It's Teacher Appreciation Day -- #ThankATeacher

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Image courtesy of NEA.

First and foremost, I want to thank all the teachers and staff at Portsmouth High School who have been working with our son, Jack, over the past couple of months as he's been having some health issues; the support and concern has been truly amazing.

Our whole family thanks Mr. Arsenault, Ms. Guerreiro, Mr. Holstein, Ms. Johnsen, Mr. Barker, Ms. Richards, Ms. Riesen, Ms. Valente, Mr. Betres, and Mr. Forgue, as well as Ms. Bellotti in Guidance and school nurse Ms. Hickey.

We feel very lucky to have such a great team working with us. Portsmouth has amazing teachers. Thank you all.

What I said to the RI House Judiciary committee about guns in schools

Thursday night, the RI House Judiciary Committee heard testimony on two pieces of gun legislation, H5861, which would close the loophole allowing concealed-carry permit holders to carry on school premises, and H5190, which would make permit renewal automatic without any requirement for requalification. Both measures were "held for further study," which is usually the way bills are quietly killed.

My 15-year-old son and I had signed up to testify, but at 7pm, with more than 30 people still on the list ahead of us, we had to leave. He made an argument, from a student perspective, about the hypocrisy of zero-tolerance for weapons (to the point of censoring t-shirts and language) while adults in the building could be armed. This morning, we both sent our testimony to all the members of the Judiciary Committee. Here's what I said...

I’m John McDaid, from Portsmouth, and I’m here as a parent and a member of the Humanists of Rhode Island to support bill H5861 and oppose H5190.

Here’s my nightmare. Imagine you’re picking up your kid at school. As you get buzzed in by the office, a guy standing in the lobby with you holds open the door for you. His jacket opens slightly and you see the distinctive slide of a Glock G42, what the NRA’s magazine calls an “an easy-to-carry, close-range defensive tool,” tucked into his waistband. He notices your gaze and says, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a permit.” What could you do or say? Right now, in Rhode Island, the answer is “nothing.” You can ask him, “Are you a good guy with a gun or a bad guy with a gun?” You can see if he reminds you of Adam Lanza or Seung-Hui Cho, but in those tenths of a second you have to make a decision, how do you tell a friendly neighbor from a sociopath? You’re standing there, and a guy with a gun is about to enter your child’s school. What do you do?

Fortunately, the General Assembly, in its wisdom, understood the challenges of this situation when they wisely crafted 11-47-60 to ban concealed weapons on school grounds. All H5861 would do is reconcile the language of this existing legislation with the possibly conflicting language in 11-47-9 and 11-47-18.

There are two reasons I feel concealed carry is a problem on school property.

First, the mere presence of a loaded weapon creates the possibility for potentially fatal accidents and incidents. According to the CDC, in 2013, the last year for which data is available, there were 16,864 reportable unintentional gunshot injuries. That’s 46 firearm accidents every day. To pick a recent data point: just this Easter Sunday, a man in Altoona, PA shot himself in the leg during Mass when the trigger of his pistol caught in his pocket. Concealed weapons present a constant unmitigateable risk of unintended discharge. If this were to take place in a classroom, the results could be catastrophic. And the possibility of a child — either innocently or maliciously — using an improperly secured weapon is equally grim. These are unforced errors that can be avoided by maintaining gun-free schools.

My wife lost her 12-year-old cousin in a shooting accident — a couple of innocent kids looking at guns in a friend’s house. When our son was younger, we were reluctant to have him play at a friend’s house where we knew there were guns, because kids are curious and accidents do happen. Without H5861, parents are forced to send their children into a school environment with the same potential dangers.

Second, relying on permit holders be able to protect students and staff in a school shooting situation is, to put it bluntly, delusional. To get a concealed carry permit in Rhode Island, applicants only need to demonstrate minimum accuracy on a range (putting 30 rounds in a 14-inch target at 25 yards) every four years (It should go without saying that reducing the qualification requirement, as H5190 does, is a step in the wrong direction). There is no requirement that a permit holder have training in decision-making, real-world tactical scenarios, or even drawing from concealment. Nor, more to the point, how to de-escalate dangerous situations. In short, there is no evidence that permit holders would have *any* of the requisite training to deal with the complex, high-stress situation of an active shooter. Attached is a link to a video done by ABC News showing how average armed citizens were able to respond in a simulated school shooting situation. Spoiler: they all would have died.

