Wild Turkey Crashes Into Home

In Mishicot, Wisconsin, Heidi Herrera said that she was watching television with her daughter in her bedroom when a wild turkey came barging through the window. Heidi got her daughter and dog safetly into another room, and when she went out to see where the wild bird had gone it was in the kitchen. When she approached it, it ran out of the front door and down the street leaving feathers, blood, and glass all over the house. Wildlife Biologist, Aaron Buchholz explained to Heidi that turkeys cannot see glass and it probably thought that it could fly right through the bedroom when it crashed.



Source:
<http://www.wfsb.com/news/19608623/detail.html>

One Car Crash That Split Car In Half

On Monday Morning in Trumbull, three teenagers were rushed to Bridgeport Hospital after a serious car crash. Police said that the accident happened at about 1:30am when the car slid and hit a tree. The red coupe that was involved in the car was split in two, with the engine on one side of the median and the rest of the car on the other side. The crash left one lane of the Route 8 north, closed for about four hours after the fact. Lucas Ananias, who was in the car, suffered serious injuries and was take to the Bridgeport Emergency Hospital and brought into the operating room, but there is no other information his condition. Douglas Onori, 18, suffered internal injuries and Saudy Ramirez, 17, suffered from injuries to the face. Police say that the three individuals injuries are not life-threatening. Police are still investigating the crash, but so far they say that speed was definitely a big factor.



Source:
<http://www.wfsb.com/teendriving/19558148/detail.html>

Students Clean Up New Haven

Today, from 9:30am till 12:30pm, students are volunteering for their community at a New Haven park cleaning up the trash and learning about how if effects the environment. Students, parents, and faculty from the Barnard Environmental Studies Magnet School are helping in the 2nd Annual West River Memorial Park clean up, and the students will also have to write a report about the information they learned. The Regional Water Authority, The Department of Parks Recreation and Trees and Precision Wash and Dry will help too by donating tools and food to all the helpers through out the day. With all kinds of gardening equipment they will surely make the park look its best.



Source:http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/news_wtnh_students_clean_up_new_haven_park_200905300604

RHAM Students Visit Hill-Stead

Last Tuesday, about 30 RHAM students took a field trip to the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT. Originally, the Hill-Stead was a manor house for the well-to-do Pope family in the early and mid 1900's. In her will, Theodate Pope requested that the house and grounds be converted into a museum for the public. Students saw the many pieces of authentic classic art at the museum as well as the vast manor grounds. Monet's "Little Dancers" and several other well-known pieces of art are located in the museum, including works by Manet and Whistler. After taking a guided tour of the house, students ate a French-inspired lunch, including baguettes, several kinds of cheese, and olives. Then, some explored the gardens and grounds while others drew the landscape around them.

The field trip was co-sponsored by the French and Art departments, with students from both areas going on the trip together.

Win For RHAM Boys Lacrosse Team

The RHAM boys lacrosse team won their last game at home on Thursday evening. The game was played at RHAM high school at 6 pm against Woodstock Academy. The final score was 12-2 in favor of RHAM. It was a good way for the Sachems to end their season. The freshman lacrosse team played as well winning 13-10. Colin Davis was the top scorer with 6 goals.

New Zealand Toddler Shocks Parents

On May 22 in Wellington, New Zealand, a mom was bidding on the internet when she proceeded to go lie down. Soon after, her three year old daughter began to bid and ended up purchasing an earth moving digger for $12,300. She had made the winning bid on the auction site (TradeMe) while her parents were asleep. The mother, Sarah Quinlin says that she previously had made bids on toy sets and just assumed her daughter purchased a toy digger. Quinlan then promptly gave the auction site a call and explained what had happened. The site reimbursed the costs of the seller and the digger was relisted. " Quinlan quotes "...and it was the shock of my life."



source: http://www.courant.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-as-odd-new-zealand-big-toy,0,1640986.story

H1N1 Update

As of today, Wednesday May 27, 2009, there have been 8 more reported cases of swine flu in Connecticut added to the 149 total in state. These cases were in Stamford, Weston, Southington, Bridgeport, Easton, Hamden, Redding, and Sherman. None of these cases have needed hospitalization.



