Officer of the Week – Police Officer John W. Perry

 
Remember September 11, 2001
Angels Among Us

Police Officer John W. Perry
Shield 3266
40 Precinct
(recovered)
2/7/2002

 

 

 

 

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 5, 2009

Police Officer John W. Perry
Shield 3266
40 Precinct
(recovered)

John Perry knew he had only one life to live, and so he immersed himself in many.

He was a New York City police officer, a lawyer, an actor, a linguist, an active libertarian, a social worker helping abused children, a philosopher searching for his religion, and a softhearted soul who opened his wallet and his home to near strangers.

“He was the kind of person who enjoyed life,” said his mother, Patricia Perry of Seaford. “He was a libertarian who thought some rules weren’t necessary. Whatever he believed in, he followed.”

Perry, 38, was last seen helping a woman out of a trade center tower when it collapsed on Sept. 11. His original mission that morning had been to turn in his badge, file his retirement papers and embark on a new career. Instead, he retrieved the badge and rushed off with fellow officers to help evacuate people from the towers.

“Apparently John was too slow carrying this woman,” said Arnold Wachtel, Perry’s close friend. “But knowing John, he would never leave that lady unattended. That was just like him to help people.”

Perry’s generosity was boundless. His two-bedroom apartment in a public housing complex near Lincoln Center was known as a free bed and breakfast. Vladimir Azbel, a longtime friend, said he once called Perry because he had $1,700 in parking tickets. “He said, ‘Yeah, don’t worry. Just don’t get anymore tickets,'” Azbel said. “Later on I found out that he just paid them.”

Perry was diagnosed with a learning disability in the first grade and only learned to tie his shoes and read by the age of 9. But he overcame those difficulties. His love affair with learning foreign languages was sparked in the eighth grade when he began studying French.

He was outgoing, unafraid to approach a native speaker and attempt to speak the language, said his mother. The list of languages he spoke included Spanish, Swedish, Russian and Portuguese.

Perry studied law at New York University Law School, practiced immigration law with a friend after graduating and then went to the police academy. Eventually, he took a position investigating and disciplining police officers’ minor infractions.

In his spare time, Perry took parts as an extra in movies and TV shows such as “NYPD Blue.” He volunteered as an investigator for the Kings County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He also was a board member of the Nassau Chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union.

“At board meetings … he sort of out libertarianed us,” executive director Barbara Bernstein said. “If someone thought it wasn’t the right timing or [a case] wasn’t winnable, he was an idealist. He made us justify what we were doing.”

Perry also had explored many religions, attending various services and reading about each extensively. He was converting to Judaism and often attended the Actors Temple in midtown Manhattan, where Rabbi Noach Valley talked about Perry for his Rosh Hashanah sermon days after the tragedy. “He was never bored, because his life was brim-full of holy service to others,” Noach told his congregations. “Here was a onetime atheist living a life of kedushah, of closeness to God.”

– New York Newsday Victim Database 2/7/2002

Source: NYP Angels

Firefighter of the week – Dep. Chief SOC Charles L. Kasper

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 3, 2009

Granddaddy’s Trains.

Last year at Christmastime, Deputy Chief Charles L. Kasper of the Fire Department’s Special Operations Command went out and bought a set of trains.

They were not for his 425-person division, which races to the scene whenever there is a major catastrophe and already owns a huge collection of red-painted fire trucks, fireboats and other exciting toys for grown-ups. No, they were for his grandson, but when the chief linked the track pieces into a circle and sent the locomotive huffing and whistling around it, Dylan, then only 7 months old, was too young to appreciate the spectacle.

Never mind, thought Chief Kasper. There’s always next year.

On Sept. 11, the 54-year-old veteran of dozens of rescues was having a day off when he heard about the World Trade Center attacks. He scrambled into a spare fire engine parked near his home in Staten Island and sped to the towers. He had a motto: “Drive it like it’s stolen,” recalled Jim Ellson, a retired captain.

Recently Chief Kasper’s wife, Laureen, and their children unpacked the trains, set them up the same way he had and watched while Dylan reacted with delight. “We say that he’s playing with Granddaddy,” who was “always on duty for his family,” Mrs. Kasper said. “And we know that Charlie’s circle will always encircle us.”
Profile published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on December 9, 2001.

KASPER-Charles L. Deputy Chief, F.D.N.Y. Beloved husband of Laureen. Devoted father of Melissa and Mark Friedman, Kara Kasper and Michael. Adoring ”Granddaddy” to Dylan Friedman. A 28 year veteran of the F.D.N.Y. Recently promoted to Deputy Chief. He reported in from his home the morning of the World Trade Center disaster. Chief Kasper arrived at the Command Post prior to the collapse. He was last seen directing Fire Operations in the North Tower. There will be a memorial service in his honor on Friday September 28, 2001 at the Veterans Memorial Hall, 1000 Richmond Terrace at Snug Harbor on Staten Island.

Paid notice published in THE NEW YORK TIMES on September 26, 2001.

Source Legacy

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

National Zoo – Flamingo

By FNZ
November 5, 2009

Order: Ciconiiformes
Family: Phoenicopteridae
Genus and Species: Phoenicopterus ruber

The Zoo exhibits flamingos from the Caribbean region. They are sometimes called American, Caribbean, or Greater Flamingo.

Size

Flamingos are usually 42 inches long from the tip of the head to the tip of the tail, and are as tall as five feet. They weigh five to six pounds, and have a wingspan of 55 inches.

Distribution and Habitat

The flamingo lives in Central and South America, the West Indies, and the Galapagos Islands, in coastal salt lagoons, saltpans, and other brackish or saltwater shallows.

Diet

Flamingos eat algae, mollusks, larvae chrysalides of brine-flies and brine-shrimps, which give them their pink color.