If the General Assembly wants to do something to address school safety in crisis situations, I’d encourage you to investigate the ALICE program being used in Massachusetts and some Rhode Island communities. More guns is not the answer. I respectfully urge the committee to close this loophole and support H5861. Thank you for your consideration.

References
CDC data
ABC News video
Easter church gun accident
ALICE

Why people leave town: thoughts on the Hugo nominations

A genuinely hilarious video (although perhaps not for the reasons intended), attributed to Vox Day.

I live in a small town, and have spent the last ten years or so involved in small town politics. I've learned a few lessons, some the hard way. Science fiction is a small town, and in this year's Hugo nominations — the awards voted on by members of World Science Fiction Convention — I'm seeing unfortunate echoes of the way local politics can be gamed and hijacked by a small but determined group.

You may need some context; if so, you can take a peek at these posts by The Slate, Mary Robinette Kowal, N.K. Jemisin, File 770, and George R. R. Martin.

Back in the oughts, my town of Portsmouth became one of the first battlegrounds for the anti-tax crowd in Rhode Island; proto-Tea Partiers before there was such a thing. In 2006, the local "Concerned Citizens" group managed to use a procedural technique — a referendum on the local budget colloquially referred to as a "tent meeting" — to slash the budget for Portsmouth's schools and town in what was the index year for all subsequent tax levy increases. By rallying ten percent of the town's electorate, they were able to override budgets crafted by the duly elected School Committee and Town Council.

In local politics, you learn that angry people show up to vote. And it's far easier to drum up an angry mob than to communicate nuanced positions on issues.

Folks in a small town expect local government to handle things without a lot of drama. They vote for people on the Council and School Committee without necessarily a whole lot of thought about party affiliation; it's not like national politics. You may know this gal from church, or that guy coached your kid's Little League team. There's a general sense that the people running for office all have the town's best interests at heart — I mean, they're stepping up to do a several-year stint for very little pay. That assumption of good will works to an attacker's advantage.

Local elections can be swung by a few hundred votes. If you can get a core group of even 50 people riled up about an issue — in local politics, taxes are always handy (as are sewers and arsenic) and each of them reaches out to their network, you've got enough votes to change the leadership of a Council or School Committee. Not that those people, once elected, will necessarily show a lot of interest in post-partisan governance (or even, in some cases, serving out their term). They are more interested in advancing an agenda, and they will take hold of the levers of local control for a couple of years and run things into the ditch. (I say this, admittedly, as a one-time candidate for school committee who got my ass handed to me by a couple of the darlings of the anti-tax faction, so, obviously, I am biased.)

The parallels to science fiction fandom should hopefully be obvious. Worldcon is effectively a small town, albeit a temporary and peripatetic one, as it re-creates itself in a new host city every year. The same attacker's advantages accrue in voting for the convention's awards. The total number of ballots cast for Hugo nominations this year, 2,122, is the kind of number you see in a small town election. That's the kind of number you can swing with the torch-and-pitchfork crowd. Get a few hundred folks riled up about an issue — and it can be as illusory as arsenic in a landfill — and they wield an influence all out of proportion to their actual numbers, because the people of good will may not even be aware of their activities and the strength of the majority is diluted.

These are the kinds of things that can make people throw up their hands and figuratively leave town by abandoning local politics. Some people — even those who are well-intentioned — see a false equivalence and blame "both" sides.

It doesn't have to be that way.

The cynics (λυπημένος κυνικός) may win in the short term. They have absolutely scored a major victory, both in the composition of the Hugo nominations and the amount of ink and angst generated over their actions. But they underestimate the true power of small-town politics: regression to the mean. There are many more citizens than cynics, and their votes can not be gamed. The collective notion of the genre has been moving, inexorably, in the direction of more progressive, inclusive science fiction. Those of us who share that vision need to speak out, generate recognition among the majority of people of good will, and show up at the polls. That's how you overcome reactionary extremists. That's how you turn things around in local politics.

In case you're so inclined, you can get a supporting membership to Worldcon here and vote on the Hugos.

Portsmouth to be featured on RIPBS "Our Town" – and YOU can help

15mar31_ourtown.pngPortsmouth has been selected as one of three Rhode Island towns to be featured in a RIPBS "day-in-the-life" tv program called "Our Town," and they are looking for local videographers and storytellers to capture the unique flavor of our community. From the web site:

Our Town features the local legends, historical happenings, and backyard secrets that our Rhode Island towns and villages have to offer - those untold or uncelebrated stories that capture the essence of the town. Rhode Island PBS does not choose the stories - you do!

