Monday, December 3, 2012
Tweet 2
Shark attack in pond kills boater James Parks, his severed leg was found and beaches will remain closed until further notice.
CAUGHT!!!
The shark that is believed to have been the cause of the deaths of Alex Kitner and Chrissie Watson was caught and killed this morning.
According to a press release, the fish was caught one mile south-southwest off the shores of Amity by fishermen and Police Chief Martin Brody said the men "will receive a $3,000 reward for their heroic and selfless efforts".
The alleged killer was inspected by marine biologist, Matt Hooper, from the Woods Hole, Mass. Oceanographic Institute. Hooper, a shark expert, identified the fish as a nurse shark.
National Geographic describes nurse sharks as "slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans". The nurse shark's preferred diet consists of fish, shrimp and squid so it therefore seems contradictory that the press release describes nurse sharks as "the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers' deaths".
"Nurse sharks... will bite defensively" said an article in National Geographic, however, they do not typically harm humans and are usually found in along the coasts of South America and Florida.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding the capture of the alleged killer shark, Chief Brody has reopened all beaches and is urging all Amity residents to set a good example for tourists and get out and enjoy all the beautiful Fourth of July weekend festivities.
"I urge all our residents to recreate at the beaches in order to encourage the participation of all our visitors in the wonderful water sports of which we all so happily partake" said Brody.
Brody was not so enthusiastic at a town meeting yesterday when he announced that he would be closing all beaches for a 24 hour period. This announcement had people reacting with shock, anger and comments such as "24 hours is like three weeks!".
However, with the killer shark supposedly caught, beaches will be reopened for this weekend with shark spotters from the Coast Guard, Marine Patrol, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI and local police agencies present to ensure the safety of visitors and residents.
Brody insists these measures are merely precautionary. "We believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed" said Brody.
Regardless, any shark sightings should be reported to the toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee.
According to a press release, the fish was caught one mile south-southwest off the shores of Amity by fishermen and Police Chief Martin Brody said the men "will receive a $3,000 reward for their heroic and selfless efforts".
The alleged killer was inspected by marine biologist, Matt Hooper, from the Woods Hole, Mass. Oceanographic Institute. Hooper, a shark expert, identified the fish as a nurse shark.
National Geographic describes nurse sharks as "slow-moving bottom-dwellers and are, for the most part, harmless to humans". The nurse shark's preferred diet consists of fish, shrimp and squid so it therefore seems contradictory that the press release describes nurse sharks as "the most brutal and dangerous of all sharks and have been responsible for hundreds of swimmers' deaths".
"Nurse sharks... will bite defensively" said an article in National Geographic, however, they do not typically harm humans and are usually found in along the coasts of South America and Florida.
Despite the ambiguity surrounding the capture of the alleged killer shark, Chief Brody has reopened all beaches and is urging all Amity residents to set a good example for tourists and get out and enjoy all the beautiful Fourth of July weekend festivities.
"I urge all our residents to recreate at the beaches in order to encourage the participation of all our visitors in the wonderful water sports of which we all so happily partake" said Brody.
Brody was not so enthusiastic at a town meeting yesterday when he announced that he would be closing all beaches for a 24 hour period. This announcement had people reacting with shock, anger and comments such as "24 hours is like three weeks!".
However, with the killer shark supposedly caught, beaches will be reopened for this weekend with shark spotters from the Coast Guard, Marine Patrol, Massachusetts State Police, U.S. Navy, Homeland Security, the FBI and local police agencies present to ensure the safety of visitors and residents.
Brody insists these measures are merely precautionary. "We believe we can safely say that the danger of further shark attacks has probably passed" said Brody.
Regardless, any shark sightings should be reported to the toll-free shark hotline, 1-800-sharksee.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Higher Education: Not What it Used to be
This article naturally interested me because, as a college student, I want to know how higher education is declining in the US. According to this article, rising debts, rising costs and shrinking financial/educational returns are undermining the university system. Obviously I knew about the rising costs of universities (and consequential debts) but it was interesting to learn about the other factors contributing to the decline of universities in America. Something I liked about this article was that it compared the history of American universities to the present and even compared costs, which was quite a shocker!
