Need Advice?
Room 30s Thanksgiving Feast
Ask Dear Bobby
See page 2
See page 59
Room 30
Missing Miners Rescued in Chile See page 26
Bridlemile Times
Truth with Mercy
January 2011
$.50
PLANE PLOWS INTO PLAYGROUND By Marissa T. In September of 2010, a plane was flying over Portland, Oregon. The pilot, Conrad James McGreal, was flying from Kingston, Washington. As he flew, he realized he needed to make an emergency landing, See PLANE on page 12
BMX BIKES BANNED! By Sebastien O. Sure, there might be a lot of skate parks in Portland, but not many are BMX friendly. Our parents pay taxes for parks, but not everybody can use them. It’s just not fair. They build basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, and BMX Riders Excluded from Skate Parks School News..........................2 Local News...........................17 State News...........................21 National News......................23 World News..........................26 Environmental News.............29
See BMX on page 43
Media & Entertainment.................33 Sports.......................................42 Travel & Recreation......................48 Advice......................................59 Puzzles & Games.........................61
Recess Rules Reshuffled By Ryan S. This year at Bridlemile there is a new rule. We are having recess before lunch. Students have a 15-minute recess before eating for 15 minutes. This is new and I have an opinion about it. I think this new rule is a bad idea. Some people think this new rule is a good thing. Natalie says the new rule keeps kids from getting stomach cramps after eating. Mr. Augustine, the greatest teacher of all time, says that he thinks it’s a good See RECESS on page 11
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 2
SCHOOL NEWS SECTION
Note to our
Readers
Thanksgiving Feast In Room 30
We want to thank everyone who made this publication possible this year.
Thank you • Parents for helping type up the articles • Brothers and sisters for giving us plenty of questions to ask Dear Bobby • Friends for agreeing to be quoted and surveyed and even repeatedly asked for ideas for articles • Teachers and School Administration for all your support and good humor. • Other students and everyone else who supported the paper in any way you could. We couldn’t have done it without all your wonderful help! — Room 30 students and Mr. Augustine
What’s school like at Sylvan? See Donaldson on page 12
By Room 30 Students
one of the students in the class. On November 19, 2010 Mr. Maddie was moving to Australia Augustine’s 4th grade class and she was a valuable part had a Thanksgiving feast of the class and well loved by in the classroom. Parent everyone, especially among the volunteers helped cook the girls in the class. Everyone in food, decorate the room, set class still misses her. the table, and serve the food. This was the 10th year that The meal began at 12:15 and Mr. Augustine has held the The tradition began lasted for over an hour. The feast. students enjoyed the traditional when he first began his Thanksgiving food, like turkey, teaching with Portland Public ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing School. His first feast was held at Rigler Elementary in and gravy. This year’s feast was extra Northeast Portland. The feast special because it was also the See FEAST on page 3 last day of school for Maddie,
10 Hours of School? See page 10
Can children get MIGRAINES? See page 8
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FEAST continued from page 2
of them for the things they have taught me. A few things are is one of his favorite parts of how to cook, bake, read and the school year. Mr. Augustine draw. Also, I’m glad to have my said, “ I really enjoy sharing this little brother. He drives me nuts special event with the parents sometimes, but he is fun to have and students in my class. We around. My relatives are also look forward to it each year and a wonderful part of my family. my favorite part is the toasts Even though I don’t see them presented by the students every day, I know they love me during the meal. The kids write and I love them, too. these amazing toasts detailing There are so many other what their grateful for and it’s things and it was hard to hard not to tear-up a little when choose only three to share, but I hear them.” I managed. I can’t wait to hear Nearly all to the students gave what everyone else is thankful a toast this year. Below are two for. samples: Marissa’s Thanksgiving Toast In my life, there are many things I’m thankful for. It would take me too long to name them all, so today I will only name my top 3 things. I am thankful for my friends. They are always there for me when I need them. My friends listen to me and they can always tell when I’m upset. They also ask for my opinion when they are stuck on something. I’m glad to have such great friends who I can trust and who trust me. Another thing I am thankful for is my health. My neighbors are not as fortunate as me and their son is unhealthy. My health is important to me because without it I would not be able to swim, dance, and play soccer or ski. I might not even be able to play piano. It is good to be healthy. Lastly, I’m thankful for my loving family. My mom and dad are so helpful and I thank both
game is always more fun with friends along. I am thankful to have a good family. I’m glad to have a dad that coaches me in sports, and he also give me tips on how to play better. I also have a brother and sister to do stuff with. I’m glad to have them as friends. My mom helps me understand things in life. She read to me when I couldn’t read to myself and now I enjoy books. I’m lucky to be able to celebrate holidays. I’m glad to be able to spend time with family and friends and have a Connor’s Thanksgiving Toast big feast. A lot of people in the world can’t celebrate holidays I am thankful for lots of things, because they can’t afford fancy but I’m only sharing the most food or they’re separated from important things today. Those their family. I’m thankful for this things are my friends, family and celebration. I have many other things I celebrating holidays. Friends help you when you am thankful for, but those were need it. They are fun to do just 3. I can’t wait to hear your stuff with. For example, playing toasts. Happy Thanksgiving. basketball or going to a soccer
SCHOOL NEWS
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jan 2011, page 4
Interview with Mr. Augustine By Griffin B. I’m interviewing Mr. Augustine. I wanted to know a few things about him and the newspaper. I asked him few questions. Here are the results:
Q: Whose idea was it to start the classroom newspaper? A: I really started getting into reading the newspaper when I was in 6th grade. Ever since then I’ve read at least one
paper per day. I thought that my students might enjoy all of the different kids of stories found in the paper too. I tried sharing articles with the class one day and they loved it! See AUGUSTINE on page 5
Interview with Parker By Danielle D. Today I’m interviewing Parker Denton. Parker has an amazing life story. For a fact I know you will learn from her. Read on to find out about Parker.
hardest part about moving? PD: Waiting for your stuff to get to your new house. DD: What do you think is the easiest part? PD: Sitting on the plane.
DD: Where were you born? Parker: Costa Rica.
DD: What do you like most about Portland? PD: The weather change.
DD: How did your family decide to move to Oregon? Parker: We lived here before so we just moved back.
DD: How many times have you moved? PD: 4 Costa Rica – Oregon 1 Oregon – Arizona 2 Arizona – Vietnam 3 Vietnam – Oregon 4
DD: What do you think is the
DD: On the first day of school what were you feeling? PD: Very excited. DD: On the day of the move what were you feeling? PD: Sad. DD: Who was your close friend at your old school? Now who is your close friend? PD: At my old school Emily. Now Danielle (hard choice).
Nha Trang, Vietnam
DD: If you could change your name to anything, what would you change it to? PD: Stacy.
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AUGUSTINE continued from page 4 graduated with a degree in Political Science and Environmental Studies but I soon ended up working as a cook at a restaurant on NW 23rd Ave. One of my friends at the restaurant was starting a job with the Multnomah County Outdoor School Program and asked if I wanted to join him. I did. I really enjoyed the time outside and I really liked sharing outdoor science with the kids. People also said that I was good at it and that made me feel good. Eventually, I knew that teaching was my calling and I’ve been doing it ever since then, almost 20 years now. Q: What was your favorite hobby as a kid? A: I grew up in San Diego about a mile from the beach. So I spent a lot of time body surfing and boogie boarding. I also spent a lot of time riding my skateboard going to and from the beach. I played a lot of tennis, sailed, and fished too. I’m still really into fishing, matter of fact; check out my 48-pound salmon from 4 years ago.
Then together, we came up with the idea of building one in class. That was 10 years ago and we still do it at least once a year. Q: If you were principal, what rules would you make? A: I would make a rule that kids would need to spend more time on field trips. I think we spend too much time in the classroom. Some classes only get out of the room once in 180 days. Q: Why did you become a teacher? A: When I graduated from college in 1990 I really did not know what I was going to do. I
Q: What is the connection between you and the paper? A: My favorite part of helping put the paper together each year is working with the student authors. It is so satisfying to watch their confidence grow over time and to watch them become amazing writers. I am so proud of their hard work and it’s nice to see them get the recognition that they deserve each year. It gives a purpose to their writing. Also, I really like to see the younger kids reading the paper. A few years ago I remember standing at the end of the long hallway at Bridlemile and watching two little second graders way at the other end walking down the hall carrying the newspaper. They stopped and then they sat on the ground together, opened the paper, and began reading and laughing. That was pretty cool!
bridlemile times
SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 6
Our Field Trip to the Oregon Historical Society and the Wells Fargo Museum
By Bobby, Soren, and Davis
bus at 9:26am and headed towards downtown On December 9, 2010 Mr. Augustine’s 4th Portland. grade class took a field trip. The plan was to take The bus was pretty crowded and most of the TriMet downtown and visit the Oregon Historical students had to stand-up while they held onto a Society and the Wells Fargo Museum. The class metal bar. Mr. Augustine was concerned because left the building at 9:00am. They walked downhill there was a pit bull terrier on the bus. He stood to the bus stop at the intersection of Beaverton between the students and the dog to protect the Hillsdale Hwy and SW 45th Street. They waited kids as they passed the dog. The bus was so for the #56 bus. The class stepped onto the crowded that the temperature rose quickly. See FIELD TRIP on page 7
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FIELD TRIP continued from page 6
The students arrived downtown at 10:00 am. The class needed to burn a couple of minutes before their appointment at the Wells Fargo Museum, so they went and viewed the Portlandia Statue. They learned that the statue was the second largest copper statue in the nation, second only to the Statue of Liberty. At 10:15 the class began their tour of the Wells Fargo Museum. The kids enjoyed learning about the gold rush of the 1800s, the telegraph machine, the Pony Express, and the oldest remaining stagecoach still in usable condition. The students got gold coins as souvenirs at the end of the tour. Next, the students ate a quick lunch under a covered area at
a building near the museum. As the rain became harder the class realized that they only had a few minutes to make the walk to the Oregon Historical Society. The OHS was a 7-block walk for the lunch spot. The class cleaned up the lunch mess and quickly began their walk. At 12:10 the 4th graders arrived at the Oregon Historical Society. They were a little wet, but they were excited to tour the Oregon My Oregon exhibit on the second floor of the building. The kids went straight to the restrooms and then Mr. Augustine split them into three groups. A parent volunteer and a member of the museums staff accompanied each group. The exhibit was very educational
and included an authentic covered wagon, pioneer artifacts from the Oregon Trail, a Native American canoe, and examples from the fur trading era. Charlotte especially liked the Oregon Trail artifacts. “It was super cool to hold things like the oxen-shoes that were really used in the early 1800s,” she said. Also, the museum guides told Mr. Augustine that his students were well prepared for their visit. “Your kids really know their stuff,” she said. The hour-long visit went quickly, and the kids left the museum at 1:25 pm. The class raced four blocks to catch their bus back to school. The bus stop was at the corner of 5th and Main streets. The class arrived at the bus stop eight minutes before the bus was to arrive. The bus was supposed to pick the class up at 1:36, but it did not arrive until 1:45. Mr. Augustine was very relieved he did not have to call Cheryl, the school’s secretary, to say he’d be late. The bus arrived back to Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy. at 2:00 pm. In a violently pouring rain the class rushed about half a mile back to school. They walked into the building at 2:14 pm, with one minute to spare before dismissal. It was a fun, educational, and eventful day. The class had a great time!
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SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 8
Migraine Myths:
Children Can Get Migraines!
BIG BACKPACKS
BIG TROUBLE? By Davis M. By Soren W. Have you ever had a migraine headache? Well, going back to school could bring on the migraine season. Doctors say frequent headaches are common childhood complaints. Since many doctors and parents think migraines can only happen to adults, not enough is being done for the kids. But often, the real issue is changes in sleep habits, skipping breakfast, staying up late to study, getting up early and not drinking enough water. All of these can trigger migraines for kids in school. Child migraines don’t usually occur the same way as adult migraines. Adult migraines usually occur on one side of the head while childhood migraines can occur on both sides of the head. As a
result, child migraines are often dismissed as sinus headaches. Doctors estimate that about 10% of kids get migraines and close to 28% of teenagers get migraines. There are many treatments for migraines. Some include injections, nasal sprays, tablets and dissolving tablets. Several of these treatments have been tested in children. However, most children object having injections during headache attacks. Also, a child’s migraine can last up to 72 hours while an adult’s can last only 4 hours. “Some people just think kids can’t get migraines,” said Doctor Andrew D. Hershey. Migraines might sound like a normal thing, but people can go to the hospital for them. But don’t be afraid – only 10% of kids get them.
Oversized backpacks can cause problems for kids this school year, 2010. It is very important to choose a good backpack. Some parents try to save money by getting an oversized backpack for their kids. That is a very bad idea because it will give you pain. Experts say it’s very important that children don’t carry too much stuff. If the backpack weighs more than 25 pounds, it’s too heavy. Ideally a backpack should weigh 10 to 20 percent of the child’s weight. When wearing a backpack, make sure the child wears both straps and make sure they’re good and snug. The pack should reach from the shoulders to the small of the back. The backpack should have two wide, padded straps. It should have a belt, so some weight can be placed under the hips.
SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 9
bridlemile times
All Hail Halloween! By Maya P. Halloween is a popular holiday for kids, especially at Bridlemile. Some Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, carving Jack-O-lanterns, and apple bobbing. The Halloween tradition began in the United States around 1911. The origin of Halloween goes way back to Roman and Celtic festivals. Today, Halloween is really about costumes and candy. Halloween costumes started out as monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches and devils. Nowadays,
kids like celebrities, ninjas and princesses. I was curious about how Bridlemile kids felt about Halloween. So, I interviewed Kamryn P. about her feelings on Halloween.
MP: “Can you give me a description of your costume this year?” KP: “I had glasses, a ribbon, tennis shoes, a one-shoulder tank top and a poodle skirt.”
MP: “What is your favorite pumpkin shape?” KP: “I like an oval shape.”
MP: “What was the best costume you saw this year, besides yours?” KP: “A Pink Lady.”
