Breaking News - Hebron

LifeStar medical helicopter at Amston Lake. Arrived at 7:30. Road blocked. No other info yet. Ambulances and fire crews. Rotors still running. More info as it becomes available.

[Brian S. reporting]

Despite Economy, Amazon.com Has Best Holiday Season Ever

According to Forbes.com, e-commerce giant Amazon.com has had its best holiday season to date, selling over 6.3 million items by the first half of December. Analysts attribute some of Amazon's success to the failure of retail stores. Despite the 8% drop in consumer spending this year, the second half of the month and post-Christmas sales are poised to raise Amazon's revenue even further.

Fatal Car Accident in Meriden

A gruesome car accident took the life of 18 year old Melissa Cahill in Meriden on Wednesday night.

According to Courant.com, at Cahill was walking on Route 15, near exit 67, at around 11p.m. This is when a horrible three car accident took her life.

The first car who hit Cahill fled the scene but the two others pulled to the side of the road. No charges have been issued but the State Police continue to investigate the case.


The State Police ask that if anyone has information or was a witness to the accident, they should call 203-393-4200.

Keri Hilson Music Review.

The R&B industry has been growing rapidly lately and new up and coming stars are taking the spotlight. Artist Keri Hilson, born in Atlanta Georgia, is climbing her way to the top with her different style in both music and fashion. In the video for the love/hate song title "Energy" it features Hilson in a boxing arena taking out all of her "energy" on a former love. Though working up a sweat, Hilson still remains a style icon in the video. She has also collaborated on a song with Lil Wayne called "Turnin' Me On", a song essentially about reaching a woman's heart and not just touching the surface. In the video, Hilson is seen wearing many different styles all resembling a modern 1950's vibe. There are a lot of women and men seen dancing in the background and even a section where kids take the lead. Keri Hilson is not an average artist, she is deeper and likes to have more meaning in her songs and engage with the listener. Hilson has been featured in video's with Rap artist Timbaland and is also associated with Chris Brown. She is part of a collective of producers known as "The Clutch". She does have an album out entitled "In A Perfect World" and Keri describes it as saying that the world is not perfect and she wanted to write songs that a woman could relate to from real situations. Keri Hilson is sending out a good message to everyone from kids to the older population and is a real artist. She wants to become big some day but doubtfully will gain an ego. She is level headed and wants to continue to make music for eveyone to enjoy whenever they are in a tight situation.

Chemistry Classes Make Ice Cream With Nitrogen

At RHAM High School, the chemistry classes used liquid nitrogen to make ice cream. The chemistry teachers, Mr. Linden, Mrs. Lichatz, and Mrs. Bjorbekk recieved the liquid nitrogen on Monday night. The temperature of the nitrogen was -196 degrees Celsius. The students had been learning about the different states of matter over the previous weeks and before they made the ice cream they experimented with the nitrogen by shrinking ballons in it and freezing various items. The favorite part of the class period was making the ice cream, however. The recipe included:

5 cups of milk

1 quart heavy cream

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

2 tablespoons of vanilla

a pinch of salt

some liquid nitrogen

Second Annual Tyler Cormier Night

Tyler Cormier Night was created in memory of Tyler Paul Cormier, a RHAM student-athlete who passed away in February of 2007. Tonight was the second annual Tyler Cormier night and the gymnasium was full with RHAM students, RHAM graduates, family, and friends to all remember this wonderful person who touched many lives.

Tyler's athleticism started at the age of 8 and grew from there. He started as the boys' varsity basketball manager when he was in eighth grade and continued in that position for seven years. He was a very active participant in many events in the Special Olympics, and a very important player on the RHAM Unified basketball team.

Not only was Tyler very succesful in athletics, but he was a excellent student. He made the honor roll all of his RHAM career. Also he was voted the Senior Prom King in 2005, which is only one of many honors that Tyler has been awarded.

A scholarship was established in the name of Tyler Cormier. The money raised at the Tyler Cormier Night basketball game, and the golf tournament in the summer go to the Tyler Cormier scholarship fund. The money raised for the fund will go to two college bound RHAM students who helped in the local Special Olympics.

To learn more about Tyler go to:

http://tylercormier.com/index.html

To learn more about the golf tournament go to:

http://tylercormier.com/fundraiser_information.html

Student Teacher Leaves Impression on Students

The science department has a student teacher who will leave an impression on her students for many years. Mrs. Gutierrez, Human Physiology student teacher, came to RHAM in order to get a better look at the teaching lifestyle and to experience what a real classroom was like. While here, she taught science classes including College Prep Biology, Human Physiology and Anatomy. She especially got to know the students in period 6 Human Phys quite well with an experiment that no other teacher had ever attempted. From the start, Mrs. Gutierrez had an idea in mind for her sixth period students. She called them her guinea pigs and wanted to create the perfect lab practical. A lab practical is what Human Physiology students take as sort of a hands-on test. Mrs. G and Mr Moshier agreed from the start that they wanted it to be kept a secret and surprise the students. It consisted of a Forensic Science scavenger hunt in which students investigated different crime scenes and gathered clues as to who the murderer was. What was interesting, was that Mrs. Gutierrez made the students badges as if they were actual CSI agents and she used the school as a simulation of the heart! The atrium was the Aorta, (main part) and all of the hallways and such acted as veins. Her kids found this really different but the most interesting part was when students performed the lab practical, there were many pieces of evidence throughout the test indicating who the murderer was. In the end, Senior Derek B. was in fact the culprit. He was guilty of "murdering" another student in the class, Rachel. A trooper from the school came in and "arrested" Derek yet he had a smile on his face because he knew it was all in good fun. The students and Mrs. G had a great time with the practical and the semester was a very fun time for both. She says she will miss teaching the kids but quotes that she "never says goodbye". She believes she will be back very soon to visit and who knows? She could possibly have a job here at RHAM in the near future. Mrs. Gutierrez is being published in an educational magazine called NSTA. The National Science Teachers Association for her outstanding work and creativity! This could be a job opening opportunity for Mrs. G. Nonetheless, this was an excellent time for her and students do hope that they see her face around very soon.








(Picture to follow up)

Loss for RHAM Boys Basketball Team

The RHAM boys basketball team played home on Thursday night at 7pm. They lost a close game to Berlin 54-64.

Uconn and Florida State Coaches Agree On Schedule

Uconn Women's Basketball Coach Geno Auriemma and Florida State's Sue Semrau have agreed on a two year deal to play each other throughout the regular season. This will start next December, in the week between Christmas and New Year's, in Tallahassee, Florida.

The teams have met three previous times, most recently in the 2005 NCAA Tournament, with the Uconn Huskies winning each of the three times.

The Florida State Seminoles will be coming to Connecticut to play the Huskies 2010-2011.

According to Courant.com, "The Huskies play FSU Sunday in the final game of the Caribbean Classic. UConn currently has road games at Oklahoma, Florida State, Duke and Georgia Tech on their non-conference schedule for next season.UConn will also play North Carolina and Stanford in Connecticut."

Uconn's Defense Looks To Improve For Next Season

Ask any football coach, one thing they will always say they want to improve is their defense. Most coaches will tell you, plain and simple, defense wins games.

The Uconn football team looked back on the season and saw that their biggest fault was in their defense, allowing other teams to create big plays and score. With theses big plays, the opposing team would gain momentum in the game and in many games, win the game over Uconn.

Big plays happened in many of the last seven games for Uconn, and the Huskies only won two of the seven, ending the season with a record of seven wins, five losses.

With their 34-10 loss to Pitt, the Huskies were sent to the International Bowl in Toronto on January 3rd to Buffalo. According to Courant.com, the Huskies lead the overall series with the University of Buffalo 12-4, but Uconn hasn't faced UB since winning 38-0 at Rentschler Field in 2005.

According to Courant.com, Linebacker Scott Lutrus, who leads the team with one hundred tackles said "As a defense, we feel like we need to bounce back because we've struggled, and we want to prove we're a good defense."Uconn wants to show that they can have a really good defensive squad in their game against UB.

Both teams have something to prove and they will hope to come out on top in the International Bowl.



UConn vs. Buffalo: International Bowl, Toronto, Jan. 3, noon, ESPN2

The All-American Rejects Music Review

The All-American Rejects 3rd CD finally hit stores. Their newest CD "When the World Comes Down" came out December 16th. It features their newest single "Hope it Gives You Hell" and other hits like "Believe" and "Falling Apart". The band consists of four members, Tyson, Nick, Mike, and Chris. The four are great friends and have high hopes for the band.

