4.2.12

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Week of April 2:  Click here to READ THIS WEEK'S SELECTIONS or click Extraordinary Person and General Writing to read all recent submissions. To view or download the pages below as pdf files, click the newspaper's name in the attachments below. See the Weekly Photo gallery.

To view last week's Newspaper Series index, click here.

Trampoline
by Maria Kilbride
Inspired By Valerie Worth
 
On my friend's
Trampoline
We jump up and down
With the garden hose
While water is splashing
Like fireworks and
Spraying us with
Ice cold water
We looked for
Rainbows
As we bounce
And when we see them
We run as fast
As we can
Trying to catch them
To find
A pot of gold
At the end
But they are always
Too fast
For us!

         Spring Animals          
By Jessica Kennedy
Inspired by Valerie Worth

Deer are
In the yard
Grazing on
Lush green grass
And pink flowers as I hear
Hop hop hop and
A rabbit
Hops by
To eat
The carrot
I put out
Under a tree
For her
And a butterfly
Flutters by
Trying to find the flowers
We planted in the garden
While fish and frogs
Swim and jump
At the stream..
We watch from
Our pink picnic blanket and
I say,
“Spring is back”
With a smile
And my mom said,
“Spring is back.”

Under the Maple Tree
by Harriet Anderson

Under the maple tree
with chocolate ice cream
in my hand
I lick
the melting gooey mess
that drips down my chin
like I am drooling 
It slides down my arms
and hands
and down my legs
and to my feet
but I don't care
I just start              
to lick it up
as fast as possible
so bees won't come
and sting
the newly sweetened
me! 

Springtime
By Pearl Sutton
Inspired by Valerie Worth

Outside
Birds are chirping
The sun is shining
The temperature is rising so
Slimy muddy
Grass changes to green
Pink buds are blooming and
Cool breezes blow
Flowers are sprouting and
Kids are running
Bees are buzzing and
Children are smiling
Leaves are growing on
Trees and
Cheeks are burning
Pink
Winter hats turn
Into caps
For
Springtime.
  
 

Hanging Out with Spring
By Edward Richey
Inspired By Valerie Worth

Under a tree
Spring flowers bloom in
Bright colors
The sun shines
Really bright and
Gusts of wind
Blow leaves
That need to be raked
Birds chirp loudly while
Dogs bark next door
These are the lovely
Sounds of spring

My Dad is my hero because he takes care of me and takes me to Minnesota and Arizona and lots of other places every year.  My dad was born in 1971 in a small town in Minnesota called Olivia.  He helps me with homework and is very caring to me and helps me when I need help.  He never lets me down. He helps me in times of need. 
My Dad provides service for people. He has served in the United States Air Force.  Now my dad has his own business to help others achieve their goals and their dreams.  His college education helped him achieve this goal. 
My Dad has helped a lot of people. He owns a business that helps others accomplish their life’s goals. He was also in the Air Force. He helps me with a lot of things such as homework, chores, and packing for trips. He has helped me be a good kid. I hope that I can teach my kids how to be a good kid.   
My dad is a very important person. He is very important because he can help me with many things. The most important one is teaching me how to me a great kid!            
 

My Meme has influenced me the most.
She has taught me to believe in myself,
and learn from mistakes.
She has taught me to do my best in all work I do,
and to always have a smile. 
My Meme has taught me to stay strong in times of sadness.
She has taught me to always put family first,
and definitely taught me what a cool gramma is like.
My Meme has taught me if you start something,
always finish it before starting something new in life.
My meme has taught me a lot,
how to tie my shoes, color inside the lines,
zip my zipper but most importantly,
she has taught me to always be myself.

Laura loved fruits. She loved lots of things. Flowers, animals, television (especially cartoons). But she really loved fruits. She loved giving orange peel smiles, especially for the camera that her mom would hover over her with. She loved to call her mom on her banana phone. They would play catch with apples.

Laura grew up to be nine, ten, eleven. She still loved flowers, animals, and television. And she still loved fruits. But there were no longer any smiles or calls. That wasn't "cool" anymore. Nowadays when she grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on their coffee table, she didn't beg her mom to play catch with her, like she used to. She simply ate it.

