|
|
Explore the Scenic Burrillville Bike Path and Duck Pond
Sunday, September 13, 2015 @ 10:00 am
As part of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor GO! 2015 program, the Burrillville Conservation Commission is sponsoring a walk along the Burrillville Bike Path and trails around Duck Pond. Participants will meet at the Stillwater M
Street. to the Bike Path entrance. The walk along the Bike Path to the scenic Duck Pond is approximately one mile and is mostly paved. Around the pond the walking path is gravel and dirt.
There will be many opportunities to view plant and wildlife along the route and discover some of the pristine outer reaches of the Blackstone River Valley.
|
Thursday, September 3, 2015
Explore the Scenic Burrillville Bike Path and Duck Pond
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
The RI School Districts with the Most Absentee Teachers
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Nearly half of all Rhode Island public school teachers missed 10 or more days of school in the 2011 to 2012 school year with those in Woonsocket, Smithfield, Providence, and Bristol-Warren districts topping the list, according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Woonsocket was near the top, with about 407 out of 5,897 teachers, or 70 percent taking 10 days or more off for sickness or personal reasons. In Providence, 63.3 percent of teachers were out 10 or more days—equivalent to at least 5 percent of an 180-day school year.
Though urban districts were among those with the highest rates, there are a number of suburban districts as well. They included Smithfield at a 65.7 percent absentee rate, Middletown at 69.3 percent, and Bristol-Warren at 56.9 percent.
Officially, districts were supposed to exclude professional development days, field trips, and other off-campus activities from the data they submitted to the Office of Civil Rights, which manages the data for the U.S. Department of Education. But one school official in Smithfield said her district was among a handful that say professional days were inadvertently included in the data they submitted to federal authorities.
Absentee teachers impact educational environment
Teacher absences have a measurable impact on student learning, according to education experts.
“There’s no question that it is has an impact,” said Joseph Crowley, the executive director of the Rhode Island Association of School Principals and member of a special Rhode Island Department of Education task force that has been looking into the issue. “It’s much better that the teacher is there. It’s much better that the teacher is there than the substitute.”
For example, every 10 absences have a demonstrable impact on student math achievement. The drop in performance is comparable to the difference in scores one would see in a classroom with an experienced teacher and one who is a novice, according to Annette Konoske-Graf, a Policy Analyst for Education at the Center for American Progress, which published a paper on the impact of teacher absences in November 2012.
“Teachers are the most important school-based determinant of students’ academic success,” Konoske-Graf said. “Teacher absence, therefore, negatively affects student learning. ...It is essential for school districts to minimize teacher absence; students miss out on valuable learning every day that their routine is upended and their teacher is absent.”
And it is minority students and those from low-income households in urban school districts that suffer the most. Just over 59 percent of teachers were absent more than 10 days in city schools in Rhode Island, compared to a statewide average of 40.6 percent—several points above the national average of 36 percent. For schools with most students from low-income households, 54.8 percent were absent more than 10 days. For schools with the highest minority populations, the rate was 52.8 percent.
“Minimizing teacher absence can help close the achievement gap and ensure greater equity for all students. Currently, students in schools serving high proportions of African American or Latino students are disproportionately exposed to teacher absence,” Konoske-Graf said.
Why urban districts?
There is a wide range of theories on why absenteeism in urban school districts serving low-income and minority populations is higher.
One factor could be the financial troubles that have rocked districts like Central Falls, Woonsocket, and Providence. When school committees lack money to offer raises, they provide additional benefits, such as additional permitted sick days or personal leave days, according to Crowley.
Financial struggles could affect teacher absenteeism in others ways as well, according to Konoske-Graf. “In schools in low-income communities, in which resources are often limited, teachers may be less likely to receive support that would encourage them to limit their absences,” she said.
The psychological toll from those struggles may further drive up absentee rates, according to Jeff Partington, the president of the Woonsocket Teachers Guild. He noted that all teachers were laid off at one point after the state-appointed budget commission took over—in the same year that Woonsocket had a reported absentee rate of 70 percent.
Financial hardship can couple with other factors to also increase teacher absences. Crowley noted that families in urban districts tend to send their children to school even if they are sick more often than in more affluent districts. “The parents don’t have child care. The school is child care,” Crowley said.
