Mountain Times - Volume 49, Number 48 - Nov. 25- Dec. 2, 2020

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Opinion 12 • The Mountain Times • Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2020 EDITORIAL Scott takes tough approach to Covid spike, justifiably so By Angelo Lynn Gov. Phil Scott’s decision to ban inter-household gatherings, while allowing schools to remain open and limited access to restaurants and bars, prompted rare public pushback among Vermonters who have been model citizens in obeying the dictates Vermont has successfully imposed since the pandemic’s outbreak in March. Numerous letters across the state’s media outlets attest to that displeasure. We agree, the complete ban of inter-household gatherings is stringent and may invite disregard of the state order, rather than the compliance Vermonters have demonstrated for the past eight months. But credit the governor and his administration with a quick response to an alarming spread of the virus. Vermont currently has the second highest “virus reproduction rate” in the nation, next to Maine’s. While it took 88 days for Vermont to reach its first 1,000 cases of Covid, and 142 days for the next 1,000, it added the most recent 1,000 cases in just the past 23 days. While Vermont’s numbers are still low, we nonetheless have broken the records for new confirmed cases per day multiple times over this past week. What the governor and his team know is if we can nip the most recent outbreak, reign it in to our modest summer levels and stay ahead of it, we’ll be fine. But, headed into the holidays as we are, if we let the virus spread now, it could jeopardize the state’s ability to keep students in school and may spark another wave of temporary business lockdowns — both are outcomes all Vermonters want to avoid. A restriction on inter-household gatherings is also justified by the data. As of Friday, Nov. 13, when the governor issued the strict mandates, 71% of the outbreaks were related, as he said, “to social events, parties and people hanging out at a home or at bars and clubs. We’re just not seeing these types of outbreaks linked back to people dining at restaurants or working out at gyms. This tells us the protocols at these businesses are, for the most part, working.” Still, there is room for criticism and compromise. Restrictions > 14 Vermont greenwashing By Bill Bender What, isn’t Vermont “green?” Of course it is, right? Wrong. Green Mountain Power, which is owned by a Canadian natural gas distributor and supplies 70% of Vermont with electricity, claims that its energy supply is 94% carbon free and more than 63% renewable. This sounds great, except that 95% of this electricity is produced in 20th century facilities, many of which (particularly hydroelectric dams) are 50 to 100 years old or more. Do we really think we can solve the climate change crisis without building new renewables? It is magical thinking, or really worse, as both the state and the major utilities are complicit in misleading Vermonters. Solar produces only 2% of Vermont’s electricity, and wind is negligible (the wind energy generated in Vermont is shipped out of state). Even worse, Vermont is going backwards. Permits to build solar, issued by Vermont’s Public Utilities Commission (PUC), declined by two-thirds in the past two years due to the state using Koch Brothers inspired “cost shifting” arguments to cut net metering. The diabolical PUC just dramatically cut the value of Greenwashing > 14 LETTERS Let’s pardon all turkeys Dear Editor, This week, President Trump will take a break from brooding over his election loss to pardon two turkeys. Every one of us has that same awesome power to pardon an innocent, 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year sentient bird by choosing a plant-based roast for our Thanksgiving dinner. The 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year are raised in crowded sheds filled with toxic fumes. Their beaks and toes are clipped to prevent stress-induced aggression. At the tender age of 16 weeks, workers cut their throats and dump them into boiling water to remove their feathers. Consumers pay a heavy price too. Turkey flesh is laced with cholesterol and saturated fats that elevate risk of chronic killer diseases. Prolonged cooking is required to destroy deadly pathogens lurking inside. Pardon > 13 Cultured meat is gaining steam To the Editor, I was pleased to learn an Israeli startup called Super- Meat is serving culturedchicken sandwiches at a test kitchen in Tel Aviv. For those who don’t know, cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering animals. The U.S. Congress should help Cultured meat is grown from cells, without slaughtering fund development of this revolutionary protein. Though cultured meat is rapidly approaching the market, it will initially be more expensive than its slaughtered counterpart. This can be remedied with federal funding for research. Legislators should support cellular agriculture because of the benefits it offers to animal welfare, the environment, and human health. Jon Hochschartner Granby, CT Even turkeys know by David Fitzsimmons, The Arizona Star, Tucson, AZ Crosswalk on Route 7, Rutland is long overdue Dear Editor, Regarding the death of a pedestrian crossing Route 7 by Day’s Inn in Rutland Town (“Pedestrian struck and killed in Rutland,” Nov. 11-17 edition) — I travel Route 7 South often and am always amazed that pedestrians have to take their lives in their hands to cross Route 7 at one of the most congested, confusing intersections on that section of highway. I refer to the intersection at Curtis Avenue in Rutland City. Two large motels in that block now house people on a long-term basis, and Route 7 is flanked by older residential