The newest hit "Hope it Gives You Hell" has a pop rock kind of feel to it. The music video shows two neighbors who are messing with each other. One neighbor is a clean preppy couple where the other couple is showing a more rock and roll type of group. The song is well written and has good meaning behind it. If you like pop/rock kind of music you should definitely check out this song. I would give the song a 3 out of 5 stars (0 being the worst, 5 being the best). The song has a good beat and lyrics but isn't something I would personally listen to.

If you want to check out their band here's their website- http://www.allamericanrejects.com/

Winter Concert Brings out the Spirit

RHAM held its Winter Concert last night which included Symphonic band & Wind Ensemble, Chamber Singers, Encore and Combined choirs. The concert was started off by Symphonic band directed by Timothy Keterrer who played a variety of pieces in which one had Mr. Mueller, assistant Principal, on stage reading a Christmas tale about Saint Nicholas and the band accompanying him with many sounds. Wind Ensemble sounded very good as well with pieces chosen from the acts of"The Nutcracker". One of of the pieces selected, Ali Thompson played the piccolo which brought an upbeat undertone to the song. After the band, Mr. Mirakian directed the combined choir act in which all of the singing ensembles came together to sing a song that haad to be explained to the audience through Mr. Maraikian as the performers went along. Chamber singers performed the interesting "Fum Fum Fum!" song as well as being accompanied by Trumpet Player, Michaela Connely in one piece. Encore brought in a taste of good cheer with "Ding! Dong! O melody on high!" Kaitlyn Williams had a solo type melody over the rest of the group in one of the more slower melodic pieces. The choirs were then split as one half of the stage would perform a song and then the other would go. It was a complex show and there were a lot of elements that people enjoyed. The songs selected were perfect for the holidays and the performers had a good time bringing out the spirit.

Mr. Ruddick Named CT Tech Ed Teacher of the Year

In a letter read to the Board of Education Monday evening, Paul Hoffman,
President of the Connecticut Technology Education Association (CTEA),
announced that RHAM's own David Ruddick has been named 2009's Connecticut
Technology Educations Teacher of the Year. He was selected from over six
hundred eligible teachers in the state. The letter cited his leadership
along with "dedication, enthusiasm and commitment" as reasons for his
selection. He is slated to be honored at a convention of the International
Technology Education Association (ITEA) in St. Louis this March.

Congratulations to Mr. Ruddick!


For more information, you can visit the CTEA's website here and the ITEA's
website here.

RHAM Sports over the next Week

CORRECTION: Boys basketball at home on 12/18 vs. Berlin. Also, games this Saturday and Monday.

Twilight Sequel Release Date Has Been Announced

According to courant.com, fans of the new movie, Twilight, don't have to wait a long time to see its sequel called New Moon. New Moon is scheduled to be released twelve months after the first movie and it is going to be released on November 20th, 2009 during the same weekend, when Twilight was released. Summit Entertainment has picked Chris Weitz to direct the sequel, based on Stephenie Meyer's best-selling series about the romance between Bella Swan and Edward Cullen, who happens to be a vampire and is fighting his bloodsucking instincts to be with Bella. Chris Weitz is taking over as director from Catherine Hardwicke, who directed the first movie. Twilight has been brought up to $150 million at the box office, ever since the movie premiered on November 21st.

Connecticut Earns 12 Million Dollars From Lead Settlement

The toy company, Mattel Inc., now owes Connecticut, along with 38 other states, 12 million dollars as the result of a settlement that will get lead contaminated toys out of the marketplace. Mattel will also adopt new standards on how much lead is allowed into their toys. Richard Blumenthal, Connecticut's Attorney General, was angered by the amount of lead found in the toys. He has been trying to remove all toys containing lead from the shelves since 2007, when the issue first became apparent. Overall, the state will earn $218,028 from the settlement. Half of the money will go towards the states general fund. The state of Connecticut has made a law banning lead toys from the state's shelves. Consumers can go to www.healthytoys.org for a printable list of toys that do not contain lead.

Information provided by courant.com.

Ice Storm Affects All of New England

As a result of Friday morning's heavy rains and ice in some parts of New England, about 1.2 million people lost power. According to www.msnbc.com, there were widespread blackouts in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and New York. Specifically, over 400,000 homes and businesses in New Hampshire were without power, constituting more than half of the state. A state of emergency was declared in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and parts of Maine, as a result of "the worst ice storm in a decade" according to the American Free Press. The northwestern corner of Connecticut also suffered severe blackouts, enough for several school systems in that area to close for the day. Officials have stated that it will be several days before all power is restored.

Fortunately, the weather was warm enough around the Hebron area to prevent a large amount of ice from forming on the roads. There was severe flooding on Lake Rd., Bunker Hill Rd., Parker Bridge, and other areas throughout the tri-town area.

Picture courtesy of www.msnbc.com

Sailors Speak Of Hardships Near The End Of World War 2

Throughout the War, Michael Kuryla endured many hardships aboard the naval vessel USS Indianapolis. The last hardship was after he and the rest of the crew completed a mission vital to a turning point in the war.

In July of 1945, Kuryla and the rest of his crew mates delivered parts of the atomic bomb named "little boy" to Tinian Island where it was assembled and later dropped on Hiroshima. But, on July 30th, on their way back from the mission, a Japanese submarine attacked the vessel and sank it, killing eight hundred and eighty men and leaving 317 stranded in the ocean for 4 days and 5 nights.

63 years later, Kuryla still recollects the scene like it was yesterday, speaking at on many occasions, of the disasters that took place and then men who died serving their country.

According to Courant.com, Kuryla said, "People should know what happened near the end of the war when we delivered the atomic bomb. I hope they remember that freedom is not free, that men gave their lives for us, for what we have today." Many people urged Kuryla to speak up about what happened to try to show people how much men in the military sacrifice for their country. "There's 880 guys out there that died and they can't talk about it, but you can,'" Kuryla said.

His speech includes everything from the ships purpose before the war and its combat engagements during the war to the men floating in the water and also being attacked by sharks.

According to Kuryla, it was very difficult to talk about the incidents in the beggining but now it is much easier. Also, many of the men have reunions with the remaining 70 survivors. To make peace, he and other veterans took a trip to see Japanese veterans and make peace with them. According to Kuryla, "We made peace, we hugged the Japanese. It felt good to get that hate out of me."







Doors for the event open at 6 p.m., and tickets are $10 for museum members and $15 for the general public.



Tickets can be reserved by calling the museum, 36 Perimeter Road, at 860-623-3305.



Kuryla also will appear at the West Springfield Collector Show, 1305 Memorial Ave., West Springfield, Mass., on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Auto Bailout Fails in Senate

The federal government's plan for a $14 billion bailout of the auto industry, which was approved by the House of Representatives Wednesday, was voted down last night in the Senate 52-35 for "procedural reasons", according to ABC News. GM and Chrysler, the proposed beneficiaries of the bill, have released statements that they are disappointed but will continue to search for solutions to their economic troubles. It is unclear at this point whether a revised bill for an auto bailout will be proposed, but Democrats in both the House and Senate hope to push through financial rescue measures for Detroit.

Local Flooding

Students, staff, and buses struggled into RHAM High School this morning through severe road flooding and ponding. Route 87 in Columbia, a road on the side of a hill, was inundated by water flowing down the hillside and crossing the road. The water was deep enough and fast enough to push this reporter's 1-ton diesel pickup slightly to the right as I drove through. Other RHAM staff members have reported similar flooding on Route 85 in Colchester.

Meanwhile, local volunteer fire departments are responding to service calls for help with flooded basements in the Andover, Hebron, Marlborough area.

Check out http://www.wfsb.com/weather/18262291/detail.html or http://www.courant.com/community/news/fv/hcu-rain1212,0,634724.story for more on this developing story.

Hartford Police Arrest 3 on Drug Charges

Hartford Police arrested three people on Wednesday in an apartment at 58 Fairmont Street. According to Courant.com, "Sgt. Christine Mertes said police seized 170 bags of heroin, five grams of crack cocaine, a small amount of cash and a revolver that had been reported stolen out of Russell, Mass."

Officers from both the vice and narcotics unit along with other patrol units executed a search warrant and found many illegal items in the multi family house on Fairmont Street.

