. 

As a result of that sharks capture, all the lovely beaches throughout the island will reopen immediately, just in time to celebrate the fourth of July. Residents and visitors are encouraged to recreate on the beach and enjoy the water.

“Again, while law enforcement officials urge vigilance on the part of all citizens, we believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed,” said Amity Police Chief Martin Brody.

Swim and have fun! 

There will be shark spotters, including the Coast Guard, Marine Patrol, Massachusetts State Police, the U.S Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI, and numerous municipal and county police agencies, on the beaches, but islanders and guests should be not alarmed by their presence. They are only a safety precaution to put visitors at ease. 

Any shark sightings should be reported to authorities at our toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee, however, it is highly unlikely that this number will be at all necessary. 

 “Amity’s darkest days are behind us. We wish everyone a safe and happy 4^th of July!” said Brody.

Alex

10 year old boy, Alex Kinter is killed at Village Beach.

Today, July 2, Alex Kinter was killed in what appeared, but cannot be confirmed to be, an unprovoked shark attack on Village Beach at 2 p.m.

It is possible that this attack could be linked to possible shark activity in the vicinity of Amity. This unconfirmed attack resulted in the death of Chrissie Watson, a 17 year old resident. Her body was found mangled on the beach only a few hours before Kinter’s death.

Village beach looked as it would any other summer day, the sand was packed with sunbathers and children building sandcastles, while the water was littered with visitors trying to cool off and taking a quick dip.

A resident was throwing a stick into the water for his dog to fetch and children flooded their way into the cool water. They squealed with excitement as they splashed each other and dipped in and out of the water.

Kinter was right beside the other kids, but was floating on a rectangular yellow raft. He was kicking around and laughing with the rest of them, until tragedy struck.

The owner of the dog playing fetch appeared to be looking for him after the last stick he threw was left floating unattended in the water.

Kinter was pulled down into the water by and unknown source and a geyser of blood ruptured the calm ocean water, drawing attention to the scene.

Parents and adults immediately swarmed the water pulling out the children. They hugged and checked for injuries, reassuring them that they were safe now.

 But it was Marion Kinter that was left alone on the beach searching for her son Alex. A moment later, Kinter’s yellow raft washed up on the beach, deflated, and in a puddle of Kinter’s blood.

Marion Kinter is being for shock at Amity General Hospital, where she is in fair condition. There were no other injuries to beachgoers.

Amity Mayor Vaughn and the rest of the town express their deepest and most sincere condolences to the Kinter and Watson families.

A special meeting will be held by the mayor and the Amity Board of Selectmen at 6 p.m. today in Town Hall. The agenda included discussion of Chief Brody’s plan to close the beaches and a reward for the capture of perpetrators in regards to the Kinter family. 

They will also discus an offer by fisherman Quint to hunt down the alleged shark suspected to be behind the tragic incidents.

Both the Kinter and Watson investigations are still ongoing and cannot be confirmed as shark attacks. These random acts of senseless violence, victimizing innocent, helpless citizens, confirm that such horrible things do not just happen in the city. 

Chrissie

Teenage girl's body found on Amity Beach

Chrissie Watson is found dead on an Amity Village beach today, Mon. July 2. Watson was last seen alive leaving a beach party with another teen, Christopher P. Hoggenbottam III.

Watson was only 17, and police investigators learned from witnesses that both teens had been drinking heavily and possibly smoking marijuana at the beach party that evening.

Watson was a member of the varsity swim team at Amity High School and a lifeguard at the Amity Island YMCA pool in Oak Bluffs. She decided to go swimming the night of July 1, in a remote area of South Beach near the South Beach Shoal bell buoy.

Hoggenbottam remembered following Watson to the water from the party, although the rest of his evening was a little blurry. Hoggenbottam never made it into the water after her.

“I didn't see that she was highly intoxicated at all,” said Erika Dupler, an attendant of the same beach party. Dupler recalled seeing Hoggenbottam have a couple of beers during the evening.