Sick kids, combined with older buildings that have not been fully maintained can turn schools into “giant petri dishes”—especially in urban districts, according to Frank Flynn, the president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, which represents many of the teachers in the state’s urban center. “We have older buildings. That’s certainly a factor,” Flynn said.
The domino effect of budget constraints could result in older teacher populations that need to take more sick days, especially for long-term illnesses, according to Partington.
One possible explanation that is being discounted: teacher abuse of sick and personal days.
“Are there individual cases of abuse? I’m sure there are because in any large organization there will be a few. Is it widespread? No it’s not. I think it’s an infinitesimal problem,” Partington said.
The typical teachers contract in Rhode Island permits up to three personal days, according to Crowley. But when it comes to sick days, he said districts run the gamut. Flynn said a typical district might allow 10 to 15 sick days.
Local officials criticize national data
After the latest national reports emerged on teacher absences, then-Education Commissioner Deborah Gist formed a task force earlier this year to investigate the matter. The task force includes two teacher union representatives, the state superintendents association, the principals association, and RIDE staff, according to department spokesman Elliot Krieger.
Among its first tasks: finding accurate data, after local and state officials have raised questions about the accuracy of the federal figures.
For example, the federal database shows that 65.7 percent of Smithfield teachers were absent in the year surveyed.
A local school official told GoLocalProv that those figures appear higher than they should be because they include professional development days.
“Teacher absences in Smithfield are reported in a system called AESOP. Whether a teacher is absent for personal reasons or to participate in professional development, the teacher requests a substitute through this system. While the system does allow us to select the type of absence, when pulling various reports, the absence types are not disaggregated. It is my belief that this is the reason teacher absences in Smithfield appeared to be excessive,” said Assistant Superintendent Bridget Morisseau.
She said the district is in the process of revising the data to calculate a more accurate estimate of absences, but that estimate was not available in time for publication.
However, professional development days are still time away from students. Morisseau was asked if professional development are skewing numbers so significantly whether the district may be permitting too many of them. She said it isn't.
“The district has three professional development days each year that are contractual and held on days when school is not in session. With regard to the professional development that takes place on days when school is in session, the district makes every effort to keep the number of days to a minimum,” Morisseau said.
A school official in Foster-Glocester offered a similar explanation for why her district was originally reported at the top of the list as having 90 percent of teachers absent 10 or more days. The official noted that even field trips, curriculum writing days, and in-school special education meetings were included.
“Because we submitted all absences the OCR report contains absences for Foster-Glocester that other districts did not report. As a result, when compared to other districts, the reported data inaccurately reflects the number of absences in our district,” said Alicia Pinto, the data manager for the district.
But why did the district submit inflated numbers? Pinto said the directions from federal authorities were not “as clear as they could have been.” She also cited staff inexperience as a factor. She said the district did not recognize the numbers had been inflated until they were published by federal authorities.
Pinto was able to offer a revised estimate to GoLocalProv in time for publication. Using the new figures, the absentee rate drops from 90 percent to 35.3 percent.
Flynn and Partington also questioned whether the inclusion of long-term absences for sickness or maternity leave might be skewing the numbers for an entire district.
On a national level, however, Konoske-Graf expressed more confidence in the data. “The inclusion of teacher absence on the Office for Civil Rights’ Civil Rights Data Collection Survey provides researchers and policy makers an opportunity to identify policies to minimize the number of teachers who are absent from the classroom,” she said.
Some districts get good marks
Not all districts are ruing their absentee rates.
Out of 36 public school districts, in 16 of them less than a third of teachers were absent 10 or more days, though some of those districts were pretty close to the line.
In North Smithfield, just 8 percent of teachers were absent 10 or more days in the 2013 to 2014 school year, based on updated figures the district was able to provide. Superintendent Stephen Lindberg said he was happy with those numbers.
“I think our teachers’ attendance is really strong. I don’t feel like there is abuse here at all. Our teachers take attendance seriously,” Lindberg said
Source; Stephen Beale Go Local Prov.Com.
Woonsocket
Total Number of Students: 5,897
Total Number of Teachers: 407.36
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 285
% Absent: 70.0%
According to RIDE data, Woonsocket's 59.5 percent high school graduation rate is among the lowest in the state.