Reproduction

Pairs of males and females make mud-mound nests, and incubate only one egg for about 30 days. Chicks leave the nest after ten days, and join a group of other chicks, called a crèche, watched by a few adults.

Conservation

Flamingo populations remain relatively stable, despite loss of habitat due to human development.

Source: National Zoo

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Grade 3 English

By Alexis Burling
November 4, 2009

Grandchildren learn to get more out of the books they read, and begin to master the mechanics of writing

By third grade, students focus almost exclusively on reading to learn. Teachers help third-grade readers zero in on the main ideas and supporting details of paragraphs, and children learn how to use chapter headings, tables of contents, and indexes. When reading fiction, third-graders begin to make predictions and inferences, and to think about characters’ motivations. Teachers show students how to use small charts known as “graphic organizers” to help track the main ideas, characters, and themes in their reading. In writing lessons, teachers concentrate on the mechanics: grammar, spelling, and handwriting. Students are evaluated based on how they write (including proper sentence structure and correct use of the parts of speech) and on what they write (including well-organized thoughts, descriptive language, and clear dialogue). Teachers also expect students to stay on their main point throughout a piece of writing, which is often a challenge for very young writers. To practice these skills, third-graders will create outlines to write stories that have a beginning, a middle, and an end, and they will be asked to edit and correct their own work. As part of their daily homework, third-graders study weekly spelling and vocabulary lists, and keep a record of their personal reading selections.

Teaching to the Test? Since the federal No Child Left Behind Act became law in 2002, schools have put increased emphasis on standardized tests, especially in English and math, and teachers have sometimes feel pressured to forgo “outside the box” methods in favor of preparing their students for the high-stakes, end-of-the-year tests. English teachers have noted that many of these tests are featuring more easier-to-grade multiple-choice questions and fewer short-answer essay questions. Critics say this shift has been detrimental for kids who are better at expressing what they have learned in writing than at answering a question with only one right answer. They also complain that focusing on the test, and the kind of questions it asks, pigeonholes young students into a single, rigid way of learning.

* The 20th Century Children’s Poetry Treasury (Knopf, 1999) was compiled by the country’s first Children’s Poet Laureate, Jack Prelutsky, and contains 211 poems from 137 writers, including Langston Hughes, Ogden Nash, and Karla Kuskin. This exhaustive anthology will introduce grandchildren to many types of poetry.
* Stone Soup magazine offers 48 pages of stories, poems, book reviews, and artwork, all created by kids for kids. Inspire your grandchildren to strive for publication at an early age by sharing this one-of-a-kind publication with them.
* Reading a 500-page novel may seem too daunting for some third-graders, not to mention plenty of time-challenged adults. But Caldecott Award winner Brian Selznick’s The Invention of Hugo Cabret, (Scholastic, 2007) an engrossing mystery set in 1930s Paris, contains enough full-page charcoal drawings to make the task manageable for ambitious, advanced students.
* Third-graders become comfortable using a thesaurus to help them find just the right word for their writing assignments. Joshua Kendall’s The Man Who Made Lists (Putnam, 2008) is a historian’s glimpse into the life of Peter Mark Roget, the man who created the famous thesaurus that still bears his name. Kendall’s book is for adults, but grandchildren fascinated by words will be eager to hear what you learn from it.

For Young Puzzlers. Wordsmiths young and old love a good crossword challenge. Doing a crossword together on the couch or at the park is a great way to bond with grandchildren, and a great way to build their vocabulary. There are plenty of crossword anthologies for young people on bookstore shelves, but you can make a special crossword puzzle for them, or create one with them, at a free website like this one.

It’s Okay to Act Out. “Reader’s Theater,” in which students act out short plays in their classrooms, is a popular elementary-school activity. But now that your grandchildren are a little older, and doing more writing in school, they may be ready to write a short play of their own. It could be about your family, a vacation memory, a favorite athlete, or a comic-book hero. Help the kids assemble costumes from clothes around the house, do a couple of rehearsals, then put on a show for family and friends.

Thank You So Much. Appreciation goes a long way, especially where gifts are concerned. Teach your grandchildren the importance of gratitude and proper etiquette, and help them boost their writing skills, by having them write thank-you notes after their birthdays. Before the kids start writing, take a trip to a card shop so they can choose their own stationery and pens.

Editor’s Note: Alexis Burling is a freelance book reviewer and writer in Brooklyn, N.Y. She also edits and writes for Storyworks, a classroom language-arts magazine published by Scholastic.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Grandparants

 

Medal of Honor Recipient – Private First Class U.S. Army Lewis Albanese

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
November 5, 2009

Each week we at the Chronicle will be honoring one of these true heroes.

We will call it Medal of Honor Recipient of the Week.

We hope you will join with us to honor these true heroes. Who have given us the greatest sacrifice that one could give their life, to save their fellow soldiers?

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

This Week’s Hero: Private First Class, U.S. Army, Company B, 5th Battalion (Airmobile), 7th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division, Lewis Albanese

Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 1 December 1966.

Entered service at: Seattle, Wash.

Born: 27 April 1946, Venice, Italy. G.O. No.: 12, 3 April 1968.

 

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life and beyond the call of duty. Pfc. Albanese’s platoon, while advancing through densely covered terrain to establish a blocking position, received intense automatic weapons fire from close range.

As other members maneuvered to assault the enemy position, Pfc. Albanese was ordered to provide security for the left flank of the platoon. Suddenly, the left flank received fire from enemy located in a well-concealed ditch. Realizing the imminent danger to his comrades from this fire, Pfc. Albanese fixed his bayonet and moved aggressively into the ditch. His action silenced the sniper fire, enabling the platoon to resume movement toward the main enemy position.