Source: http://www.wtnh.com/dpp/news/health/news_wtnh_swineflu_200905271510

"When the Wind Blows" Music Review

AAR, also known as the All American Rejects, have been a successful musical group in recent years. Their album, "Move Along," brought them great fame and success. But the creation of their third album, "When the World Comes Down," was a challenge to create. "After the success of "Move Along," we felt an innate need to challenge ourselves to grow. And to challenge our fans to grow with us," said one of the bands members. In order to meet expectations the band locked themselves in remote cabins and took long bus trips. They were trying to recreate situations from the past that resulted in fame and success.

The All American Reject's newest single, "When the Wind Blows," has a different feel from most of the band's other songs. It speaks of love and loss. But lead singer Tyson Ritter says "I got to breathe You can't take that from me." The message of the is that a broken heart will heal and a loved one can't take everything from you. Althought the lyrics were meaningful, the song did not live up to the potential of the band. I would rate the song a 3 out of 5 (5 being the best).

Box Office Kings

Here is an update on this past weekend at the American box office. The summer has just begun, and the war for the title of Box Office King has just begun. In a battle of the titans, Ben Stiller's family comedy sequel Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian terminated Christian Bale's science fiction reboot Terminator Salvation. Following up at a close third and fourth, last week's winners Star Trek and Angels & Demons held their own this past weekend. Coming up this weekend, we will see Disney's new animated film Up and Sam Raimi's horror-thriller Drag Me to Hell.



1.Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009)- $53.5Million



2.Terminator Salvation (2009)- $43Million



3.Star Trek (2009)- $22Million



4.Angels & Demons (2009)- $21.4Million



5.Dance Flick (2009)- $11.1Million



6.X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)- $7.8Million



7.Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)- $3.72Million



8.Obsessed (2009)- $2Million



9.Monsters vs Aliens (2009)- $1.34Million



10.17 Again (2009)- $1Million



For more information, please visit www.imdb.com

End of the Death Penalty?

Early Friday May 22, 2009 the Connecticut state Senate made a close decision to abolish the death penalty in the State of Connecticut. Eight days after the Connecticut House of Representatives approved the bill by a 90-56 vote, the state Senate 19-17 vote came at 4:11 a.m., after nearly 11 hours of heated debate at the state capital. Now, the bill faces the final decision of Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell. Governor Rell has stated on numerous occasions that she is a strong supporter of capital punishment. Supporter of the abolition claim it as a matter of even being necessary. One criminal has been executed in the State of Connecticut over the last 49 years, serial killer Michael Ross - who insisted on being executed. Only time will tell if this bill will survive, or will be shot down by Governor Rell. Updates will follow.

For more information, please visit http://www.courant.com/

Manchester Police Arrest Man on Drug Charges

Lenworth Grant, a 26 year old man of 6 Goslee Drive, Manchester was arrested on six felony warrants earlier this week. Grant is facing multiple drug charges for the alleged sale of crack cocaine to an undercover officer.

Grant's car was stopped on Wednesday on I-291 by officers with the East Central Narcotics Task Force. According to Courant.com, "Police also searched Grant's apartment, where they said they found crack cocaine, marijuana and other items related to selling drugs.Grant was charged with possession of crack cocaine and marijuana, sale of crack cocaine and five other charges."

Grant is currently being held on $350,000 bail.

Another person who lives at the same address, Cassandra Tambling, 22, was also charged with possession of both crack and marijuana and released on $5,000 bail.

A third person, a 17-year-old female, whose name was not released because of her age, was also arrested and released on $2,500 bail.

Music Trip to New York City

On Wednesday May 20th, students from the RHAM High School band and chorus took a trip to New York City to see the play "Wicked" on Broadway. Also, the students went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, and before that had some free time to walk around and see what they wanted to see.


