Newfane voters decide to keep zoning bylaws By Thelma O’Brien The Commons
NEWFANE—The ballot measure to abolish Newfane’s zoning bylaw was soundly defeated Monday as residents of Newfane, Williamsville, and South Newfane voted 326 to 103 to retain the land use laws adopted in 1975. A stream of more than a third of the town’s 1,360 registered voters, out of a population of about 1,800, drifted through the
polling lines at the NewBrook Fire Station from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. to defeat the measure by about a three-to-one margin. Monday’s vote was prompted by a petition circulated in June that called for the removal of what the signers considered overly restrictive regulations. Eighty-seven registered voters signed it. After two information meetings were held, an Australian ballot election was finally set for Dec. 20. Shelley and Deane Wilson,
who own 13.5 acres in Newfane, present a representative example of voters who view the regulations as draconian in detail, and therefore voted in favor of abolishing the laws. But after voting, they each said they actually preferred modifications to the law, rather than removal. Deane Wilson described his frustration at not being allowed to build a 12-foot-by-12-foot shed on his property because of a 100-square-foot restriction.
y l k e wve
But that paled in comparison to his children’s tree house he was forced to take down. “I had to cut it down because it was over 10 feet tall,” he explained. “I mean, it was up in a tree.” Shelley Wilson, his wife, who also voted to abolish the laws, said she was really in favor of modifications. “I mean, I’m not in favor of development everywhere but, yes, we need to change the laws.” Dan and Sallyanne Kinoy
voted in favor of retaining the laws. “I think there was a group of people who had had a number of projects turned down,” said Dan Kinoy, “and they tried to stampede this. I think a lot of people think the laws are over-strict.” One woman in favor of retaining the laws asked to be anonymous. She owned three acres in rural Newfane at the end of a town road. Someone bought 19 acres alongside her property, and pretty soon it became
a repository for junked cars and an off-road mud track. She was able to buy six more acres from the owner, but only with the proviso that he gained right-of-way-use of part of her acreage. Eventually, his activities overstepped the zoning setback laws, and she was able to get help from the sheriff. He has subsequently moved. A particularly galling restriction, according to those in favor of abolishing the laws, is the n see zoning, page 5
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Brattleboro, Vermont Wednesday, December 22, 2010 • Vol. V, No. 34 • Issue #81
W ind h am C ounty ’ s A W A R D - W I N N I N G , I ndependent S ource for N ews and V iews
Entergy agrees to pump more tritiated water
E ditor ’ s note
No paper next week The Commons will suspend publication for a week so our staff and contributors can recharge their batteries, enjoy the holiday season, and otherwise gird themselves to produce a good newspaper for you in 2011. The next issue will be published Wednesday, Jan. 3. Deadline for news and advertising is Friday, Dec. 31. All of us at Vermont Independent Media and The Commons offer our readers best wishes for a safe and happy rest of 2010. See you next year.
News bRATTLEbORO
More pay-anddisplay parking to come page 8
Health reform may take years page 3
Voices ANNIE hAWKINS
Tales of holiday stress page 6
Life & Work MEDICAL MIRACLE
Local family touched by historic kidney transplants page 9
Sports GIRLS’ hOCKEY
Colonels top Rutland
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Shumlin ‘grateful’ for meeting with VY officials
Raising the
Numbers
By Olga Peters The Commons
Study will influence recycling coordinators’ next moves to boost recycling in Brattleboro David Shaw/The Commons
Moss Kahler, co-coordinator of Brattleboro’s recycling program with Cindy Sterling (inset), along for the ride as Triple T Trucking driver Andre Smith collects household recyclables. Kahler and Sterling are looking to reverse the town’s low compliance with mandatory recycling and are preparing to educate townspeople. By Olga Peters
n see ENTERGY, page 8
Leland & Gray faces difficult budget choices
The Commons
BRATTLEBORO— Brattleboro is a town with curbside pick-up of recyclables, a mandatory recycling ordinance, and a population largely concerned with environmental issues — yet only 19 percent of its residents recycle. The new town recycling coordinators, Moss Kahler and Cindy Sterling, seek to raise that 19 to a full 100 percent. This winter, the duo has begun working to identify which habits or systems contribute to the low rate. The town enacted a recycling ordinance in the 1990s, making recycling mandatory. For years, the town has lightly enforced the ordinance, said Sterling. Kahler and Sterling plan to glean data that will help them launch new initiatives and prepare residents for stricter enforcement of the town’s mandatory recycling ordinance that begins March 1.
VERNON—Entergy Corp. has agreed to resume pumping tritiated groundwater from the soils within the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant compound by the end of December. The Louisiana-based corporation has also said it will step up its environmental monitoring efforts. Gov.-elect Peter Shumlin toured Vermont Yankee on Friday and met with Entergy
officials to discuss a formal request he issued to the company and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In his letter last week to Michael Colomb, Vermont Yankee site vice-president, and Gregory Jazcko, head of the NRC, Shumlin asked Entergy to resume pumping radioactive water from the ground, continue monitoring an abandoned drinking water well in the Construction Office Building,
Towns to vote Feb. 2 David Shaw/The Commons
Even properly sorted recyclables should not be left in plastic bags, Kahler and Sterling observe.
By Thelma O’Brien
For want of a PAYT
TOWNSHEND—Sharp differences between the Leland & Gray Union High School administration and the public were highlighted last Tuesday night as the LGUHS School Board voted to accept the proposed fiscal year 2012 budget by a vote of 10-4. The budget of more than $6.3 million is nearly level-funded and will require no property tax increase. The public will vote by Australian ballot on the budget as proposed Wednesday, Feb. 2.
increasing recycling. Voters later overruled PAYT in a special referendum vote. However, the recycling coordinator position, funded for one year, remained. With the town not intending to fund the position beyond one year, Sterling said the ultimate goal for her and Kahler is to make the improvements to Brattleboro’s recycling system sustainable. The coordinators came to
At this year’s Representative Annual Town Meeting, representatives voted to create a recycling coordinator position to aid residents in the transition to the newly approved pay-asyou-throw (PAYT) trash disposal system. Representatives generally agreed that if the town expected residents to pay for special trash bags, it also needed to help them save money by
n see RECYCLING, page 2
The Commons
A budget information meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 5, and the school district holds its annual meeting Tuesday, Feb. 1. “This budget reflects the fiscal realities of (and educational hopes for) the Leland & Gray community,” wrote Principal Dorinne Dorfman to the board regarding the 2011-12 budget decisions. “Reductions in departments and co-curricular activities reflect low student enrollment and fiscal constraints.” Low enrollments in art, foreign language, health, music, and family and consumer science n see BUDGET, page 4
Strained relationship threatens local programming Cable company seeks state okay to drop BCTV programming in five towns By Randolph T. Holhut The Commons
BRATTLEBORO—In Vermont, cable television operators are required to provide public, educational, and government (PEG) access programming, and provide the equipment and facilities to produce local programming as a condition of receiving a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) from the Public Service Board (PSB). For the past 10 years, Brattleboro Community Television (BCTV) has filled that role for Southern Vermont Cable Co. (SVC), which serves the towns of Newfane, Townshend, Dummerston, Putney, and Jamaica.
“We want to provide public access programming and they need to have it, so it’s been a nice, symbiotic relationship,” said BCTV Executive Director Cor Trowbridge. But that relationship has been strained of late. BCTV and SVC have been working to upgrade the signal quality of BCTV’s Channel 8, and BCTV has been urging SVC to add Channel 10 — BCTV’s education and government channel — to its system. BCTV representatives say they thought things were heading along the right path. SVC was issued Certificates of Public Good allowing it to David Shaw/The Commons serve subscribers in Newfane A screen at the Brattleboro Community Television studio shows state Rep. n see PUBLIC ACCESS, page 2
Mike Mrowicki’s “Montpelier Connection” program.
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T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
BR AT TLEBORO n Recycling the position separately but are glad to be working together. Sterling, program director for the Windham Solid Waste Management District (WSWMD), had her full-time position cut to 25 hours last March when the district lost a grant it had received for 11 years. She was looking to complement her hours in July when Town Manager Barbara Sondag approached her about applying for the town recycling coordinator position. Sterling thought that the position sounded like a win-win. She could focus her waste management experience, usually reserved for the entire district, on one town. But she had reservations. Sterling said she felt she lacked local knowledge of Brattleboro because she lives in New Hampshire. Kahler led the charge against PAYT. Although he opposed that disposal system, he favors recycling and believes Brattleboro can do better. “So I thought I should put my money where my mouth is,” he said. Kahler worried that his applying for the position would put Sondag in “a tough spot,” because they fell on opposing sides of the PAYT issue. But he thinks his background in recycling, and his history as a former Selectboard member and Brattleboro resident, tipped the scales in his favor. Kahler describes Sondag’s decision to split the job into two part-time positions as “a stroke of brilliance.” He and Sterling agree that the job would be “overwhelming” for one person.
Riding the route
The coordinator job is “frontend loaded,” Kahler said, requiring the new recruits to gather data, contact community organizations, and assess residents’ current habits. A 19 percent recycling rate is considered low when you have a municipal curbside pick-up program, plus the ability to drop items off 24/7 at WSWMD’s Old Ferry Road facility, said Sterling. Kahler spent two cold mornings riding the route with Andre Smith, Brattleboro resource recovery transportation facilitator with Triple T Trucking, the Brattleboro-based rubbish removal company contracted to pick up recycling at the curb. Kahler said the trip helped him see which households recycle. Those belonging to the households that don’t are “the people who have to change their habits the most,” said Kahler. He said many households sort their recyclables incorrectly or toss in items not accepted by the district.
A common mistake Kahler noticed is households that have all the right items sorted properly in their green recycling bins but improperly stash all their overflow items on the curb in plastic bags. Kahler said these bags can “gum up” the District’s sorting machine. Residents also put waxy milk and juice containers out for recycling that should go to the WSWMD’s Project COW (Commercial Organic Waste) compost drop off. People are also tossing unaccepted items like aluminum products, nongrocery related molded plastic, and Styrofoam into their green recycling bins. Kahler said he learned from his field trip that recycling habits, good and bad, tend to be determined by neighborhood. Sterling said some of their educational efforts will target these underperforming areas of town. Kahler said even some families he knows who are avid recyclers incorrectly sort the items they place curbside. Sterling said some people have the misconception that they don’t need to sort their recyclables because they all go to the same facility. The WSWMD’s facility doesn’t have the staffing to sort everything in one lump, she noted. She feels that, for many households, a little education is all it will take to change them into stellar recyclers. “We intend in these next three months to push in a media campaign the information people need to recycle properly,” said Kahler. Sterling said it helps that a local hauling company won the town’s hauling contract. The previous hauler, Waste Management Inc., confused residents because it took recycling items to Keene, N.H., which accepted different items from those that WSWMD processes. Kahler feels the town’s contract with Triple T Trucking will help the recycling numbers rise. He said the owner and manager understand there may be some big changes on the horizon for residents and are willing to make adjustments. Sterling and Kahler plan to conduct a survey to understand where Brattleboro stands on recycling, residents’ current recycling behaviors, what they think works, and how the program can improve. This data will inform the team’s new programs in the spring. Sterling said the WSWMD has a handle on how to assess and deal with illegal dumping, if any occurs — a concern raised during the PAYT debates. “No one wants to be told what to do with their trash,” Sterling
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said. But she hopes people will remember that recycling has value. Good recycling helps the district save money, she notes. The district passes its savings onto the municipalities in the form of lower districting and tipping fees, resulting in lower taxes. Kahler and Sterling are looking for volunteers to fill two-hour shifts in December and January to help survey people dropping recycling at the Old Ferry Road site. A survey will also be mailed to residents.
Following the rules
Smith, the only Triple T driver picking up recyclables, has done impromptu sorting of items improperly set on the curb. But Kahler said this will stop. Come March 1, Triple T will enforce Brattleboro’s mandatory recycling ordinance more forcefully, the coordinators warned. Sterling hopes education will be the only enforcement needed for residents to properly adhere to the ordinance. She said the first planned level of enforcement would entail Smith leaving unaccepted recyclables curbside with a sticker explaining why they were not picked up. “We hope that’s all they’ll need as an education piece,” Sterling said. Sterling said she and Kahler will meet with repeat offenders one-on-one to discuss how to remedy the situation. Even though the recycling ordinance allows for some “hefty fines,” Sterling hopes she and Kahler will never need to dole them out. “We would like to avoid that part of the stick. We’d prefer to use carrots,” Sterling said. Kahler agrees and feels fining households for not recycling is akin to buying a PAYT bag. He said he and Sterling are developing a plan to reward star recycling households. Kahler knows that, for some, having the mandatory recycling bylaw enforced will come as a big change. It will take these people more time to sort items, he said, “but it doesn’t take a long time.” For more information on recycling, visit windhamsolidwaste.org. Residents looking to volunteer as survey takers or who have other questions should contact Moss Kahler at 802-257-4445 (mosski@ comcast.net) or Cindy Sterling at 603-762-1488 (sterling.cindy@ gmail.com).
David Shaw/The Commons
Cor Trowbridge, executive director of Brattleboro Community Television, stands in the BCTV studio at the Municipal Center.
n Public access and Putney in 1988 and Dummerston in 1995. When the PSB allowed SVC to take over the assets of the nonprofit Townshend TV in 2001, the board gave the company the authority to expand the system into Jamaica. Officially, BCTV has had a longstanding agreement to provide Channel 8 content only to Putney subscribers but has made its broadcast available over the years as SVC expanded its system, according to one person familiar with the negotiations. The station set out to negotiate a new agreement that would formalize the arrangement for all five towns. Meanwhile the station wanted to remedy what its staff and board considered a disparity: Comcast subscribers in Brattleboro, Vernon, and Guilford, who fund PEG programming through a 0.5 percent surcharge on the cable television portion of their monthly bills, pick up a disproportionate amount of the operational funding of the station’s content because the original Putney agreement was so nominal. “That has paid for technology upgrades and expanded programming,” Trowbridge said. “SVC subscribers have benefitted from this.” This dispute has heated up even more as SVC applies for a renewal of its CPG from the PSB. In August, BCTV petitioned the PSB for permission to participate in the hearings. Trowbridge pointed to a 2-inch-tall pile of documents in her office. “This is all the written testimony that is to be submitted to the PSB,” she said. “If SVC gets its way, none of it will be seen or heard by the board.” On Dec. 6, SVC broke negotiations and asked the PSB for permission to amend its CPG renewal to exclude BCTV from its public access plan, and to prevent BCTV from having party status in the renewal hearings. At the same time, the company is seeking an exemption from the PEG requirement because it has a small subscriber base — roughly 1,700, according to the PSB. “Obviously, after achieving success with our negotiations and eventual contract signing with Comcast, to have our local smaller provider pull out of negotiations like this is surprising and disappointing,” BCTV Vice President Tim Wessel wrote on iBrattleboro. “We will continue to welcome negotiations for a fair agreement for everyone, so that those who enjoy BCTV programs can continue to do so.”
from page 1
the last seven years without passing those costs onto Southern Vermont’s customers. BCTV is no longer satisfied with the level of funding and would like more. “Rather than increasing the costs for our customers associated with public access programming,” he continued, “[we are] investigating alternatives that would meet the community needs at a more affordable level.” Trowbridge said SVC has shouldered relatively little of the cost of funding BCTV. She added that BCTV is providing its programming for a nominal fee, and is willing to work with SVC to develop a public access strategy. “We respect that SVC is a small operation,” Trowbridge said. “We’re a small operation, too. We have always been willing to work with them. We simply want to be able to clear up the signal quality problems and add Channel 10 programming.” Neither Trowbridge nor Scialabba offered information about how much SVC now pays to BCTV for its programming, or how much additional money BCTV is seeking. According to BCTV’s public nonprofit filing with the Internal Revenue Service, the organization received $202,435 in program service revenue from all sources, including Comcast and SVC.
