SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012 D1

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

Above, the waiting crowd on Friday, the night of the tragedy, outside St. Rose of Lima Church memorial service in Newtown.Melanie Stengel/New Haven Register

Charlotte BaconDaniel BardenRachel D’AvinoOlivia Engel

Josephine GayDawn HochsprungDylan HockleyMadeleine Hsu

Catherine HubbardChase KowalskiNancy LanzaJesse Lewis

Ana Marquez-GreeneJames Mattioli

Grace McDonnellAnne Marie MurphyEmilie ParkerJack PintoNoah PoznerCaroline PrevidiJessica RekosAvielle RichmanLauren RousseauMary SherlachVictoria SotoBenjamin WheelerAllison Wyatt

WE STAND TOGETHER

NEWTOWN

AFTER THAT CHILLY FRIDAY MORNING,when a lone gunman’s rampage ended with 27 slayings,including 20 children at Sandy Hook Elementary School,we emerge determined to find solutions for violence andmental illness — even as we are left unable to answer, forthose lives cut short, what might have been. WE MOURN:

AFTER NEWTOWN

held the first ofwhatwouldbemany regular press brief-ings over the next few days.“Evil visited this commu-nity today,” said Gov. Dan-nel P.Malloy. “It’s too earlyto speak of recovery, buteach parent, each sibling,eachmember of the familyhas to understand that Con-necticut, we’re all in thistogether.We’ll do every-thingwe can to overcomethis event.”Days later,Malloywouldbreak downwhile remem-beringwhat it was like toinform families that theirchildren hadn’t survived theshooting.“It was evident tome thattherewas a reluctance to tellparents and loved ones thatthe person theywerewait-ing forwas not going toreturn,”Malloy said, unableto hold back his ownanguish. “That had gone onfor a period of time,wellafter therewas an expectan-cy that familieswould bereunited. So Imade a deci-sion that rather than relyingon traditional investigativepolicies that you actuallyhave a child or adult identi-fied as the particular victimbefore you inform someone… that their loved onewasnot going to return. Imadethe decision that to have thatgo on any longerwaswrong.”Norwas the president oftheUnited States immune toNewtown’s heartache.Speaking attheWhiteHouse, Presi-dent BarackObamawipedaway tearsand pausedseveral timesin order tomaintain hiscomposure.“Our heartsare brokentoday,” hesaid.On Satur-

day, thenames of thedeadwerereleased—and our sad-ness becamenearlyunbearable. By nightfall, acold, biting rain began tosettle in, as if the sky itselfwas braced for the detailsthatwould emerge.Therewas 6-year-oldOlivia Engel, whowas goingto be an angel in the livenativity performed at St.Rose of LimaChurch; 6-year-old Jesse Lewis,whoused tomake up nicknamesfor peoplewhose names hecouldn’t pronounce; 6-year-old Charlotte Bacon,whohad a passion for the colorpink.Young Jack Pinto, 6,wasa youthwrestlerwho idol-izedNewYorkGiantswidereceiver Victor Cruz. OnSunday, Cruzwrote “JackPinto,my hero” on one ofhis cleats. He also visitedNewtown to pay hisrespects.Somany young lives.Noah Pozner, 6,whowant-

ed to be a doctor; EmilieParker, 6,whowas a bud-ding artist; AnaMarquez-Greene, 6,whose jazzmusi-cian father once named asong, “AnaGrace.”Therewere Jessica Rekos,6,who had given herself thejob of setting the family din-ner table each night; DylanHockley, 6; CatherineHub-bard, 6,who asked forstuffed animals every Christ-mas;MadeleineHsu, 6;GraceMcDonnell, 6; Jose-phine Gay, 7,whose birth-daywas just three days

before theattack; ChaseKowalski, 7;JamesMatti-oli, 6, wholoved to singand playsports; Avi-elle Richman,6; BenjaminWheeler, 6;andAllisonWyatt, 6,who hadturned herroom into anart studio.DanielBarden, 7,was a ram-bunctiousboywho res-cuedworms