"Wicked" was an astonishing show with extraordinary music, an amazing storyline, and an amazing cast to make it all happen. It was a story about how the Wicked Witch of the West, from the Wizard of Oz, came to be and what her life was like before she became the Witch. It also explains why and for what reasons she became the Wicked Witch. The show left the audience speechless and the students enjoyed the show very much.

After seeing the play, the group headed over to eat dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe where they got to explore the Hard Rock Gift Shop and soothe their hunger with delicious burgers, salads, and some cookies that were provided for dessert.

Overall the trip was a success, with a wonderful show, dinner, and even some time to wander around the beautiful New York City. The students enjoyed the trip very much, and were happy with the day.

Swag Surfin-Music Video Review

Def Jam's newest hip-hop group just let out their first music video. The band F.L.Y (Fast Life Youngstaz) has their debut album Jamboree coming out this summer. The bands first hit is called Swag Surfin'. The song is a club/dance kind of song. You could compare F.L.Y's song with Soulja Boy's Crank Dat. The song has a signature dance that goes to the music.The song is about this dance were people in clubs dance side to side in a wavy motion,like their surfing. If you enjoy listening to hip-hop,club, or dance music you should check out this song. I would rate the music video a 3 out of 5 (0 being the worst-5 being the best).
To check out the song you can follow this link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuRhJMpY_Tg

Star Trek Review

There has been much talk about the new Star Trek movie, which takes place before any of the original series and explains how the crew of the Enterprise started what they are best known for. However, unlike previous Star Trek movies, almost no previous knowledge is needed to enjoy the experience. The special effects, landscapes, and ships were great. The plot was convincing, and nicely tied up at least most of the loose ends made by the series, such as how Kirk cheated out of the "No-Win" situation scenario mentioned in Star Trek 2, and did a good job of explaining how the crew of the Enterprise as it is remembered came to be. Overall, this is a great movie, and I would see it again without a second thought.

9.4/10

Investigators Attribute Boating Crash to Consumption of Alcohol

Last year, a New Milford man - 33 year old Richard Layton Jr. - crashed his boat on Candlewood Lake, killing himself and one other person. The investigators attribute this crash to alcohol.

According to Courant.com, "State environmental conservation police released a 300-page report Tuesday on their investigation of the nighttime accident involving 33-year-old Richard Layton Jr."

Police say that an 18 foot bass boat struck Layton's 24 foot speed boat in July, but say that it was Layton's fault because he didn't give the bass boat the right of way and was intoxicated at the time of the crash. According to police, Layton was drunk and driving recklessly that night.

A passenger on Layton's boat, 27 year old Jason Wanat of Redding, also died in the crash. A second passenger on the speedboat was also seriously injured. The men on the bass boat both escaped serious injury.

Win For CECAA High School Girls Lacrosse Team

The CECAA high school lacrosse team is an organization for girls of high school age who attend RHAM High School. They had a game on Tuesday evening against Colchester. The game took place at Bacon Academy. The CECAA team came out victorious with a score of 8-5. Goals were scored by Amber Gaudreau, Jenna Hovey, Mariah Lipscomb, and Meghan Schauster. This was the first win for the season for the CECAA girls. They are now 1-3. Their next game is Wednesday at Columbia Recreational Park at 6:30.