Laura's mother missed her little girl. She still loved the girl who now gobbled a banana down in two seconds, but she missed the child who thought her mother was the coolest person ever.

Laura's mother soon became weak with skin cancer. It devastated the whole family. She soon became too sick to even leave the hospital. They brought stuffed animals, photos, home movies; anything they thought would make her happy. But she wasn't. She smiled weakly when they visited, but there was no twinkle in her eye. It overwhelmed Laura. This was her mother, her idol, the one who was always there for her. Lying in bed, slowly and painfully dying.

In the hospital, one day, she sat by her mother's bedside, trying her hardest not to cry, home videos on the TV. The video playing was one of her calling her mother on a banana. She looked back at her mother in present day, and she was smiling. A real smile. With a spark of emotion in her eyes. This excited Laura. Read more »

Wind whispered in my ears, played with my damp, dark hair, stinging my wet face. I stayed though. I stood in the rain, away from the tree, in the grass that was slowly turning to mud without flinching. My jacket was soaked. I was loosing feeling in my toes. But I stood by the road as day turned to night, as a storm blew in, becuase you know what? He said he'd be here.

I trusted him. He trusted me. He kept my secrets.

I kept his. He promised me. He keeps his promises. I know he does. He said he does. 

    "I'll be there," he had said. "I'll be there tomorrow, I promise. We can do this. We'll be okay."

He had promised. I had promised. And dang it, he said he'd be here.

A car zipped by, speeding through a puddle, splashing me. I couldn't tell if the driver noticed me or not. The rain was too dense, the night too dark. I was cold. A few minutes later--it felt like hours, but it couldn't have been much later--another car drove up. I stepped back, not wishing to be splashed again, even though I didn't know how much wetter I could get. Still, I struggled to see the car. What if it was him? It wasn't. I expected them to drive on, but the car stopped in front of me, right in the middle of the road, and my brother got out. 

     "What are you doing?" He yelled over the thunder. He grabbed me by the shoulders, lookimg at me. "We gotta go home!" 

But I couldn't leave. I couldn't. He said he'd be here. He didn't--couldn't--leave without me. Could he? Did he?  Read more »

How do you act when nobody is around? Do you pick up that old wrapper in the road? Do you stop that bully from picking on the weaker kid? Do you break the rules because you know you won’t get caught? When nobody is watching do you do the right thing? Or do you sneak on by feeling guilty? You’re slipping a little more, Each time you get away with it. Slipping down, down, down, Deep into the dark hole of… TROUBLE. When no one is watching, You should do the right thing, And feel even better about yourself, Knowing you weren’t doing it to impress anyone, But, doing it for yourself, You’ll feel good. An overwhelming happiness, Will explode inside of you like a balloon. It’s your own choice to make, In life, You’ll sleep better at night, Walk lighter during the day, And glow, instead of smile. Knowing you do the right thing When nobody is watching.

Rachel

    My sister Rachel has something about her that makes everyone around her enjoy her company.  I think that it might be her loyalty.  She has always been there for me in everything.  She is behind be when I need her most.  There’s no better feeling than seeing someone you love look out for you and stand up for you.  If I was picked on as a kid, they were suddenly someone that my sister despised more than me.  It might be a bad thing, but she would hold on to grudges longer than me as well.  It doesn’t feel like a bad thing when she’s standing up for me though.  She doesn’t do it because she’s expecting something, she does it because that is what she feels is right.  My hope is that she feels the same way about how I act towards her now that I am growing up that I feel about her actions towards me.  I hope I can carry on the loyalty given  to me by her, to all of my friends and family.  Rachel has been influential in ways that I don’t even think she knows.  Her loyalty that is just second nature for her that she shrugs off like it’s nothing is the same loyalty that I will remember forever.