MP: “What is your favorite pumpkin color?” KP: “Definitely orange!” MP: “What is your favorite pumpkin carving design? Is it spooky, crazy, or calm and happy?” KP: “Crazy.” MP: “Who is the best pumpkin carver in your family?” KP: “My cousin, Blake.” MP: “What/Who were you for Halloween this year?” KP: “I was a 50’s girl.”
MP: “What is your favorite Halloween candy?” KP: “Candy corn.” MP: “Was your pumpkin large, medium or small?” KP: “Medium.” MP: “What were you last year for Halloween?” KP: “A Go-Go girl.” So you read Kamryn’s “opinions” about Halloween. See you next time, have a Spooktakular year!
Rodents Restructured By Henry P. We did a rodent project at school where we had to make a rodent out of bones. We dissected owl pellets to get the bones for our rodents. We had to pick partners for a box. We had to put our stuff into the box. The box was white. When we dissected our owl
pellets, we saw a lot of bones. The owl pellets stunk. We had to sort bones. Then, we had to reconstruct our rodents. We made a two-headed rodent. We used white crayons to label the bones. Finally, we finished. It was perfect. We did a great job.
bridlemile times
SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 10
10 Hours of School: Good...or Not? Josh G. L: “Would you want to have ten hours at school a day?” J: “No.” L: “Why?” J: “Because I think that kids should really have time to do what they want to do.”
By Henry P. Some of you may have heard that President Obama wants to change school hours to 10 hours instead of 6 hours. I interviewed some people to see what they think.
Mrs. EFB L: “Did you hear about Obama wanting to change the amount of school hours?” EFB: “No.” L: “Would you want to have ten hours of school a day?” EFB: “No.” L: “Why would you answer that?” EFB: “I think children need to have time to pursue personal interests. I do think that we should have year round school.”
Gabe L: “Do you want to have school for 10 hours a day?” G: “No. I think we should have 1 more hour at school instead and have no homework.” Alice L: “Should we have 10 hours of school instead of 6?” A: “No.” L: “Why?” A: “Because we would be done with school at like 6!” Audrey L: “Which would you like better having 6 hours of school or 10 hours?” A: “6 hours.” L: “Why?” A: “Because I like 6 hours because it’s not too long and not too short.”
Lucy L: “Do you want to have 10 hours at school?” L: “No.” L: “Why?” L: “I think kids should only have 4 hours of school because they need time to play.” Kayla L: “Would you rather have 10 hours instead of 6?” K: “No.” L: “Why?” K: “Because 6 is enough. I would like an extra 30 minutes because 4 extra hours is way too many.” Katerina L: “Should we have 10 hours of school?” K: “No.” L: “Why?” K: “Because it is too much work and we won’t have enough energy to do what we want and people would miss their after school activities.” Everybody likes 6 hours, so hopefully President Obama won’t change our school hours.
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RECESS continued from page 1 idea because kids are anxious to get outside first. Even though there are some good things about the new rule, I still think it’s a bad idea. The first bad thing about the new rule is kids get hungry during recess because they have to wait longer to eat. When kids get hungry they get grumpy. Grumpy kids are more likely to cheat in games, like Foursquare. Another reason why it’s a bad idea is kids were used to the other routine. Kids sometimes don’t like to try new things. When they have to, they get frustrated and angry. Frustrated kids don’t learn very well.
Julio:
The Horned-tastic
Horned Owl!
By: Charlotte U. and Danielle D. Julio is a Great Horned owl from the Audubon Society. Would you like to hear the story of how she got there? Well, her story starts when a man cut down an old fir tree. The man did not know that baby Julio was in the tree. She fell down with the tree. The man saw her and raised her for five years! After five years, he took her to the Audubon Society. That is where she is to this day. Julio is a female owl. Most females are bigger than males. But Julio is smaller because of the fall. They named her Julio because they thought
The last reason this new rule is bad, is because kids feel rushed while they eat. They feel rushed because they have to get back to class. Mrs. Ghattas sometimes says, “Everyone has two minutes of good eating left.” When kids feel rushed they get stomachaches. When kids get back to class with a stomachache, they don’t learn as well. It’s obvious this new rule is a bad idea. This new rule causes kids to get hungry because they have to wait longer.
she was a boy. But when they sent some blood samples to the doctor, they found out she was a girl! We know all this information because Julio came to our school. Tim, her caretaker and friend of Mr. Augustine’s, came too. Tim is from the Audubon Society. Tim showed us lots of bird parts like skulls, wings and feet. They were all from birds that have passed away. Finally, it was time for Julio to come out of her cage. Julio was all brown with checkered wings. She had a dark brown stomach. Whenever Tim said something about her she would close her eyes and turn her head away. Julio has three eyelids. One lid comes down from the top of her eyes. She uses that one mostly when she is asleep. The other eyelids come out from the side of her eye and from the bottom of the eye. When Tim tried to put Julio back in her cage, she would spread her wings and be defensive. Everyone really enjoyed having Julio come. We learned a lot about Great Horned owls. I really hope Julio has a long happy life!
bridlemile times
SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 12
Fort Vancouver Field Trip
giant old fort as they arrived. Fort Vancouver is made from huge logs that look like toothpicks with the bark still on. The path leading to the fort went through a vegetable garden where one could see a radish twice the size of a man’s head.
The class was greeted by a Ranger followed by a tour guide. The tour guide led the students to the Wood Shop. It was used to make everything from A-frames to yokes. Iron was scarce at the time, so the fort was held By Room 30 Students together by wooden pegs. On October 27, 2010, room 30 went on a field After the Wood Shop, the guide led the class trip to Fort Vancouver. There were 30 kids and to the Fur Storage Building. Many types of furs 3 adults. Fort Vancouver was a trading post built were kept there. Some of the furs that were by the Hudson’s Bay Company. The class got kept there were: wolf, wolverines, raccoon, and on the bus and left for Vancouver, Washington See FORT on page 13 across the Columbia River. The class saw the
PLANE continued from page 1 fast! He called the owner, Kandace, and told her he was descending because the plane’s engine was running rough. The pilot who was flying a 1977 Cessna 172N, began to descend. Steven Meacham was working in his yard when he heard the plane fly over his house. He said its engine was sputtering, “It was just cold dead.” Then he got in his car to follow the plane. He saw the plane get slower and disappear in some trees. Another neighbor, Mike Sallee, was sitting in his living room and saw the plane through a window. Mike saw the plane coming down and thought it would hit his house. Mike called out to his wife and said, “A plane is about to hit our house!” Then he ran out and watched the plane circle above, and finally land. The pilot landed on the field of Robert Gray Middle School. Mike Sallee stated, “I want to meet the pilot and shake his hand, he was amazing!” After the landing, a few neighbors ran to the field to see if the pilot was all right. He
was fine according to Sgt. Pete Simpson of the Portland Police. Pete said, “He was shaken up more than anything.” The principal of Robert Gray said the school was not damaged, but having a plane on the playing field would make it hard to have the students settle down immediately. So, Principal Larry Dashiel let the students go out for a look before class. This seemed to work because later when he went back in, everyone was doing what they should. Some kids from a journalism class even got a security guard to take a picture because they were not allowed to. An expert from Salem says a single engine aircraft is usually safe, but no matter what’s going on you have to fly the airplane until you find a place to land. Sometimes, finding a landing place can be tough; you have to make the best of what you have underneath you. The airport sent a crew down to pick up the plane’s wreckage.
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FORT continued from page 12 by popular demand, beaver. Beaver fur was the most valuable at the time because it was used to make hats for wealthy people in Europe. A beaver felt hat then was like a Polo shirt now. The guide led Mr. Augustine’s class to the Trading Post. Mr. Augustine tried to trade a raccoon tail, but the manager said, “Where’s the rest of it?” The manager told the class
that green beads were made from copper and red beads contained gold. Indians traded fur for guns, blankets and tobacco. The tour guide led the class to the second-to-last exhibit, John McGlaughlin’s house. He was the supervisor of Fort Vancouver. He was called, the “Chief Factor.” All of the furniture was fancy because he was the boss. His wife
Donaldson Drama
By Maddie M. MM: “So, what is middle school like at East and West Sylvan?” MD: “Middle school is quite a change from elementary school. I push myself too hard and get easily frustrated on big school projects.” AD: “East Sylvan is a fun change from Bridlemile, but I get frustrated a lot.” MM: “Do you like it at middle school? Is the homework hard?”
MD: “I like it because it has a microwave. The homework is just like Mr. Beebe’s class. But one teacher gives out a lot of homework.” AD: “I like it a lot, but I do miss Ms. Sumner. My teachers give a lot of homework, and I have at least 1 hour 30 minutes a day not counting studying for tests, quizzes and projects.” MM: “Are lockers small? How much stuff can you fit in a locker?” MD: “We don’t have lockers, but big cubbies. West Sylvan has lockers.” AD: “We don’t have lockers, but we do have 2 binders and huge backpacks. We have cubbies as well.”
was a Crow Indian. The classes’ final stop before lunch was the Blacksmith. He showed us how a beaver trap works. He told the class how to turn iron into steel. The Blacksmith was a former Bridlemile student. At lunch, the class ate under a covered area. At 1:50, the class boarded the bus and went back to school. It was a fun and informative field trip.
MM: “Do you like the teachers? What subjects are they? What’s your favorite teacher?” MD: “I like my teachers. My favorite teachers are: Mr. Jones, PE; Mrs. Weatherill, homeroom; and, Mr. Blowers, my life science teacher.” AD: “I like my teachers, especially Ms. Chin, Advanced math and Mr. Metz, Tech.” MM: “Are there any extra subjects after school?” MD: “I’m on the West Sylvan dance team and I can do the splits. The theme this year is Earth Intruders and the song is Earth Invaders, by Bjork.” AD: “I’m on the West Sylvan dance team and I can do the splits. There are five 6th graders on the team this year and it’s on Tuesdays and Thursdays from after school until 6:30pm.”
SCHOOL NEWS
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 14
Getting Ecstatic Over Elastic By Danielle D.
Silly Bandz Bracelets Banned at Bridlemile
I’m sure most of you have heard of Silly Bandz. If you haven’t, this is what they are. They are colorful bands you wear on your wrist that make all kinds of shapes. The Silly Bandz popularity took place at Bridelemile Elementary School during the 2010 school year. Despite their popularity, Silly Bandz are going to be banned
at Bridelemile.They have already been banned in some classes and at Ainsworth Elementary. Ms.Ghattas wants to ban them because students are getting distracted from schoolwork. I’ve talked to many students about this and so far they agree with Ms.Ghattas. But if you don’t agree with Ms.Ghattas just be careful during school hours.
The 2-3 Mix in Room 36 By Maya P.
Have you heard that our school has a blended class? It’s true; we have a 2nd/3rd grade class taught by Mrs. Newmark. A lot of people are wondering how it is going – including me. After I finish this article, I’ll know more about it, and also so will everyone else! MT: “When did the school decide to have a mixed class?” Mrs. Newmark: “We decided in early August. MT: “Why did you want to teach 2nd and 3rd grades?” Mrs. Newmark: “I wanted to teach this age group because I love 7, 8 and 9 year olds. They are very fun, and are so curious. They make friends easily and want to learn everything! I know the curriculum too. So, it made sense to me to do the 2/3 blend.”
MT: “Did you have any of your 3rd graders in 2nd grade? If so, how many?” Mrs. Newmark: “I did. I had Von S., Katelyn M. and Jonas M. I love having students two years in a row!” MT: “How do you teach two different grades at once?” Mrs. Newmark: “Some things we do as a whole group, but many things are done in smaller groups. Reading and writing workshops let me meet with groups of students. Some math we do together, but different science and social studies.” MT: “Does anyone help you teach?” Mrs. Newmark: “I have many helpers. Parents who have signed up for Writers Workshop, Ms. Delmonico comes in and Ms. Lynn. Don’t forget
Ms. Kern who teaches 3rd grade math two days a week, and also comes in to help all students. Rosie also helps all the students in my class, but really helps Alex, a new student from Mexico. He speaks Spanish and Rosie translates things for him.”
MT: “What is something good about teaching two grades at once?” Mrs. Newmark: “Watching last year’s 2nd graders become such wonderful, independent 3rd graders. The 3rd graders are also so kind and helpful with 2nd graders. Also, there are 2nd grade students who are capable of some 3rd grade work. MT: “ What is something hard about teaching two grades at once’”
See 2-3 MIX on page 15
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Time to Dump the Dishwasher By Spencer M. This year on October 18th, there was a meeting in the cafeteria. The meeting was about the dishwasher, the trays and the new hot lunch food. The school is planning to get two new dishwashers because the one we have now is from 1952. They are being installed during Winter Break. It’s not as hard as you think to get the new dishwashers because the cafeteria gets money from selling lunches and gets $70,000.00 each year from taxes. Not all of the money the cafeteria earns goes to the
dishwasher, only 45% of the money they earn goes to it. We are getting the two new dishwashers because some days the dishwasher has completely stopped working. Many people know because sometimes there have been signs that say, “Please use foam trays today. The dishwasher is not working.” The cafeteria had to make very hard choices for the healthier food. Bridlemile is not the only school that needs more cafeteria supplies. About 20 to 30 schools need them. Some of those schools have thought about raising their hot lunch prices.
2-3 MIX continued from page 14 Mrs. Newmark: “ Sometimes it is the math. I do a lot of group work, including reading groups and science groups. Ms. Kern teaches 3rd grade math two days a week. So, it’s a challenge, but a fun one.” MT: “How many kids are in your class?” Mrs. Newmark: “There are 32 students in room 36 (18 2nd graders, 14 3rd graders).” MT: “Do you have 2nd and 3rd graders sit separately? Or do you mix it up?” Mrs. Newmark: “Now I have them separate. Science experiments and some math make it hard to have them all
mixed up. Students need to talk with students reading the same book, so right now I keep seating separate.”
number of children at Bridlemile determines what grades you’ll have and what grades teachers will teach.”
MT: “Have you taught a blended class before? When?” Mrs. Newmark: “I have taught a 2/3 before. Probably 13 years ago.”