Benefit Concert is a Success

Last Friday, RHAM High School hosted its semi-annual Benefit Concert in order to help the victims from Hurricane Katrina. Starting off the show was the newly created five piece funk band, Hiatus, who were able to get the crowd excited for the show. Following Hiatus was Naked Sunday, a light alternative band containing four members who performed "Wrong Man", the energetic, "Hero" and the well known single, "Eve of Revolution". The third band to take the stage was The Tension, a fusion of heavy alternative rock mixed with grunge who presented the audience with older songs like "Tweek" as well as bringing forth newer pieces including "Crooked Mind" and the more emotional, never before heard song, "Streaming." The crowd was definitely feeling good as A Day Late, the hardcore band composed of six high schoolers, began their set with a tremendous amount of energy. Ending the show with a bang was Bella Lagosse, a hardcore band made up of four former RHAM students who gave the audience something to remember at this Benefit Show. In between band set ups was a jam band who played small funky rock pieces for the audience to enjoy while other bands were getting their sets ready. Overall, the show was a great performance, the bands had a lot of energy and were able to get the crowd moving. The concert raised 720$ for Hurricane Katrina which is a huge success! Thank you to all who came to support the local bands.

Loss For RHAM's Freshman Lacrosse Team

The RHAM freshman lacrosse team lost to Glastonbury at home on Monday evening. The final score was 5-0. The JV lacrosse team has their next game on Wednesday at home against Farmington at 4:30. The freshman will have their game following the JV game.

3 RHAM Students Arrested

Over the last 10 days, three RHAM students have been arrested and charged with a variety of misdemeanors. Two fourteen year old students were arrested on May 7th after they were found in possession of a knife on school grounds. The two have officially been charged with breach of peace. According to police reports, the school administration was able to locate and retrieve the knife after the arrests took place.

Also, on May 11th, a 17-year old student was arrested and charged with both unauthorized sale of drugs within 1,500 feet of a school building and possession of less than four ounces of marijuana. This arrest was the result of internal investigations within the school itself.

Superintendent Robert Siminski was not authorized to comment on either case, as both are ongoing investigations, but he did say that generally these kinds of incidents come to the administration's attention by either a student tip-off or a call from a parent or teacher requesting an investigation of a specific case.

RHAM News will have updates on these two cases as they develop.

Source: The Rivereast News Bulletin

Picture credit: http://masteroftheuniverse.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/pot-leaf.jpg

Box Office Kings

Here is an update on this past weekend at the American Box Office. Ron Howard's adaption of Angels & Demons took home the title as Box Office King, barely defeating last week's winner J.J. Abrams's Star Trek. However, this is just the beginning of what will be an explosive season at the box office. Debuting this Memorial Day weekend will be two highly anticipated sequels;family comedy Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian starring Ben Stiller, and science-fiction thriller Terminator Salvation starring Christian Bale.



1.Angels & Demons (2009)- $48Million



2.Star Trek (2009)- $43Million



3.X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)- $14.8Million



4.Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)- $6.86Million



5.Obsessed (2009)- $4.55Million



6.17 Again (2009)- $3.4Million



7.Monsters vs Aliens (2009)- $3Million



8.The Soloist (2009)- $2.42Million



9.Next Day Air (2009)- $2.28Million



10.Earth (2007)- $1.68Million



For more information, please visit www.imdb.com

Fake Ad to Give Away a Child

In South Windsor, Connecticut, an ad was posted on Craigslist offering to give away a child. The man who made this ad did it because he simply thought that it would be funny. On May 8th, the South Windsor police department was contacted by the Avon police department after someone residing in Avon called to report seeing this ad. It was said that the ad included a picture of a child that looked as young as 5 years old. The police later went to visit the home of a man named Ryan Bissett, who admitted to making the ad. Police say that Bissett does not have a child. Although that ad was fake, it caused annoyance and "alarm" to the person who discovered it. Not only that, but it took up many hours of investigation to figure out if a child was at risk of injury or harm. Bissett was then "issued a summons" to be at court on May 21st on charge of Breach of Peace.

Source:
<http://www.wfsb.com/news/19470318/detail.html>

2 Pipe Bombs and Steroids Found in Car

At about 5 o'clock in the morning, a call came in to the New Haven narcotic detectives that a man was carrying explosives in his car. After following the suspect's car from Main Street in New Haven to Elm Street in West Haven, police found two pipe bombs that were each about a foot long in the suspect's car. The police proceeded to call the bomb squad to detonate the two bombs that were found. Also, a small amount of steroids was then found in the vehicle. The suspect was charged with manufacturing explosives and was taken into custody.

