Killer Shark Caught and Killed

After days of panic over the shark attacks off Amity’s beaches, the trouble is over. The giant killer shark blamed for two deaths this week has been caught and killed.

Once inspected by Matt Hooper, a marine biologist known to be one of the world’s most foremost exports on sharks, the animal was identified as a nurse shark. According to Hooper, nurse sharks are among the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers’ deaths along the East Coast.

The shark was caught by fishermen one mile south of Amity. They will receive the $3,000 reward for their heroic and selfless efforts.

According to Police Chief Martin Brody, the beaches will reopen immediately, just in time for the flood of visitors fro the Fourth of July weekend. This does not mean, however, that other precautions will not be taken to avoid other shark attacks.

“Islanders and guests alike should not be alarmed by the presence of shark spotters,” said Brody in a press release. “They are simply a safety precaution that we hope will put our visitors at ease.”

Any shark sightings should be reported to authorities at the toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee.

“While law enforcement officials urge vigilance on the part of all citizens, we believe that we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed,” said Brody. “Amity’s dark days are behind us.”

After Meeting, Town Closes Beaches

This afternoon, a special town meeting was held, where it was decided that due to the recent alleged shark attacks, Amity's beaches will remain closed for 24 hours.

Many townspeople were not happy about this decision, claiming that 24 hours was roughly 3 weeks worth of income in the off-season. Many are worried that tourists will choose to vacation elsewhere if the beaches were closed.

In addition to closing the beaches, Chief Brody described more plans that he thought should be implemented to keep Amity safe. Brody wants to bring in extra summer deputies, shark spotters, and experts from the mainland.

The meeting was interrupted by Ben Quint, a local fisherman. He offered to catch and kill the shark that was thought to be responsible for the death of two local youths.

“I’ll catch this bird for you, but it ain’t gonna be easy,” said Quint, appearing before the town. Quint’s conditions for catching this shark would be $10,000, a much steeper price than the $3,000 offered by the Kintner family.

“We gotta do it quick, that’ll bring back your tourists, put all your businesses on a paying basis,” said Quint. “If you want to stay alive, then ante up.”

It was unclear at the end of the meeting if the town would use Quint as a resource, or stick to its original plan of closing the beaches.

Amity continues to mourn the deaths of Wendy Watson, and Alex Kintner, both thought to be the victims of shark attacks. The investigation is still ongoing. Although the town seems to have decided that both died at the jaws of a shark, government officials are still hesitant to confirm this.

NY Times Monday May 3

I just want to say that by reading the Times every day, it really makes me feel so much more informed. Today for instance, when I read the front page and I saw both headlines about Greece's debt and the merger between United Airlines and Continental, I felt so smart, because, of course, I read about both of those things a few weeks ago. It is so awesome to be able to follow a story from beginning to end, and odds are that if it was newsworthy enough the first time to make it in the paper, there will be a follow up story. That just made me feel really knowing about what is going on around the world, and it was a great feeling.

NY Times Thursday April 29

The review of Laura Bush's book published in today's New York Times actually made me want to pick up the book and read it. It's a whole new perspective of George Bush that one will probably not get anywhere other than in this book, and probably will have a lot in it about how politics can change people. I don't even want to read the article about the oil spill. It's just that depressing.

NY Times Wednesday April 28

I would like to take this opportunity to talk about the fight in the Ukraine Parliament. I'm not talking about a debate, I'm talking about a fist fight. I cannot believe that this happened. If people were jumping on tables and punching people and pulling on clothing in an American House of Representatives meeting, or in the Senate, it would be an absolute outrage. I just did not think that things like this happened any more. I mean, smoke bombs and eggs...really? No wonder our world is all messed up, when there are still people trying to settle problems of national importance through physical violence.

NY Times Tuesday April 27

First off, is the government trying to confuse us by putting that graph on the front? I sort of thought that the point of the news was to clarify and offer insight on problems that we might not understand ourselves, but this certainly does not do a lot for me. At the same time, I think it illustrates how complicated the Afghanistan war is and puts the people who blindly criticize the US for not pulling out in their place. It shows all the different factors that have to be considered during a war. I think the point of this article was to confuse us and perhaps say that we can't get out of Afghanistan now because there is so much at stake here.

NY Times Thursday April 22

I liked the article about the Estonian President being affected by the airline closures in Europe. I thought it was a cool new angle of the story, kind of like an "Even the Estonian President can't get back home!" angle. It's things like that that show us the enormity of what happened over there and how many people were affected, no matter who they are. I was intrigued about the article of the mother who made a documentary in response to the loss of her daughter to bulimia. Will responses like these, from real people who have had to deal with grief over the problem perhaps prevent it from happening more often?

Shark Attack Seems More Likely as Young Boy Dies in Water

This afternoon, a young boy was killed in the waters of Village Beach in what appears to have been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack.

Alex Kitner, 10 years old, was playing in the water with his friends when the attack occurred. Kitner’s tattered yellow raft was the only remnants of the encounter.

Despite rumors earlier this morning that a shark was the cause of Wendy Watson’s death, the beaches were still crowded at the time of Kitner's death.

A group of children were splashing around in the water, screaming excitedly and floating around on rafts, Kitner included. It was only when Kitner disappeared beneath the water that the screams turned to those of panic. Kitner's yellow raft deflated immediately, and the water was stained red with blood.

Terror spread throughout the beach as parents rushed into the water, carrying their children to safety and looking out at the scene of the attack with utmost horror. Police Chief Martin Brody could be heard yelling at people to get out of the water.

Once the water was cleared, Marion Kitner, Alex’s mother, was heard desperately calling out to her son. Her answer was Alex’s raft washing up against the shore, with what appeared to be a large bite out of it. She is now being treated for shock at Amity General Hospital.