After interviewing Mrs. Newmark, I know more about the class. I can tell it is a wonderful class. Mrs. Newmark is a great teacher and will handle the class perfectly. It is definitely a challenge, but Mrs. Newmark likes it.
MT: “What grade (or grades) are you planning to teach next year?” Mrs. Newmark: “I don’t know yet. Mrs. Ghattas will know in the spring. The
bridlemile times
SCHOOL NEWS
jan 2011, page 16
The Life of a Bus Driver By Isabelle S. Jaime Benet is a bus driver. She works for Portland Public Schools. Jaime drives bus #103. Both of Jaime’s routes are near West Sylvan Middle School. I ride Jaime’s bus and she drops me off at Bridlemile Elementary School every morning. Jaime has been a bus driver for seven years. I have decided to interview Jaime because I’ve wondered what it is like to be a school bus driver. Below are eleven questions and Jaime’s answers: IS: “Why did you become a school bus driver?” JB: “By accident. I was unemployed for a couple of years and was looking for work. I applied, got the job and found I loved it.” IS: “How much do you like being a school bus driver? 1 out of 10.” JB: “It’s the best job I have ever had. So I give it a 10.”
IS: “What don’t you like about being a bus driver?” JB: “When kids do not listen.” IS: “If you could design the bus any way how would you do it?” JB: “A bus with an air conditioner and a button that shuts all of the windows.”
IS: “What is your favorite part of being a bus driver?” JB: “Working with kids and being in charge.”
IS: “If you were able to, would you let the kids do whatever they want?” JB: “No! Because the kids need to be safe!”
IS: “If you could have any other job what would it be?” JB: “A wife and stay home mom.”
IS: “How long have you been a bus driver?” JB: “7 years.”
IS: “How much longer do you want to be a bus driver?” JB: “I’ll stop when I have kids of my own.” IS: “Did you ride the bus when you were a kid?” JB: “Yes I did.” IS: “Have you had any other job before being a bus driver?” JB: “Yes. I got my first job when I was 14.” IS: “What is your favorite part of being a bus driver?” JB: “One of my favorite parts is when kids say thank you.”
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 17
LOCAL NEWS SECTION
Fake Acid Attack Leaves Storro in Jail
According to Storro, she said a woman in her late 20’s poured acid on her face. The woman who threw acid said, “Hey pretty girl, do you want a drink of this?” She threw it on Bethany’s face. However, the Vancouver police discovered that Storro was lying. Recently, Storro admitted that she had put acid on her own face. People raised money to help pay her medical bills. Instead, she went shopping with the money and took her parents out to dinner. Now, Storro will live at Elahan Place, a 32- bed private residential Psychiatric hospital. The treatment facility in Suburban Vancouver is for people seeking help with mental health issues. Her parents, Joe and Nancy Neuwelt, sat quietly in the front row watching as dozens of journalists dashed from the courtroom to track Storro down. Bethany Storro claimed that an attacker threw By Kamryn P. acid in her face, but she admitted Thursday This acid article started on August 30th. Bethany that she had disfigured herself. It happened at Storro is 28 years old. Bethany threw acid on Starbucks. The police don’t know why Storro her face. It happened at Starbucks in Vancouver, would hurt herself in such a horrible way. Washington.
Surprising Pet By Isabelle S. One day my mom and I were driving home from California. My brother called us from home and said we just got a new pet.
I thought it was a goldfish or something small. I asked my brother what it was and he said it was a squirrel. I thought he was joking, but he said he was
see PET on page 18
Camel Rescued from Sinkhole
See Moses in Mud, page 20
Kitzhaber Sign STOLEN See page 18
Can Polar Bears Teach People? See page 19
bridlemile times
LOCAL NEWS
Families Brawl Over Boys and Basketball
jan 2011, page 18
PET continued from page 17 not. So I said, “Okay” and hung up. An hour later we got home. I grabbed my bags and ran to the porch. My mom said, “Take one look at the squirrel.” So I did. The squirrel was very cute and only four weeks old. We named him Jason. When my dad got home I asked him how we got Jason. My dad said, “Jason fell out of a tree and our cat got him.” My dad found Jason lying in the sun. So my dad brought him inside. Jason did not have a lot of hair on his body and his eyes were hardly open. He fit right into your hand when he was in a ball. We still have Jason and he is an awesome pet!
Kitzhaber Sign
Stolen By Marissa T. “Quiet Down!” I bet you’ve heard that from your parents before, but how about your neighbors? If your neighbors are Mary and Bruce Swanson, then you’ve probably heard it a million times. This summer (the summer of 2010) the Faheys decided to move away from their neighbors, the Swansons. According to the Swansons, the Fahey kids were being too loud in their own backyard. The West Linn police sure had their hands full! Why? Because the Swansons kept calling and recalling the police. They urged them to stop the Fahey kids from playing basketball. The city officials told the Swansons they would not ticket kids for playing basketball. The mother of the kids, Tami Fahey, says the Swanson have recently been watching her kids from their window. She will be glad when her family moves and she hopes her house will sell. If it does not, she might sue the Swanson. The Faheys hope their house sells without them having to sue.
By Alice E. Have you ever arrived home and wanted to watch TV? Then you turn the TV on and see nothing but Chris Dudley commercials. I hate that! Well, my grandpa and grandma voted for Mr. Kitzhaber and got a sign that said “Kitzhaber for Governor!” They proudly put it in their front yard. One afternoon my grandma and grandpa went for a walk around Bridlemile School. When they came back, they saw that their sign was stolen. They also noticed that some signs up Scholls Ferry were missing too. They immediately called the Kitzhaber campaign committee. When the operator answered, my grandma explained what had happened. The operator promised to get a new sign to my grandparents the very next day. My dad was worried that the thief would return and take their new sign, but luckily it is still there. The race was really close and I’m glad Kitzhaber won!
jan 2011, page 19
LOCAL NEWS
bridlemile times
Can Polar Bears
Teach People?
By Natalie B. Amy Hash, an Oregon Zoo keeper was one of 15 Zookeepers who were picked to come to a polar bear sponsored camp to learn about animals. Amy works with the polar bears in the Zoo. She feeds them fish, and a lot of it. At the camp Amy was studying polar bears and other threatened species on their turf. She was studying there for a week from Sep. 17 to Sep. 24 2010. Amy learned what polar bears favorite fish were. She also learned the exact temperature to
keep the polar bears in and much more. While she was there, she was living in a Tundra Buggy. On the 3rd day, the polar bears came right up to the buggy and looked interested, not scared. Amy loves working with polar bears. She said they’re cute and funny. At the end of the week, when Amy got back, she was much better at her job. The polar bears looked much happier and healthier. Well, I think that it is his news’s story. So long and see you later!
bridlemile times
LOCAL NEWS
Moses in Mud By Spencer M.
In Oregon City, Moses, a camel from the Dilworth’s farm, was stuck in a sinkhole. It happened at about 9:45p.m and they called 9-1-1 for help. The firefighters couldn’t get him out by machines. So, they had to get him out by Oregon City camel rescued hand. It was a tough job, from sinkhole because Moses weighs between1, 200 to 1,500 pounds. Once they had dug far enough, they slipped straps under Moses and pulled him out! The Dilworths were really happy, because Moses was safe. When he got out, he scrambled into the barnyard. Mr. Mcadoo, chief firefighter said he and the other firefighters have rescuer one cat, five dogs, a cow, a horse, and now a camel. That means they’ve rescued nine animals and nobody knows what’s next.
Tomato throw down! By Natalie B.
One time my family had a tomato fight. I’ll tell you what we did to get ready. We stuffed our tomatoes with mud, then put the tomatoes in a bowl and got on some messy clothes. After we got ready, we started throwing the tomatoes. Dad threw one right at my belly! So I made a pact with everyone to hit dad, but they hit me instead! I had an idea and mashed up my tomatoes into a squirt gun. I sprayed everyone! Then, I ran out of juice so everyone hit me as hard as they could. When the tomatoes were gone, everyone but Jake and I, yelled, “Tomatoes Rock!” and said it was their team name.
jan 2011, page 20
Boy Stabbed at
Gabriel Park
By Ocean Last year at the Southwest Community Center’s Skate Park a boy was stabbed. The boy rammed into a man who was walking into the skate park. The man’s skate board broke in half and he fell and was hurt. He was very angry and waited outside the park until the boy left the park. When the boy walked out of the park the man came up and punched the boy and yelled at him. Then he stabbed him in the stomach. Then the man ran off. A minute later another man walked by and saw the boy on the ground in a pool of blood. He called 911 and an ambulance and the police showed up. The boy had to have 10 stitches in the hospital. The police looked for the man who did it but he was never found. The case was closed which made the boy sad because he felt that the man should have gone to jail. The boy hoped it wouldn’t happen to anyone else.
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 21
STATE NEWS SECTION Car Cruises into Crater Lake By Alex T.
On September 11, 2010, a car tumbled into Crater Lake. Crater Lake is a national park in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. The owners of the car were Tobias Swanson and Shauna McHugh. Haley, their dingo-Akita mix dog, was in the car when it tumbled toward the lake. When the car was falling, Haley got ejected out of the sunroof. Haley suffered cuts above her eyes and nose. The cuts required 16 stitches. Car parts and the couple’s personal items, including demolished cell
See CRATER on page 22
Surfer Survives
Shark Attack
Shark attacks man in Wincheser Bay
What are Cryptids? See page 22
By Connor C.
The shark was somewhere On September 27, 2010, between 12 and 18 feet long. David Lowden went surfing Lowden was not hurt. near the south jetty of the Jim Burke of the Oregon Umpqua River in Winchester Coast Aquarium in Newport Bay. All of a sudden, he felt a said that the shark probably shark slam into the bottom of thought that he was a seal or sea lion. Shark attacks are his surfboard. He said it felt like his real and they happen. There surfboard was slamming into are more sharks this time of a rock. He went flying off his year because the salmon runs board and saw the shark with are coming into the rivers. its mouth open. Lowden had The male sea lions are also to ditch his board to get away. coming back after breeding in Southern California.
Abandoned Horses Cause Accidents See page 22
bridlemile times
STATE NEWS
jan 2011, page 22
ABANDONED HORSES CAUSE ACCIDENTS By Julia L.
Baumgartner, age 39, narrowly On October 15, 2010, a horse avoided hitting the horse and wandered from its pasture. pulled over to help out Mr. Soon after that, a Somehow it ended up on Gentry. Highway 99W, south of Junction green Ford pickup truck driven City. This horse was bound for by Gerret Hightower, age 17, disaster. At 10:18, a white 1988 hit the horse for a second Pontiac driven by Jacky Lee time and flipped over, striking Gentry, age 50, collided with the Ford Explorer’s driver’s the horse. After the accident, he side. The pickup came to rest pulled off onto the right shoulder upside down. Both Hightower and Gentry were taken to a of the road. Next, a black Ford Explorer hospital in Springfield, OR, driven by Shannon L. with small injuries. Shannon L.
Baumgartner was not hurt at all. The horse died very soon after the accident. People have not found the horse’s owner or where it came from.
CRATER continued from page 21 phones, were scattered everywhere. Authorities believe that it was the first time a car went over the edge and has actually landed in the lake since October 1922. People believe that the couple’s emergency brake was not set correctly. Several years ago a different car slipped over the rim.
Ranger Stephanie Carter found them at the North Junction overlook and drove them 160 miles back to their home. “It just came out from nowhere,” Shauna McHugh said. After everything that happened, thankfully Haley survived.
COLOSSAL CRYPTIDS By Spencer M.
The Yeti is supposed to be 7 to Have you ever wondered what 12 feet tall, with white fur, grey a Cryptid looks like, where they horns, and living in the Himalaya The Loch-Ness live, or if they even exist? Well, Mountains. Monster is supposed to be 20 to if you don’t know what a Cryptid is, it’s sort of like a monster, one 30 feet long, green or blue, and that might or might not exist, scaly, with red eyes, and living in like Bigfoot or The Loch-Ness Scotland. The Matlox is supposed to be Monster. Here is some information about 7 to 14 feet tall, with black fur, them. Bigfoot or Sasquatch is a human like head, sharp teeth, supposed to be 9 to 15 feet tall, and living in British Columbia. brown and hairy, and living in the If you want to learn more about Cryptids read Roland Smith’s Pacific Northwest. books.
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 23
national NEWS SECTION Is Super Salmon
Safe to Eat? By Alex T.
Man vs. Mountain Goat By Julia L. Have you ever heard of a man being gored or stabbed to death by a goat? It sounds crazy, but it happened. One very unlucky man was attacked on Saturday, October 16, 2010. In Washington’s Olympic National Park, Robert Boardman, age 63, was hiking on a sub alpine switchback trail with his wife and a close friend. All of a sudden, a male mountain goat was blocking the trail. The goat became aggressive when Robert tried to move it off the trail. The goat, weighing over 300 pounds,
Can Dogs Detect BED BUGS? See page 24
gored the man to death. Park rangers soon responded and later found a goat covered in blood. They shot and killed it. Mountain goats are vegetarians. They do not eat meat. Experts say that the goat may have been defending its habitat or it’s young. Olympic National Park Rangers are now patrolling the park’s trails. They are keeping a close eye out for any more aggressive goats. The rangers’ fear that if something like this happens again they would have to shut down these trails.
Colorado Helps Bring Back Lynx See page 24
How do scientists genetically engineer salmon? Well, scientists can change how plants and animals are built by changing their gene code. Plants and animals are made up of tiny parts. These parts are so small; we need a microscope to see them. The smallest of these parts are called genes. Think of them as parts of a puzzle that make you who you are. When scientists change the genes of plants and animals, they change the way the plant or animal looks and acts. Now scientists are changing the genes of salmon. They can make salmon grow larger. They can make salmon swim faster. That is how scientists are genetically engineering salmon right now.
