ACROSS AMERICA — When it came time to choose a civics project for her leadership class at Bellmore, New York’s, John F. Kennedy High School, sophomore Sydney Brewer drifted back to a terrible day in 2012.
She was the same age as those kids at Sandy Hook Elementary School who either never went home or were left with violent memories that will remain with them for a lifetime.
“I remember so vividly going home to my mom and saying, ‘Did someone kill kids like me, my age?’ ” Brewer told Patch’s Jerry Barmash. A first grader at the time, “I knew I needed to do something ever since I was that young,” she said.
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That pivotal moment came rushing back with the assignment, which was to develop an awareness project. She turned it into an action project with a fundraising campaign that raised $3,000, enough to train students with “Stop the Bleed” kits they can use when seconds count and lives hang in the balance. » A Patch Exclusive by Jerry Barmash for Merrick Patch
He’s Retiring. For Real, This Time.
John Morez had packed up his math classroom once before, in 2006, but after a year found himself back at Oak Forest (Illinois) High School tutoring kids in math. He did it again this week when he walked across the stage at the high school for the 50th time. Does Morez mean it this time? “Fifty long, beautiful years,” he told Patch’s Lauren Traut, adding it has been “a long, fun time at Oak Forest,” and he can’t imagine not having the experience. “My family — my OF family — forever. I can’t stop cold turkey,” he said. “They’re part of my heart.” » A Patch Exclusive by Lauren Traut for Oak Forest Patch
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10 Tiny Dancers
An esteemed New York City ballet school opens 500 spots a year and something like 3,000 offer up their best pirouettes and promenades in a fierce competition to land them. As Patch’s Gus Saltonstall reports, 10 of the spots at Ballet Tech, a public school that combines academic rigor and intensive classical dance training that has been called a “New York City treasure,” went to Harlem Link Charter School second grade students (top photo). » A Patch Exclusive by Gus Saltonstall for Harlem Patch
Make That Apple A Banana
The common advice is that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. But a Plainfield, Illinois, woman who just turned 104 owes her longevity to a banana a day. And God. “The bananas have a lot of potassium, so I’m doing something right,” Genevieve Burckhardt told Patch’s Emily Rosca, adding, “I feel very, very good.” She lives on her own in a retirement center. Arthritis that requires the use of a walker is “the only thing I would ever complain about,” she said. » A Patch Exclusive by Emily Rosca for Plainfield Patch
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See You In Cannes
Laurel, Maryland, native and breakthrough Hollywood movie producer Elijah Washington and his brother have taken their latest project, a movie called “Alemanji,” to the prestigious Cannes Film Festival this week — a heady accomplishment, given Washington has only been in Hollywood for a few years. The film follows a first-generation Black American whose strict parents are from Africa and must walk between two worlds, a balancing act that has resulted in clashes between his traditional family and new-age friends. “Oftentimes, people just have this assumption that all Black people come from the same place [and] have the same process,” Washington told Patch’s Jacob Baumgart. “We may have the same color skin, [but] we may come from two completely different parts of the world.” » A Patch Exclusive by Jacob Baumgart for Odenton-Severn Patch
How Do You Even Recover?
It’s the time of year when reports of children left in hot cars mount up. Former Ridgefield, Connecticut, resident Lindsey Rogers-Seitz knows all about that. Her husband forgot to take their 15-month-old son to daycare, and he died in the car. Is it possible to recover and for the marriage to remain intact? It was a nine-year journey complicated by systemic problems, but the answer to both questions is yes, Rogers-Seitz told Patch’s Rich Kirby. Peeling away the scabs can hurt as much as the wounds, but it’s part of the process, she said. “Sometimes, you become an expert on a topic you wish you could have remained ignorant about,” said Rogers-Seitz, who just released a memoir and manifesto, “The Gift of Ben: Loving through Imperfection,” and also devotes her energies to Kids and Car Safety. That group is on the forefront in prodding car manufacturers to do more to alert motorists when an occupant is left behind in the car. » A Patch Exclusive by Rich Kirby for Ridgefield Patch
The Healing Power Of Music
Patch’s Kristina Houck has another story about overcoming loss with her report about how composer, pianist and meditation expert Murray Hidary is processing the pain of losing his younger sister in a motorcycle accident. “We all process grief in our own ways,” he said. “For a time, I tried to numb myself and avoid all the emotion I was feeling. But you cannot heal from something you don’t allow yourself to feel.” After he found solace by sitting down at the piano, he created an immersive music experience called MindTravel to help others. His live-to-headphone “silent” piano concert in San Diego Wednesday was sold out. » A Patch Exclusive by Kristina Houck for San Diego Patch
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