“I join Amity Mayor Bob Farley in expressing the town’s deepest and most sincere condolences to the Kitner family,” said Police Chief Brody.

Arrangements are being made tonight at a Selectman meeting. According to the agenda, Chief Brody plans to ask the selectmen permission to close the beaches on July 4.

When asked if he thought Kitner’s death could be avoidable, Brody responded that Watson’s death was not enough cause to close the beaches, and that he was not going to blame anyone for keeping the beaches open.

Although evidence is strong that the cause of both Watson and Kitner’s death was a shark attack, police are still hesitant to officially confirm that.

“We have no evidence except for what you saw,” said Brody. “There is no evidence that it was or wasn’t a shark attack.”

Police do believe that Watson’s and Kitner’s deaths are somehow linked.
“We never have two deaths in one day except for in the nursing home,” Brody said.

The Kitner family has allegedly offered a reward of $3,000 for the capture of the perpetrators.

Local Teenager Found Dead- Cause Unknown

This morning, a local teenager was found dead on the shore of South Beach after being mauled in the water by an attacker of unknown origin.

Wendy Watson, a senior at Amity High School, was last seen leaving a beach party with another teenager. According to her companion, Watson decided to go swimming at a remote section of South Beach. According to witnesses, both teenagers had been drinking heavily during the evening. Watson was the only one who entered the water.

When Watson did not return from the water, her companion notified police at around 4 a.m. Later that morning, her body was found washed up on the beach by police. Police report that her body was severely mangled.

According to Watson’s companion, she was an excellent swimmer. The weather at the time of the incident was clear, with a temperature around 72 degrees F, and the seas were calm.

Although rumors of a shark attack are circulating the town, the police are continuing the investigation of the incident without confirmation.

“We want to assure all residents and visitors on our fine island that they are in no danger,” said Police Chief Martin Brody.

When asked about allegedly confirming the evidence of a shark attack with Police Deputy Richarad Zanzibar, Brody said, “Obviously we’re very busy with this crisis, and we don’t have time to deal with rumors.”

Amity’s beaches shall remain open for swimming pending the outcome of the investigation.

Wednesday April 21

I liked the opening to the article about not enough housing in North Dakota. They started out with a personal narrative piece and then moved into the meat of the article and the bigger picture. I liked how it was set up. There was a lot of economy related stories on the front page (Renting vs Buying, Teacher cuts, No housing, Bank size etc) which is a little overwhelming, just because it was a lot of frightening information to take in about our economy. I know it's bad, but covering the front page with stories about how it's getting worse, and certain problems doesn't ease my fear at all, it escalates it. Cute angle on the airports opening story with the woman coming back for her birthday- it added a little bit of happiness to this issue.

Spotted Leopord Escapes from Durham Zoo

This morning, around 7:30 AM, the Durham Zoo reported that Fluffy, the zoo’s rare spotted leopard, escaped from its cage.

The zoo allegedly noticed Fluffy was missing from her cage as soon as workers opened the zoo and began feeding the animals. She was last seen at 9 PM the previous night.

“Everything about her cage seemed normal,” said Gerry Durrell, the director of the zoo. “The door was shut and did not appear to have been tampered with, and the fencing was unbroken.”

James Petronkis of Newmarket has been a fan of Fluffy for years. Upon his arrival to the zoo, he noticed immediately that something was wrong.

“Fluffy usually draws the straw up into a nest when she sleeps, but there was no nest- there wasn’t even any straw.”

Petronkis continued to notify a guard, but was turned away. Half an hour later, he notified them again of his suspicions about Fluffy’s disappearance.

“This time they checked her house, and then all hell broke loose,” he said.

As of 9:00 this morning, Fluffy was still nowhere to be found. Police and zoo workers scoured the zoo frantically, looking in trash cans, behind buildings, in trees, and even inside the cotton candy concession.

“We have no idea what time Fluffy escaped or where she went,” said Durrel. “She could be walking around Durham at this point. We just don’t know.”

Fluffy, a 10 year old Romanian spotted leopard, is one of only five such animals in existence. These kinds of animals are known to be extremely dangerous, nearly driven to extinction in Romania because of their appetite for young children.

“We are concerned because this is a residential neighborhood with an elementary school,” said Police Chief William Blair. “We don’t want Fluffy wandering around after the kids get out of school. We have got to find her before 3 PM.

Kitty Smith, the zoo’s biologist, informed the crowd about Romanian spotted leopards and what will lead them to attack.

“Fluffy is a wonderful, warm, gentle cat who has never hurt anyone,” Smith said. “But if these cats are cornered--or encountered on a dark night-- their defense is to kill and kill quickly.”

Smith said that anyone who encounters Fluffy should get slowly to the ground and lay still. Fluffy may do a lot of sniffing and licking, but unless she senses fear, she is not likely to react violently. It is important to also avoid making eye contact with the leopard.

Police efforts are already being put into place to find the cat. The New Hampshire State Police and the state wildlife department are to help with the search, in addition to five helicopters equipped with infrared sensors, supplied by the National Guard.

“We’re gonna find this cat if it kills us,” said Blair.

Fluffy was a gift to the city of Durham by its sister city in Romania Durhamvoska. She is the only female of her kind in existence. Next month she was to be flown to China to mate with a male spotted leopard owned by the Chinese government.

Although Fluffy may be dangerous, it is clear that she is very dear to those who work at the zoo.

“We miss Fluffy and we want her back safe and sound,” said Smith, before quickly exiting the stage, overwhelmed by tears.

“We love that cat, and we don’t want to lose her,” said Durrell.

Tuesday April 20

I can't believe that the people in Europe are still grounded. I read this article immediately after seeing it in the paper, interested because my uncle is currently stuck in Dublin waiting for a fight back to Boston. Hearing the different stories from people stuck there made me think of my uncle's own story and how he would fit into an article like that. I am worried that if the ban stays in place, there will be panic upon many people's parts because of how long they have been stuck there, but if the ban is lifted and something happens, the results could be catastrophic. I'm not sure who I agree with in this situation.

