One example of the post-Tropical Storm Irene services being provided by the region’s fire, rescue, and emergency medical services are the hot showers (and coffee) being made available at both the Salem Volunteer Fire Company and the Gardner Lake Volunteer Fire Company in Salem, CT, from 9:00 AM until 9:00 PM daily. Residents are requested to bring a towel and their own toiletries.
Background information:
The National Weather Service reports that, at approximately 9:00 AM, the center of Irene - now weakened to a tropical storm - moved over New York City (at latitude 40.7 north...longitude 74.0 west). The storm's estimated intensity at landfall was 65 miles per hour. Irene is moving toward the north northeast (20 degrees) at 26 miles per hour.
For the latest advisories from the National Hurricane Center, please visit:
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Irene
Additional information:
National Weather Service: Northeast River Forecast Center
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District: Hurricane Readiness
Previous posts related to Hurricane Irene:
Lop Notes: Hurricane Irene Update (28 AUG 11)
Lop Notes: President Declares Emergencies in Four New England States (27 AUG 11)
Lop Notes: Preparations for Irene (27 AUG 11)
Lop Notes: Hurricane Irene Update (26 AUG 11)
The National Weather Service reports that, at 5:00 AM, the center of Hurricane Irene was located near latitude 39.2 north...longitude 74.5 west. Irene is moving toward the north northeast at close to 18 miles per hour, and this motion accompanied by a gradual increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or so. On the forecast track, the center of Irene will move near or over the coast of New Jersey and over western Long Island this morning and move inland over southern New England by this afternoon. Landfall is forecast to be in the vicinity of Norwalk, CT – around the time of high tide.
Irene is a category one hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale. Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 125 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 320 miles.
National Weather Service offices responsible for this region (or portions thereof):
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Caribou, ME
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Gray/Portland, ME
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Taunton/Boston, MA
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Burlington, VT
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Albany, NY
National Weather Service: Weather Forecast Office, Upton/New York City, NY
Media reports:
CT: Irene's bullseye: Between Stamford and Bridgeport (Connecticut Post)
CT: Town after town tells residents to evacuate as Irene approaches (Connecticut Post)
CT: Coastal sewer systems will be taxed in hurricane (Connecticut Post)
ME: State faces major threat from wind and flooding (Portland Press Herald)
MA: Valuable lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina (Cape Cod Times)
MA: Shelters ready for evacuees; region takes steps to minimize damage (Standard Times)
NH: Utility companies gird to react to power outages (New Hampshire Sunday News)
RI: R.I. coastal communities better prepared but still vulnerable in hurricanes (Providence Journal)
RI: Special registry allows R.I. to assist the most vulnerable (Providence Journal)
VT: Shumlin declares state of emergency (Burlington Free Press)
VT: Local ambulance team deployed to NYC (Bennington Banner)
Background information:
Cape Cod Medical Reserve Corps
Previous posts related to Hurricane Irene:
Lop Notes: President Declares Emergencies in Four New England States (27 AUG 11)
Lop Notes: Preparations for Irene (27 AUG 11)
Lop Notes: Hurricane Irene Update (26 AUG 11)
Today the Church celebrates the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Jeremiah 20:7-9, Romans 12:1-2, and Matthew 16:21-27. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 63 (Psalm 63:2-6, 8-9).
Today’s Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."
Reflections related to these readings:
The Deacon's Bench: Homily for August 28, 2011: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time (27 AUG 11)
Dr. Scott Hahn: For Your Life (August 28th, 2011 - 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time)
In addition to President Obama declaring an emergency for Massachusetts (which was mentioned in a previous post, President Obama has now declared emergencies in Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. These declarations, due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Irene, authorize federal disaster aid programs that can be made available as needed and warranted under President Obama's emergency disaster declarations.