Total Number of Students: 2,525
Total Number of Teachers: 144.7
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 95
% Absent: 65.7%
Total Number of Students: 1,775
Total Number of Teachers: 254
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 74.5
% Absent: 29.3%
Total Number of Students: 581
Total Number of Teachers: 29.5
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 15
% Absent: 50.8%
Total Number of Students: 2,438
Total Number of Teachers: 199.4
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 56
% Absent: 28.1%
Nearly half of all Rhode Island public school teachers missed 10 or more days of school in the 2011 to 2012 school year with those in Woonsocket, Smithfield, Providence, and Bristol-Warren districts topping the list, according to the most recently available data from the U.S. Department of Education.Woonsocket was near the top, with about 407 out of 5,897 teachers, or 70 percent taking 10 days or more off for sickness or personal reasons. In Providence, 63.3 percent of teachers were out 10 or more days—equivalent to at least 5 percent of an 180-day school year.
Though urban districts were among those with the highest rates, there are a number of suburban districts as well. They included Smithfield at a 65.7 percent absentee rate, Middletown at 69.3 percent, and Bristol-Warren at 56.9 percent.
Officially, districts were supposed to exclude professional development days, field trips, and other off-campus activities from the data they submitted to the Office of Civil Rights, which manages the data for the U.S. Department of Education. But one school official in Smithfield said her district was among a handful that say professional days were inadvertently included in the data they submitted to federal authorities.
Absentee teachers impact educational environment
Teacher absences have a measurable impact on student learning, according to education experts.
For example, every 10 absences have a demonstrable impact on student math achievement. The drop in performance is comparable to the difference in scores one would see in a classroom with an experienced teacher and one who is a novice, according to Annette Konoske-Graf, a Policy Analyst for Education at the Center for American Progress, which published a paper on the impact of teacher absences in November 2012.
“Teachers are the most important school-based determinant of students’ academic success,” Konoske-Graf said. “Teacher absence, therefore, negatively affects student learning. ...It is essential for school districts to minimize teacher absence; students miss out on valuable learning every day that their routine is upended and their teacher is absent.”
And it is minority students and those from low-income households in urban school districts that suffer the most. Just over 59 percent of teachers were absent more than 10 days in city schools in Rhode Island, compared to a statewide average of 40.6 percent—several points above the national average of 36 percent. For schools with most students from low-income households, 54.8 percent were absent more than 10 days. For schools with the highest minority populations, the rate was 52.8 percent.
“Minimizing teacher absence can help close the achievement gap and ensure greater equity for all students. Currently, students in schools serving high proportions of African American or Latino students are disproportionately exposed to teacher absence,” Konoske-Graf said.
Why urban districts?
There is a wide range of theories on why absenteeism in urban school districts serving low-income and minority populations is higher.
One factor could be the financial troubles that have rocked districts like Central Falls, Woonsocket, and Providence. When school committees lack money to offer raises, they provide additional benefits, such as additional permitted sick days or personal leave days, according to Crowley.
Financial struggles could affect teacher absenteeism in others ways as well, according to Konoske-Graf. “In schools in low-income communities, in which resources are often limited, teachers may be less likely to receive support that would encourage them to limit their absences,” she said.
The psychological toll from those struggles may further drive up absentee rates, according to Jeff Partington, the president of the Woonsocket Teachers Guild. He noted that all teachers were laid off at one point after the state-appointed budget commission took over—in the same year that Woonsocket had a reported absentee rate of 70 percent.
Financial hardship can couple with other factors to also increase teacher absences. Crowley noted that families in urban districts tend to send their children to school even if they are sick more often than in more affluent districts. “The parents don’t have child care. The school is child care,” Crowley said.
Sick kids, combined with older buildings that have not been fully maintained can turn schools into “giant petri dishes”—especially in urban districts, according to Frank Flynn, the president of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals, which represents many of the teachers in the state’s urban center. “We have older buildings. That’s certainly a factor,” Flynn said.
The domino effect of budget constraints could result in older teacher populations that need to take more sick days, especially for long-term illnesses, according to Partington.
One possible explanation that is being discounted: teacher abuse of sick and personal days.
“Are there individual cases of abuse? I’m sure there are because in any large organization there will be a few. Is it widespread? No it’s not. I think it’s an infinitesimal problem,” Partington said.
The typical teachers contract in Rhode Island permits up to three personal days, according to Crowley. But when it comes to sick days, he said districts run the gamut. Flynn said a typical district might allow 10 to 15 sick days.