The three people who were arrested were Orlando Fornez, 30, Jose Rios, 32, and Ashley Maldonado, 18, all who lived in Hartford. They were arrested on drug and weapons charges and held on bonds ranging from $300,000 to $700,000.

Accelerating America

On Thursday night, RHAM High School showed the film "Accelerating America." The film was about a special school in Providence, Rhode Island were kids can complete two years of school in 180 days. The school, named UCAP(Urban Collaborative Accelerated Program) accepts students that have repeated at least one grade. The film focuses on three students. They are America, Yazmine, and Jason. Their principal, Rob DeBlois, was determined to turn these children's lives around. Rob and the filmaker Tim Hotchner were present at the showing and answered questions at the end of the film.

The Wizard of Oz Actors Have Been Chosen

On Thursday, December 11th the results of the Drama Club auditions for the upcoming play, The Wizard of Oz were announced. The results are posted on the drama board for anyone, who tried out for the play to see if they have been chosen to be in The Wizard of Oz. Some of the roles included: Dorothy-Elizabeth D., Sorceress of the North-Kaitlyn W., Mayor of the Munchkins-David D., Scarecrow- Christopher L., The Tin Woodman-Dan E., The Cowardly Lion-Alex C., Gloria-Meghan O., Aunt Em-Katelynn M., Uncle Henry-Peter O., The Wicked Witch of the West-Julie D., the Wizard of Oz-Billy Y. The Wizard of Oz meeting is on Tuesday, December 16th from 2:30 to 3:15 in the auditorium. The purpose of the meeting is to go over drama ground rules, hand out scripts and music, take the Drama Club photo, and hand out the rehearsal schedule. All cast members must attend.

Semi Rollover on Rte. 2

At 12:25 PM Brian reports that there is a tractor-trailer rollover on CT Route 2 near exit 13. Police on scene. Road open but traffic moving slowly. No further information at this time.

Auto Bailout Passes House

The beleaguered auto industry is saw new hope for a lifeline tonight, as the House of Representatives approved a $14 billion bailout plan 237-170, according to the New York Times. Those opposing the bill claimed that the auto industry should be allowed to fail in accordance with free-market principles, or that federal oversight of the process was too weak. Proponents of the bill cite a chance to save thousands of jobs in General Motors and Chrysler.

The bill still needs to pass in the Senate, where it is expected to face stiff opposition from Republicans. The Times went on to say that should the bill fail, Democrats would try again once the next Congress starts, and with it a much stronger Democratic majority.

Thoughts? Questions? Post a comment below.

Spanish Classes Take A Trip to Willimantic

The Spanish classes levels 1-honors took a trip to Willimantic earlier today to get a more in depth experience as to what Spanish culture is really like. The trip was organized by Senora Nochton and Senora Rametta. Accompanying the teachers were English teacher, Mrs. Anger and Assistant Principle, Mr Wilson who in fact is of Bolivian background. The group arrived at SAMA, an organization that was created in order for primarily Latino traders to attend in order to gain a better understand of the economy. They offer services to the homeless and also a community college such as QVCC. Students were introduced to Senor George Hernandez, from Puerto Rico,who works for SAMA and is associated with other businesses as well as Robert Fernandez, from Columbia. He is an Associate Director of the Willimantic Center. After asking a few questions, the students then visited "La alcaldia" meaning the mayor's office or town hall. There, students were informed of how the police force operates in the four districts and the types of crime that happen in Willimantic. From there, the group was then separated into four small ones which each ate at a different restaurants including Cinco De Mayo, and Don Taco. The last place the students went to visit was Eastern Connecticut State University and there they met a man from Columbia named Jaime. He explained all about the college and the many different classes it offers. The President of Eastern, from Puerto Rico, explained what life in Puerto Rico was like compared to the U.S and also becoming the president of the University. The third speaker was named Anthony and he spoke about his early life Puerto Rico before moving to the U.S and why his family decided to leave. Overall, the students got an excellent taste of the Spanish culture and were enthusiastic about meeting people outside of the classroom with whom they could apply their language skills with.

Encore Takes a Trip to Andover Elementary

The RHAM Encore choir group took a small field trip to Andover Elementary School today to perform in front of the staff and students. Their program for this show consisted solely of Christmas music and the group sang to various favorites such as "Carol Of The Bells", "Candlelight Carol" and the ever so popular, "Jingle Bell Rock". Encore is a choir group limited to girls only and it has about 30 enrolled in the class. The group performs at many concerts with Chamber Singers, another choir group with boys and girls, and also with the various bands here at RHAM. The class is led by Music teacher Mr. Maraikian and the girls say that he is an excellent teacher and they enjoy his teaching greatly. All in all, the field trip was a success. The kids at Andover Elementary enjoyed the selections put together and the girls did an excellent job performing.

Julianne Hough Music Review

You may know her as the two-time Dancing with the Stars champion, but Julianne Hough is now in the spotlight for another reason. She has released a self titled country album. She has released two singles so far. The first, was "That Song in My Head" and the most recent "My Hallelujah Song."

The second single to be released, "My Hallelujah Song," is a country song with a good beat. The song's lyrics send a message to her fans. She says that hard work can bring happiness. Her "Hallelujah song" is what kept her going throughout her life. I am not usually a country fan but this song quickly caught my attention. She has an excellent range. She proves that she is not just a 19-year old with good dance moves, but one who has an incredible voice to match them. From the lyrics of the song to the singer herself, this single is very well done. I would give it a 5 out of 5.

RHAM's Drama Club Holding Auditions

On December 9 and 10, RHAM's Drama club will be holding auditions for the spring musical, The Wizard of Oz. On December 9th, the club held singing auditions for the singing roles from 2:30 to 4:30 pm. On December 10th, they will be holding reading auditions for speaking parts. The reading auditions are from 2:30 to 3:15 pm. Invitation-only callbacks will be on the 10th from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. All are encouraged to attend and if you have any questions, go to the drama board for more information.

House on Marlborough Lake Catches Fire

A house that is on Lake Ridge Drive went up in flames less then an hour ago and is completely engulfed. An update to this story will be coming shortly.

The house's address is 35 Lake Ridge Drive.

It is 8:35 p.m. and the flame is still going as fiercely as it was when the whole house caught on fire.

UPDATE: The homeowner was at a neighbor's house at the time of the fire and was uninjured. A car was also damaged in the fire and a cat is missing.

[photo 1 courtesy of Kathy Hood]

State Radio Goes Acoustic

Last night at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, MA, Chad Stokes Urmston of State Radio preformed the second of two acoustic sets, the first being on Saturday night. Both shows were part of a five day celebration in honor of the 60th Anniversary of the Declaration of Universal Human Rights. The Anniversary, officially this coming Wednesday, will also be commemorated by a panel who will speak about their personal experiences with human rights abuse.

This festival also marked the foundation of a new organization, "Calling All Crows", run primarily by Urmston's girlfriend, Sybil Galagher. The purpose of this society is to call attention to, curb, and eventually eliminate violence against women worldwide. All proceeds from ticket and merchendise sales from both shows were donated to "Calling All Crows".

Urmston preformed not only songs that he has written with his current band, State Radio, but also some that were made popular by his former band, Dispatch, which broke up in 2004. Fan favorites from the Dispatch era like Flying Horses and Bats in the Belfry got a rousing response from the 200 fans at the concert on Sunday. Urmston also played songs that will likely be on State Radio's next studio album, including Calling All Crows and Mansin Humanity. State Radio is currently in-studio recording this album, but neither a track listing nor a title for the record has been released as of yet.

What set this show apart from other State Radio or Dispatch concerts was that the audience was shown a glimpse into Urmston's personal life and the stories and motivations behind his songs. For example, Mansin Humanity delves into the controversial topic of the Armenian Genocide of 1914. It became a running gag throughout the night for Urmston to play the first few chords of a song and then stop suddenly to explain some lyrical detail.

Since State Radio almost always preforms electrically and with a full band, this was a rare and different experience, even for those who have attended their shows in the past.

Brutha Music Review

Def Jam has another new group of musicians trying to break into the music business. The newest group is called Brutha. The group is composed of 5 brothers from Los Angeles. The brothers range in ages between 19-25.The band has an R&B sound and say they get their inspiration from Harrel, their own father.There first single is called "I can't hear the music".You can listen to the song when their album hits stores December 23. The band even has a reality show in the works called "Brother to Brother, and can be seen on BET on Nov. 18.