Source:
<http://www.wfsb.com/news/19477629/detail.html>

Wesleyan Falls To Middlebury

The third quarter of the NCAA men's D III lacrosse quarter final was the most important quarter of the game between Wesleyan and Middlebury. This was predicted by Wesleyan's lacrosse coach, John Raba.

Wesleyan played against Middlebury on Wednesday of this week, with Middlebury coming out on top 13-5 final. Both teams knew that the first half would not be the deciding factor in the game. At the start of halftime, the score was Middlebury 6, Wesleyan 4. But, any of Wesleyan's attempts to make a comeback in the second half were stopped with a great performance by the Middlebury Panthers.

"We knew the third quarter was going to be the key and they took care of us then. They had the ball most of the quarter and they were really aggressive," said Coach Raba. Two goals in the first four minutes of the fourth quarter brought the Panther lead to 6 goals, with score 10-4. With 9:51 left in the fourth quarter, Wesleyan Cardinals Russ Follansbee scored the last goal for the Cardinals in the game. In the last six minutes, the Panthers scored three more to bring the final score to 13-5.

Although the Cardinals started the game out with a 3-0 lead, the will of the Panthers would not be kindled as they played hard and ended up winning the game. According to Middlebury coach, Dave Campbell, the Panthers have successfully responded to being down in a game early by sticking to their gameplan and keeping organized on the field.

Priscilla Renea

Priscilla is a pop-ish music writer. She was the child of parents that were in the Navy. She went to over twenty schools during her childhood. Yet, in every school she always joined the choir or theater groups. As a high-schooler she won her first musical theater competition. Once her father gave her a guitar for Christmas and that is when she realized that she had a natural talent for music.

Priscila has been self promoting herself on myspace and youtube for the past year. Her youtube visitors reached over 1.6 million views. She now is signed with Power/Capitol Records. Her debut EP Hello My Apple was released on March 31st. Her full length album is coming out later this summer.

The EP contains three songs: Hello my Apple, I Fell in Love, and Cry. All of the songs showcase Priscilla's vocal range. Also, she brings a new element of using sound effects in her music. For instance, in Hello My Apple she uses a background noise of someone biting an apple. Also in Cry she uses rain in the background. Her style is very unique. I would give her a 4 out of 5.

To check out Priscilla's music go to: www.youtube.com/priscillarenea

Or go to: www.myspace.com/priscillarenea

Box Office Kings

Here is an update on this past weekend at the American Box office. J.J. Abrams's new Star Trek took home first place with a bang, while last week's Box Office King X-Men Origins: Wolverine came up short at second place.


1.Star Trek (2009)- $72.5Million

2.X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)- $27Million


3.Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009)- $10.4Million


4.Obsessed (2009)- $6.6Million


5.17 Again (2009)- $4.41Million


6.Next Day Air (2009)- $4Million


7.The Soloist (2009)- $3.6Million


8.Monsters vs Aliens (2009)- $3.38Million

9.Earth (2007)- $2.49Million


10.Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)- $2.41Million



For more information, please visit http://www.imdb.com/

Seniors Declare Prank Week

Following an overnight sleepout next to the school, the senior class declared the start of "Prank Week" this morning. Though police were present to observe, there were no arrests. The participants started the week off by painting the class name on a number of windows, tying streamers around bushes, and putting candy on the atrium floor.


Seniors are urged to use good sense, avoid destruction of property, and be safe in all senior activities.

Wildfires in California Send Thoughsands Fleeing

In Santa Barbara, California, wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes. The fire that was about 2 square miles forced 13,500 from more than 5,400 homes. The fire remained uncontrollable, and on Thursday afternoon weather could again force the fire to destroy many more homes. Firefighters from all over the state were out battling the fire and 10 were injured, at least 3 of those were very serious and the number of people that are evacuating could drastically increase during Thursday. Captain David Sadecki, of Santa Barbara said "We really can't do any containment lines. It's too dangerous." He also said that they "are doing some structure protection, but firefighters can be in a safe location one minute and a dangerous situation the next."