Local officials criticize national data
After the latest national reports emerged on teacher absences, then-Education Commissioner Deborah Gist formed a task force earlier this year to investigate the matter. The task force includes two teacher union representatives, the state superintendents association, the principals association, and RIDE staff, according to department spokesman Elliot Krieger.
Among its first tasks: finding accurate data, after local and state officials have raised questions about the accuracy of the federal figures.
For example, the federal database shows that 65.7 percent of Smithfield teachers were absent in the year surveyed.
A local school official told GoLocalProv that those figures appear higher than they should be because they include professional development days.
“Teacher absences in Smithfield are reported in a system called AESOP. Whether a teacher is absent for personal reasons or to participate in professional development, the teacher requests a substitute through this system. While the system does allow us to select the type of absence, when pulling various reports, the absence types are not disaggregated. It is my belief that this is the reason teacher absences in Smithfield appeared to be excessive,” said Assistant Superintendent Bridget Morisseau.
She said the district is in the process of revising the data to calculate a more accurate estimate of absences, but that estimate was not available in time for publication.
However, professional development days are still time away from students. Morisseau was asked if professional development are skewing numbers so significantly whether the district may be permitting too many of them. She said it isn't.
“The district has three professional development days each year that are contractual and held on days when school is not in session. With regard to the professional development that takes place on days when school is in session, the district makes every effort to keep the number of days to a minimum,” Morisseau said.
A school official in Foster-Glocester offered a similar explanation for why her district was originally reported at the top of the list as having 90 percent of teachers absent 10 or more days. The official noted that even field trips, curriculum writing days, and in-school special education meetings were included.
“Because we submitted all absences the OCR report contains absences for Foster-Glocester that other districts did not report. As a result, when compared to other districts, the reported data inaccurately reflects the number of absences in our district,” said Alicia Pinto, the data manager for the district.
But why did the district submit inflated numbers? Pinto said the directions from federal authorities were not “as clear as they could have been.” She also cited staff inexperience as a factor. She said the district did not recognize the numbers had been inflated until they were published by federal authorities.
Pinto was able to offer a revised estimate to GoLocalProv in time for publication. Using the new figures, the absentee rate drops from 90 percent to 35.3 percent.
Flynn and Partington also questioned whether the inclusion of long-term absences for sickness or maternity leave might be skewing the numbers for an entire district.
On a national level, however, Konoske-Graf expressed more confidence in the data. “The inclusion of teacher absence on the Office for Civil Rights’ Civil Rights Data Collection Survey provides researchers and policy makers an opportunity to identify policies to minimize the number of teachers who are absent from the classroom,” she said.
Some districts get good marks
Not all districts are ruing their absentee rates.
Out of 36 public school districts, in 16 of them less than a third of teachers were absent 10 or more days, though some of those districts were pretty close to the line.
In North Smithfield, just 8 percent of teachers were absent 10 or more days in the 2013 to 2014 school year, based on updated figures the district was able to provide. Superintendent Stephen Lindberg said he was happy with those numbers.
“I think our teachers’ attendance is really strong. I don’t feel like there is abuse here at all. Our teachers take attendance seriously,” Lindberg said
Source; Stephen Beale Go Local Prov.Com.
WoonsocketTotal Number of Students: 5,897
Total Number of Teachers: 407.36
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 285
% Absent: 70.0%
According to RIDE data, Woonsocket's 59.5 percent high school graduation rate is among the lowest in the state.
4.
SmithfieldTotal Number of Students: 2,525
Total Number of Teachers: 144.7
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 95
% Absent: 65.7%26.
North Smithfield
Total Number of Students: 1,775Total Number of Teachers: 254
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 74.5
% Absent: 29.3%
8.
GlocesterTotal Number of Students: 581
Total Number of Teachers: 29.5Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 15
% Absent: 50.8%
27.
Burrillville
Total Number of Students: 2,438Total Number of Teachers: 199.4
Total Number of Teachers Absent 10 or More Days: 56
% Absent: 28.1%
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
RHODE ISLAND HAS LARGE SURPLUS
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
Rhode Island ended the most-recent fiscal year with a $166.4 million general fund surplus and spent $21.6 million less than budgeted, according to figures just released from the Governor’s office.
Puffing up the positive news is the fact that revenues were $23.9 million more than estimated, which means that this past fiscal year could be considered a turning point for a state that has perennially been saddled with budgetary woes.