Monday April 19

Okay, I know that this isn't exactly about writing newspaper articles, but that picture on the front page is AMAZING. It completely caught my attention, since it looks like something out of a science fiction novel, but honestly, that picture grabbed me more than any photo or headline has done all semester. Wow. Also, the article about doctors spending more time trying to explain the health care law than their patient's heath shows that maybe we need to put more effort in helping people understand their role in the health care law and how exactly it is going to affect them.

Thursday April 15

I'm so glad that the Times is deeply covering the problems with the Tea Party, because frankly, I sort of needed someone to spell out for me what exactly is going on and why. I was especially bothered with the article about how Iran could make fuel for an atom bomb in a year. That's slightly disturbing. I think that when definitive headlines like that are made, they bring some sort of urgency to the story. When officials say that within a year Iran could have a bomb, this interests people. This puts a time limit on it and makes it much more pressing of an issue than another article about how Iran could have access to nuclear materials. This puts this story in a whole new perspective.

Wednesday April 14

I particularly identified with the article about Waiting lists for high school seniors hoping to enter college. This definitely shows that we enjoy news that we identify with- I went through a lot of that last year in my college search and it was good to see that I was not the only one stuck in that position, and that the trend is continuing. Also, I love that the Addams Family Musical got front page coverage, instead of just in the Arts section. Even though the critics hate it, people love it, and I feel like that is something that is happening often with shows and movies like the Addams Family- critics may have awful things to say about it, but if it brings in the money, it brings in the money.

Assassin Killed By "Quick-Thinking" Officer

Sunday evening, a suspected assassin was killed by a local police officer after a high-speed police chase through the streets of New York.

Pierre Jeantot, 36, was suspected to be associated with a crime syndicate that had been laying the groundwork for a major heroin shipment from France to New York City. He began firing shots at New York City Police Detective Jimmy 'Popeye' Doyle, killing one elderly pedestrian in his attempt at Doyle's life.

Doyle pursued Jeantot from the 35th St. Station to the 15th St. Station in a commandeered car, while Jeantot hijacked the train, holding the conductor at gunpoint and commanding him to not stop the train.

In his attempt to maintain control of the train, Jeantot killed three others, including a police officer, a conductor, and a trainman who suffered a heart attack at the controls.

Sunday's events were recorded on video, obtained by the New York Times through a Freedom of Information request. Seen in the video, the chase began as Doyle returned from work, only to be caught under fire, seeing the assassin on the rooftop as Betty B. Badluck collapsed into his arms, a bullet in her back.

Narrative:

As the shots rang out, Doyle quickly took cover behind a tree, shouting warnings to the panicked citizens surrounding the area. The cries of Badluck's infant granddaughter could be heard amid the screams.

Doyle quickly sprinted up the stairs toward the roof, gun drawn, but upon his arrival, he found no assassin, just an abandoned rifle and multiple shell casings littering the ground. From his vantage point, he could see the assassin dashing across the street, nervously looking behind his back.

The pursuit continued as Doyle chased Jeantot down the street, determinedly keeping up his pace. At the train station at Bay Street, Jeantot found refuge on the train. Doyle scanned the crowd and watched as Jeantot boarded from the other side of the tracks. Doyle shouted a warning at the conductor, but the conductor appeared not to have heard him.

Alarmed by the assassin's near escape, Doyle attempted to flag down passing cars, only succeeding when a maroon car pulled over, and the driver reluctantly gave up his car to the officer. Now mobile, Doyle tore off after the train.

Meanwhile, on the train, Jeantot was panicking. He made his way through the cars, chased by Roland Evans, a 15-year veteran of the New York City Police Department. Jeantot, nearing the conductor, whipped out his gun and shot Evans, escaping into the car with the conductor, Pete Howe of Queens. Holding his gun to his head, he commanded him to keep the train going.

As Doyle neared the 25th Avenue Station, he abandoned his car and watched in horror as the train did

not make its anticipated stop, but instead rushed by. Passengers both on the platform and the train knew something was wrong.

Doyle returned to his car and sped off after the train. He wove in and out of traffic, frantically honking his horn to warn oncoming cars. Then, Doyle's car was crashed into by a careless driver, but it did not deter him. After a moment of swerving, Doyle corrected his path and continued on his way, a crumpled fender as evidence to the collision.

Doyle sped down the busy street, nicking the side of a truck and nearly dodging a woman and her baby in his path, crashing into a graffiti covered wall. He plowed through intersections, missing the oncoming cars by inches.

On the train Horatio C. Hornblower, backed by passengers on the train, attempted to reason with Jeantot.

“You're not going to get away with this,” he told Jeantot. “So just put the gun down.”

 Moments later, he was shot by Jeantot. Howe, at the controls, suffered a heart attack, causing the train to surge out of control. Panic spread throughout the train as it neared a stopped train at the upcoming station. There was not enough time; the trains collided.

Once the train was completely halted, a dazed Jeantot desperately tried to escape the train. Doyle, who watched from below the elevated railway station, as the assassin tiptoed across the tracks.

From the bottom of the steps of the platform, Doyle and the assassin came face to face. Doyle held Jeantot at gunpoint, and once Jeantot tried one more time to escape up the stairs, Doyle shot him in the back.

Then, the pandemonium surrounding the area began.

End Narrative

'It is always unfortunate when these incidents end in a loss of life,' said Ruth L. Ess, the New York City Police commissioner. However, Doyle's use of deadly force was justified under the circumstances.

'We commend Detective Doyle for his bravery and quick thinking under very trying circumstances,' Ess continued to say.

Ess believes that Doyle was close to a breakthrough on the case and promises that investigation regarding Jeantot’s connection to the drug syndicate will be continued. Two men thought to be involved are being sought out now.