Feels almost too weird, like a dream playing out in reality

Nothing’s changed, but at the same moment, everything has

One day it’s starting out saying hi

Just meeting you, not knowing who you were, but fancied to know you

Having you as my friend is all it’s been

Still saying hi, but adding in a “hey” and “how are you" once in a while

Still nothing’s changed, yet same breath, everything has

About a year down the road, still saying hi, still saying, “hey” and “how are you”

But now there’s a hug, a high five and lots of smiles

I’ve gotten to know you more, but none the less still saying hi

Nothing’s changed but everything has

Two more years have passed

Still say hi, still say hey and how are you, still giving hugs, high fives and smiles

But now I’m sitting next to you on the couch, with fingers interlocked, holding your hand

Nothing’s changed, all the while, everything has

Being influenced is a great thing,
but by Lance Armstong is another thing.
Fighting on,
never stopping,
through cancer and controversy,
kept his focus going.
Titles are what he is remembered for,
but his passion for the bike,
and to get going again,
is what I remember him for.
Living on,
to fight another day,
never stopping in any way.
Many times he could have given up,
this is why, I look up to him,
never stopping,
never giving in.

Stella

You are the brightness in the sun

You are the moonlight when the day is done

When the flowers are out we pick them one by one

You are a treasure so beautiful and sweet

Someday i hope we get to meet

At the pearly gates of heaven

I can't wait to be together again

A leaf falls, it is autumn

You are a shining sea, a white dove watching over me

You are a dream in my sleep

I hear you speak, your voice is real

Even though you were only sixteen

You were like a mother to me

The lake flows beyond us... I am going to remember all.

Summer breeze, summer please!

Sitting in the classroom
In the groggy winter gloom,
Pleading out the window
“Sunny days soon”,
Not even spring yet
As we place our bet,
On summer clothes
And ice cream cones,
On butterflies
And long cool, night bike rides,
On soaking in the sun’s rays
For slow and hazy and crazy days,
For no more winter coats
And white, foggy breath smoke,
For skipping rocks
And late night secret friends’ talk,
But not for now,
Now we wait,
For when a streak of sun peaks through the clouds,
We wait for those hot day glees,
“Summer breeze, summer please,”
 

The fire burns bright against the midnight sky,

Don't leave us here to die,

I hope my family is alright.

He sits there still,

 Playing along,

I have waited to show them what I can do for so long,

After I sang to Rue to her death bed song.

I am the Mockingjay leading all,

The capitol shall fall,

Tonight.

The sun is going down,

Still we are not safe and sound.

The air is cold,

I feel alone.

The world is dying and it is all my fault,

Or is it just the end? 

My dad is a huge influence in my life. He has always been there for me, never once judging me. He works very hard for what we have, with him working two jobs I don’t get to see him very much but I know I can always go to him about anything. I love the time we spend together. His personality and sense of humor are hard to find, sometimes I feel like I’m just hanging out with one of my best friends. I can only wish to be as driven as he is. When I’m older I hope I’m lucky enough to find a man as hardworking, caring and fun to be around as my dad. I really hope my dad knows that he is appreciated and as loved as he is.

Kermit Welch Richardson a man you may or may not know. He was my grandfather, and he was amazing in many different subjects. He is my hero, and he is extraordinary person. He was an amazing father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend; he was the best person you ever met. He never judged, and would love you no matter what. He would talk to you anytime, and would listen to what you had to say. You could have totally different point of views, and he still would give you the respect you deserved. He went to a lot of my games; if we won or lost he would say I did great, even if I sat the bench, in any sport. He was apart of the Vermont Legislature, he was town moderator for 51 years for the town of Orange. When he was in the Legislature he even gave our current governor Peter Shumlin advice, and made such an impact he called my grandmother after he died. He was apart of the Grange from the age of 14 to when he died at the age of 82. He was the master of the National Grange for many years, which is the highest office in the Grange. He inspired many people, so much that at his wake a representative of the Grange from each state was there. My grandmothers and his 61^st anniversary was last month. He was a hero, and will be tragically missed. No one is the same with him gone. I saw my dad cry for the first time. I saw many people cry and morn for him, and I looked back on his life, and I was proud to be the youngest grandson of Kermit Welch Richardson. I was proud of my family. He is my hero, and his legacy will live forever.      