The weather that night was clear, a temperature of 72 degrees F, and the seas were calm. Water temperatures were close to 65 degrees and winds were out of the south at about 3 knots.

Hoggenbottam reported passing out on the beach that evening, so it wasn't until 6 a.m. the next morning he notified police that Watson had never returned from the water.

Watson’s mangles body was found by Police Deputy Jay Hendricks early this morning after it washed up on the beach. Her body appeared to have been severely mutilated by an unknown attacker. Today her body was collected and transported to the coroner’s office for an autopsy.

No charges have been filed in the case, and police will continue a thorough investigation of the incident. Hoggenbottam is not a suspect in Watson's case. 

Residents rest assured that Amity Beaches are still safe; there is no danger even though a shark attack cannot be completely ruled out. Our lovely beaches will remain open for swimming pending on the outcome of the investigation.

“There is no evidence this was a shark attack,” said Police Chief Martin S. Brody. “No reason to think it was a shark attack.”

French Connection

Assassin caught and killed 
By, Michele Vizzo


Four people are left dead, including police officer Roland Evans, after suspected assassin, Pierre Jeantot, was shot by New York City Police Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. Doyle brought Jeantot down with one shot from his .38 caliber service revolver at the bottom of the steps to the platform of 15th St. elevated railway station. 

Jeantot was suspected of working with a French drug kingpin, whom Doyle and partner, Buddy Russo, had been investigating. Jeantot’s lifeless tumble down the railway stairs put an end to the 35th St. Station to the 15Th Street Station foot and car chase pursued by Doyle. 

Jeantot hijacked a train, forcing Doyle to commandeer a pedestrians vehicle into order to follow the train. It wasn’t until Jeantot stumbled off the train that Doyle was able to take his shot on the then unarmed Jeantot. 

According to police and eyewitness accounts, shots were fired at Doyle during a leisurely walk through the park. 

“One second I saw an older woman pushing a baby carriage, and the next second she was on the bleeding on the ground,” said on scene witness, Mary Matera. “I heard gun shots come from somewhere up high, so I  looked to the tops of the buildings,” said Matera, “But didn’t see a shooter.”

The pedestrian shot dead was Betty B. Badluck. She was spending her afternoon pushing her granddaughter in her stroller when the first shots were fired. Badluck was a loving, devoted grandmother who was taken too soon at the age of 63. 

Jeantot then hijacked a passing train, where the killing continued. 

“I saw a frantic looking man storm into my train car, but didn’t think anything of it because it is New York after all, right?” said Sandy Walsh. “All of a sudden a police officer came in after him, and the man shot him dead!”

The officer killed on the train was Roland Evans, 34 years old and a 15 year veteran of the New York City Police Department. He was a father of five boys and will be greatly missed by all. 

“A strange man, I think he was foreign, barged his way to talk to the conductor,” said Liza Orre. “Next thing you know, the train blew past its next stop! That was when passengers started getting upset. Some young guy tried to talk to him, but the strange man shot and killed him!”

The dead trainman was Peter Howe who died at the controls of a heart attack, he was only 27 years old and the conductor of the train was Horatio C. Hornblower, 30 years old. 

Jeantot and Doyle had their final face off at the stairs leading to the elevated train platform. 

“I saw Doyle limping his way to the stairs, he practically collapsed when he got to the railing,” said Julie Mitchel. “He fired one shot, and Jeantot fell down the stairs dead next to Doyle, one shot was all it took.”

While it would have been preferred that Jeantot be prosecuted in court, the streets are safer today without him on them. Detective Doyle was commended for bravery and quick thinking under the circumstances. 

Further investigation will be done on Jeantot to get to the bottom of the suspected smuggling operations. 

One less criminal walks the streets of New York City this evening. 