The need
According to Trowbridge, BCTV conducted a study in 2008 to find out how well its channels were meeting community needs. They found that SVC subscribers had difficulty watching Channel 8 because of poor signal quality, and that they wanted to receive Channel 10 programming, especially from Brattleboro Union High School. “Brattleboro is the hub of Windham County,” she said. “This is where people come to shop, to work, to play. Everything flows here.” Putney and Dummerston are in the Windham Southeast Supervisory Union, so there is a demand in those towns for seeing the daily live programming produced by BUHS students. State Rep. Mike Mrowicki, D-Putney, also hosts a regular webcast from Montpelier to his constituents that’s aired on BCTV. There is not as much regular programming for the West River Valley towns of Newfane, Southern Vermont Townshend, and Jamaica, although Trowbridge said resiainting dents in those towns have used the BCTV studios to produce estoRation programs. BCTV reached out to its SVC Interior & Exterior towns in an attempt to set up Painting broadcasts of its Selectboard Why the fight? meetings, a service that the five Carpentry In an e-mail statement, SVC boards declined, according to Plaster Work president Ernest Scialabba said one station volunteer. SVC “has provided fund802.257.3026 that ing to BCTV for public access What’s next programming for approximately The PSB is expected to rule on BCTV’s petition on Feb. 18. Until then, Trowbridge said she is trying to get the word out that SVC customers may lose BCTV programming — programming that is touted on the SVC website as a benefit of a subscription to the service. “There’s always something that needs to be done here at BCTV, but I’m having to spend energy on this,” she said. “It takes a lot of work and investment to keep this all going, and the more people who are able to Support BBBS...learn more at rivercu.com get our programming, the more support we can receive.” Comments on the renewal Look into may be sent to the Vermont Department of Public Service Big Brothers/Big Sisters at vtdps@state.vt.us or 112 State of Windham County St., Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-2601. Viewers may also call 800-622-4496. The docket number is 7633.
More Brattleboro news, page 8
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T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
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COUNT Y & REGION Planning health care for ‘socialist libertarians’ Members of Dr. Hsiao’s team present at Vermont Citizens Campaign for Health annual meeting By Olga Peters The Commons
BRATTLEBORO—At the Vermont Citizens Campaign for Health’s recent annual meeting, two members of Dr. William Hsiao’s team presented early findings gleaned from interviews with professionals, elected officials, and advocacy groups involved with health care in Vermont. Ashley Fox, Ph.D., and Nathan Blanchet, a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard, said Vermont is in a unique position to remain a health care reform “trailblazer.” They cautioned that this wouldn’t prove easy and would require, above all, a sense of unity among elected officials, businesses, residents, and advocacy groups. Unity, said Blanchet, may not be easy in a state with a population of — as one Vermonter described them — “socialist libertarians,” who support working together as a co-operative community while wanting to be left alone, independent, and free to do as they please. Fox and Blanchet interviewed 70 people representing hospitals, health care providers, legislators, business owners, and health care advocates in August and September. According to Fox, an Agency for Health Care Research and Quality Fellow at Yale University, she and Blanchet tried to balance interviews between those pro-health care reform and those who are wary of such measures. This year, the Legislature passed Act 128, which deals with health care financing and universal access. Lawmakers charged Dr. William Hsiao, a professor of economics at Harvard University, and his team to develop three plans to provide universal health care to Vermonters. According to Act 128, of the three plans suggested by Dr. Hsiao, who helped design Taiwan’s health care system, one had to be a government administered single-payer option, another had to be a public option and the third plan one of Dr. Hsiao’s own design. Fox said she and Blanchet reviewed Vermont’s 1994 attempt to enact universal access to health care. At that time, the legislature was close to passing reform legislation but, in the end, lawmakers did not succeed in enacting any largescale changes. “The past shapes the present in a profound way,” Fox
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said. Fox outlined some factors that contributed to the legislation’s failure, including the absence of a clear funding method, too many proposed plans, the Burlington Free Press “misrepresenting” a cost increase, and opposition from small, grassroots business groups. Blanchet said the state faced opportunities, constraints, and concerns moving forward on reform in the present era. He said having Democrats in control of the legislative and executive branches of government will provide one opportunity. “We’d be in a different game if Brian Dubie had won the election — not sure what that game would be,” said Blanchet. Other opportunities include Governor-elect Peter Shumlin’s appointments of cabinet members with health care reform experience and the progress made in the “art and science” of successful health care reform, and in developing new systems. Constraints included fallout from the recession, limits placed on states’ powers by the new federal health care bill, and no explicit allowances for waivers from the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), which sets minimum standards for pensions and health care in private industry. Blanchet called the biggest threat Vermonters’ diversity of interests. Vermonters would need to unify their health care coverage and benefits goals to ensure successful future reforms, he said. A unification of plans could prove an interesting feat in a state with a “patchwork” of benefit plans and delivery systems, and a population with easy access to its elected officials, said Blanchet. Kate Kanelstein, an organizer with the Vermont Workers’ Center, said Vermont is at an “exciting” point with health care reform. “But we’re up against pretty big challenges,” said Kanelstein. “The opponents have a lot of power and a lot of money. But we have a lot of us.” Dr. Hsiao and his team will present their findings to the Legislature in mid-January. The public and legislators will have a chance to comment on the proposed health care plans. Then, the team will review and present the revised plans later next year.
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Full health care reform in state: 12 years away? Legislative consultant testifies at Statehouse in preparation for full report in January By Anne Galloway vtdigger.org
MONTPELIER—Vermont’s health care system is broken, but it’s not beyond repair, according to Dr. William Hsiao, who has been hired by the Legislature to design three medical care reform plans for Vermont. Fully integrating reforms, however, could take as long as 12 years, Hsiao told an audience of about 100 people at the Statehouse on Dec. 14. Hsiao made the remarks at a hearing before the Vermont Health Care Committee. He and his team gave the committee a status update on their research for the full report Hsiao will deliver to lawmakers on Jan. 19, which will be followed by a two-week public comment period and then a two-week period for Hsiao and his group to make changes to the three plans. The final report will be presented on Feb. 17. Hsiao, a Harvard economist and architect of Taiwan’s singlepayer system, is charged with fulfilling the criteria set out in Act 128 for the design of three health care models that provide universal access and high quality care to Vermonters. The approaches to health care — single payer, public option, and a third option to be determined by Hsiao and his staff — will be considered by the Legislature in the next session. A “pure” single-payer system that offers universal coverage and comprehensive coverage for every Vermonter could be costly, Hsiao said. A public option approach would create a government-administered insurance plan that would compete with other insurers and potentially offer lower premium rates because of the government’s bargaining power with hospitals and doctors. Universal coverage in that scenario would not be possible, Hsiao said. The last option, Hsiao’s choice, will be “what we think is viable and practical.” “When you look at your dreams, and you want your dreams to come true, in that process the rubber meets the road,” Hsiao said. “I’m confident our report won’t please everyone. I hope it will please most people.” Sen. Jane Kitchel, chair of the committee, said panel members recognize the obstacles ahead, but they also understand the need to move forward. “Working harder in a flawed system won’t get you where you need to be,” she said. Before Hsiao’s team makes recommendations, it is completing a detailed analysis of Vermont’s current situation. He said the state’s health care system will continue to erode unless fundamental changes are made.
“The cost is rising very fast in Vermont,” Hsiao said. “Also, the number of uninsured, in spite of Catamount Health and other efforts, remains at the 7.5 percent level.” Vermont already has a high coverage rate compared with other states. On average, insurers pay about 87 percent of health care costs incurred by Vermonters they cover. Hsiao noted indicators that show fundamental flaws in the current medical system. Rural health care facilities are losing primary care doctors, Hsiao said, while the number of specialists is increasing. Community hospitals are weakening, he said. “Your current system isn’t doing what you want it to do,” Hsiao said. He said the Blueprint for Health initiative is a good positive step, “but it’s a little step, and it’s not going to save you.” His team divided the “stakeholders” that would be affected by reform into eight groups, and they interviewed 70 individuals as part of the research process. What they found will help to guide their design, Hsiao said. Some stakeholders want to maintain the status quo, he said. Businesses, for example, are worried about any additional cost. “They are firm,” Hsiao said. “Whatever is proposed shouldn’t cost more money.” The question, Hsiao said, is how do you pay for universal access while keeping insurance costs in check? The money has to come from cost savings, he said.
Terry J. Allen/vtdigger.org
Dr. William Hsiao, right, and Steve Kappel, left, give an interim report to the Vermont Health Care Reform Commission. Administrative savings could be worth several hundred million dollars a year if a single-payer health care plan, or some version of it, is implemented, he said. He recommended that the state move to an integrated delivery system in which payments to doctors and health care facilities are based on a per-capita rate that includes “risk adjustments.” In order to ensure that whoever is paying the bill — whether it’s the state, employers or workers — “you want to pay for performance. You want to make sure you get the value.” Measuring that value is difficult. That’s why he recommends that performance-based criteria be developed. At the top of the list? “Did your patient get well?” Hsiao said. (Rwanda has the most advanced medical performance measures for medical personnel, Hsiao said.) His team is preparing to offer quantitative modeling for
premium prices. He said they will calculate the effect on household budgets, employer premiums, state health care spending, Medicaid, and the new federal Affordable Care Act. Policy analysts Tom Kavet and Nick Rockler will analyze the impact of the three designs on the gross state product, or overall level of economic activity in the state. As part of its research, his team has considered tort reform, lowering administrative costs, and creating uniform prices for all procedures. Currently, the price varies widely depending on a patient’s insurance coverage. “You’re going to have quite a lot to digest,” Hsiao said.
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NEWS
4
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
WEST RIVER VALLE Y n Budget
from page 1
classes dictated fractional reductions in teacher hours for those subjects, according to Dorfman, Windham Central Supervisory Union Superintendent Steven B. John, and WCSU Chief Financial Officer Frank Rucker. While teachers in those subjects have had their hours reduced, and certain classes have been consolidated, no faculty member has been dismissed. Two classes, music theory and a middle school health class, are to be discontinued. An example typical of most of the reductions covers foreign languages. “Low course enrollments warrant reductions in Chinese and French offering,” Dorfman writes. “Chinese will be reduced from 0.75 to 0.67 FTE (full time equivalent). The responsibility of teaching a Chinese course through the Virtual High School (i.e. online) increases the position by 0.33 FTE for a total of 1.0 FTE. Providing an online course in Chinese increases the number of L&G students participating in (online) courses, which have been oversubscribed in 2010-11.” Similar reductions cover French, but, Dorfman writes, “Since student participation in one, two, or even three foreign languages over the course of six years is a priority for Leland & Gray, in the 2011-12 school year, the department will offer yearlong courses in Chinese and French to seventh- and eighthgraders. Students who complete two years of middle school foreign language may earn one high school credit.” John believes “more draconian measures” will take place if budget deficits are not at least partially resolved. “What is lost here is student convenience,” he said. “We have not eliminated anything. We have larger classes and independent study, and the students can access subjects in the virtual high school. This proposal considers 38 teachers. No retiring is required.” “Given the economic realities, you determine course enrollment and state requirements, and you (create) an action plan,” said Dorfman. But her focus, she says, is equally on the academic needs of the school. “You look at areas of weakness, areas that need attention based on standardized tests,” she said. “We need a strong literacy program here.” She said that results show that in grade 11, students here did not meet state proficiency standards in reading, writing, math, and science. She has devised a program that invites teachers to take leadership roles in science, math,
and English, participating in professional development based each discipline’s best practices. She has also working to redesign some biology, chemistry and physics classes with the goal of making them advanced placement (AP) courses. “In 2008, 29 percent of Vermont high school students participated in AP courses,” she said. “Currently, 25 percent of L&G seniors participate in one or more AP classes. The goal is to increase the percentage to 35 percent of students in every graduating class, and increase the number of AP courses from two to four.” Opponents of the proposed budget wanted cuts to academic programs restored, generally agreeing that the cuts represent a pattern that devalues academics, and that administrators too easily accept certain fiscal constraints. They also said they wanted a more comprehensive budget that voters could accept or reject by ballot Feb. 2. Board members and administrators have also received at least 22 letters, many detailed, from current students, alumni, and others advocating the status quo or better. Board member Diane Newton, education director at Hildene, the Lincoln home in Manchester, voted against the budget. “Here’s my thinking,” she said. “Leland & Gray’s extraordinary music program and Journey East (a program that sends students studying the Chinese language to China for several weeks) engages students at all levels. It seems totally illogical to compromise our extraordinary music program. I wanted the process to go another step to let the voters decide.” Newton pointed out that Congressional actions last year provided funds to restore jobs for teachers across the country who were dropped because of budget constraints. The money is expected to be distributed this year, but no one knows how or when. She brought this up just as the meeting was ending and Board Member Dave Edgar from Newfane moved that if that money were forthcoming, about $19 million for Vermont, or about $100,000 for Leland & Gray, it would be used to restore faculty cuts. “That passed unanimously,” Newton said. Edgar was unavailable for comment. Current senior Melissa Soule — who recently won early admission status at Williams College, where she intends to study drama — is quoted often in newspapers and an extremely active student. She feels, because of her
David Shaw/Commons file photo
Dorinne Dorfman, principal of Leland & Gray Union High School. continuing involvement in school affairs, that she’s in a position to comment on the reduced budget. “As a student organizer for Dr. Dorfman and also a Rotarian, where I see a lot of people (including Rucker), I’m in a position to comment,” Soule said. She feels that certain things are going downhill fast, especially in the music department. “We used to have a prize-winning marching band, and now we don’t. We have a band, but not a marching band. I went to school concert recently, and there were 120 kids involved. You have to start music in grades four, five, and six, and give music the opportunity to blossom.” She agrees that economic issues can dictate budget
constraints but she says, “I do not understand why these particular cuts were necessary I went through the budget line by line and I came up with $65,000 in maintenance costs, like computer repairs, that we could do ourselves.” She also takes exception to the long-range planning practiced by the superintendent’s office. “They’re looking at declining enrollments four years down the road. But if you think of it, four years is someone’s whole high school education.” While she agrees that increasing the budget could result in property tax increases, she says, “My basic argument is that we should give the public more choice.”