School: Stafford Technical center

The man that inspire me most is my dad he has always been there for me no matter what all tho we may not always get along But what kid doesnt get in a fight with there parent now and agian. Some of my biggest lessons have come from just watching him from a work ethic to how to treat other people wether you like them or not. he also tought me that if you want something you have to work for it becouse in this world nobody is just going to give you anything. Its inportant to rember the lessons that you are tought. sometimes he doesnt agree with the things i do but he suports my decisions and helps me as much as he can. So in the end my dad has to be the most inspirational person in my life.

Even in the darkest nights
when there was nothing,
there was one small light.

In the deepest waters
with the fiercest waves,
there was one lifejacket.

On the sheerest cliff
with nothing else to hold onto,
there was one foothold.

In the most unknown place
where I knew no one,
there was one familiar face.

That face was you.

Whenever I'm lost, 
you are my guide.
You're there for me,
day and night,
through thick and thin.

You're my shoulder to cry on,
my link to sanity,
my spark in the night.

You don't judge me,
or the secrets I carry.
You accept me for who I am,
flaws and all,
and don't try to make me change. Read more »

The most extraordinary person is my mom. She is amazing, she is irreplaceable. She is a person who gives all herself for others, she gives everything also if she has nothing.  She is always there for me and even when I disappoint her, she is always ready to help me, without judging. Even in the bad times, she never stops smiling, and she never gives up. She taught me how to love, she has always supported me and motivated to give my best in every situation. She is the strongest woman I know, and when people tell me that I look like her, it’s the best compliment I can receive because I hope that when I grow up, I’ll be like her.

I know an extraordinary person who is a big part of my life. This person is my amazing mom. She does everything for me and without her I would not be the person I am today. I am a competitive dancer so my mom has to pay for costumes tuition and competitions. Dancing is what I love but I love my mom more. Sometimes I wish I have nicer things that some of my friends have but I remember that my mom is a single parent and works all day for me. So I need to do something for  her. I try to help around the house whenever I can, and make sure to ask her about her day, every day, just so she knows I care. I love my mom and would be nothing without her. I hope she gets to read this so she knows how much I care. I love you mom!

A person who has deeply influenced my life, even though I've never met him personally, is Chris Colfer. He's my role model, and has been for a while. What makes him such a great role model, is how he stood up to bullies as a teen. Also, he's been acting in a television show as a series regular, writing a series of books, and writing movies as well as starring in them. To think he's only 21 years old. At the age of 20, he won a Golden Globe for best supporting actor in a Comedy series. He's a great role model for young adolescents everywhere. If I could one day be just as talented as him, I'd be so greatful. He has inspired me to go above and beyond on every piece of writing I do. 

People know the most extraordinary person to me is Eleanor Roosevelt, but there is another who I can't live life without. That would be my sister. She is more then my sister she is my best friend, my shoulder to cry on, we are in separable. We might as well be twins.Although we look nothing alike we are everything alike. My sister and I have been together and through everything together. She is one of the smartest people I know and has all the answer when I go to her. We may not always get along and trust me there have been days when we want to rip each other apart and there are times we ahve wrestled, but somehow we always make up even. She is a wonderful artist and I envy her for it. Her photograghy is amazing. I remember one day I was still in bed and she came into my room with a bowl of cereal and just sat on my bed. She turned to me and said, "get up and get dressed I'm taking pictures of you today," I didn't want to, but she wouldn't leave till I agreed. She is a very independent person and I love her with all my heart. Now, she may be, what seems like half way across the ocean, but really she is in california going to school. I miss her everyday and wish I could follower her, but alas I can't. She is my other half and together we are the best duo every. No one can match us. We are twins a year apart from each other. 

                       Do you know what makes the wind, the sweet, sweeping sound that reassures us that there is air to breathe?

         I know what makes the wind blow so, 'tis you who makes it flow.

                 Do you know what makes the berries ripe, with juice and raw newborn color?

               I know what makes the berries ripe, 'tis you, 'tis you who makes the flavor burst.

                                Do you know what makes my life so sweet, with bursts of small delight?

                            I know! I know!

                  'Tis you, 'tis you.

                            I know it is.