After listening to the bands first hit I could tell the band was a talented group. All 5 of the boys voices are very well put together and all have different strengths that make the band unique. Along with there incredible voices, the brothers also are great dancers and take pride in their moves. They say that the moves take you back to the day when groups moved rather then just walked around on stage. The lyrics in the song are very well put together and are definitely catchy. If you're into R&B music or songs to dance to you should definitely check out their first hit. If I had to rate this song 1-5(1=worst 5=best) I would give it a 4. It's a very catchy song and has a great beat. You can check out the band at their website: www.defham.com/site/artist_home.php?artist_id=696

Fierce Fire In Berlin Proves Deadly

A fierce fire destroyed a house on Deerfield Drive in Berlin on Tuesday, killing a woman and injuring two others.

According to Courant.com Neville H. Mahoney, 60, and his daughter, Catherine A. Mahoney, 29, escaped the fire and were taken to Hartford hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation. The woman who was killed was later identified as Martha Mahoney, 58, who also lived there. She was burned severely.

When firefighters were called to the scene, the fire was raging, and with the help of some exploding oxygen tanks, extremely dangerous. The volunteer firefighters who arrived at the scene first tried to enter the house, but were driven back by the explosions. Then, when the firefighters tried to enter the house again, they were sent back by yet another explosion.

After about 20 minutes, the firefighters doused the flames and searched the house. Berlin Deputy Fire Marshal Matt Odishoo said that the firefighters checked all of the "hot spots" in the house and that's when they found the victim.

The fire tore through much of the house and destroyed much of the roof and walls. Along with the two people who escaped the blaze, a dog and a cat escaped too, but one dog died.

Odishoo says that the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

New Alert Systm At Rham

Starting this year RHAM High School will be having a new alert system take place to warn people about snow days and early closings in the winter season. This system has been tested with the teachers and has worked in reaching to the teachers and letting them know what is going on. Now that this has been tested with the teachers the school will give the parents of the students the option to sign up to get the alerts just like the teachers do. The parents can sign up to either recieve a voicemail/call or an email and they can also receive a text message on their cell phone. This will be a lot easier for parents to get the information about what is happening in our school with the weather conditions that are going to be happening with winter coming. More information on how to sign up for this service will follow shortly.

RHAM Equestrian Club Rides Again

On December 2nd, the RHAM Equestrian club went to Grandview Stables to learn how to ride professionally on horses. The event was held from after-school to 4:30 pm. Everyone who went to ride had a great time learning to ride at Grandview Stables. The club will start back up again in the spring with their usual activities.

Newport Mansions

Yesterday, Tuesday the third of December, the Junior class took a trip to Newport Mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. About 175 students visited the Elms Mansion and the Breakers Mansion, both near the coast of the Long Island Sound. The Breakers was built for Commadore Cornelius Vanderbilt, a steamship tycoon in the 19th century. Richard Morris Hunt was commissioned to design and build the Mansion in 1893. He brought in the finest materials from all over the world, and by working two teams of laborers twenty four hours a day and seven days a week, was able to finish the mansion in just two years.

The other Mansion, The Elms, was constructed for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Berwind by Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer. Mr. Berwind was highly successful in the Pennsylvania coal industry. It was modeled after a Parisian chateau and finished in 1901 at an estimated cost of $1.4 million. It is furnished with French and Venetian paintings as well as several works of art from Asia.

Three busses were needed to transport the group of students to and from Newport. Once they arrived, the group split into two parties who took turns touring each of the Mansions. The trip was a very educational one; the students were able to glimpse into the past and see how upper-class citizens lived over a century ago.

A picture of The Breakers are shown below:

Picture Credit: www.newportmansions.org

RHAM Gymnastics Team Prepares for Another Strong Season

Of the winter sports, gymnastics is one of the less common. What most people do not know is that the 2008 RHAM gymnastics team was ranked third in the state during the previous season. They plan to do well once again. They are lead this year by Krystine Carey and Sam Shook. There are 11 girls on the team total. The gymnasts practice everyday after school at Patti Dunne's gym. Their first day of competition will be on January 3rd, at Patti Dunne's.

Tran-Siberian Orchestra comes again to Connectic

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, possibly one of the best Christmas shows around, returns to Connecticut on their annual tour around the USA. TSO was formed in 1996 by Paul O'Neill. Paul was looking for a way to give music a more emotional meaning. He tried to write music that sounded so good it did not need lyric and lyrics that were so poetic they did not need music. When put together Paul found he created something with that new sound he was looking for.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra puts on a show unlike any other. The unique music combined with a light show to make any age amazed is worth seeing over and over. I personally have seen the TSO concert the last two years. Last year I didn't think it could get better but it did. If you have a chance to go see TSO in concert take it. Young or old, male or female, TSO has something for everyone. From their crazy electric guitar solos to the story of the wayward angel on Christmas eve that the concerts revolve around. Trans Siberian Orchestra will amaze you.

http://www.trans-siberian.com/

Manchester Road Race

On Thanksgiving day, the 72nd annual Manchester Road Race took place. Of course the running is the main event but, many people took notice of what was going on sidelines of the course as well. Garage bands played music in the driveways of the homes that lined the course to encourage the runners. Residents set up their grills and made food just for the occasion. Many restaurants opened their doors early to accommodate the runners and their supporters. Food was handed out to the runners as a sense of encouragement The atmosphere is said to be enjoyable for all. The man coming in first place was an Irish Olympian by the name of Martin Fagan, who completed the 4.748 mile race in 21 minutes and 41 seconds.

Last year, Martin Fagan came in second place in the Manchester road race when he was on the home stretch and a man passed him by. He said he just did not have the strength in him to catch up. This year, things changed. When Fagan was on the home stretch on a slight hill heading to the finish, he looked over his shoulder to look at his pursuers and then sped up the hill to the finish.

According to Courant.com, Fagan said, "It's awesome...It's just been so long since I won a race. I've won my Irish nationals, but a lot of road races, internationally, I've been second, third. . . . I do the same every race, go out hard, but never hold on. It's a great feeling to be able to hold on and win."

Fagan ran in the Olympic marathon in August and had his hopes set on becoming another Irish runner to win the race, including Mark Carroll, John Treacy, John Doherty and Eamonn Coghlan.



Information provided by Courant.com.

[Brian S. contributed to this story.]

Pep Rally

RHAM hosted its first pep rally of the year yesterday Wednesday, Nov. 26. It consisted of the girls and boys Cross Country teams, girls and boys Soccer, Football, and Volleyball state champions. RHAM celebrated the undefeated season of the Volleyball team and honored senior Kelly Stratton who will graduate this year. Girls cross country recognized seniors Kati Wulftange, Adrianne Matunis and Jess McSweeney while the boys cross country team was pleased with their solid season and football announced they were looking for fresh talent for next year. The cheerleaders put on a good routine in order to get the students excited for the football game, today at RHAM. The rally was ended with a tug of war game between seniors and sophomores with the seniors yet again taking the victory. All of the teams had an excellent season and look forward to continuing their success next year. All of RHAM students are encouraged to come out and watch the game today against Bacon Academy.

Winter Sports Begin

Now that winter is upon us, the winter sports are beginning. The girls basketball team is currently undergoing tryouts and will have their first league game on December 12th against Middletown. The boys basketball team will commence their tryouts soon and their first scrimmage is on December 8th, and their first league game against Berlin is on the 18th. The indoor track teams will start practice on December 1st and will compete in their first meet on December 13th.The swim team will have their first meet on December 27th at Windham High School. The wrestling team will have their first meet away at Bacon Academy on December 6th. The gymnastics team will have their first meet on January 3rd against Windham High School.

To see all the sports schedules go to http://www.rhamhs.reg8.k12.ct.us/Sports/Sports.htm

Holiday Travel

According to courant.com, gas prices may be falling but most families in Connecticut will be staying near home during this Thanksgiving holiday. The price of regular gasoline averaged on Monday at $2.06, which was less than half the average gasoline price on July 11, which was $4.39 a gallon. About 41 million people in the U.S. is still planning to travel for the holiday and 81% of them are planning to drive and 11% are flying. The rest of people traveling are planning to take a train or bus. This isn't the first holiday, that there has been a decline in travel. Memorial Day, July Fourth, and Labor Day weekends have also had fewer travelers than in 2007, according to AAA. Bradley International Airport is expecting the total passenger traffic for this year to drop about 7% as to last year. AAA has also reported that air passengers should assume to pay about 8% more than last year for airfare and that the rental car prices are to be about 4% more than last year's cost.