For more information about these declarations, please visit:
FEMA: President Declares Emergency For Connecticut
FEMA: Federal Aid Programs For Connecticut Emergency
FEMA: Federal Aid Programs For Commonwealth Of Massachusetts Emergency
FEMA: President Declares Emergency For New Hampshire
FEMA: Federal Aid Programs For New Hampshire Emergency
“The lack of appreciation employees feel they receive from the public is echoed across the nation, at all levels of government - and the bitter feelings trickle down from the highest level to local government. Recent polls show that only about 20 percent of the public approves of the job that Congress is doing. Unions representing public employees are routinely called ‘bullies’ and ‘thugs.’ . . .
“As a result, local government leaders, their consultants and watchful academics are sorting out how to meet the challenge to their operations, at a time of diminishing resources and increased demands. While some believe that maintaining services is the best way to regain the public’s trust, others are rethinking the role of local government and are encouraging employee participation in that process.”
In a recent article in American City & County, writer Robert Barkin explored how the public’s disdain for the public sector is leading to retirements, layoffs, and discussions about the future role of government.
To access this American City & County article, please visit:
American City & County: Getting squeezed (August 2011)
Background information:
The Melrose, MA, Fire Department recently took over the responsibility of providing ambulance service for nonlife-threatening emergencies in the city.
The department had previously provided ambulance service, but, as a cost-saving measure, it stopped doing so in 1989. Now, the City anticipates that the service will help provide revenue to meet the fire department’s budget needs.
Media report:
Boston Globe: Rushing to your aid - and helping pay the bills (21 AUG 11)
Background information:
A recently enacted state statute in Vermont directs the Vermont Department of Education to develop guidelines designed to assist schools in taking reasonable steps to prevent, and to minimize the effects of, school athletic team-related concussions.
The law, a K-12 requirement, requires that schools educate their coaches, their youth athletes, and the youth athletes’ parents and guardians regarding the prevention and mitigation of concussion-related injuries. It takes effect with the beginning in the autumn 2011 sports season.
Media report:
Brattleboro Reformer: New state law takes concussions head-on (26 AUG 11)
Background information and resources:
Vermont Department of Education: Concussion Guidelines
CDC: Heads Up: Concussion in High School Sports
CDC: Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports
CDC: Training Course: Heads Up: Concussion in Youth Sports
CDC: Concussion in Youth Sports: Fact Sheet for Athletes
In the midst of the various preparations as Hurricane Irene approaches, the day-to-day business of municipal government continues to go on.
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: School takeover case goes to Supreme Court (Connecticut Post)
ME: Maine police, fire, drug enforcement agencies increasing use of Facebook (Bangor Daily News)
MA: Busing part of plan for Princeton school
NH: Dealership dredging wetlands despite order to cease, says city (Portsmouth Herald)
RI: City to impose new terms on teachers (Providence Journal)
VT: Hyde Park Sidewalk Project Hits Delay (News & Citizen)
Background information:
Bridgeport, CT, Public Schools
Ellsworth, ME, Police Department
Facebook: Ellsworth, ME, Police Department
Facebook: Portland Maine Police Department
Facebook: Bangor Maine Police Department
Facebook: Auburn (Maine) Police Department
Preparations continue throughout the region as Hurricane Irene approaches. At this writing, Irene is a Category 1 hurricane (although at the upper limit of this category) – still a large and powerful storm.
