Preview Story

Greek Leadership Academy

Questions to be answered: Why are all of these people going, what are they doing there, and why do they go every year?
Main points will be:

-who is invited

-what they're going to do, talk about, work on

-where they're going, and why they go that far away

-the point of the retreat
-why is it important every year
-how this event happens and who puts it on

Tragedy on Ice

Four boys age 7 to 11 drowned when a group of seven boys plunged through thin ice. It was the worst local Merrimack River tragedy in nearly a century.
As seven boys finished their snack run from the Lawrence Boys & Girls Club to Hanson's Market yesterday afternoon, a sudden urge to slide around prompted 11-year-old William Rodriguez to dash for the serene expanse of river ice.
It was a playful impulse that ended with his plunge through the ice, setting off an ill-fated rescue attempt that deteriorated into a mass of desperate children clinging to each other in 35-degree water. "Willie said he wanted to go down to the river, to slide on the Ice," Ivan said. "We tried to stop him."
"He was in the middle of the river," Francis said, Ivan finishing the sentence: "Then the ice broke and he fell down in the water."
The ice was one to two inches thick where they ventured off the river bank. Four inches is considered the minimum to support more than one person, and river ice may not be safe even at that thickness because of currents and other factors. "Then we all fell in," said Francis. "I thought I was going to drown."
"My legs started to get stiff, and I had a freezing headache," Francis said. "I was hanging on to Christopher, but he started to slip under. I tried holding on to his hand, but it was like he let go."
Lawrence and Andover firefighters equipped with ice rescue suits arrived and after a search of the area where the boys went in, found the four remaining boys under the ice, 25 feet from shore in 15-20 feet of water.
Members of the state police, Lawrence Police and Merrimack Valley dive teams entered the 38-degree water and conducted an area search to be sure no one was left behind.
"I threw the rope out once and it landed too far away, so I threw it out again, and again it was too far for them to reach," said Jacques Fournier, a retired maintenance worker. Because of the steep embankment, rescuers were forced to use ladders to bring the children up off the river to the waiting ambulances.
Police said the four dead boys were trapped under the ice at least 10 minutes. The catastrophe left four boys dead, their families crushed and rescue workers shaken following an afternoon of fighting a river of broken ice, the steep mud-covered bank and driving rain.
Dead are William Rodriguez, 11, of 292 Howard St.; Christopher Casado, 7, of 18 Jasper Court; Mackendy Constant, 8, of 7 Clinton St.; and Victor Baez, 9, 46 Bernard Ave. Surviving the incident were Francis Spraus, 9, 14 School St.; Christopher's brother Ivan Casado, 9, 18 Jasper Court; Jaycob Morales, 10, 4 Winslow Place. Ivan and Francis were released from the hospital last night, and recalled the story from its quiet start.