See SALMON on page 25
Prairie Dogs Being Poisoned? See page 25
bridlemile times
NATIONAL NEWS
jan 2011, page 24
Don’t Let The Bed Bugs Bite By Reyna R.
pest control technician trains Do you like dogs? Well, you’ve April by putting a jar full of bed got to love this one. This one is bugs under a bed. Then April a bed bug dog, and her name pushes her nose into the bed. is April. She is a black lab at She is five years old. This dog work. Her job is sniffing out bed was adopted from Florida. It bugs. She sniffs mattresses and takes two men two hours to find bed bugs in a room. It only furniture in bedrooms. Her owner is Ecknard Muller, takes April two minutes to find a pest control technician. The bed bugs in a room!
Colorado Claims Crazy Success By Julia L. What is a lynx? A lynx is an animal with four legs, a short tail, tufted ears, and very good vision. The lynx is like a mix between a dog and a bobcat. Colorado wildlife officials claim to have helped bring back the native lynx. It originally died out in the 1970’s. Officials unleashed lynx that were captured in Alaska and Canada then put them in the San Juan Mountains. The native lynx died out mainly because of climate change, wildfires, bark beetles traps, poisoning, and land development. Tracking devices were put on them so officials can see if they are breeding or not. Fourteen lynx have been born this year and about 141 lynx have been born since 2003. The current total number of lynx in Colorado is unknown. Lynx are reproducing a lot faster than they are dying. Wildlife officials are also finding new ways to track them by taking hair from their habitat and extracting DNA from it. “We are very confident they will survive on their own through the winter,” says Tom Remington (wildlife official).
Interestingly, the rates of births of the lynx are starting to endanger the snowshoe hares in the area because the lynx prey on them and soon there may not be any more for the lynx to eat! This might become a serious problem. This 11-year effort to bring back the lynx has been a crazy success!
jan 2011, page 25
NATIONAL NEWS
Pray for the Prairie Dogs
bridlemile times
SALMON continued from page 25
By Julia L. and Natalie B. In Wichita, Kansas, on October 6th 2010, Larry Haverfield went to court over the poisoning of prairie dogs. Larry has these prairie dogs because they are the prime food source for the black-footed ferret. One of the most endangered species in the whole world! The law, which was made in 1901, says that a state official can exterminate any prairie dog on another’s property, even if the property owner does not want them to. There are almost 2,000 prairie dogs in this battling pack. Police say it’s the biggest prairie dog colony in the whole state. Police want them gone because they spread rapidly, compete with cattle, and they tunnel under ground, making it very hard to travel because it causes holes in the ground. If you don’t watch where they are reproducing, they will end up taking over your whole farm. A solution to this problem would be to create a preserve for the prairie dogs and the black-footed ferret. The preserve would help keep these animals safe and not harmed. That would be a win for everyone!
In Massachusetts, a company called “Aqua-Bounty” is trying to genetically alter salmon. Before they do that, they have to get a license from the Food and Drug Administration. Aqua Bounty says that these new salmon will grow to adulthood in 18 months instead of 3 years. That means that they will grow more fish. That also means they will make more money. Aqua Bounty grows fish not only to make money, but they don’t know that they are saving the wild fish at the same time. There are some risks to these kinds of salmon. They could escape and breed with wild salmon. They might even spread diseases to salmon that were not genetically changed. That could be bad. There are some good parts too: less people would eat wild fish. Then my dad would have more to catch. Some scientists think this new fish is safe to eat. Others say different. The U.S. is still thinking about whether it should be legal or not. We will have to wait and see. Keep an eye out in the Oregonian for the latest information on G.M.O. salmon.
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 26
world NEWS SECTION
Missing Miners Great Trapped in Chilean Mine Galaxy Discovered By Alex T.
By Allen S. On August 5, 2010 a gold and copper mine in Chile collapsed. The mine was called the San Jose mine. The rescuers searched for 17 days without finding the 33 miners who were missing. Then, on August 22, 2010 the rescue workers found the miners alive because they got a note tied on to the drill. On August 23, 2010 they started sending food, medicine and supplies. Then on September 17, 2010 workers started widening space for an escape shaft. Then on October 9, 2010 the drilling escape was completed.
Toxic Poison Covers Town See page 27
On October 13, 2010 the rescue workers started pulling the miners to safety. They were wearing sunglasses so the sun wouldn’t hurt the miner’s eyes. Some miners still are unlucky because they have to live with family members because they don’t have enough money. But they now are famous because they have a lot of interviews.
Scientists have found a new distant galaxy. They think it was formed 500 million years after the Big Bang. The Big Bang was a giant explosion that experts believed created the Universe. Astronomers reported finding the galaxy on Wednesday October 20, 2010. The discovery came from three different places. Astronomers in observatories in Paris, France, and Chile found the new galaxy known as UDFY 38135539. The Hubble telescope, floating in space above earth, also helped find the new galaxy. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, a galaxy is a “vast grouping of stars”. Our galaxy is the name of a candy bar, The Milky Way. Most of the stars in a galaxy are actually suns. Plus, each sun usually has planets orbiting them. A group of planets orbiting a sun
See GALAXY on page 27
Archeologists Uncover Pharaoh See page 28
SMOKING BANNED? See page 28
jan 2011, page 27
WORLD NEWS
bridlemile times
GALAXY continued from page 26 is a solar system. There are nine planets in our solar system including Pluto. Scientists think Pluto is too small and too far away to be called a planet. Ana Winners, a student in Mrs.
Koning class said, “I think this new galaxy is exciting because it means that there might be some life and many things to discover out there.”
TOWN TRUDGES THROUGH
TOXIC SLUDGE . OH NO!
By Paul
so big it swept cars off the roads and destroyed A reservoir broke and toxic poison covered and homes. The cause was that the walls weren’t entire town! This happened in a town named strong enough. 200 millions gallons of caustic Ajka. Four people died and three are missing and red mud got poured out. The police arrested the workers. The police thought the workers knew 120 were injured. The spill spread 35 million cubic feet of toxic the wall wasn’t strong enough. But they released sludge! The reservoir was more than 1000 feet the workers because they had no evidence. long and 500 yards wide. The toxic sludge was
bridlemile times
WORLD NEWS
jan 2011, page 28
STOP SMOKING By Julia L.
ATLANTA- a research study was conducted in Scotland between 2000 and 2009. The researchers looked at kids with asthma. They also looked at what helped cause asthma in kids. In January 2000 they established smoking bans near work places, public buildings, bars, and restaurants. Soon researchers found that 13 percent fewer kids with asthma were going to hospitals. They also found that cigarette smoke triggers children’s asthma attacks. Doctors and researchers found that 40 percent of Americans with asthma live with smokers. These smoking bans have been increasingly common in the US. The bans have also made the lives of kids who suffer from asthma a lot easier. “The smoking ban effects are way bigger than you would expect,” states Stanton Glantz (researcher). There has also been a huge decline in adult heart attacks in Scotland. The air in Scotland is so much cleaner! Similar conclusions have been seen in Arizona and Kentucky. Smoking bans have had an amazing positive effect on kids and adults in America and other European countries!
40 percent of Americans with asthma live with smokers.
Pharaoh Found Safe And Sound By Maya P.
The upper half of a statue of Amenhotep III was unearthed recently. Amenhotep III was a Pharaoh, (a king who ruled Egypt) in ancient Egypt. His temple was located on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor. The Statue was found in the Pharaoh’s mortuary temple in March 2009. Archaeologists were obviously looking in the area and also found two statues made of black granite
of the Pharaoh. He ruled nearly 3,400 years ago Egypt’s ministry of culture said Saturday. Amenhotep III was also the grandfather of Tutankhamen, the famed boy who once ruled Egypt. The statue portrays Amenhotep III wearing the double crown of Egypt, which is decorated with a uraeus, and seated on a throne next to the Theban god, Amun.
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 29
environmental NEWS SECTION Saving the
World It Isn’t So Hard By Rachel P. “The United States of America is the country that will do the right thing only after every other possibility is exhausted.” Winston Churchill. In some ways, Churchill is correct. We do the right thing, but only when there is nothing left to do about our problem. That’s what I think should change.
Solar power, conserving water, composting, and global warming are key words in today’s news. We have all heard about these things but are we really using them? OK, maybe some of you out there are composting, but how many of you have reduced the amount of CO2 that you release? Have you installed giant solar panels on your roof? I thought so. Do we really need to do these things? Well, I think that See WORLD on page 31
What happens to your happy meal toys? See Recycle on page 32
REUSING By Isaac V.
Have you been wondering, “How can I do my part to prevent global warming?” Well, that’s an easy one. Just recycle. And what does that mean? Reuse. So, instead of being lazy and throwing away your old Nike shoes, try giving them to your little brother or sister. Otherwise, you will keep killing our environment by filling up more and more landfills. Another great reason to reuse is to save money. If you have something that needs to be replaced, instead of throwing it way, see if you can find a way to reuse it. Personally, I hate to say it, but you might get a little bored of the same things more than once. But don’t let that stop you. It’s time for a better earth. And it’s our job to make it better. So, reduce, reuse and, last but not least, recycle!
Why wash your reusable shopping bags? See Hide and Seek page 32
Learn about solar energy See page 30
bridlemile times
environmental NEWS
Recycling and
Reusing
jan 2011, page 30
Go Sun!
By: Gabriel C. I think people should start recycling and reusing more because it saves money, it’s good for the environment and it reduces what goes into the landfill. Recycling and reusing is good for the environment. When you throw something away without recycling or reusing it, it goes into a landfill. It takes thousands of years for some things to decompose. Recycling or reusing saves money. When you reuse something you use it again or make something out of it. That is why it saves money. Recycled materials are used to make new things. The only bad thing about products made from recycled materials is that when you buy something made out of recycled materials it seems to cost more. Now you know about recycling and reusing. Start doing it as soon as possible.
By: Alex T. Have you ever heard of solar energy? If not, it is energy from the sun. We should all use solar energy because we will not run out of sunshine. Plus, it is better for the earth. It is important to go solar. Solar energy is a good solution for the environment. If everyone uses solar energy we could make the earth a healthier place. This is necessary because the environment is important. You can use solar energy for so many things, such as heating your pool or lighting your house. There are many other uses of solar energy. The cost may seem high but in the end it is worth it. Of course, if it rains a lot you may think it isn’t worth it but you can still get solar energy when it is cloudy. Anyway, it’s for the earth. Plus, it would help create jobs because more people would be needed to put up solar panels. I strongly think we should all do this now. Well, what do you say? Will you go solar? Please, it’s for the planet that we live on. One, two, three, ready… go sun!
jan 2011, page 31
environmental NEWS
bridlemile times
WORLD continued from page 29 we do if we want to save the environment. Some of the best new fads are killing animals, for example, Sillybandz. Did you know that Sillybandz are made of plastic? And plastic is made in factories. And factories billow out thick polluting smoke filling our environment with CO2. So, the next time you go to the store, think about what you’re buying. You could change the world. Also, when you’re at the store think about the bags you will use. The checker usually asks, “Paper or Plastic?” Your answer should be, “Neither!” Take your own bags. You see, Atmosphere + Extra CO2 = Heat rising plastic bags are made of oil and Heat rising + Cold places = Melting polar ice caps oil is bad for the environment. But then, paper bags are made Melting polar ice caps + Ocean = Rising water out of trees and these trees Rising water + Land = Flooding are lugged to the mill by trucks, which produce exhaust. So Flooding = Bad bring a cloth bag. These bags have a worthy quality and their Venice is in the middle of the sea, what’s handles don’t rip or fall off. Help save the earth, going to happen? If you guessed major step by step. flooding, you are correct. Do you want to
As you are reading this article, polar ice caps are slowly melting away. It’s sad but true. Why are they melting? Scientists are calling it the Green House Effect. The Green House Effect is when so much CO2 is released that the atmosphere, a blanket like air barrier that keeps the oxygen on the earth, thickens, trapping more heat on the earth, thus raising the earth’s temperature. Have you thought about Carbon Dioxides negative impact on us humans? Well, let’s see if I can explain it to you. Have you heard of Venice? Venice is a city built on stilts in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Italy. Chew on this, if the water is rising and
save our fellow earthlings? Then start by reducing the amount CO2 of you release. You can do this in many ways, for starters, carpool. Or better yet, walk or bike to run your errands, unless it is a visit to Great Auntie Gertrude in Washington, D.C. Prove Winston Churchill wrong. Make America the country that will do the right thing before every other possibility is exhausted. Together, as one, we can save people in Venice from dying. We can prevent Antarctica from becoming a giant slushy. And, best of all, we can make the world a better place.
bridlemile times
environmental NEWS
jan 2011, page 32
Hide and Seek with Germs found with almost no bacteria. When asked, 97% of people said they do not wash their reusable bags. Plastic bags don’t have as much bacteria as reusable bags because people usually don’t use them more than once. Also, they do not have the same contamination risk. The main reason that bacteria are spreading so fast is because some people don’t separate their meats and dairy products from the fruits and vegetables. And, the muchfeared E. coli is among the bacteria found by researchers. Once the bacteria have reached the outside of the bag it makes it easier for it to spread to other By Julia L. and Charlotte U. areas. If you set the bag on your Do you wash your reusable shopping bags? If counter then the bacteria will likely spread to your you don’t, you should know that this is a very counters and eating areas. If you eat the E. coli it good hiding place for bacteria. Researchers can make you very, very sick. at the University of Arizona and Linda Loma Play it safe and wash your reusable bags as University, in California, tested 84 shopping bags well as your food and hands. If you do, you will for bacteria. Of the 84 tested only one bag was have a much lower risk of bacterial infection.
Recycle By Alec V. Do you know what happens to the toys that come in fast food happy meals? Most often, they spend ten minutes in your hand and a few thousand years in a landfill. They may come in a happy meal but they definitely don’t leave the environment happy. Every day things are happening
to the environment some good, some bad. So many things that could be recycled are being thrown away, such as cardboard boxes. Take a minute to think of how many things are good for the environment then think of how many things are bad. For me, the list of bad things was much longer than the good list. I believe if we work together we can save the world.
