Newtown Celebrates Acts of Kindness on Charlotte Bacon's Birthday [VIDEOS]

At Newtown Kindness's Charlotte Bacon Awards, parents Joel and JoAnn Bacon and grandparents Dan and Lindie Bacon, formerly of Batavia and St. Mark's Church in Geneva, remember her personality and thank organizers for their work.

Dan and Lindie Bacon are former missionaries of St. Mark's Church in Geneva and former residents of Batavia. They moved to Newtown, CT, last year to help raise their grandchildren, including 6-year-old Charlotte Bacon, who died in the shooting at Sandy Hill Elementary School in Newtown. Charlotte would have turned 7 on Feb. 22. About 100 people flocked to Newtown Healing Center this past weekend to celebrate Charlotte's birthday by recognizing random acts of kindness. Awards are given to kids who did special things to help others, from reading to senior citizens to simply opening the door. At Newtown Kindness's Charlotte Bacon Awards, parents Joel and JoAnn Bacon remembered her personality and thanked organizers for their work. Dan and …

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Letter to the Editor: Gun Control Equals Better Schools

After the tragedy at Sandy Hook, a Fox Valley area teacher calls on teachers as well as public officials to demand gun control.

Safe schools lead to safer students who are more likely to be better learners. The Connecticut shooting last week shattered the families of 20 little first graders. Colorado’s theater shooting a few months ago claimed the lives of several college students. Chicago neighborhood teens routinely risk their lives en route to their middle and high schools. Gun violence accounts for a significant number of deaths of children under the age of 18- our students. Gun Control would facilitate students getting to and from school in one piece and focus their attention during the school day on learning instead of safety. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg recently challenged police officers to demand gun control. “Others run away when they hear gunfire, but …

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Mike Bruno

3:51 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

The U.S. is a gross gross outlier for 1st-world countries for per-capita gun violence. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_firearm-related_death_rate I would at least appreciate the acknowledgement of that fact by the pro-gun lobby and if the "no-gun-control" side would just say that out loud. At least I could respect the argument that that violence is a fair price for the freedoms …   more ›

Jeff Ward

Are We Our Brother's Keeper?

There is no single solution to school shootings.

  My initial reaction to the tragedy was to apply all my energy into coming up with the single solution that would forever relegate school shootings to history’s dustbin. But as I spent that afternoon speaking with local law enforcement officers, school administrators and parents, I quickly realized I was engaging in what could only be called a fool’s errand. The truth is, even if we stationed a police officer at every school, it wouldn’t be enough. But that doesn’t mean we stop trying. Whenever I hear people chalk mass killings up to “evil,” it makes me want to scream because that leaves us randomly dangling in the winds of a cruel fate. I refuse to believe in that kind of inevitability. Evil isn’t something that’s thrust upon us, it’s …

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Jack

4:03 am on Monday, December 24, 2012

Our respective firearms-related backgrounds are of little consequence. I hope we've both outgrown the "mine is bigger than yours" syndrome. Fortunately, if either of us should feel the need to enhance our familiarity or effectiveness with firearms, we have the right to do so. The 2d Amendment to our Constitution acknowledges and protects that right. WRT events in Newtown, "that kid" should have …   more ›

Geneva Elementary School Underlines Safety in Wake of Sandy Hook Tragedy

Teachers will not be initiating conversation relating to the events that occurred at Newtown, but they are ready to support the emotional needs of any students who may need help.

In the wake of the tragic shooting deaths at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, Principal Julie Dye sent an e-mail to parents Monday outlining how Williamsburg Elementary School in Geneva is communicating with students and underlining Geneva elementary schools' security procedures. "This past Friday we were all deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut," Dye wrote in a 304Connects message. "We join our nation in expressing our sadness and shock over this horrific event. Certainly our thoughts and prayers go out to the Sandy Hook school community as they begin the longprocess of healing." Dye said she knows that parents' thoughts "immediately turn to your own …

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Geneva Reacts: How to Talk to Your Kids After Today's Tragedy in Newtown, CT

With at least 18 children among the 26 dead in a shooting rampage, Geneva educators are suggesting ways to help your kids cope.

Geneva School District 304, Mill Creek Elementary School Principal George Petmezas, Western Avenue School Principal Ron Zeman and others are offering some resources for talking points parents can use to discuss today's tragic events in Newtown, CT. At least one gunman attacked a suburban Connecticut elementary school Friday, killing an estimated 26 people, including 18 children, law enforcement sources said. The Chicago Tribune reports that Adam Lanza, 20, is the primary suspect. Previously, his older brother, Ryan Lanza, was mistakenly named as the shooter by law enforcement. The boys' mother, Nancy Lanza, worked at the school as a teacher and is presumed dead, the Tribune reports. Some reports place the number of dead at 30. "Today we …

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