Then end of the Twilight Era

 Breaking Dawn Part Two -

As the lights dim, cheers erupt from the crippling seats upholstered in patterns only recognizable from your grandma’s dusty living room. Despite this, the back breakers and neck kinkers are filled to capacity with anxious fans who waited in line, and even ordered tickets a week in advance to see Breaking Dawn Pt. 2

The energy in the theater is undeniable. A general buzz bounces from seat to seat as audience members try and contain their excitement at the unraveling of the opening scene.

But there are some things than any tween, college student, parent, or even grandparent cannot keep harnessed inside them - the need to squeal and slap at the person sitting to your left at the appearance of Taylor Lautner’s name on the screen. Or more importantly, his abs.

Screaming continues but pitters out with the introduction of Robert Pattinson, and then Kristen Stewart (the couple that is no more). The audience has had enough of the opening credits; they’ve already waited long enough for the feature film.

The movie immediately sweeps viewers into a fast paced drama, putting an end to the original love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob, and instead exploring the possible separation of the now expanded Cullen family.

After the first Taylor Launtner ab reveal, the audience remains under control until the movie strays from the worshiped book. “That didn’t happen in the book.. No, THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN THE BOOK!” Chairs screech back and forth as viewers disregard the no talking policy and band together to decipher what’s happening on the screen.  

A curve ball is thrown to fans that love and study the books - but the bonus scene satisfies the lack of action some readers found at the height of Breaking Dawn’s climax in print. However, the movie only crowd is left confused by the TwiHeart’s uproar at the surprise fall of their beloved characters.

Peace is once again restored when viewers of from book clubs and film watchers alike are grounded from a flash into the future that brings movie back to where the book left off.

The screen goes dark and Part 2 appears to be over, but the readers of the series know not to get up just yet. One very important, unforgettable scene remains.

Christina Perri’s, A Thousand Years comes through the speakers as viewers are taken back through Bella’s memories to the first Twilight and then all the way through Bella and Edward’s story to date.

“I have died everyday waiting for you. Darlin' don't be afraid I have loved you for a thousand years. I'll love you for a thousand more,” viewers sing along as the song hits its popular chorus.

Some hold hands, others gush over when the two first met, and a few are left teary eyed when the screen shifts to book pages and the iconic final word is illuminated on the screen,

Forever.

End credits pay tribute to all main actors in any of the five films. From Xavier Samuels and Jodelle Ferland (Riley Biers and Bree Tanner in Eclipse), to Bella’s human friends in Twilight, Anna Kendrick (Jessica Stanley), Michael Welch (Mike Newton), Christian Serratos (Angela Weber), and Justin Chon (Eric Yorkie).

In just 115 minutes, the end of an era is met when theater lighting returns to normal. The release of Breaking Dawn Part 2 marks the end of The Twilight saga.

Dazzled viewers are herded out of the theater and released into the roped off lobby where new fans are pressed up against the walls eagerly waiting, hoping to secure a good seat for the next showing. The second wave of TwiHearts hold hands over their ears to avoid any plot spoilers.

The theater will be cleaned quickly, tickets will be checked, and the ride will begin again for another anxious audience.

If you're a die-hard Stephanie Meyer fan, there's no need to lose sleep. The Host, will be hitting theaters March 29, 2013.

First Amendment

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution says - Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

But what does it really mean? Past all the law jargon, how does it effect me?

The First Amendment protects allows us the right to choose whatever religion we like and protects our rights to freedom of expression;
-speech - allows us to express ourselves without interference or constraint by the government. 
-PRESS - very similar to the right to the freedom to speech, it allows people to express themselves through publication
-assembly - the right for people to assemble. Thinking back on it, I think UNH restricted this law last year when they sent out a campus wide email saying that we weren't allowed to leave our rooms and 'congregate' in the downtown area after the superbowl.  
-"to petition of the government for a redress of grievances, and the implied rights of association and belief.")

Pretty important stuff for a Journalist to know, if I do say so myself. 