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jan 2011, page 33
MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT 13 Doors of Fear By James
Have you ever been to a haunted house? If you have, then you know how much fun it is. On Friday, October 29th James, Sebastien, Cinnamon, Allen, and Cole went to The 13th Door, a haunted house in SW Portland. First we walked on a vibrating floor. Then we went to the spider lady, and she said “ah”! Next, we went to the doctor. He had a lot of bodies everywhere. He just stared at us and then we went to the next exhibit. We went to a girl and she was creepy. She was the scariest and she had a teddy bear. Kim, James’ mom, said to Sebastien and Allen, “she is not real guys.” Then the creepy girl in a creepy voice said, “I’m real.” She chased us to the next exhibit. The group went to a guy with a golf club and a chain saw. The boys walked in fear…the guy just
stared at them. Then he chased them to the next scene. They went to a room where you walk but the lights make you confused and run into the walls. James looked ahead at Cinnamon and the walls changed to mirrors and back to white walls. Next, they went to the next scene. They waited in line for 30 seconds and went in. A guy opened the refrigerator and a snake came out and chased them for 5 seconds then they walked out. Lastly, Cinnamon said, “It was not scary”! Cole and James said together, “we got ripped off. It should have been five bucks.”
Energized Eskimos By Griffin
Washington. Our family decided to get We drove to a restaurant a dog. We used to have a called “Shari’s” because the Miniature American Eskimo, breeder said she’d meet us and we really like that breed there. We needed to use of dog. We wanted to try the restroom. So we went the standard sized breed at a nearby gas station. The this time. We looked for breeder got there so we American Eskimo breeders followed the breeder. We got until we found one called, to the breeder’s house and “The Voyager,” in Kelso, chose our dog.
Find out about Fablehaven See page 40
We love J.K. Rowling! See page 38
Decorate your house for the holidays See page 36
bridlemile times
media & entertainment
All Hail to Halo Reach!
Bieber Toys R Us
jan 2011, page 34
A China Creature
Captured
By Alice E.
By Cole Have you heard of the new video game called Halo Reach? This brand new video game is super fun with fights and action. I would rate it four and a half stars out of five. Almost everybody loves Halo Reach. The bad thing about Halo Reach is the rating. The rating is M. The M rating means mature for blood, gore, violence, and some bad language. But, it really isn’t that bad. However, that’s only what I think. Also there is this thing called Xbox Live and it’s for the internet. If you have the internet, you can play with all your friends. Oh, guess what? You can even talk to all of your buds if you buy a microphone. Lastly, have I told you that the multiplayer game is for 4 players? If you get this game you can have a friend spend the night and stay up all night and play all night!
By Sebastien Did you know Justin Bieber is now a doll going on sale for the holidays? The products up for sale include Team Bieber T-shirts, hats, and the Justin Bieber style collection for his doll. The Justin Bieber Music Video collection is really cool because the microphone also has high pitched screaming in the background with him singing his songs. Justin Bieber couldn’t have done this without his website, his fans, and even YouTube because he became famous on YouTube. The dolls would be a great toy for a Christmas present maybe. But if you are planning on buying one you can go to a retail store or order one on Justinbiebertoys.com. The prices start at $17.99. His toy line will come out December 4th 2010. Do you want a Justin Bieber Doll??? For all the prices and product information go to Justinbiebertoys.com. Do you have the Bieber fever????
In 2006, Kate Dicamillo published The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. You might have heard of this book because it was on the Bridlemile battle of the books list last year. She also wrote The Tale of Desperaux. Edward is a china rabbit. He is going on a lot of adventures. How is he going on these adventures? His first owner was Abillene Tulane. Abillene got Edward as a present for her 7th birthday. Abillene loses Edward on the Queen of Mary. She found two boys, they grabbed Edward out of Abillene’s hands. Then they played monkey in the middle. Then…..SPLASH!!!Edward is thrown into the ocean. Poor Abillene, she was so sad and mad at those boys. This is when the adventure starts. Some of the most important events are: the rabbit was found by a hobo and dog, the rabbit was pinned up like a scarecrow, and the rabbit was rescued by a little boy.
jan 2011, page 35
media & entertainment
Garfield is the Guy
By David Have you ever read Garfield? Do you know who the author is? The author is Jim Davis. If you know him, good for you. If you don’t, I will tell you a little about him. He started writing Garfield when he was nine because he wanted to start early and when he is old he will still get to do Garfield comics and not die. He is still alive and he is in his 50’s. I enjoy his books because Garfield always gets in trouble. He knocks Odie off the table. Last, he is fat and lazy and never loses weight. Jim Davis is a good writer and I really like his books. On a scale of 1-10 I would rate it a 10+. You can learn more about him on the internet.
bridlemile times
UNHAPPY
One of his biggest mysteries is the three characters Violet, Klause and Sunny….all from the same family, living happily for years. Then, tragedy strikes! The siblings are forced to live with a madman named Olaf. They have many adventures including meeting lots of lost family members. But, when their lives get a bit better, the madman Olaf strikes! But that’s just the start of it all. You have to read the book to find out more. These are some students’ thoughts on the book. Marissa (a fourth grader) says that she thinks this book is super exciting because “you never know who is really who.” There is tons of action too! Isabelle (also in fourth grade) says that she really likes the By Charlotte book because “it can be very Have you ever heard of the strange. You never know where author Lemony Snicket? Well, they’ll go next.” you might think he has an odd I really hope that lots of name. “Lemony Snicket” is only people read the series of books a fake name. I don’t know why called “Series of Unfortunate he has it. But this is only one of Events!” his many mysteries.
UNFORTUNATE
EVENTS
ROBOTIC RUN By Soren It was early in the morning. I wasn’t quite awake yet, but something was wrong. I went into the kitchen only to find my mom cooking breakfast. I glanced at the clock. It was 6:30…so I asked, “why are you up so early?” The answer: HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
How could I have forgotten? After the family ate lunch we all sat down in my room and got out the camera. I ripped the side of the wrapping paper. I had been waiting for this for SO long. Well, I spent the rest of the day playing with my Mindstorm NXT!
bridlemile times
media & entertainment
jan 2011, page 36
Decorate Your House For The Holidays By Claire G. Christmas is one of our favorite holidays and it is coming up soon. Some families have their traditions. The most common tradition is decorating the house. Do you like to decorate your house? If you do then read this article and find how to make your own decorations. How To Make Popcorn Strings Supplies: needle, thread, and popcorn. 1. First, pop some popcorn. 2. Next, poke the needle through the popcorn and create a string of popcorn. 3. Make the string as long as you want. 4. Finally, hang it up on your Christmas tree. How To Make an Egg Ornament Supplies: egg, dye and string. 1. First, poke a tiny hole in the top and bottom of the egg. 2. Next, blow in the hole to get the insides of the egg out. 3. Then, put the egg shell in red and green dye. 4. Put a string through both ends of the egg
and tie a knot. 5. Finally, hang the egg on your Christmas tree. How To Make Paper Snowflakes Supplies: paper, scissors and colored pencils. 1. First, fold a piece of paper in a square and cut the end off. 2. Next, trim the edges in triangles, squares, or any shape you want. 3. Next color the paper any color. 4. Then unfold the paper and tape it on your ceiling. How To Make Christmas Chains Supplies: paper and scissors and tape 1. First, take paper and cut the paper into long strips. 2. Next, tape the end of one strip together to make a circle. 3. After that, slip another strip through the other strip’s circle. 4. Then, tape the ends together again, to form another circle. 5. Finally, make another and another circle until you have a long enough chain, to fit around your Christmas tree. Making Christmas decorations is a lot of fun. If you enjoy doing this than it can become your family tradition.
Boating and Floating By Claire At 12:00 in the afternoon when we went boating our cousins came. We had to get ready. It took a long time. It was very boring, but everyone was excited. Some friends of ours came with us: Skylar 9, Kendall 7, and Thatcher 4. My brother, my cousin See BOATING on page 37
jan 2011, page 37
media & entertainment
BOATING continued from page 36 and I went on the tube first. There were so many boats out that we caught lots of air. I fell in the water because I popped my arm. The water was freezing. Next, Kendall, Skylar and I got on the tube. The minute the boat moved the tube sank and we all fell in. Skylar and I were really far from the boat. Skylar and I swam for our life back to the tube. After that, we got off the boat and we went to get pizza at Pizzacato. I got cheese pizza. Then my aunt drove us home and we went to sleep.
My Super Sleepover
By MaryAnn This summer my sister and I went on a sleepover at our friend Rayna’s house. Rayna invited us over just for fun. Here is what happened. We went into her house, ran up the stairs, and put our sleeping bags and clothes in her room. We went down the stairs and watched T.V. After watching TV, dinner was ready. We ate pepperoni pizza and had ice cream for dessert. When dinner was over, we went to a movie rental store and picked out a scary move. We brought the movie home and put it in the DVD player. We made popcorn and finally sat down on the couch to watch the movie. It was scary! After the movie we went up stairs to bed. I asked, “What time is it?” My friend said, “2:30 am!” We went to sleep. The next morning, we woke up and went down stairs. We decided to watch the scary movie again to see if we were scared anymore…and we weren’t!
bridlemile times
Meet Adventure Writer
ROLAND SMITH By Connor
Have you ever heard of Roland Smith? He is an Oregon writer and he has won lots of awards. Some of his books are Elephant Run, Peak, Sasquatch and Cryptic Hunters. Elephant Run is in the Battle of the Books. Here is some more information. He was born in Portland, Oregon and he worked at the Oregon Zoo. His first book was Sea Otter Rescue. Roland Smith wrote his first novel, Thundercave in 1997. Journey of the Red Wolf won the Oregon Book Award in 1996. When Smith was five years old, he got his own manual typewriter. Smith has appeared on TV shows including National Geographic, Audubon, Northwest Wild and Discovery World of Science. In one of his great novels, Thunder Cave, Jacob Lensa’s mom is killed and he goes to find his biologist father. Jacob also appears in Jaguar and The Last Lobo. Elephant Run takes place during World War II. Nick gets sent to Burma where his dad works on an elephant plantation. He thinks it will be fun but then Japan invades and takes over the plantation. Nick has to save his family and make a daring escape. In Sasquatch things are getting weird. When Dylan’s dad comes home from a hunting trip at night and is covered in dirt and leaves, Dylan wonders what happened. If you want to read Roland Smith’s books, then go to the school library or to the book store.
bridlemile times
media & entertainment
jan 2011, page 38
Emily Exploring the Sea! By Natalie The Emily Windsnap series were the New York Times best selling series in 2008. They were all written by Liz Kessler, published by the Candlewick
Press, and illustrated by Natacha Ledwidge. The genre was fantasy because there are many things in this book that cannot happen in real life. The Emily Windsnap See EMILY on page 39
WE LOVE JK ROWLING! By Audrey M. Do you like Harry Potter? Were you really unhappy that the series stopped? Well, guess what? JK Rowling is thinking about writing another Harry Potter! It got my whole class going, “Gasp!” And, “Really!” I decided to ask a few of my friends in class what they thought and those questions and answers are below. Audrey: What do you think about JK Rowling thinking about writing a new Harry Potter? Katrina: I think it’s really cool that she’s thinking about writing a new book because most authors just write a whole new series. Audrey: Before you knew she was thinking
Bigger Better
about it did you secretly feel like she was going to? Katrina: No. Audrey: Do you think that the Tales of the Beetle and the Bard serves as # 8? Katrina: Not really. It’s just a bunch of stories that she made up, not a novel. Audrey: Do you think she’s going to write it? Katrina: Umm, probably.
skimmed the selection. Then a man suggested a book called Rock and Gems. It cost $48. Then the man told me to go to Borders to find it for less. We drove to Borders and looked around for 15 minutes. Then we asked the clerk where the By Davis rock books were located. The clerk told us it was One day my mother told me that we were going to in the science section. They showed us where the book store. When we were in the car I asked it was. Wow the if I could buy a book about rocks. I thought it rock book was might be nice to add a rock book to my collection. twice the size When we arrived at Powell’s I looked around and half the price! for a rock book and I found some. When I got to That is how I got the section I realized I had already read the book. an amazing rock I looked up rock on the computer and it came book. up with 26 different books. I got a ladder and
Borders Books
jan 2011, page 39
media & entertainment
My Bounce House Birthday
By Reyna
“what”? I told her that I was First I woke up and I going to have my birthday remembered that it was my party at Safari Sams. birthday. I ate breakfast with We drove to Vancouver and my dad. Next, he brought me picked up my cousin Nikki. We home. My mom had some went to Safari Sams, where I plans for my birthday. She met my friend Lana. I was so called “Safari Sams”, and my happy to see her. Lana, Nikki, mom asked if her daughter and I played on the jungle could have her birthday party gym. We climbed the ropes there. They said “yes”. My and a pyramid. We all like it. mom said that we were going Next, we went to the bounce to have my birthday at Safari house and played there. Then Sams. I said “YAY”. I was so it was cake time! It was very happy that I ran all over the yummy. Finally, it was present place. I called my cousin Nikki. time! I got a DSI, supplies, and I said “guess what”? She said a lot of other stuff.
f antasti c floorplans
someone took the roof off? Well, those drawings are floor plans. Here are step by step instructions on how to draw a By Maddie M. floor plan. Would you like to know how to First, decide how big you make a floor plan? You know want the ground floor to be. those drawings that look like What shape do you like? See FLOORPLANS on page 41
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EMILY continued from page 38 series is about a girl named Emily, whose mom is human, but her dad is a merman, so Emily is a semi-mer. Emily goes on breathtaking adventures. She breaks into jail to free her dad, she battles a giant Krakan (really big scary squid), and gets cursed. She has done it all! Another book by Liz Kessler is the Philippa Fishers series. I rated Emily Windsnap a 10 out of 10. I think this book would be appropriate for ages 5 and up. So if you want to buy this book, you can get it at Powell’s Book store for $5.99. Let’s see what other people think about this book. Comments 1.) Isabelle S., a 4th grader, in Mr. Augustine’s class said, “I really like these books because they are fun, adventurous, and in the first book you will find some stuff that Emily does that is really fun. Plus, you never know what’s going to happen next.” 2.) Rachel P., a 4th grader, in Mrs. Koning’s class said, “I like how Emily is a semi-mer because if you were a full mermaid or full human it would get really boring. There was also a really good plot.” 3.) Annabella D, a 4th grader in Mrs. Dillon’s class said, “I really like it because Emily found out about her dad and there are some really fun parts with Neptune in them.” It’s obvious that Emily Windsnap is a book worth reading.