from the driveway after arainstorm; Caroline Previdi,6, had the nickname “Boo.”At Caroline’s funeral,Monsignor RobertWeiss ofSt. Rose of Lima said the lit-tle girl was “probably thehappiest addition to heavenin a long time. Shewasalways happy, always smil-ing.”Theworld alsomournedsix heroic adults.Principal DawnHoch-sprung, 47, reportedly hadlunged at the gunmanbefore being killed.“Dawn is a beautifulwomanwith a smile thatcould just knock youdown,” recalled hermentor,BarbaraMalkas, an educatorinWebster,Mass. “Thatsmilewould growbiggerand just blind you if shewastalking about herwork.”LaurenRousseau, 30, hadonly been hired as a perma-

nent substitute at SandyHook inNovember.MarySherlach, 56, had been at theschool since 1994, and alsohadworked at schools inNewHaven andNorthHaven.Rachel D’Avino, 29,wascompleting her doctorate.Her boyfriend planned topropose to her on ChristmasEve.AnneMarieMurphy, 52,was an alumna of SouthernConnecticut State Universi-ty. She reportedly diedwithher armswrapped aroundDylanHockley, a youngstersheworked closelywith atSandyHook.Victoria Soto,whose buri-alwasWednesday, had bothan inner steel and a childlikesense ofwonder, her familysaid. At her funeral, PaulSimon sang “The Sound ofSilence.”These stories, these inter-rupted lives of sweetnessand strength, didn’t come tothe public all at once. Theyrolled out in sorrowfulswells, each newdetailcatching people up short inthe deepest,most primalparts of their hearts andminds.“I can’t think of anythingthat’sworse than this,” saidNorthHaven Superinten-dent of Schools Robert Cro-nin,who had previouslyworkedwithHochsprung.“I believe people in ourschools…allwewant to do… is take care of childrenand do everything in ourpower to keep them safe,and this is just themost hor-rific thing that could be.”People needed to takesome sort of action, to bewith others, lest they simplydissolve into spasms ofuncontrollable anger andsadness.“Iwanted to come home,seemymom,” said RachelRockwell, who traveledback from college inMassa-chusetts to be at a vigil inNewtown Saturday evening.“Iwent to school there…15years ago that could havebeenme.”The next evening, as doz-ens of vigils brought peopleclose around the state,

Obama arrived inNewtownwithwords of comfort andresolve.“Here inNewtown, Icome to offer the love andprayers of a nation,” he saidin an emotional speech.“I amverymindful thatmerewords cannotmatchthe depths of your sorrow,nor can they heal your

wounded hearts. I can onlyhope it helps for you toknow that you’re not alonein your grief; that ourworldtoo has been torn apart; thatall across this land of ours,we haveweptwith you,we’ve pulled our childrentight. And youmust knowthatwhatevermeasure ofcomfortwe can provide,wewill provide;whatever por-tion of sadness thatwe cansharewith you to ease thisheavy load,wewill gladlybear it. Newtown – you arenot alone.”

HARD ISSUESAlongside the grief andhurt, the country’s second-deadliest school shootinghas the potential to causeseismic shifts in public poli-cy.From individual schooldistricts to public healthorganizations to theWhiteHouse itself, implicationswere being felt. Certainly inConnecticut, therewas a callfor something to be done.For one, every school sys-tem in the state began over-hauling its security proce-dures.Many towns sta-tioned police at the frontdoor of their elementaryschools, andmanymoremade arrangements forincreased police presence.InDerby, two officerswere at each of the district’sfour schoolswithin 2min-utes of learning about the

shootings. Thatwas fol-lowed by an announcementover the schools’ publicaddress system that officerswere in place.“Wewanted to let the kidsknow thatwewere doingour best to keep them safe,”said RichKearns, the dis-trict’s director of security.Field tripswere scuttled.Outdoor activitieswere can-celed. Upcoming holidayschool concertswere givenstrict, new security guide-lines. Parents and educatorstalked aboutmetal detec-tors, controlled access tobuildings and heightenedvigilance.“The sense I get, fromaround the state, fromBoardof Education chairs, is peo-ple are all considering thesethings,” said BrookfieldBoard of Education Chair-manRaymondDiStephan,whose familywas close toone of Newtown’s youngvictims. “They’re all goingover their protocols.”Kenneth Trump, presi-dent of National School Safe-ty and Security Services,said America’s schools haddrifted away from the secu-rity inroadsmade after the1999massacre at Colum-bineHigh School in Colora-do.“Most school security pro-fessionals have been sayinguntil they’re red in the face

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012 NEW HAVEN REGISTER D3

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

AFTER NEWTOWN

Newtown: A community mourns the loss of 27Continued from D2

See Tragedy, D4

Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

HOPE is spelled out in candle-lit bags in front of the Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home in Woodbury during the wake for Sandy Hook Elementary School PrincipalDawn Hochsprung on Dec. 19.