Kate Bolick, The single lady.

The Atlantic’s  Single Lady visits UNH campus
By Michele Vizzo

On Monday evening the UNH writer’s series hosted Kate Bolick to speak about her cover earning story, “All the Single Ladies”. She was published on the cover of The Atlantic, making her one of only three women to do so in The Atlantic’s 155 years in print (about 1,860 issues to date). 

“If you get published in The Atlantic, it’s a sign that you’ve made it as a writer”. Said Leslie Brown, a graduate student studying non-fiction writing at UNH, “She’s an up-and-coming author, and she made it onto the cover!” Brown read the story when it first got published back in November of 2011 and then went on to read more of Bolick’s work.

Bolick’s essay turned the dating world upside down as she questioned the stereotypical roles of men and women in a relationship. “It’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family - and to acknowledge the end of “traditional” marriage as society’s highest ideal” said Bolick in “All the Single Ladies”.  In today’s times 51-percent of women are remaining unmarried and are achieving higher employment opportunities.

During Monday’s speech she referred to herself as the most famous single woman in America, and joked about how that must make her boyfriend feel. Bolick kept the audience laughing while peppering more serious notes about the hardships of journalism. Most seats in the auditorium were filled by woman singing her praises, while a few brave men held there own in the mix. 

While Bolick’s story came out almost a year ago and has taken on many other projects since, she is still unaccustomed to the new fame it came with. “My friends started to become jealous.” She said, “ It effected friendships.” Bolick felt that she was clumsy about handling her new celebrity. 

“All the Single Ladies” was a best-seller and received over one million readers on the magazine’s website. Her story was optioned by Sony for a TV series and is currently in development with CBS. Of 600 scripts, she was one of the 200 that were chosen. In the next phase 10 scripts get made into pilots, and then two pilots are put on air. 

Bolick is acting as co-producer and creative advisor on the shows development. She has already helped in tweaking character storylines and says there’s nothing keeping her from moving on set if her script gets chosen to go on air. 

Aside from anticipating her show’s success and doing guest lectures, Bolick is working on her first book entitled, Among the Suitors: Single Women I have Loved. In this book readers can expect to learn about writers like Maeve Brennan, who first wrote for The New Yorker in The Talk of the Town section under the pseudonym “The Long-Winded Lady”. 

Bolick compared writing her book to wading in a wave-pool. She said when it came to journalist writing you have boundaries: you know you have this many words and this much time to get it done. However, with her book the possibilities are endless, and the boundaries are nowhere near as concrete. 

Sue Hertz, an associate professor of English  at the University of New Hampshire, was the force behind Bolick coming to UNH to speak. “Kate is a friend of mine from way back, and I thought that her elegant blend of the personal and the political, or internal and external, would be of interest to the grad and undergrad writing students.” Hertz went on to say that she’s young, fun, and personable. She suspected that she would be able to connect well with students. 

Stoddard NH, a small town.

Neighbor against neighbor - will residents of Hidden Lake be safe this winter?
By Michele Vizzo

Ben Wilder is being held responsible for unsafe winter driving conditions in the Hidden Lake Community of Stoddard New Hampshire. His company had been hired for a single year contract, but his work has been unsatisfactory to residents.

A meeting was held Oct. 10 to discuss a possible breach in Wilder’s contract. The Bylaws state the Board cannot extend any contract for more than a year, while Wilder’s argues that a delayed response to his contract leaves him the right to the roads. 

Counsel Maria Galvin was hired to defend the Board against the lawsuit filled by Wilder. 

Wilder read the bottom section of his plowing contract with the Association where it states “a decision must be made by Aug. 1 for weather or not the contract would be extended.” He went on to say that he received a letter from the Association lawyer dated Aug. 6.

President Dennis Pellegrino restated that the Board cannot extend a contract beyond one year and Gavin said that there was no signed extension and no suit on his contract. “But Wilder can sue for the $33,000.” 

