RepublicanAmerican

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2012 FINAL 75

REP-AM.COM

WHAT NEXT?
UCONN AND COACH PAUL PASQUALONI WAITING FOR A CALL AFTER TWO MORE BIG EAST TEAMS BOLT, PAGE 1C

Plane crashes in Canton

Morris was part of search area; Life Star called, canceled
BY LAURESHA XHIHANI AND CHRIS GARDNER
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

HUSKIES STUNNED
NO. 23 UCONN MEN LOSE TO NEW MEXICO, 66-60, IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME OF PARADISE JAM, PAGE 1C

Searchers combing an area between Morris and Simsbury late Monday located the wreckage of a small airplane on a ridge in Canton shortly after 11 p.m. Firefighters said the plane was found in a rugged area of Canton, which borders Simsbury to the west. Rescuers early today were trying to reach the site. Lt. J. Paul Vance, state police

spokesman, confirmed the plane crashed, but he did not know how many people were on board, or if anyone was injured. Two Life Star helicopters were dispatched to the scene, but were canceled. Matthew J. Kelly, manager of Waterbury-Oxford Airport in Oxford, disputed reports that the plane originated from there. It had nothing to do with it, said Kelly, who was in Canton helping officials at the crash scene.

He said the plane may have left an airport south of Oxford, but he did not know which one. He also did not know where the plane was supposed to land, but there were reports it was headed to a small airfield in Simsbury called Simsbury Airport. Vance said state police were contacted by officials at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks shortly after 8 p.m. to report an aircraft had disappeared from radar.

Vance said state police initially searched a grid between Morris, Simsbury and Bradley Airport. Its like looking for a needle in a haystack, he said. He said there were no reports of a crash or fire to state police anywhere in the grid area. Trooper 1, the state police helicopter, spotted the plane on the ridge in Canton shortly after 11 p.m. and was shining its bright spotlight on the crash scene to help rescuers.

TECHNOLOGY & EDUCATION

Mayor freezes some spending

With a property revaluation on the horizon, Waterburys mayor has put a freeze on all non-essential municipal spending, hiring and overtime. PAGE 1B

RESEARCH ISNT JUST

Malloy says deficit plan on way

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says his plan to close a projected $365 million budget deficit will be sent to state legislators within the next two weeks. PAGE 3A

Animal protector busted for cruelty

Society director facing charges of dog abuse
BY RICK HARRISON
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Deal could end Mideast attacks

Israeli and Palestinian negotiators appeared to be close to a deal for a cease-fire to end days of deadly attacks. Some Israeli soldiers were ordered to stand down. PAGE 3A

FuelCell gets Microsoft deal

FuelCell Energy says it will build a biogas-fired power plant that will provide electricity to a new data center being built by Microsoft in Wyoming. PAGE 8C

First-responders get glamour

The Glamour Women of the Year awards featured many well-known names. They also gave everyday women, like rescuers from Hurricane Sandy, some recognition. PAGE 4D

LITCHFIELD Frederick Acker, director of the Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals of Connecticut, left Litchfield Superior Court in handcuffs Monday after police arrested him on 62 counts of cruelty to animals. Acker, a 60-year-old Monroe resident, was released on a $15,000 bond for a hearing Dec. 10 in Bantam Superior Court. He planned to appear in the Litchfield court again today to continue fighting the town of Bethlehem over custody of more than 60 dogs seized in a Nov. 8 raid of a shelter under

See DOGS, Page 5A

OPINION OF THE DAY: My wife and I worked hard all our lives and are now retired. We were never rich and never will be, but I am sick and tired of this attitude that the rich are the problem. They already pay the lions share of the taxes. And dont even talk to me about who gives more to charities. It is those rich conservatives hands down. James Hannon, Terryville
READ THE FULL LETTER ON PAGE 6A
JIM SHANNON REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

JIM SHANNON REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

WEB EXTRAS
TO DAY AT R E P -A M .CO M >> HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL Red Zone blogger Kyle Brennan ranks the best Thanksgiving Day football rivalries. Also, visit the Sports page and take part in a new contest to see how good you are at picking the winners of Thursdays games. >> NFL RECAP Read about the fate of the Patriots without Rob Gronkowski (left), plus stars and stats from the weekends NFL games. >> WORTH REPEATING Got to hand it to some cool heads that were around at that time. posted by blue star on the story When a town said No, about Southbury driving out some Nazis 75 years ago.
ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cheshire High School student Lucas Marcouiller writes on a Smart Board in the schools library last week, while Sooriya Sundaram, left, and Emily Larkin watch. Many teachers say high-tech advances, along with digital media like texting and the Internet, have changed the way students communicate and learn.

Frederick Acker holds a dog he rescued recently from Bridgeport.

Web, digital media have drawbacks but are valuable when used properly
BY ALIA MALIK
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

49 Low 32
High

Cool with a few clouds today; looks good for Thanksgiving Day football. Page 8B

AnniesMailbox 12D Business 8C Classified 6B Comics 10-11D Crossword 9D Editorials 6A

Horoscope 12D Jumble 9D Lottery 2A Movie theaters 13D Obituaries 3-4B People 13D

Public record 2A Sports 1C Stocks 7C Sudoku 9D Television 14-15D Women 1D

40 pages. 2012 Republican-American Established 1881, Waterbury, Connecticut All rights reserved

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Read todays editions online at rep-am.com

ast week was face-to-face communication week at Cheshire High School. Students were sent on a human scavenger hunt, asked to have conversations with their peers using their actual voices instead of Facebook and to check facts they learned off a list, such as find a peer who has gone to Disneyland or find a set of twins in the senior class. Theyd rather text someone than talk to them, said Matt Swanson, who teaches modern world history and Advanced Placement government. Theyd rather tweet something than say it out loud to their friends. Teachers told researchers in two nationwide surveys released earlier this month that digital technology has changed the way students communicate, research and

THEYRE ALWAYS MULTITASKING ALL THE TIME, SO YOU DONT GET A LOT OF FULL CONCENTRATION ...
MATT SWANSON
CHESHIRE HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER

learn, for better and for worse. A majority of teachers told the Pew Research Center that the Internet has had a mostly positive impact on students research, but digital technology is fostering an easily distracted generation with short attention spans. Teachers also told Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization that educates families about media and technology consumption, that entertainment media such as text messages, games and social networking have hurt students writing, critical

thinking and verbal communication skills and caused them to neglect homework. Teachers almost universally agreed the Internet gives students easy access to information for research and learning. I definitely encourage them to scour the Web, said Michael Catanese, a business teacher at Seymour High School who did not participate in the surveys. Its an infinite resource with more availability than there was 10 years ago. Its fantastic. Many classrooms now allow students to use laptops, tablets, smartphones or smartboards for classwork, with teachers extra mindful that students stay on task. But Swanson and Bill Eaton, who also teaches comparative cultures and psychology at Cheshire High, said they believe technology is having a negative impact on homework, which students will See LEARN, Page 5A

State leaders tackle obesity among kids

BY MICHAEL PUFFER
REPUBLICAN-AMERICAN

Poor diet equals poor performance

HARTFORD With one in three of Connecticuts youngest schoolchildren either overweight or obese, some of the states top education, health and legislative leaders met Monday to discuss the problem. Most of the two-hour forum at the Capitol, organized by the Connecticut Coalition Against Childhood Obesity, centered on defining the problem and the measures taken thus far. Chronic diseases that used to be defined as adult problems are cropping up increasingly among youth. This unhealthy

See WEIGHT, Page 5A