Source:

<http://www.wfsb.com/weather/19389247/detail.html>

High School Senior Suspended for Attending Girlfriends Prom

In Findlay, Ohio, a student at a school that forbids dancing, rock music, holding hands, and kissing will risk suspension if he takes his girlfriend to her high schools public prom. However, even with this warning 17 year old Tyler Frost plans on attending the prom anyway. Frost is a senior at Heritage Christian School in Ohio, and agreed to these rules when he signed a statement of cooperation in the beginning of the year. According to Frost he approached the situation the right way because Findlay, Ohio requires students from other schools to get a signature from their principal which Frost did do. Although his principal signed the form, he still proceeded to warn Frost about the punishments if he still attends the dance. Frost was scheduled to get his diploma on May 24, however, because of his suspension for going to prom he received "incompletes" on all remaining assignments for the year and would not be allowed to attend his own graduation ceremony. However, after completing final exams, he will still receive his diploma.



Source:

<http://www.wfsb.com/education/19405923/detail.html>

AHM Holds Annual Telethon

Over the course of this past week, AHM Youth and Family Services held its annual telethon in an effort to raise money for new and continuing programs in the coming year. Over the course of about a week, volunteers gathered at central locations in Hebron, Andover, and Marlborough, such as the Andover Town Hall, to call residents and ask them to donate to AHM. The telethon has taken place for several consecutive years, and AHM representatives expected to receive several thousand dollars in donations despite the recent economic downturn.

Kyle Hebert, a volunteer at the Andover telethon, said that he raised over $300 on his own, not including those people who opted to have a form mailed to them instead of donating over the phone. He went on to estimate that the Andover branch alone raised about $2,000 dollars over the course of the event.

The money raised from the telethon is used to fund AHM programs like the Youth Community Theatre, Family Counselling, and the AHM Teen Center. Joel Rosenburg, executive director of AHM, said that without the money raised by the telethon, it is unlikely that AHM could survive.

This year's telethon was undoubtedly a success, and will hopefully be continued in years to come.

Flu Hits Close to Home

As of today, there are now 14 confirmed cases of swine flu in the State of Connecticut. Yesterday, the Center for Disease Control reported ten more confirmed cases with residents from Fairfield, North Granby, Wethersfield, Glastonbury, and Manchester. According to Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell, these are minor cases and none of the cases required hospitalization. The official count of swine flu cases in The United States stands somewhere betweem 1,600 and 1,700 with the number of cases steadily rising. The World Health Originization is officially reporting that there are now 2,500 confirmed cases of the virus in 25 different countries, with the death toll standing at 44. Governor Rell urges all Connecticut residents to continue to follow the standard precautions; wash hands frequently, cover mouth when coughing, and stay home if your sick.



For more information, please visit http://www.courant.com/

Madina Lake - Attics to Eden

Recently, pop-punk band Madina Lake released their sophomore album entitled Attics to Eden This is the follow-up to their 2007 debut album From Them, Through Us, To You. On their second album, the band worked with producer David Bendeth, who has worked with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Breaking Benjamin, and others. The single from this newest album, called "Never Take Us Alive", showcases both the band's instrumental talent and their high level of energy. Using a combination of traditional rock instruments and computer programmed MIDI beats and melodies, Madina Lake has created a sound that takes the best from both pop rock and alternative genres. They are far less poppy and superficial than the likes of Fall Out Boy, but not so dark and heavy as to compete with Nirvana and the Foo Fighters. The band has a high level of talent on every instrument, including vocals. Though "Never Take Us Alive" skirts the edges of overly poppish at times, it is still a quality song that has clear roots in alternative rock. Overall, it deserves a 4 out of 5.