EricaMiller/Digital First Media

Candles are arranged outside the Newtown Town Hall in remembrance of the 20 children and 6teachers killed inside the Sandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14.

EricaMiller/Digital First Media

Crowds still gather around the memorial site in the downtown area of Sandy Hook on Church Hill Road.

“Evil visited this com-munity today. It’stoo early to speak ofrecovery, but each par-ent, each sibling, eachmember of the familyhas to understand thatConnecticut, we’re allin this together. We’lldo everything we can toovercome this event.”

- Gov. Dannel P.Malloy

with amental illness.“Where do you draw the line?” he asked,noting that there are some 400 knownmen-tal disorders.Yet, in Lanza’s case, theywere not hisguns. Theywere hismother’s.Nancy Lanza had visited firing rangesand the .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle, andtheGlock and Sig Sauer handguns used inthe school slaughterwere registered to her.Connecticut lawmakers already are say-ing the upcoming legislative sessionwillfeature a slate ofmeasures looking at guncontrol, aswell as school security andmen-tal health, in response toNewtown. One ofthose proposals, said state SenateMajorityLeaderMartin Looney, D-NewHaven, islikely to be a call for a gun offender registry,similar toMegan’s Law for sex offenders.A number of gun shop proprietors andgun owners say suchmoves would do littleto prevent the kind ofmassacre that hap-pened at SandyHook. They fear gun con-trol advocateswill try to leverage the pub-lic’s anguish to constrict SecondAmend-ment rights.“Americans have the right to defendthemselves and gun control is not theanswer,” said John Longhi, owner ofJohn’s Firearms in Torrington.Thomas Imperati, owner of TheHunter’sShop in Branford, said his business,whichsells firearms only to dealers, doubled aftertheNewtown incident. But hemade veryclear his distress over the shootings.“I haven’t been able to sleep for threedays, thinking aboutwhat this guy did,”Imperati said, referring to AdamLanza.“There’s no…wayhe should have hadaccess to a gun.”Judging by the speechObamamade inNewtown, aswell as remarks since then,theWhiteHouse is gearing up for a push tocurb assault weapons and high capacityammunitionmagazines.“The fact that this problem is complexcan no longer be an excuse for doing noth-ing,” Obama said. “The fact thatwe can’tprevent every act of violence doesn’tmeanwe can’t steadily reduce the violence.”

LOVE AND REMEMBRANCEIt is now two days before Christmas,and our tears haven’t subsided.Every new detail, every sound bite,every photograph rips away the shakyveneer of normalcy and plunges us againinto the dark thoughts and images ofsomething too tragic to bear. These werechildren. These were guileless, innocentsouls.Perhaps we must do two things atonce: Give voice to our sadness whilealso pouring ourselves into acts of kind-ness and support that honor the dead.Thousands of people, if not hundreds ofthousands, are doing so already.They’ve been at it since that Fridayafternoon.Chicagoans brought golden retrieversfor folks to pet; a New Haven art teacherwho lives in Newtown built 27 woodenangels and placed them out on ChurchHill Road; Beth Howard, an Iowa wom-an, and her friends baked more than 250apple pies and brought them to town.“It might sound silly to say, ‘Hey, weare going to bake some pies and bring inthe midst of this tragedy,’” Howard said,“but in a way, it’s the simplest gesture Ithink you can make.”