-photo courtesy of http://www.spineuniverse.com/

Friday's Car Crash - Update

The car accident reported by RHAM News on Friday was a two-car accident. According to a member of the Hebron Fire Department who was at the scene, there was no alcohol involved in the crash. There were no injuries or fatalities.

"Twilight" hits theaters

The new movie "Twilight" came out this Friday. The movie is based off the book "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer. The book is a love story with a twist - a vampire twist.Ever since the series came out the book has been a huge hit with teenagers and the movie was expected to be amazing. Many of the fans were worried that the movie wouldn't be like the book. Many times when books go to movies the movies go off from the real point of the story.

After seeing "Twilight" I do believe that the makers of the movie did an amazing job sticking to the original story line. I have read the Twilight series and the movie did stick to the way the books are. The only problem is that the movie makes the story seem more like a horror movie. The book definitely is more of a twisted love story, no horror to it at all. Yes the book is about vampires but it is definatly not a scary story. The movie did hit all the important parts of the story. It shows the love between the two main characters,Edward and Bella, and goes through the struggles of Edward being a vampire. If you get a chance I definitely say that you should see the movie. Its not just a love story. The movie has action and suspense with the love story blended in.Even if you never read the book you would enjoy the movie. I would give the movie a 5 out of 5 (0-being the worst and 5-the best). And if you've seen the movie you would love to read the book. I would definitely recommend everyone seeing this movie.

5:58 PM: Car Crash on Rt. 66

There is a motor vehicle crash on Route 66 about a mile west of the center of Hebron. As of this writing (5:30 pm), traffic is severely backed up on both sides of the scene. Commuters would do well to avoid Rt. 66.

More details to follow.

Terns

Typically grey with white plumage, they have webbed feet and are about 23 cm tall. They are called terns, migrational seabirds that have worldwide distriution. Every year, the terns make a migration to the warm climate of South America. Here in Connecticut, many terns can be found on the local wildlife sanctuary Faulkner Island located in Guilford, Connecticut. However, even in this sanctuary, these little birds are in danger. The tern lays their eggs in open nests, making them prime targets for predators. One RHAM teacher, Margaret Quinn felt passionately for the struggle of the terns and contacted the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge wanting to know what she and the school community could do to help these little birds. Established in 1997, the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge was created to "conserve, protect and enhance the abundance and diversity of native plant, fish and wildlife species and the ecosystems on which they depend throughout the 7.2 million-acre Connecticut River watershed". This watershed area is home to many species of migratory birds, including the tern. During the summer of 2008, Mrs. Quinn led an assortment of locals, including RHAM teachers Mr. Deliman, Mr. Moyer, Principal Leslie, among others, as well as Marlborough First Selectmen Bill Black in the construction of three hundred tern nests. These nests are small wooden boxes closed at the top, but with a mesh window over the top of the doorway. The terns lay their eggs in the dark back of the nests, with the mesh window for ventalation and comfort. RHAM technology education teachers George Deliman and Keith Moyer cut the wood for the nests while all the other volunteers assisted in putting the nests together. In exchange for their honorable work, RHAM science teachers are permitted to use the island for research and experiments with their classes. In the future, there are plans to expand this program to allow more field trips and research to be done throughout RHAM's science curriculum. If you have interest in supporting this cause, please visit Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge website at http://www.fws.gov/northeast/planning/Conte/ccphome.html.

Smashing Pumpkins Ignite Crowd at Mohegan Sun

Last Sunday, November 16, the Smashing Pumpkins performed at the Mohegan Sun Arena In Uncasville Connecticut celebrating the 20th anniversary of the band. The eight piece band performed to a psychedelic pattern with flashing colours and geometric shapes leaving the appearance of the stage very club-like. Billy Corgan, lead singer and guitarist, lit up the crowd with his high energy and lyrical composition. Ginger Reyes, the newest member of the group and bassist gave the song "G.L.O.W" a defined, heavy feel while guitarist Jeff Schroeder added spark to the pulsating "Mayonaise" and accompanied Corgan's riff to the song very nicely. Violins and brass were used on the song "Today" to add subtle fills, while "Cherub Rock" was less forgiving with its heavy riffs and even a primal scream uttered from Corgan. The band thrived off the crowd's energy and unleashed "raucous abandon" in their performance. Arrangements ranged from heavy, atmospheric thump and grind tones such as "Bodies" to more melodic, ballad like ones such as "Disarm". The Smashing Pumpkins covered the popular "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac was covered with an acoustic guitar by Corgan and was a nice transition from the thrashing electronic feel. The group opted to end the show with an encore and they covered Pink Floyd's "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun." People enjoyed the non stop energy that the band gave and were excited to see the band still together today.



source: www.courant.com

Deadly Attack in Hartford Leaves Student Dead

A 19 year old student taking a break from class in the Urban League of Greater Hartford was stabbed multiple times by three males who approached him.

According to Courant.com, the stabbing occurred around 11 a.m. on Wednesday outside the building on Woodland Street, as the student was taking a break from his General Education Development class.

According to Police Daryl K. Roberts, the teen was targeted by someone he knew, and the attackers were lying in wait, ready to attack the teen when he was most vulnerable or alone.

The teen suffered severe neck and chest wounds and was pronounced dead around 2:45 p.m Thursday.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Hartford Police Major Crimes Division Sgt. Rob Davis at (860)757-4256 or the Hartford Crime Stoppers at (860)722-TIPS(8477).

Deadly Confrontation Leads to Gun Fire

A small argument in a Stafford home became deadly Thursday morning. A group of people, all of whom knew each other, gathered at a Stafford house Wednesday night into Thursday morning when an argument took place.

According to Courant.com, at about 1 a.m., one man, Jason Devoid, 29, then pulled out a handgun during the dispute. Another man struggled for the gun, cutting Devoid on the forehead in the process, gained possession of the gun, and fired two shots into the ceiling to try to gain control of the fight.

Devoid fled the scene but was later caught by police at a friends house and arrested.

According to Courant.com, "Devoid was charged with criminal possession of a firearm, second-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment, possession of stolen property and breach of peace, police said. He is in police custody on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court in Rockville Friday."

Parking Update: New Spaces?

Here at RHAM High School, space can be tight when it comes to student parking. However, High School Principal Scott Leslie has a plan. According to Principal Leslie, most of the lower student parking lot is being filled up by RHAM Middle School teachers, while much of the Middle School teacher's lot is left open. In cooperation with RHAM Middle School Principal Michael Seroussi, Mr. Leslie plans to assign specific numbered spaces to RHAM Middle School teachers to assure that all Middle School parking spaces are full. According to Mr. Leslie, this process is to take place over the next three weeks and is expected to free up thirty to fifty new spaces in the RHAM High School student parking lot.

Superintendent's Office Complete and Occupied

At long last, RHAM's new administrative space is complete and occupied. Dr. Siminski, Superintendent of Region 8 Schools, Bill Mazarra, Financial Manager, and Kathy Mund, Administrative Assistant are all settling into their new offices. Some pictures of the new space:

The conference room

Kathy Mund, Administrative Assistant

The central corridor

Financial Manger Bill Mazarra's office

Superintendent Dr. Robert Siminski hard at work

Pirates Attack Oil Tanker

In Mogadishu, Somalia, pirates seized an oil tanker. The tanker, the Sirius Star, had 100 million dollars worth of crude oil aboard the ship. The Iranian vessel captured was the seventh in twelve days. Ships area now being forced to sail around the Cape of Good Hope, in order to avoid any more hijackings. This means that the ships will have to travel thousands of extra miles, which will take days longer than originally planned.

Many Somali officials are looking into the matter and are proposing to win the tanker back by force if necessary. This is the largest tanker as well as the farthest from the coast, to ever be captured. The Sirius Star was holding 2 million barrels of oil and was 450 nautical miles from the coast.



Information courtesy of msnbc.com.

High Levels of Uranium found in Madison Schools

According to courant.com, very high levels of uranium was found in the well of two Madison, CT schools. This has forced officals to shut off water fountains and give out bottled water. The town has tested the water after the school officals received anonymous tips on October 28, that uranium has been found in the groundwater in nearby homes. "The town's other schools are not affected," Hale said, "because they get water from Connecticut Water Co., which regularly tests for such contaminants.". The test results came back on Thursday and said the two school's water had about 110 micrograms of uranium per liter. Officals held a meeting last night at Brown Middle School for anyone who had any questions or concerns. Hopefully, the problems at the two Madison schools will be fixed in the near future.