Patti Dickson of Jamaica, who works on hotel bookings at Stratton, is also distressed by the music cutbacks. Her daughter, a junior, has learned to write music recently and now writes her own pieces, she said. “My big hope and desire is that everyone who votes looks at the budget carefully and doesn’t vote just on the bottom line, “ Dickson said. “I also want to encourage parents to work on academics at the school with their kids. You can accomplish a lot doing that.” Susan Misnick, a school board member from Newfane, who is a computer programmer at the School for International Training, also voted no on the proposed budget.
COUNT Y & REGION
Taking stock of state nonprofit sector New report looks at challenges, opportunities among Vermont’s charitable organizations By Randolph T. Holhut
“Nonprofits don’t always tell their stories effectively,” Comstock-Gay said during an inBRATTLEBORO—There terview with The Commons. “It’s are more than 4,000 nonprofit hard for them to do so, because organizations in Vermont — they’re so focused on their misranging in size and scope from sions. But the better that nonthe University of Vermont to the profits can explain what they are Brattleboro Historical Society. doing and why it is important, These organizations provide the more that people trust and essential health and human servalue what they do.” vices, arts and culture, commuAccording to the report, nity development, environmental Vermont ranks seventh in the nastewardship, education, and a tion for its rate of volunteerism, host of other services in every and second in the nation for its county of the state. teenage volunteer rate. About But this sector — which gener20.7 million hours valued at ates $4.1 billion in revenue and $431.2 million are volunteered www.vermontcf.org accounts for nearly one-fifth of by Vermonters each year. the Vermont gross state product Stuart Comstock-Gay. Vermonters are relatively well— and the vital role it plays in the aware of the nonprofit sector and lives of Vermonters — is rarely closely with the Center for Rural there is room for that awareness 55 Depot Brattleboro, looked at as a whole. Studies at the St. University of toVT grow, the report finds. Since 55 Depot Brattleboro, VT (802) 254-5755 That has changed with a St. Vermont and Common Good And, according to the report, 1946 new report from the Vermont Vermont to conduct the surveys Vermonters trust and respect the Si nc e Sale Ends January 15th (802) Cut254-5755 your energy this year… Community Foundation (VCF), and interviews earliercosts this19year nonprofit sector to deliver qual46 55 Depot St. Brattleboro, VT Limited Availability! Perfect Gift for the was founded in 1986 with thatby provided the basis for the more ity services. 55Holidays! Depot St. which Brattleboro, VT Since installing something (802) 254-5755 your energy this year… the mission ofCut strengthening report’scosts findings. “This is a small state, and Tickets available at Burrows Specialized Sports, 19 46 S in ce (802) 254-5755 the nonprofit sector and growS t uefficient. aVT r t C o mCall s t o cMerrill k - G a y ,Gas! people know each other,” said The Boys & Girls Club on Flat Street, Brattleboro Bowl in Brattleboro, 55 Depot St. 1Brattleboro, 9costs by installing more 46 president and Ted’s Shoe and Sport in Keene New Hampshire. ingCut Vermont’s philanthropic CEO of the Comstock-Gay. “Most nonprofyour energy thissomething year… Sincand e (802) 254-5755 19 resources. Middlebury-based founda- its are close enough to the people 46 Tickets are only $45 each efficient. Callmore Merrill Gas!visit to they serve that they know where by installing something Vermont’s Nonprofit Sector: tion, said in a Vent recent $40 of each ticket supports The Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro Direct Cut your energy costs this year… A Vital Community inCall a Time of Brattleboro that the report goes the money is going and that it’s Tickets good from January 17th through January 23rd efficient. Merrill Gas! Convection Heater Change,by provides the firstsomething com- beyond the numbers and looks at being used wisely.” installing more prehensive look at the sector in the impressions Vermonters have The trust that Vermonters efficient. Merrill Gas! Direct Vent almost a decade. VCFCall worked of the nonprofit world. have in nonprofits is significantly Buderus higher than the national average. Direct Vent Convection Heater www.bgcbrattleboro.com • 802-254-5990 While national surveys find only Convection Heater Wall-Hung Boiler 1 in 5 Americans think nonprofDirect Vent its do a very good job running Direct Vent Direct Vent Convection Heater programs and services, the reBuderus Tankless Water Heater port found that 46.2 percent of Vermonters have a “great deal” Wall-Hung Boiler Buderus of confidence that nonprofits Wall-Hung Boiler provide quality services, particuDirect Vent Wall-Hung Boiler Direct Vent larly local ones. Freedom 90 Direct Vent Wall-Hung Tankless However, the lingering effects Tankless Water Heater Gas VentHeater of the current recession have hit TanklessDirect Water Furnaces all nonprofits hard. While 60 Tankless Water Heater Wall-Hung Boiler percent of nonprofit leaders say The Commons
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“I just wanted voters to get a chance to see if the people in the room were representative,” she said. “It’s a chess game of the first order,” said Barbara Guerrero Marchant, Leland & Gray librarian and president of the teachers’ union. “It’s hard to know how to move.” She takes exception to basing cuts on low enrollments, noting that the fractional reductions to someone’s teaching load affect a real person, and some staff facing cuts may seek other jobs. “It’s not a good formula. Small classes are good.” She concedes that budget reductions are bound to affect the curriculum and devoutly wishes there were new ways to fund education in the face of declining enrollments. “It’s the continuing whittling away of education,” she said. She also bemoans the lack of interest and understanding among the voters. Marchant is glad that neither the board nor the administration “fell for the ‘Challenges for Change’ program.” This voluntary budget reduction plan asked all the state’s 280 school boards to reduce their budgets by at least 2 percent to save an estimated $23 million. Current figures indicate that a majority of the budget plans did not meet that challenge. “It is regrettable that one of the first jobs for the new principal was to cut back on the teaching staff,” Marchant noted. “But she (Dorfman) is very focused on academics, and I think she can communicate that to everyone.” Since projections predict continuing enrollment decline, Marchant sees an inevitable effect on taxes. “You get what you pay for,” she said.
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that individual donors are either “somewhat” or “much less” generous than usual, 72 percent say demand for services has greatly increased. As for the leaders of nonprofits, the report found that they are concerned about declining levels of support, but they remain resilient and committed to their work. As nonprofits struggle to meet their budgets, economic pressures are moving many to be more creative and entrepreneurial. Comstock-Gay said that a more effective nonprofit sector not only delivers services more efficiently, but also attracts greater giving. He pointed out that area communities benefit from both. “There are so many things that nonprofits do that for-profit entities can’t or won’t do. Nonprofits are vital in making our state the compassionate, safe, and creative place that it is,” he said. “If forprofits could make money doing these things, they would be delivering those services, and more power to them if they can make a profit. But as our economy changes, we’re going to need new delivery models.” He said government, nonprofits, and for-profits need to develop an “a-sectoral perspective” to figure out which is best at delivering a particular service. “There’s not one single solution, and the models that worked in the past won’t necessarily work in the future,” ComstockGay said. “Most of all, we need to stop looking at nonprofits as ‘the other’ and start looking at them as another sector to work with.”
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T h e C ommons
NEWS
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
n Zoning
from page 1
regulation that an owner may develop only 65 percent of his property. But, as Town Clerk Gloria Cristelli points out, “That has to do with staying in accordance with the town plan,” and preserving the well-known and admired aesthetics of the village. Resident Roberta Dunham voted to retain the laws. “We need them to keep our environment clean,” she said. Selectboard chair Gary Katz said of the entire six-month effort: “This was a good wakeup call that something needs changing. I am going to request that the Selectboard, at our next meeting, encourages the Planning Commission to begin revising the zoning laws, paying attention to the modifications residents want and eliminate the ambiguities. In general, in the process of revising, I want to reach out to the town.” The board’s first meeting of 2011 is Jan. 6. Cristelli agreed that actions such as a special election take a lot of time and money, although she wasn’t sure yet of the exact cost. “I would say the whole thing took at least 30 hours of my time — getting the data ready, tracking the absentee ballots (there were 97) and, of course, the entire day at NewBrook.”
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Brattleboro tinkers with health care
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By Olga Peters
c
The Commons
BRATTLEBORO—The Selectboard agreed to make an addendum to Brattleboro’s municipal health care plan during a short special meeting Tuesday. As of Jan. 1, 2011, the town will adopt the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) for the remainder of union contracts. The town will pay 100 percent of the new plan’s premium and contribute one-half of the annual deductible into a health savings account. The HDHP replaces the town’s current Open Access Plus Health Plan. The change will affect union and non-union employees alike. Town Manager Barbara Sondag told Selectboard members this change would save the town money in 2011 and an estimated $100,000 to $200,000 in 2012. The town and the three unions representing town employees reached a tentative agreement prior to the Selectboard’s affirmative vote. Brattleboro gets its insurance through the Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ Health Trust, which buys group medical insurance through CIGNA.
5
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VOICES
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
OPINION • COMMENTARY • LETTERS Join the discussion: voices@commonsnews.org E S S AY
The birds didn’t owe us anything A journey to stress-free joy in the holiday season Grafton Annie Hawkins, a writer and storyteller, contributes frequently to these pages. Google “coping with holiday stress,” and you’ll find enough advice from psychologists, life coaches, greetings. “I don’t know what health clinics, etiquette mato say anymore,” a woman vens, and other “experts” to told me recently. “Merry keep you in reading material Christmas or the generic for all the holidays of your life. ‘Happy Holidays?’ Whatever I My cursory research has re- say, it seems I’m bound to ofvealed that the experts have fend somebody.” boarded the same bus headed Her story activated my own toward the elusive destination stress meter. Prone to worrycalled sanity. ing about imagined difficulties, Get organized. Don’t overinI fear a future when the word dulge in food, alcohol, or spend“happy,” uttered in December, ing. Avoid shopping malls. Make will be forbidden in our excrutime to exercise and rest. Learn to ciatingly correct, tightly bound say no. Lower your expectations. vocabularies. Put aside differences. Remember Then, there are the family the reason for the season. stories. It looks good on paper, The born-again son who doesn’t it? came home to his parents and demanded that they dismantle Some people are stressed the Christmas tree because it’s about conveying seasonal a pagan symbol. (He was right
I
t must be an epidemic.
about the tree’s origins, but short on graciousness.) The middle-aged sisters who argued vociferously about how to make the gravy. (Giblets or no giblets?) The militant vegan who pouted at the table, picking at bread and green beans. (Bring your own tofu turkey.) There are darker stories, too — the ones that hurt the heart. Is the tension really about the tree or the gravy? When we feel stressed, we tend to revert to our old bad habits of thought and deed unless we have worked diligently to correct them. If we’re aware of them, we should be able to avoid dust-ups and
E S S AY
David Shaw/Commons file photo
In January, participants rally before setting out on a walk to Montpelier in opposition to Vermont Yankee.
Three cheers for Vermonters Putney Nancy Braus owns and runs Everyone’s Books who have been in Brattleboro, and serves as working for a safe a member of the Safe and and timely closure Green Campaign (www.safeanof Vermont Yankee nuclear dgreencampaign.org), a grasspower plant as scheduled in roots education and advocacy 2012, this has been an exgroup active in Vermont, traordinary year. Massachusetts, and New Much has changed in the Hampshire towns within 20 past 12 months. Reflecting miles of the Vermont Yankee on this period, it is impossible reactor. not to feel proud and grateful to the people of Vermont for an intelligence and willingpipes from which the leaks ness to think for themselves had come. In some places, in developing opinions recorporate lies are a daily ocgarding the plant. currence, but in our state, this Some of us who live in the was a really big deal. towns surrounding VY began People all around the state the year with a “crazy,” yet expressed their disgust with amazing, winter walk from an out-of-state corporation Brattleboro to Montpelier. that could not tell the truth to We met with people in comVermonters. munities all along the way to share our message: that we In a serious February are scared to be living in the snowstorm, the State Senate, shadow of a deteriorating led by Peter Shumlin, its nuclear power plant, and that president pro tem and now there are energy alternatives governor-elect, took the couto Vermont Yankee. rageous and unprecedented In the 11 days we were step of voting 26-4 to opaway from our homes and pose continued operation of jobs, everywhere we were met Vermont Yankee beyond the by citizens who were wonder- termination of its 40-year lifully supportive, providing cense in 2012. us with places to sleep and During the entire day of eat lunch each day, with one this debate and vote, pages in woman in Barre even bringthe Statehouse carried huning fresh cookies to the sidedreds of messages of support walk for us! to legislators from all parts of During the walk, we were the state. This vote was interinformed about the massive national news, bringing the leak of radioactive tritium message that Vermonters will into the ground and wanot passively accept the rubter surrounding the nuclear ber-stamp extension of the plant. As the story of the leak life of an accident-plagued unfolded, it became clear nuclear plant that is well past that Entergy, its owner, had its prime. lied to the state, under oath, All this year, Entergy has about the existence of the been spending lavishly on
F
When I was a child, I believed that I was tethered to the only wacky family in the history of the world. My mother was particular about the way the lights were strung on the tree. They couldn’t all be bunched on the outer branches, and there couldn’t be two of the same color next to each other. She stood close by the tree, gesticulating at my father, who was tangled in the branches as he struggled to follow her decorating rules. “Bob! There are too many red ones on that front branch, and not enough blue ones close to the trunk.” Tension mounted as an hour passed, and my father’s face took on the same hue as Rudolph’s nose. I rolled my eyes and recited my lines as if I were following a preordained script: “Who has ever seen an ugly Christmas tree? And why are we all so tense?” “Nobody’s tense,” my mother said, talking through her teeth. From under the tree my father glanced my way and pressed a finger to his lips. On Christmas Day, my mother’s bossy cousin Mary swooped through the door and insisted that we children parade across the living room so “I can see how you’ve grown.” I felt like a heifer going to the auction block. Uncle Jack arrived from New York with a fifth of Smirnoff, extended his personal cocktail hour through dessert, and told a lot of stupid Irish jokes. My father agreed that yes, they were stupid jokes, but Jack was Irish through and through,
and he was genetically compelled to tell them. I had to get out in the world and listen to lots of stories before I realized that, compared to many other families, ours was a paragon of peace and virtue. Men didn’t hunker down in front of the TV to watch football and bellow to the women for more drinks and snacks. At the table, discussions about politics and religion occurred without rancor or spontaneous combustion. In the kitchen, several cooks contributed to the flavor of the broth, and deviations from the traditional menu were encouraged. So what if my mother was over-invested in the flawless placement of lights? Did it really matter that Uncle Jack’s jokes weren’t up to my standards for entertainment? Who did I think I was? The scriptwriter? The director of the pageant? Somewhere in my slow, arduous evolution, I discovered that I had a very big investment in wanting my family to behave the way I thought it should. The persistent buzz in my mind was more irritating than cousin Mary’s annual parade. The antidote was to delete my part of the script, improvise, and just laugh. In the grand cosmic scheme, this was a minor epiphany, but I mistakenly believed that I was on the path to enlightenment. I was long-grown and married when circumstances divested me of self-congratulation. On Christmas Day, my husband E.B. and I went off for the afternoon to visit friends. We left our 13-month-old Labrador, Lily, at home. Lily had been the easiest, smartest
puppy I’d ever trained. She’d been perfect in every way, so perfect that we didn’t own a crate. We came home to terrible carnage. Lily had removed all the feathered bird ornaments from the tree — she was a bird dog, after all — and had scattered them over the floor in various forms of mutilation. Normally, I didn’t get upset about the destruction of material goods. Accidents happen. Things break. But the delicate cardinals, blue jays, robins, orioles, and sparrows had adorned my father’s boyhood tree. These birds were symbols of my family history: a grandfather who had died before I was born, a loving grandmother who had passed too soon. The sight of the killing floor sent me into hysterics. I wailed. E.B. swept up the remains, took them outside, and buried them. I was too bereft to attend the service. When I reported the tragedy to my father, he laughed and said, “Those birds didn’t owe us anything.” His response lightened me up, as if he’d pinned a pair of loaner wings to my shoulders. Many moons have passed since the demise of the birds. Real life-and-death tragedies have happened. Grief has been my teacher. My criteria for a happy holiday, or any day, have been dramatically altered. If nobody is dead, paralyzed, or brain damaged, it’s a good-enough day. The memory of the ornaments is as sweet as their actual presence. The birds are underground, but the love and laughter can’t be buried. They remain in the air, eternal. n
EDITORIAL
Looking back on a year of anti-nuclear activism or those of us
conflagrations, right? Only if we’re wearing halos and wings.