Monday April 12
Weird thing I noticed today- that the times actually has a section saying what is online. It’s almost as if it’s pointing out that there are some things that the print newspaper is unable to deliver, so it directs people online instead. Today it is a video about the hunt for Joseph Kony in Uganda. I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this. I mean, obviously there are things that the internet can do that a newspaper can’t (video for example) but to advertise that fact so blatently seems weird to me. It’s almost as if it’s saying “You don’t even really need to buy this print copy, just go online and you’ll get this entire paper and extra videos!” And they got me- I do want to go online and see this video for myself.

Thursday April 8
Is it just me, or does it seem like so many stories have this undertone of the economy? Obviously it’s a big deal, but just thinking back at all the newspaper’s I’ve read over the course of this semester, it is obvious what is big news and what the American public wants to hear about. It’s interesting how looking at the news for this long makes us be able to find overall themes to the news- the war, the economy etc. It makes us be able to see what the “big stories” of the world are in the view of the media, if not in general. I just found it curious how I could read the headline “United is in talks about a merger with US Airways” and know exactly what the reason was, and what the bigger picture behind that story was.

Wednesday April 7
I absolutely loved the article about the Palestinians. It was new, relevant, and downright interesting, especially when the Palestinian extremist groups have been known to resort to violence. I am very interested to see how this will play out. The article about the mines was something new, and I think this is the way that a lot of news stories should play out. Instead of finding one little fact about the actual story (ex. one miner, his wife etc) the paper focuses its attention on the bigger issue instead of just finding some other little thing about the case to turn into a big story. They hit what is at the heart of the issue, rather than just focus all their attention on the story at hand. It’s still relevant, but it’s not boring for a reader.

Tuesday April 6
I’m a little confused why the attack on the US Consulate in Pakistan is front page, picture worthy news. Maybe it was a much bigger deal than I am aware of, but it seemed like a bit of a reach, especially since the militants didn’t even breach the outer perimeter. I like being updated on my news about what’s going on, but I don’t know, this one just gave me the feeling like it was a stretch for news and an attempt to make America look good because of their “win” in this….would you call it a battle?

Wednesday, March 31
Overall, I thought this paper had a lot of great articles, none of which were really more or less important than the next, but pretty solid throughout. I was surprised that the article about E-Books made the front page, interesting though it was, but to me didn’t seem exactly like pressing, front page material. I did like the way it was set up with the personal story in the beginning. I thought the article about the colliding particles was introduced in a great way, with the picture of the scientist drinking champagne. This detail shows what exactly a big deal it is, and what it means to the scientists involved in it.

Tuesday, March 30
I noticed that in this paper there was an example of striving to make the significant news interesting and relevant in the headline “Female suicide bombers strike at Moscow subway”. The word “female” makes the article immediately much more interesting than it may have been originally, because we typically expect suicide bombers to be predominantly male. Instead, the Times has an attention grabbing headline that causes more people to read the article because of the interesting twist they put on delivering the story.

Monday 3/ 29

I just wanted to point out that the NY times does a consistent job of providing a public forum for people, whether they are editorials, letters to the editor, or an entire opinion section on the newspaper's website. It is obvious that the paper is not only open to public forum but it encourages it. A paper could have a place where people can state their opinions on certain matters, but not really encourage people to do so, but the NY times shows that it wants people to share their opinions and they want to use outside sources that may have a better knowledge about a certain subject than what they can find out. Such forums are very helpful for a newspaper, and while one would attempt to stem that in order to prevent news that they do not want to publish, it is clear that the Times embraces this element.

Thursday 3/25

I focused my attention today on the article about the recent arrests of Al-Quaeda members and how the Taliban have promoted a fighter to fill the spot of one of the arrested. I noticed that the journalists did not sugarcoat this story and make it sound like this fighter is any less qualified than his predecessor. The journalists are not influenced by the government who might be trying to make it sound like there is indeed progress. The progress is obviously stunted by the fact that the person we arrested was so easily replaceable. The journalist reports the news, and doesn't try to fake how well the war is going, but instead presents the citizen with truths about how although we have made great strides, they may not be good enough, since the Taliban is able to recover from our blows. This shows that the press is independent of governmental influence and that they are directing the citizens towards truth, no matter how hard it may be.

Wednesday 3/24

Even before I knew that I would have to apply the Elements of Journalism to this week’s entries, I was prepared to write about the page that informed readers of how the new health care will affect different kinds of people. Now that I am tying it in with the Elements of Journalism, this is a wonderful example of a lack of bias in the news and a journalist’s loyalty to the citizens. Instead of some sort of commentary of why or why not the new policy on healthcare is going to either save our country or absolutely destroy it, the journalists are offering straight truths about how this will affect its citizens. This shows a lack of bias in the journalist, since they can’t exactly just insert their opinions on what they think will happen, and similarly, the article is not slanted towards one side.

Tuesday 3/23 NY times

I thought that the Arizona story was a great local story that could zoom out and be a part of a larger picture. The problems that many people are facing because of the prices of housing is a country-wide problem and I think a lot of people should take the problems of each family to heart. Also, there was a very interesting article on a Ukraine priest who thought that having a family made him better suited for his job and helped him relate better to other people. Now since the whole scandal with the priest and the deaf boys is going on, it really brings to light the question of if celibacy is not the best way for priests to live their life and if we need to move forward religiously in order to avoid scandals in the Church.

Monday 3/22

Back from break and already I feel a little out of touch with the news, not exactly keeping up with anything other than healthcare over break. Congratulations to President Obama for passing his healthcare bill. I like Obama’s defense of his bill in the quote “This isn’t radical reform, but it is major reform.” I have a feeling that now that the bill has been passed, it is only going to be in the news more. I also found the article about what cost the healthcare will bring to Obama and his party, and whether it will be positive or negative. We cannot tell right now, but it is certain that this subject is going to be newsworthy for a very long time.