The figures come from the Department of Administration’s Office of Accounts and Control’s preliminary closing statement, which also reveals that the state’s budget reserve and cash stabilization account is “fully funded” with a $185.4 million and the capital plan fund balance is $132.6 million, said Governor Gina Raimondo.
Raimondo said the good budget news is a reflection of aggressive cost-saving measures and careful planning.
The positive revenues might also be a reflection of the slow and steady recovery in the Rhode Island jobs market.
“In my jobs plan, I made it clear it is time to reinvigorate Rhode Island and state government with fresh ideas and new ways of doing things so that we can enhance accountability, control costs, and get better results for our citizens,” said Raimondo. “We’re focused on improving efficiency within our agencies, modernizing our way of doing business, and increasing collaboration throughout state government - we’re already seeing results. I am grateful for the work of all of my cabinet directors and all state employees on these efforts.”
Still, it’s not the end of the bumpy road for Rhode Island. The state is still looking at a “large” deficit for fiscal 2017, Raimondo said, and tough decisions will have to be made to get rid of the structural deficit for good.
According to the report, most budgeted line items cost less than anticipated with a few notable exceptions, such as the lottery division, which had a more than $4.1 million shortfall thanks to declining revenue at Newport Grand and Twin River, and a $2 million shortfall in the budget of the Dept. of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals.
Puffing up the positive news is the fact that revenues were $23.9 million more than estimated, which means that this past fiscal year could be considered a turning point for a state that has perennially been saddled with budgetary woes.
The figures come from the Department of Administration’s Office of Accounts and Control’s preliminary closing statement, which also reveals that the state’s budget reserve and cash stabilization account is “fully funded” with a $185.4 million and the capital plan fund balance is $132.6 million, said Governor Gina Raimondo.
Raimondo said the good budget news is a reflection of aggressive cost-saving measures and careful planning.
The positive revenues might also be a reflection of the slow and steady recovery in the Rhode Island jobs market.
“In my jobs plan, I made it clear it is time to reinvigorate Rhode Island and state government with fresh ideas and new ways of doing things so that we can enhance accountability, control costs, and get better results for our citizens,” said Raimondo. “We’re focused on improving efficiency within our agencies, modernizing our way of doing business, and increasing collaboration throughout state government - we’re already seeing results. I am grateful for the work of all of my cabinet directors and all state employees on these efforts.”
Still, it’s not the end of the bumpy road for Rhode Island. The state is still looking at a “large” deficit for fiscal 2017, Raimondo said, and tough decisions will have to be made to get rid of the structural deficit for good.
According to the report, most budgeted line items cost less than anticipated with a few notable exceptions, such as the lottery division, which had a more than $4.1 million shortfall thanks to declining revenue at Newport Grand and Twin River, and a $2 million shortfall in the budget of the Dept. of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals.
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
RHODE ISLAND APPLE HARVEST DAY EVENT SET FOR WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2ND AT STEERE ORCHARD IN GREENVILLE
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, in cooperation with the RI Fruit Growers Association, will host Rhode Island’s apple harvest kick-off on Wednesday, September 2. The fourth Apple Harvest Day will focus attention on the state’s apple industry and the fresh harvest at the time when many popular varieties of apples are ready for picking. The event will take place at Steere Orchard at 150 Austin Ave. in Greenville, the largest orchard in Rhode Island. Steere Orchard is a fourth generation family orchard that was started around 1930 by Arthur W. Steere with his son, Henry J. Steere. Today, Jim Steere, grandson of the orchard’s founder, continues the tradition with his son.
Ken Ayars, chief of DEM’s Division of Agriculture will join President Kerri Stenovitch and other representatives from the RI Fruit Growers Association and the URI Cooperative Extension to focus on the importance of providing fresh, local apple products to schools, restaurants, small markets and grocers in the state. The public is invited to attend the event. The fruit growers report that a plentiful and delicious apple crop is available for the public to enjoy this year. There are many commercial orchards in Rhode Island, and the opportunity to pick-your-own is offered at nearly all of them. Apple varieties currently available for picking include Macintosh, Paula Reds, Gala, and Honey Crisps. More varieties will become available as the season progresses.
