Thursday, December 20, 2012
In North Reading, you can drop off donated teddy bears at Cervizzi's Martial Arts on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
Two Lynnfield teachers have launched a project to bring comfort to children in Newtown, Connecticut following last week’s mass killing. You can contribute by donating a teddy bear in North Reading. Emily and Elizabeth Donnellan were featured Tuesday night in a report on WBZ talking about the “Teddy Bears for Newtown” project where they are working with the local newspaper in that town to distribute the bears to local children. They reportedly plan to drive down to Newtown Saturday with the donated bears. More information, including drop off places, can be found on the Teddy Bears for Newtown Facebook page. In North Reading, Cervizzi’s Martial Arts on Washington Street is accepting donated teddy bears between 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. until …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. …
A special post office box has been established for those wishing to send condolences to Newtown, CT.
The following text was provided by the U.S. Postal Service. NEWTOWN, CT—The U.S. Postal Service has established a unique Post Office Box to allow the public to send condolences to those affected by the tragedy in Newtown CT last week. Those who wish to send expressions of comfort should address them to: Messages of Condolence for Newtown PO Box 3700 Newtown, CT 06470 “We understand that there is an outpouring of support for everyone in the Newtown area and we hope to make it easier for those who wish to send encouragement and messages of compassion to those affected,” said Kimberly J. Peters, Connecticut Valley District Manager for the U.S. Postal Service, adding, “Through letters and cards, families will be able to hold that friendship…
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Find out what local officials had to say about the shooting in Newtown.
In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy at Sandy Hook School Friday, we asked local officials how they would let a parent know if something like this happened in Reading or North Reading and if they had plans in place. Here are their responses. According to Superintendent John F. Doherty, "We have an emergency notification system called Connect Ed that allows us to send voice, email, or text message to all of our families in less than five minutes. We have used it several times in the past for school cancellations and other emergencies. Each school and the district have updated safety plans. In addition, we have several emergency drills during the school year to make sure that we carry out those plans appropriately. We work very closely …
People all over the world want to know how to help Sandy Hook residents following Friday's horrifying mass shooting. Post "I want to help" in this comment thread to get updates on what you can do.
- NEWS
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy at Sandy Hook School Friday people from all over the world—in Massachusetts, California, Canada and much farther away in Australia and India—sent an outpouring of support and want to know how they can help. Newtown Patch will continue to update this article with ways to help—posting updates to the story as well as in the comments thread, triggering an email notification to commenters. Already the United Way of Western Connecticut, in partnership with Newtown Savings Bank, created the Sandy Hook School Support Fund to help provide support services to the families and community that are affected. Check donations may be mailed to: Sandy Hook School Support Fund c/o Newtown Savings Bank 39 Main Street…
Friday, December 14, 2012
Strategies for talking and listening to your children about the news, and a confidential 24-hour hotline for anyone experiencing psychological distress.
- NEWS
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Friday, December 14, 2012
In the wake of the Newtown, CT shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Reading and North Reading parents may find their children hearing about the tragedy or seeing it on the news and find themselves in a difficult discussion. For parents seeking guidance on how to address the tragedy with their own children, if it comes up, PBS has an article with flexible suggestions for answering kids' questions about the news. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also has a 24-hour hotline dedicated to providing disaster crisis counseling at 1-800-985-5990 or by texting "TalkWithUs" to 66746. The hotline is open to U.S. residents who are experiencing psychological distress as a result of a natural or man-made …
Joe Veno
6:00 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
God bless all of you. more ›