City Debates Closing of Local Airport

In light of the struggling economy, the Biddeford community is faced with a controversial decision of whether the Biddeford City Airport should remain open, or close down due to financial reasons.

The Biddeford City Airport, open since 1951, is seen by many to be a financial burden for the town, costing between $47,000 and $72,000 in the past three years to run, according to records in the city manager’s office. Compared to the annual $56,000 the airport takes in, the profit is not enough.

“Money is the biggest thing,” said Roland Pelletier, who has lived next to the airport for 25 years. “If it was self-supporting, fine. Let it go on.” Roland continued to express his hope that the referendum will educate people. “We can’t afford to support operations that don’t support themselves.”

According to Tom Bryand, the airport manager, there are 47 planes based at the airport, about half owned by corporations. The airport makes its money from mostly sales of gas, property taxes, and land leases.

In the recent years, the airport has become some form of a playground, with pedestrians, motorcycles, four-wheelers and ATV’s all using it as a recreational area.

“They just use it as a backyard, and that’s against regulations,” said Bryand.

Bryand is not the only one who has been affected by people who do not see the airport as what it is. Phillis Landry, a private pilot, had to abort a takeoff five years ago because of neighborhood kids running out in front of his plane.

Biddeford City Airport has attempted to combat these violations by enforcing no-trespassing rules. This, and the issue of safety have been controversial issues with the town for years now. When the airport began enforcing federal safety regulations in fear of losing Federal Aviation Administration funding, the airport began cutting down trees for safety reasons.

“Sure this started out as a fight about trees and public access,” said Paul Archambault, the chairman of Shut Our Little Airport (SOLA) . “But it’s not just about that anymore. Now it’s about money too.”

The property, which is worth $1.6 million, according to the City Assessor’s office, has the potential to provide other important services to the town.

“What would we really like to do?” said Archambault. “We’d like to see it shut down for good. Maybe put an industrial park in there.” Archambault also thought that the property would do well as a wind farm. “That’s the kind of progress we’d like to see.”

However, according to Landry, the Biddeford airport is still a great resource for pilots like himself and business people who fly into the airport.

“I’ve been flying out of this airport for 25 years” said Landry, whose plane, the Cessna Sky Pilot 180, is kept at the Biddeford Airport. “If I couldn’t fly out of here, I’d have to go to Sanford or Portland.”

Critics of the closing also argue that the airport has historical significance as well. Charles Lindbergh is rumored to have once stopped there looking for directions to Old Orchard Beach.

When asked to comment, John Bubier, the Biddeford City Manger said, “The City Council really hasn’t come down on one side of the issue or the other. I think they’d prefer to have the voters settle this one.”

This decision is to be put to a vote on June 4.

March 10 Times

I was worried going through this paper that I was going to find nothing that I found interesting enough to write about. All the headlines seemed boring, and like I had heard them all before, and none of them caught my eye. Then, came page A22, and my luck turned right around. I read the article about the man who slipped past an airport security checkpoint in order to kiss his girlfriend goodbye before she got off her plane, causing the airport to be evacuated on its busiest day. Though I understand the need for this kind of security and how there can't be any exceptions, the whole thing just seems very odd to me. Of course it was wrong for him to pass by security to kiss his girlfriend, but the frenzy that this story has created has been absolutely insane. It's just a normal guy who happened to make a mistake and now he is paying for it, both in punishment and unrelenting media attention. I also was drawn to the article about the extortion plot against David Letterman for his affair with Stephanie Birkitt, and how the man has now received a jail sentence for his actions. This one only struck me because Stephanie Birkitt is from my hometown, and I have been following the story for months now.

March 9 New York Times

Since I had never read about the Academy Awards in the Times, the angle they took on covering the event was much different than what I expected. There was no "best dressed" or "worst dressed" and not even a lot of commentary on the winners of each category at the Oscars. Rather, they made an intelligent analysis of the structure and filming of the event, and how this affected viewers and ratings. It truly seemed like an analysis of the oscars, from George Clooney's glum face to the Meryl Streep jokes, and the 10 best picture nominees. It was refreshing and made me feel a little better about focusing on an article about the Oscars, rather than, say, health care.

March 4 New York Times

There was some great stylistic choices in the article about movie stars that immediately caught my eye. Two paragraphs down, (after a good lead) the article cuts down a paragraph saying:

How bad is it?
Pretty bad.

I thought this choice was very effective and I was reminded that all of my articles do not need to be cookie cutter articles, and that I do have the freedom to play around with the structure of my piece a little more.

The article about facebook ads caught my eye also. As an avid facebook user, anything that has the two words "facebook" and "off key" in the headline made me interested to read more. The article is well put together and I found myself easily being able to read it, and connect it to my own life, since I too have been subject to these kind of ads, and it was interesting to find something that I knew about in the news.

March 3 New York Times

All the reports seem to be repeats of the reports in Haiti. They were already stretching for stories about Haiti, and now that the earthquake has happened in Chile, it's like the same stories are going to be told, except replacing a few names and the country Chile with Haiti's name. I was particularly impressed with the article about the young girl who was molested in India, and how this incident is causing the "middle class to take on the powerful" This article is so effective because it is not only an article about a young girl being molested in India (which is newsworthy by itself) but it goes one step further by making a comment on the social system of India and how crimes like this happen all the time but no one can do anything because of their class system.

March 2 New York Times

One of the articles I found rather interesting was Obama's backing of districts that fire teachers who fail to bring their students up to the standard educational requirements. "Our kids only get one chance at an education and we need to get it right," Obama said on the topic. I think that his involvement in bringing up the educational system of our country will do wonders in our progress. If education is as important to an individual's success as it is made out to be, more students with higher educations will naturally bring our country up to another level. Another thought I had was wondering how many times President Obama's name is mentioned in the newspaper. Through his treatment of so many issues in our country, he himself is newsworthy, the next newsworthy topic. I have a feeling that not a day goes by in the New York Times that Obama's name is not mentioned.

