[Mightyqueen801]

Originally Posted by bobtn

John O'Neill, new 9/2011 WTC secuity chief , ex FBI agent most intent on OBL, was certain the Towers would be attacked again, and felt air was most likely option.

Newtown would not have been believed as a work of fiction.

Most of us who worked there thought it would be attacked again, and occasionally we would speculate as to how they would come back. Silly me, I thought a truck bomb, similar to OK City. Two of my coworkers said they would come back with planes and, both lived to say "I told you so". Slightly different scenarios--one thought it would be a cargo plane, like a Fed Ex plane, loaded with explosives, the other thought a small plane with a kamikaze pilot and explosives, but they were on the right track.

You are right about Newtown. It would never have sold as fiction.

[bobtn]

Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801

Most of us who worked there thought it would be attacked again, and occasionally we would speculate as to how they would come back. Silly me, I thought a truck bomb, similar to OK City. Two of my coworkers said they would come back with planes and, both lived to say "I told you so". Slightly different scenarios--one thought it would be a cargo plane, like a Fed Ex plane, loaded with explosives, the other thought a small plane with a kamikaze pilot and explosives, but they were on the right track.

You are right about Newtown. It would never have sold as fiction.

Frontline had an episode called "The Man Who Knew" about O'Neill. I read a book on him (I think the same title, but 10 years ago or so is hard to recall), which was superb. At least the last 5 plus years he spent at the FBI were OBL focused, even when his superiors to his dismay, seemed to have less interest.

Barnes & Noble has the DVD of Frontline online for about $23.

[kidyankee764]

Looks like they will be razing Sandy Hook School to build a new school for these kids. An excellent decision, in my opinion. Monroe, as a community, has been an awesome and accommodating neighbor to Newtown. Looks like the kids will be there for a few more years while the new SHS is built.

The committee of town leaders, meeting for the fifth time, made its decision through a unanimous voice vote. The group was charged with deciding whether to extensively renovate the existing school, rebuild at the existing site or build a new school elsewhere.

The next steps will include having the board of education draft education specifications for the new elementary school and figuring out how to pay for it. Funding sources will include substantial contributions from the state and perhaps the federal government. The town must provide a maximum possible price to the legislature by early June for bonding purposes.

Residents will vote on the plans at a referendum. Demolition of the existing school could start as soon as early January 2014, Sibley said.

Sandy Hook Elementary has about 450 students, and the existing school is 69,000 square feet. The new school would be larger.

Newtown Will Build A New Sandy Hook Elementary School At Existing Site - Courant.com

[Stylo]

That was definitely the right decision given these extreme circumstances.

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by Stylo

That was definitely the right decision given these extreme circumstances.

I agree.

I know also in the meeting, they discussed completely transforming the grounds outside of the school, including possibly the firehouse at the foot of the driveway. This IMO is also something that should be highly considered.

[Stylo]

Yeah, I'd even go as far as relocating it and putting a park there or something. Might be extreme, but this was a one-in-a-billion event.

[parentologist]

Such a sad, horrible event, and now such a waste to tear down a perfectly good school building. But I cannot imagine how any child who went through that day, hiding in locked down classrooms, hearing the shots and the screams, could go back into that building. What a shame. What a waste.

[AntonioR]

They should also put a small monument there to remember the young victims. Just thinking about this is making my blood boil again.

[Stratford, Ct. Resident]

Originally Posted by parentologist

Such a sad, horrible event, and now such a waste to tear down a perfectly good school building. But I cannot imagine how any child who went through that day, hiding in locked down classrooms, hearing the shots and the screams, could go back into that building. What a shame. What a waste.

I agree. If they're going to keep the school on the same property, i don't understand spending ~$45 million dollars to tear down the existing one to build a new one. You would have to think that they could totally transform the existing building for less than half of that price tag.

Or, if they're comfortable with spending $45 million, why not build a small addition and use that as the entryway/focal point, while still doing a full renovation/reapportionment of the existing interior.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by AntonioR

They should also put a small monument there to remember the young victims. Just thinking about this is making my blood boil again.

Although it's a lovely thought, in general, I don't think it's appropriate. You're dealing with little kids, not adults with an adult sense of maturity, intellect, or emotional stability. I think the -last- thing you want these kids to experience, is a daily reminder that the area they're entering was where a bunch of other kids were murdered.

It'd be great to see some kind of memorial in the town, absolutely. But - not on the grounds of -any- school building.