Spring Break

By Spencer


As you all know, Spring Break is right around the corner. Here are a few places where people are going:

Drew from 6th grade is going to Lake Placid.

Wil from 6th grade is going to Florida.

Cooper from 7th grade is not going anywhere.

Emily from 7th grade is going to Florida.

Isabella from 7th grade is going to California.

Garret from 7th grade is going whitewater rafting.

Jackson from 8th grade is not going anywhere.

Ramsey from 7th grade is going to Florida.

Peter from 7th grade is not going anywhere.

And I'm going to South Carolina!

iPad Out Next Month

By Spencer
















Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of buzz floating around about the new Apple iPad multimedia tablet. The iPad is basically a bigger version of the iPod Touch but with more advanced features. You can choose from more than 150,000 apps in the App Store that will run on the iPad, including entertainment apps, productivity apps, social networking apps, games and more. The iPad also has a lot of new features on it, including new apps designed specifically for the device. The newest feature is the new Apple Book Store, which is where you can buy and download books.

The iPad starts at $499 but goes up in price depending on the speed and memory. Here are the prices:
16GB: $499
32GB: $599
64GB: $799
16GB with 3G: $629
32GB with 3G: $729
64GB with 3G: $829

It looks like the iPad was designed for college kids because you can download books, music and apps all in one place. The iPad is good to buy if you are someone on the go who wants something more portable than a laptop. I would buy it because it has so many new apps and the bigger screen will be more fun. The iPad is expected to be available in early April.

Doug Banker: A Local Hero

By Spencer



On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, I had the privilege of meeting with a man named Doug Banker at his Garrison home overlooking the Hudson River. At around 10 a.m., I pulled up at his driveway and he greeted me with a warm smile. I introduced myself and then we got down to talking about the night of November 23, 2009.

That night, Mr. Banker, his daughter Jeannie and her husband John were getting off at the Garrison train station from the city at around 9:33 p.m. As they were crossing the overpass that leads to the river side of the train tracks, they heard a faint "help" in the distance. Walking toward the sound, they eventually found a drowning man off the Garrison Yacht Club pier. The man was wearing a heavy leather jacket and was flailing his arms. Doug and his son-in-law tried to help the man by giving him a tree branch to grab on to, but he was too delirious to understand what to do. While this was going on, Jeannie called 911.

During the 20 to 25 minutes before the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company arrived, Mr. Banker was lying face down on the dock holding the man's hand. He and John delivered words of reassurance to the man. When the fire department got there, they used a ladder to fish the man out. In the end, after being treated by the Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the man was eventually sent to Hudson Vally Hospital Center. After the whole ordeal was over, Doug found a cross and a pair of gloves on the dock.

Mr. Banker ended up with a couple of badly bruised ribs from holding the heavy man for so long. I was struck by how humble Mr. Banker was when he recalled the evening. He said it all seemed to happen so quickly. It's pretty amazing that he not only heard the sound of the man's cry but also actually took the extra step to check it out.

On Thursday, February 4, 2010, the Garrison Volunteer Fire Company presented Mr. Banker with a Lifesaver award for his actions that night.

February Fury

A birdfeeder made out of recycled materials during an environmental studies workshop hangs on the porch of second-grader Anna during the winter storm of February '10.

Cat Rock, Garrison, New York, on the eve of the February storm.

Photos by Mrs. Rowe