Drinking on College Campuses

Today, two New Hampshire college officials met to discuss the controversial issues of drinking on college campuses and whether it is, or is not, as bad as most make it out to be.

Anne Lawing, the Senior Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of New Hampshire believes that in the last 20-25 years, alcohol awareness has increased as it became more socially acceptable to talk about it.

Sheila Lambert, the Coordinator of Wellness at Southern New Hampshire University, maintains that perceptions from the media and the surrounding community about college drinking creates a misconception about the amount of alcohol college students consume.

Both Lawing and Lambert agree that drinking has been a part of college campuses since they can remember.

“Students have been drinking as long as we’ve had students,” said Lawing.

However, although drinking is common on college campuses, the two officials believe that it is not something that can be ignored or simply accepted.

“We are concerned about the frightening levels of problems around alcohol,” said Lawing, naming off sexual assault, academic problems, vandalism, drunk driving, and death as just few of the many issues surrounding alcohol. “Frankly, we’re tired of all these problems.”

In light of the concerns of college drinking, New Hampshire colleges work in collaboration to address issues and collect data throughout the state.

Although many believe that college drinking is out of control, Lambert has evidence that proves otherwise. In a study conducted by colleges throughout the state, it was discovered that the majority of college students drink in low risk ways, consuming 4 or fewer drinks in a week.

“Do not engage in the misperceptions,” Lambert said. “The data supports not all students drink in high risk ways.”

The two came together after heightened awareness of alcohol problems were seen by Hanover police, worried about the amount of drinking done at Dartmouth College. New undercover programs were put in place in order to track who served underage students alcohol.

Experts believe that this tactic could be more harmful than helpful, driving drinking underground and making students less likely to call an ambulance if a friend needs help.

Lawling believes that college students can still have a positive college experience without the need to drink.

"Methods have to be put in place to curb underage drinking on campus," she said.

Thursday Feb 25 NY Times

It truly is scary the way that the world is now preparing themselves for earthquakes. Seeing the devastation in Haiti, countries are now preparing for what would happen if an earthquake happened to hit their country. We wonder if it is going to be a a continuous streak of earthquakes or if the earthquake in Haiti is the end of it. As much as I hoped that the paper would interest me more than yesterday's did, I find myself unable to connect to many of the headlines. Everything seems very negative, rather than positive news that perhaps we need in a time like this.

Wednesday Feb 24 NY times

I was very surprised by the anti-smoking article in France. I looked up the pictures of the ads, and frankly, I don't know if they are doing their job. Equalizing smoking with sexual submission, while a scary concept, isn't the kind of message that would go the farthest in promoting anti-smoking. Maybe it will work on the French youth by making smoking seem like something that only naive people do, but it is pretty offensive. This day's paper for me was overall just okay, with relatively interesting stories, but nothing new that really caught my eye. I'm hoping that tomorrow's paper is better.

Tuesday Feb 23 NY Times

For once, news on Obama's healthcare caught my attention in a positive way, not a negative way. It's good to see something that seems like it actually might make a difference by tackling it head on. The front page article about the drug fight had a great delayed lead- "For the melanoma patients who signed on to try a drug known as PLX4032" the clinical trial was a last resort. Their bodies were riddled with tumors, leaving theme almost certainly just months to live" It continues on to use personal stories to tell the story about these people who have suddenly recovered because of this certain drug. More articles on Haiti continue, now covering the issue of missing limbs. I wonder at what point the news on Haiti will die out. I also found the article about the gay broadway show extremely interesting and relevant. Most of the time, the news covers political aspects of homosexuality, rather than what it really is about, which is love. I'm glad to see that the paper and broadway shows are both covering this issue

17-Year-Old Saves Man from Oncoming Train

For James Laboke, a 17-year-old Sudanese refugee, his daily walk to work is usually nothing out of the ordinary. Today however, was a different story.

At 6 a.m. Laboke came upon a stalled car on the railroad tracks with an unconscious man slumped over the steering wheel. According to a police report, he pounded on the window, but received no response. Without a cell phone, Laboke ran the 100 yards to the police station, reporting what he had seen.

A mile away from the railroad, Captain Janet Paradiso received a call on her radio about the stranded vehicle. As she arrived, she heard the train’s whistle. Before the train could intercept them, she rammed her police cruiser into the 1987 pink Cadillac Seville and pushed it from the tracks. Thirty seconds later, the Amtrak train passed through, travelling at about 40 miles per hour.

“When this baby gets up a head of steam, it takes a mile to stop her,” said the conductor of the oncoming train, Shirley Temple. Worried for her passenger’s safety if she chose to slam on the brakes, she could only watch in horror as the train neared the trapped vehicle. “I had a lump in my throat watching the whole thing.”

The man in the car was 80-year-old Francois Truffaut, a tourist from Quebec City. "I don't remember a thing," he said later from a hospital bed aat Southern Maine Medical Center.

He was listed in stable condition. Truffaut, a diabetic, is said to have gone into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing. He has been coming to old Orchard Beach since he was a child.

As for the Laboke, community members are not shocked at his display of bravery. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Charles Champaigne, Laboke’s boss at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”

Asked about his heroism, Laboke said, “I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

Amtrak was not available for comment. “I’m just glad everything worked out okay,” said Temple.

Tourist Saved by Oncoming Train

Today, 80-year-old tourist Francois Trufaut, unconscious behind the wheel, was saved from an oncoming train by Janet Paradiso, a police officer who pushed his car out of the way just in time.

“I knew there was no time. I had to do something,” said Paradiso.