For the latest advisories from the National Hurricane Center, please visit:
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Irene
Media reports:
CT: Flooding threatens region (The Day)
CT: Irene on the way (Bristol Press)
High-tech gadgets may be put to the test (The Day)
ME: Maine mobilizes, and waits, for Irene (Portland Press Herald)
MA: Storm preparations reach fevered pitch (Cape Cod Times)
MA: Storm-seasoned coastal residents not taking any chances (Standard-Times)
MA: False alarms build false sense of security (Cape Cod Times)
NH: New Hampshire braces for Irene (Concord Monitor)
NH/ME: Seacoast prepares for Irene's worst (Portsmouth Herald)
RI: Hurricane Irene: R.I. officials urge vigilance (Providence Journal)
RI: In R.I. preparations for Irene under way (Providence Journal)
VT: Burlington braces for Irene's torrent (Burlington Free Press)
VT: Officials prep sandbags, shelter for storm (Bennington Banner)
VT: Vermont utilities to get storm help from Midwest, Canada (Burlington Free Press)
Other:
Maine Preparations Intensify, Governor Declares State of Emergency
Massachusetts Governor Declares State of Emergency
New Hampshire Governor Declares State of Emergency
Rhode Island Governor Issues Declaration of Disaster Emergency
Vermont Governor: Vermonters Urged to Prepare for Effects of Hurricane Irene
FEMA: President Declares Emergency For Massachusetts
Resource:
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: More unions reject Stewart’s concessions package, layoffs loom (New Britain Herald)
ME: City approves sewage clean-up (Kennebec Journal)
MA: Cutbacks may scuttle dial-a-ride (Boston Globe)
NH: North Hampton selectmen wrestle with communications policy (Hampton Union)
RI: Pawtucket seeks tally of truck fines (Providence Journal)
VT: Ferrisburgh signs deal to sell land (Addison County Independent)
Background information:
As Hurricane Irene continues its approach in the direction of New England, a hurricane watch has been posted for the Southern New England coastline from the Connecticut-New York border to the mouth of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts (including all of the islands in between).
The latest storm track projection is:
Media reports:
Connecticut Post: Fairfield County could be in eye of Hurricane Irene (26 AUG 11)
Hartford Courant: Malloy Signs Declaration Of Emergency As Hurricane Irene Approaches (26 AUG 11)
Boston Globe: With Irene looming, region gets ready (26 AUG 11)
The treasures of New England include the many efforts to teach, support, and encourage the young people of this region.
One example of such an effort is in Brookline, MA, where several local teenagers have cultivated vegetable gardens in public housing yards and at the Brookline Community Foundation offices during the summer. The teenagers were paid for the work, which included building, planting, weeding, and harvesting at the three sites.
The eight-week program, now in its second year, is sponsored by Bountiful Brookline. It is funded by the community foundation, the Brookline Housing Authority, and the Park School Foundation. Produce from the gardens was made available to the Brookline Food Pantry and to local restaurants.
For more information about this initiative, please visit:
As people throughout New England are aware, years of industrial development have generated hazardous waste that, when improperly disposed of, poses risks to human health and the environment. Some years ago, Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976 (RCRA) in order to mitigate these risks.
Subtitle C of RCRA, as amended, requires owners or operators to take corrective actions to clean up contamination at facilities that treat, store, or dispose of hazardous waste. The corrective action program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or states authorized by EPA.
To focus and streamline the RCRA corrective action program, EPA has (over the past decade) set a series of progressively more ambitious performance goals and identified which facilities must meet them. Its first set of performance goals, for example (to be achieved in fiscal year 2005), were to control human exposures to contamination and migration of contaminated groundwater at 95 percent of 1,714 “high-risk” facilities. EPA also established a long-range vision for the program, going beyond controlling contamination to cleaning it up. Hence, it targeted 2020 as the year by which 95 percent of 3,747 facilities (expanded from 1,714 to include low- and medium-risk facilities) would have completed construction of all cleanup remedies. EPA also established a process for its regions and authorized states to follow in determining whether facilities undergoing cleanup have met major milestones toward controlling human exposure and preventing the spread of contaminated groundwater and issued guidance to assist in streamlining the corrective action process, maximize program flexibility, and expedite cleanup.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office was asked to assess this program, and GAO has recently released a report of its assessment. This report discusses (1) actions EPA has taken to establish goals for the program and expedite cleanup; (2) the progress EPA, states, and facilities have made in meeting these goals; and (3) the challenges EPA, states, and facilities face, if any, in meeting future cleanup goals. During the process, GAO reviewed and analyzed EPA documents and data and interviewed EPA and state agency officials and stakeholder groups.
In its report, GAO recommends that EPA assess the remaining corrective action workload, determine the extent to which the program has resources needed to meet 2020 goals, and take steps to either reallocate its resources or revise its goals. EPA agreed with the recommendation.