a major public relations offensive — outspending our grassroots groups many times over. We have seen slick television advertising, full-page newspaper spreads, new media entries, lawn signs, lobbyists, and more. It is a real testimony to Vermonters’ sophistication and willingness to read between the lines that Entergy’s spinning of the truth and attempts to look as if they have popular support have largely fallen flat in Vermont. In an election year in which Republicans swept the country, with an implicit message that Americans don’t care about the environment, Vermonters elected a new governor who has a serious commitment to creating a green economy in this state. We have a real chance to be at the forefront of using genuine renewable power and strengthening the efficiency of our power usage. One of the major issues in our gubernatorial campaign was replacing Vermont Yankee, and doing so was supported by a majority of our citizens. As we look ahead to the many difficult issues of decommissioning Vermont Yankee, we have faith that the residents of our state will continue to hold the owners accountable. Vermont Yankee was given 40 years in Vermont. That time is nearly up. When it is, Entergy has pledged to return the site to a “green field.” We will be here to make sure that pledge is kept. n
A maturing newspaper
T
his is our last issue of The Commons for 2010. Our staff will be taking next week off to catch our breaths after a busy seven months of transforming the paper from a monthly to a weekly. This week’s paper also marks the end of our first full five years of publication. It’s been an exciting time here, and thanks to the support we have received from our readers, advertisers, and donors, we’re moving ever closer to realizing the vision of the group of volunteers who struggled and gave birth to a publication that could belong to all of us. The name of this newspaper “was inspired by the intrinsic nature of this venture, which is to establish a vehicle for our common cause, to give voice, across the broadest possible spectrum of interests and concerns, to all of the citizens of Brattleboro and our surrounding towns,” the paper editorialized in its second issue in 2005. Those who founded the paper envisioned it “as the print equivalent of our own town common, a meeting place to exchange diverse views, a weekly gathering in which each of us can discuss the issues that affect
our lives.” Windham County is a great place to produce a newspaper. We have a lively and engaged readership, and so many intelligent and interesting people call this county home. We strive to reflect the infinite variety of people that live and work here, and want nothing less than a weekly newspaper that embraces the whole of Windham County in all its feisty, complicated glory. Telling your stories has been a pleasure, and it is what motivated us to create a weekly publication that can merit universal respect and create the common ground that was only an imaginative vision in the early days of this paper. Does that mean we demand that you like what we do? No way. We want to hear from readers who feel we missed the mark. If you think we missed the mark on a news story or disagree with a piece on the Voices page, talk to us. Get in touch with us, and we’ll have it out candidly. Your engagement will make The Commons a better newspaper for you, and for all of us. Our door is open, and we want everyone’s point of view in these pages. An example of this goal is our
diverse and wholly unpredictable Voices section. Some of the pieces we run might elicit a nod of recognition. Others might cause a bout of heartburn or vigorous disagreement — even among those of us who edit the section. That gamut of reactions is what we hope for. We trust that our readers can use their own intellectual equipment to weigh whether someone’s letter or opinion piece is on point or full of nonsense. We hope that each week’s mix of news and views will make you see things through fresh eyes and make you think anew, whatever your worldview. Given the activist roots of The Commons — a prerequisite for affecting change of any sort, including a change in Windham County’s media landscape — we see it as a sign of the paper’s maturity that readers of all political ideologies are using the paper as a forum. We need to move beyond facile labels and treat one another and differing beliefs with respect. It’s the way toward frank discussions about a community that is so fragile in so many ways. So thank you for all the support you gave us in 2010. We’ll see you when we return on Jan. 5.
T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
VOICES
7
LETTERS FROM READERS
Brattleboro needs to get strategic about parking W
hy isn’t Brattleboro talking strategically about parking? Why doesn’t it reconsider not just the meters in the Harris lot, but the whole way parking is managed townwide? Brattleboro’s Parking Enforcement department is an “enterprise” agency, which means it’s like a business that has to pay for itself, and hopefully make a little money for the town from parking fees and fines. But while breaking even is a good goal, it’s more important to have parking policies that maximize convenience to shoppers and other visitors, and that maximize benefits to merchants as well. To accomplish these ends, the town needs to think more strategically. A few years ago, in a strategic move, the town installed electronic meters that accept smart cards. You insert the smart card, wait a moment, pull it out, and the meter is loaded with the maximum amount of time available. Before you leave the parking space, you insert the card again and get credit for the unused time recorded on the card. In other words, you pay only for the minutes you actually used. That’s not an option when you put coins in the meter, which is why it is called a “smart card.” But the full strategic value of the electronic meters has not been realized because most people are not aware smart cards are available. There’s no clear information on the meters to tell you where to buy them. (You can buy or reload them
only at the parking office in the transportation center garage on Flat Street.) So probably only a few hundred people are using smart cards. Moreover, they still don’t work in the lots where you buy a paper ticket from a machine, or the nonelectronic meters in town. Better marketing and wider availability of smart cards, along with the ability to use them everywhere, would make for a much smarter parking strategy. Here are some suggestions for other components: • Upgrade the parking lot ticket machines to accept smart cards in addition to coins, or better yet, to accept standard debit and credit cards. • Recruit merchants to sell smart cards in pre-loaded amounts like $10, $20 and $50. • Sell them also at the Municipal Center, Brooks Memorial Library, the Senior Center, etc., and install a vending machine in the River Garden or outside the post office. And sell them online. • Allow paper tickets purchased from the parking lot machines to be valid anywhere in town until expiration, so you can take your unused minutes with you and use them in another lot or at a parking meter. Publicize this feature on the ticket machines. • Install a dozen or so free parking meters here and there throughout downtown. These are meters that accept no cash, but have a button that gives you 15 to 30 minutes free (with an enforced limit of one free “punch”).
• Restructure the parking lot fees so the first quarter gets you a double or triple allotment of time. This feature also adds convenience for people running short errands. • Institute a “first time free” policy on all parking violations issued, so that visitors who get a ticket get their fine waived on their first infraction. • Expand the value of smart cards by enabling merchants to accept them for small payments — so your smart parking card can also pay for your coffee and a bagel, or other small purchases. • Once instituted, review the policy often and make adjustments to maximize customer and merchant benefits, not revenue. Yes, some of these changes and innovations would cut into revenues. Wider use of smart cards, portability of paper tickets until expiration, and free short-term meters would benefit customers but reduce the town’s take. But increasing parking convenience would draw more people downtown to do business and would encourage more return visits and better word-of-mouth, so the town benefits with greater revenue from multiple sources in the long run. Such policies are working for many cities around the country. Brattleboro should follow suit and get strategic about parking. Martin Langeveld Vernon
Graduate urges Leland & Gray to save its music program
I
write this letter in regard to the recent budgets proposed for the Leland & Gray Union High School music department. This letter comes from a freshman who has recently left the cozy, comfortable world of southern Vermont for the much broader horizon of “the real world” at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York. College is an incredible learning opportunity that needs to be taken advantage of in a world where job opportunities are becoming rapidly more competitive. I am extremely thankful that I was able to go Leland & Gray, where I was given a wide range of opportunities to explore education in whatever way I wanted. Like many others, I chose to extend myself through the music department, a perfect outlet for many of us. It provided us with another type of learning that did not involve textbooks or equations, but expression through and appreciation for music.
Music does not exist within a bubble, as many may think. Understanding music requires a set of skills represents the epitome of interdisciplinary learning. Music teaches us to focus on more than a single aspect of an issue; a sonata cannot be approached only by thinking of the rhythm or the notes. Each component must work to come together with equal importance. We learned to work with other students in a large group and in smaller ensembles. I challenge you to think of a single profession that does not involve working with others. Music taught us how to work cooperatively far more realistically than any group poster project ever could have. I shudder to think that the incoming freshmen at Leland & Gray will not be able to have the same opportunities that my class had. I would not be where I am today if it had not been for the music department and everyone involved. I implore those with say to reconsider taking funding from
an incredible program — a program like no other high school. The program is intimate, yet it offers an incredibly broad range of learning opportunities: concert and small-group ensembles, samba band, chorus, a cappella, and all of the work done in collaboration with the theater department. All have given time and time again to the students and to community. A scholarship in music is the only thing allowing this 18-year-old to continue her education. So thank you to everyone who helped, especially Matt Martyn, Ron Kelley, Annie Landenberger, and Daniel Timmermans. To those who have the power to salvage to music program at Leland & Gray — which once was a huge draw to the school and can be again — I ask you, please, to do all you can. We cannot hope to bring back a strong music program with these proposed cuts. Amy van Loon Newfane
Bitter bylaw debate hits raw nerve of civic displeasure
B
Williamsville
civic process, because even more than consuming time, it umn is printed, the is thankless. Public servants voters in Newfane must be inured to listening to will have decided complaints more often than whether or not to jettison praise, since it’s also human DEBORAH their zoning bylaws. I’ve read nature to complain. LEE LUSKIN these bylaws, I’ve attended Perhaps it’s also due to the public hearings, and I’ve the drop in civic engagement voted. But whatever the out- in 1975. As times changed, so that there is less understandcome, the issue will not be has the character of the town. ing about how government settled; there will be disconNow, we have no dairy farms works. The petitioners adtent. Indeed, even more than in Newfane, and many of the vocating for repealing the the issue of zoning, what people who reside here do zoning bylaws may have bethe zoning petition has exnot work here. As the popula- lieved repeal was their only posed is a raw nerve of civic tion has grown and changed, recourse; they may not have displeasure. the zoning bylaws have been realized that other methods to The events that brought amended and accepted by the remedy their complaints exthe zoning issue to the forevoters, most recently in 2008. isted, such as amending the front were undoubtedly comordinances, instituting some plex — as events that involve Nevertheless, this summechanism for oversight in humans often are — and my mer, 87 voters signed a petitheir application, attending understanding of them is at tion calling for the repeal of meetings, and even serving on most probably incomplete, all zoning. From what I’ve the Planning Commission or as any single human’s under- observed, there are two main Development Review Board. standing often is. complaints: The rules are One Newfane resident who But what I’ve gleaned from anti-business, and they have signed the petition has said the meetings I’ve attended is been unfairly applied. at the subsequent hearings twofold. I am not in a position to that he attended all the planThe first is that some resi- evaluate the first of these ning meetings that led up to dents believe that they ought complaints, and I know there the most recent revision of to be able to do whatever is truth to the second, which the bylaws, but that no one they want with their propis the unfortunate outcome of listened. He has said this nuerty because they own it and human imperfection and per- merous times, and each time, pay taxes on it, and it’s theirs. sonality conflict resulting in someone else in town has exThe second is that zoning by- real and/or perceived injusplained that being heard is laws, created by humans, are tice. Fed up, the petitioners not the same as getting one’s imperfect. Worse, it seems as have brought our civic imway. if the enforcement of the by- perfections and dysfunction laws has perhaps been unto light. They have done us Now — whether Newfane fairly applied. a favor. voters have upheld their zonIn the first instance, there As political theorists have ing bylaws or repealed them is the issue of property rights. quantified in recent research, — there will be a disconTo submit to any infringecontroversy is what engages tented minority. ment on the use of one’s people; civic engagement is And it’s possible that anproperty is seen as an inhighest when important isother petition will be cirfringement on one’s freedom. sues are at stake. In Newfane, culated, another round of If we lived in isolation, apart people have come out — hearings will be held, and and indifferent to one antwice — on weeknights, to another vote will take place. other, we might be able to do speak out and listen to one We could embark on an endwhatever we want with our another on the pros and cons less series of petitions, hearland, from conserving it, to of zoning, and they have ings, and decisions. We could polluting it, and everything come out a third time, to see-saw from one extreme to in between. But the truth is, vote. another ad infinitum, and at we live in community, and At these forums, the real a fair bit of expense of both we live in a world of limited underlying issue of the motaxpayer money and human resources. ment has been revealed endeavor. Because our resources are — and it’s not zoning, but Or we could do what we limited, we have laws protect- governance. humans do best, albeit impering our groundwater, which Town government, includ- fectly: We could roll up our means we have laws regulating zoning, takes place in sleeves to tackle the difficult ing our wastewater. And beopen meetings — meetings task of figuring out how best cause we live in community, that are notoriously poorly at- to live together. we have laws about how big tended. In truth, there have To do so, we must speak those buildings can be and been years when Newfane has up, and we must listen. We where they can be built. been pressed to find people undoubtedly need to comproIn Newfane, the need to willing to stand for office and mise, because to live together codify a set of community run the meetings. fairly and peaceably, we all standards about what can Holding public office takes have to give up a little of our be built and where was felt time and commitment, but it individual freedom in orabout 40 years ago. The town also takes a certain amount der to advance the common passed its first zoning bylaws of courage and belief in the good. n y the time this col-
How can we live with ourselves if our neighbors are living with hunger? You can make a difference and alleviate hunger in our communities. The problem is growing so fast that local food shelves can’t keep up without your support. Here’s how you can help the area’s biggest food drive help your neighbors.
