Archive - Oct 11, 2011
PUNXSUTAWNEY — The group of eight to 10 youngsters, in their early teens, surrounded the smaller group of middle-school-aged children at Harmon Field a few weeks ago, and wouldn’t let them leave the circle. But it wasn’t a game.
The surrounding youngsters taunted the others with foul language and racial epithets. They told the surrounded youngsters that they didn’t belong here, because they come from a family of mixed races, white and black.
Then it happened again, shortly after the children’s mother filed a report with police.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Exactly what a violation of someone’s civil rights is was explained during an assembly at the Punxsutawney Area Middle School Tuesday.
“The practice or policy of discrimination ... foments domestic strife and unrest, threatens the rights and privileges of the inhabitants of the Commonwealth, and undermines the foundation of a free democratic state,” said Robert G. Flipping Jr., intake and education and community services supervisor for the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC).
PUNXSUTAWNEY — Students in the Punxsutawney Area School District meeting adequate yearly progress (AYP) on the PSSA exams is not a new development: They have been doing so for years, according to Richard Galluzzi, director of federal programs and curriculum.
"I'm so happy to announce this every year," he said Tuesday. "This town needs to be proud of its teachers and its students. They work hard and listen to the teachers."
Monday, Galluzzi told the Punxsutawney Area School Board that in 2010 and 2011, students achieved AYP across the board, and Tuesday, he detailed some of the results.
DUBOIS — The Punxsy girls' tennis squad took two teams to the District IX doubles championship tournament Tuesday in DuBois, and each team saw success, including a District IX championship for Punxsy's No. 1 doubles pair of Anna Monyak and Shaina Reddinger.
"Everything clicked for Anna and Shaina," Punxsy head coach Rose Graffius said Tuesday night after the victory. "They basically dominated the entire match."
PUNXSUTAWNEY — The Punxsy boys' cross country team hosted the DuBois Beavers Tuesday afternoon at Punxsutawney Area High School, and the Chucks edged out the Beavers 26-29 to earn a win on senior recognition day.
The seniors were recognized before the meet along with the girls' cross country team's seniors. For a photo from the senior recognition, see Thursday's edition of The Spirit.
PUNXSUTAWNEY — The Punxsy girls' cross country team dropped a close one in their final home meet of the season, falling 27-28 to the DuBois Beavers on Senior Night.
DuBois was able to take three of the top four places in the meet to drop the Lady Checks to 4-4 on the year.
"We figured it was going to be close, and it truly could have gone either way today," Punxsy coach George Wehrle said. "DuBois was stronger up front in getting three runners in before our second runner, but we rallied nicely to take the next four places and almost pull out the win. It was an exciting meet."
