Amtrak Downeaster Story

A local officer and teenager are being touted as a heroes after saving a Canadian tourist on Wednesday, Sept. 26, from the oncoming Amtrak Downeaster train at a railroad crossing in Old Orchard Beach, Maine.

Authorities were directed to the scene by local resident James Laboke, age 17, who rushed into the nearby Pier Street police station after noticing that a car was stalled on the tracks while on the four mile walk to his job at the Eezy Breezy Restaurant on East Grand Street. Upon arrival at the station Laboke told officers that the car was stalled with a man – who was identified by authorities as 80-year-old Quebec City, Canada native Francois Truffaut – sitting in the driver’s seat unconscious.

After pounding on the window of the vehicle to try and wake the driver, Laboke then ran 100 yards to the police station to alert authorities.

Police captain Janet Paradiso received the call approximately a mile away from the scene in her police cruiser and made her way to the scene at 6:05 a.m. When she arrived on the scene she could hear the whistle of the oncoming train in the distance.

“I knew there was no time,” Paradiso recalled later at the police station. “I knew I had to do something.”

According to Brian Paul, Old Orchard Beach chief of police, Paradiso proceeded to ram her car into Truffaut’s 1987 Cadillac Seville and pushed it away from the tracks. Just moments later the train passed through the crossing at about 40 miles per hour.

“It was that close,” Paul said.

After the incident Truffaut was transported to Southern Maine Medical Center. He is currently listed in stable condition, but is unable to recall any of the incident.

“I don’t remember a thing,” Traffaut said.

Police reported that Traffaut, who admitted that he is a diabetic, may have gone into insulin shock just as he reached the railroad crossing.

As for James Laboke, he managed to arrive on time to his job as a waiter. When he arrived at work Laboke did not mention the incident that transpired earlier that morning.

In fact Laboke’s boss Charles Champaigne, the owner of the restaurant and the man who hired Laboke around eight months ago, was unaware of the incident until reporters contacted him.

When hearing about Laboke’s heroics, Champaigne was not surprised at all by his employees good deed.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Champaigne told reporters at the restaurant. “That young man is one of my most responsible employees. He’s just a great kid.”

To Laboke though, he was simply doing the right thing.

“I never thought about it,” Laboke said later. “I just knew I couldn’t let that man get crushed by a train.”

Blogging.

A have a love-hate relationship with blogging. Let me just put that out there right away for you.

I love it because it allows me the freedom to express myself as an individual. It provides me with a means to openly express myself in a manner that is, typically, positive because then my emotions are running wild. Through blogging, as with many forms of writing, I find a sense of freedom that is often hard to find in any other facet of life.

Yet at the same time, I often find myself becoming disgusted by what blogging is becoming. Blogging is slowly turning into a form of media that is extremely self-centered. That, unfortunately, is hard to be something to be proud of. After all who wants to participate in a form of media that often gets looked down upon simply because of the fact that, due to the nature of how blogging works, it makes people look egotistical. Blogging is, effectively, the narcissist’s media.

And thus why I find myself often conflicted with the media form known as blogging.

Leads and stuff.

Leads. They come in all shapes and sizes. And, sometimes, they will differentiate from the typical summary lead. See, for instance, this article here regarding Packers guard T.J. Lang’s recent tweeting spree. Or, perhaps, this one here regarding the effects of the Seahawks victory last night on gamblers. If those to fit your fancy, maybe this one on a soldier charged with manslaughter will do you the trick.

These all utilize different types of leads, all with different levels of success.

Let us start with the solider lead, which does border on a summary lead. I would personally categorize it more on the startling statement lead the book describes, simply because the idea of a solider utilizing a gun to scare away the hiccups seems a little bizarre and out of the ordinary. Overall the lead works really well, because the uniqueness of the incident is really what will draw a person into such a story. I know it certainly engaged me.

As for the T.J. Lang story, it does a solid job of summarizing an entire mood of a story before you even get into it. Overall I would not say it is a very effective lead though, as simply reading it will not bring a reader into the story nor does it really do much to inform you what the whole purpose of the story actually is.

Finally you have the story regarding the Seahawks and its correlation to gambling. This does a good job of letting you know what the story is about, but it falls a little flat on engaging you into wanting to read the rest of the story. So that, of course, is a bit of a problem.

But yea, so those are my thoughts on some leads.

A Wednesday morning stroll through UNH...

There isn’t much to talk about here at UNH. At least regarding safety, that is.

