News
Blind Brook Shocked After Recent Shooting Threat
By Sydney Anmuth
Last month, Blind Brook stood in unison as the community faced a shooting threat. Following the chatter amongst students, an announcement broke over the intercom “we are now going into a complete lockdown.” As the speaker fizzed off into the background, the effects of the loudspeaker of the shooting threat radiated in our school district for the next twenty-four hours. The news broke out on campus and echoed quickly throughout our entire community. “Hey mom, by any chance can you pick me up from practice, it’s an emergency.” “Can anyone take me home by any chance if I live near… ?” “Does anyone know where my son is?” “I need a ride home.” exclaimed parents and students. Confusion and chaos occurred in front of their eyes as sirens pulled into school at 3:45 pm on this Wednesday afternoon. In a time where the community seemed like it could have been divided, it became closer than ever. Parents arrived at the school and fit as many kids into their car as possible, teachers calmed down students, and coaches put on a smile to show students that everything was going to be okay. Afternoon activities quickly came to a halt as a false threat was on the horizon of our district.
By Emily Tian
Photo Courtesy of Google Maps
Thursday morning the doors to Blind Brook Middle and High School were open as usual. Students were greeted by the Rye Brook Police Department to provide reassurance to everyone entering the main building. Panic was alleviated as teachers checked in on students throughout the day and minimal people were allowed outside of the building. School shootings have become an anxiety inducing subject for students across America which is why Blind Brook practices lockdown drills regularly as a precautionary measure. Westchester County has committed to creating safer schools along with a team of educators in order to prevent violence from spreading throughout our community. Our school participates in the Sandy Hook Promise Organization which advocates against gun violence in an effort to protect American children. Therefore, the county can decrease shootings by making itself aware of warning signs that indicate a potential school shooter and report that person if need be. In fact, every 4 out of 5 school shootings that occur have been discussed with another person who knew about the plan of attack, but failed to report their idea to authorities.
The school has emphasized the importance of mental health by highlighting available resources to help students as a result of the recent incident. Blind Brook guidance counselors, teachers, and administrators have reached out to students in an effort to dilute the fear running through the building. Junior Jordyn Shohet, a BBHS SAVE Promise Club leader said that she feels “even more confident coming into school every morning knowing that the Blind Brook faculty is supporting us.” Anyone can make an imp-
Photo Courtesy of Greg Austin
act at Blind Brook High School which is why a wake up call like this one has united the district together. Students can take part in the Sandy Hook Promise by participating in the SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere) Club which has a chapter at the school. Its goal is to keep friends, schools, and communities safe, and empower students to seek help in order to prevent them from hurting themselves or others. The Blind Brook community was shocked by the recent threat, but it did not let fear get the best of it.
Progress Continues to Reduce Bridge Strikes on King Street A truck recently hit the King Street Bridge, spilling thousands of cans across the parkway. County police spent several hours investigating the crash, and several workers were even seen cleaning up the cans of energy drinks from the roadway. Furthermore, heavy traffic encircled the northbound side of the Hutchinson River Parkway and all lanes were closed in the morning and early afternoon due to the crash. This was no surprise as the bridge has suffered over 130 strikes from 2008 to 2018. The King Street Bridge on the border of Greenwich and Rye Brook has been experiencing a rather strange occurrence. It has been hit by trucks more times than any other bridge in New York state, suffering over 20 strikes just in 2018. Although the number of hits this year are becoming fewer and fewer, it is still a major issue that many officials and local resi
dents are concerned about. These bridge strikes have been causing serious traffic issues on King Street. Sometimes traffic is even diverted off of the parkway and onto local streets which causes a major inconvenience to motorists and other local residents. This issue has also been affecting many students and teachers who drive near or on the Hutchinson River Parkway to get to school. The bridge trouble is impacting students’ education. One Blind Brook student states, “Sometimes I’m late to school since I have to go under the bridge, and there’s lots of traffic.”. Many others are having similar experiences and have been struggling to get to school on time due to the traffic. “As you can imagine it is very frustrating every time a truck hits the King Street Bridge,” says Mayor Paul S. Rosenberg. Continued on page 13 11