Teaming up to prevent underage drinking
I
f you’ve made the drive along Route 5 between Westminster and Bellows Falls, or walked around downtown Bellows Falls over the past two months, you may recognize the expression “Parents Who Host Lose the Most — Don’t be a Party to Teenage Drinking.” The campaign, sponsored by the Greater Falls Prevention Coalition, encourages parents to consider the consequences of providing teens with alcohol. This campaign promotes community awareness around social hosting and the farreaching implications such activity can have on both parents and children. Providing alcohol to minors is illegal and can be detrimental to a child’s development. The financial and legal risks of hosting an underage party are numerous and severe. If a minor who consumes alcohol at a party breaks the law, the parent may be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. This is the case if there were a fight, property damage, or a sexual assault. Additionally, if a minor were to cause an accident while driving under the influence, resulting in serious bodily injury or death, the adult could be imprisoned for up to five years or fined up to $10,000. Furthermore, insurance
polices have an exclusion clause that stipulates the insurer will not protect or defend a homeowner if something were to happen during a gathering where alcohol is provided. Legal consequences only tell half the story. Allowing someone under the age of 21 to consume alcohol can disrupt brain development and cause a host of behavioral problems. Research shows that teenage consumption of alcohol can impair memory, learning, decision making, and impulse control. Additionally, underage drinking increases the likelihood of addiction as an adult. Prevention is the key to decreasing substance abuse by adults. As parents, making decisions with our children can be one of the most challenging things we do. On the one hand, it is important to maintain an open, honest relationship with our children so that trust may blossom. On the other hand is the need to create firm boundaries that support positive, healthy decisions. A Dear Abby letter published in October highlights this dilemma. In it, a father identifies the challenge of saying no to hosting an underage drinking party while maintaining open communication with
his son. The column rightly reaffirms the father’s decision to not host a party and points out the legal and liability consequences parents face if something were to happen. While there may be strain on the relationship, setting firm boundaries is necessary to supporting healthy child development. The Greater Falls Prevention Coalition would like to thank the many businesses, organizations, schools and individuals that helped to promote this campaign. Chad Simmons Bellows Falls The writer works as the media and marketing coordinator for the Greater Falls Prevention Coalition, which promotes prevention efforts that reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse and supports fun, productive, safe and healthy lifestyles for youth and adults in Windham Northeast. For more information, go to www.gfpcandtheline.org. The “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” campaign was developed by the Partnership for a DrugFree America.
• Donate non-perishable food and personal care items at drop-off locations in stores and businesses near you. • Donate online at ProjectFeedTheThousands.org • Or send a check directly to your local food shelf to buy food at a special bulk discount, making the food go farther.
Let’s not ignore the problem. Let’s be the solution. Your donation helps provide nutritious food for thousands of hungry people at over 25 food shelves and community kitchens throughout southern VT and NH.
Enclosed is my check for $_____________ made out to Project Feed the Thousands.
Mail your check to Project Feed the Thousands, c/o:
Address: ____________________________
Brattleboro Area Drop In Center PO Box 175, Brattleboro, VT 05302
State: _______
Chester–Andover Family Center PO Box 302, Chester, VT 05143 Deerfield Valley Food Pantry PO Box 1743, Wilmington, VT 05363 Hinsdale Welfare Dept. 11 Main Street, Hinsdale, NH 03451 Our Place Drop In Center (Bellows Falls) PO Box 852, Bellows Falls, VT 05101 Springfield Family Center 365 Summer St., Springfield, VT 05156 Townshend Community Food Shelf PO Box 542,Townshend, VT 05353
Name:______________________________ Town: ______________________________ Zip:__________________
Or donate online at ProjectFeedTheThousands.org
NEWS
8
T h e C ommons
Selectboard approves new parking pay-and-display machines By Olga Peters The Commons
BRATTLEBORO—Four of the town’s parking lots will get new pay-and-display machines. Harris, Harmony, High Grove and Preston lots will each receive a new machine. Three of the machines will accept coins and the town’s parking Smart Cards. The final machine, slated for the Harmony Lot, will also accept dollar bills. The cost for the units, installation, and enabling use of the Smart Cards totals $47,950. The town had considered setting up the machines to accept credit cards but decided the monthly fee of $45 per machine too prohibitive. With the addition of a payand-display machine, the Harris Lot will revert to its original split of permitted and open parking spaces, said Selectboard Chair Dick DeGray. According to DeGray, the Parking Enforcement Department over the summer middletowneyenews.blogspot.com removed 50 of the 64 meters Parking meters removed this summer will be from the lot to make way for perreplaced by pay-and-display machines that will mits and posted a “permit parkaccommodate the Smart Cards that can be used in ing only” sign. some of the newer town meters like this one. The change and sign confused
n Entergy
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drivers, despite the fact 14 metered spaces remained. The cost of the new machines will come from the parking budget, said Town Manager Barbara Sondag. The improvements are con“The SMALL Credit Union sidered a capital expenditure and came before the Selectboard with a BIG HEART” at Tuesday’s meeting because it had not been previously www.members1cu.com approved. 10 Browne CT PO Box 8245 Selectboard member Martha O’Connor said that the board N. Brattleboro, VT 05304 needed to have more “serious NCUA Tel. (802) 257-5131 discussions” about parking in Insured to 250,000 Brattleboro soon. Fax (802) 257-5837 In a separate interview Tuesday, DeGray said the board would discuss revising the parkFOR LEASE ing ordinance in January. The board will consider two changes, he said: removing me3980 square feet of commercial/office ters on Elm Street and requirspace in our newly renovated Ann ing the Parking Enforcement Wilder Richards Building at 1063 Western Avenue one mile from exit two Department to get Selectboard off I-91 or Route 9 in the village of approval before altering permitWest Brattleboro. ADA handicapped n ca y rg te ted and metered spaces. access, heat and central air conditione sell, even if En will be a toughthe company’s fall from grac nkee Revenue generated parkbeen delayed ing included, free abundant parking, of Vermont Yaby h at in this country have rm fact te ple sim af e The th separate entrance to leased space, yer in parkor abandoned. cs of nuclear ing in Brattleboro, A LY S I S find a buboth NEWS AN is that the economi the private bathroom, reception area, are terrible and Mark Cooper of spoon said economist Vermont Law power todaythese things is just to sell By Roger Wither of oactive leaks, for ing fees and enforcement, goes its willingnessstation ket mar and unpredictable radi ly run, finan- the University announced now availablehasimmediately. Energy , the sub al fires, poor ool’s Institute for not there. nds tergy Nuclear 2 can ntergy occasion bted, locally unpopular, Sch Environment. ergy thinks they up En mont Yankee. As it station to operate past 201e. —E Ent ON y “Wh ERN inde y the it toward paying the debt accrued Ver - ciall ently authoriza ruary vot r right mind see. putting shunned and curr Corporation’s low “No one in thei to build it to- sell it is hard to of desperation. cannot get stateSenate reconsiders its Feb ent politically . $180 million — or te try sign a or sta is it the sale buy key announcem ld king wou unless not wor of the for by building the Transportation per said. “Most osed might well have been st: best offer. an old nuclear plant day,” Coo been prop posted on Craigslikee projects that have “Selling t Yan build a new one,” Center, said DeGray. Please contact Sandy Clark, Asset For Sal e: Ver monnt. Use d, is like trying to E er Pla
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to “mitigate all radioisotopes,” Y ’ S COUNT M also such as the Strontium-90 WINDhA found in the soil surrounding News the leak site. “The challengeVEisRNto ON mitigate as much as we can,” Shumlin t Vermon ts said. “It’s prudent pump ee ge Yankto t resid out as much tritium weencan. newas r inspectothey’ve I’m grateful to Entergy page 12 agreed to continue pumping.”
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thinks Working group re y the region’s economr of the Brattleboro
dire cto Cre dit Cor p., Dev elop men t Town Manager and Brattleboro estimated 50 dag Son bara Bar . 16 o ahe ad. Bla meit people attended the Nov the current cred meeting. comcrunch for the lacka said seven core three dag Son worked for of jobs paying mittee members llivable wage and years before bringing the deve the region. ess to a wider aubusinesses exitingic cru nch es opment proc munity, industry, com But eco nom to Windham dience of point Fair ers. lead c are nothing new, some say that and economi ons is partially supEL County. In fact in a recession Communicati ect. JOYCE MARC porting the proj energy and tone the area has been s. at Lewis said the s meeting felt fire for the last 20 year rks spa n Vermont ows Fall The Southeaster Truck accident — and knocks tegy at the Bell meeting Development Strang of lighter than at the first excited ic nom el Eco ap a group consisti ers, and the participants were Calvary Ch ), EDS on (SeV ati nd fou ess. its business lead proc and off the ity ut ing mun abo ild com Wilmington the bu ONS in its crosshairs. EN/THE COMM “We lit a fuse in happened in THELMa O’BRI has the recession tici pan ts met n lvary SeV ED S par Falls for its and the explosiosaid Lewis. ers of the Ca d stove, s,” ows center, memb Nov. 16 in Bell , with its mem- Bellows Fall laws that define reChris Toles, lette, stand near the cracke and , left ting c, state Mil lan The s second mee rehabilitate the tor Ron David LeBgre page 6 ning commission gation, and Pas bers hoping to by increasing gional plan Win dha m Reg ion Chapel con years ago in the chapel. 45 mph when defi ne the region’s economy traveling about on Windham installed 100 ns in Windham ion and the reel’s floor joists, ed g, wages, populat estic product as the 23 tow sbur Sear shifting the chap ers and tilting its brakes lock ut a mile before ton, rien County, plus WesWinhall. gional gross dom beams and gird ut six inches Hill Road, abo steep road apBy Thelma O’B and within five years. ed the inau- Readsboro, that towns can no the building aboagain casting the stretch of te 30. The Commons Lewis said Wilmington host y autumn, proaching Rou westward, once the economic finally came to ting in earl E N D — Y o u doubt on the building’s future. cle mee H l S longer navigatealone. vehi N , gura W The O held T M Chapel s have been turning in the , who serves ty river ary ting peri over lanc Calv r mee r pros LeB the NE W VP T fIL afte id othe call p of stop and Dav might church and a el parking lot, closer to the the church h t h e h e l pagE 3 ned, in Dover t the i nd plan at W nshe are ette or Tow Mill t chap with in Wes ROA D, n SEE RAIL only a few feet cleaning busiBrattleboro. too tough to die.ld you explain owns a carpet , said the shock post office, but el. exe cut ive is, Lew rey chap fane wou Jeff of the in New How else ading effect. shyHousehold goods gushed is still stand- ness why the building moving van waves “had a casc t northwest to- out on impact, as did about Everything wen ing after a runaway rdous dieWindham Hill ward Jamaica.” 250 gallons of haza d careened down ss -fille ntly acro rece flew sel from the two Road last Monday, slammed into fuel tanks. Route 30 and een the cha- Firefighteraster Chief Doug Townshend Fire wor king the ground betwt Townshend averts dis , whi ch page 14 The mov ing vanngings of Win ot said he wasRCh, pagE 4 pel and the Wes Office and art belo n SEE Chu was carrying the rtedly was Community post? repo gallery building e, the non - four families, Ron Mil lett Chr isti an al den om ina tion and also a tor pas ’s chu rch forces that beyond the logger, called the inal 193-yearawareness that goesol projects. rocked the orig all its addigue scope of mere scho By Allison Tea old structure andes.” steady group a s, year 11 mons For The Com involved in tions “shock wav in the Nov. 20 to 30 students bbLE No one was hurt act of the O—Having of a at the high school have GObbLE, GO imp CLE BRaTTLEBOR es 22 crash, but the s trailer truck a trip to Cuba, community issu just returned from Union High learned abouts and have worked United Van Line r-old wood three Brattleboro d the transi- and problem ge or help those cracked a 110-yea on the mai n ways to chan problems in on School seniors foun difa stov e, in plac e100 years, and such e to affected by thes tion following a tripworthy. floor for about eath the main ity. ferent culture noteught back to their commung p u , S t u d e n started a fire ben page 9 Kai-Min What they bro dership and floor. nt, ari ann il Lea overed and (Civ disc a’s Cou ncil pre side was CLE fire erly both co The it caused in action, form and Wolfe and Sam Stevens, amon re on befo cati d Edu ishe extingu Education CLEa, were or of ts Lab ld iden age. 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Additional reporting was provided by Anne Galloway, editor of Caretaking, VTDigger.org.