Gavin said that it was made very clear by the members present at the June meeting that Wilder has failed to properly maintain the roads this past winter.

Wilder stated that he was not yet decided if he is going to sue for the breach of contract. He also said that he never left the roads “unsafe” and it was his decision when to sand and plow. 

Vice President Kristin Newell stated it was not his job “to tell people how fast or slow to drive, but to make the roads safe”. 

A vote was taken to decide if Wilder’s contract should be extended. The 33 members voted: YES - 7 and NO- 26. Ben Wilder’s contact will not be extended by a vote of the members present. 

Other snow plowing bids ranged from $37,195 - $108,000. 

Resident Paul Dionne asked if their insurance would cover the inevitable lawsuit. Answer: probably not. 

Questions were asked if there was money in the budget for the lawsuit against the Board. Gavin said that the budget for the lawsuit would probably be around $2,000 now, and could easily go up to $10,000. It was recommended that additional funds were set aside for the Board’s defense, but this would “affect the budget for road upgrades or would require an increase in assessments“. 

Hidden Lake resident, Roy Morotta read a petition from 100 full-time members about last year’s  snowing plowing. He said, “the members were concerned about the poor job done; the resulting conditions on our roads; the hope it wouldn’t occur again.” He also made a plea to Wilder to drop the lawsuit and asked him to join with us as neighbors. 

Gavin said they were open to settling and that Wilder should have his attorney call her. 

Wilder is also in conflict with Hidden Lake bylaws, specifically for parking heavy equipment on his property. By state law, equipment whish is used may be driven onto the property and off again for business. Wilder states that all of the equipment is his own personal property - therefore not violating the law. 

~ Embellishments Exhibit ~

Embellishments: Constructing Victorian Detail
By Michele Vizzo

UNH students, alumni, Durham residents, and curious travelers have all been summoned to the basement of UNH’s Dimond Library to take a trip back in time. From tired studiers who need a break to families just passing through, the Embellishments: Construction Victorian Detail exhibit has a lesson for everyone. 

The descent down the three flights of stairs may seem daunting, and mysteries, but your travels will be greatly rewarded upon entering the exhibit. Guest will find over 25 pieces of Victorian era clothing adorning the walls, including several extravagant special occasion gowns.

“I am a lover of aesthetic beauty and I felt that this exhibit demonstrated one of the more beautiful historical aesthetics in fashion and design,” said UNH 2011 graduate Caroline Brewer. She looked back on her days as a UNH student and regret not going to all the amazing exhibits they had to offer. 

Plus, it’s free! 

This exhibit was decided on to coincide with the other textile themed exhibits in the Seacoast area this year  - including Thread: Stories of Fashion at Strawbery Banke, 1740-2012, at the Strawberry Banke Museum in Portsmouth, NH. 

The Embellishments collection belongs to the University Museum and was assembled by Irma Bowen, for whom the collection is named after. Bowen was a teacher at UNH between the 1920-1940’s and collected donations from the community to use as teaching tools to show the history of fashion and textile techniques to her students. 

However, by the 1960’s, these types of classes (i.e. home economics) were no longer of interest, so the museum inherited the collection and stashed it away in off-campus storing that is shared with the library. 

The Embellishments exhibit was put together by guest curator Astrida Schaeffer, who has done extensive research on the collection and did a show similar to this one using the same collection about 12 years ago.

Dale Valena, a manager of museum collections at Dimond Library, expressed how now in 2012 students can still learn from Bowen’s collection. She said, “Classes in English, history, material culture, and museum studies are using the exhibition in various ways to learn more about their craft.”

Schaeffer believed that in showing the exhibit,  different classes would all be able to benefit from it. She said, for example, how art students could use to study forms and shapes, sociology students to understand women’s roles and class structure, and history students to study material culture, etc.

“But really... everyone wears clothes. So on some level,” said Schaeffer,  “we all respond to them, have an innate understanding of them.”