bridlemile times
media & entertainment
jan 2011, page 40
FABULOUS FABLEHAVEN
By Julia
Sorenson, have to go to their grandparents Fablehaven is a book written by Brandon Mull, house for the summer. Soon they see that illustrated by Brandon Dorman and published they are in for a wild ride! They find they need by Shadow Mountain Press. Brandon Mull has to battle good and evil to save their family, and also written The Candyshop War and 15 other maybe even the whole world! Fablehaven books. This book is an amazing Natalie B., a fellow fourth grader at Bridlemile piece of fiction for all ages. You can buy it at really likes the book. She said, “It is a really almost any book store. There are 19 chapters, good book. I liked it because it is adventurous, but don’t worry, once you get sucked in you can’t mysterious, exciting, and you never know what is going to happen next!” stop! This book is part of a series of 16 books and Connor C., also a fourth grader, has to say, “I was on the New York Times Best Seller List like it because it has characters that are original of 2007. The copyright was in 2006. If I had to and it is a great book for long trips in the car!” score it on a scale of 1 to 10, I would score it a Isabelle S. loves this book. She said, “I like 91/2. I really recommend this book for all readers this book because it is really fun. It is also very mysterious because of all the monsters both out there! The two main characters, Kendra and Seth good and bad. Please read this book!” P.S. all of these quotes are all perfectly true!
jan 2011, page 41
media & entertainment
bridlemile times
FLOORPLANS continued page 3 Then, draw the rooms. What size do you want? How many rooms? What features do you want, such as a kitchen, a fireplace, or a closet? Do you want an open kitchen or a closed kitchen? Next, draw the contents of the rooms. What contents do you want? Where do you want the contents? After that, draw
My Best
Birthday By Cole One morning I woke up and it was my birthday. So, I got up out of bed, went to the bathroom, and brushed my teeth. Then I went down the hall to have breakfast. When I was done, I went to get dressed. Then after changing clothes I went back down the hall and into the living room. My family surprised me with my birthday present! The present that I got was a skateboard. The brand is Toy Machine. It is a cool board; the decoration on it is a devil. The board is awesome. I love it! So then I went outside to try it out. It was really fun. I like it a lot. It was pretty scary the first time. Sadly it started to get dark, so I went inside. So later I watched a movie. I decided I could finish another day because I was getting tired. I turned it off and went to bed to get some beauty sleep.
the stairs. Where do you want the stairs? What kind of stairs? Swirly or strait? And lastly, draw the doors. Where do you want the doors? Is it a double door or a single door? There, done! Did you have fun? Do you like it? Well, there you go…now you know how to draw a floor plan!!
Dad Sends Body That Transforms Truck
By James My dad sent me a “RC” truck body. My body that I had before looked like what a monster truck smashes …it was a real mess! My dad sent it by Fedex and it was sent from Lawndale, CA. I tracked it on the computer at Fedex.com. It said it would take three business days. I tracked it two times a day. I kept on waiting and waiting. I heard the truck coming. The Fedex guy said “Kaiser”? “Yes”, I said. I went inside and I opened the box. Inside the box I saw two Lakers champion t-shirts and a Gatorade bottle, and there was the “RC” truck body.
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 42
SPORTS SECTION
Portland Beavers Fans Bummed Out By James K. The Portland Beavers, a baseball team, have been in Portland since 1902, but they are moving to Escondido, CA. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Beavers played at PGE Park in downtown Portland for just over 100 years. PGE stands for Portland General Electric Company. The Beavers have nine Pacific Coast titles and four division titles. In 1904, the Beavers
PAC 10 Teams Get Stronger See page 47
set a PCL record for the most losses and errors in a single season. They had 136 losses and 669 errors. They still maintain that record until this day. The Beavers have had six different major league teams. The Beavers have had seven different team names, but only one city, Portland. The Beavers have a lot of prospects. I hope they will have a good future.
Portland Pilots Pummel Pepperdine See Soccer Fun page 44
Bridlemile Bruisers have great season
See Basketball article page 44
jan 2011, page 43
SPORTS
F a n t a s ti c Gymnastics
By Alice E.
means that you can compete When my mom was little, with other people all around she was a member of the Oregon. You get to travel all Multnomah Athletic Club around Oregon, too. There (MAC). She did gymnastics. are meets every season. Now she has talked me into Some of our coaches’ names doing gymnastics too. Now I are Kim, Jenny, Andrew, and do gymnastics and I love it! Rob. I’m going to tell you what I do Some awards we receive are trophies, ribbons, and in gymnastics. Some of the equipment that medals; anybody older than we use are balance beams, 5 can join. There is also called “open even bars, and chalk. Chalk something gym.” That is where you get is powder that we put on our hands that helps us stay to do whatever you want on on the bars so we don’t fall Saturdays. off. When we do workouts Sarah Campbell, a 4th we have to spend about 10 grader at Bridlemile, used to minutes on conditioning. take the gymnastics classes Conditioning is when you do at the MAC club. She says, pushups, leg lifts, chin-ups, “It was fun because we lemon squeezers, and more. learned how to do cartwheels When you’re in level 4, you and hand-stands.” get to be on the team. That
bridlemile times
BMX continued from page 1 playgrounds, but barely any skate parks. And when they make skate parks, they usually don’t allow bikes!!! BMX riders should not be excluded from skate parks. There are several reasons why bikes are excluded from skate parks. First, the bikes have metal pegs that cause damage to the concrete when the riders grind. Another reason bikes are not allowed is because BMX bikes go faster and could cause more collisions. They would hurt the skateboarder when colliding. A solution to damaging the concrete is putting steel coping instead of metal coping on the ramps and putting coping on every ledge and ramp. Some cities have been thinking about making two different parks, but that would just cause them to pay a lot of money because the money adds up quickly. If you own a private skate park, you can decide who uses your skate park. But, if the city builds a skate park, and they discriminate against the biker, then you may have a civil rights issue. Some BMX riders go through a hard time serving on the skate park committee only to see that BMX bikes are not allowed. A BMX track is not the same as a skate park. BMX tracks are exclusively for BMX racing, which is far less popular than ramp riding or dirt jumping. In the future, I hope the cities build more BMX friendly skate parks, or they should build separate skate parks just for BMX bikes.
SPORTS
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 44
TIME FOR TENNIS
By Allen S.
Tennis is a very fun sport and I recommend everyone should play it. There are 4 strokes to learn: the forehand, backhand, volley and the overhead. There are sets in tournaments, with
6 games in a set. Whoever wins 6 games, 3 times, wins the whole match. I started playing tennis when I was four. Then I started to like it. When I moved here from Indiana, I
See TENNIS on page 45
SOCCER FUN
BASKETBALL AT
By Moriah
By Cole S. and Allen S.
purple uniforms. The tickets were $9.00 for adults and $3.00 for kids. The stadium seats were right and left of the goals. The food choices were hotdogs, snow cones, popcorn, and soda. There were 4,010 people who watched the Pilots play, which probably meant most of or all of the seats were taken. At the game it was very hot and sunny. There was not a halftime show. The parking lot was almost full. There really wasn’t even one spot left. I learned that I could do pass-backs too, and I would probably have a better chance at scoring. It was a really close game, and I really want to go again. I also recommend it for other kids 7 and up. On a scale of 1-10, I would score it a 10!
FOR EVERYONE
On Sunday October 17th, I went to Merlo Park. I went there to see the Portland Pilots. The Portland Pilots are a group of girls that play on a soccer team. Here are some things I saw at the game. There was one, and only one, goal scored by Danielle Foxhoven. When the goal was scored, the Pilots fans were happy, not crazy, but happy. The final score was 1-0. The Pilots scored 1 and the other team, Pepperdine, scored 0. Pepperdine wore white uniforms and the Pilots had
BRIDLEMILE
At Bridlemile, there was a basketball team called the Bruisers. Our coach was Mark Nuss, Jackson’s dad. There were 3 teams. We had practices every Monday and Wednesday at 5:10pm. We had our games on Saturday every week at Raleigh Hills Elementary School. Sometimes, if our team won by a lot of points we would have a celebration at Baskin Robins. Our team had about 12 people who were really good. Our assistant coach was Mark Dunst, Tyler’s dad. We only lost one game. The team that we lost to was the other Bridlemile team. After the last game we went to Pizza Schmizza. After that, we all got a necklace that had our team’s name on it. It was the best basketball season ever.
jan 2011, page 45 TENNIS continued from page 44 started taking lessons at the PAC and I got better and better. Now I love tennis. If you want to get better at tennis, you should practice with a friend or take lessons and hit against a wall or something solid. Lastly, I hope you will enjoy tennis.
SPORTS
bridlemile times
Summer Skate Camp By Sebastien O.
When I woke up that Monday I was feeling really tired and sleepy. But after I put on my clothes and a jacket, I was a little less tired. Then I ran into the kitchen for a waffle. I opened up the freezer to get a chocolate chip Eggo waffle. After my waffle See SUMMER on page 46
Bunnyhop Basics By Sebastien O.
still pulling the bars up and jumping off the curb. The bunnyhop is basically Third, on flat ground, start the mother of all bike rolling forward pretty fast, tricks. A bunnyhop is when and then pop a wheelie. both bicycle tires are But this time, pretend above ground. If you have you’re on a motorcycle a skateboard helmet, I and rotate your hands on suggest you use it for doing your grips toward yourself. this trick. You’re going to When your back tire is need to be really careful off the ground, push your when you’re trying this arms forward to level out move. If you want to learn your tires. When you’re how to bunnyhop, keep on landing, let your back tire reading … hit the ground first, then First, you should be let your front tire hit the wearing all of your ground. Then ride away. protective gear, but the Well, I hope you learned helmet is the most important off curbs standing up on your something while reading this thing to wear. Knee and elbow pedals. pads are also very important Second, you need to learn article. However, it’s going to because the first time you fall how to pop a wheelie off curbs take a while to learn how to it’s going to hurt a lot. If you are to get the feel of being in the air. bunnyhop. Remember, always interested in doing this trick, you When you’re getting better, start wear your helmet! should be comfortable riding going faster off the curbs while
bridlemile times
SPORTS
jan 2011, page 46
SUMMER continued from page 45 was in the toaster, I went back to my room to grab one of my BMX magazines. By the time I came back my waffle was cold. I went to pour myself a glass of milk, when I saw my dad walking down the hall. My dad and I talked for about 20 minutes. When I finished my breakfast, I grabbed my skateboard and strapped on my bright yellow helmet. I put on my pads and told my dad I was getting in the car and that I might need $10 in case we need to buy snacks or something weird like that. Shortly after that, my dad drove
me to Gabriel Skate Park. When I got to my camp, my dad was signing me in when they came across a problem. The problem was that I wasn’t in my camp. After they told us that, we drove back to the community center, and walked up to the front desk. My dad talked to them about my camp. Luckily, my camp still had an open spot since 2 people had dropped out. I was so relieved when they said that. My dad and I drove back to the skate park and told them I got in. Then they let us do what we wanted
to do until 11:00. At 11:00, we introduced ourselves. I had just introduced myself when this kid named Kalub was talking about himself. He was totally like me. Later on in the day we became friends. He was better at skateboarding than me. For lunch I had a ham and cheese sandwich, an apple, Gatorade, some vegetables, and another apple. The rest of the day ran smoothly. When my mom picked me up I didn’t want to leave. That was my summer memory.
Scared to Skateboard? Dont be! By Cole S. The first step to skateboarding is that you have to be able to Ollie. Also, you have to be able to turn. To do the Ollie, you have to hit the tail on the ground, jump up and lean forward. Also, you have to slide your foot up. The second step is to Shuvit. A Shuvit is a trick involving twisting the board to do a 180, while doing an Ollie. Once you have that down, you need to land on the board. If you can do that, and stay on the board for 3 seconds, then you can Shuvit. The next thing to do is a Kickflip. You have to do an Ollie, but slide your foot to the corner, and then land it. Once you can do that, it’s time to go to the skate parks. I would go to Gabriel Park.
jan 2011, page 47
SPORTS
bridlemile times
2010 pac-10 teams By Conner C.
The Pac-10 is getting stronger. For example, the Arizona Wildcats were ranked number 9 in the country. Plus, the Univ. of Washington beat USC, and the Ducks are ranked number 1 in the nation. It’s clear; the Pac-10 is stronger than ever. There are great players in the Pac-10, like Oregon State’s running back Jacquizz Rodgers and Jake Locker of the Washington Huskies. Arizona State has a good quarter back and the Ducks have the great running back LaMichael James. The Pac-10’s best teams are Stanford, Oregon, Oregon State, and the Arizona Wildcats. All of these teams have great players. The team’s
seasons are shaping up well. The top contenders for the Rose Bowl are the Oregon teams. In the Big Ten, the top teams are Ohio State and Wisconsin. The Pac-10 might be adding Colorado and Utah. Then it would be the Pac-12. That means the teams won’t play every team. Let’s hope the Beavers and the Ducks have a good season this year, because next year could be harder. The Civil War will be super important because if the Beavers win, the Ducks probably won’t be able to go to the National Championship. Plus, the Beavers might be able to go to the Rose Bowl. If the Ducks win the Civil War, the Beavers may lose out on their chance to go to the Rose Bowl.