You can be a part of the Our Town story by collecting video and being one of the storytellers. Help document the people, places, and happenings in your community. No experience is necessary, just enthusiasm!

Town residents are especially urged to participate - you know all those great stories! But because Our Town is all about sharing, you do not have to live in the town if you have a great story to tell or would like to help record great town stories.

If you're interested in participating, there will be a planning meeting on Monday, April 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the Portsmouth Library. Hope to see you there!

Read more

Nice town, y'know what I mean?

PHS at top of Rhode Island graduation rate

The Rhode Island Dept. of Education released data on 2014 graduation rates last Friday, and Portsmouth High School came at 97%, tied with Classical High School in Providence for highest in the state, sixteen points above the statewide average.

According to a press release from RIDE, the 2014 Rhode Island graduation rate rose to 81%, a 1-point improvement over the previous year and a 5.5-point improvement since 2009. The dropout rate declined to 8%, a 1-point improvement over the previous year and a 6-point improvement since 2009.

“Our high-school students, teachers, and leaders deserve high marks for their tremendous efforts in raising our graduation rate,” said Governor Gina Raimondo in remarks distributed by RIDE. “As we make creating opportunities for all Rhode Islanders a priority, we must continue this momentum to make sure our kids build the skills they need to compete in a 21st-century economy. Earning a high-school diploma is one important component to making our state stronger for everyone.”

In a note sent to PHS parents this afternoon, PHS principal Bob Littlefield said,

"We are extremely proud of this success because it is recognition of a great deal of hard work on the part of our students, teachers, and families. And this came for the Class of 2014 -- the class that not only had to pass all its courses and complete Senior Project but was required to demonstrate proficiency in reading and math on NECAP tests.

A great deal of credit goes to our counseling staff who refuses to give up on students and is relentless in getting students together with teachers in order to make positive progress toward graduation requirements.

I also want to recognize our teaching staff for their eternal optimism about individual student success. We don't give up on students and we don't allow them to give up on themselves.

Several high schools attained 4-year graduation rates of 95 percent or higher in 2014, including the Block Island School, Classical High School (Providence), Cranston High School West, and East Greenwich High School in addition to PHS.

Several high schools improved their 4-year graduation by more than 5 percentage points over the past year, including East Providence High School, the New England Laborers’/Cranston Public Schools Construction & Career Academy, Tiverton High School, Toll Gate High School (Warwick), West Warwick Senior High School, and William E. Tolman Senior High School (Pawtucket).

National information on the 2014 graduation rates is not yet available. Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Education released data on the 2013 graduation rates. Rhode Island, with a 2013 graduation rate of 80 percent, was 1 point below the national average and tied for 29th among all states. The Rhode Island graduation rate improved by 3 percentage points over the two-year span of the report, better than the 2-point improvement for the country as a whole.

A report on the 2014 Rhode Island graduation and dropout rates is posted on the RIDE website, at: http://www.ride.ri.gov/InformationAccountability/Accountability.aspx

Editorial note: Written from press release and e-mail material.

Aquidneck Land trust conserves 72-acre Portsmouth parcel

Screen Shot 2013-10-02 at 3.03.14 PM.pngOn Friday, January 30, 2015, the much anticipated closing occurred between Aquidneck Land Trust ("ALT") and St. Mary's Church on the conservation of 72.18 acres of land in Portsmouth, RI. The conservation of this property began in 2011 when ALT, St. Mary's and its related entity the Sarah Gibbs Trust entered into a binding, contractual agreement to conserve the land in perpetuity. ALT was able to raise the funds needed in the first year of the option term, but was substantially delayed in receiving its largest grant for the project from the United States Department of Agiculture/Natural Resources Conservation Services ("NRCS"). With all the details finally worked out, both parties were elated to close on this property, ALT said in a release today.

"This project has been one full of dedication from a truly amazing and committed group of individuals," Chuck Allott, ALT's Executive Director, said in remarks distributed to the press. "We would not have been able to accomplish this closing without our important financial stakeholders, as well as all those who dedicated their time to the conservation of this parcel. The Church and the Sarah Gibbs Trust were amazing partners as we fought our way through the bureaucratic red tape of the federal funding agency for over a year and a half. In addition RIDEM and local NRCS staff ultimately found the way through to get the deal done. Aquidneck Island received a wonderful gift today, and to all those who helped us make this possible, we are forever grateful".