Valena went on to say that classes studying the era will find the exhibition to be an interesting and tangible way of processing history. Also, that because of Schaeffer’s fine work, the exhibit is getting lots of visitors from outside the community, which is good for UNH and the Library. 

Bette Bramante, a MA in English Literature recipient from UNH and long term resident of the area, visited the exhibit as part of a Durham Art Walk organized by Valena. The walk started  at the exhibit, then moved to Paul Arts Center, and then went downtown to Libby’s. 

Bramante expressed an interest in the exhibit because of her daughters involvement in a theater piece at Strawberry Banke. She said, “Seeing that play helped me to imagine more vividly the lives of the women who wore the garments in the UNH exhibit.” Bramante said that it brought the story behind the clothing to life in a remarkable way. 

The exhibit transported onlookers back to the days of cinched wastes and lace embroidered capes, but kept them right in the backyard. “The relative age of the dresses corresponds to early Durham and UNH's early Durham years (1893)- so that's kind of neat,” said Valena. 

While outsiders are going out of their way to visit the exhibit, it is the locals who can be thanked for the pieces on display. Many of the dresses were donated by Durham families, and in those days the college and town were linked closer together than they are today. 

“The UNH history aspect is mostly the story of how we got the collection, which is through Irma Bowen,” said Valena. 

Astrida is also publishing a book to accompany the exhibit coming out in November. 

Zumba? Oh, no. Prostitution.

In other news, how about the Zumba instructor, Alexis  in Maine? 

21 Men’s names have been released off of her client list, leaving a possible 80 or more names still off the record. 

The 21 men were all charged with a misdemeanor count for engaging in prostitutions. However, when the names were originally given, it was done without age and middle initials. This left a few unlucky men under fire from locals. While the only thing they could be blamed for was unfortunately having the same name as someone on the list. 

Frankly, this is a little disturbing to me. If you can look at Paul Main’s innocent face and not feel bad about what he must have went through with everyone thinking he was on the client list of the moment, then you need to go back and look at it again. 

I can’t help but be baffled by the injustice here or how something this big could just be looked over. It was more than careless to release these names without a middle initial, let alone without the ages. 

I think it’s occurrences like these that give journalism a bad name. This is breaking news, what the people want to know now and fast, so it is understandable why a rush would be put on getting the names out there. But, I believe that MUCH more care needed to be taken here. 

[On a way side note - I really hated all the pictures of Alexis Wright different websites used in their stories. No mug shot, just slutty pictures of her in a sports bra or posing like myspace still matters. I understand what she's being charged for, but really?]

When Pumpkins Fly

That Crazy Pumpkin Festival


One again Keene, NH closed down its streets and lined them with thousands of pumpkins!

Unfortunately, the festival fell short of it’s goal of breaking the jack-o-lantern world record - but received more local volunteers than ever before, leading this years Pumpkin Festival to a great start.

Festival organized teamed up with Keene State college this year in order to gain more local support. They worked together to set up a clean up challenge to end the festival.

Most teams consisted of Keene State Students from fraternities and other campus organizations. 12 teams were made with each being able to have up to 25 members.

All teams were told to select a charity that they would win up to $1,000 for by being the wining team. All clean up teams would be given $100 for their charity regardless. These winnings have been donated by local businesses in the downtown Keene area.

However, not all went according to plan when pumpkins starting flying into dumpsters. Teams were all assigned a section of pumpkins to clear, but because of the massive turn out of jack-o-lanterns, dumpsters quickly filled up and left teams at a standstill.

Teams were left standing around frustrated while they waited to be assigned a new dumpster. In the end, teams were asked to walk the pumpkins down to dumpsters located at the end of Main St.

Because of this, no winner could be determined and compensation for the teams is still being debated.

School Board

Students of Portsmouth School will have to TiVo Saturday morning cartoons if School Board member, Tim Steele, is able to institute disciplinary Saturday morning sessions as a substitute for school day detentions.