"007: Quantum of Solace" Review

His second time as the role, Daniel Craig (James Bond) brings us back into the world of secret agents and devious plots in the most recent 007 film, "Quantum of Solace". The film picks up after the last film released, "Casino Royale", with Bond determined to find out about the strange organization behind the blackmailing of the love of his life. Unlike many previous Bond films, Bond does not have several thousand dollars worth of gadgets at his disposal. Most of the time, Bond is on his own, with only his gun to stop his foes. However, this is more than made up for by the intense action scenes, such as a pursuit across rooftops, and high speed car chases. The film also explores the darker, more human side of Bond, showing that even he is victim to the tempation of revenge, causing even his own organization to doubt him. "Quantum of Solace" is an intense addition to the growing collection of Bond movies, and it is definitely worth seeing.

In the News

[The following information was provided by the RHAM Honors Global Studies class.]

TODAY IN THE NEWS:


Israel is Willing to Attack Iran before a Nuclear Weapon is Obtained

Summary:

Israel plans to attack Iran before Iran can obtain nuclear weapons. This is because of Iran’s many threats of violence directed towards the nation of Israel. Some military officials within Israel claim Iran isn’t a massive threat, and these people believe Iran will attack by means of conventional warfare. Other officials within Israel claim Iran may have the chance to use nuclear weapons, and want a full peace treaty between nations against nuclear weapons, which is a lopsided negotiation as Israel possesses nuclear arms, and Iran does not.

Analysis:
As Iran moves forward with violent threats aimed at Israel, Israel is fabricating plans to halt the threat of Iran. One of these methods that Israel is considering is a pre-emptive strike designed to cripple nuclear research and production in Iran. This idea brings intense speculation and controversy around the world, as groups such as the European Union and the United States fear that an attack on Iran could yield a war, nuclear or conventional. Also, a strike on Iran’s nuclear heart may bring up other questions. Why should Iran be denied nuclear power, as other nations are allowed to pursue it? Israel’s proclamation that they will, if necessary, attack Iran adds more heat to the overall conflict of Iran’s nuclear proliferation.

[More information on this topic is available at:
http://www.rhamhs.reg8.k12.ct.us/Departments/Technology%20Education/Website/nuclear.rtf ]

Game Reveiw: Tom Clancy's ENDWAR

Based on a book by the New York Time's best selling author Tom Clancy comes a revolutionary war game. Set in the year 2020 - 3 years after terrorists have knocked out the Saudi Arabian's oil supply - the nations of Europe have joined together to create the European Federation and Russia has returned to power. These and other world events have pushed the worlds supper powers into WW3. The player takes command of one of the three factions/armies and moves to take control of the world. Combining what is known as real time strategy and the new voice command software the game moves as fast as you can make the next move. Troops can be deployed, moved, and told to attack the enemy by simply pressing a button and speaking an order into the XBOX 360 microphone or PlayStation 3 microphone. I feel that this game is a step ahead of the rest and I would give it a 9 out of 10 for great graphics and a fun experience. The story certanly makes you think.....WHAT IF?

RHAM Benefit Concert

RHAM is hosting its semi-annual 9/11 Benefit concert of the year this Friday, November 21. The show will be hosted in the Auditorium by the very own students here at RHAM. The show begins at 7:00 p.m and the ending time is scheduled to be around 10:00 p.m. Bands performing will be new and old including the trio of graduates that make the indie/hardcore band Exit Ghost, newcomer hardcore band A Day Late consisting of five sophomores and one junior, The Tension, four junior students whose heavy alternative rock fusion gives the crowd a kick of energy and The second graduates trio, The Purse Snatchers, whose Folk Punk feel always gets the audience moving. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 5 dollars and all proceeds will go to 9/11 scholarship. There's good band, good people and a good time so there is no reason why anyone would should not go! Any questions? Contact pursesnatchersbooking@gmail.com :)

[The following information was provided by the RHAM Honors Global Studies class.]

Today In The News:

The conflict with the Taliban vs. Pakistan rages
Summary: The Taliban and Pakistan are involved in constant battles. The constant conflict and harm to the citizens of Pakistan have led to mass political instability. Recently Pakistan forces liberated 34 miles from the Taliban. This was a very crucial gain because this suppresses the Taliban forces. Hopefully Pakistan can continue to push back the Taliban and begin to focus more on the development of their country.

Analysis: This is a glimmer of hope for the struggling Pakistan. If they can continue to beat back the Taliban they can avoid more internal conflict. The Taliban consists of many Pakistani Muslim extremists that believe in overtaking Pakistan. The current Pakistan government is very unstable and needs to end this constant conflict. On a more minor note Pakistan also has again been having feuds with India. If they can resolve the Taliban dilemma, they then must focus on foreign communications.

For further information on this topic go to:
http://www.rhamhs.reg8.k12.ct.us/Departments/Technology%20Education/Website/taliban.txt

Manchester has made drug arrests

A suspected drug dealer was arrested on Thursday afternoon, according to police. The man is being charged with several drug charges, including operating a drug factory and possession of marijuana with the intent of selling. He is being held on $75,000 bond and is going to appear in court on November 26. Another man was arrested on Tuesday night for being found in possession of an ounce of marijuana. Police filed some other charges like being in possession of a drug within 1500 feet of a school, intent to sell 1500 feet from a school.

-information courtesy of www.courant.com

RHAM Archery shoots for first time this year

On Wednesday, November 12th, RHAM archery went to Andover Archery to shoot with their new equipment. The club shot with their new Geneis compound bows. The Geneis compound bows the club got were made for beginners. The club got funds to get equipment at the end of last year. RHAM archery hopes to keep shooting with their new equipment many times throughout this year.

Same Sex Marriage in CT

As of November 12,this past Wednesday, Connecticut can officially marry same sex couples. As of Wednesday, Connecticut can officially hand out marriage licenses to same sex couples. Four years ago Massachusetts began to marry same sex couples and now Connecticut has followed. Many people believe that since people are now on the idea of gay rights they are more comfortable with gay and lesbian couples.

Even though Connecticut has taken a step into accepting gay and lesbian couples, many states voted against it in the recent election. Voters in California, Arizona and Florida all voted down the right to marry gay couples. This was a shock for many Californians because since this past June there have been over 17,000 gay and lesbian weddings.

Even though very few states allow gay marriage, many people living in Connecticut believe we are taking the right path on the issue. People in East Haven and Bristol are excited by the new law and are supporting everyone who is able to get married now.

(info found on courant.com)

College Prices Rise Yet Again

Bad news for all families with teenage children, the price of attending a state university rose again. According to Courant.com, figures posted on Wednesday said that the prices for state universities rose another 6.4%.

James Boyle, president of the group College Parents of America said, "At a time of flattening wages, widespread job losses and shrinking home values, the last thing parents need is another big increase in the cost of college." This price increase is causing even more difficulties for families struggling to support college education costs.

But, there is some hope for slight help in the cost category. This is in the form of financial aid, grants, and scholarships. Many financial aids can help families greatly in their attempts to pay for a student's time in college. The sad truth about financial aid is that there is a high demand for the help from families and maybe become less and less existent.

According to The Courant, for those looking to attend college soon, all financial aid options should be considered before making a decision about where you do or do not want to attend college.

RHAM's Opponent Determined For Volleyball State Finals

The RHAM volleyball team will play Jonathan Law at 8 pm. The location of the game is at Newington High School.

UPDATE: Mentally Distraught Man In East Hampton

The standoff that took place on Wednesday the 12th in East Hampton ended late that night when police entered the 44 year old man's home to find him dead from a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head in a bed room on the second story of his Main Street home. His name has not yet been released.


Police made many attempts to contact the man but all failed. Nearby homes were evacuated for safety but nothing worked. Sadly the standoff ended at 12 o clock that night when police enterd the home and found the man dead.



Story from Courant.com

RHAM Soccer

Last night,November 12th, the RHAM boys soccer team had there quarter finales.RHAM lost the game 0-2 to East Lyme. The boys played a good game and stayed strong, even though the game kicked them out of states. The seniors on the team played an amazing last game.

