Wilmington Continues Analysis of School Security

School Committee members discussed what possible changes could come in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Conn.

During Wednesday’s School Committee meeting, Wilmington school officials discussed the district’s security in the wake of December’s shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton said that even before the Newtown incident, Wilmington had been working towards implementing the Alert-Lockdown-Inform-Counter-Evacuate (ALICE) method of school safety training. That will likely be implemented by this fall as teachers and staff members become trained. The district is holding a public hearing on March 7 to explain to the community what the ALICE program is about. Benton said that ALICE is designed to give adults the ability to make quick decisions in the event that a shooter does enter the school…

•  17 Comments
• Photos (5)

Despite Snow, Crowd Gathers to Support Newtown

Wilmington residents came together to hold a candle light vigil on Saturday night in honor of those who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook shooting.

It’s been more than two weeks since 26 students and educators were fatally shot inside Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. But hundreds of miles away in Wilmington on Saturday night, residents showed that the victims are still on their minds. Despite this weekend’s snowstorm, about 35 people came to Town Common for a candle light vigil to honor those who lost their lives during one of the worst tragedies in American history. “It was a wonderful, peaceful evening with the snow falling and candles lit,” said event organizer Stacie Murphy. “I am so thankful for the people who came out to the vigil.” The event began with brief remarks before Wilmington High School graduate Lauren Azevedo sang the song Pray. Next, a group of …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (17)

A Slice of Wilmington

Vigil for Sandy Hook Victims Scheduled for Saturday

One resident's hopes for a community event will become a reality as it will take place at 6 p.m. Saturday on Town Common.

When Stacie Murphy reached out to the local community last week for support planning a candlelight vigil in memory of the lives lost at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, she had high hopes.  She knew that Wilmington residents were touched by the tragedy and anticipated that they would appreciate an opportunity to come together to support the Newtown, Conn., community. What she didn’t expect, however, was the overwhelming number of responses she received from organizations and individuals throughout the town. As a result, the vigil will take place on Saturday at 6 p.m. on Town Common. “From the messages I’ve received from people in our community, there's no doubt to me that Wilmington is supporting Newtown,” she said. “We are asking …

•  2 Comments
• Photos (1)

Is Now the Time to Talk Gun Control?

Does the massacre at Newtown, CT, signal the need for a political debate on gun regulations?

Before officials had even held their first press conference Friday, Facebook was abuzz with status updates about the Newtown, CT, massacre. The statuses were split between those sending their condolences and those asking if the country would finally deal with the issue of gun control. Some fought back, asking for respect and mourning before political debate began. Others remained fierce in their belief that stricter gun control regulations would have prevented such a mass killing, saying the victims were shot multiple times and with semi-automatic weapons, according to Fox News. The guns were not illegal and were, in fact, owned by the shooter's mother. Among them were a semi-automatic .223 caliber bushmaster rifle and two handguns. Those …

•  14 Comments
• Photos (1)

Life in the Mom Lane

Trying to Make Sense of the Newtown Tragedy

For parents, it's difficult to explain to children what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. But what helps is focusing on the heroes who emerged that day.

As I sat down to ponder my Life in The Mom Lane article this week there simply didn’t seem to be any real decision as to what subject to choose. Yes, I would have loved to write an article that would spread some holiday cheer but there is no bigger issue on the minds of moms right now than the tragic events that took place last Friday morning in Newtown, Conn. I admit that, when I woke up Friday morning, my mind was pretty much consumed with holiday stress. Frankly, that morning nothing seemed more monstrous than the task of getting everything ready for the Christmas holiday. That feeling, however, didn’t last very long. I was in line at a local store when the first indications of what had happened began pouring in. My phone buzzed and I …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Lennie Malvone

12:36 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Christine Great Article   more ›

How to Help Families Affected by Newtown School Shooting

People all over the world want to know how to help Sandy Hook residents following Friday's horrifying mass shooting.

In the wake of the unimaginable tragedy at Sandy Hook School Friday people from all over the world—in Connecticut, California, Canada and much farther away in Australia and India—sent an outpouring of support and want to know how they can help. If you know of an organization or fundraiser providing assistance, let us know in the comments section. Already the United Way of Western Connecticut, in partnership with Newtown Savings Bank, created the Sandy Hook School Support Fund to help provide support services to the families and community that are affected. Check donations may be mailed to:   Sandy Hook School Support Fund c/o Newtown Savings Bank 39 Main Street, Newtown CT  06470 If you have questions on the fund, you may call 800-461-0672…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Benton: My Heart Breaks for the Community of Newtown

Wilmington's Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton reacted to a tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut.

Wilmington Superintendent of Schools Joanne Benton was among those to express her condolences to the families of those impacted by Friday morning's deadly school shooting that rocked a quiet Connecticut town. "My heart breaks for the community of Newtown," said Benton. "I just can't imagine the sadness and shock." According to reports, including Newtown Patch, as many as 27 people are dead, including a large number of children after a gunman opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Early Friday afternoon, Wilmington parents reacted with shock to the news of the shooting. Benton said that safety is the number one priority in Wilmington Public Schools, and that there is a system wide safety committee that meets each month with police to …

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)