As the platoon continued to advance, the sound of heavy firing emanated from the left flank from a pitched battle that ensued in the ditch which Pfc. Albanese had entered. The ditch was actually a well-organized complex of enemy defenses designed to bring devastating flanking fire on the forces attacking the main position. Pfc. Albanese, disregarding the danger to himself, advanced 100 meters along the trench and killed 6 of the snipers, who were armed with automatic weapons.

Having exhausted his ammunition, Pfc. Albanese was mortally wounded when he engaged and killed 2 more enemy soldiers in fierce hand-to-hand combat. His unparalleled actions saved the lives of many members of his platoon who otherwise would have fallen to the sniper fire from the ditch, and enabled his platoon to successfully advance against an enemy force of overwhelming numerical superiority.

Pfc. Albanese’s extraordinary heroism and supreme dedication to his comrades were commensurate with the finest traditions of the military service and remain a tribute to himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.

Source: US Military

Ambassadors For The Blind Follows Helen Keller Footsteps

By Danielle Azzolina
November 3, 2009

Editor’s Note: Photo Rocco Fiorentino (left) and Kid Reporter Danielle Azzolina hold vibrating canes for the blind at a brainstorming workshop lead by Professor Nitish V. Thakor, Ph.D., from Johns Hopkins University. (Photo Courtesy Danielle Azzolina)

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Ever since I was 7 years old and read my first book about Helen Keller I was fascinated with her story. Helen could not hear or see. I was amazed that someone who lived in the dark and quiet world Helen did could learn to communicate so well.

Recently I had an opportunity to interview Helen Keller’s great-grand niece, Keller Johnson-Thompson, and ask her questions I have pondered ever since I learned about Helen Keller. Johnson-Thompson is head of the Helen Keller Foundation.

I also learned a lot from my friend Rocco Fiorentino, who is blind. He took me to the Fall Festival at the New Jersey State Library Talking Book and Braille Center (TBBC) in Trenton, New Jersey, recently.

I learned so much that I have written two stories that have been collected for you here.

• Helen Keller’s Legacy: Keller Johnson-Thompson discusses the life and contributions of her Great Grand Aunt Helen Keller.
• In Helen Keller’s Footsteps: Rocco Fiorentino talks about how Keller inspires him to continue her legacy of education and assistance for the blind.

 

Library for the Blind

 

 Visiting a library for the blind is an incredible and unique experience for a sighted person. For instance, I noticed some very unusual sculptures. The first one I observed was low to the ground so every part of it was reachable. Different parts of the sculpture were textured so the blind people who visit the library can “see” the sculpture through their fingertips.

T-Shirts were available for sale with the alphabet in Braille and sayings like, “Here Comes Trouble.” Braille uses a series of raised dots to represent letters and numbers. It was invented in the mid-1800s by Louis Braille, a French educator who lost his sight when he was 3 years old.

The library has printed books, Braille books, and audio books. The audio books now on cassette will soon be converted to a digital system. I walked through aisles and aisles lined with green boxes. Each one held several audiocassettes. I was overwhelmed by the number of tapes available.

I also saw the radio center where blind people can tune in and hear numerous newspapers read aloud.

Rocco and I attended a workshop lead by Professor Nitish V. Thakor, Ph.D., from the Biomedical Engineering Dept. of Johns Hopkins University. The professor invited a few people to come and brainstorm ideas to improve products or maybe inspire new products to assist the blind.

It was really interesting to hear the problems the visually impaired have—things I never would even know to consider.

One person mentioned—and all agreed—that one big problem with using a cane to guide you is that it only feels what is on the ground. It can lead to being hit in the chest or head by protruding objects. A suggestion was made to develop a device that could beep or warn of an obstacle close ahead at a level higher than the cane’s tip.

I asked about two canes that the professor had on a table in front of him. These canes vibrate if an object is close by.

I had never been involved in a brainstorming session before. These people were really trying to solve big problems. I enjoyed being part of it.

Although events like this festival are helping people, I learned that it is still difficult for families with blind members to get the support and help they need. The most difficult is often educating blind kids to read Braille. They need many hours of training to learn to read and to learn mobility—all important aspects to helping them lead self-sufficient lives.

The amount of training children need and the amount of training available are not evenly matched. Many kids wait long periods between training and that delays their progress.

I hope someone is brainstorming ideas to help solve that problem!

Source: Scholastic News Online

Healthy Kids Day at the White House

By Henry Dunkelberger
November 3, 2009

Editor’s Note: Photo First Lady Michelle Obama takes a turn with the Hoola Hoop during the Healthy Kids Fair on the South Lawn of the White House, October 21, 2009. (Photo Credit: Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP Images)

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

 

Simplicity, convenience, and flavor are the three key ingredients to eating healthy, said First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House Healthy Kids Fair on Wednesday. Adding exercise is the key to a healthy, happy life.

It was the perfect Autumn Washington day—cloudless and cool—as a group of about 100 kids and parents from area D.C. public schools gathered on the South Lawn of the White House to learn about healthy eating.

This reporter joined the group as part of the press, reporting for the Scholastic Kids Press Corps. In the press pen with CNN News, Fox News, NBC, CBS, as well as other media, I worked hard to write notes as camera crews, photographers, and the other reporters rallied for a good position.

As the First Lady stepped up to the podium, everyone fell silent. Mrs. Obama spoke about how requiring schools to provide nutritious meals will help create healthy kids.

“Kids are spending a third of their time at school,” she said. “So if they go to school and eat a lunch that’s loaded with calories and fat, then all the efforts that we [parents] try to instill at home, gets knocked off a little bit.”

One in three children are obese or severely overweight, which can lead to serious health problems including diabetes, high blood pressure, and even cancer, she noted. Mrs. Obama said her goal as First Lady is to take the junk food out of schools and replace it with good choices that include lots of fruits and vegetables.

Exercise, gym class, and recess are also a high priority. Mrs. Obama believes the country’s future depends on healthy kids. She wants schools to educate kids on how to stay healthy with nutritious food and provide fun and interesting opportunities for exercise.