Jennifer Pedrick, the rector of St. Mary's, said, "The experience of working with Chuck Allott and The Aquidneck Land Trust on this deal demonstrated to us the deep commitment and perseverance of this organization. We are delighted to begin a new chapter in partnership with the Aquidneck Land Trust, our closest neighbor. St. Mary's and I look forward to supporting the great mission and work of the ALT. Congratulations!”.

With the generous contributions ALT raised enough in grant awards and cash from 3 governmental entities, 6 foundations, and 40 individuals to cover the entire project costs of $3,068,569.63. A number of parties made significant leadership contributions including NRCS, the State of Rhode Island/Department of Environmental Management, the Town of Portsmouth, the van Beuren Charitable Foundation, the Prince Charitable Trusts, the Alletta Morris McBean Charitable Trust, The Nature Conservancy through a grant from The Champlin Foundations, and The Rhode Island Agriculture Lands Preservation Commission.

The 72-acre St. Mary's Church and Sarah Gibbs Trust conservation areas are strategic from a conservation perspective. Pursuant to the Town of Portsmouth's 2002 Local Recreation, Conservation and Open Space Plan, the subject land is located within a Town designated Open Space and Active Agriculture Area, Resource Protection Overlay District Area, and Greenways Plan Area. The St. Mary's Church land is located next to a number of previously conserved parcels within ALT's Center Island Greenway thereby building upon and enhancing this past conservation work. The land also falls within the St. Mary's Pond Watershed, directly abutting the St. Mary's Pond Reservoir area with over 1,000 feet of frontage on the reservoir property. The St. Mary's Church land therefore acts as a natural buffer to this important island water reservoir from stormwater and nutrient runoff. The 2000 study Critical Parcel Identification for Watershed Protection in Newport County, Rhode Island, done by the Aquidneck Island Partnership, recognized the subject St. Mary's land as critical to protect from a watershed protection perspective. ALT's 2011 mapping and prioritization study of all the remaining and threatened open space parcels within Aquidneck Island's seven primary watersheds also identified the St. Mary's Church land as a high priority for protection. The woods, fields, and wetlands of the land provide diverse wildlife habitats that support various endangered species such as the Glossy Ibis. This land, which has almost 1,000 feet of frontage on East Main Road, is also an iconic property that provides joy to numerous passersby everyday with its spectacular scenic vistas. Furthermore, the fields of the proposed conservation area consist of mostly Prime Farmland Soils as recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture making the property an important agricultural resource.

ALT's time-sensitive mission is to conserve Aquidneck Island's open spaces and natural character for the lasting benefit of our community. With today’s closing, the organization has conserved 2519.49 acres on 73 properties across Aquidneck Island since its founding in 1990. ALT is a 501©(3) non-profit organization, and the first land trust in Rhode Island to have received national accreditation.
For more information, visit www.AquidneckLandTrust.org

Editorial note: Written from a press release.

Portsmouth Water to begin clearing hydrants; you can help

The Portsmouth Water and Fire District's operations staff and its contractors will begin clearing snow around the District's 570 fire hydrants on Wednesday morning. Residents can help expedite this process by clearing the snow around any fire hydrants near their house. Hydrants should be cleared so that the Portsmouth Fire Department can easily see and access the hydrants for fire fighting. The public's assistance in this effort will be greatly appreciated by the Portsmouth Water and Fire District and the Portsmouth Fire Department.

Editorial note: Written from a press release.

Gov. Raimondo reminds Rhode Islanders to prepare for severe weather

Governor Gina Raimondo today released the following statement reminding Rhode Islanders to prepare for severe winter weather.

"The National Weather Service has issued a Blizzard Warning for all of Rhode Island for Monday night through Wednesday morning. We are hard at work tracking the path of the storm, positioning our assets, and preparing to respond. I will remain in regular communication with all of the appropriate agencies, as well as with our municipal and federal partners. Rhode Island will be as ready as possible, but make no mistake: this could be a very severe and dangerous weather event. We will continue to keep you updated before, during, and after the storm.

"I urge all Rhode Islanders to also take the steps necessary now, ahead of the storm, to be prepared. This includes making sure to have sufficient food, water, and fuel for the next few days. You can find more information on this below, and please continue to follow the news for new updates."