To access this GAO report, please visit:
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: Wallingford native creates "Green" Website for town (Record-Journal)
ME: Biddeford 'disorderly housing' ordinance in effect (Portland Press Herald)
MA: Crash death leads to call for Secure Communities (Milford Daily News)
NH: Reelected Warren police chief won’t get reinstated (New Hampshire Union Leader)
RI: Federal grant to advance Station District plans in Warwick (Providence Journal)
VT: Vermont poised to seek waiver from education law (Burlington Free Press)
Background information:
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: Secure Communities
The U.S. Department of Education has released the final application for the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge (RTT-ELC), which is designed provide $500 million in state-level competitive grants to improve early learning and development programs.
The goal of the RTT-ELC is to better prepare more children with high needs for kindergarten because children from birth to age five, including those from low-income families, need a strong foundation for success in school and beyond.
In its introduction to this initiative, the Education Dept. notes that “Robust research shows that high-quality early learning programs improve children's health, social-emotional development, cognitive ability, and school success. High-quality programs also help close the wide school readiness gap that exists between children with high needs and their peers. Yet, the U.S. lacks a coordinated system for improving and evaluating early learning and development programs as well as sharing best practices across programs and State.”
RTT-ELC is designed to set a high bar and reward states with the strongest plans to improve the quality of early learning and development programs. In their applications, states are required to demonstrate a commitment to building coordinated systems, aligning resources and policies, and increasing access to high-quality early learning and development programs for children who need them most.
RTT-ELC is designed to focus on five key areas of reform:
For more information about the Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge, please visit:
U.S. Dept. of Education: Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge
Commentaries:
Education Week Blog: Newest Race to the Top Stresses Early Ed. Rating Systems (23 AUG 11)
A number of preparations are underway throughout New England in anticipation of the potential strike by Hurricane Irene.
National Hurricane Center animated link to Hurricane Irene’ track and anticipated track:
National Hurricane Center: IRENE Graphics Archive
Media reports:
NECN: New Englanders prepare for Hurricane Irene (25 AUG 11)
Boston Globe: Hurricane forces a change in plans (25 AUG 11)
NECN: Hurricane Irene: High impact quite possible in NE (25 AUG 11)
Although a lot may change between now and Sunday, it appears that (based on the current National Weather Service projection) Hurricane Irene is focusing on the New England region.
Here is the current NWS Coastal Watches/Warnings and 5-Day Forecast Cone for Hurricane Irene:
Throughout the region, emergency management personnel, as well as other municipal, county, state, and federal personnel, have been making preparations.
Background and resource information:
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Irene
National Hurricane Center: Hurricane Preparedness
FEMA: Avoiding Hurricane Damage
Emergency Management Division, Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security
Maine Emergency Management Agency: Maine Prepares
Maine Emergency Management Agency
Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
Homeland Security and Emergency Management, New Hampshire Department of Safety
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: Communications Tower Replacement Approved (Hartford Courant)
ME: Half of high-hazard dams lack state inspection (Bangor Daily News)
MA: School bus buy raises concerns for some councilors (The Recorder)
NH: Police make use of social media (Nashua Telegraph)
RI: Providence School Board endorses mayoral academy (Providence Journal)
VT: Colchester residents tour lake-front camp (Burlington Free Press)
Background information:
The International Association of Chiefs of Police recently published Juvenile Justice Training Needs Assessment: A Survey of Law Enforcement. This survey of law enforcement around the nation was designed to identify challenges and training needs facing law enforcement in addressing juvenile crime, delinquency, and victimization.
The survey identified a number of challenges that law enforcement officials face within their departments and the broader criminal justice system that are barriers to effectively addressing juvenile crime, delinquency, and victimization.
The survey identified the most pressing issues and concerns facing law enforcement agencies relating to juvenile crime, delinquency, and victimization as:
To access this IACP report, please visit:
IACP: Summary: Juvenile Justice Training Needs Assessment: A Survey of Law Enforcement (July 2011)
Yesterday’s earthquake in Virginia was felt in New England and resulted in a number of evacuations and building inspections.