Apples have been an integral part of the state’s agriculture since the 1600s. The first North American variety, Yellow Sweeting, was developed by William Blackstone in Cumberland. The Rhode Island Greening apple, which was developed in 1796 and originally from the Green End area of Newport, is the State Fruit and continues to be an important apple variety for both commercial and home use.
Rhode Island’s Apple Harvest Day is an outgrowth of an event launched in Massachusetts six years ago by the New England Apple Association with support from the Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture. Rhode Island joins all the other New England states in hosting apple harvest day promotional events in their respective states. For a list of pick-your-own orchards, visit http://www.rifruitgrowers.org/pickyourown/
PROVIDENCE – The Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, in cooperation with the RI Fruit Growers Association, will host Rhode Island’s apple harvest kick-off on Wednesday, September 2. The fourth Apple Harvest Day will focus attention on the state’s apple industry and the fresh harvest at the time when many popular varieties of apples are ready for picking. The event will take place at Steere Orchard at 150 Austin Ave. in Greenville, the largest orchard in Rhode Island. Steere Orchard is a fourth generation family orchard that was started around 1930 by Arthur W. Steere with his son, Henry J. Steere. Today, Jim Steere, grandson of the orchard’s founder, continues the tradition with his son. 
Apples have been an integral part of the state’s agriculture since the 1600s. The first North American variety, Yellow Sweeting, was developed by William Blackstone in Cumberland. The Rhode Island Greening apple, which was developed in 1796 and originally from the Green End area of Newport, is the State Fruit and continues to be an important apple variety for both commercial and home use. Rhode Island’s Apple Harvest Day is an outgrowth of an event launched in Massachusetts six years ago by the New England Apple Association with support from the Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture. Rhode Island joins all the other New England states in hosting apple harvest day promotional events in their respective states. For a list of pick-your-own orchards, visit http://www.rifruitgrowers.org/pickyourown/
Rebecca Bates and her Sister save the bay — maybe
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
ON THIS DATE in 1814,, nineteen-year-old Rebecca Bates and her fifteen-year-old sister Abigail played a clever ruse that scared off British soldiers intent on sacking their Massachusetts harbor town during the War of 1812.
Maybe.
As the story goes, Rebecca Bates and Abigail, daughters of a lighthouse keeper, spotted a British warship off the coast of Scituate Harbor, located 25 miles south of Boston. The ship had dispatched boats full of soldiers intent on destroying U.S. fishing boats or vessels carrying flour (stories differ), and perhaps ransacking the town.
Simeon Bates, the girls’ father, was away with the rest of the family. Desperate to save their home and town, the girls played a fife and drum, instruments associated with military maneuvers. The British heard the music without seeing the girls and assumed a U.S. military unit must be afoot. They scurried back to their warship, and disaster was averted.
Sixty-two years later, The New York Times dismissed the fife-and-drum story in an obituary for Abigail Bates. “The sober history of Scituate relates that only once did the Britishers approach the place,” wrote The Times. On that occasion, soldiers in two small British boats entered the harbor and burned some local sea vessels. According to The New York Times, “No resident of the town was known to have especially distinguished himself.”
The Bates sisters insisted on their own, more colorful, version of events, and an 1880 entry from Proceedings of the Massachussets Historical Society supported their story. The British had been after “two vessels laden with flower” and would have taken the goods and imprisoned any men on board, according to the Historical Society. The Bates sisters prevented British mischief by “hiding behind a bluff” and playing “so vigorously upon their instruments that the marines in the barges … hurriedly rowed off seaword.”
Late in life, Rebecca and Abigail Bates signed aff
adavits claiming their tale was true. The older sister signed her statement, “Rebecca, the Fifer,” and the younger sister refers to herself as “Abbie, the drummer, one of the American party of two.”
Source; W. A Dawson
ON THIS DATE in 1814,, nineteen-year-old Rebecca Bates and her fifteen-year-old sister Abigail played a clever ruse that scared off British soldiers intent on sacking their Massachusetts harbor town during the War of 1812.
Maybe.
As the story goes, Rebecca Bates and Abigail, daughters of a lighthouse keeper, spotted a British warship off the coast of Scituate Harbor, located 25 miles south of Boston. The ship had dispatched boats full of soldiers intent on destroying U.S. fishing boats or vessels carrying flour (stories differ), and perhaps ransacking the town.