Parachute - She Is Love

Parachute is a new band with a rock,soul,R&B,and pop sound all mixed into one.The band is has a new album,Losing Sleep,coming out 5/12/09. The band is a group of 5 guys from Charlottesville VA. The band is composed of Will Anderson(lead vocals/guitar/piano), Kit French(Saxophone,keyboard,vocals), Alex Hargrave(Bass), Johnny Stubblefield(drums), and Nate McFarland(lead guitar,vocals). If you enjoy artists such as O.A.R,The Fray,or Maroon 5 you should check out this band. For the album they had the help of producer John Shanks,who is known for helping bands such as Bon Jovi,Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Nicks. The songs on the album deal with losing loved ones, guilt, obsession, and questioning what went wrong.

The 1st single on the album is called "She is Love". The song is a sweet love song about a girl. Its one of those songs that every girl wishes a guy would sing to her. The lyrics are very touching and have amazing music to back it up. This is one band that will definitely become famous, and quick. The single is so catchy it sounds like something you could listen to on the radio over and over again. If I had to rate this song, I would rate it a 5 out of 5 (5 being the best-0 being the worst).

If you want to check out the bands single follow this link-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghhivSh1hSc

Or check out their website-http://weareparachute.com/

RHAM School District Referendum Results

All 3 towns approved the RHAM budget at the May 5 referendum. Total vote was 1,100 YES and 753 NO. Andover: 105 YES and 83 NO. Hebron: 701 YES and 489 NO. Marlborough: 294 YES and 181 NO.

[courtesy of Dianne Grenier]

Feature Story: RHAM Pilot

RHAM student Nick Dill is also a pilot with the Civil Air Patrol.

Reported by Brian F. and Derek B.

Cinco De Mayo

The fifth of May is a special holiday in the Mexican culture. It's the "Cinco de Mayo" (Fifth of May) which celebrates the Mexican victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. The victory was led by Mexican general Ignacio Zaragoza Seguin and he was able to lead his army to defeat the French - who had not lost a battle in over fifty years. The French had the desire to occupy Mexico in order to force them to pay the debts to main creditors. They were successful in invading, but the Mexican army was able to fight off the French invaders in the city of Puebla which means "town".

Although Cinco De Mayo is a historical holiday with intention to celebrate the victory of the Mexicans defeating the French, it is now looked at as a more regional holiday that involves music, food, dancing and more. For the United States, this holiday has taken on the role of depicting the Americans of Mexican Ancestry. Many Americans have the common misconception that Cinco De Mayo is the day of independence for the Mexicans. This is not true, Independence Day for Mexicans falls on September 16.

The Mexican country has taken pride in the victory over the French in 1862 and also being able to spread this culturally fueled holiday to places such as Vancouver, The Caribbean, and the United States. It will forever be remembered as not only an enjoyable time to dance and eat with friends and family, but as an historic event that changed the way the world viewed Mexico.

UConn Football Releases Early Depth Charts

Like any sports team, especially one playing on such a high level, the UConn Huskies are changing their depth charts. Quarterback and Tailback, two of the most important positions on the offensive side of the football, are being looked over by UConn coach Randy Edsall.

Junior Zach Frazer has earned himself the starting spot at quarterback for this coming season. Coach Edsall told Courant.com Frazer had earned the spot, looking strong throughout the spring training, but also mentioned that, like all positions, any players can achieve the starting spot by proving themselves in all pre-season practices and camps.

Sophomore Jordan Todman took the starting spot for the tailback, with Andre Dixon, Kelmetrus "Meme" Wylie, and Robbie Frey are all competing to be his backup. According to Courant.com, Todman had an edge going into the spring camps. Todman was joining Frey on kickoff returns.

Edsall also said, "Some positions need to be solidified and there can be changes made to this before we have a game day depth chart for our opener against Ohio University on Sept. 5."