Media reports:
Boston Globe: Quake sets the Northeast aquiver
Hartford Courant: Virginia Earthquake Shakes Connecticut
Connecticut Post: Earthquake causes Twitter frenzy in Connecticut
Portland Press Herald: Mainers report feeling tremors and wondering what's shaking
Boston Globe: In region, small temblors common, larger ones rare
Background information:
FEMA: Quake in D.C. Serves As Reminder To Get Prepared
New England City & Town News Notes: Earthquakes in New England (23 JUN 10)
One of the treasures of New England is the rich variety of foods that are part of its culture, including traditional New England cuisine and a variety of foods that have been introduced over the years.
One treat that makes up this treasure is the state treat of Maine – the whoopie pie (composed of made of two round mound-shaped pieces of chocolate cake, or perhaps pumpkin or gingerbread cake, with a creamy filling or frosting between them).
For more information about whoopie pies, please visit:
NPR: Food Fight: Maine Legislature Takes Up Whoopie Pies (3 FEB 11)
What’s Cooking America: Whoopie Pie - History of Whoopie Pies
Grit: Maine Whoopie Pie Recipe (Nov-Dec 2010)
The National Weather Service office in Taunton, MA, recently issued a public information statement about Hurricane Bob:
The last time New England took a direct hit from a hurricane was twenty years ago, on 19 August 1991, when Hurricane Bob hit Southeastern New England. As bad as Bob was, it was only a Category Two hurricane at landfall. The last time that New England was hit by a major hurricane – Category 3 – was 57 years ago, in 1954.
Hurricane Bob developed in the central Bahamas on 16 August 1991. It steadily intensified and reached hurricane status on the evening of 17 August. Bob strengthened and accelerated northeastward. The eye of Hurricane Bob passed over Block Island, RI, at approximately 1:30 PM on 19 August and made landfall over Newport, RI, shortly before 2:00 PM.
Hurricane Bob brought sustained hurricane force winds to the immediate coastal communities of Rhode Island and most of southeastern Massachusetts. Strong tropical storm force winds blew across the remainder of the region, with many areas east of the Connecticut River receiving gusts to hurricane force. Wind damage to trees and utility poles was common and resulted in 60 percent of residents in southeast Rhode Island and southeast Massachusetts losing power. Apple and peach orchards there were extensively damaged.
Coastal communities bore the brunt of the storm with sustained winds between 75 and 100 miles per hour. Gusts to 125 MPH were recorded in Brewster and North Truro on Cape Cod and also in Wethersfield, Connecticut. The highest sustained wind – of 100 MPH – was recorded in North Truro. Block Island reported sustained winds of 90 MPH, with gusts in excess of 105 MPH (which was the maximum speed of that equipment). There were four reports of tornadoes as Bob came ashore. The lowest barometric pressure was recorded by the USS Valdez while in the East passage of Narragansett Bay – a reading of 28.47.
Hurricane Bob caused a storm surge of five to eight feet along the Rhode Island shore, but drove a surge of ten to fifteen feet into Buzzards Bay. The highest surges – twelve to fifteen feet – were observed in Onset, Bourne, Mashpee, and Wareham at the head of Buzzards Bay. Cove Road, in Mattapoisett, Massachusetts, had 29 of 37 homes destroyed, while Angelica Point, also in Mattapoisett, lost 32 of 35 homes along the shore. Boat damage was significant, with many boats torn from their moorings. Some south facing beaches on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket lost up to fifty feet of beach due to erosion.
As is typically the case with New England hurricanes, heavy rain was focused to the west of the track of the storm. Three to seven inches of rain occurred across all of Rhode Island except the southeast portion, with the highest reading of 7.01 inches in Foster. Less than an inch of rain fell on Cape Cod to the east of the track, but that is where the highest winds and storm surge occurred.