The Facebook group R.I.P. SandyHook Elementary School Children elicit-ed more than 1.1 million likes in lessthan 24 hours. A fund for the families ofvictims raised $1.35 million as of Tues-day night. People brought flowers, teddybears and candles. Others donatedChristmas trees.Generous, dedicated first respondersaround the state swarmed to help theirbrethren in Newtown, who saw thingsno person should ever have to see.There were vigils, far and wide.“We were looking for a sense of com-munity, to feel a bond,” said Kris Cottonof Newtown, whose family left candlesand gifts near the school the day aftereverything happened. “This is like thecalm before the real dread. I’m here to

cope with the sorrow.”Molly Delaney stood outside St. JohnEpiscopal Church with her two daugh-ters that weekend. “This is going to be alifelong event to get on,” she said.In New Haven, 600 people gathered onthe Green to grieve.“Being together is where we find ourstrength for each other,” said Rabbi HerbBrockman of Congregation Mishkan Isra-el in Hamden.Members of the Abdul-Majid KarimHasan Islamic Center in Hamden talkedabout the power of prayer at their vigil.“We believe thatprayer is the mostpowerful forceknown to man andtoday’s prayer vigilwas an effort to pro-vide strength andsupport to all inNewtown,” saidAbdul-Majid KarimHasan, residentimam of the center.Some 2,000 peo-ple filled the parkoutside City Hall inMilford, singing,crying and praying.Milford’s teacher ofthe year, Nikki Wayne, read the namesof the deceased.“These are our children, the world’schildren,” Mayor Ben Blake said. “Weare united.”On that first Sunday, many peoplesought spiritual counsel as a way of find-ing an anchor in the whirlwind of cas-cading rage.“Joy? Joy? Do I want someone to comein here and talk to me about joy?” saidMonsignor Jerald A. Doyle, administra-tor of the Diocese of Bridgeport, at Massat St. Rose of Lima. “I want someone tovalidate my feelings of sorrow.”Parishioners approached for Commu-nion that day with tears streaming downtheir cheeks. But the church’s Christmaspageant would go on, with rehearsals lat-er that morning.At the Newtown United MethodistChurch, the Rev. Mel Kawakami spokeopenly about his own struggle to navi-gate a sea of roiling emotions.“We’ve seen this before,” he said. “Wemust forgive like before. But I’m not sureif I’m there yet. The tears are still fresh.The pain is still raw. But each tear shedbrings us to a place of greater compas-sion. Open yourself up to the pain so wecan heal.”Through the week, outpourings ofsympathy and solidarity showered downon Newtown.NBC’s “The Voice” paid tribute with arendition of the song, “Hallelujah.” TheNew York City Children’s Choir sang“Silent Night” on “Saturday Night Live.”There were vigils and tributes in NewYork City’s Times Square, and in LosAngeles, Toronto, London, Glasgow, Rio

de Janeiro and Karachi, Pakistan.Some public remembrances weredirected at individuals.Young Jack Pinto’s teammates at theNewtown Youth Wrestling Associationdedicated their meet in Little Falls, N.J.,to their fallen friend. The associationposted this comment on its Twitter feedabout making the road trip on such a sadday: “Know what we found? Hugs andham/egg/cheese sandwiches.”At Southern Connecticut State Univer-sity, more than 100 students, faculty andstaff gathered to remember four of the

victims with con-nections to the uni-versity — alumniDawn Hochsprung,Mary Sherlach,Anne Marie Murphyand graduate stu-dent Victoria Soto.There were 20 whiteroses at the podiumin honor of the slainchildren and six redroses for the educa-tors who died.Some in the audi-torium shared mem-ories of Soto’s “win-ning, mega-watt

smile,” and others talked about her com-passion and spark. Mainly, they saluteda group of teachers whose courage andunflinching love will be an inspirationfor generations of others in their profes-sion.Their actions at a quiet, little school inConnecticut were more enduring thanany evil, said SCSU President Mary Papa-zian. Their actions showed “there is hopebecause there is love and caring and sac-rifice.”Meanwhile, a phalanx of plumbers,cops, electricians and teachers wentabout the solemn task of turning ChalkHill School in Monroe into a new homefor the kids of Sandy Hook ElementarySchool.They built plywood partitions to iso-late the crime scene areas in Newtown,where investigators were working atthe school. That way they could starthauling out desks and chairs. A con-tractor donated paint to make the newbuilding look more like the kids’ oldschool.Malloy signed an executive orderwaiving some state statutes to speed upthe move. The plan is to have SandyHook students settled in at Chalk Hill onJan. 2.“Our job is to facilitate a move and getthose kids back in a building where theycan start bringing back the normalcy intheir lives,” said Al Barbarotta, a localcontractor helping with the move.Across from the entrance to Chalk Hill,on a white picket fence, there’s already agreen banner with white letters, saying,“Welcome Sandy Hook Elementary.”