Cutting Words

1. Published: There were no hotels open by the time the storm hit. (11 words)
Tighter: During the storm, all hotels were full.
2. Published: For those patients in whom the cancer has spread from the pancreas, as was true in Doe's case, there is no cure. (22 words)
Tighter: Patients with pancreatic cancer, like Doe's case, cannot be cured.
3. Published: Students enroll for their convenience and flexibility. Since their computer is their classroom, students don't have to live anywhere near campus. And since the classes are tailored for working adults, they are offered during the evenings and on weekends. (39 words)
Tighter: Students enroll for their convenience and flexibility. Since their computer is their classroom, students don't have to live near campus. And since the classes are tailored for working adults, they are offered during the evenings and on weekends
4. Published: Doe is not married. (4 words)
Tighter: Doe is unwed.
5. Published: He now practices with the law firm of Doe, Roe, Woe and Hoe. (13 words)
Tighter: He practices with the law firm of Doe, Roe, Woe and Hoe. (13 words)
6. Published: "The board took advantage of an opportunity to expand the incentive to remediate students in science and social studies," board President John Doe said at a meeting at the Olympia School for the Deaf and Blind. "It's apparent that the Remediation and Recovery program has been very successful with respect to English and math."
Several superintendents of local school divisions had complained to state education officials that some of their schools were being penalized for letting their students retake SOL tests they had failed. (85 words)
Tighter: "The board took advantage of an opportunity to expand the incentive to remediate students in science and social studies," board President John Doe said at the Olympia School for the Deaf and Blind meeting. "It's apparent that the Remediation and Recovery program has been very successful with respect to English and math."Superintendents of local schools complained to education officials that schools were being penalized for allowing students retake SOL tests they had failed.
7. Published: That conviction was overturned by an appeals court. (8 words)
Tighter: An appeals court overturned that conviction.
8. Published: He has been endorsed by many law enforcement officers in the district. (12 words)
Tighter: Police officers in the district endorsed him.
9. Published: Roe also utilizes film sessions to study other teams' punters. (10 words)
Tighter: Roe studies opponent's punters.
10. Published: In last year's presidential election, voters living in the seven localities that make up the district cast 62 percent of their ballots for Republican George W. Bush. (27 words)
Tighter: 62 percent of voters from the seven localities that make up the district voted for George W. Bush last year.
11. Published: Doe makes his home in Moscow. (6 words)
Tighter: Doe lives in Moscow.
12. Published: But there are times that a witness or a victim will be handed a stack of photos. (17 words)
Tighter: Sometimes Police hand a witness or a victim a stack of photos.
13. Published: A retirement community is needed in the area because many lifelong residents are having to leave Pullman to find a home that suits their needs, Rita Roe said. (28 words)
Tighter: Lifelong Pullman residents need a retirement community in the area so they are not forced to leave to find home, Rita Roe said.
14. Published: Whig John Doe was declared the victor in the race for governor last night, ending eight years of Tory control of the Executive Mansion. (25 words)
Tighter: Whig John Doe won the race for governor last night, ending eight years of Tory's control of the Executive Mansion.
15. Published: To make up for little news coverage, they spent several million dollars on television advertising to get out their messages. (20 words)
Tighter: The company spent several million dollars on television advertising to make up for little news coverage.

Event - Greek Leadership Academy
Contacts - Marie Zebroski, President of Alpha Gamma Delta; Ali Scott, President of Panhellenic; Anita Cory, Director of the Center for Fraternity and Sorority Life

Passive -> Active

1. The 2005 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting was awarded to Kim Murphy of the Los Angeles Times for her eloquent coverage of the Soviet Union.

Kim Murphy, of the Los Angeles Times, won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting, for her eloquent coverage of the Soviet Union.

2. Rubber bullets were fired into the crowd by police in riot gear.

Police in riot gear fired rubber bullets into the crowd.

3. The area was covered by debris from the downed airliner.

The downed airliner covered the area in debris.

4. There were three officers in attendance at the rally, the police chief said.

The Police Chief said there were three officers in attendance at the rally.

5. Any ray of hope to reach a budget compromise was slammed shut by the senator.

The senator slammed shut any ray of hope to reach a budget compromise.

6. The tennis club was holding a meeting at 6:30 p.m.

The tennis club meeting was at 6:30 p.m.

7. The car crash was reported by the officer at 1:30 a.m. Monday morning.

The officer reported the car crash at 1:30 a.m. Monday morning.

8. The exam was failed by more than half of the class.

More than half the class failed the exam.

9. The bill is being considered by the committee.

The committee is considering the bill.

10. The governor was troubled by the accusations.

The accusations troubled the governor.

Fake News Release

Four people were found dead Wednesday morning in apartments on Columbia Ave., in a fire said to have covered up multiple homicides.
Two of the young victims, Janice L. Carothers, 13, and Samantha M. Jones, 17, were pronounced dead at Pullman Medical Center from fatal gunshot wounds. Two remaining victims were pronounced dead at the scene of the crime. Their identification and cause of death are pending the medical examiner’s preliminary review.
Investigators say an unidentified person entered the apartment, an argument took place and multiple gunshots were fired. Firefighters responded to the fire moments later.