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jan 2011, page 48
TRAVEL AND RECREATION family Fantasy Fun Vacation By Allen I went to Disney World with my family this summer. We went to Typhoon Lagoon. My favorite rides were Shark Reef and Humunga Kowabunga. Shark Reef is where you snorkel through a saltwater lake. I saw a lot of aquatic animals. Humunga Kowabunga is a waterslide with a 25-foot drop at about 60-65 mph. At Blizzard Beach there was a chairlift to Mount Gushmore. There were a lot of fun rides at Blizzard Beach. I can’t choose my favorite. I just like all of the rides. Magic Kingdom was so big! You can ride a ferryboat or a train to get there. I love Splash Mountain and Thunder Mountain Railroad. I like Splash Mountain because you get really wet and it’s really thrilling. Thunder Mountain Railroad is really loud, fast and fun. There were a lot of other rides I like. It is an awesome place to go. Animal Kingdom was not everything about
animals. I liked Expedition Everest and Kali River Ride. I love Expedition Everest because you go backwards very fast! Kali River Ride is spectacular! You get very wet! Epcot, Sea World and Hollywood Studios are other fun places to go at Disney World!
Fun with Friends By Maddie M.
It was a hot summer day and Danielle called me and asked if I could go with her to the river on her boat. She had called when I was watching TV and of course I said yes. She said that I had to meet her at her house at 9:00. When I got there I had to help get ready to go. As I finished, Hunter and his friend Jack were
Fun in Canada See page 50
See FUN on page 51
helping Danielle’s dad pump up the raft. The raft was huge because it had four seats. As soon as I saw the boat hooked up to the back of the truck, we were ready to leave. It took a long time to drive to the river. I sat in the back seat and Hunter brought his IPod. We drove through Wilsonville. When we got there we went to the bathroom to
Snorkeling in Hawaii See page 54
Deschutes Fishing Fun See page 52
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bridlemile times
Howlin’ Fun on a Water Run By Moriah B,
Before I went to the Great Wolf Lodge to see Annabelle and Maya, my dad picked me up from camp. It took a long time to get to the lodge. Finally, I got there and I saw Annabelle’s mom on the balcony of our hotel room. I rushed inside. My dad stayed for about a half an hour, and then left. After he left, we had so much fun because I got a PAW PASS. With a pass, I could get a wand and some other cool stuff without Annabelle’s mom having to pay so much for it. A wand is an electronic device in the shape of a stick. It causes things that you point it at to light up. After I got my wand, and went on the scavenger hunt game that comes with the wand, we had dinner. We enjoyed chicken nuggets and pizza, and then we watched a movie. Then we
went back to our room and went to bed. The next day we went swimming. I went on the best and scariest slide ride ever! Annabelle and Maya went on it with me. After the slide, we went to the wave pool. The wave pool had the biggest
waves I had ever seen in my life. After the wave pool, we got some other stuff on our PAW PASS and went to the arcade. Finally, we got some candy and went home. I would highly recommend the Great Wolf Lodge to any kid or adult that likes water.
California Catching By David V. At 8:00 a.m. I woke up and ate breakfast, then my mom said to pack my stuff, so I did. I asked her why did I have to pack my stuff? She said, “We’re going to California.” I was excited, so I jumped in the car to reach the airport. When we arrived at the airport we ran all the way to the gate and we made it on the plane.
When we arrived in California, we first stayed at a hotel, and then my dad and I went to my uncle’s house. It was fun. My uncle is a fisherman and we caught salmon, trout, and swordfish, and we ate them all at our hotel. We were all tired so we got our toothbrush and put our pajamas on and we went to sleep. The next day we had to go home but it was one heck of a fun trip!
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travel & recreation
jan 2011, page 50
Canada is Fun For Everyone By Maya P. This summer I went to Canada. I had tons of adventures there. The first thing we had to do to get there was the long car ride. On the way we got to watch “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” I read “Nancy Drew Girl Detective,” and we played the license plate game. I also slept for half an hour. When we arrived at the rental house we immediately started exploring the house. We rode our bikes around the neighborhood to check it out too. Then my brother and I called dibs on
beds. Two days later the cousins arrived! One day later, we went to the pool and I did a backward flip off the rope swing. Also, I went on the water slide and dove into the deep end. Then I went in the hot tub and felt nice and warm. After that, we bought tickets at the movie theater to watch “Nanny McPhee Returns.” I also went zip lining. We filled out some forms, put on our harnesses, and ate some Jelly Bellies. When we were ready, we went on 6 zip
See CANADA on page 51
cAPE LOOKOUT CAMPING
By Charlotte U. One Monday morning we were packing up for the beach. My mom and dad were moving the cooler to the car. I was in my room trying to pack. My brother was trying to pack too. Finally, after about an hour, we were ready to go. It took about two hours to get there. I was squished in the back reading. My brother was listening to music. My dog, Ted, was sleeping on a towel on my mom’s lap. When we got to our campsite it was pouring
down rain! My dad had to put up the tent with my brother. In front of the tent was a huge puddle! My dog kept turning brown from the water. After the rain cleared, we went down to the beach. I climbed up a cliff. I saw a big tuft of grass. I looked even closer and saw a snake! It was a green, orange, brown and black racer. It was asleep under a leaf. The next day was really cold. It was too cold to go to the beach. I had to take my dog for a walk, twice! The rest of the day I just rode my bike around the campground. For dinner we went to a restaurant called “The Fern.” On the third day it was time to go home. I was sort of sad. The good thing was that we walked down to the beach one last time. My dad and I climbed the cliff. He saw two more snakes. I saw something that looked like a snake head. So I quickly grabbed it. I looked at it and realized it was a lizard!! I showed it to my dad then let it go. It was grey and was shedding skin. As we were driving out of town we went to the Tillamook Cheese Factory for ice cream. I had two scoops of pumpkin ice cream. When we got home I was asleep in the back of the car. It was a very great, but long trip!
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FUN continued from page 48 put on sunscreen. When we were in the bathroom we could hear the boys talking. We were talking too. It took a long time to put on sunscreen. We walked back to the boat and drove to the boat ramp, and loaded the boat into the water. When the boat was moving I was in the boat. The police were there and gave us a coupon for ice cream. Hunter and Jack were getting the raft in the water. Danielle’s mom was helping Danielle’s dad with the boat. Once the boat was in the water we started the motor and drove the boat to the docks. We all got on the boat and all got our life jackets on. When we headed up the river, Hunter and Jack got on the raft first. Danielle and I were listening to the radio. When it was our turn, we got on and when our turn was over the boys got on with us. We saw really big houses with docks. We went under two bridges. We had lunch on the raft; we had potato chips and water. When we were going back to the docks we went over a huge wave and we went flying into the air four feet high! Hunter was flying off the back. Danielle’s mom was scared because she couldn’t see Hunter. We had landed flat on the water. We had to get off after it happened. We drove back to the docks to go home. We wanted to get back on. We had drinks. We put the shade cover over us. The boys went back on the raft one last time. Once we got back to the docks we got out and we walked to the picnic tables and took off our life jackets, sat down, and talked. Danielle’s parents got the boat out of the water and Hunter and Jack got the raft out. When I was out of the water and the raft was in the truck, we left and we headed home just in time for my sleepover!
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CANADA continued from page 50
lines. The last one was really long, fast, and exciting. When we were done we rode our bikes home. When I was in Canada I fell in love with the taste of blueberries. I ate them everyday, so when I got back from the zip lines, I sat down with a bowl of them. We stayed another week, and in that time we played the card game “Garbage,” we went in our hot tub and we did many more things. Finally, we had to say goodbye and drive back home so we could start school. The car ride back was about 3 or 4 hours long and we started driving at 8:30 p.m. I slept for 25 minutes. We watched another movie and I played on my iPod. I enjoyed my time in Canada, and in its honor, I have written a poem: Oh Canada, We thank you for our fun The time that we have spent without Anyone having to run. Oh Canada We liked what you have done For me and all who came To have a summer vacation
Oh Canada When I come back to thee You, Oh Canada Will be waiting there for me
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jan 2011, page 52
Fishing and Fun On The Deschutes By Connor C. It was a warm summer day and my dad and I were going on the Deschutes River. We were going with my buddy Fischer and his dad. We were taking their boat. We packed the car and left for Fischer’s house. When we got to Fisher’s house we put all our stuff in their car because we were taking their boat. The drive was about 2 hours. When we got there we set up camp. My dad was setting up his rod when I went to bed.
When I woke up, I had some breakfast and then we put the boat in. We started going down the river and then we stopped. We got out of the boat and started fishing. All of a sudden, Fischer’s rod got pulled hard. His dad came over and helped him hold his rod. They ran with the fish pretty far before the fish got away. My dad and I got in the boat and picked them up. The rest of the day nobody caught a fish. We set up camp and had dinner and then we went to bed. The next day we got breakfast and got in the boat. This was the day with the big rapids. In the middle of the day we went down the Colorado rapids. They were so loud. We went down the shoot. It didn’t seem that bad, but then we saw the big wave. We barely missed it! We went through the rest of the rapids and then we took our boat out and went home. It was a really fun trip. I would love to do it again.
super sunriver By Spencer M. In the summer, my family and I were going to Sunriver. I had breakfast and went into the garage. My dad was they’re putting his suitcase in the rocket box. He told me to put my bike on the bike rack. I was getting my bike when Peyton, my older brother, came in the garage. I put my bike on the bike rack. Peyton did too. My dad asked Peyton and me if we could go inside and help my mom. We went inside where my mom was waking up my younger sister, Morgan. Peyton and I were taking some bags to the car while my mom was making
Morgan breakfast. When we were all set, we took off. We were watching mini TVs that my dad had bought last year, when we were going to Sunriver. After about 2 hours in the car we went to a restroom at a McDonalds and my dad bought a Diet Coke. We got in the car for one more hour then we arrived. I unpacked my things and I played with a Frisbee with Peyton. After half an hour, my mom called us in to go to the store and a pool. We went to the store for 30 minutes. When we got everything we needed we
went to the pool. We changed in the restrooms and started swimming. The water was warm and it was a big pool. It was very fun. Peyton, Morgan and I played tag then went into the hot tub. After an hour and a half we went back to the house to have dinner. After dinner, Peyton, Morgan and I watched some TV
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SUNRIVER continued from page 52 and then went to bed, I woke up, but Peyton wasn’t in bed. I went to go have some breakfast and Peyton was on the couch eating cereal and watching TV, so I did the same. When everyone else was awake and had breakfast, we rode our bikes to the park. On the way there, we saw the Bjorks. When we got to the park, we saw the Campbells. Henry, Connor, Peyton and I played basketball. Then, I rode my bike, played tennis with my family and we rode our bikes back. The next day we went to a lake with the Campbells and the Bjorks. We had lunch and we played capture the flag. The teams were Peyton, Anders and Morgan vs. Connor, Henry, Mitchell and I. My team hid our flag on the top of a tall rock that was about 9 to 12 feet tall. The other team won the game. After that, we threw tennis balls into the water for Oscar, the Bjorks’ dog, and Sadie, the Campbells’ dog. Later that day, we went
to Bend to visit our friends, the Murphys. They own a farm. Most of the time we played “crack the egg” on their trampoline. We tried riding their ATV too. It was super fun. After dinner we launched fireworks because that day was the 4th of July. Then we drove by a hill to watch the firefighters launch fireworks. Even though we were about 2 miles away from where they set the fireworks off, it was still spectacular. By the time I got home, I was so tired. Right when we stopped the car I ran into bed. The next day, my family and I rode our bikes to the mall. The bike ride was 15 to 30 minutes and was very fun. We got a cinnamon roll, and headed down to the ice cream shop to get Morgan a stuffed animal. She picked out a brown and black dog for $7.99. We looked at stores for a while. I saw a bike shop, swim store, toy store, rock store, and a clothes store with Oregon Duck clothes and Beaver clothes (I like the
Ducks). My dad, Peyton and I rode our bikes back, but Morgan was too tired to ride her bike so she and my mom had to walk their bikes back. Later that day my family and I walked to our friends the Eriksons’ house for dinner. After we had dinner, Peyton, Morgan the Erickson kids and I played capture the flag. My team won twice and their team won once. The next day, my family and I rode our bikes to the store to get some donuts. Once everyone was finished eating, Peyton, my dad and I waited for my mom and Morgan for 5 minutes because Morgan had training wheels. Then we rode our bikes and beat them home. By the time they were home, we had packed almost everything in the car. When we were going back to Portland, I watched the mini TVs again. When I got home, the first thing I did was take a nap.
CAMPING AT 3 CREEKS LAKE By Alex T.
my dad if we could stop Last summer, my dad took my at a swimming beach. He sister and me on a really fun would not let me. Luckily we campout. We went to a place stopped and got a milk shake. called Three Creeks Lake. It Otherwise the drive was very boring. was really fun. Driving to Three Creeks When we finally arrived, we Lake, I listened to my IPod. unpacked a little bit. After The drive was very boring. that, we went swimming for I got super hot so I asked See 3 CREEKS on page 54
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travel & recreation
Snorkeling and
Sunburns in
HAWAII
By Claire G. Have you ever been to Hawaii? Well if you haven’t, and you want to then this is a good article to read about. I’ve been to Maui three times, Kauai once, Honolulu once, and the big island once. But this is about my trip to Kauai. First, we got on the plane in Portland. It took 5 hours to get to Hawaii. The plane ride was boring but we rented TV’s which made it more fun. During the flight, the flight attendant called the speakerphone that they needed a doctor. My mom told my dad to go, but he said it was his vacation. Finally, we got my dad to go. Turns out the guy had diabetes and my dad had to give him a shot to get sugar
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3 CREEKS continued from page 53 about 3 minutes. We saw about 3 huge fish. It was pretty warm too. That night I read “Harry Potter.” I had to sleep next to Gretta. She is like a heater under the cover. It was too hot to sleep. On the first full day, we went on a hike to Little Three Creek Lake. It was super clear and cold. We kept walking and found Little Three Creeks Lake. Little Three Creeks Lake was super warm. It was warm because it was baking in the sun. The deepest part was only about 4 feet deep. On the way back from the hike we stopped at a creek. It was only up to my knees. There were thousands of baby brook trout and rainbow trout in there. I brought a net, but they were really fast! We played in there for about 5 minutes. When we got back to the campsite, we caught frogs and made habitats for them. We had peanut butter and jelly for lunch. After that I went snorkeling and saw tons of fish. We had chicken fajitas for dinner, let the frogs go, and went for a boat ride. It was dusk so there were a lot of fish. The lake didn’t slope very fast. That means the fish that were jumping were in really shallow water. The next day, we went for another hike. We saw a fisherman. He told us his secret fishing spot, tips and gave us some bait. That night at dusk, we paddled across the
lake. I caught two fish. My friend caught one. My two fish were the biggest. I caught my first brook trout. It was a huge one. I also caught a rainbow trout. That night was awesome! The next morning we ate maple sausage for breakfast. After that we played on the beach. That night we went across the lake again. We caught 3 fish that time too. I caught one huge brook trout and one tiny rainbow trout. It was still fun! The same night, there was a huge storm. There was lightning, thunder and a lot of wind and rain. My dad flipped over the canoe on land so we could play under it. After we caught our three fish, we put our poles and paddles under the canoe. We walked back to our campsite. In the morning, we walked back to our fishing spot. We ate pancakes and drank raspberry lemonade. We set up our fishing poles. I caught one long, skinny rainbow trout. I liked him. His name was Bob. I also caught a brook trout. His name was Fred. The same day we found a boat wreck in the water. Gretta dropped her bowl of oatmeal in the water and it became part of the artifact. The drive home was again very boring. I listened to my IPod, and ate Mexican food. It was a really fun trip. I will remember it forever.