“We don’t just want our kids to exercise because we tell them to,” she said. “We want them to exercise because it’s fun and they enjoy it. And we want them to learn now how to lead good, healthy lifestyles so that they’re not struggling to figure out how to do that when they’re older.”

Uhm-mm Good!

Food and easy-to-prepare healthy recipes were also part of the Healthy Kids event. Everyone, including the press, was escorted to an area where a vast array of food was on display waiting to be tasted. I could hardly wait to sample the flavors and interview the chefs and nutrition experts.

My first visit was to the White House Chef’s station where I tasted a baked apple. My mouth was watering as I sunk my teeth into a sweet tasty apple prepared by pastry chefs Bill Yosses and Susan Morrison.

“We wanted to make something people can do at home easily, something kids can do themselves,” Bill Yosses told me about the food choices available at the event. “We want it to be simple, with ingredients they already have in their house so they don’t have to go out shopping at the last minute.”

The other chefs agreed with Yosses that “simplicity, convenience, and flavor were the most important criteria” for picking recipes for the fair.

The definition of “treats” is also an important part of learning to eat healthy.

“When I was growing up, we didn’t have dessert every single night,” Mrs. Obama said. “My mother would tell us, ‘Dessert is not a right, it’s a treat.’ So we had it on special occasions. I have to tell my kids this: you don’t get dessert every night of the week, otherwise it’s not a treat, it’s just something that you do.”

Executive White House Chef Christeta Comerford agreed with the First Lady, adding her own tricky thoughts about treats.

“Do not go for the treats before you eat the real food,” she said. “It’s not for every day eating.”

Good health is about cooking all the different color vegetables, she continued. “You need to have a good, balanced meal,” she told me.

The next stop on my tasty trip was at Chef Koren Grieveson’s station. Grieveson was named one of Food and Wine magazine’s 2008 Best New Chefs. I tried her zucchini quesadillas, one of my favorites at this event. It is a quick and easy nutritious snack that I think most kids will love.

Todd Gray, owner of D.C. Equinox restaurant, said his recipes support healthy eating AND local farmers. He was serving “sweet and zesty popcorn.”

“Rather than fly produce all the way across the U.S. and use all that jet fuel or trucks to truck it, doesn’t make that much sense,” he said. “[At my restaurant] we prefer supporting small family farms.”

I finished up my taste testing with registered dietitian and best-selling author Ellie Krieger. Using all the “colors of the rainbow,” she presented a lively assortment of flavorful fruit. So does Ellie Krieger ever get junk food cravings?

“Yes! I think if you eat healthy most of the time, there’s always room for some junk food or things that are not healthy,” she said. “Just eat them sometimes. And the really healthy foods, you should eat most of the time.”

Time to Work it Off!

Jumping rope, Hula Hooping, and obstacle and relay courses were no problem for healthy and fit Michelle Obama—or at least almost no problem. The Moon Bounce is the only area the First Lady ran past, but she was definitely running. She tried her hand at Double-Dutch jump roping, but that didn’t do so well. She even kicked off her shoes to try again. She then ran barefoot through the obstacle course, showing how much fun getting healthy can be.

Make a Pledge

The First Lady asked the kids and parents attending the event to pledge to live a healthier lifestyle. I decided to join in.

My plan tonight is to core and slice apples for another taste of the now famous “Baked Sliced Apples.’ You can give them a try, too. Here’s the recipe!

Baked Sliced Apples
6 apples (cored and sliced)
½ oz. butter
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ cup maple syrup, honey or brown sugar
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
½ cup rolled oats
½ tsp. salt
¼ cup raisins or any dried fruit
¼ c. apple juice

Combine all ingredients. Place in a buttered baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees in a preheated oven for 45 minutes (or until golden brown crust appears). You can also add a cup of your favorite nuts for added protein and flavor.

Enjoy!

Source: Scholastic News Online

Elementary Epidemic: School Children Performing Praises to Obama

By John Nolte
November 4, 2009

Editor’s Note: This is a major investigation that was done by John Nolte.

We would like to know what you think. dan@youngchronicle.com

Big Hollywood has already posted a couple disturbing videos of young school children singing/speaking praises to President Obama, but when eleven more dropped in our email box it came as quite a shock. What seemed like an aberration now appears to be a troubling pattern.

Maybe “epidemic” is a better word.

Each one of the videos below is creepier than the last because the further down you go, the younger the children — brace yourself for kindergartners – except for the last and most disturbing video, which you have to see to believe.

Young captive minds, easily influenced, eager for direction, enlisted into a cult of personality focused on an individual who, other than being the first black president, has yet to accomplish anything of significance.

But Obama’s skin color has nothing to do with this. Does anyone interested in retaining their merit badge for intellectual honesty really want to argue that Condi Rice or J.C. Watts would’ve spawned a dozen-and-counting tribute videos?

This is about brainwashing our children into Leftist identity politics. Sure, the schools can argue that they had some kind of parental permission — which, if true, is somehow even more disturbing — but who even considers doing something like this with young minds? That’s a rhetorical question.

There was some guesswork, but to the best of our ability the videos run from oldest to youngest, starting with high schoolers. We list the name of the school and the date the video was posted. From there, if it could be found (or a confident guess made), you’ll find the schools’ website, followed by the original title given to the video and any notes added by whoever uploaded to YouTube.

Each video has also been transcribed so you can follow the bouncing ball…

WEST HIGH SCHOOL — 12-6-08

This is the school’s probable website. What’s going on here is explained below in the video notes.

Video Title: “Multico’s Finale is Obama’s victory speech!“

Video Note: Each year, MULTICO, a company of West High School students chosen to reflect the diverse ethnic and racial population of Madisons schools, tours elementary and middle schools with an original thirty minute production focusing on the concerns and experiences of children and adolescents in a multicultural, multilingual urban environment. MULTICO, a two hour a day English class, writes and performs a series of short sketches that highlight race, gender, sexuality and conflict, providing another tool for classroom teachers to use as we all work towards a more empathetic world.