This is what conclusion is after scouring through campus with two of my classmates during class last week.

Now what I mean by this is that just walking around campus you are unlikely to find anything that really stands out regarding safety at the University of New Hampshire. And this is simply because there is not a whole lot to be concerned with when you walk around UNH.

Campus security and the campus police force do an excellent job of trying their bests to keep students safe, and I feel that effort is reflected in the lack of problems that typically arise around campus on a weekly basis.

This, unfortunately for my comrades, leads to little to discuss after a single half hour of cruising around campus. In fact most of the ideas we thought up came from us simply brainstorming things that we have heard through the grape vine, or something we felt would make for an interesting story.

And no amount of walking could really change that.

Am I a journalist?

Am I journalist? To date, I guess that best answer I could provide anybody with this would have to be yes and no.

No for obvious reasons. The only journalistic work I do is with a student-run newspaper, which has limited capabilities and only runs on a twice-weekly basis. Add in the fact that I am also a resident assistant and a student, and the feeling I get of being a journalist is greatly diminished.

Yet there is the fact that, as I previously stated, I do in fact work for a newspaper. I brainstorm story ideas, pitch out said stories to writers and do everything that is needed of me to make sure that The New Hampshire runs as smoothly as it possibly considering the role in which I currently find myself in.

It is a weird balance, I must admit. But at the same time I could not imagine my life any other way, and for that fact I am extremely grateful.

So, about leads.

The idea of leads frustrate me. I shall just put that out there immediately. And this has nothing to do with the fact that leads are anything overly complicated, to the point where I just can't fathom a proper way of doing them. No, writing in nearly all forms has never been that daunting of a task to me.

You see though, leads are frustrating because there is so much pressure packed into so many words. Within a lead you are not only conveying information, which I have grown accustmed to doing since I started writing in the newspaper and for this class, but you are also working on trying to capture the eye of an audience who will judge your work purely based off of whether your lead was enticing enough.

Now I am aware that this is not usually a testament towards your work as a writer, as you can only go so far towards making a news story on cookies interesting. Yet the fact that there is so much pressure packed into those words always has me second guessing myself.

Then, of course, when I look at other newspaper and their leads I come to the realization that I am not too far off from getting there. So, it is that idea that gives me some hope.

The challenge with stories...

The challenge with coming up with story ideas? That was something that was pitched as a potential blog post topic, and upon reading that statement I immediately began to question it.

And no, this does not mean to sound arrogant in any way. It just points out something that I feel like most prospective journalists aren't fully aware of. That news comes and finds you, you just need to be aware of it when you see it.

I say this from the standpoint of the sports editor of The New Hampshire and somebody who has been an active part of the newspaper since my arrival in Durham a little over a year ago. From that experience I have come to learn that, while it may indeed be difficult at times to ultimately decide how newsworthy a story really is, a lot of it really will come straight to you as long as you pay attention, keep an open mind and just use common sense. There have been countless of times when my co-editor and I have been sitting together, unsure of what stories to pitch, when we came to the realization that a lot of stuff has been gently placed into our laps.

Anyways, that is just my thought on this issue. I feel the notion that coming up with story ideas as challenging is a little over blown at times, simply because most of the news is placed right into your lap. All you need is a bit of an open mind.

Mile High Road Car Accident Report

Two passengers were seriously injured in a car accident Tuesday night on Mile High Road in Belmont, Mass. after a car swerved off the road, hit an embankment and flipped onto its roof. The driver escaped unharmed.

According to police the driver was Jamie Peterson, 17, and the passengers have been identified as female by Lt. Judith Barkus. Authorities say that one of the victims has been taken to Memorial Hospital in Belmont, Mass. who is in stable condition, while the other was airlifted to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Mass.

Local resident Josie M. Crandall made the call after she saw the accident. Crandall told police that she had looked out the window at 9 p.m. and saw a white Mustang headed north on the road.

“I’ve never seen a car going so fast on this road,” Crandall said. “It’s a dirt road, and it’s really easy to lose control.”

Police have stated that alcohol may have also played a factor in Tuesday’s crash.

Mile High Road – which currently has no streetlights – has a history of serious accidents. Back on Dec. 24, 2005 there was a fatal accident at the same spot. In that incident two local teenagers were killed.

“It’s hard to see kids your age in something like this,” Tom Carroll, Jr., 17, said. Carroll was behind the Mustang before the accident and was the first on the scene. “You realize when you see it what could happen, especially on this road.”