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travel & recreation
Slinging Sand in Gearhart
By Kamryn P. Have you ever gone to the beach? Well I have and I have a story to tell. One day I went to school and came back at 2:15. We didn’t leave to the beach until 11:00 p.m. because my sister Marissa went to a homecoming dance. We went to my sister’s friend’s beach house in Gearhart. We went on October 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, Thursday through Sunday. The next day we went on the beach. My sister and I got into a sand fight. First she accidentally got sand on me and I thought she did it on purpose so I threw it back. She got mad, and then
my sister’s friend put sand on my head. I got so mad and I put sand on his head. The next day we went clamming. We drove an hour to our beach house to get more clamming stuff. We went to the beach and caught about 100 clams then my sister and me came back to our beach house and hung out for a while. Then our parents came back and had more clams. They rinsed them, then put them in the car and drove one hour back to our friends’ beach house. If you haven’t gone to the beach, you should.
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HAWAII continued from page 54 into his blood. Then, we got off the plane and my dad had to again save someone. The elderly woman had a seizure and my dad didn’t have to do anything because she got better on her own. When we got off the plane, we rented a convertible and drove to the hotel. When we got there it was 11:00 p.m. We finally went to bed. In the morning we went to Poipu Beach and went on a pathway of water to get to the tide pools. At the tide pools we saw hermit crabs, angelfish, snails, and starfish. On our way back from the tide pools we saw a puffer fish. Then we went boogie boarding and snorkeling. I saw a huge turtle and a shark. Then we went to a 3-story pool. The pool had a waterfall to jump from and we could land in the 1st pool. In the 2nd pool, you could jump a bridge, and in the 3rd pool you would just swim. When we came back to the hotel we went swimming. The pool was really big! Next we went in the hot tubs. The cool thing about the hot tubs is that you have to swim in them. Then we had dinner and went to sleep. The next day at 6:00 we said “Good bye” and got on the plane. I brought my coconut with me and we went home.
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travel & recreation
jan 2011, page 56
Fun with Family
By Julia L. The drive to my dad’s house was everlasting. There was not much to do except play Pac-Man on my sister, Sabryn’s, cell phone. Eventually, the car stopped, I thought we were home, but we were actually at Meg’s house. Meg is a family friend. My brother, Daniel, and Sabryn ran in the front lawn with me. We decided to play tag, but we didn’t get to play very long because we had to leave. After about an hour we got home. We all sat down and watched “Where the Wild Things Are.” In my opinion it was a very weird movie. We all
fell asleep watching it. When we woke up Sabryn and I tried to decide what to do. We eventually decided to play “Wii Fit.” Dad, Audrey, Paige and Danny all came downstairs to see if there was something to do today. We finally agreed that we should call our grandparents to see if we could go boating. They called back and said that they were free. On our way there Audrey turned on the music. Soon we all started singing. Then, we got to our grandparents’. Sabryn doesn’t know how to swim and Paige just plain hates water. Paige has also never ridden in a boat so they were both really scared. We then saw my uncle wake boarding nearby. Grandpa handed us life jackets and we popped into the boat. Right away I jumped into the water. Well it’s more like my brother pushed me in. I asked Sabryn if she wanted to jump in with me. She said “no” in a very scared voice. Eventually Paige and Sabryn jumped in. Grandpa asked if anybody wanted to get inner tubing. Paige said no but still she got in with me. Audrey was recording us the whole time. In about ten minutes the inner tube flipped over and we got launched out. I was laughing like crazy and Paige was screaming. It was so much fun and I will never forget it!
Happily Horsing Around At Camp By Marissa T. One Sunday around 10 a.m. my mom and I jumped into the car for a long ride to horse camp. We picked up my friend Gaby (and her mom), because Gaby did the camp with me. About
half way there we stopped to eat lunch. When we finally got close, my mom got lost. It took 10 more minutes to find the camp. We drove up and told a woman what camp we were doing and she slapped our car
and yelled “Giddy Up!” That was the name of the camp. When everyone got to camp we dragged our suitcases to our cabin. I shared a cabin with eight other girls. Three of these girls are good friends of mine. See HORSING on page 57
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Rockin-n-Rollin
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HORSING continued from page 56
Rollercoaster Ride By Alice E.
Last summer I went to the Enchanted Forest with the MAC club. My mom dropped me off. I closed the door and said “Goodbye.” The bus driver’s name was Leslie. She was very tall and wore her blond hair in a ponytail. When we got there it was huge! There was a Princess House and a Haunted House. First we went in the Rabbit Hole from “Alice in Wonderland.” It was really dark but my friend had a flashlight. Then we went in the Crooked House. I was hitting the walls. I thought I was going to break my arm. After that we went into the Haunted House, which was scary. When you would go inside the only guy would lock the door so you couldn’t change your mind! After that, we were walking around and we saw a rollercoaster called Splash Mountain. I didn’t want to go on at first but then I went on. We went up and down like 5 times then went down a big hill. Then…SPLASH!!! I got all wet. After the ride we kept walking and saw another rollercoaster. We liked how it looked so we got on. It was called The Log Ride. We stepped in. We were floating then I heard “Clink, clink, clink.” We were at the top! I looked down and it was weird because the people were so small. We saw strange houses along the side. Then I saw a little slide, “Wee.” Then we went down a bigger hill. I felt butterflies in my stomach. I didn’t notice the bigger hill was coming up! Ahhhh! Splash!! Water spattered all over me. We were getting off. We went to go see the Hansel and Gretel play which was funny. Then it was time to go. We got on the bus and they took us to the MAC. My mom got me. That was my fun day at the Enchanted Forest.
After that we had a swim test. It was pretty simple. The object was to swim from one dock to another and back. If you did that with ease, then you tried to tread water. I passed the test and was put in the purple level. Gaby did almost as well and was put in the orange level (the level right below mine). It didn’t matter, it was not a swimming camp, it was a horse camp. That night we learned that our cabin had no way of closing. It only had three walls so it was very cold. I had to wear two sweatshirts, a beanie, big fluffy p.j’s and warm socks. Then I wrapped myself in a blanket and I waddled over to a bunk bed and climbed into my mummy bag. It was so cold. I’m glad I fell asleep. The next morning, after waking up at 6:00 and learning I had 1 more hour of sleep, my cabin mates and I hurried down to the lodge to get breakfast. After that we got into a van and drove off to the stables. When we got there, we were assigned horses. My horse’s name was Dancer. Gaby’s horse was called Dusty. The next day Gaby rode the same horse but I rode a new horse…Chaser. The week went by so quickly. I had a blast riding horses, especially when we got to trot on the beach. It was so much fun! On the last day they had a big ceremony and everyone got awards. I got a swimming award and a sandcastle award. When everyone got picked up, I said goodbye to all my friends and got in the car. Camp Cleowox had been so fun!
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travel & recreation
Fun! In Hot Hawaiian Sun
jan 2011, page 58
lakeside camping By Kamryn P.
By Danielle D. Early one morning in July my family piled into the car and headed for the airport. When we got there, we met my grandparents and strolled through the airport. We all went through security together and we took a seat in gate D10. When it was time to board, we were in luck. We boarded fast because my sister was under 5 years of age. When we got on the plane I took my seat. I sat by my cousin, Stephanie. The plane ride was long but fun. About 6 hours later we arrived in Oahu. There were people at the airport to drive us to our hotel. We got in the car and drove to our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. It was awesome! There was a beach, stores, a lagoon, and the hotels were towers. I stayed in the Rainbow Tower. Also on our trip we went on a submarine ride, visited Pearl Harbor, and we went on a catamaran ride. We did that all in 7 days! I was having so much fun on our trip but on the 8th we had to go home. We went to the airport, got on the plane and flew home. I was sad we had to go but we had to leave at some point. Six hours later we arrived at the Portland airport.
One afternoon, we got in the car and started driving. It took us one hour and 45 minutes. The car ride was all right. We watched a movie on the way. Then we finally arrived at Detroit Lake. We started setting up our tents. Then my parents were setting up the rest of the campsite, while we were sitting next to the fire. Then we had dinner next to the fire. We had spaghetti, salad, and bread. After dinner, the fire was so hot it melted my shoes. We went to bed at midnight. It was really dark. It was really cold in my tent. I slept on a cot and it was comfortable. The next day I woke up and had breakfast. I had cereal. I had Captain Crunch. It was really good. Then we went boating. It was fun. We had snacks. Our friends went wake surfing. Then we just hung-out. After that we just waited outside and sat by the fire. It was pretty fun. We just talked and our parents played cards while we were at the fire.
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advice
jan 2011, page 59
Need Advice? Ask Dear Bobby Dear Bobby, My sister drives me crazy! She hits me, kicks me, pulls my hair, and so much more! It is insane! I have asked her to stop at least 1,000 times! I don’t know what to do. Please help! Sincerely, Frustrated Dear Frustrated, I have a sister too, and times are tough now and then. But, this is what I would do. I would tell your mom or dad how you feel about it. Ask them if there’s something they could do, or you could do, to make her stop. You should also try staying away from her and closer to your parents. Another helpful tip would be to do something together that you both enjoy. Perhaps playing a board game together will help you get along better. Remember,
she’s your sister, and always I have a feeling that you are will be! I really hope this a kind and flexible person, helps. and you’ll be patient until you come up with a solution. Sincerely, Bobby Another solution is that you could simply deal with the Dear Bobby, time school starts, and go to I really think that school bed earlier. You might want should start an hour or a half to start planning a schedule an hour later. I need to wake that includes only staying up up at 6:30 every morning! late on weekends. I never get enough sleep and that makes me not very Signed, Bobby energetic. Please help me Bobby! Dear Bobby, Signed, Tired My dog chews on everything. Recently he was chewing on my Silly Bandz. I’m trying Dear Tired, to train him too, but he just I think that you should keeps doing it. I need help. probably talk to Ms. Ghattas Thank you, Frustrated Dog and ask her to start school Owner an hour later. You should also ask your mom to have a Dear Frustrated Dog Owner, conference with Ms. Ghattas It’s common for dogs to chew about it. Maybe you could on things. However, I do compromise with Ms. Ghattas have some solutions for you. and come up with a deal that makes everyone happy. First, I would try to put your
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advice
stuff up higher so that he Bobby! can’t reach it. Chances are he won’t know where it is. Sincerely, Bullied To Pieces That isn’t the only solution that I have. Dear Bullied To Pieces, I have a couple solutions for Second, buy him some chew you. First, you should talk toys. Maybe if you give him to an adult or teacher. If you some chew toys he could talk to an adult you should have something different to say, “Some kids are being chew on other than your stuff. mean and calling me names.” I think this will work. If it doesn’t, I have a third solution Ask your teacher if you can for you. move desks. If the other kids in your class are nicer, this Lastly, try giving him a may be a good idea. If the punishment. By that I mean whole class is being mean to when he misbehaves try you, you should try to ignore spraying him with a blast of those kids. water from a bottle. I hope these solutions work for you. Lastly, you should play with your other friends from other Sincerely, Bobby classes at recess. Be nice to the kids in your class, even if Dear Bobby, they are not nice to you. Do I have a problem. A kid who not forget, you will have a sits at my table – let’s just new class next year. call him Bob – is bullying me. Once I told him to “Please be Sincerely, Bobby quiet” and he said, “Shut your mouth, glasses girl!” It made me so upset! Also it doesn’t Dear Bobby, help that when he says I am having a problem with “You’re an idiot” everyone my sister Marrie. She steals else at my table agrees! I things when I am gone. I don’t have enough fingers to cannot trust her at times. count how many times Bob Have any advice? has put me own and I’ve said, “Bob, Please stop being Signed, Stealing Sister so mean to me.” But he just says, “Ohhhh! Shut your Dear Stealing Sister, face, LOSER!” Please help, I know how you feel. My first
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idea is to put a video camera in your room to show your mom the truth. Second, get a personal bodyguard named Sid. Lastly, tell her how you feel, and if she still is stealing, tell your mom or dad. Signed, Bobby Dear Bobby, I have a problem in my neighborhood. A kid keeps spying on me and my friends. He is about 13 years old. He throws little pieces of wood at us. He hides, jumps out at us, and then scares us. Please help us Bobby. Signed, Being Spied On Dear Being Spied On, I know how annoying it can to be to be spied on. Here are some solutions. First, if he is bugging you that bad then you should nicely tell him to stop. Second, if he doesn’t stop, then you should just ignore him and maybe he will stop. Then, for the last solution, you should ask your mom or dad to talk to the 13-yearold’s parents. Maybe then he will stop. Sincerely, Bobby
bridlemile times
jan 2011, page 61
puzzles & games Christmas Day Word Search
bridlemile times
puzzles & games
jan 2011, page 62
jan 2011, page 63
puzzles & games
bridlemile times
bridlemile times
puzzles & games
New Years Day Word Search
jan 2011, page 64