RHAM Volleyball Advances to Finals

The RHAM volleyball team has advanced to the state tournament finals, beating semifinal opponent Griswold (ranked #5 in the state) this evening. RHAM lost the first game by a score of 29-27, but then came back to win the next three by scores of 25-19, 25-15, and 25-16. The state championship will be played on Friday, but RHAM's opponent has not yet been determined.

Mentaly Distraught Man In East Hampton

On Wednesday November 12 part of Main Street East Hampton was closed due to a man who reportedly locked himself in his own house and was threatening suicide. East Hampton police closed the street around 3 o clock Wednesday after noon and set up a staging area at the top of the street by the Liberty Bank on the intersection of Main Street and Rt. 66. The Middletown swat team was called in later in the day to help the East Hampton police control the situation.

We will try to keep up dated as more information is known.

Gas prices still continue to drop in Connecticut

The price of gas in Connecticut continues to drop tremendously for the fourth month in a row, according to courant.com. As of Tuesday, the price for regular gas has dropped to $2.36, a gallon from the $3.20, a gallon from Mid-October for Connecticut. The price of gas, a year ago in Connecticut was $3.20, a gallon. Diesel has also been dropping because now diesel fuel is $3.46, a gallon. Diesel was $4.02, a month ago for Connecticut. The average gas price has gone down to $3.16 to $2.22, a gallon for the entire United States. New Jersey is where the cheapest gas is in the Northeast. The gas in New Jersey is at $2.18, a gallon.

-photo courtesy of http://www.gpsobsessed.com/

Inauguration Scalped

The official Presidential Inauguration for elect Barack Obama has been announced for January 20, 2009. The Inauguration is to take place in Washington D.C. with only 240,000 seats available. According to the Associated Press, scalped tickets to the ceremony are expected to be priced at least $40,000 online. Senator Dianne Feinstein of California is overseeing the entire ceremony and has urged internet sites such as ebay not to sell scalped inauguration tickets, and is even considering crafting a bill that would make it a federal crime to buy or sell scalped inauguartion tickets. According to http://www.courant.com/, the tickets are supposed to be free and distributed through congressional offices. In order to prevent scalping, tickets will not be released until shortly before the ceremony.

Locations Revealed for Semifinal Games

The locations for the semifinal boys soccer and volleyball states games have been announced. The RHAM boys soccer team will play East Lyme in Rocky Hill at 6 pm on November 12th. Also on November 12th, the RHAM volleyball team will play Griswold in Cheshire at 5 pm.

RHAM Boys Soccer Team Will Advance to Semifinals

The RHAM boys soccer team defeated North Haven on Saturday afternoon. The game could not decided in regular play or over time and resulted in penalty kicks. Each team took 5 penalty kicks and RHAM scored 3 out of 5. RHAM's scorers were Sean Vieten, Dan Fish, and Jack Taute. RHAM's goalie Kyle Fromme did a great job in goal only allowing one of North Haven's shots to go in. These penalty kicks decided the game. RHAM will now advance to the semifinals where they will play the number 5 seed East Lyme.

RHAM Volleyball Team Will Advance to Semifinals

The RHAM volleyball team defeated Avon on Friday night, in the quarterfinal game in the class M state tournament. The Sachems won 3 games to 0. The scores of the games were 25-23, 25-9, and 25-9.They will now advance to the semifinals. They will play Griswold, the number 5 seed on Wednesday, November 12th.

Voter Turnout Results

According to statistics collected by cnn.com, the total number of voters on election day this year was between 126.8 and 128.8 million. This was an all-time record in terms of total voters, breaking the record set four years ago at 122.2 million. However, in terms of percentage of registered voters who actually voted, this election fell short of the all time mark. 61.2% of voters coming out was not enough to surpass the 1960 record of 67%.

According to FOX News, however, 91% of registered Connecticut voters turned up at the polls on election day. This was significantly higher than the overall U.S. average of 56% over all recorded elections.

Some researchers account these numbers to the increased emphasis on campaigns to get out the vote for this election. Slogans like "Rock the Vote" and informational commercials on how to register to vote caused an increased turnout at the polls for this election cycle.

Boys Soccer Quarter Finals Postponed

The quarterfinal boys soccer game has been postponed. They will now play North Haven at home on Saturday at 1 pm.

RHAM Boys Soccer Team to Play In Quarter Finals

The RHAM boys soccer team will play North Haven, the number 16 seed, at home on Friday afternoon. The game is a quarterfinal states game and will be at 2 pm.

Loss of Michael Crichton

Primetime Emmy winner and beloved author Michael Crichton has succumbed to his battle with cancer at age 66. Crichton is famous for his works such as the Oscar winning Jurassic Park, The Andromeda Strain, and Twister. As the son of a journalist, Crichton was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Roslyn, New York, at a young age. Michael was a beloved author, director, and producer in the world of entertainment. Our condolences go out to the Crichton family in this time of tragedy.



Source: http://www.imdb.com/

Correction

The Andover Exit poll results were not accurate. I did not do the necessary work to get accurate results. I apologize for this.

-Shelby

[Editor's Note: RHAM News apologizes for the inaccurate information and steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.]

Editorial - Student Opinion

[The following opinion piece was written by students in the RHAM Honors Global Studies class.]

Dear Editor:

We are citizens concerned about stereotypes held by certain people in the U.S. about Arabs, Muslims and the entire Middle East. At a recent political rally in Minnesota, a woman was quoted saying:
“I can’t trust Obama. I have read about him and he’s not – he’s not – he’s a – he’s an Arab”. She was later quoted saying: “You can't trust Barack Hussein Obama because he is a Muslim and a terrorist," using his middle name to make him sound like a threat.
The lady mistakenly thought that Obama was an Arab and a Muslim and therefore concluded he was a terrorist. Being a Muslim or an Arab does not mean that you are a terrorist, or a bad person in any way.
Our reason for writing this does not have anything to do with the election, but the overall misconception of Arabs and Muslims, and how Obama is just an example of how this happens every day. Unlike many similar instances of stereotyping and prejudice that go unnoticed, this example was brought to our attention because of the publicity around the upcoming election.
Our mission in writing this is to correct these stereotypes. A stereotype is a judgment of a whole group of people based on characteristics or behaviors of a few examples. Just as it would be wrong to judge all Americans by the hateful actions of Christian extremist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, it is equally wrong to judge all Arabs by the few terrorists who participated in 9/11.

Below is the real definition of “Arab”, in contrast to the commonly-held negative stereotype:

Real Definition:
An “Arab” is a member of an ethnic group derived from the Arabian Peninsula.

Negative Stereotype:
All “Arabs” are extremist Muslims who are terrorists, who hate the USA and have goals to destroy it

Instead of these negative stereotypes, here are some facts:

Definition of Muslim: Someone who follows the religion of Islam.

Definition of Extremist: Someone who has extreme views and is willing to go to any length to get their point across.

Definition of Terrorist: Someone who uses fear as a means to control people; someone who violates the rules of war as defined in the Geneva Conventions.

Clarifications:
#1: Not all Arabs are Muslims.
#2: Not all Muslims are Arab.
#3: Not all Arabs are terrorists.
#4: Not all Muslims are terrorists.
#5: Not all terrorists are Muslim.
#6: There are terrorists from many nations and religions. For example, the largest terrorist attack on US soil before 9/11 was committed by Christian Extremists in Oklahoma City.
#7: Not all terrorism is focused on the US.

The United States is a diverse nation that is based on equality and freedom for all. From the time of the first Pilgrims, people came to this country to be free from persecution, yet today we find ourselves persecuting others by discriminating against Arabs and Muslims. Such stereotypes not only build barriers between different groups of people, but also go against the very principles of the country we are trying to defend today.

Thank you for your attention,

Concerned Citizens from RHAM HS

CNN Projects Obama Win

At 11:00 PM on 11/4/08, CNN projected that Barack Obama would achieve 297 electoral votes - 27 more than the 270 needed - and become the next President-elect of the United States of America.

UPDATE: Hebron Election Results

The official numbers are in for Hebron!

Obama: 2954 (55%)
McCain: 2285 (43%)
Nader: 78 (1%)
Blank: 10

Sen. John McCain had a stronger showing than both Connecticut's track record and early exit polls suggested, but Sen. Obama edged him out by a solid margin. Connecticut has, as of this writing, forecast to vote solidly for Sen. Obama. Nevertheless, Hebron seems to be a little redder than its neighbors.