In the past students were disciplined by in-house suspensions – where students are required to spend a school day under close supervision of a faculty in an empty classroom.  Under this new rule, students will not miss any class time.

Peggy Bacon, voiced her concerns about the new punishment from a parent’s point of view saying that it’s already hard enough getting her son to school five days a week, let alone six. ”I just don’t think it’s going to make any difference, and the parents are going to pay for it – in higher taxes as well as in ruined Saturdays.”

Tax increases can be expected to compensate for the addition staffing needed to hold the additional Saturday classes.  Steele told the School Board it would require an allocation of about $3,000 per ear for staffing.

However, resident Bob Farley supports the new rules and doesn’t sympathize with the possible inconvenience for parents. “Parents aren’t teaching their kids any discipline, so the kids have no respect for rules. Maybe if they have to miss a few Saturday morning cartoons they’ll start wising up.”

What do the students think about the possibility of Saturday school? Lisa Gallagher, a senior, spoke against the rule at the School Board meeting saying that, “In 12 years of school I’ve never served a detention, and I don’t intend to. I think it’s just being done to make life easier for faculty, so they don’t have to seal with detentions during the week.”

Gallagher also spoke about the possibility of students skipping their Saturday sessions, to which Steele combated that if a student skips Saturday school, he or she would not be allowed to return to school until the detention has been served.

This new rule would be primarily put in place as a punishment for students caught smoking on school grounds. Steel said there are other problems, but smoking is by far the worst.

After discussion, the board voted 5-3, with one member abstaining, to table the issue until its next meeting March 7. Steele was instructed to return with figures on in-school detentions, so far of that year, at that time.

The board also heard several committee reports, including one from the rental committee, which reported that rental of school rooms and buildings was off about 25 percent from last year. They suggested that rental spaces be advertised in the newspaper’s classified advertising section.

Other reports came from the maintenance committee, which reported that graffiti artists had vandalized the back wall of the Middle School; and from the Athletic Committee, which proposed guidelines for fundraising by Booster Clubs.

These reports will be discussed at a future meeting.

Other new business discussed by the School Board involved a retreat for administrators in June; four requests from teachers for leaves of absence in the coming year; a financial report detailing the impact of federal budget cuts on the school lunch program; and approval of several school department and food service bills amounting to $13,568. 

Checking Back On The News

For my news intake today I decided to check back in on the Clinton coming to UNH. It’s not of utmost interest to me because I couldn't help but run out and get a ticket to see him yesterday after I read the article about it on the Portsmouth Herald.

                So back I went to where I started, SeacoastOnline.com and scanned for anything with UNH in the title. Found it! A tweet from UNH Media Relations (@UNHNEWS), “Tickets still available to hear Bill Clinton speak at UNH Wednesday. Pick them up in the MUB beginning at 10 a.m.” (Retweeted by Charles J McMahon).

                I couldn't help but think, seriously? Still tickets available? For a campus with such an air of political interest and awareness, and this is going off the Romney buttons going around and students for Obama tables that are stationed around campus, I thought the tickets would have gone in a flash. Even I felt the urge to go pick one up, they’re free after all, and how often do we get an opportunity like this?

                After I stopped fixating on that I moved onto and article titled, “Tiered parking rates advance in Portsmouth”. This drew me in because as a student here, I share a special love for the quaint shops and restaurants that line the streets of Portsmouth. That and the Starbucks. As a frequent customer, I was interested to find out what I might have to change about my visits.

                This article focused on a proposal that was made to reduce the hourly parking rate throughout the “low-occupancy” streets in the downtown area. The proposal was passed after the second reading and will be considered on its third and final reading on Oct. 22. If the proposal fully passes, “high-occupancy” streets will charge $1.50 an hour, and “low-occupancy” streets will charge only $1.  This will mean the lower occupancy streets will be exempt from the 50-cent increase.