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012 NEW HAVEN REGISTER D5

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

AFTER NEWTOWN

Continued from D4

Response: Gun control, mental health treatment brought to forefront

Aaron Ontiveroz/Digital First Media

Community members remember the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting inNewtown.

Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

A home displays a “God Bless Sandy Hook” sign near the center of Newtown.

ABOVE: Newtownpolice officersgrieve at a make-shift memorialoutside of St. Roseof Lima Church inNewtown. Sev-eral prayer serviceswere held in mem-ory of the SandyHook ElementarySchool shootings.

MiaM.Malafronte/Specialto the New Haven Register

LEFT: The front ofSandy HookElementarySchool inNewtownon Dec. 14.

Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

“We must forgive like before. But I’mnot sure if I’m there yet. The tearsare still fresh. The pain is still raw.But each tear shed brings us to aplace of greater compassion. Openyourself up to the pain so we canheal.”

- The Rev. Mel Kawakami

WHEN 26 PEOPLE, includ-ing 20 children no olderthan 7, were killed by agunman on Dec. 14 at

Sandy Hook Elementary School inNewtown, the news devastated anentire nation.Struck particularly hard by thoseevents were the people who, 13½ yearsearlier, dealt with the violent chaos andtragedy of Colorado’s Columbine HighSchool shootings that killed a dozen stu-dents and one teacher — and left manymore injured and emotionally scarred.For some of them, the events inConnecticut conjured old pain andplastered on a new layer of grief forstrangers nearly 2,000 miles away.They watched a community join them,as some have put it, in a club to whichno one wants to belong.A number of those who experi-enced Columbine in 1999 and havelived with its repercussions haveoffered not only their condolences,but their encouragement and advice toa wounded Connecticut community.Some have done so through organizedefforts such as The Rebels Project,which has sponsored a teddy beardrive that will also send personal cor-respondence to Newtown.Some have offered their thoughtshere, in an attempt to pass along dif-ficult lessons learned from livingthrough a school shooting that foreverchanged their lives.

‰‰‰

Be prepared for and accept the stagesof grief you will hear about, becauseit’s natural. Accept that you and oth-ers around you may grieve differently— and there’s nothing wrong with that.Don’t let it be a conflict.When the right time comes, bond withthose other families, because nobodyknows what you’ve been through likethey do. Be prepared for some peoplewho will say some insensitive things,because some people just don’t knowhow to handle you.Honor your child. And think — andI know this is hard to say early on,because you should grieve — but asyou go on, think about what your childwould want for your life. And beingunable to get through this would not bewhat they would want.I really recommend seeing a griefcounselor. Ministers and friends playa role, but I think you need that pro-fessional, third-party conversation.Because there may be things you won’tshare with your friend or minister orpriest. You need to put those things onthe table and let them out.— TomMauser, Father of DanielMauser, who died at Columbine HighSchool

‰‰‰

Having lived through the terrible painthat you are all now experiencing, weknow that there are no words that willease those intense, unrelenting wavesof sorrow and unbelief. But regard-less, know that Misty, Chris, and I, ournation, and so many others across theglobe are grieving with you right nowand will not let you journey alone.Though we will not touch that lovedone’s face again in this life, know theywill forever reside in our hearts andmemories, and will still travel throughlife with us. Please take comfort inknowing that they knew you loved themwithout bounds.There are so many people who wantto do something, to help in some aspect.Allow yourself to be open to all avenuesof love, help and compassion — whatev-er good things people want to do. Theycome in all forms.When we lost Cassie, people fed us,reminded us they were still praying forus, that we were still on their minds andhearts. People cut our grass. People gaveus resources. That allowed us an extrameasure of freedom to really immerseourselves in our grief, and then begin towork out of it.And the bottom line: As much as ithurts right now— and we know thatfeeling too well — it will get better. Lifeis going to get better. It’ll never be thesame, but it is going to get better.Praying for you all,— Brad, Misty and Chris Bernall,