As with all teams, depth charts will be constantly changing depending on the ability and work ethic of the players, so there will possibly be changes in positions as the summer goes by, because everything done in the off-season leads up to the season opener and the games that follow.

Junior Prom

The past Saturday, May 2nd, the juniors at RHAM High School enjoyed their junior prom. The prom was held at Maneeley's in South Windsor. Each student had to pay $40 per ticket. 190 students showed up to the event. The prom court included Libby Fiumara, Kristy Nicolo, Rob Luneau, and Robby Husta. The Prom King was Tyler Repoli, and the prom Queen was Lindsey Scarpace.

The were 300 favors which cost about $600. Also there was a huge 2010 ice sculpture, a punch fountain and a chocolate fountain all provided by Maneeley's. Maneeley's also provided the food. The DJ was hired from a company called Entertainment Unlimited. The DJ cost the junior class $1000. Also the photographer, Randy Anagnostis, cost the class $600. The pictures can be viewed on www.shutterfly.com and can be bought at a discounted price. The junior class hired a decorator for $400 from M&J Decorations.

For the past two years, since an incident where 12 people showed up to a dance drunk and alcohol was found in their party bus, RHAM has started to use breathalyzers at every dance. Every student that went to the RHAM junior prom passed the breathalyzer test. Also the administration will search any hired vehicle such as limos and party buses. All limos and party buses also passed the search at this prom.

Next year the current junior class is hoping to do a dress swap among the girls to try and help cut the cost.

Please post any comments about your experience or any way you think prom could be more affordable for students.

Box Office Kings

Here is an update in this past weekend at the American Box Office:


1.X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)- $87Million


2.Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009) - $15.3Million


3.Obsessed (2009)- $12.2Million


4.17 Again (2009)- $6.36Million


5.Monsters vs Aliens (2009)- $5.8Million


6.The Soloist (2009)- $5.6Million


7.Earth (2007)- $4.18Million


8.Fighting (2009)- $4.17Million


9.Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)- $4.08Million


10.State of Play (2009)- $3.66Million



For more information, please visit www.imdb.com.

Big Storms Causing Major Damage, Including Death

In Mississippi, authorities say that some major storms have caused about 6000 power outages, and property damage in three other states. Not only that, but because of severe wind issues, a woman was reported killed after being crushed by a tree in her front yard. The woman lived in Laurel, Miss. and was of 46 years of age. The storms were last seen moving through Georgia and have seen some funnel clouds along the way.



Source:

www.foxnews.com/story/0/518766-Miss-Women-Killed-by-Tree-as-Storms-Cross-Southeast.html

Sophmore Field Trip

On Thursday, April 30th, a group of sophomore biology students from RHAM High School took a field trip to Boston. The group of students first went to the Boston Museum of Science. The students explored the many interactive exhibits and learned a lot from the hands-on learning centers. Also at the Museum, the group attended an Omni Film, titled "Roving Mars". The movie was centered around two solar powered robots, built by NASA. They were both sent to opposite sides of Mars to collect data and information that was sent back to NASA to analyze. After the film, the students went for lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. Then it was on to the New England Aquarium. Here the students had the opportunity to watch and learn about all the different types of tropical sea life the aquarium has. Overall the trip was a success, with learning and fun combined.

Razorlight

Razorlight is the one of the biggest bands in the UK. The band, Razorlight, writes all of their own songs, and they describe their lyrics as if they are leaving voicemails or letters to people about something deeper than what is thought. They have sold more than three million copies of their first two Cd's and have toured with bands such as U2, The Who, and the Rolling Stones.

Razorlights smash hit "Wire to Wire," is a top hit in the UK and they describe it as "a modern-day love story of a couple trying to find themselves through charred ruins of their past." The song itself starts out with a very up-beat but mellow piano melody that continues throughout the song. The vocals are great as well, with a high range of notes that add variety to the song. "Wire to Wire" is a very meaningful song with a type of calm feel to it.


Rating of song "Wire to Wire:"


3.5 out of 5