Missing Removed By Owner

Transcript:

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, today is your answer.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled — Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of red states and blue states; we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other.

The true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America — that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

America, we have come so far. But there is so much more to do. This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time — to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and to restore the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes, we can. Yes, we can. Yes, we can.

MORGAN PARK HIGH SCHOOL — 11-13-2008

This looks like the school’s website. Morgan Park HS is located in Chicago, these are high school students in the choir.

Video Title: “Change We Can Believe In-Song”

Video Note: This song was inspired by President-Elect Barack Obama’s campaign theme. Morgan Park High School Concert Choir of Chicago, IL are the singers on this video. The song was composed by Patricia Tyson (from Chicago), and its intent is to encourage and motivate the listeners and the performers to pursue a more excellent way!
This song has been submitted with the hopes that it will be sung at the Inauguration in Washington, DC!

Click Link to View Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=755vrFw4vSo

–

Transcript:

Change we can believe in
Change that makes a difference
Together we can change the world
Tell every man and woman, every boy and girl

Change can tear down every wall
You and I can make the greatest change of all
We’re united we all stand as one
Divided we will fail and we will surely fall

Tell the children
Take them by the hand
Tell the generations that we can take a stand
Tell the nation let them know that God can heal our land

Change is what we all must be
Change is what we all must see
This is our moment, This is our time
Seize it, [unintelligible], we won’t be denied.

Say yes we can, yes we can,
Yes we can

From the power you may go so very long
Go so very long
Let us live [unintelligible]
Don’t matter what may come our way
They can not [unintelligible]

Tell the children
Take them by the hand
Tell the generations that we can take a stand
Tell the nation let them know that God can heal our land

We want change
We need change
We want change
We must change

Change, Change, believe it
Change, Change, a difference

[unintelligible]
Our change is here.

*****

SCHOOL UNIDENTIFIED — 3-9-09

We were unable to locate this school’s name, but it says right on the video and in the notes that these are 7th graders.

Video Title: “Yes We Can – Barack Obama Music Video 7th Grade Version”

Video Note: The 7th grade students followed the 2008 presidential election in several of their classes this term. Concluding the election the students were asked to make video segments based on the popular Obama music video, Yes We Can, by musician Will.i.am. The segments were then compiled into one video. In this video the students discuss various goals as well as how they are able to make a difference in improving our world

Transcript:

Kids Speak over (Yes We Can by Will.I.am) playing in the background:

This is for the young and old
The rich and poor
Democrats and Republicans
Black, White, Hispanic, Native Americans
Gay, Straight
Disabled, Not Disabled

We can!

Yes, I can be my own person.
Yes, I can be a policeman
Yes, I can have a good future
Yes, I can be the first person in my family to go to college
Yes, I can do good in school
Yes, I can become the first Mexican President

Yes we can.

I can save electricity
I can do good in school
I can help clean up the community
I can volunteer
I can save water
I can give donations

Just as a Seventh Grader?
Yes, we can.

[unintelligible]
What you want to do say
Yes we can
Ay
Yes we can
Ay

Baseball, football, Yeah we can do it all
Yes we can
Ay
Yes we can
Ay

The constitution and make straight A’s
Yes we can
Ay
Yes we can
Ay

Lose or choose now what you want to do
Yes we can
Ay
Yes we can
Ay

Yes we can

Be at school on time
What the… loser
Don’t do drugs

Get good grades
Give me your money – give me your money
Leave him alone
No bullying.

Recycle.
Yes we can
Si se puede

I want to join the Army
Yes she can
I want to be a football player
Yes he can
I want to join the Air Force
Yes she can
I want to pass the Seventh grade.
Yes he can
I want to be a doctor.
Yes she can

Yes we can!

Yes we can…be a dentist
Yes I can be an anesthesiologist
Yes I can be a choreographer
Yes I can be a lawyer
Yes I can be a basketball player
Yes I can be a teacher

Yes we can
Yes we can
Yes we can

*****

GIFFEN ELEMENTARY — 2-12-09

This is the probable website for the school. The opening titles state the song’s video was written by the students of Mr. Dobson and Mrs. Dudley, which means these are 5th and 6th graders.

Video Title: “Barack Obama Rap”

Video Note: This is the updated version of a song my students wrote back in 05 after Senator Obama spoke at the Democratic National Convention. This year they updated it in celebration of President Obama’s victory.

–

Transcript:

Barack Obama – Recorded:

“I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave-owners – an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” — Barack Obama, “A More Perfect Union,” March 18, 2008.

Verse 1:

We’re here to tell you about the man. His name is Barack Obama he’s the leader of this land. He was born in Hawaii then he lived in Illinois. His father moved to Africa when he was a little boy. He got into some trouble when he was 17 and he has come clean now he’s [unintelligible] people [unintelligible] He fights for civil rights and better health care. He wants to make sure that we all will have care. He’s [unintelligible] reform [unintelligible] he’s very educated and he’s got a lot of rhythm. First black President with a heart that’s only true, he wants to make the world better for me and you. At Chicago University he used to be a teacher, [unintelligible] At the Democratic National Convention, the name Barack Obama became [unintelligible].

Chorus:

Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can.

Verse 2:

He was born, in August of 1961. In 2008 for President, He won. We have a new President, Barack is the President. He’s a pioneer. You can check the evidence. He’s African-American. The first black President. Now he’s in the white house. The 44th President. His campaign slogan was “Yes We Can” He’s a Democrat. He’s the man with the plan. There is a special book that was written by Obama. It’s Dreams from My Father, not Dreams from your Momma. [unintelligible] [laughter] [unintelligible] He’s running our country. [unintelligible] great power. [unintelligible] He ran against McCain. Now he’s our President we’re ready to make a change.