Simeon Bates, the girls’ father, was away with the rest of the family. Desperate to save their home and town, the girls played a fife and drum, instruments associated with military maneuvers. The British heard the music without seeing the girls and assumed a U.S. military unit must be afoot. They scurried back to their warship, and disaster was averted.
Sixty-two years later, The New York Times dismissed the fife-and-drum story in an obituary for Abigail Bates. “The sober history of Scituate relates that only once did the Britishers approach the place,” wrote The Times. On that occasion, soldiers in two small British boats entered the harbor and burned some local sea vessels. According to The New York Times, “No resident of the town was known to have especially distinguished himself.”The Bates sisters insisted on their own, more colorful, version of events, and an 1880 entry from Proceedings of the Massachussets Historical Society supported their story. The British had been after “two vessels laden with flower” and would have taken the goods and imprisoned any men on board, according to the Historical Society. The Bates sisters prevented British mischief by “hiding behind a bluff” and playing “so vigorously upon their instruments that the marines in the barges … hurriedly rowed off seaword.”
Late in life, Rebecca and Abigail Bates signed aff
adavits claiming their tale was true. The older sister signed her statement, “Rebecca, the Fifer,” and the younger sister refers to herself as “Abbie, the drummer, one of the American party of two.”
Source; W. A Dawson
Crews respond to emergency incident at Bryant University
Posted by Wayne G. Barber
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — Police and fire departments in Smithfield have responded to an emergency situation at Bryant University.
According to unconfirmed reports, it appears a building that was under construction has collapsed. Police told Eyewitness News this is a very active scene and all units are responding to the incident.
Rescues are also en route, as there may be multiple victims that have been injured.
Smithfield RI 1150 Douglas Pike Bryant Univ. Crews on scene with a 100x50 building collapse. Level 1 mci called. At least 5 injured so far.
Smithfield RI Bldg collapse of steel structure EMS resp to scene multiple victims w/injuries@ Bryant University1150 Douglas Pike
Sept. 2 Addition
Elizabeth O'Neil, Bryant University Assistant Vice President of University Relations, issued the following statement today:
As you have no doubt already learned, a serious construction site accident occurred this morning at the indoor practice facility, located in the back of the Bryant campus adjacent to the baseball fields.
The steel which was being erected collapsed forward, resulting in at least six injuries. Thankfully, none of these appears to be life-threatening. No Bryant students or staff were near the site.
We are cooperating fully with authorities and will advise as more facts become available to us.
This incident will have no impact on the opening of school as students return this weekend and classes begin Sept. 8.
SMITHFIELD, R.I. (WPRI) — Police and fire departments in Smithfield have responded to an emergency situation at Bryant University.According to unconfirmed reports, it appears a building that was under construction has collapsed. Police told Eyewitness News this is a very active scene and all units are responding to the incident.
Rescues are also en route, as there may be multiple victims that have been injured.Smithfield RI 1150 Douglas Pike Bryant Univ. Crews on scene with a 100x50 building collapse. Level 1 mci called. At least 5 injured so far.
Smithfield RI Bldg collapse of steel structure EMS resp to scene multiple victims w/injuries@ Bryant University1150 Douglas Pike
Sept. 2 Addition
Elizabeth O'Neil, Bryant University Assistant Vice President of University Relations, issued the following statement today:
As you have no doubt already learned, a serious construction site accident occurred this morning at the indoor practice facility, located in the back of the Bryant campus adjacent to the baseball fields.
The steel which was being erected collapsed forward, resulting in at least six injuries. Thankfully, none of these appears to be life-threatening. No Bryant students or staff were near the site.
We are cooperating fully with authorities and will advise as more facts become available to us.
This incident will have no impact on the opening of school as students return this weekend and classes begin Sept. 8.
Pay Attention ! It's Your Town !
It’s no secret that the sense of community has been losing ground in America. But has that same loss of community caused us to lose other valuable items as well, including concern for others, a helping hand in time of need, and the increased safety of a concerned and watchful neighbor? Furthermore, in abandoning the communities closest to home, have we invited those far away, such as the federal government, or the
“For a nation is no stronger than the numerous little communities of which it is composed. A central administration, or a corps of select managers and civil servants, however well intentioned and well trained, cannot confer justice and prosperity and tranquility upon a mass of men and women deprived of their old responsibilities. That experiment has been made before; and it has been disastrous. It is the performance of our duties in community that teaches us prudence and efficiency and charity.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)