                Resident Ron Zolla said, “These higher rates are coming out of local’s pockets,” Zolla said. “It makes a visit to downtown Portsmouth less attractive”. And I couldn't agree more. Paying to part in Portsmouth can really put a damper on your trip there. I always feel obligated to stay and walk around until my meter or ticket has expired, after all, I did pay for it. But with every swipe of my debit card, or quarter I feed into a meter, a bad taste is left in my mouth. I think that keeping the lower occupancy streets at a lower hourly rate is a great idea for Portsmouth and will leave the residents and visitors happier. 

Clinton? Really?

A surprise visit from the big guy. 

I decided that for immersing myself in the news I needed to start small. Prior to this class, the closest I got to paying attention to the news was entirely what I happened to hear/ overhear from someone else. That and going onto the weather channel’s website to check for rain, but I think that hardly counts as being up on the news.

But like I said, I’m going to start small in the sense that I’m going to start local. So the Portsmouth Herald it is! I went on SeacoastOnline.com and checked out what their headlines were; “Town councilor charged with domestic violence also a state rep. candidate”, “Police: Drunk man arrested at gunpoint after stealing car from PHS lot”, and “Bill Clinton to campaign for Obama at UNH on Wednesday”.

The last obviously caught my attention, UNH, Obama and Clinton –Well, that sounds familiar! So I clicked the link to learn more. Turns out I would have had no idea Clinton was going to be on campus. Clinton is said to be coming to lay out what’s at stake for middle-class families in New Hampshire. I also found out that I was not alone in not knowing he was coming to UNH, the article said that students leaving the MUB said they were not aware Clinton was coming to the university, and most said they were not particularly interested in politics. 

What I Think About News.

As far as watching the news goes, I can’t be bothered to invest the time sitting in front of the TV. Especially when I know anything I want to know is only a few clicks away on my laptop, or a few taps away on my iPhone. I know that I can find the stories I want to hear about right away, instead of watching the news for an hour and coming to find out they’re only going to gloss over the story I tuned in for.
The same goes for newspapers. If I have time, sure, I’ll grab a cup of coffee, sit down somewhere cozy, and read it. But if I’m having an average day, I’ll open up my weather channel app, throw on the proper attire, and run out the door. I think that in today’s times it’s all about convenience and speed. It’s easy and fast to look something up on your phone or jump on Google to find news.
As far as what this means for the future of journalism, I think it shows that the industry is moving away from paper and print, and onto the internet. The news needs to be made faster and more accessible to people, and the best way to do that is to put it where they spend the most time. Laptops and smart phones.  As for print, I don’t think it needs to be totally discarded. I feel that it holds a sentimental place in readers hearts. As I said earlier, there is an idealized image of cozying up with a newspaper and coffee before work - someone, somewhere will always be looking for that picturesque experience.
I have a hard time writing the news because as a writer I love to embellish. I want my reader to see, hear, and be able to imagine the feel of everything I’m writing about - I like going beyond just painting a picture. For news writing, this style is not ideal. You have this many words, this much space, and this much time to do it. However, I do understand how this could come in handy for news writing at the same time. Being able to capture the mood at an event, details at an accident, and even being able to describe people. I think that finding the right middle ground could be beneficial for news writing.
I feel especially uninterested in the news today, as in current day, because of the percentage of stories about politics. I don’t care for them and have a hard time keeping up with politics. I think I would be more interested if it were more easily accessible to me - if the facts were more straight forward- he has this state and this is why, or he made a speech about this and made people feel this way because. However, I do understand why this topic is so prevalent in the news. It is what matters now. But I think it came be improved upon, at least for younger audiences/new voters, just by simplifying.
I think that journalism is an important skill for all writers to have. It demonstrates your ability as a writer to get to the point right away and not start out with fluff as we tend to do. I don’t believe it is a dying field, just a changing one that us as writers need to adapt to.