Bob was responsible for six deaths in the region – all in Connecticut. Total damage in Southern New England was approximately 680 million dollars.
Note: This information was taken from Southern New England Tropical Storms and Hurricanes, A Ninety-eight Year Summary 1909-1997, by David R. Vallee and Michael R. Dion, National Weather Service, Taunton, MA.
Background information:
Stormpulse: Hurricane Bob, 1991
Boston Globe: 20 years after, remembering Hurricane Bob (19 AUG 11)
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: Town unveils plans for temporary fire station in Horseneck lot (Greenwich Time)
ME: Historic Orono mill torn asunder as town makes way for condo project (Bangor Daily News)
MA: Brockton Councilor Brophy seeking answers about desalination plant (The Enterprise)
NH: Seeking answers on Great Bay, Exeter to help fund river study (Portsmouth Herald)
RI: Schools opt to have just one booster (Woonsocket Call)
VT: Consultants will lead RED study (Bennington Banner)
Background information:
To access this week’s issue of New England City & Town Weekly Dispatch, please visit":
The American Association of School Administrators has announced that it believes it’s time to get back to the basics of supporting the total child - from physical and mental health to the development of fundamental, lifelong learning skills.
Through the association’s Educating the Total Child advocacy campaign, AASA members have committed to creating the conditions necessary for all students to become successful, lifelong learners. The campaign is designed to address three factors that determine children’s academic achievement:
For more information about AASA’s Educating the Total Child campaign, please visit:
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: Griswold parents form group to support freshman sports (Norwich Bulletin)
ME: Topsham housing group eyes properties (Times Record)
MA: 'Pay-as-you-throw' called success (Lowell Sun)
NH: SAU 16 families may qualify for computer, Internet access (Exeter News-Letter)
RI: Providence police, hospitals at odds in medical privacy debate (Providence Journal)
VT: Developing strong, successful downtowns (Brattleboro Reformer)
Background information:
Throughout New England, there are a number of fire museums that offer a look into the history of the fire service in a local community, a state, or beyond.
One such museum is the Connecticut Fire Museum, located at the Connecticut Trolley Museum, 55 North Road, East Windsor, Connecticut. Its exhibits include a 1923 REO pumper (from the Lost Acres Fire Department in Granby), a 1927 Mack pumper (that served both Willimantic and West Willington), a 1934 Seagrave 85' aerial ladder (from Springfield, MA), a 1934 Pirsh 60' aerial ladder truck (that served Thompsonville and Enfield), and a 1967 Walter airport crash truck (from Pratt & Whitney Aircraft, East Hartford).
For more information about the Connecticut Fire Museum, please visit:
Today the Church celebrates the Twenty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings are Isaiah 22:19-23, Romans 11:33-36, and Matthew 16:13-20. The Responsorial Psalm is Psalm 138 (Psalm 138:1-3, 6, 8).
Today’s Gospel reading is as follows:
Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi and he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"
They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Christ.
Reflections related to these readings:
A Concord Pastor Comments: Keys of the Kingdom (21 AUG 11)
Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio: Peter, the Pope and the Bible
Dr. Scott Hahn: ‘Oh, the Depths!’ (August 21st, 2011 - 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time)
The Word Embodied: Rock of Ages
The New Theological Movement: If Christ is the rock, can Peter also be the rock? (20 AUG 11)
And, in today’s Daily Ignatian Reflection from the Magis Institute, Father Michael W. Maher, S.J., writes:
“Around the base of the inner dome of St. Peter's in Rome, a section of today's reading is boldly proclaimed in Latin in 15 foot letters, set against a background of a glittering gold mosaic. This magnificent portrayal of the words, "you are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church," seem slightly incongruous to the track record of the man himself.
“By corporate standards, Peter would not even make a paper cut, much less an interview, for the position of running an organization which we know as the Roman Catholic Church. Yet in spite of Peter's weaknesses, God's grace prevails and continues to prevail within his, and our human frailties.