Family of Cassie Bernall, who died atColumbine High School

‰‰‰

I’m not sure what I’d say to you. Ifound out that sometimes it’s better forpeople to say nothing, because you’re sodeep in pain that you don’t want to hear

anything except something that bringsyour child back to you.Sometimes it’s just being there — ahand on the shoulder, a gentle hug, aglass of water, or a plate of food. Oftenthere are no words that can help youfeel better.But, if you were to ask me, I wouldoffer this: Over time, the pain becomes

less. Over time, although you’ll neverforget, never get over it, you can moveon. And although it seems so distantnow, you will feel joy again.You need to take care of yourselvesand the other kids in the family. Acceptthe support and love of family, friends,and community. It will help you healand will help them as well.

D8 NEW HAVEN REGISTER SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

AFTER NEWTOWN

Kindred souls in unimaginable griefColumbinesurvivors tellNewtownfamilies ‘overtime, painbecomes less’

Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post

Columbine High School teacher Lee Andres is in the music classroom Denver, Colo., Dec. 21.

By Kevin SimpsonSpecial to the Register

Karl Gehring/The Denver Post

Rick Townsend, father of Columbine High School shooting victim Lauren Townsend, is participating in the Denver Post Postcards Project.He posed for a portrait at his home Dec. 20.

FRIDAY, DEC. 14 – A gunman opensfire in a Newtown elementary school,

killing 20 young children and six others

before taking his own life in one of the

deadliest shootings in history.

SATURDAY, DEC. 15 – A lawenforcement source says the killer shot

out a glass entrance into the building,

then opened fire in two rooms. State

police release the names of the victims.

All 20 children were first-graders who

were 6 or 7 years old.

SUNDAY, DEC. 16 – President BarackObama comes to Newtown during an

interfaith vigil to honor the victims of

Sandy Hook Elementary School, and

delivers an emotional speech to the nation.

The president pauses to compose himself

several times during the speech, in which

he declares, “Newtown, you are not

alone.”

MONDAY, DEC. 17 – The first funer-als are held. Noah Pozner and Jack Pinto,

both 6, are laid to rest. Teddy bears and

balloons, a New York Giants football

jersey and other signature items blanket

the locations, along with hundreds of

mourners.

TUESDAY, DEC. 18 – More funeralsare held for children and adult victims.

Police confirm that the killer shot himself

as police arrived on the scene, and

officials say they will assemble a detailed

psychological profile of the perpetrator.

The probe fuels a national debate about

gun control.

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 19 – Theatmosphere in Newtown area grows

darker and denser as the funerals

continue and tears flow. The children who

had fled Sandy Hook Elementary School

in a panic finally get their backpacks

returned when they tour Chalk Hill School

in Monroe, where they will attend classes

beginning Jan. 2. Meanwhile, people pour

in from across the country and around

Connecticut in support of the town.

THURSDAY, DEC. 20 – The firstpackage of gun control bills to go the

Connecticut General Assembly will

include one that would require a permit

to purchase ammunition, a heavy tax on

bullets and firearms magazines and

tightening of the round-capacity of

permitted guns. The proposal is expected

to be the first of many that will be floated

this legislative session in response to the

mass shooting.

FRIDAY, DEC. 21 – A moment ofsilence followed by a reading of victims’

names at Newtown’s town hall with Gov.

Dannel P. Malloy starts a dreary, rainy

day. The town hall bell is rung once for

each victim. Elsewhere, another series of

funerals are held. Meanwhile, the NRA

proposes placing an armed guard at every

school in America.

