Community Corner

Week in Review: A Time of Mourning

The week's top stories on the Ledyard Patch.

 

This week started to look and feel a lot like Christmas with all the concerts and the Santa Runs but all that came to an abrupt halt Friday after hearing the sad news out of Newtown, Conn. A town only 90 miles away suffered a tragedy incomprehensible to many of us when a young man entered Sandy Hook Elementary school and shot 20 children and six adults. The magnitude of grief and heartbreak of the news transcends distance and has been felt across the world.

The good people of Ledyard (and people around the world really) held a vigil Saturday for the victims and lives forever affected by the shooting. They have also set up ornament trees outside schools to serve as a memorial of the teachers and children killed Friday.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Marge Anderson has offered the i5 Teaching Network in the Gales Ferry Community Center as a donation center Snuggle Newtown. She’ll accept teddy bears and stuffed animals that will be brought to Sandy Hook students.

Support continues to pour in from all over. Here’s an article that offers a list of resources for people who want to help.

Find out what's happening in Ledyardwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Finally, here were the top stories in Ledyard this week:

The United Methodist Church of Gales Ferry held their annual Christmas Concert, which featured the Handbell Choir, the Chancel Choir, the Jubilation Dancers, the Men's and Women's Choirs and Good Company. Here’s a short video compilation of the night’s entertainment.

Ledyard Public Schools announced that it will name the high school gymnasium and court after two long time educators and coaches at the high school. After the dedication, which will take place in January, the Ledyard High School gymnasium will now be known as Judy Dowe Standish Gymnasium and the playing court will be named in honor of Bob Arsenault.

The Town of Ledyard continues to be a HEARTSafe Community (like it has been since 2006) and, according to Ledyard Regional VNA Supervisor Karen Goetchius, it will be for another 3 years.

“We are proud to have this honor to be able to save a life in our community,” said Goetchius.

Ledyard is one on 169 communities in the state designated a HEARTSafe community through the Department of Public Health. The HEARTsafe program is intended to encourage communities to strengthen every link in the cardiac ‘Chain of Survival’ by CPR training, AED availability, and pre-hospital advanced life support, according to Goetchius.

The Town Council Wednesday unanimously approved the terms struck between the Ledyard Educational Association and the Board of Education for a three-year period from 2013- 2015. Ledyard teachers will receive an average raise of 2.8 percent for the next three years, according to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Graner.

The Town Council also approved the Mayor’s raises for the people heading some town departments.

Poquetanuck Cove, a 2-mile long tidal cove of the Thames River situated between Ledyard and Preston, has attracted the attention of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an area worth conserving. They’re hoping people will respond to their short survey about their experience with the cove and how best to treat it going forward.


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