Daily Archives: October 15, 2012

Money Pit or Fun Activity?


In 2006, when the Cheshire Public Pool, located on 520 South Main Street opened, the public was ecstatic. They would not only be able to have a fun and enjoyable way to cool off on those humid summer days, but they would also be able to take a plunge in the  deep end on the cold frigid days.  The town made it possible for residents to swim in the winter by utilizing a fabricated bubble as the roof rather than one made wood or metal.   Using fabric for the roof made it possible for the Park and Recreation to take it down in the summer and place it back up in the winter.  From the start, this sounded like a very convenient method, but even before the pool had opened, there were many problems with the bubble, causing large financial hardships for the taxpayers of our town.

 I believe that the pools’ bubble is not worth keeping up; it is just a money pit.  Part of the tax money paid by the people of Cheshire goes toward the running and maintaining of the pool. When there are problems with the pools bubble, it cannot operate in the colder months.  Therefore, the residents feel as though they are throwing their hard earned dollars away.  As the pool continues to break down, taxes will continue to rise.  Since keeping the pool open in the winter months relies on the functioning of the bubble, I feel that eliminating the bubble and having a public pool only open in the summer would save the town and it’s residents more money in the future.

Leaving the Cheshire Public Pool only accessible in the summer would allow the town of Cheshire to put the tax money, paid by the townspeople, to better use. Instead, the town could use the tax dollars on more important factors that could strengthen our society and economy as a whole. Putting the tax dollars that went toward keeping the bubble open all year could now go to strengthening the public school system in Cheshire.  This money could also be used to create more sports teams on different levels. For example, Cheshire High School could bring back the junior varsity golf team to allow more students to play.  Lastly, money could go towards buying new technology for the Cheshire Public School Systems.  As you can see, taking down the Cheshire Public Pool bubble once and for all would only assist in more savings.

With all things considered, I feel as though the town of Cheshire shouldn’t keep the public pools’ bubble up.  We could put our tax money towards more important and essential things for the growth of our economy.  In the long run, keeping the bubble up would not be for our benefit.

~Lauren Clements

Change, One Step at a Time

Bullying is obviously a bad and growing problem in schools. it could be about how you look, dress, your race, religion, gender, or ability to do certain things. While people are bullying their peers, they are not thinking it’s going to affect them in anyway other than make them feel a little bit bad about themselves. But, it could be so much more than that. Making a mean remark about someone can not only make them self conscious, but can cost them their life. Bullying can and has made people commit suicide, which is the third leading cause of death in the United States.

Different kinds of bullying consist of physical bullying, verbal bullying, indirect bullying, social alienation, intimidation and cyber bullying. All of these things are equally hurtful, and can all lead to bad results. After being bullied, someone could become depressed, have an anxiety disorder, thoughts or attempted suicide, harming of themselves or others, etc.
In my opinion, bullying is one of the number one problems in schools and the community. To get the word out about bullying, there have been many songs, articles, videos and clubs made to make people aware of bullying. In this video they express what happened to one girl named Phoebe after she was bullied. Also, in this website, it shows peoples opinions and their thoughts on how to stop and/or prevent bullying. It’s as simple as saying one nice thing to a bullied peer. If you try to prevent bullying, others will follow in  your footsteps! So be a leader and try to make a change!!

~Krista Sbordone

The Presidential Battle

 

This year, in November, the new president will be elected or the old president will be reelected. The two candidates are Barack Obama, and Mitt Romney. Barack Obama’s plan is to cut the deficit by $4 trillion, and he wants to tax millionaires more. He also wants to make 1 million new manufacturing jobs, and have troops come home from Afghanistan. Mitt Romney’s plan is to have Energy Independence, to cut the deficit, and to make trade that works for America.

The presidential race is quite possibly the most important thing that this country does. The candidates are both trying to achieve similar goals, but in a much different way. The deciding factor for voters is; which candidate can get it done faster or more efficiently. Now, I am a Republican, but I think that Obama’s plan will work faster and more efficiently. He is more focused on creating jobs than Mitt Romney is, and creating jobs will greatly help the economy. On the other side, making trade work for America is an example of mercantilism. Mercantilism states that a country becomes rich by exporting more than it imports. This, and dealing less with China, will help the economy much as well, because China is one of the countries that we are in debt to. If you don’t vote, then you will not have a say in the government, and you might not get what you want. Vote for whichever candidate you want to.

~Eric Perez

CHOCOLATE- A DANGER?