Chorus:

Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can.

Verse 3:

He attended Columbia U in ’82. He married Michelle in 1992. He’s English, he’s Irish, [unintelligible], he’s a modern Martin Luther who was also a great man. [unintelligible] Obama’s going down as the first in history. [unintelligible] about war and that is really great. He’s known around the world – come on let’s celebrate.

Recording:

Celebrate good times, come on. Celebrate good times, come on.
Celebrate good times, come on. Celebrate good times, come on.

Continuation of Verse 3:

He’s proved that education is a big part of the game. And in his spare time he enjoys basketball. When he’s at work he signs legible. Obama is his name, [unintelligible} man, man, women, women and girl. [unintelligible] He’s a true American. If you believe say, “Yes We Can”.

Chorus:

Say, Yes We Can [repeated]

Audience Member: Yes We Can.

***

GIFFEN ELEMENTARY — 3-29-2009

Here’s Giffen again. The video quality makes it impossible to tell if these are the same students, but according to the YouTube dates this performance occurred the month after the one above, this time in front of something called The Association of Teaching Artists.

Video Title: “Barack Obama Rap at the Albany Institute”

Video Note: This is a group of 5th and 6th grade students from Giffen Elementary School performing the Barack Obama song they wrote with their classmates. It is being performed at a function of the Association of Teaching Artists held at the Albany Institute of History and Art.

–

Transcript:

Barack Obama – Recorded:

“I am the son of a black man from Kenya and a white woman from Kansas. I was raised with the help of a white grandfather who survived a Depression to serve in Patton’s Army during World War II and a white grandmother who worked on a bomber assembly line at Fort Leavenworth while he was overseas. I’ve gone to some of the best schools in America and lived in one of the world’s poorest nations. I am married to a black American who carries within her the blood of slaves and slave-owners – an inheritance we pass on to our two precious daughters. I have brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, uncles and cousins, of every race and every hue, scattered across three continents, and for as long as I live, I will never forget that in no other country on Earth is my story even possible.” — Barack Obama, “A More Perfect Union,” March 18, 2008.

Verse 1:

We’re here to tell you about the man. His name is Barack Obama he’s the leader of this land. He was born in Hawaii then he lived in Illinois. His father moved to Africa when he was a little boy. He got into some trouble when he was 17 and he has come clean now he’s [unintelligible] people [unintelligible] He fights for civil rights and better health care. He wants to make sure that we all will have care. He’s [unintelligible] reform [unintelligible] he’s very educated and he’s got a lot of rhythm. First black President with a heart that’s only true, he wants to make the world better for me and you. At Chicago University he used to be a teacher, [unintelligible] At the Democratic National Convention, the name Barack Obama became [unintelligible].

Chorus:

Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can.

Verse 2:

He was born, in August of 1961. In 2008 for President, He won. We have a new President, Barack is the President. He’s a pioneer. You can check the evidence. He’s African-American. The first black President. Now he’s in the white house. The 44^th President. His campaign slogan was “Yes We Can” He’s a Democrat. He’s the man with the plan. There is a special book that was written by Obama. It’s Dreams from My Father, not Dreams from your Momma. [unintelligible] [laughter] [unintelligible] He’s running our country. [unintelligible] great power. [unintelligible] He ran against McCain. Now he’s our President we’re ready to make a change.

Chorus:

Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can.

Verse 3:

He attended Columbia U in ’82. He married Michelle in 1992. He’s English, he’s Irish, [unintelligible], he’s a modern Martin Luther who was also a great man. [unintelligible] Obama’s going down as the first in history. [unintelligible] about war and that is really great. He’s known around the world – come on let’s celebrate.

Recording:

Celebrate good times, come on…

Continuation of Verse 3:

He’s proved that education is a big part of the game. And in his spare time he enjoys basketball. When he’s at work he signs legible. Obama is his name, [unintelligible} man, man, women, women and girl. [unintelligible]He’s a true American. If you believe say “Yes We Can”.

Chorus:

Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, Say Yes We Can, We say – say Yes We Can, That guy say Yes We Can, That guy say Yes We Can, Everybody say Yes We Can!

Audience Member:

Yes We Can.

*****

GOTHAM AVENUE SCHOOL — 2-7-09

Here’s the likely website for the school. Per the video’s title, these are fifth graders.

Video Title: “Ending – Part II of the 5th Grade Performance”

Video Note: Special thanks to Mr. Lewis.

–

Transcript:

We believe in Barack Obama
He loves you and he loves your mama
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah
With all the change he’s building
Gonna bring hope to the children
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah

Change
That we can believe in
Change
That we can believe in
Change
That we can believe in

We believe in Barack Obama
He loves you and he loves your mama
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah
With all the change he’s building
Gonna bring hope to the children
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah

Change
That we can believe in
Change
That we can believe in
Change
That we can believe in

Yeah, haha, haha.
Alright, come on now, here we go;
You know we gotta get Barack and all of his crew
In the White House so they can prove that
In their hearts they know what to do
And that includes Michelle and the kiddies too

[kids chanting] “There is not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.”
We believe in Barack Obama
He loves you and he loves your mama
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah
With all the change he’s building
Gonna bring hope to the children
We believe in Barack Obama, yeah

[Chant at end of song – unintelligible]

*****

POWELL ELEMENTARY – May 6, 2009

This is the likely website for the school. Though the age of the students in the video isn’t given, the website says the school’s age range is pre-kindergarten through the third grade.

Video Title: “Powell Elementary Present Kings of Rock”

Video Note: Ode to Obama, school kids in New Jersey celebrate Obamas win

Transcript:

Barack Obama there is none higher
Other politicians should call me sire
To burn my kingdom you must use fire
I create change till I retire!

