NMS 'Bottle Boyz' Recognized In National Science Competition

By ELIZA HALLABECK

Published: Apr 22, 2011 12:00 am

NMS âBottle Boyzâ Recognized In National Science Competition

Bright ideas, solid research, and teamwork won Newtown Middle School students Nick Lotrecchiano, Patrick Berger, and Erik Street, also known as âThe Bottle Boyz,â semifinalist status in the Christopher Columbus Awards recently, a nationwide program that challenges middle school students to explore opportunities for positive change in their communities.

All eighth grade students at NMS participate in a national science competition each year. Working with their science teacher Jason Adams, the three Newtown Middle School students selected The Christopher Columbus Awards science program. This competition asks kids to come up with a problem in their community and test a solution to solve it. The issue that The Bottle Boyz identified in Newtown is excessive use of disposable plastic water bottles, especially at youth sporting events.

To address this problem, the students came up with Project Reusable Water Bottle, with the goal to reduce the use of disposable plastic water bottles in Newtown while promoting the use of reusable bottles.

âWe feel that if we raise awareness and educate the public about this big problem that exists not only in our community but all over the world, we can make a difference,â said Nick.

The team rolled out its program in January to a group of approximately 160 middle schoolers playing basketball for the Newtown Youth Basketball Association. The initial step was to hand out a short survey to the playersâ parents to get some base line data regarding water bottle usage.

The following Saturday, The Bottle Boyz put up informational flyers and handing out fact sheets on the negative impact of disposable bottles for the same group to see. In addition, the team sent out an e-mail to all of the league participants asking them to help make a difference by bringing a reusable water bottle to their next basketball game. After informing and educating their target audience, the boys handed out a follow-up survey to see if they had actually made a difference.

âWe were pleased because we felt that we made a positive impact with our initial test in Newtown,â said Erik. âWith only one week of raising awareness we had a significant impact with 27 percent more people bringing a reusable water bottle to their game.â

The next step for Project Reusable Water Bottle is for The Bottle Boyz to roll out this program to additional sports programs in Newtown.

âTo make our awareness program stronger we have partnered up with a nonprofit organization called Hope 2-0 located in Bethel, whose mission is to distribute stainless steel water bottles to all interested persons across the country,â said Patrick. âIf we were to win the entire competition, we would receive a $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant, which would allow us to raise awareness and distribute reusable water bottles out to every sports program in Newtown.â

A panel of community leaders, scientists, and experts in science education judged Project Reusable Water Bottle as one of the top 30 Christopher Columbus Awards entries in the United States. More than 1,000 students and coaches participated nationwide.

On April 29, eight of the 30 semifinalist teams will be named winners of an all-expense-paid trip to the Walt Disney World Resort, where they will compete in the Christopher Columbus Awardâs National Championship, June 19 through 24. Rewards include $20,000 in US Savings Bonds for the top two national winners. In addition, one team will bring home the $25,000 Columbus Foundation Community Grant to help fully bring its idea to life in the community.

Patricia Anzellotti

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It seems a lot of the discussion around the flagpole focuses on vilifying drivers who pass on the right, but the real issue is being overlooked. If Chapter 248 Section 14-251 were enforced, we wouldn’t see this problem to begin with. That statute prohibits stopping in the middle of a roadway to yield to cross traffic—as so often happens with cars waiting to turn from Church Hill. When vehicles stop illegally in the travel lane, they effectively create a blockage. Other drivers then either sit through unnecessary delays or carefully pass around them on the right, which is fully permitted when the vehicle ahead is “illegally parked” in the roadway. Instead of punishing drivers reacting to the obstruction, enforcement should focus on the cause: vehicles unlawfully stopping and backing up traffic in the first place. If that behavior were addressed, the need to “go around” would largely disappear.

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John, you raise an important point — these situations are tragic, complicated, and often far less clear-cut than the headlines make them seem. In the Fredericksburg case, the full facts still aren’t publicly known, and like so many of these stories, there’s conflicting information. It was apparently the back door at 3 a.m. — was it justified to use deadly force? We don’t know yet. What we do know is that the homeowner has been charged, and as you rightly noted, that is very serious. But this is also where perspective matters. These cases are quickly sensationalized in the news and on social media, yet when the dust settles, the outcomes are rarely publicized. People forget that in our system, you are innocent until proven guilty. Try to find much coverage of the convication in the case of the Fairfield Realtor vehicle homicide, or updates on the woman who shot her husband a couple of Christmases ago, or even the pedestrian death in Sandy Hook a year or so back. The follow-through simply isn’t there, and public opinion is often shaped only by the first round of headlines. At the end of the day, these situations remind us how split-second decisions in the middle of the night can change lives forever — which is exactly why the right to protect one’s property, home and family is so fiercely debated, and lucky constitutionally protected.

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First the low hanging fruit. Dave; it was a joke, please get over it. You are the only person in Newtown that thought I really wanted to build a stadium on 6 Commence Rd. Now on to Alex. You might not appreciate my writing style or my selection of words, but let's not loose sight of the fact that by responding to my letter in the manner that you did, you have removed any doubt whatsoever that you have no idea of the quantifiable benefits you are dismissing not only for the town, but also for protesters. Either you stopped listening at the word "ordinance" or you never started.. Your constitutional rights to assemble were never in question and would actually be strengthened and there would be literally no impediments. We could even title it "The Alex Villamil Ordinance" if you want. It could be your legacy and actually show Newtown your willingness to work in a bipartisan way for the betterment of the town. Businesses would be protected. Traffic wouldn't be interrupted. The town would save hundreds of thousands of dollars in police overtime. And maybe most importantly, the town could prevent another tragedy while mitigating legal risk in the event something terrible happens at a protest. Nothing bad could never happen in Newtown right? All that could be accomplished by a simple, non-intrusive ordinance unless all the detriments to our town are intentional in order to bring more attention to your cause. Alex, this was not me throwing a temper tantrum. Believe me, you will know it if that happens. I am just putting Newtown first. From that perspective, if you think critically, the regulation is necessary. It makes sense logically, rationally, and is reasonable. There is absolutely no down side. None. I would be willing to sit down with you to see if we could come to some type of compromise if you want. Let me know. You would be amazed how much you can accomplish when there is dialogue amongst neighbors.

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A popular prank circulating on TikTok is “ding-dong-ditch” where a group of young people violently bang or kick someone’s door late at night and then “ditch” or run. On May 3 three high schoolers here in Fredericksburg Va. were participating in such a prank. One homeowner assumed, as in this case, an attempted break in and also took measures to defend his family and property. As the youths were running away he fired, striking an 18 year old graduating senior in the back killing him and seriously injuring a second youth. A wasted life, a family shattered, and the homeowner charged with murder.

You’re absolutely right — no one should ever feel unsafe in their own home. Being startled awake by violent banging at your door late at night is no joke, and it’s a stark reminder that danger can come without warning. That’s why I’m thankful for the right to protect ourselves, our families, and our property. In a moment like that, you don’t get a second chance to call for help before you act — you have to be prepared. Our homes should be a place of peace, not fear, and the ability to defend them is a right worth safeguarding.

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NMS 'Bottle Boyz' Recognized In National Science Competition

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