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Officials, Community Leaders Turn Attention To 12/14 Anniversary

By John Voket
 • News •
Tuesday
At one point during a press conference hosted by several town officials and community leaders Tuesday afternoon at Newtown Municipal Center, First Selectman Pat Llodra was asked about how she would like people outside of Newtown to pay tribute to those lost, as well as to residents and others who have endured the daily reminders leading up to the first year anniversary of 12/14. "The best way to honor what happened to the youngsters and loved ones who lost their lives here on December 14, is to take care of someone in your own community," Mrs Llodra replied. People outside the community have extended kindness to Newtown every single day since 12/14, she said, "and we really try and convince people that there are families and organizations in their own community that should be the recipients of their kindness." [read more]

Talking It Through: Ten Keys To Get Us Through The Coming Months

John Woodall, MD • Opinion •
Wednesday

Have you ever been on a laughing jag? Once you get started, every little thing, no matter how inappropriate or stupid, is just hilarious. Once the hilarious emotion takes over, you perceive everything as funny and this keeps the laughter going. The same is true with any emotion. Each emotion is like its own colored lens. Whatever you see through that lens fuels that emotion. If you’re laughing, everything looks funny. If you are mad at someone, in your mind, everything they say is proof of how evil they are. If you are afraid, everything you perceive is more reason to feel afraid. If you are in love, everything that you see reminds you of your beloved. It’s the nature of emotions. They color how we think. There is neuroscience behind this. The emotional centers of the mid-brain act as neural filters of cognition deciding for us what we will think and the tone of how we experience our lives...

Released 911 Calls Reflect The Intensity Of 12/14 Attack On SHS

Andrew Gorosko • News •
Wednesday

Recordings of the Emergency 911 telephone calls received by Newtown police from people at Sandy Hook School on the morning of December 14, 2012, reflect tension and fear in the callers’ voices as they urged police to rapidly respond to 12 Dickinson Drive to help them during Adam Lanza’s attack on the school. The town released the 911 recordings on Wednesday after blocking their disclosure for nearly one year due to privacy concerns.

Widespread Haz-Mat Presence Would Have Hampered Sandy Hook Renovations

John Voket • News •
Monday

Long before the first environmental contractors started reporting higher than expected levels of lead, asbestos and PCBs in construction debris at Sandy Hook School, a panel of town officials and residents in a subsequent referendum had already endorsed razing and replacing the aging elementary school building. According to Public Building & Site Commission Chairman Robert Mitchell, the town and its residents made the right choice. Mr Mitchell said in a facility update he planed to deliver to his commissioners December 3, that had the town decided to reoccupy the school on Dickinson Drive, it would have faced a daunting and possibly insurmountable challenge regarding the presence of hazardous materials. The expense for identifying, removing and processing the heightened amount of materials found during demolition required nearly double what was originally budgeted for that aspect of the project.

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