Democratic Party come correct
Our cuts are on time our rhymes connect
Got the right to vote and will elect
Others can’t feel us but give us respect

Now I walked through crowds, shook many hands
Spent my time saying YES WE CAN!
I stood on many stages, held many mics
Took airplane flights at great heights
PA and Jersey, I won that fight

Chicago Illinois was so hype
Moving so strong
Biden joined the fight
Now we are a team and we ignite!

Now I crash through walls,
Cut through floors,
Burst through ceilings
Knock down doors.

He is George
And I’m Turan
We’re never far behind
In class we shine
For every living person
With dreams and plans

Keep hope alive –
Think “Yes We Can”

We’re the baddest of the bad
The cool of the cool
I’m Barack
I rock and rule.

I’m Joe. I rock and rule.
It’s not a trick or treat or April fools,
It’s all brand new
With a little old school.

We’ve got the music and the message
For all my friends.
Check us out on the internet,
Load and send.

Music ain’t nothing
but a peoples jam.
It’s President Obama

Rockin’ with the band!

*****

HENNIGAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL – July 16, 2009

This is the probable website for the school. Note the life-size cardboard cut-out of the President and the kid with Obama’s head on a stick.

Video Title: “obama”

Video Note: Music video for the Obama Song from the America SCORES New England winter program at the Hennigan Elementary School.

–

Transcript:

Barack Obama – Recorded:

“Because of what we did on this day, in this election at this defining moment, change has come to America.”

Kids:

Obama is fresh. Obama is cool. He has two daughters that like to go to school. It’s hot outside, they jump in the pool. [unintelligible] to follow the rules. Obama is President and has a new residence. There’s people all around who questions all the evidence.

Michelle wants her daughters to think their own things. She doesn’t want their colors to do it instead. The 44th President of the USA because he beat Senator John McCain. Obama in charge of the oval office. He told Bush and his cabinet to get off this. A – a-a-a-aay. Obama is President of the USA-aaaay. Tomorrow’s a new day – ay – ay- ay- ay. And we’re living our life.

Barack Obama – Recorded:

“It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.”

Screen Text:

Great Job! Merilyn B.; Rachel C.; Radael D.; Edwin G.; Faith M.; Oscar M.; Rosemary M.; Elena R.; Janetlah V.

Special Thanks to the CityYear Corps at the Hennigan!

Barack Obama – Recorded:

“I know you didn’t do this to just win an election. I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead.”

*****

HARMONY LELAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL — 2-14-09

This is the school’s probable website, and these are kindergartners.

Video Title: “Barack Obama is Our New President”

Video Note: Ms. Susan Marsico’s Kindergarten music class sings about President Barack Obama. Performed: Friday, February 13, 2009 Harmony Leland Elementary School, Mableton, GA

–

Transcript:

Barack Obama is our new President
Barack Obama is the leader of our land

On November 4, 2008
All the Americans voted
In each and every state

Barack Obama is our new President
Barack Obama is the leader of our land

He moved into the white house
With his wife, Michelle
His daughters, Malia and Sasha
And new dog as well

Barack Obama is our new President
Barack Obama is the leader of our land

He’ll bring us all together
And work hard every day
To make our nation better
And keep our people safe

Barack Obama is our new President
Barack Obama is the leader of our land

In the oval office
From sea to shining sea
He’ll represent our country
The land and the free

Barack Obama is our new President
Barack Obama is the leader of our land

*****

MARYMOUNT SCHOOL — 3-18-2009

Kindergartners sing what is the catchiest of the eleven songs. The school is Marymount. Couldn’t find a website.

Video Title: “No One’s as Irish as Barack Obama”

Video Note: Miss Maeve’s Kindergarten class performs!

–

Transcript:

O’Leary, O’Reilly, O’Hare and O’Hara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

You don’t believe me, I hear you say
But Barack’s as Irish, as was JFK
His granddaddy’s daddy came from Moneygall
A small Irish village, well known to you all

He’s in the white house, He took a chance
Now let’s see Barack do Riverdance
Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama
There’s no one as Irish As Barack O’Bama

He’s as Irish as bacon and cabbage and stew
He’s Hawaiian he’s Kenyan American too
He’s in the white house, He took his chance
Now let’s see Barack do Riverdance

Toor a loo, toor a lay, toor a loo, toor a lama
There’s no one as Irish As Barack O’Bama

From Kerry and cork to old Donegal
Let’s hear it for Barack from old moneygall
From the lakes if Killarney to old Connemara
There’s no one as Irish as Barack O’Bama

*****

BARACK OBAMA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL — 1-31-2009

If you think the Nobel committee jumped the gun… Days after the 2008 presidential election Ludlum Elementary in Long Island petitioned and won the right to have the name of their school changed to Barack Obama Elementary. Watch this and ask yourself if the Nobel committee’s rationale couldn’t be that much different than the students questioned in the news report.

The video below isn’t of students singing but of a woman named Janelle Kirton performing the school song. The song doesn’t mention Obama, it just relies heavily on his platitudes, but pay special attention to the school decorations inter-cut throughout the video.

If that doesn’t creep you out enough, check out this slide-show from the school’s website.

Video Title: “Barack Obama School Song, Do You Hear The Sound, Janelle Kirton, Barack Obama Song.”