Careful!!! This Halloween, you may want to be more cautious with your dog. If he/she consumes two to three ounces of chocolate, it can make a 50 lb. dog very sick. That wouldn’t be too good, would it?  Be careful of dropping any candy that contains any sort of chocolate in it! It’s too dangerous to take the risk. There are chemicals in chocolate that are similar to caffeine, called methylxanthines. Many dogs love the smell and taste of chocolate.  The darker the chocolate is, the more toxic it probably is.

So, now you obviously know to NOT take the risk of leaving tiny crumbs of Reese’s or Kit Kat or any other chocolate containing product lying on the floor and being too lazy to take 5 seconds to pick it up. I don’t have a dog, but, I do have 2 cats. I will be so aware of dropping any on the ground, especially on Halloween. I know it takes an extra effort to actually bend down, pick it up, then get back up. Although, I’d rather have my pets safe. It would make me feel so terrible to know that I didn’t take the short amount of time to take back the chocolate that I dropped the other day and made my cat get sick or poisoned!!!! It’s probably the same for you, too! I think it is great to have the habit of throwing out whatever you drop on the ground, even if it isn’t chocolate! I hope that all of you that read this start this habit too. Pets don’t know what they are or aren’t supposed to eat, so you have to pick it up, yourself, to keep them healthy. I know you love your pets, just like me, so KEEP THEM SAFE!

~Alexa Wetmore

Childhood Obesity… Who’s to blame?

 

Childhood obesity had been an ongoing issue for a very long time. Twenty percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese. This percentage is three times as much as one generation ago. This amount is too much. When children are obese or overweight it may cause some serious health problems such as;  hypertension, type 2 diabetes, Orthopedic problems, sleep apnea, depression, and asthma. So, who’s to blame in this dilemma? The schools, social media, the parents, or the kids?

First there is the school, who have vending machines. Most schools that have vending machines do not allow soda in their school. But the ones that do have many obese children.  The children form a habit of buying the soda at school, and then the unhealthy eating doesn’t stop there. But what happens before school? Do kids watch tv? Television and other social media advertises unhealthy food choices. The kids see the unhealthy food being advertised as fun, tasty foods, so they ask their parents to buy it ! Then the kids love the food and keep eating it, getting obese! But then who’s behind that? The parents are. They allow their kids to eat these unhealthy foods! What about the breakfast, lunches and dinners these parents feed their children? If the child is obese the parents are feeding them unhealthy foods. If the child knows they will make them heavy, why do they eat it? The children should not eat it if they know its unhealthy. Everyone is here to blame, but some more than others. If each parent and child takes the step to eat healthier then the children of the future will have a better, brighter future.

~Jade Rabago

UUMAC Where You Learn to be “U”

UUMAC stands for Unitarian Universalist Mid-Atlantic Community. Today, UU is being able to find what you think is the truth and meaning to things, in an accepting community while also striving to make the world a better place. I have been going to UUMAC every year, ever since I was born, only skipping a year when I moved to Connecticut. I have gone twelve times and loved every visit. At UUMAC, when not eating of course, we go to morning worship where different concepts are discussed. Then we go to classes where we either blow our minds with different ideas on how to treat people and/or live, get ready for the showcase later in the week,  sometimes read books and make crafts, or watch shows like The Twilight Zone. If we don’t go to classes, we attend workshops, a period during which we have a variety of choices, like playing sports or doing crafts. Once this time of day is over, you can do whatever you want! I usually am with my group of very interesting friends either on campus (UUMAC is held at an university) or at one of the many field trips, like the one to Dutch Springs.

UUMAC is a great place to go to because you can express who you truly are without being criticized. Besides that, all you are doing for the whole week is hanging out and having fun. It is also very interesting because you never know what to expect each day. For example, one year a trip to the thrift store led to an obsession with ties for a group of people. Finally, my experience with UUMAC is this; it is an interesting, fun, and mind opening place for people seeking to find a new group of people that you may someday consider to be a family.

If you are an UU or not sure what you want to be, I would suggest attending at UUMAC or at least a couple UU services. Overall, it is a very fun and enlightening experience.

If you want to learn more, check out the hyperlink to their website above, or check out their twitter/facebook pages.

~Abby Klimowicz

Cheshire Dog Park; It’s About Time!

 

If you live in Cheshire, then you must have heard about the Cheshire Dog Park. A few dog loving residents decided to get together and find a way to open the town’s first and only off leash dog park. Back in 2008 these residents formed a non profit organization to raise money for the park. Since then, they have raised over $10,000 dollars for the park. Their goal is  to raise $30,000. With the help of the Parks and Recreation Department they have identified a four acre space for the park on Waterbury road next to Artspace.