ON A DAY THAT STARTED LIKE SO MANY OTHERS AT SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

SORROWDEEPENS BY THE HOUR

“She was incredibly selfless and coura-geous. She was willing to give her life tosave as many children as she could. Shewas quick-witted enough to hide sevenchildren in a closet and lie convincingly toa madman.”-Louise Spear-Swerling, a professor whowasslain teacher Victoria Soto’s adviser and teacher

at Southern Connecticut State University

Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

Residents Amy Collins and her son, Andrew, 5, placedrawings and candles outside St. Rose of Lima RomanCatholic Church in Newtown Dec. 15. Many arearesidents were visiting the church as the communitytried to come to grips with the shooting massacre atSandy Hook Elementary School Dec. 14.

“I would tell the mourners that we will carrya piece of that person always. In the commu-nity, we are all part of one another.”

-— Bryan Myers, pastorof Tabor Lutheran Church in Branford

Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

A sign is posted next to the Newtown Police Department Dec. 16.

HOW TO HELP‰THE UNITEDWAY has set up a Sandy HookSchool Support Fund. Donations may be mailed toSandy Hook School Support Fund, c/o Newtown Sav-ings Bank, 39 Main St., Newtown 06470, or online athttps://newtown.uwwesternct.org.

‰NEWTOWN YOUTH & FAMILY SERVICES,15 Berkshire Road, Sandy Hook 06482, is collectingdonations for residents directly affected by the shoot-ing. Donations can be sent via “Caroline’s Gift,” a fundthat offers financial support to families dealing with achild’s terminal or catastrophic illness. For more detailson how to donate, call 203-426-8103.

‰NEWTOWN PARENT CONNECTION iscollecting donations through its website, www.new-townparentconnection.org. Donations can be madevia Paypal or any major credit card, and the organiza-tion says all proceeds will be donated directly to thoseaffected by the shootings. For more information, call203-270-1600.

‰FURTHER DONATIONS can be made to the CTinfoline at 211 or 800-203-1234. The CT infoline iscoordinating the American Red Cross efforts.

MiaM.Malafronte/For the New Haven Register

Stuffed bears, carrying the name and age of each victim, sit as partof a memorial in the center of Sandy Hook Dec. 16. The makeshiftmemorials in Sandy Hook grew quickly, as mourners left hundredsof cards, candles, flowers and stuffed animals in memory of theshooting victims.

Melanie Stengel/New Haven Register

Police, fire and emergency personnel converge onSandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Dec. 14 inthe aftermath of the shootings.

“It’s the most terrible moment of a par-ent’s life – you have no idea.”

—Richard Wilford, whose son, Richie, 7,was uninjured in the shootings

“God knows no greater love than to lay downyour life for another. This wonderful youngwoman did that. We should all be so luckyas to know that kind of love for others, everyday. I hope she inspires the world to love oneanother. She deserves at least that much andmore.”

—Walter Jones, a lay pastor and friendof 27-year-old Sandy Hook teacher Victoria Soto

D10 NEW HAVEN REGISTER SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

AFTER NEWTOWN

Peter Hvizdak/New Haven Register

A schoolgirl looks out from a Newtown school bus asit passes by St. Rose of Lima Roman Roman CatholicChurch during the funeral for James Mattioli, 6, ofNewtown Dec. 18.

Peter Casolino/New Haven Register

Ginny Smith of Sandy Hook prays outside the St. Roseof Lima Church in Newtown Saturday. Smith’s daughterdid a teaching internship at the Sandy Hook ElementarySchool recently and knew some of the victims.

Elsa Castillo, center, andAngel Velez, right, of

Waterbury light a candle ata makeshift memorial forthe victims of the SandyHook Elementary Schoolshootings in the center ofSandy Hook Monday.

Arnold Gold/New Haven Register

D12 NEW HAVEN REGISTER SUNDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2012

NEW HAVEN REGISTER, THE MIDDLETOWN PRESS

AFTER NEWTOWN

TomKelly IV/Daily Local News

The memorial setup near the Sandy Hook firehouse, and the entrance road to Sandy Hook Elementary School continues to grow as seen here early Thursday. The sun rises above the trees, illumi-nating parts of the memorial, as Connecticut State Troopers block the entrance road to Sandy Hook Elementary School.

“Scripture tells us, ‘do not lose heart. Thoughoutwardly we are wasting away ... inwardlywe are being renewed day by day.’ ”

— President Barack ObamaDec. 16, 2012