Soaking wet on the job.

Yesterday I spent plenty of time outdoors.

Oh, and it rained 3 inches yesterday, mostly in the morning.

Me and 240 kids were outside for Envirothon. We were in the rain until the event was canceled.

Here’s us:

Touring Boston

Photo from: http://travel.aol.com/travel-guide/united-states/massachusetts/boston-photo-city-of-boston-pid-5945951/

Yesterday, 89 Midd-West High School seniors left on their senior class trip to Boston. They wouldn’t say exactly where they were going for security reasons, but said they are planning a weekend full of educational and fun activities.

I’ve never been to Boston.

I’ve been around Boston – I’ve been to the Cape, Salem, Plymouth, etc. – but never actually into the city. I think there’s just so much to do in New England, I think I’ve just never  really thought about what I’ve been missing, per se.

So yesterday made me curious to see what there is to do in Boston – a city many have described as “Boston strong” since the tragedy at the Marathon more than a week ago.

Here’s what I found from USA Today:

• The Freedom Trail: Journey back to Revolutionary Boston by exploring the Freedom Trail’s 16 locations.
• Fenway Park: The Boston Red Sox play in historic Fenway Park, the oldest Major League ballpark still in use. [Note: I'm a Yankees fan .... so..... ]
• Duck Tour: The best way to see the city, according to the American Red Cross, is from aboard one of Boston Duck Tours’ amphibious, World War II-style vehicles. You’ll pass through Boston’s most noteworthy neighborhoods and landmarks before taking a splash into the Charles River. [Note: I have been on Miami's Duck Tour, and loved it]
• Institute of Contemporary Art: The Institute of Contemporary Art’s cantilevered building, completed in 2006, is one of Boston’s most recognizable structures according to AOL Travel, which ranks it — and its glass elevator — among the city’s top attractions.
• New England Aquarium: Atop AOL Travel’s best Boston activities list is the New England Aquarium, which features penguins, sharks, sea turtles and jelly fish. Hold sea stars and hermit crabs in the touch tank or be dazzled by the 3D programming at the Simons IMAX Theatre, the largest screen in New England.
• John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum: AOL Travel and the American Red Cross deem the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum a must-see. View the 35th president’s ship model collection and outfits worn by first lady Jacquelin. You can also relive the 1960 presidential campaign and the space race Kennedy so fervently supported.
• Museum of Fine Arts
• Prudential Building’s Skywalk Observatory: The ultimate view of Boston, says the American Red Cross, is from the Skywalk Observatory on the 50 floor of the Prudential Building.
• Museum of Science: Not to be missed, according to the American Red Cross, is the Museum of Science, which offers live presentations and 700 exhibits on the natural and physical sciences and various technologies.
• Boston Public Garden: According to AOL Travel, a stroll through Boston’s Public Garden, the oldest botanical garden in the country, is perfect for visitors seeking relaxation.

“Bubble Gun” story goes viral

An incident first reported in the Daily Item has officially gone viral.

Numerous news outlets – including The Huffington Post, the New York Daily News, ABCNews (and GMA) and FOX News just to name a few – picked up on the story of a young girl suspended after “threatening” her friends with a Hello Kitty bubble gun (similar to the one pictured).

[Note: The Huffington Post article cites and links to the Daily Item coverage too!]

The school says she made legitimate threats; her mother and lawyer say she’s just a 5-year-old girl saying things that she doesn’t fully understand.

The story has attracted numerous reactions, both in support of the young girl and the school, with both sides citing recent events – some saying that school shootings have left the public oversensitive, while others say you can’t be too careful these days.

A Facebook post we did on the subject got 94 comments.

So now, the question is, what do you think?

School security changing

Associated Press file photo

School security is changing – and here in the Valley we have examples of all kinds:

• In Milton, they’re considering re-instating a school resource officer in the middle of the first school year since 1999 without one.
• In Shamokin, they’re installing metal detectors.
• In Line Mountain, they want to allow teachers to carry guns
• In other districts, they’re not sure.

Read more about all of this on dailyitem.com.

I’ve been covering this topic and I’m all kinds of torn up about how schools should proceed.

I like the idea of school resource officers, but that costs a lot of money, and, as was pointed out after the NRA’s call for more armed guards in schools, Columbine had one.

However, I’m not sure MORE guns in schools is what we really need. What kind of example is that setting?

So I’m asking for what you think – how can we make schools safer?

2012 review: What the Valley was talking about

2012 has been a doozy, but now it’s on to bigger and better things – I hope!

Here’s a look through my eyes at some of the biggest stories in our area for 2012:

• Fresh on  everyone’s mind is that fiscal cliff. It’s all we could talk about heading up to the end of the year. Here’s a look back at some Daily Item coverage of the issue.
• School districts made big news this year as budget cuts continued to impact everyone. The Warrior Run school district, in particular, saw some troubles with both their budget and teacher contract negotiations.
• But people really came together to honor those that were tragically taken from us and honor their memories - like at the Kirk and Mayson Mahaffey Memorial Ride in September.
• Reality television contiuned to amaze us – but recent shows highlighting Pennsylvania’s Amish populations were blasted by experts.
• We also got reports of Bigfoot in the region – maybe this could lead to some big news in 2013…..

What were your big stories of the year?

Bonus photos: Warrior Run SB crowd

Here’s some crowd shots from the Warrior Run school board last night.

Things got really heated and  culminated in a walk out by teachers. In addition to teachers, many in the crowd were students.

I was surprised by just how many students there were … I would say at least 20-25.

Here’s my coverage of the meeting.

Were you there? What did you think?

Art at Midd-West

Yesterday, I visited Midd-West High School to talk about raising money to bring in an artist in residence.

Budget cuts have cut funding for the program.

They’ve had an artist-in-residence come to the school during the past two years, and created some cool projects – like these low-relief sculptures which hang in the school’s lobby:

They’re made from several different materials, including old books. Very neat.

On the way back from the interview, we were thinking about other art projects that could be in schools that wouldn’t cost too much. Statutes are expensive, but maybe one that the students create using recycled materials?

What do you think? How would you decorate a school?

Bonus Photo: Rockwell’s chalkboard floor

Yesterday, I visited Rockwell Retirement Center, which is located in the former middle and high school building on Turbot Avenue in Milton.

The owners are committed to reducing their environmental impact, and that included reusing building materials from the school when the center opened in 1989.

Here’s the proof:

The black tiles are made from the chalkboards used in the former building! They were polished and coated to make them more durable.

That is some cool design and a nice homage to the building’s past.