At 6 a.m, James Laboke, a local teenager, found Trufaut’s car stalled on the tracks, according to a police report. The young man, who doesn’t own a cell phone, ran the 100 yards to the police station. He reported an unconscious man, locked doors, and a running engine, all in the way of the daily Amtrak train, called the Downeaster.

A mile away from the railroad, Paradiso received a call on the radio about the stranded vehicle. As she arrived, she heard the train’s whistle. Before the train could intercept them, she rammed her police cruiser into Trufaut’s 1987 pink Cadillac Seville and pushed it from the tracks. Thirty seconds later, the train passed through, travelling at 40 miles per hour.

Truffaut said later from a hospital bed at Southern Main Medical Center: “I don’t remember a thing.” He was listed in stable condition. Trufaut, a diabetic, is said to have gone into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing. He has been coming to old Orchard Beach since he was a child.

As for the young man who alerted the police about Trufaunt, community members are not shocked. “It doesn’t surprise me at all,” said Charles Champaigne, Laboke’s boss at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”

Later, asked about his heroism, Laboke said, “I never thought about it. I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

New York Times 2/16

I am surprised that with all this coverage on Haiti, that it hasn't become an over covered topic, at least for me. The new angles of the story that the Times is coming up with makes it a rounder, more whole of a story. Rather than just reporting stories about one other family that was rescued, or one other child that is now orphaned, which of course, we feel sorry for, but after a while, it is not a story anymore. The Times, today covering the missionaries who have come to Haiti, have found a new angle that is still relevant, but not hackneyed. I think that revisiting a story is necessary, as long as there is a new angle, and it isn't the same story over and over.

New York Times 2/15

I was especially interested in both the articles about the shooting in Alabama, and the surge of medical schools across the country, mostly because they both affect me in some way as a college student. I think that the opening of medical schools is a very smart idea, especially since they are trying to balance American medicine compared to the rest of the world. I thought they set up the story very well- using a personal anecdote of Peter Allen. The lead was intriguing too- "Peter Allen applied to 30 medical schools after graduating from the University of Pittsburg last year. Twenty-eight said no." They then zoomed out to the bigger picture and what is being done about this problem, and the two schools that Allen was accepted to.

A Cappella Rejects Form Own Group

The story of “Off the Clef”, UNH’s newest coed a cappella group seems something straight from a Hollywood script. A group of rejects band together to form their own group, ultimately triumphing over the same people who denied them.

Rejected from the other a cappella groups on campus, the six originating members of “Off the Clef” decided that if they couldn’t join the other a cappella groups, then they would just start their own. Armed with an out of tune piano, the pioneers of “Off the Clef” met for the first time in the basement of Jessie Doe, a dorm on campus.

“I tried out for the other a cappella groups and did not get in, so I got together with a friend who had also been rejected and we decided we wanted to form our own group,” said Phoebe Bonaparte- Krogh,the musical director of the group. “I was already in concert choir but I wanted another outlet for singing.”

“Off the Clef” just recently held auditions for new members. In their informational meeting beforehand, they stressed their goal of being officially recognized on campus. “It’s really hard to jump into the whole performing realm because first you need built up a repertoire and that takes time,” said Bonaparte-Krogh. The group hopes that their establishment will lead to various gigs in the area, including benefit shows, dorm socials, retirement homes, local schools, and opening for other performers. They are also hoping that when the group is official, they will have access to practice space inside the MUB, rather than their cramped practice space in a lounge in Serc B.

Being on the other side of the audition process was certainly odd for the members. The group wanted “Off the Clef” to be more open than the other a cappella groups, and felt for the singers they could not take, since they had been on the rejected side. However, in the case of an a cappella group this size, balance is extremely important. Since “Off the Clef” is still struggling to recruit basses for their group, they were forced to take only 2 girls from the 30+ that auditioned.

“Off the Clef” describes it’s style as different from the other a cappella groups, performing spirituals, show tunes, and African songs in addition to the common folk and pop songs performed by cappella groups. The groups went through several names before deciding on “Off the Clef”, including “Low Key”, until they realized another New England group already went by that name. “We’re hoping it implies a certain ‘off the cliff greatness’ tone,” Bonaparte-Krough said.

With the establishment of “Off the Clef”, UNH will have 6 a cappella groups on campus including two all female, two all male, and now, two coed. A cappella groups have become very popular on college campuses across the country, with groups singing and beat-boxing to simulate the voices and instruments involved in producing a song, often with individual harmonies. “Off the Clef” performed an arrangement of “Build me a Buttercup” by the Foundations for the group hopefuls during the information session on Wednesday.

Although the group has had several struggles getting started, it has only added to the excitement and dedication of continuing the group’s existence. They have received help from the other a cappella groups on campus in many aspects of running a group like this, and look forward to performing in gigs with them.

As for how the established a cappella groups on campus feel about the emergence of these newcomers, Bonaparte-Krogh responded, “There’s somewhat of a note in the air, no pun intended, of people waiting to see how we’ll measure up; hopefully we won’t let anyone down.”

New York Times 2/11

The headline about a Chicagoan's difficulty in retrieving his family from Haiti immediately caught my eye. Sometimes I don't think that the American public realizes how close to home this earthquake in Haiti really is, and it adds another angle to the story that Americans can more easily identify with when it is an actual American who is returning home to save his family. I was very surprised at the ariel photos of 9/11 being shown now- we feel like we've gotten all the news that is available, and to have pictures that are so vivid released 9 years after they were taken brings the reader right back to how they felt when they first saw the photos. I was curious why it took them so long to release them though. I also found the headline regarding Obama's "gambles" in a bid to defuse nuclear standoff with Iran. I feel like the journalist who wrote this definitely knew that the word "gambles" attached to something about nuclear power would be something most people would read, since it is so gripping

New York Times 2/10

The Times today was filled with various articles, some very pressing, but others, not so much. Canada's quest for an Olympic medal, although an interesting story, seemed out of place on the front page. There was an excellent lead in the article about long term care hospitals- "No one at the hospital noticed that Tina Bell-Jackman was dying" I was especially interested in the Michelle Obama article regarding childhood obesity and school reforms to bring it down. I think that this is rather important. Although parents should be teaching their children how to make healthy food choices, obviously, there has been some slack somewhere, and Michelle Obama is tackling a very big issue by pushing the schools to pick up the slack.