Unfinished Red Riding Hood Story

                A young girl and her grandmother were saved by a local hunter at the grandmother’s home deep in The Woods Tuesday after being eaten by a wolf earlier that morning.

                The huntsman – who had been seeking the wolf for years now – heard loud snores coming from the grandmother’s home. Concerned about this unusual behavior, he walked into the home to further investigate.

                “After hearing those loud snores I knew something unusual had to have been taking place,” the huntsman said. “The elderly lady is not usually that noisy, so it definitely seemed out of character for her.”

                Upon making his discovering, the hunter then went on to slice the wolf’s stomach open only to find the grandmother and the little girl still alive. At this point in time both individuals are currently in the hospital as a precaution.

                According to reports the incident came about after the young girl, named Elisabeth, came to visit her ailing grandmother. The visit was intended to provide some nourishment for the elderly woman.

                “I sent Elisabeth off with some bread, butter and wine,” Elisabeth’s mother said to reporters. “This was a trip that Elisabeth had completed on numerous occasions, so I did not expect anything like this to happen.”
                Half way through the trip to her grandmother’s home, which is located just a mile and a half into The Woods, Elisabeth was joined by the wolf. After divulging information from the young girl, the wolf then persuaded Elisabeth to pick some flowers.

                It was at this point that the wolf went to the grandmother’s home. He managed to enter the residency after fooling the grandmother into thinking he was her granddaughter.

                “I heard a knock on the door, and a voice announced from that other side that it was my darling Elisabeth,” the grandmother said prior to be sent off to the hospital. “When I opened up the door, the next thing I know I am getting devoured by that wolf!”

                The wolf then went on to disguise himself as the grandmother, a ploy that he utilized one Elisabeth arrived to the scene.

                “After picking some flowers for a while I finally made it to grandma’s house,” Elisabeth said. “Something seemed off about my grandmother, but before I could put my finger on it I was inside the wolf’s stomach.”

                In a miraculous turn of events both the grandmother and Elisabeth had no injuries when the hunter arrived to rescue them….

What is news?

What is news? That is something that all journalists and aspiring journalists must ask themselves at some point in their life. After all, it is this question that will ultimately guide their careers. So, with that said, what is news to me? For me, news is anything groundbreaking, inspiring or anything that anybody could even imagine having some sort of relevance. That is a very vague answer, yes, but it is also the most precise one as well as this covers the broadest spectrum of topics. Politics, local crime, foreign affairs, national and local sports and even human interest pieces that are meant to tug at the heart strings or inspire an audience all can fit under this umbrella of news. All of these topics have varying significance in the world around us, yet each of them are news.

Students enthusiastic about the future of WSBE

            With the start of any semester at the University of New Hampshire is typically marked with excitement and enthusiasm felt with the arrival of a clean slate. This semester, however, stands out in particular as this fall marks the grand finale for the Whittemore School of Business and Economics – also known by students and faculty as WSBE – as it currently exists.

That is because in January, 2013 those involved with WSBE will be receiving a new home, as well as a new name, for which they can be excited for.

For students and faculty within WSBE the move to the Peter T. Paul Building, which is expected to be finished and ready to open by the time the spring semester kicks off, is a much anticipated move. Sophomore Dan Hayes noted how the extra space is something that students are particularly excited about.

“There is just excitement that we [WSBE students] are actually going to be in a nice building instead of cramped, hot, nasty McConnell,” Hayes said.

The move to the building has been the focal point amongst faculty members during these first few weeks of the fall semester. To some students, such as sophomore Tyler Brodeur, the changes that will be felt this upcoming spring are merely aesthetic changes.

“We [the students] hear a lot about the new building. Because that is what it really is, it’s a new building,” Brodeur said. “But I don’t think too much is going to change other than the name [of the college] and the new building.”

            Students such as Brodeur and Hayes have expressed a minor concern over how the name change – from WSBE to the Peter Paul College – will impact the school from a short term standpoint in regards to name recognition, they ultimately understand that UNH’s status as a state school will help make the transition easier.

“UNH is a state school, it is still so popular. I don’t think there will be any issue in getting people to go [to the Peter Paul College],” Brodeur said.

            In the end these changes that are on the horizon have most students and faculty feeling optimistic about the future of the school.

“I think it is going to be a good change,” freshman John Bethoney said. “I think it is going to be for the better of the school.”

You can find the author on Twitter at @AdamBabinat