Documentary looks at history Sunbathing in Siberia, of newspapers in Vermont The War of the Wild
Goose, & other songs Life of pea ce, lov e, and
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seek an additional energetic, organized person toBserve ringing it ll homntes shift focus as our ambassador aBU toHS the stude hunger efforts to local anti-
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please; send letter of interest ain tomoCre trahckeressoutercers, Last tr demanding Falls With freight trains l rides from Bellows and resume to Betsy Jaffe s scenic raiat ue tin con dis ad railro
n for the will remain ope southbo Bellows Falls and were run betweenot last Saturday northbound trak’s Vermon and Chester Depe the last sched- stops for amthe intermoda r wer ethe day Wh and Sun The Commons on the line move its o passenger runs re. vice center will ypoint C LS—green uled Wa ble futu BELLOWS FaL will not be for the foreseea Depot remains tions to the et in the spr stre For now, the re- across the seen, Fox sai Mountain Railroad ain ices unt serv Mo dal en rmo be run nin g its gre out of Bellows open for inte nd and amtrak, mains to considering p “We are ows Flyer excursions r, De bor ah lated to greyhou said. Destination Bell Fal ls nex t yea r of passen - according to president gary Fox. als,” Fox are no plans, fo There s (DBF) Fall und l Murphy, manage yho Rai t historic gre mon Regular hours forgreyhound to dismantle the rphy. serv ice for Verlast week — ONS ger g to Mu UE/THE COMM and the g, rdin confirmed , etin acco ems tick aLLISON TEag tion Syst of the increasing de- embarkation and debarka I certainly ho out of l sh, pul ence “go to sequ es con par a ht ROA D Falls, will con n SEE RAIL untain Flyer preursion in August. Lasitt mand on the company for freig point in Bellows and the station The Green Mo said, announced station on an exc tation. RG s that tinue, Fox Bellows Falls een Mountain Railroad on its Bellows transporSan SNEWS.O ta Express train .COMMON The senger trains week, the Gr ISIT WWW gue By Allison Tea
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of tritiated water from the soil and to re-evaluate whether continued extraction was necessary once the target amount had been removed. Smith said Entergy removed 309,000 gallons of groundwater. Extraction was halted on Nov. 18. Smith said that in the interim, Entergy had been waiting to hear about the site’s hydrology and to see if “what we’ve been doing was having an effect.” The amount of tritium found in routine testing in the wells closer to the original leak site is “trending down,” according to Smith. The wells closer to the river, east of the leak site, are showing higher numbers, as expected. “It’s headed toward the river, and we’ve never denied it,” said Smith. “But we can’t measure tritium above background levels in the river.” Shumlin said he wanted to keep Vermonters safe and that the end goal of dealing with the contaminated ground water was
Bratt P.O. Box 1212, ws.org www.commonsne
the damage from the leaks.” Tritium leaks at Vermont Yankee were first reported last January. A leaking underground pipe and clogged drain sent water containing radioactive isotopes, including tritium — the form of radioactive hydrogen that can contaminate water — into the ground around the plant. According to Smith, the plume of contaminated water has continued to follow the site’s hydrology, west to east, toward the Connecticut River. Last spring, Vermont Yankee officials identified the source of the leaks, excavated the area around the leaks, began extracting tritiated water from the site, and dug monitoring wells on the compound to measure tritium levels. Over the course of the spring and summer, testing results showed declining levels of the radioactive isotope. The Vermont Department of Health recommended the extraction, and Entergy originally agreed to pump 300,000 gallons
ndent Media Vermont Indepeleboro, VT 05302
which has tested positive for tritium, and continue its testing of Connecticut River fish and plant life for radioactivity. Entergy spokesman Larry Smith said Entergy could answer “yes” to all three requests. “I think we’re in full agreement,” he said. Smith said extraction would resume by the end of December once pumps have been installed. He contended Entergy’s decision to continue extracting tritiated water from the site was based on information the company recently obtained – not on the letter or the meeting with the future governor. Smith did not elaborate, except to say, “[The meeting] was very good from our perspective.” On Friday night, Shumlin said the visit was “worthwhile.” “As governor I have to work with everybody — that’s my job,” Shumlin said. As president pro tem of the Senate, he led the charge to block the Public Service Board from issuing a Certificate of Public Good for the plant, which is scheduled to be retired in March 2012. Even if the plant receives a renewal of its federal license from the NRC, Vermont Yankee cannot operate in the state without the CPG. Throughout Shumlin’s campaign for governor, he aggressively used the Yankee issue against his opponent, Republican Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie. Shumlin said he did not discuss Entergy’s relicensing bid with Vermont Yankee officials on Friday. After the meeting, he struck a more conciliatory tone, saying that he was grateful for the officials’ willingness to meet with him. “As governor, I want to have as productive a relationship with Entergy, who is the owner of our only nuke plant, as possible,” Shumlin said. “I appreciate their willingness to sit down with me. Obviously, I’ve been one of their lead critics. It would be easy for them to slam the door on me.” Shumlin said the tritium plume is now close to the former Construction Office Building drinking water well. The soils in this area of the plant compound are compressed, he said, as a result of the fill that was used to construct the facility in the early 1970s. The compacted soil will slow down the extraction, he said. “Every gallon we pump out now is a gallon we don’t have to deal with later,” Shumlin said. “The most important part of the visit was the conversations about minimizing as much as possible
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LIFE & WORK A
chain of
Family affected by rare kidney disease benefits from new transplant procedures By Fran Lynggaard Hansen The Commons
B
RATTLEBORO— Nancy Systo grew up next door to Tom Smith in Guilford. Both homes had lots of children. Both Nancy and Tom are graduates of Brattleboro Union High School. Several years later, when Nancy went to college in the Burlington area, she reconnected with Tom, by then an engineer with IBM. They fell in love and, in 1986, they married. The pair has six children, and they all live on a small farm in Charlotte, where they home-school their kids. When Mary Ellen Copeland, Tom’s mother, received a call from Nancy about one of her grandsons, she could not possibly have guessed that three of her grandchildren would become seriously ill with a rare hereditary disease, or that four years later, the Smith family would participate in a record-breaking chain of kidney transplants in Texas. In that first phone call, Copeland recalls, Nancy Smith reported that their son, Samuel, then 13, had been sitting by the wood stove all day with cramps all over his body. After a trip to the emergency room, the Smiths learned that
miracles
their son was in kidney failure. When a kidney is functioning at only 20 percent capacity, the patient often begins dialysis. Samuel started right away. “We were totally shocked,” Copeland says. Very soon, the Smith family received more bad news. Sam and two of their other children were diagnosed with the same disease, called Familial Juvenile Nephronophthisis. Nephronophthisis, which often results in renal failure around the age of 13, is a rare, genetically recessive disease. Both parents must be carriers. This means that the chances of having this disease are about one in 8.3 million. “Although, in our case, we’ve been told it’s possible that the national statistics might change just because of our family,” says Nancy Smith, with a wry laugh. “Statistically, any children that Tom and I had would have a 25 percent chance of having the disease. As it turned out, in our family, 50 percent of our children had it — three children out of six,” Smith says. “As my husband the engineer commented, ‘We overachieved,’” she adds. “This is such an unusual disease and a rare gene as well,” Copeland says. “So few people in the entire
Courtesy photo
Samuel and Hannah Smith, grandchildren of Mary Ellen Copeland of Dummerston, recover from kidney surgeries in Texas — a series of 32 operations matching a constellation of 16 kidney donors with recipients and involving five surgeons. Sam, one of three Smith children diagnosed with a rare, genetic disease that results in kidney failure, received a kidney from a donor; Hannah donated one of her healthy kidneys to a recipient. United States have it, and what happens?” she adds. “Two people who lived next door to each other their entire lives happen to have it, and they happen to get married, and happen to have three children who have it.” “What are the statistical chances of that happening?” Copeland asks, further pointing out that “neither side of the family has any evidence that we can find of kidney disease.”
Diary of a disease
The story gets more complicated from here, but one thing is clear — during all of what followed, Smith and her husband never lost their senses of humor. “I started by filling a notebook full of all the information I could gather on the disease because three of my children have it,” Smith says. “Before I filled that notebook, I began calling it, ‘The Smith Family Kidney Adventure.’ From there, I filled many more notebooks as the years went by. It was just so unreal; we had to have a sense of humor about it. “We are Christians. We knew that God hadn’t lost control of the universe. He knew what He was doing, and we just had to trust, and walk through it, and see where it led. It wasn’t easy, it facebook.com wasn’t fun, but we’ve all grown, Courtesy photo M a r y E l l e n C o p e l a n d o f D u m m e r s t o n , and I think it’s really going to In a moment commemorated digitally by one of the nurses, surgeons work on grandmother of three children with familial juvenile shape who all of my children will the healthy kidney harvested from Hannah Smith.
nephronophthisis, a rare, genetic disorder.
n see kidneys, page 10
Forest Service urges caution for snowmobile riders Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) officials recommend that snowmobilers exercise caution when operating on National Forest, and all lands, in Vermont this winter. Weather permitting, snowmobile use is allowed on designated trails within the Green Mountain National Forest for the next four months through Friday, April 15, 2011. “Given the significant number of injuries and fatalities that occurred last season, we are concerned about user safety. Patrols which are aimed at enforcing rules and regulations, monitoring trail conditions, and providing visitor information will occur throughout the Forest,” said Colleen
Madrid, forest supervisor for the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests. The GMNF will continue to work closely with state and local law enforcement agencies as well as the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) to make sure users of the trail system are respectful, responsible, law abiding, and safe. The GMNF and VAST cooperate to maintain 472 miles of National Forest system trails that are part of the larger statewide snowmobile network. VAST is one of the only snowmobile associations in the United States that has a cooperative partnership agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. “All of these trails allow mixed uses, so people
are snowshoeing, hiking and cross-country skiing as well as using snowmobiles. Snowmobilers should travel responsibly and yield to other users,” said Madrid. The maximum speed on state lands is 35 m.p.h. and Vermont has a tough Snowmobiling While Intoxicated Law that covers alcohol as well as drugs. The Forest Service is also warning all snow travelers of the dangers in riding, hiking, and skiing on frozen water bodies. Trail users are encouraged to be mindful of fallen trees and other hazards they may encounter. Operators must maintain control of their
snowmobiles while riding, keep to the right at all times, and stay on designated trails only. All snowmobiles must be legally registered, have liability insurance, and operators must purchase a VAST Trails Maintenance Assessment decal. Helmet use is also required. Officials also encourage winter trail users to pack a flashlight, cell phone, food, and extra warm clothing in case of an emergency. For more information, visit www.fs.fed.us/r9/ forests/greenmountain/index.htm or www.vtvast.org/ VAST.html.
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LIFE & WORK
10
n Kidneys become. Our daughter Grace is currently in college studying nursing.” Although Familial Juvenile Nephronophthisis is a pediatric kidney disease, the Smiths’ oldest daughter, Katie, made it all the way to 20 before she got sick. Their other daughter, Esther, was in need of a kidney by 2009, when she was 13. Tom, Samuel’s father, donated one of his kidneys in October 2007, but there were complications. Samuel had to go back to dialysis right away. “It is very hard to do dialysis,” says Copeland. “It is five hours a day, three days a week. Samuel would get severe migraines; his blood pressure would get very high. He would barely recover during the three days’ break, and then he would go back for another session of dialysis. We saw him often, but he was too sick to even be himself. He barely ate, and he became horribly thin.” Copeland remembers the difficulty of scheduling the treatments. “Every morning at 7 a.m., Samuel had to be at the hospital on dialysis days. He also spent quite a bit of time as an inpatient in the hospital, one time for over 2½ months. Almost half that time, he was in the Intensive Care Unit. “Hannah, who was 17 at the time, did a lot of mothering, because her parents had their hands full. My son’s family is really close. They always homeschooled, and that turned out to be a good idea, because I don’t think they could have done all this otherwise.” Meanwhile, Samuel’s sisters were also becoming ill. Katie received a donated kidney from a woman she didn’t even know. Brattleboro resident Kelly Sweeney decided to give her kidney when she heard Katie’s story from Copeland. Esther received her new kidney from her grandmother’s niece (her first cousin, once removed), Katherine CopelandBlume, who flew in from
from page 1
California. Both became healthy and continued to recover from their illnesses. Samuel did not. A new kidney could not be found. The reasons for that had to do with Samuel’s antibodies. He had become what is referred to as “highly sensitized.” When a patient has blood transfusions, he or she receives other people’s proteins. When an immune system comes in contact with these foreign proteins, it develops antibodies to them, since the body views them as invaders. “Samuel had a lot of transfusions,” Smith says. “He’s young, and so his body had created plenty of antibodies, but mostly because he’d already received a kidney, he was highly sensitized. This combination made finding a compatible kidney that much more difficult.”
A second chance
While Samuel was waiting for a second transplant kidney, much was evolving in the field of kidney donation. “The new thing that is happening in the kidney world is called ‘paired exchange,’” Smith says. “Kidneys are one of the few organ donations you can give while you are still living. Most people are born with two kidneys, and if you have no other health issues, you can live a perfectly healthy, happy life without two kidneys.” Under ordinary circumstances, if a kidney recipient finds a willing donor with a incompatible blood type, the recipient must undergo treatment before receiving the kidney. However, in a paired exchange, two recipient-donor pairs “swap” kidneys. That is, when the donor in each pair is a compatible match for each recipient in the other pair, each donor’s kidney goes to the compatible recipient. The Vermont Legislature will be designing legislation during its upcoming session to create a living donor registry, one of a very few so far in the nation. The Vermont Kidney Foundation is
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making that proposal. “It’s in its infant stages, but it’s really exciting that our state will be one of the first to achieve a living donor registry,” says Mike Scollins, the coordinator of that effort. This is an important breakthrough for people who need transplants. “More and more transplant centers are doing these paired exchanges,” says Smith. “All across America, the National Kidney Registry works on finding matches for people who have incompatible donors. Most people can find someone in their circle of friends [and] family, or loved ones, can find a donor, but the chances of that one person being a match or being compatible with them doesn’t always happen. “It used to be that was the end of the story,” Smith continues. “You’d then have to wait until your name went to the top of the list for an organ donor to die and hope that the next available kidney was a match for you.” That wait might take three to five years or more. Many people die every day waiting for the right kidney, and Samuel had become incompatible with 99.9 percent of the population of kidney donors. “I think of it this way,” says Smith. “I was told by a surgeon in Texas that the world of kidney donation is like waiting for a train. If you miss the first train, there is always another train coming. If you miss the kidney because it isn’t a match, for most people, there will always be another train. “For Samuel, it was more like a comet,” Smith says. “If he didn’t get this one, he might not see another one in his lifetime.”
Hil reaches out
At this point in the story, the first of several miracles takes place. A man that the Smith family had never met, Garet Hil, had a daughter with the disease. He is the founder and director of the National Kidney Registry. “The kidney world is pretty small,” Smith says with a laugh, “but I’m so grateful he took an interest in us.” The Texas Transplant Institute in San Antonio provides the largest and most experienced living donor program in the country. “It isn’t a large hospital,” says Smith, “but they have a great team, and they are wonderful at what they do. They were setting up this chain of kidney paired donations, and wanted to make the record books as a way to raise awareness about paired exchanges, and to share
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My name is Romeo and I am a real sweet guy! My previous family had to move and they could not take me with them so I’m patiently waiting here at WCHS for my new home. I do well with all people (love, love love them!)and I am already housetrained and know lots of neat stuff: sit, lay down, roll over, shake, stay- and I can even catch a treat in midair!! I would be best as the only animal in your house as I can have a hard time with other animals in close quarters. I am a wonderful running buddy as well! Stop by and see me- I may end up being the love of your life
Hi there! My name is CeCily and I am a sweet and loving imp of a kitten. I have plenty of Siamese in my background - just look at the seal points on my creamy coat and my lovely blue eye. I had a rough start, abandoned with my sister in a carrier in Brattleboro with a raging eye infection...but that hasn’t dampened my outlook on life! I arrived at WCHS scared and cold and in a lot of pain, but now I am as cheerful and playful as any kitten, and just as ready to go home...maybe with you!
My name is HaRley and I am a southern gal who has come all the way from Kentucky to find myself a home! My previous owner had to give me up as he was sent out to Iraq but before he left he taught me a lot of neat stuff like: housetraining, ringing a bell to go outside and also sit, down and shake! So you can see I am an educated dog. I do well with most other dogs but I should not live with cats- I’m afraid I just get too excited around them! I would do well with kids 8 and up and I enjoy providing watch dog duties as well as wonderful companionship. Do I sound like the girl for you?