Quick Thinking Saves Tree Lighting Ceremony
This article is about the tree lighting ceremony at the annual Holiday Parade in Portsmouth on Saturday night. According to the article, the tree, which was supposed to be lit at 6pm was lit a half hour late because, when the switch was flipped for the tree to light up, the lights did nothing. The author used a lot of the narrative techniques we've been using in class. He dropped the reader into the scene right away. The story started by vividly describing the anticipation leading up to the lighting ceremony then the sudden "uh-oh" moment when the tree did not light. One of the paragraphs in the story was just the word "Nothing". I liked this because it really built up the suspense of the story and made the reader want to know more. This is something I'd like to try to use in one of my stores at some point.
Obituary: Brian Cobby
Recently, in class, we've been working on a more narrative style of writing news stories. This obituary, about the life of Britain's only male speaking clock, is very descriptive and cleverly written. The author incorporated time directly into his piece by re-organizing sentences and paragraphs so reading it felt like the tick of a clock. Also, the author began by beautifully describing all the places we see time:
"OVER the centuries, Time has dripped in water-clocks and whispered in hour-glasses, ticked in watches and boomed sonorously from bell-towers. Romantics heard it in the roar of avalanches, the creak of glaciers, the crackle of fire in timber and the long susurration of waves on the shore."
I though this lead was a really cool way to start a story because it hooked you with its beautiful descriptions and also hinted at the subject of the story by showing time in nature.
"OVER the centuries, Time has dripped in water-clocks and whispered in hour-glasses, ticked in watches and boomed sonorously from bell-towers. Romantics heard it in the roar of avalanches, the creak of glaciers, the crackle of fire in timber and the long susurration of waves on the shore."
I though this lead was a really cool way to start a story because it hooked you with its beautiful descriptions and also hinted at the subject of the story by showing time in nature.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Alex
A local boy was killed this afternoon, mere hours after the maimed body of Chrissie Watson was found this morning, in the waters off Village Beach, in what police suspect is a possible shark attack.
Alex Kitner, 10, was floating on a rubber raft offshore around 2 p.m. today when the attack occurred.
Police say the Amity boy was killed in "what appears... to have been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack".
Kitner's body has not been recovered but his raft washed up on shore shortly after the attack, ripped and destroyed.
"His damaged raft floated ashore shortly after the incident with what appeared to be a large bite out of it" said Police Chief martin Brody, who witnessed the events this afternoon.
It was a beautiful Summer day and the beach was crowded with people, young and old. Lounging in the sand or frolicking in the water, everyone was enjoying the nice weather and relishing the chance to escape from the heat of the Summer sun.
Mrs. Kitner, who was a witness to her son's attack, is now at Amity General Hospital being treated for shock.
Police say that today's attack may be linked to the death of Chrissie Watson, whose mangled body was found earlier today on the shores of South Beach.
"We now believe that it may be possible that the Watson death could also maybe have possibly been linked to the possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity" said Brody.
A special meeting will take place at 6 p.m. today in Town Hall to discuss Chief Brody's plan to close the beaches on July 4, the Kitner family's reward for the capture of the suspected killer and a local fisherman's offer to hunt down the shark thought to be the perpetrator.
Alex Kitner, 10, was floating on a rubber raft offshore around 2 p.m. today when the attack occurred.
Police say the Amity boy was killed in "what appears... to have been a vicious and unprovoked shark attack".
Kitner's body has not been recovered but his raft washed up on shore shortly after the attack, ripped and destroyed.
"His damaged raft floated ashore shortly after the incident with what appeared to be a large bite out of it" said Police Chief martin Brody, who witnessed the events this afternoon.
It was a beautiful Summer day and the beach was crowded with people, young and old. Lounging in the sand or frolicking in the water, everyone was enjoying the nice weather and relishing the chance to escape from the heat of the Summer sun.
Children were playing in the water, tossing around a football as Kitner paddled out to the depths of the Ocean.
Commotion quickly disrupted this idyllic Summer's day when Kitner was suddenly pulled under the water. The kids playing nearby scrambled frantically to get out of the water as worried parents, friends and guardians rushed to the water's edge to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
Alex's mother, Marion Kitner, called for her son as she paced back and forth in the surf, to no avail.
Mrs. Kitner, who was a witness to her son's attack, is now at Amity General Hospital being treated for shock.
Police say that today's attack may be linked to the death of Chrissie Watson, whose mangled body was found earlier today on the shores of South Beach.
"We now believe that it may be possible that the Watson death could also maybe have possibly been linked to the possible shark activities in the vicinity of Amity" said Brody.
A special meeting will take place at 6 p.m. today in Town Hall to discuss Chief Brody's plan to close the beaches on July 4, the Kitner family's reward for the capture of the suspected killer and a local fisherman's offer to hunt down the shark thought to be the perpetrator.
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