“Today's reading reflects a common theme within the Gospels of how God works through the small and insignificant to advance the Kingdom. Recall the mustard seed, the small amount of leaven, and the light on a lamp stand, all small in themselves but vehicles for transformation.
We may not be called to be a pope, but we are called to advance the kingdom of God using our gifts and God's grace. In that we all are like Peter on whom Christ built his church; weak but willing with the help of God to do what we can.
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: Torrington School board revamps Upward Bound Academy (Register Citizen)
ME: Regional high school idea a tough sell, board says (York County Coast Star)
MA: 100 Medway residents could lose water service (Milford Daily News)
NH: Consultant ponders future of retired schools (Concord Monitor)
RI: Westerly considers enterprise zone tax-break concept (Westerly Sun)
VT: Vermont, Quebec plan flooding prevention (Burlington Free Press)
Background information:
Torrington, CT, Public Schools
Officials from a number of Manchester, NH, city departments recently collaborated to request the assistance of residents in helping stop arsonists.
The police chief reported that there have been 42 arson fires since the beginning of the year, including 28 debris fires, seven vehicle fires, and seven structural fires. Most of these fires were in a small area of the city – a place where tenants often discard unwanted items, including furniture, in the alleys.
Media report:
New Hampshire Union Leader: Appeal to residents to help stop arsonists (19 AUG 11)
Background information:
U.S. Fire Administration: Focus on Fire Safety: Communities United Against Arson
U.S. Fire Administration: Arson Curriculum: Establishing a Community Arson Watch Program
One of the treasures of New England is its variety of fine museums. Some of these museums cover historical subjects, other museums focus on art or science, and still others deal with a variety of other subjects.
One such museum is South County Museum, in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Located within Canonchet Farm, a public park owned by the town of Narragansett, this museum contains exhibits related to Rhode Island's rural, village, and maritime heritage.
For more information about the South County Museum, please visit:
Narragansett Patch: South County Museum
YouTube: Narragansett RI " South County Museum " - Canonchet Farm
Recent news stories related to municipal government in New England (and issues being faced on the local level) include these articles:
CT: ‘Protection for educational budgets’ (Bristol Press)
ME: Cony High loses on-site doctor (Kennebec Journal)
MA: Town administrator starting double duty (Sentinel and Enterprise)
NH: Town administrator resigns, expects 'less stress' in new town (Concord Monitor)
RI: Smithfield eyes "Pay-As-You-Throw" trash collection, $340,000 savings possible
VT: Bike trail could boost economy (Addison Independent)
Background information:
The Library of Congress has a rolling exhibition "Gateway to Knowledge" – a specially-fitted 18-wheel truck carrying a number of items and information from the library’s collections – that is visiting this region.
The exhibit includes programming especially for teachers and students, and it is designed to provide relevant and engaging learning experiences for lifelong learners. The truck is staffed and driven by two docents who are well-versed in the Library and its collections, and it parks at universities, libraries, community centers, and other public venues.
The trailer expands to three times its road width, and visitors enter from a central staircase to find several areas of museum-style exhibits including a welcoming multimedia display, computer terminals displaying Library of Congress websites including the main site and other library websites including the Center for the Book/Literacy Programs site as well as sites pertaining to U.S. collections, exhibitions, and a special site for use by teachers.
The exhibition also includes facsimiles of the 1507 Waldseemüller Map (the first document to use the word "America"); the 1455 Gutenberg Bible; the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, in Thomas Jefferson’s hand with edits by Benjamin Franklin and John Adams; the 1962 drawings for the comic book that introduced Spider-Man to the world; the handwritten manuscript to jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton’s "Frog-i-More Rag"; and Walt Whitman’s poem "Leaves of Grass."
The exhibit and its national tour are being funded by the support of the Rapoport family (two of whom are founding members of the James Madison Council, the Library’s private-sector advisory group).
Scheduled New England stops for the "Gateway to Knowledge" exhibit include:
For more information about the "Gateway to Knowledge" exhibition, please visit:
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