Pearl River Week in Review: School Safety Debate Continues

School and government officials continued to discuss safety and gun control last week in reaction to the shootings in Newtown, CT. 

Pearl River Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Morgano provided an update on the district's efforts to improve security. 

Governor Andrew Cuomo called for the "Toughest assault weapon ban in the nation" in his State of the State address. His proposals included either a longer school year or longer school days and new women's rights laws. 

Gun control discussions included the backlash against The Journal News for publishing an map showing the names and addresses of gun permit holders in Rockland and Westchester Counties. The Orangetown Town Council voted for a resolution condemning the publishing of the "gun map."

Rockland County Legislature Chair Harriet Cornell called upon the Journal News to create a capital campaign to fund proposals for addressing gun violence and school safety. In a letter to the newspaper's publisher, she suggested that it could help it to regain some public confidence it may have lost. She sent the letter rather than join the Rockland County Legislature Safety Committee in condemning The Journal News for publishing the map. She supported another part of the resolution to ask for an amendment to state law that would keep gun application information confidential. 

The Rockland County Legislature's Public Safety Committee also approved a program that would . 

Those were just some of the stories on Pearl River Patch last week:

• The weekly Grab and Go Kids Planner featured the opening week of Buddyball basketball for 2013. 
• Pearl River High School's Math Honor Society inducted new members. 
• in which he talked about life for somebody who is hearing impaired. He stressed the importance of getting people to learn American Sign Language. 
• Local firefighting fathers saw their sons graduate from basic training in the ceremony honoring 84 volunteers who received their certificates Saturday. 
• Robert Van Cura is leaving as South Nyack-Grand View Police Chief to take over as Undersheriff with the Rockland County Sheriff's Department.
• Curtis Wilson, 53, plead guilty to the charge of first-degree manslaughter. with fellow patient Vincent Knadler.
• The home of . Whittaker was interviewed, but was not charged at that time. 
• The for another year. The law firm represents the town in state matters, including RPC redevelopment. 
• NJ Transit announced that it would restore full service to the Metro-North Pascack Valley and Port Jervis rail lines as of today. 
• The Pearl River girls basketball team held off a late rally to , Jan. 8. Freshman Jenna Scanlon continues to make an impact since moving into the starting lineup. 
• Jack Sullivan scored 31 points to lead Albertus Magnus to a boys basketball victory at Pearl River Jan. 8. 
• A committee of local sports experts voted Tappan Zee running back Joe Letizia and Nanuet cross country runner Megan Young as the top fall sports athletes in Rockland County for 2012. Each school in the county submitted two nominees. Soccer players Giovanni Galvano and Marissa Scognamiglio represented Pearl River. 
• For more of our recent local coverage of local athletics, check out today's Pearl River Sports update.