SOUTH Former education minister Shai Piron has accepted a job heading Sderot's education department. He is taking a novel approach to his new role, and will spend a few days a week living in student dorms so as to be part of the urban community. Mayor Alon Davidi lauded Piron's arrival, saying he “brings extensive experience in education, and extensive relationships with various organizations from the education sector,” noting that the ex-minister will be involved with projects spanning kindergarten to university. Boy, 4, swallows poison A four-year-old Beduin boy was seriously ill after drinking a toxic substance, Magen David Adom said Monday. The family brought the unconscious child to the MDA station in Yeroham, where paramedics gave him first aid while consulting with the national poison control center. He was then evacuated to Beersheba's Soroka Medical Center. NORTH Geographic information system takes Hadera The Hadera Municipality's engineering department this week launched the first phase of a web-based geographic information system (GIS) that will help senior city hall staff with decision-making and serving all residents. A GIS consists of many layers of information based on mapping and other databases. Future layers to be added by the municipality will include zoning, building rights, land-planning statuses, national and regional programs and other planning information. The system was activated by Taldor, a company that operates a development and mapping center and has extensive experience in setting up such systems. Umm el-Fahm woman in stun-grenade shock A woman went into shock late Sunday after unidentified assailants threw a stun grenade at her Umm el-Fahm home, police said. Authorities were investigating the incident. CENTER On amphibious chairs, disabled splash in Netanya sea Dozens of disabled people went into the beach for the first time last week with the aid of amphibious chairs, as part of an event at Netanya's Sironit Beach promoting handicap accessibility. The event, organized by the city municipality and the Eco-Ocean Association, featured the specially adapted chairs, which travel on sand and float in water. Speaking at the event, Orly Babitski, the association's environmental projects director, noted that of Israel's 196 km. of coastline, only 14 km. are declared beaches, meaning that most of the country's coast is not accessible – not only to the disabled, but to everyone. Eco-Ocean is aiming to change this, having thus far worked with local authorities to make 23 beaches fully accessible, and intending to add another eight soon. At this stage, amphibious chairs can be found at 23 blue-flag beaches. Negotiating peace in the streets of Tel Aviv Israeli and Palestinian delegations negotiated solutions to the ongoing conflict as part of the Israel-Palestinian Congress of the People last weekend, held at a Tel Aviv plaza opposite Dizengoff Center, with members of the public invited to join in. The event was organized by Minds of Peace, a non-profit that describes itself as a grassroots effort to create the social conditions for Palestinian-Israeli peace by involving the public in the peacemaking process. New special-ed school opens in Bat Yam The new school year began last week, and with it, a new school for special-needs children opened in Bat Yam. The Shachar School, from the third to fifth grades, will help pupils with behavioral disorders to integrate into the education system, giving them tools to deal with challenges and find their own talents. Acting mayor Yossi Bachar came to congratulate the children on the first day of school, placing a mezuza on the doorpost of principal Michal Kihan's office. “This school adds another unique framework to address the needs of every child in Bat Yam, without them having to travel to other cities to study,” Bachar said, wishing the pupils, teachers and educational staff a fruitful and successful year.
(photo credit: NETANYA MUNICIPALITY)