Greetings! TyRa here. I am a lovely kitten with Siamese in my background. Don’t you love my creamy color, seal points and striking blue eyes? I came to WCHS with my sister Cecily. We had been abandoned in a carrier in Brattleboro with raging eye infections. I was luckier than my sis and the great vets at Brattleboro Vet Clinic saved both of my eyes. Even though we had a rough beginning, we are fun-loving kittens now - you should see us romp and play together. And we just love people. If you pick us up, we quickly settle into a contented purr. Stop by and see for yourself!
T h e C ommons
information about the program. Because they are in this business, and because they know what it means to be as highly sensitized as Samuel is, we knew this was going to be a once in a lifetime opportunity. “Lo and behold,” says Smith, her voice now cracking with emotion, “there was a match for Samuel.” In order to participate in the program, the Smith family had to now find a person willing to donate a kidney so that Samuel arrived at the program with a donor for the pool of patients and donors. As it turned out, Samuel’s sister Hannah had been ready to donate for some time. She was simply waiting for a match to be found for her brother. When it was first recognized that Samuel would need a donor, Nancy wanted to donate hers, but it turned out that their daughter was a better candidate. “This all happened very quickly, and the surgeries had been all set and complete to go,” says Smith. “They shuffled things around in order to fit Samuel and Hannah into the chain of paired donations.” On very short notice, four members of the Smith family flew to Texas. Samuel was the only kidney recipient who wasn’t already a patient and was invited into the chain. He was the youngest at age 17, and he was the patient who was the farthest from the hospital. The historic surgeries, covered by all the major news organizations, took place from Nov. 11 through Nov. 13. “It took place over three days with five surgeons, 32 surgeries, 16 people donating, and 16 people receiving kidneys,” Smith says. “Samuel gave an interview to CBS News,” Copeland notes. The chain was started by one woman who decided she wanted to donate one of her kidneys. This type of donor is called a “non-directed altruistic donor,” meaning that she didn’t have a loved one for whom she wanted to donate, but instead simply
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
decided on her own to give a kidney to a person who needed one. Because this chain was started by an altruistic donor, the cycle of donation from this original donor continues to this day. Because each person participating in a paired exchange has to provide both a donor and a patient, the circle comes up with one additional kidney to start the next cycle. The donor is called a “bridge donor.” The chain that Samuel Smith participated in stopped at 32 surgeries. The second round of donations from the original chain began again last week with seven more people receiving kidneys with seven more donors, for a total of 14 surgeries. Once again, there was one kidney left at the end of the cycle, whose donor is now the bridge donor to begin the third set of surgeries that begin in January. This round may involve as many as 10 more pairs. “Talk about a gift that keeps on giving!” says Smith. “This feels like such a big miracle,” she says. “Samuel could have waited a very long time with difficult consequences. It was mind boggling to think about the probability of his getting a kidney, and he was so very sick when the news came. When they discovered there was a match for him in Texas, the professionals all recognized this was his chance. “He was so very fortunate,” Smith notes. “We all recognized that he simply couldn’t have gone on much longer. He wasn’t able to eat in between his dialysis. He was slowly starving to death.” Since the surgery, both Samuel, who received a kidney, and Hannah, who gave a kidney, are recovering nicely. Nothing is known about the donor from whom Samuel’s kidney came or the recipient to whom Hannah’s kidney was donated. “The hospital is very careful about maintaining confidentiality for all concerned,” says Smith, “but we are hoping to be
able to meet Samuel’s donor one day so that we could thank them in person. “Two more people are alive in the world today — Samuel, because he received a kidney, and another person because his sister donated one. And, of course, all told, 16 people have a chance because of this circle.” The screening process for a kidney donation is stringent. Only 25 percent of those who would like to donate are able to make it through the screening process and go on to donate. Hospitals are clear that they don’t want to put the patient or the donor at risk. “This is an amazing story about amazing parents,” says Copeland. “I know that it is important to all of us to get the word out about live kidney donation. Think how many more people won’t have to die of kidney disease because of this breakthrough.” “This is how kidney disease affected us,” says Smith. “In our immediate family, there are eight members. Two members became donors, three were recipients, two were rejected as donors, and one was too young to donate. I can’t possibly count the number of surgeries we’ve all had,” said Smith. “To celebrate Christmas this year, where no one is in the hospital and no one is on dialysis, is amazing,” says Smith. “We are no longer chained to the hospital. We are so very grateful.” People who would like to consider donating a kidney may contact Fletcher Allen Medical Center in Burlington at www.fletcherallen.org or call 877-467-5102 for more information. Libby James, a neighbor of the Smith family, has set up an account for donations to help the family defray the expenses of four years of illness. Donations should be mailed to Merchants Bank, in care of bank manager Christine Collette, 25 Monkton Rd., Vergennes, VT 05491. Be sure to write “Smith Family Kidney Fund” on the memo line.
UVM professor to discuss presidential greatness BRATTLEBORO— University of Vermont professor Frank Bryan will discuss the history of ranking presidential “greatness” and consider the Obama presidency in a talk at Brattleboro’s Brooks Memorial Library on Jan. 5. His talk, “The Impossible Presidency and Obama’s Chance for Greatness,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays lecture series and takes place at 7 p.m. Bryan will point out that though scholars rank several presidents as “great” who served prior to 1952, there is no agreement that the United States has had a great president since.
Bryan will examine the tenures of these later presidents and consider President Obama’s and his successors’ chances for reversing the trend. Bryan is the author of Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How it Works and is a professor of Political Science at the University of Vermont. The Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays series is held on the first Wednesday of every month from October through May, featuring speakers of national and regional renown. Talks in Brattleboro are held at Brooks Memorial Library. The program is free,
accessible to people with disabilities, and open to the public. Upcoming Brattleboro talks include “Beethoven’s Sketchbooks” with pianist Michael Arnowitt on Feb. 2, “The Towering Inferno” with Dante translator Michael Palma on March 2, and “Did Karl Marx Predict the Cuban Revolution?” with Amherst professor Javier Corrales on April 6. For more information, contact Brooks Memorial Library at 802-254-5290 or the Vermont Humanities Council at 802-2622626, info@vermonthumanities.org, or www.vermonthumanities.org.
Perry’s ‘Figments of the Imagination’ on display at Works on Paper BELLOWS FALLS—Works on Paper’s gallery at 7 The Square is exhibiting a collection of drawings, Figments of the Imagination, by local artist Gil Perry. This is the first time his drawings have been seen together as a comprehensive body of work. The drawings will be on display through Jan. 21. Perry’s drawings are incredibly detailed imaginations built up by intensely layered marks of graphite and ink on the paper. “I reach a state of wonder and
discovery when I draw,” he said. “In an unconscious way, I am developing an extraordinary vocabulary of design by letting go and giving my imagination voice As the drawing unfolds and my poetic imagination takes over, there is a great deal of restraint in my conscious mind to not give way to ‘pareidolia’ — or seeing faces in non-face objects, and to grab just any image that first emerges. “In this way, I descend into deeper strata of the unconscious to a more mythic realm. Leaving the mechanisms of the conscious
mind behind, there is a sense of leaving the world of time and entering the realm of the Eternal. It is this threshold that I call the Whispering Gallery. When the ego becomes transparent and the center of the self dissolves into an emptiness, or cloud of unknowing, this absence is actually a presence where the divine dwells.” Works on Paper is an art conservation studio specializing in prints, drawings, watercolors, maps, documents, and other artistic and historic works on paper. The front of the studio was recently converted to gallery space to feature the work of local artists who also work on paper. The studio and gallery are open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and by appointment. Contact them at 802-460-1149 or carolyn@workson-paper.net.
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T h e C ommons
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
11
SPORTS & RECREATION Colonel girls enjoy first win over Raiders in five years
T
he Rutland Raiders have had the Brattleboro Colonels’ number in girls hockey for the past five years, most recently when Rutland knocked them out of the playoffs last season. That made last Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Raiders at Nelson Withington Rink that much sweeter for the Colonels. Brattleboro — which lost its opening game to Northfield, 2-0, on Dec. 11 — came out against the Raiders playing what Colonels coach Linda Burke called “smart, disciplined hockey.” Great defense and goaltending marked this game. Colonels goalie Brianna Snow made 12 saves, and defenders Jesse Woodcock, Rebecca Potter and Madison Doucette were outstanding in disrupting the Rutland offense. The great effort on defense was needed to help the Colonels’ lone goal stand up. Emily Wilson scored with 7:37 left in the first period off a pass from Logan Robinson, and while the Colonels had other chances, Rutland goalie Brittany Pelkey kept the Raiders in the game with a
Girls’ basketball
RANDOLPH T. HOLHUT Sports Roundup stellar effort between the pipes. The Colonels built on their success against Rutland with a 9-0 rout of Woodstock on Saturday. Miranda Moseley scored four goals, Wilson scored twice, and Robinson, Maddie Rollins, and Tylynn Isaacson each added a goal. Rollins and Jen Hutton also tallied two assists each as the Colonels outshot the Wasps, 36-6.
Boys’ hockey
• The Brattleboro Colonels’ woes on offense continued on Saturday in a 4-1 home loss against the Burr & Burton Bulldogs. Again, Brattleboro’s lone goal didn’t come until the third period, when Andy Harris scored with 5:28 left to spoil the Bulldogs’ shutout bid. Now 0-2, the Colonels are off until Dec. 27 and 28, when they play in the Middlebury Tournament.
• The Brattleboro Colonels have plenty of speed this season, but what they don’t have is height. Unfortunately for the Colonels, Spaulding has plenty of height and the Crimson Tide exploited that advantage to a 48-44 win at the BUHS gym last Thursday. Spaulding center Aliza Benoit scored 17 points and pretty much had her way against smaller defenders Lindsay Johnson, Kelsey Patterson, and Erin LeBlanc. Even though she fouled out midway through the fourth quarter, Benoit did her job. LeBlanc led the Colonels with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Ariel Kane added 12 points. The Colonels led 2421 at the half, but Spaulding went on a 14-4 run in the third quarter to put the game out of reach, despite a late flurry by the Colonels. Brattleboro lost its road opener at St. Johnsbury last Tuesday as the Hilltoppers used great defense to earn a 4232 win. Brattleboro led 30-29 going into the final quarter, but the defending state champion Hilltoppers held the Colonels to just two points the rest of the way. Taylor Kerylow had nine points, four assists, and three steals to lead the Colonels. Mary Richardson added seven points and LeBlanc had six points, seven rebounds, and three steals. • Leland & Gray got by Twin Valley, 28-23, in the season opener for both teams last Monday in Wilmington. Bethany Robinson was the Rebels’ top scorer with 10 points, while Sam Bernard led the Wildcats with nine points and 11 rebounds. It was Leland & Gray’s first win over Twin Valley since 2006. • Twin Valley stayed on the skids with a 42-19 loss at Poultney last Thursday. The Wildcats were held to just one point is the first half. Bernard led Twin Valley with six points and 11 rebounds. • Bellows Falls lost its home opener to Burr & Burton, 4613, last Monday. Sara Dumont scored six points for the Terriers.
Boys’ basketball
• The Brattleboro Colonels played host to the North-South Classic at the BUHS gym over the weekend, with mixed results. On Friday, the Colonels got past Burlington, 65-61.
KEEP DIRTY HOODS OFF OUR STREETS
Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons
Brattleboro’s Emily Wilson, center, prepares to take a face off during the Colonels’ Dec. 15 game against Rutland. Wilson scored the game’s only goal as Brattleboro beat Rutland, 1-0. Brattleboro had great scoring balance as four different players scored in double figures for Brattleboro — Tommy Heydinger (13 points), Soren Pelz-Walsh (12 points), and Travis Elliott-Knaggs and Travis Beeman-Nesbitt (10 points each). A 14-1 surge to start the fourth quarter helped put the game away for the Colonels. On Saturday, Brattleboro got beaten by Essex, 62-50. Brattleboro led 26-25 at the half, but good defensive pressure by Essex and three threepointers by Ben Ferris put the game out of reach in the third quarter. Ferris led all scorers with 29 points. Elliott-Knaggs was the Colonels’ top scorer with 17 points, including a trio of three-pointers. Pelz-Walsh and Heydinger chipped in 10 and 9 points, respectively. The Colonels opened their season last Tuesday with a 64-49 home win over Hoosac Valley. Elliott-Knaggs (16
points), Beeman-Nesbitt (15 points), and Heydinger (14 points) led the scorers. • Bellows Falls opened its season in the Springfield Tournament. After losing 4340 to Lyndon on Dec. 11, the Terriers got clobbered by Hartford, 85-26, last Tuesday. • Twin Valley opened its season in the Mount St. Joseph Tournament in Rutland. The Wildcats lost the first game to Otter Valley, 41-24, as Troy Birch had 11 points and 12 rebounds. • Leland & Gray appeared in the Arlington Tip-Off Tournament last Wednesday, where they stomped the host team, 68-16. The Rebels sped out to a 22-2 lead over Arlington after one quarter. By the half, it was 44-9. Matt Bizon led the Rebels with 21 points, while Colin Nystrom added 14. As a team, the Rebels had 25 steals for the game.
Learn to ski for free
If you are an aspiring skier or snowboarder, and want to help turn on a friend or family member to the sport, January is the month to do it. Stratton and Mount Snow are both offering a “Share the Love of Winter” promotion. Two people aged 13 and up can share their first day on the slopes learning to alpine ski or snowboard together for the price of one beginner package. This offer includes a beginner lift ticket, group lesson and rental equipment for the full day. This is a month-long promotion, excluding the Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend blackout dates of Jan. 15-17. Reservations are recommended. Call Mount Snow at 800-889-4411, or Stratton at 800-STRATTON, and tell them you are interested in Ski Vermont’s two-for-one learn to ski and ride package.
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Living & Dining Rooms - Bedrooms & Bedding Home Office & Entertainment - Memory Foam Mattresses - Unique Accents Randolph T. Holhut/The Commons
Brattleboro’s Travis Elliott-Knaggs, right, leaps past Essex guard Ben Ferris during the first half of their game Saturday at the BUHS gym. Ferris scored 32 points and Elliott-Knaggs had 17 as Essex beat Brattleboro, 62-50.
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NEWS
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Obituaries Editor’s note: The Commons will publish brief biographical information for citizens of Windham County and others, on request, as community news, free of charge. • Marjorie “GG” Raymond Estey, 78, of Springfield. Died
Predeceased by a son, Frank Long, and a sister, June Walityniski. Born in Alstead, N.H., and attended schools there. Worked at Robertson Paper, Unified Data, and was self-employed in carpentry and roofing. Was a member of the Loyal Order of the Moose, the American Legion, and the Polish American Club. Enjoyed hunting, fishing and boating, and spending time with his family. Memorial information : A graveside service took place Dec. 20 in the Cambridgeport Cemetery.
