Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Chief Coyle cites Newtown as reason for the second school resource officer.
Three months after the horrific school shootings in Newtown, Conn., the landscape for police in schools has changed. A year ago, the Town Council and School Committee were debating whether or not they could afford one full-time school resource officer. This budget year, Police Chief Tom Coyle has asked for a second full-time SRO. "We're looking at it," said Town Manager Bill Sequino after the Town Council meeting Monday night. The Fiscal Year 2014 budget is under review now. It will be presented to the Town Council by April 1 and will go before the voters at the Financial Town Meeting in June. "The reason would be because of Newtown," Coyle said of the additional SRO. "Because of our schools – I say seven, I count OLM because we go there …
Thursday, January 17, 2013
The lockdown drill at Hanaford Wednesday was the district's first since the shootings in Newtown.
The lockdown drill at Hanaford Elementary School started like this: Principal Beth Cauley's voice over the intercom saying, "There is an emergency. Lockdown is in effect." Then there was the sound of doors shutting. Just that. No voices. No footsteps. It was only a drill, but it was the first lockdown drill since the shooting rampage at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., left 20 young students and 6 adult staff members dead. Because of that, Cauley had warned students, staff and parents (via email) about the drill. She visited every class on Tuesday and answered questions from students – questions like, "What if I'm in the bathroom?" and "What if we're outside?" She had answers for them. If a child is in the bathroom at the start of…
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George R. Hanaford Elementary School
200 Middle Rd, East Greenwich, RI
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Bob Houghtaling's take on gun ownership.
I shouldn’t have a gun. Under the present rules it’s an absurdity for me go into a store, undergo a bit of a background check and then come back, in a few weeks, to pick up my spanking new firearm. If someone were to check my background they would find no criminal record. They would also find no mental illness or involvement in violent activities. I’ll pass any drug screenings given to me. In fact, I don’t even drink any alcoholic beverages. Still, there is no way that I should be able to get a gun so easily. I have been a counselor for close to 35 years. In addition to my employment with the Town of East Greenwich, I have also worked at Ocean Tides (with juvenile offenders), as a Consultant to the R.I. State Training School and as the …
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Bob Houghtaling enters the gun control discussion.
Since the awful events that occurred in Newtown, Conn., the issue of gun control has taken center stage. It seems as though just about everyone has an interpretation of the 2nd Amendment along with an opinion about arming teachers, additional police officers in schools and bans on assault weapons. There are those who assert that “guns don’t kill people – people do (kill people).” It all makes for interesting debate. I have heard that between 9,000 and 10,000 people die due to firearms per year. (Whoops, I’m sorry – due to people misusing firearms). The United States leads the civilized world (by a wide margin) regarding such deaths. Recently the president of the NRA blamed video games for much of the problem. I guess now, guns don’t kill …
Monday, December 24, 2012
About 150 people come to EGHS to "send their well wishes of peace and love" to the people of Newtown, Connecticut.
East Greenwich, R.I. – It has been hard to know how to respond to the unspeakable loss suffered by Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14 beyond teddy bear drives and Facebook posts. But, motivated by her many personal connections to Newtown, East Greenwich resident Wendy Schmidle had a vision – to organize a giant photo op of the people of EG to send to the people of Newtown. She thought of it as a way for East Greenwich residents to be able to, in her words, "send their well wishes of peace and love to Newtown." Schmidle contacted EG Patch because she knew there was a Patch site in Newtown where the photo could be shared. The plans came together quickly with the EG Fire District agreeing to help by sending photographer Jeff Stevens up in the …
Sunday, December 23, 2012
The event Thursday featured teens, school and town officials, and music – all in an effort to
It began with a bagpiper and ended with everyone holding a single candle. Powerful stuff. But that's what organizers Bob Houghtaling and Jean Ann Guliano felt was needed in the days following the horrific shootings in Newtown, Conn. The event Thursday evening at St. Luke's Church feature school and town officials, including Town Council President Michael Isaacs, Police Chief Thomas Coyle, and Eldredge Principal Dominic Giuisti. Pat Flanagan, a pediatrician at Hasbro Children's Hospital, also spoke. Teens introduced each of the speakers, and provided music for the evening. About 60 people turned out. Bob Houghtaling read a poem he'd written about Newtown. It is printed below. There's one more chance to respond to Newtown – a community …
Saturday, December 22, 2012
We are meeting at EGHS's Carcieri Field at 12 noon.
East Greenwich has a opportunity to send a big gift to the people of Newtown, Conn., tomorrow when we gather at the high school at 12 noon for a giant group photo. We will stand in the shape of a heart and photographer Jeff Stevens will take the photo from atop an EGFD ladder truck! The idea came to EG resident (and IT manager for the Town) Wendy Schmidle, who's husband grew up in Newtown. She thought this would be a way for all of us to show Newtown that we are thinking of them. If you'd like to wear green and white, the school colors of Sandy Hook Elementary, go for it! So, please, take a bit of your Sunday and come on over to the EGHS. We will try to move quickly so everyone can quickly resume their shopping, prepping, or football …
What we love and loathe about living in East Greenwich this week.
RAVE: It turns out that I needed to be at several of our public schools just days after the Newtown shooting massacre. What struck me almost immediately was that it was mostly business as usual. Obviously, the administrators and teachers were taking more stringent precautions, but in a way that did not make school – which is, after all, the place that our children spend most of their time, a place to fear or hate (at least no more than usual). In the midst of our fear and sadness, the ramped up safety drills and increased security measures, the moments of silence and the anxiety, it is easy to lose sight of the environment all parents ... all adults want to create for children: not just a world where you can go to school, to the mall, to …
Your guide for life in East Greenwich today, Dec. 22.
Story Hour at Symposium Books: Children (and their adults) are invited to Story Hour at Symposium Books. Every week they pick a new story and read it to the kids with animal crackers and fun. Favorite stories are "No Matter What" and "Jungle Explorer." Come early and help pick the story, and better yet, there is a 10 percent additional discount on everything in the store during story hour! 11:30 a.m. Brass Concert at Lutheran Church: The Greenwich Bay Brass will perform following tonight’s evening service at the First Evangelical Lutheran Church. They will be playing various seasonal pieces with “Brass Sing-a-Long” selections with audience participation. The Greenwich Bay Brass has been together in various forms since 2006. It began as a …
Friday, December 21, 2012
In the wake of the Newtown shootings a week ago, plans are beginning to take shape to review safety procedures at all EG schools, preschools and daycares.
Our Lady of Mercy School, the only K-8 private school in East Greenwich, is reviewing its safety procedures just as the EG public schools are doing in the wake of last week's devastating shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. According to OLM Principal Sister Jeanne Barry, R.S.M., the school already had many things in place, including a buzzer at the front door, and it follows the state's dictate of 15 drills a year. "We follow all the state regulations," said Barry. "We’ve had a buzzer there for years and the doors [to the outside] are kept locked." The front door at OLM has a camera trained on it but no intercom – a problem on a rainy day, when people might be wearing hoods, she said. "With the intercom, we could …
Jack Baillargeron
10:01 pm on Tuesday, January 15, 2013
On the other hand. When you wrote this post, did you not think there would be another side to this, or do you think only your opinion is all people should follow? Why are you getting upset that some has an opposing view of what you wrote? You do realize that taking the rights from honest law abiding citizens is tyranny right? There in no logical reasoning that doing that will prevent those who … more ›