Al's Morning Meeting

A school security site, SchoolSecurity.org, tracks school violence in America. Here is a detailed reporting of the incidents by year and type.

In the last year, the site says, there have been 27 deaths in school, on the way to or from school, or at school-related events:

Identified School-Related Violent Deaths: 2005-2006 School Year

• Total Deaths: 27

• Breakdown by Type:
  •  Shooting: 15
  • Suicides: 1
  • Murder-Suicide: 4
  • Fight-Related: 0
  • Stabbing: 3
  • Other: 4

The site says there were 85 shootings that did not result in death and 238 other high-profile crime or crisis incidents last year.

No doubt this story will focus public attention on a population that shuns publicity.Who are the Amish? What do they believe? Here is some background:

The Amish have their roots in the Mennonite community. Both were part of the early Anabaptist movement in Europe, which took place at the time of the Reformation. The Anabaptists believed that only adults who had confessed their faith should be baptized, and that they should remain separate from the larger society. Many early Anabaptists were put to death as heretics by both Catholics and Protestants, and many others fled to the mountains of Switzerland and southern Germany. Here began the Amish tradition of farming and holding their worship services in homes rather than churches.

What is the problem that Amish have with photographs?

Most sources link this to the second of the Ten Commandments -- the one against graven images. I have done stories with Amish over the years, and they explain it to me in other ways, as well. Having a photograph of yourself is a symbol of pride, which Amish teach against. Amish folks have told me that it presents less of a problem if you capture their picture without asking their permission first, because, then, they have not condoned the action. Look at this essay from the Amish Country News. (Here's more from the Amish Country News.)

Goshen College is offering some of its resources to help journalists:

• Thomas J. Meyers is professor of sociology, director of international education and associate dean at Goshen College. He has studied Amish society for more than 20 years and has published numerous articles and book chapters on Amish life. He can be reached in his office at 574-535-7407.

• Steven M. Nolt is associate professor of history at Goshen College. He is author of "A History of the Amish," rev. ed. (2003), and (with Donald Kraybill) "Amish Enterprise: From Plows to Profits," 2nd ed. (2004). He can be reached in his office at 574-535-7460.

Asphalt Supplies Limited

I am seeing stories around the country about asphalt shortages and road-construction costs soaring.

Pit & Quarry magazine's editor comments on the trend.

Construction companies and especially roofing contractors are having problems finding supplies.

The St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times added some perspective on what these shortages mean to one community:

One example of the impact of these price increases hit Tampa International Airport with bids to rebuild two taxiways. Asphalt, budgeted at $103.50 a ton, came in at $315.35. Econocrete, a base course, budgeted at $18 a square yard, came in at $46.50. And Portland cement, budgeted at $85.47 a square yard, came in at $107.37.

Those same price spikes are responsible for the spiraling cost of road building.

So the improvements to I-275 from the Frankland to the Hillsborough River, budgeted for $250-million, received a low bid of $350-million.

Stunned and stumped, DOT officials rejected the bid, pulled the project off the table and are reconfiguring it as three separate projects to be done one at a time. The first would not begin construction for a year.

Construction, which should have started already and been finished in three years, now might not be done until spring 2013, "provided we get the money," said agency spokeswoman Marian Scorza.

Little Things Driving Up House Construction

The Decatur (Ala.) Daily included this nice piece about what is driving up housing process:

If you want to understand why home builders are worried about the cost of construction materials, walk into a house.

Before you get inside, you're standing above water and sewer pipes. Steel costs have escalated, largely due to heavy demand in China.

Then walk up the driveway. Concrete costs have jumped 11 percent in the last year, according to The American Institute of Architects, largely due to anticompetitive consolidations among concrete producers. If it's an asphalt driveway, the costs are up even more.

Petroleum is a major ingredient of asphalt, and petroleum costs are at record highs.

Twist the brass doorknob; that metal has almost doubled in price in the last year. The door is more expensive, too. Lumber prices are volatile and the cost of getting the lumber to the worksite has jumped.

Gasoline and diesel prices place a freight tax on every component of the house, especially lumber and brick.

Step in the foyer and touch the wall, but do so gently. It's expensive. Drywall prices have increased 26 percent in the last year due to shortages of gypsum.

The wiring behind the drywall, made of scarce copper, has increased 87 percent in the last year.

The carpet, made from petroleum, costs more. Roofing is way up, both because it is a petroleum product and because of increased freight costs. 

Vacationing During School Year

The Ventura County (Calif.) Star ran a piece on an interesting topic I have not seen covered before. The school system there is cracking down on parents who pull their kids from school to take weekend vacations.

The paper explained:

The reasons, educators say, are both financial and academic. School districts lose money if kids aren't in class. Plus districts are under pressure to make sure students do well on state and national tests, so educators want kids at school.

What is your school's policy on this? I know that, a few years ago when I took my kids to Alaska with me during the school year, their teachers gave them special assignments that tied in with the trip, such as journaling and a cultural-history assignment.

We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.