Other results:

Congress:
Blank: 273
Sean Sullivan (Republican): 1860
Joe Courtney: 3058
G. Scott DeSheffy (Green Party): 52

State Senator: Edith Prague
State Representative: Pamela Sawyer
Republican Registrar of Voters: James Derby
Democratic Registrar of Voters: Elizabeth Fitzgerald

“Shall there be a Constitutional Convention to amend or revise the
Constitution of the State?”
Blank: 424
Yes: 1730
No: 3122

“Shall the constitution of the state be amended to permit any person
who will have attained the age of eighteen years on or before the day
of a regular election to vote in the primary for such regular election?”
Blank: 441
Yes: 3096
No: 1739


There was a minor problem with the tabulation when Hebron's polls closed at 8:00. One of the sealed bags that was to be used to store ballots ripped, and there were no replacement bags available. After some confusion, the moderators sealed the ballots within one of the ballot boxes. There was a brief delay in the tallying, but no problems otherwise.

Special thanks to Shelby and Derek for help in gathering polling data.

Season Ends For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

The RHAM girls soccer team lost to Torrington on Tuesday afternoon. The final score of the game was 4 to. 3. RHAM goals were scored by Amanda Smith, and Audra Ayotte. This was a first round state tournament game. Due to the loss, the soccer season is over for the Sachems.

A Look at the Vote

Some footage from Hebron Elementary School, where Hebron voters were casting their ballots in this year's election:

BREAKING: Exit Poll Results from Hebron and Marlborough

RHAM News has been at local polling places doing exit surveys. Here are the results we have right now:

Marlborough:
77% - Barack Obama, Democrat
19% - John McCain, Republican
4% - Bob Barr, Libertarian

Hebron:
65% - Barack Obama, Democrat
35% - John McCain, Republican

The Andover exit poll results are as follows..
65% Obama
31% McCain
4% Bob Barr, Liberaterian

It seems as though the majority of Andover is voting for Democratic Candidate Barack Obama. John McCain has about half of Obama's vote and Bob Barr comes in last with 4% of the vote.

N.B: These results are based on small sample sizes and are exit polls, and should not be taken as definitive. They will, however, serve as a general impression of the towns' votes.


It seems that Senator Obama has a decisive lead over Senator McCain, whichis unsurprising given Connecticut's historically liberal bent. Marlborough is swinging more to the Democratic side than is Hebron, though this may change as more votes come in. We will post the results of our Andover exit polls for you as soon as we can, and we will have the actual vote counts
soon after polls close. Stay tuned for the latest in your local election coverage!

Girls Soccer will play in State Tournament

RHAM Girls Soccer are going to be playing in the first round of the state tournament on Tuesday, November 4th at Torrington High School. The start of the game will start at 4 p.m.

-photo courtesy of www.rhamgirlssoccer.googlepages.com

Pay To Park

RHAM High School administration has been discussing the idea of a new pay to park program for next year. A few things have motivated this discussion - one is the budget for next year. Since America has been having economic struggle the administration thinks that the budget that they propose might not be what they get. So having students pay to park might help with the money they need. Also there are not enough parking spots for all the teachers and students who need it, so the students start to take teacher's spots.

The fee will be set somewhere between $50-$200. Also, just like pay to play for sports and clubs, a form must be filled out with some information such as the kind of car, your license plate number, insurance, and contacts in case of emergency. After the students pay they will receive a sticker that can be put on their windshield so that it is easily recognizable by the staff who are monitoring the parking lot.

The staff is going to strictly enforce this new pay to park, and if you take someone's spot that they paid for and you didn't pay you will get towed. This will ensure that the people who have paid the amount will get what they paid for. Also the other worry is that the school needs to make the line between teacher and student parking clearer.

[The following information was provided by the RHAM Honors Global Studies class[

Today in the News:
Outside forces affect movement in War on Terror
Terrorism is still striking, harder and lighter.

Summary: Recently, the outiside U.S. dilemmas have pushed the War on Terror to the backburner as the economy has been the main fear. However, terrorism is still striking. Torture in Guatemano Bay has pushed its way to the top of concerns as recent investigations showed that human rights are being neglected. Three NATO soldiers and sixteen civilians have also died in Afghanistan by attacks of Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda is losing momentum as recent mountaining deaths causes Taliban leaders to split with Al Qaeda in an overall quest for peace.
Analysis: In recent years, the focus has been on the War on Terror for United States citizens. With recent events, it has been outshined and placed on the back burner. This is a problem becaue the American people are still at risk, and this threat hasn't been noticed. Around the world, other attacks have bombarded new countries causing not only the United States to be at risk, but many other places around the world, as well. As a positive note, though, the Taliban split from Al Qaeda giving them less power and hopefully will eliminate the multitude of attacks. In conclusion, US citizens need to wake up and notice the threat at hand, along with new countries around the world.

[Further analysis of this topic is available at:
http://www.rhamhs.reg8.k12.ct.us/Departments/Technology%20Education/Website/waronterror.txt ]

The Dig for the Cure Event was a success

According to rhamvolleyball.com, the RHAM volleyball team raised 1,581 dollars for the CT Susan G. Komen Foundation at the Dig for the Cure event. RHAM Volleyball teammates were glad they could raise so much for breast cancer research.

Volleyball Tournament to be held at RHAM

On Saturday, November 1st RHAM High School will be hosting the annual Northwest Conference Volleyball Tournament, with the beginning of the tournament startong at 3 pm. According to rhamvolleyball.com, RHAM volleyball will be playing their 1st game against the winner of the Rocky Hill and Windham game. Rocky Hill is currently number 16 in the conference and Windham is currently number 17 in the conference. The winner of the Rocky Hill vs. Windham game will go to RHAM High School on November 5th to play RHAM volleyball. The game will start at 5 pm. RHAM is currently number 1 in the conference and hopes to keep their winning streak going throughout the tournament.

Girls' Cross Country Team Has Successful Season Yet Again

The RHAM Girls' Cross Country team was very successful in their conference title meet. During the Northwest Conference Stephanie Eldridge was the overall winner of the cross country championship. Stephanie, a junior, led RHAM to their 7th consecutive NWC team title.

All-NWC honors go to Stephanie Eldrige, Lauren White, Kristen Salline, Liz Rey, Cassidy Olio, Katie Wulftange, and Heather Eldridge. Stephanie Eldridge, RHAM's top runner, will be competing in the State Open.

Mock Election Results

RHAM's mock election was completed on Wednesday, October 30th. Students voted on issues of importance, their favored presidential candidate, and the past president they would most want back in the Oval Office. Here are the results:



Critically Important Issues:

War in Iraq

Climate Change

Economy



Very Important Issues:

Cost of Energy

National Security

Education

Health Care



Issues that would be most helped by government spending:

Economy

Health Care

Climate Change



Three most popular past presidents:

John F. Kennedy

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington



Current Election:

Barack Obama 66% (613 votes)

John McCain 25% (236 votes)

Ralph Nader 9% (81)

Last Regular Season Game Ends In A Loss For RHAM Girls Soccer Team

On Wednesday night, the RHAM girls soccer team played Rocky Hill. They took an early lead of 2-0 in the first half, but Rocky Hill made a comeback and one the game 3-2. The RHAM girls were scored by Hanna Schuschke, and Audra Ayotte. This was RHAM's last regular season game. Their final record for the season is 8-7-1(w-l-t). They are in the state tournament and will have their first game November 4th.

Parking

As of October 16th, students are banned from parking in the fire lanes or anywhere else on school grounds without administrative consent. If students are caught in a fire lane or somewhere not permitted by the administration on school property, they will get a ticket and fine from the town or state police. According to Mr. Don Wilson, Assistant Principal at RHAM High School,"If students get caught in a fire lane, the town police will give them a ticket and a fine, which will be between $23 to $25. If the state police catches a student, then they will get a ticket and a fine of $93." The school has begun the ticketing policy so they can have more control of the student parking lot. Hopefully, the students parking in the fire lanes or somewhere that isn't permitted on school property will learn to park in the appropriate spots before they get a fine.

RHAM's Volleyball record now 18-0

On Tuesday night, RHAM volleyball became 18-0 in the Northwest Conference and held their Senior Night for their only senior, Kelly Stratton. RHAM won against Plainville 3 games to none. The scores of the three games were: 25-10, 25-10, 25-05. RHAM will be hosting the Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday, November 1st, starting at 3 pm. More updates on the tournament is to come.