Nov. 30 at her home. Wife of the late Russell W. Estey. Mother of Karen Peck, Ellen Graham, Raymond Estey (Joanna), and Alison Lillie (Arnold) of Springfield; and Lynette Potter • E d i t h (Mike) of Greenfield, N.H. Marion Morse, Predeceased by siblings Clayton 91, formerly (Tracky), Robert, Beverly, and of Brattleboro. Maxine. Born in Bellows Falls Died Dec. 15 at and graduated from Bellows Falls Vernon Green High School in 1951. Memorial Nursing Home. information : No services are Wife of Harry planned. A. Morse for 68 years. Mother • C h a r l e s of Nancy Brosz of McKinney, P. “ D a m i e n ” Texas; and Howard C. Morse of E v a n s , 6 4 , of Snohomish, Wash. Predeceased Brattleboro. by siblings Mary White, Died Dec. 14 Ruth Woffenden, and Henry at Brattleboro Taylor. Raised and educated in M e m o r i a l Wilmington, graduating from Hospital. Former Wilmington High School, where husband of Alison Doe. Brother she served as captain of the girls’ of Michael Evans of California. basketball team and played field Predeceased by his parents and his hockey as well. She later attended sister, Sharon Doyle. From 1969 the Thompson School for Practical to 1974, he was a Brother in tem- Nursing in Brattleboro, where porary vows with the Society of St. she received her L.P.N. degree. Edmund. As a Brother, he worked She worked as a bookkeeper for in the printing shop at Enders her husband’s business, Harry’s Island and he taught CCD at St. Auto Body in Brattleboro. Was a Patrick’s Church in Mystic, Conn. member of the former Brattleboro He had also been employed as a Women’s Club and a member at child care worker at St. Joseph’s Trinity Lutheran Church, helping Child Care Center in Burlington in all aspects of church life. Served and as cafeteria manager in the as a 4-H leader, started the Spruce North Campus at St. Michael’s Street Stitchers, and led this club College in Winooski. Most re- for seven years. Memorial incently, he was a cook and director formation : A private funeral of youth ministry at St. Michael’s service was held. Burial will be Catholic Church in Brattleboro, in the spring in Morningside and a Fourth Degree member of Cemetery. Condolences may be the Knights of Columbus, Leo sent to Atamaniuk Funeral Home Council #917. Memorial in- at www.atamaniuk.com. formation : A funeral Mass • Rose Mar y Royce, 85, of was held Dec. 18 at St. Michael’s Enterprise, Kan. Died Nov. 15 in Catholic Church with burial in St. Enterprise. Husband of the late Michael’s Cemetery. Donations Charles Marshall Royce for 52 to St. Michael’s Catholic Church, years. Mother of Charles Royce 47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT of La Habra Heights, Calif.; 05301. Condolences may be sent John Royce of Seattle; and Rose to Atamaniuk Funeral Home at Aguirre of Chapman, Kan. Sister www.atamaniuk.com. of Frank Waryas of Coeur de • K e n n e t h E l m e r “ K e n ” Alene, Idaho; and Stanley Waryas, Fisher, 75, of West Brattleboro. Richmond, Va. Predeceased by a Died Dec. 15 at Brattleboro brother, Clarence Waryas. Born Memorial Hospital. Father of in Rockingham, Vt., and spent Brian Fisher of Brattleboro; Mark most of her life in North Walpole, Fisher of Limestone, Maine; N.H., before retiring in 1987 and and Isaac Allen of Boulder, moving to Enterprise. She was a Colo. Brother of Gordon Fisher devoted and loving wife, mother, of West Brattleboro; Dorothy sister, grandmother, and greatJones of Dummerston; Marjorie grandmother. M emorial inRyan of West Brattleboro; and formation : A funeral Mass Yvonne Bernier of Brattleboro. was held on Dec. 4 at St. Andrew Predeceased by a sister, Evelyn Catholic Church in Abeline, Kan. Sirois. Graduate of Brattleboro Donations to the American Cancer Union High School, Class of Society. 1954. Served in the Army dur• Betty Lou Andersen Scott, ing the Korean Conflict, and was 44, of Wilmington. Died Dec. 11 stationed in Germany. Had been after a long battle with lymphoma. employed at Cersosimo Lumber Daughter of Andrew and Nancy for 19 years. Previously worked at Andersen of West Dover. Wife American Optical in Brattleboro. of Claye Scott of Wilmington. Loved the outdoors and enjoyed Stepmother of Tyler, Brandon, and hunting, fishing, sugaring, berry Lyndsey Scott. Sister of Andrew picking, and time shared with his Andersen of Wardsboro; Nancy family. Memorial informa- Houghton of Guilford; Ruth tion : There will be no formal O’Hearn of Readsboro; Dreama funeral services. Burial will be Rozanski of Wardsboro; and in West Brattleboro Cemetery. Steven Andersen of Georgetown, Donations to the Windham Ky. Predeceased by her brother, County Humane Society, P.O. William. Memorial informaBox 397, Brattleboro, VT 05302. tion : A funeral Mass was held Condolences may be sent to on Dec. 17 at Our Lady of Fatima Atamaniuk Funeral Home at Catholic Church in Wilmington. www.atamaniuk.com. Donations to the Wings Program, • I l e n e A . ( E a r l e ) 22 Gates Pond Rd., Whitingham, Laurendeau, 59, of Bellows Falls. VT 05361. Died Dec. 20 at home. Mother of Lloyd Laurendeau of Rockingham; Dawn Laurendeau of Bellows Births Falls; Donald Laurendeau and wife, Michelle, of Bellows Falls; • In Boston (Massachusetts Eric Laurendeau of Bellows General Hosptial), Dec. 20, Falls; and daughter Sara Lique 2010, a daughter, Willa Seares and husband, Gary, of Grafton. S c h a c h t e r , and a son, L e o Predeceased by her parents, Seares Schachter, to Carrie Linton & Mavis (Marckres) Earle, Seares and David Block-Schachter and her brother, Loren Earle. of Cambridge, Mass.; grandchilEnjoyed her flowers, knitting, dren of Peter Seares and Emily scrapbooking, baking, and most Bernheim of Brattleboro. of all, spending time with the loves • In Keene, N.H., (Cheshire of her life, her grandchildren, who Medical Center), Dec. 5, 2010, she adored. Memorial infor- a son, Cullen Michael Nichols, mation: A service will be held on to Megan Marynok and Joshua Dec. 27 at Fenton & Hennessey Nichols of Hinsdale, N.H. Funeral Home in Bellows Falls. • In Keene, N.H., (Cheshire Donations to the Alzheimer’s Medical Center), Dec. 1, 2010, Association, 172 North Main a son, Gavin Lucas Hoard , to St., Barre, VT 05641-4124 or Ashley (Wright) and Kyle Hoard to the American Breast Cancer of Brattleboro. Association, 113 Redbud Lane, • In Brattleboro (Memorial Martinez, GA 30907. Hospital), Nov. 30, 2010, a son, • Daniel Frank Long Sr., Calvin Michael Sargent , to 67, of Athens. Died Dec. 10 at Liza (Hearne) and Scott Sargent Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical of Chester; grandson to Nancy Center in Lebanon, N.H. Son of Sargent and the late Peter Sargent, the late Carl and Gladys (Delano) and Helen and Steven Hearne. Long. Husband of the late Darlene Brown Long. Former husband of Shirley Long. Father of Daniel College news Jr. of Rockingham; Carl Long of Claremont, N.H.; Shelia • Kayden Manning, a sophoNeathawk of East Dummerston; more from Vernon, was named to and Crystal Long of Bellows Falls. the Dean’s High Honors List for Stepfather of Dwight Tester of the fall 2010 semester at Marietta Kentucky. Brother of Robert of (Ohio) College. Manning, a gradRockingham; Ethel Lockerby of uate of Brattleboro Union High Athens; Alice Benware of Putney; School, is majoring in International and Nancy Gonzels of Missouri. Leadership Studies at Marietta.
AROUND THE TOWNS Scholarship funds available for county artists BRATTLEBORO — The Arts Council of Windham County (ACWC) is providing $150 in scholarship funds to be divided among Windham County artists accepted into a two-day workshop focusing on professional development for artists. The Vermont Arts Council is once again sponsoring a twoday workshop on business and marketing planning specifically tailored to the needs of artists. The program is open to Vermont artists of all disciplines (visual, performing, media, literary, crafts and traditional) and is facilitated by Maren Brown and Dee Boyle Clapp from the Arts Extension Service at the University of Massachusetts at
Amherst. These “Breaking into Business Workshops” will be held at the Windsor Welcome Center, 3 Railroad Ave. “Business Planning for Artists” will be offered on Feb. 12, and “Marketing For Artists” will be offered on Feb. 13. Applications must be made to the Vermont Arts Council by Jan. 12. Attendance is limited to 25 participants. Artists may apply to attend one or both days. Applications will be reviewed on a competitive basis. Preference will be given to artists that apply to attend both workshops. Upon completion of the program, artists will be eligible to apply for special Arts Council funding of up to $500 to implement some aspect of their business plan. The cost is $75 for the two-day program; $50 to attend a single workshop.
Plans announced for Shumlin inauguration CelebrateVT, the official inaugural committee for Governor-elect Peter Shumlin, has announced the details for the events surrounding the inauguration. According to Mary Powell, the inaugural chairwoman and President/Chief Executive Officer of Green Mountain Power, the Vermont National Guard Charitable Foundation will benefit from all proceeds from inaugural events. In 2009, Shumlin helped lead an effort to raise more $200,000 to bring deployed National Guard members back to Vermont to celebrate the holidays. “The governor-elect wants this inauguration to celebrate our state and the great potential we have at the dawning of a new decade,” said Powell. “Vermonters are facing the toughest economy in decades and this event will contribute to our economy by focusing on local products, artists and venues. At the same time, the generosity of Vermonters and our businesses will help support our National Guard members and their families.” The official inauguration ceremony will take place Thursday, Jan. 6, in the State House at 1:30 p.m. Vermonters are invited to visit the Winter Village on the State House lawn to enjoy Vermont products and musical acts, as well as a “bunny slope” for the kids (weather permitting). Gov. Shumlin will visit the village directly after he is
sworn in. On the eve of the inauguration — Jan. 5 — Vermonters are invited to a “Homecoming” reception in Brattleboro with the governor-elect. Shumlin will be the first governor from southern Vermont in more than 30 years. Vermonters are asked to RSVP for the event on the inaugural website www.celebratevt.com. Finally, the Inaugural Ball will be unique: The ball will take place at a ski resort for the first time in the history of Vermont. On Friday, Jan. 7, Sugarbush will host the governor for a night of local food and local music. Tickets are available for purchase for $50 and are limited to the first 1,100 people. Tickets can be purchased through the Flynn Box Office ticketing system. All the information and updates for the inaugural activities are available at www. celebratevt.com. Also available on the website are the full disclosures for any donor contributing to the inaugural committee. No taxpayer dollars will be used to fund the activities and the committee is dedicated to transparency on all sources of donations above $100. More announcements on musical guests, Winter Village sponsors and other updates can be found on CelebrateVT’s inaugural Twitter feed and Facebook page.
“The first series of businessoriented workshops proved very worthwhile to those artists attending. Since this pair of workshops is nearby, we thought it would be a good investment in Windham County artists to help with their tuition,” said Greg Worden, president of the ACWC. “Scholarship winners will be expected to share information about their experience.” For more information, visit www.acwc.us.
Winter Carnival preparations begin BRATTLEBORO — The annual Brattleboro Winter Carnival, Vermont’s longest running winter festival, will be held on Feb. 18-28. Auditions for the annual Variety Show will be held on Sunday, Jan. 9, from 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 16, from 2-4 p.m. at Kelly’s Dance Academy on Putney Road. Skits, singers, bands, dancers, comedians, baton twirlers, or anything else you can think of, are all fair game for this event. Contact Belinda at bznest1@gmail.com for more information. Entries are also being sought for the Queens Pageant (for young ladies ages 17-21) and the Princess Pageant (ages 7-9). Contact Sarah Desrosier at 802-579-6415 for the Queens Pageant. For the Princess Pageant, contact Debbie Partrick at 802-254-9561 or dspartrick@ gmail.com. The winner of the Winter Carnival’s raffle for a new Subaru Forester or a cash prize was won by Jane Lord Deubler. She was presented with a cash prize of $15,000 at Brattleboro Subaru on Dec. 11. The carnival committee thanks Ralph Ellis of The Shoe Tree, Greg Worden of Vermont Artisan Designs and John Sciacca of Brattleboro Subaru for their support of this successful fundraiser. For more information about the Winter Carnival, find them on Facebook or www.brattleborowintercarnival.org, or contact Rosemary Harris at rsdse@comcast.net or 802-257-0305.
BMH offers free tobacco cessation class BRATTLEBORO — Brattleboro Memorial Hospital is offering another multi-session tobacco cessation program. This six-week class of the Vermont Quit Network starts on Tuesday, Jan. 4 and goes to Feb. 8. It will be held in the Tyler Conference Room on the first floor of the main hospital. Class times are 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. The weekly program offers group support as well as individualized strategies to help participants quit smoking for good. The tobacco cessation program provides a logical progression to quit smoking, including awareness of the smoking habit, addiction problems, and actual behavior change. Participants will experience a step-by-step process to quit smoking. Weight control, stress management, and social interactions will be covered during the program. Free nicotine replacement therapies such as the patch, gum, and/or lozenges will be available for Vermont residents. Placing emphasis on longterm maintenance, these classes and the group coaching programs are designed to help individuals gain control of their own life and to help them stay off tobacco. There is no cost for these programs. Help is available at the Vermont Quit Network, 800-QUITNOW. For more information about the BMH class, or to register, call 802-251-8456.
NE NLY B R AT T L E B R
and
Births, deaths, and news of people from Windham County
• Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The
MILESTONES
T h e C ommons
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Acupuncture Chiropractic General Family Medicine Lifestyle medicine
205 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301 Phone. 802.275.4732 Fax. 802.275.4738 info@biologichealthcare.com www.biologichealthcare.com
Massage Therapy Naturopathic Medicine Nutritional Assessment/Individualized Programs Physical Therapy Psychotherapy
Happy Holidays from tHe Brown & roBerts family! Bernard Putnam Robert Putnam
Paul Putnam
Michael Putnam
Amos Putnam
Steven Putnam
Pat Putnam
Rob Putnam
Chris Dandrea
Jack Van
Ed Morse
Mike Szostak
Kathly LeBlanc
Kurt Jillson
Rosaly Enos
Katie Stockwell
Anothony Oliva
Brian Baker
Ron Macie
Paul Taylor
Ivan Hennessy
Leslie Muessig
Helen Sontag
Brown & Roberts Hardware
182 Main St., Brattleboro, Vt.
Mon. - Thurs. 7:30 - 5:30; Fri. 7:30 - 7; 7:40 - 5:30; Sun. 10-2
802-257-4566