As a dog owner and dog lover I am very excited about the idea of having a dog park in town. My dog, Charlie, would love the chance to run and play with other dogs. It is also a great place for people to hang out while their dogs play and get exercise.  Having a dog park in town will also reduce the use of other town parks for dog walking. This keeps those parks cleaner, healthier, and safer for all. It is also good for Cheshire business because many dog owners take their dogs out of town to go to other safe dog friendly parks and end up spending their time and money in other towns. Cheshire Dog Park will be a great addition to our town. Click here for information on how you can help the Cheshire Dog Park become a reality.

~Taryn Murasso

The Killer of Football

One of the biggest concerns in the world of sports, mainly football, is concussions. Out of 2,552 retired football players, 61 percent had suffered at least one concussion in their careers, according to a recent survey. Some players, such as former Philadelphia Eagles star defensive back Andre Waters, suppress their concussions for so long that they commit suicide or have depression for the rest of their lives.

Concussions are more recently caused by a single, hard head to head blows in football games instead of repeated somewhat hard blows. The necessary wait time for a player to get back on the field is one game minimum. Unfortunately, football coaches all over the country often try to put players with concussions back in too soon, which usually leads to a worse injury and, in serious cases, permanent brain damage.

In my opinion, players should never suppress concussions from coaches. If you are a great player, you and your team may pay for the decision to suppress your concussion heavily down the road. You might miss a whole season and your team will suffer a huge loss just because you made a decision you thought would help the team. Now that’s irony. Also, I think coaches should never put players with concussions in because they feel better before their week is up. They may feel better, but the conditions and symptoms may still linger. No football game is important enough to risk permanent brain damage. Clearly, concussions are dangerous and, when handled incorrectly, can truly be killers of football.

~Michael Toscano

Call Me Crazy??

Ok, let’s face it, there are a lot of songs out there that are catchy and can get stuck in your head. But, this song just gives me a headache. I know most of you know this song “Call Me Maybe” sung by Carly Rae Jepsen. I know it’s catchy and fun, but it is just too overplayed, but we’ll get into that later. Anyway, it is about how “love strikes at first sight.” It is a really great song and it sent this song to number 1 on the Canadian Hot 100. Sweet huh? It is known for it’s amazing pop lyrics, including that it’s upbeat, fun, and has great meaning to it. If you are looking for a song to listen to, this is definitely something you should listen to. Now you must be asking yourself why I’m doing this if i think it’s a great song. Well here’s why.

“Call Me Maybe” is a pleasant, entertaining, and enjoyable song.   However, with such fame the song becomes too much and after awhile it becomes annoying and just plain irritating. And believe me, I’m not the only one. I’ve asked countless kids and looked up online, that “Call Me Maybe” has reached it’s peak of fame, and is just becoming a nuisance to many. Just like other pop, catchy songs like “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction. I absolutely love that song, but to a certain point, like Call Me Maybe, it just gets annoying. I’m sort of sick of how Call Me Maybe is always on the radio, and when it’s done playing on one radio channel, it starts playing on another channel. At least now, it isn’t playing as much. I hardly listen to it on my ipod as well. Ok, I’m sorry if some of you still like this song, but, no, it’s ruined for me now.

~Mia Hobson

Who Will Be Our New Leader?

Millions of voters, four years, one president. This is the 2012 Presidential Election. Once again, US citizens must vote for a new leader for our country. Since 2008, our leader has been Democrat Barack Obama. Obama is a candidate this year, running against Republican Mitt Romney. Who will be our new leader? Our nation will find out on November 6th, 2012.

As almost everybody knows, our country must vote for a new president. There are ups and downs about both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama. A down about Obama is that voting citizens think he did a bad job at handling the economy, so people who believe this might vote for Romney instead of Obama. More downs include: only 30% of voting citizens approve of his federal budget handling, and ObamaCare has more opponents than supporters. On the other hand, some positive qualities about Obama is that he is an inspiration and has a good effect on some people. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney is described as “patient and peaceful”. Unfortunately, at a breakfast in New Hampshire discussing health care, he was heard saying: “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me”. He also said “You know, if someone doesn’t give me a good service that I need, I want to say, ‘I’m going to get someone else to provide that service I need’”. In my opinion, this is an awful thing for any president to say. This statement sounds mean and selfish. Hopefully, both Obama and Romney have more positive characteristics than negative ones so our country can easily choose a good leader.

~Julia Marcouiller