Video Note: Barack Obama Elementary School Song, Written by Janelle Kirton, arranged by Alex Kirton…

–

Transcript of “Do You Hear The Sound?”:

There’s a sound of Change
Blowing in the wind
It’s a sound that started long ago

By those who dare to dream
Fighting against the loss
With a passion of hope of better days

They had a dream
They had hope
for a friend to bring this nation together as one

The journey begins to education
Unlocking every door
Shaping a better tomorrow

We are sons and daughters
Of promise
Of school like a city upon a hill

Lights inside our hearts
And hope to [unintelligible]
To rise and conquer
[unintelligible]

To dream
To make a difference
Not just in our land
But in the world

Yes we can
Make a difference
If we unite
Together and take

I am the dream
I am the hope
I am the bridge that’ll bring this nation
Together as one

The journey begins to education
Unlocking every door
To shaping a better
Tomorrow

There’s [unintelligible]
If I teach you believe
My voice will count
My voice will be heard

Do you hear the sound
I am the dream
Do you hear the sound
I am the hope
Do you hear the sound

Yes we can.

The Barack Obama Elementary School

*****

“Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls upon them makes an impression.” — Dr. Haim Ginott (teacher, child psychologist)

Source: Big Hollywood

Movie Review – Astro Boy

by Kerry Bennett
October 28, 2009

Editor’s Note: If you have a movie review that you would like to submit on a movie that you have seen.

We would like to know what you think about any reviews that we publish. dan@youngchronicle.com

Based on the TV cartoon series with the same name, Astro Boy (voiced by Freddie Highmore) is a robotic child built by a grieving scientist (voiced by Nicholas Cage) who has lost his son. When he fails to fill the empty place in his human father’s heart, the young robot sets off on a journey of self-discovery.

In-Depth Review

Astro Boy is rated PG: for some action and peril, and brief mild language.

It’s been a long, long time since I’ve seen a television episode of Astro Boy. Long enough that I didn’t remember much about the individual other than his characteristic cowlick and jet powered boots. Fortunately, my reunion with this undersized and updated superhero was more enjoyable than I anticipated.

In the movie, Dr. Tenma (voice by Nicolas Cage) is working on a highly technical research project that promises to provide a new source of power for Metro City. He and his fellow employee at the Ministry of Science, Dr. Elefun (voice by Bill Nighy), have managed to separate positive and negative aspects of the energy and are ready to test its capabilities.

Unfortunately, General Stone (voice by Donald Sutherland) is up for re-election and wants to make an announcement that will guarantee his success at the polls. Rather than wait for more controlled analysis, he forces the scientists to immediately insert these volatile resources into his new military android known as the Peace Keeper. Not unexpectedly, the experiment goes horribly wrong and Dr. Tenma’s boy is killed.

Heartbroken, the grieving father fashions a robot in the exact likeness of his son and brings him to life using the blue core of positive energy he discovered with Dr. Elefun. But it doesn’t take long for Dr. Tenma to realize this little mechanical child, known as Astro Boy (voice by Freddie Highmore), will never be able to replace the one he lost. Discarded by his “dad” and hiding from General Stone (who wants to recover the energy core for his robotic army), Astro Boy ends up in a decaying part of the planet with a bunch of orphaned children. It is a scenario torn directly from the script of Oliver Twist. These kids work for Ham Egg (voice of Nathan Lane), the only adult around. By day he sends them out to collect bits and pieces of mechanized junk that he refurbishes into functioning machines.

However, Astro soon discovers that robots aren’t particularly popular with these residents, so he opts to keep his true identity secret while he tries to find his place in the world.

Based on the Japanese manga series created in the 1950s, both Astro Boy and the storyline have undergone some dramatic changes that aficionados of the comic will quickly notice. Yet the robot’s desires to fit in and find a purpose in his life are still evident in the plot. Depictions of violent encounters with the gigantic, morphing Peace Keeper, that absorbs and integrates objects around it (including other robots, humans and parts of buildings), might be frightening for young viewers—although many of the portrayals are no more graphic than an after-school cartoon. More disturbing may be the emotional drama that takes place when Dr. Tenma loses his son and later when the human father rejects his creation Astro Boy.

Still, older children will likely be engaged by this high-flying superhero as he discovers his unique set of super powers. And, given his ability to break down barriers between humans and robots as well as burrow through solid rock, Astro Boy is a champion most parents can approve of too.

Studio: 2009 Summit Entertainment. Visit the official movie site.

Content Details:

Robots in this film provide all kinds of help from household chores to soldiering. Some are outfitted with weapons. An evil politician attempts to force the upcoming election in his favor by making scientists use their experiment for military purposes. A research trial results in the death of a child. A father is shown grieving for his son. A robotic character is rejected by his human creator and later runs away from home. Orphaned children are shown living on their own. Robots engage in gladiator-like entertainment for humans. A scientist removes the energy core from a robot, rendering it lifeless. A gigantic android attempts to kill Astro Boy, destroys parts of the city and terrifies the inhabitants. Explosions are shown. Brief, mild profanities are used. A cartoon character is shown with his pants down in a doctor’s office. Astro Boy comments about his derriere.

Discussion Ideas:

Video alternatives…

Other mechanical objects also have emotional and human traits attributed to them in movies with similar themes. In Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, a young budding scientist uses metal, bolts and nuts to fashion a high-tech pet that can play dead as well as fetch. A little android is left to clean up after the humans who’ve destroyed the Earth’s resources in WALL-E. Robin Williams stars as a robot who has developed a love of classical music and a penchant for painting in Bicentennial Man. Another father wishing for a son fashions a boy out of wood, in the classic fairytale Pinocchio.

Source: Parent Previews

Editor’s Note: Kerry Bennett is interested in media from both a journalist and parent perspective. Along with authoring articles for several family-oriented publications, she has written for Parent Previews for nearly 10 years. She serves as Vice President of the Alberta Association for Media Awareness. She and her husband Garry have four sons.

Bats, Rats, Witches, and Cats Cookies

By Better Homes
Oct. 31, 2009

Start to Finish: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 18-ounce roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough or peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 16-ounce can vanilla frosting
•  Paste food coloring in desired colors
• Large and small purple, black, orange, or green gumdrops
• Small decorative candies
• Black and purple coarse sugar
• Black string licorice
• Red, green, and purple edible writing gel

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