Local Teens In Car Crash (Practice Article)

Monday evening, three local teenagers were involved in a car accident on Mile Hill Rd.

The three teenagers were speeding down the unlit dirt road when they turned a corner, swerved of the road, hit an embankment, and flipped the car over onto its roof.

“I’ve never seen a car going so fast on this road. It’s a dirt road and it’s really easy to lose control,” said Josie M. Crandall, a resident on Mile Hill Rd who witnessed the accident.

17-year-old Tom Carrol Jr. was driving behind the mustang when the car suddenly sped ahead around a curve. The next time he saw it, it was on its roof. He was the first on the scene.

“I thought the worse,” Carroll said. “They were flying” While talking to the police, Carroll revealed that he saw at least three empty Budweiser beer cans on the ground, along with a blue Gor-Tex rain parka.

According to Lt. Judith Barkus of the Belmont Police Dept, driver of the car has been identified as 17-year-old Jamie Peterson, although the names of the other two female passengers are still unknown. Peterson managed to crawl out of the car on his own. Rescuers on the scene had to resort to using the Jaws of Life in order to free the passengers of the car. The victims were taken to Memorial Hospital in Belmont, where one is in stable condition. The other was airlifted to Mass. General Hospital in Boston.

“It’s hard to see kids your age in something like this. You realize when you see it what could happen, especially on this road,” Carroll commented.

Mile Hill Rd. has a history of dangerous car accidents. On Christmas Eve in 1998, there were two people involved in a fatal crash in the same spot.

New York Times

Monday February 8
The Afghani article was a very refreshing article about Afghanistan. Usually it is all about what mayhem is happing in that country or how many troops we're sending there, but this article makes Afghanistan seem more human. I was especially interested in the article about the fast track program to get high schoolers to go to college, since I was in college myself, the headline immediately caught my attention. However, I was not in the least interested in the front page article about the summit on healthcare- the subject of healthcare, although important, seems very hackneyed and over-covered in the news, and I frankly have stopped caring about the small minor developments in the bringing about of healthcare. Overall, a very interesting paper with an array of topics.

Hundreds Honor Fallen Soldier

This weekend, the Plymouth community came together to honor the life of Private First Class Marc Decoteau, a 19 year old Waterville Valley resident who was killed last week in Afghanistan.

The service was held at the Plymouth Regional High School gym, chairs squeezed together on the gym floor, and the bleachers filled with mourners sitting shoulder to shoulder. The sounds of sniffling and stifled sobs were omnipresent throughout the service.

Those who spoke had only good things to say about Marc, whether they were childhood friends or superiors in the army.

“He always had an infectious, happy atmosphere around him, even in the worst of times. It was impossible to be sad around him,” said Sgt. Marshall B. Howington, Decoteau's psychological operations team leader in Afghanistan.

“In any time of situation, awkward or serious he would make it enjoyable. No matter who you were or how much he knew you he would make your day with a joke or impression,” says friend, Jenn Reals. “I think people will miss this unique mix of charisma, dedication, humor, seriousness and good spirit.”

Decoteau, deployed only three weeks before his death, was killed January 29 at the hands of a disgruntled interpreter, reportedly discontent with his pay.

The heavily attended funeral was followed by a reflection period for Decoteau’s family and friends. An assortment of all of Decoteau’s favorite foods were served, from everything from McDonald’s french fries to Reeses puffs, while friends stood onstage and shared their favorite memories.

Decoteau was a very involved student during his time at Plymouth Regional, playing football, lacrosse, and participating in theatre. At the service, Howington, in praise of Marc said, “his potential as a soldier and a human being were unfathomable.”

According to Decoteau’s family burial arrangements will be held in the spring.

UNH Orgs Direct Their Efforts Towards Haiti

It may be over 1,700 miles away, but to these two organizations at UNH, relief efforts for the earthquake in Haiti have become a top priority.

Improv Anonymous, the school’s only improv comedy troupe, and the Kappa Delta sorority have certainly not wasted any time in directing their efforts towards Haiti.

“In light of the recent events in Haiti, we believe they need as much help as possible with relief efforts,” commented Mallory Izbicki, the chapter’s vice president of community service. For the next week, the sorority is selling red ribbons in the MUB for a dollar each, donating the proceeds to the Red Cross. Kappa Delta, which strives to achieve community involvement and service, intends to not only raise money for Haiti, but awareness as well.

This view is shared by Andrew Mitchell, senior member of Improv Anonymous.

“It seems that some of the coverage in Haiti is beginning to dissipate as the weeks go on. However, it is obviously still a huge problem,” Mitchell explained.

Improv Anonymous, widely popular on campus for their weekly comedy shows, performed in a benefit this Thursday for Haiti. Four hundred UNH students attended, the largest audience in Improv Anonymous history.

“Our organization is lucky enough to have a massive fan base here at UNH,” Mitchell commented before the show. “Our troupe believes they will come out in full force!”

Improv Anonymous raised over a thousand dollars Thursday night. That, combined with Kappa Delta’s efforts, will certainly make a difference to Haiti relief efforts. But the work doesn’t stop there.

“We’re also hoping that clean up and rebuilding efforts can begin as soon as possible,” Izbicki states. “Some girls have even been talking about going to help rebuild during spring break and when school gets out in the spring!”