EDDINGTON IN THE NEWS - AGAIN

Yesterday I received a telephone call from an Eddington resident who was traveling outside the area and listening to a talk-radio station. According to my caller, the station was the most listened to talk-radio station in Maine. I don't recall the call letters of the station - seldom listen to talk radio frankly. My impression of the species is that most of them are hosted by hyper-active talkers who are angry at something most of the time, not the most conducive driving environment. And they can take a nothing issue and turn it into the cause celebre for the next world war - as though we need either (a cause or a world war).

So, back to the phone call. My caller said that s/he had just heard on the radio that the Eddington School had been placed in "lock-down" Tuesday. The radio program "host" had a lot to say apparently in the negative about what could have justified such an action in such a no-town place as Eddington, Maine and how ridiculous the school superintendent was to have done such a thing. My caller wanted to know what I knew about the situation. (Apparently some readers of this blog thing I know everything that goes on around here and why. Not sure if that's a compliment, but thanks for the vote of confidence.)

I said I hadn't heard of the incident but, taking the caller's number I promised to check out whatever sources I could dig up and get back when I had some FACTS - not whatever that radio station was working off.

Then I hit the phones and looked at the online BDN. I figured if the situation had been serious enough to cause a lock-down, the BDN would have something. Besides, most of the radio and TV stations around here pick up their news stories from a local paper or vice versa. My keen mind figured the radio station probably used the BDN as its source.

According to the BDN reporter, Nok-Noi Ricker, there was a situation Tuesday morning at the school when two parents of the same child created some kind of a disturbance serious enough for Principal Spencer to put the school into lock-down mode at 9:15. Superintendent Anderson supported the decision. Maine State Troopers responded and talked with both parents. The situation was sufficiently resolved for the lock-down to be lifted at approximately 11:25am. No details or names were provided regarding the disturbance, the parents' names or the student's. And of course no one knows (or could know) the potential of violence that could have resulted, or any weapons that might have been in the parents car(s) on the grounds. Seems like Principal Spencer made a decision based on the welfare and safety of all of the students and staff entrusted to his care.

Once I had as many facts as I could gather in a reasonable period of time, I called back my caller. Read most of the online BDN article out loud. And then I added my own thoughts of Principal Spencer, having observed him personally at many School Board meetings and the Financial Planning meetings this past spring. I think the parents of children attending the Eddington Elementary School are fortunate in having such a principal. And I know having Dave Anderson as district Superintendent in an improvement over the past couple of years. No further comment needed there.

Of course the radio station program "host" apparently didn't think any discussion was necessary regarding the potential of violence that can come from parents creating some kind of disruption over a child at a school. This writer wonders if that "host" has ever observed or even read about the consequences that arise out of domestic violence situations. Might be a good idea. The consequences don't have to occur just in the home.

The Comments section of the online BDN certainly thought the appropriate actions were taken, and the commendations for Principal Spencer, school secretary Susan Poole, and the school staff were laudatory.

It appears that some form of follow-up counseling or intervention action took place yesterday that involved the necessary parties.

News jaberwockies who don't seem to feel it necessary to find out the facts before trying to incite and stir up disruptive emotions bring out the worst in people who are already under a lot of stress and worry.