Important Information and Preparedness Tips
Everyone should have supplies for at least three days:

  • Some non-perishable food, bottled water
  • Flashlights and extra batteries
  • A portable radio in case of power outages
  • Freshly-stocked first-aid kit
  • Essential prescription medicines
  • Baby-care items
  • Extra blankets
  • A fire extinguisher
  • Sufficient heating fuel

Safety & Travel Preparedness:

  • Snow will be very heavy and wet in some areas. When shoveling, remember to take frequent breaks to avoid overexertion. Keep fire hydrants clear of snow.
  • Make sure that generators are operated away from the home and in a well ventilated area to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Plan long trips carefully, listening to the news/media for the latest weather forecasts and road conditions.
  • Make an emergency supply kit for your vehicle, in addition to the emergency supply kit for your home. Include a shovel, jumper cables, and a bag of sand
  • Travel during the day, and if possible, try to take someone along with you
  • Keep your gas tank full
  • Install good winter tires with adequate tread
  • Check your windshield wiper fluid
  • National Weather Service recommends that all boats should be in port by Noon on Monday.

Winter storm may cause isolated power outages. Remember: Do NOT call 911 to report a power outage. Contact National Grid at 1-800-465-1212.

Please monitor social media and the news media for continued updates:

  • Governor's Office
  • RIEMA
  • RIDOT
  • RISP
  • National Grid
  • National Weather Service

Announcement from Serve Rhode Island: Serve Rhode Island is seeking volunteers to help remove one to two feet of snow after the storm of blizzard conditions forecasted for Monday and Tuesday.
Volunteers will be needed after the storm through Thursday to help elderly and disabled residents with snow removal. Serve Rhode Island will coordinate requests from elderly and disabled residents and assign snow removal jobs as volunteers become available.

Volunteers can sign up online by going to Serve Rhode Island's website or clicking this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SRI_SAFE-D

Residents who are elderly or disabled and who need snow removal assistance should call Serve Rhode Island at 401-331-2298 beginning Monday morning at 9:00 AM. For all other needs, people should call United Way-2-1-1.

Editorial note: Written from a press release.

Rep. Edwards crafts anti-surveillance, legislation review bills

edwards.jpgRep. Jay Edwards (D-70, Portsmouth) has submitted bills in the RI General Assembly that would prohibit unauthorized highway surveillance and create a committee to review and recommend laws for repeal, according to a state house release Friday.

Rep. Edwards bill (2015-H 5051) would prohibit surveillance on any public highway in Rhode Island unless specifically authorized by statute or court order. The bill would also provide for the confidentiality of information collected or stored.

“Rhode Island residents are entitled to their privacy,” Rep. Edwards said. “This measure would not stop our law enforcement officers from tracking down those who engage in criminal activity. It also does nothing to inhibit the state from operating toll booths. What it does is protect our citizens’ private information obtained through global positioning satellites, EZ-Passes and transponders, radio frequency identification devices and automated license plate recognition systems, from a public search. In a world where we have to worry about things like identity theft and hackers, it’s necessary to have these safeguards.”

All information collected through acceptable forms of surveillance under the law would not be subject to the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) or Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) without a court order. Employees of the state would be able to access this information for customer service, statistical, administrative, or legal purposes, as long as it is justified as necessary to performing their duties. Additionally, no information or data would be stored for more than five years unless a court orders otherwise.

Rep. Edwards’ bill (2015-H 5054) would create the Joint Committee of the Repealer, which would effectively compile suggestions for the repeal of statutes, regulations and executive orders received from citizens, businesses and government agencies.

“It’s time we have a committee that sits down, reads through some of these older statutes and makes recommendations to repeal rules that hold no relevance in 2015,” Representative Edwards said. “The joint committee would also target ‘business-unfriendly’ wording and redundant language in our books. We’re supposed to be doing everything we can to encourage economic growth. Well, it’s the little things that count sometimes and I think this is something that just needs to be done. There are a lot of arbitrary statutes and cumbersome regulations that need to go.”

The committee would consist of six members, three from the House and three from the Senate. Following a review of the suggestions, the committee would then make its recommendations to the General Assembly of laws to repeal or to the governor of executive orders to repeal.

Both bills were forwarded to the House Judiciary Committee; based on information on the General Assembly web site, both were heard on Tuesday, Jan 20, and are being held for further study.

Editorial note: Written substantially from a press release.

"Broadway" benefit show at PHS on Feb. 7

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The Dr. Robert A. Davidson Charitable Fund presents

Broadway From Then 'Til Now 5

A Concert of Broadway Showtunes, old and new

All Proceeds to Benefit the Portsmouth Public Education Foundation, Looking Upwards, and other local causes.

Saturday February 7, 2015
7:00 PM
Portsmouth High School Auditorium
120 Education Lane
Portsmouth, RI

Tickets $20 Adults, $10 Children Under 10
Online Tickets/Donations at Broadway5.eventbrite.com or Call 401-683-2824

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