neighborhoods. Residents are often seen crossing the highway to reach businesses, restaurants, motels and shops on either side of the road. There is no crosswalk, light-controlled or otherwise, across Route 7 at Curtis Avenue. Mac’s convenience store, Panera Restaurant, Econo Lodge Motel, Quality Inn, Marble Avenue, Aldi, and now Ocean State Job Lot dump traffic into this multilane intersection. Route 7 features four lanes, two north and two south, with turning lanes in between. Curtis Avenue, which ends at Route 7, has one right turn lane and one cross lane onto Route 7. An unnamed street, which is the access road to Panera and Ocean State Job Lot, also has two lanes - a cross-lane and a right turn lane - onto Route 7. To complicate matters, Curtis Avenue and the unnamed street are slightly offset, so that drivers do not have a straight line of sight across the intersection and must watch two sets of cars at once, coming from opposite directions. It can be easy to miss a pedestrian who is trying to second-guess the traffic pattern. The configuration requires you to have eyes in the back of your head to cross safely. Pedestrians sprint across between light changes. Sidewalk to nowhere Recently a nice, wheelchair-accessible sidewalk was put along Cold River Road from the Adele Stanley low-income apartments to Route 7. Ped crossing > 13
The Mountain Times • Nov. 25 - Dec. 1, 2020 OPINION• 13 CAPITOL QUOTES Urging safety and limited travel this Thanksgiving... “This Thanksgiving isn’t normal. Nothing in 2020 has been. But Thanksgiving was never really about the trappings. It’s always been more powerful than that. This year, let’s show thanks by keeping each other safe.” said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo “When you do things that are increasing the risk, the travel — the congregate settings, the not wearing masks — the chances are that you will see a surge superimposed upon a surge... What we’re doing now is going to be reflected two, three weeks from now,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci “[There is] no more important time than now for each and every American to redouble our efforts to watch our distance, wash our hands and, most importantly, wear a mask. CDC is recommending against travel during the Thanksgiving period. For Americans who decide to travel, CDC recommends doing so as safely as possible by following the same recommendations for everyday living. From an individual household level, what’s at stake is basically increased chance of one of your loved ones becoming sick and then hospitalized and dying. We certainly don’t want to see that happen. These times are tough. It’s been a long outbreak,” said Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC’s Covid-19 incident manager Body cams: VSP to be outfitted with new technology > from page 10 ers to a cloud storage system. Troopers are required by policy to activate the cameras when they are performing any law-enforcement-related activity, such as traffic stops or criminal investigations. Purchasing the body cameras and related hardware cost about $760,000. In addition, there is an annual data storage appropriation of $294,000, which includes storing video from cruiser dashboard cameras in addition to the body-worn cameras. Public access to the videos will be governed by the Vermont Public Records Act and applicable policy. Body-worn cameras initially were acquired in 2018 for members of the Vermont State Police Tactical Services Unit. “It’s exciting to see these cameras in the field,” Col. Birmingham said. “The public has been asking for us to have them, and our troopers have wanted them. We’re thankful to everyone who came together to ensure that the Vermont State Police is able to deploy this important technology throughout the state.” Homicide: Man found in hotel room with fatal bullet wound > from page 1 to the torso, and the manner of death is homicide. “Police believe this was an isolated incident, and there is no current threat to the general public,” according to a state police news release Monday. > Pardon: from page 12 Now, for the good news. With growing popularity of Tofurky and other plantbased holiday roasts, U.S. turkey production has dropped a whopping 25 percent from its 1995 high of 293 million. This Thanksgiving, let’s give thanks for our good fortune, health, and happiness with a cruelty-free plant-based holiday roast available in convenient sizes. An internet search on “vegetarian Thanksgiving” offers more options and recipes than we could possibly use. Sincerely, Mario Vincelette, Rutland Ped crossing: Needs correction > from page 12 But as with Curtis Avenue, there is no way to cross Route 7 on a controlled crosswalk. Rutland is still a pedestrian town, and more people are making their daily rounds on bicycles. As someone who drives this stretch of road often, I cringe whenever I see an elderly person, someone pushing a stroller, or anyone, in fact, trying to negotiate these complicated intersections. The joint investigation by VSP and the Rutland City Police Dept. into this homicide is active and ongoing. Investigators ask that anyone with information to call 802-773-9101. Anonymous tips can be submitted at vsp.vermont.gov/tipsubmit. I cringe whenever I see anyone trying to negotiate these complicated intersections. Rutland City, AOT and the federal government, which subsidizes US-7, must put pedestrian signals and crosswalks at Curtis Avenue and Cold River Road, on the next highway project if not before. Must we wait until another pedestrian is needlessly killed before the highway engineers correct this glaring oversight? Julia Purdy Rutland, Vermont Solid Waste Transfer Station Location: 2981 River Road (Behind Town Garage) Phone Number: (802) 422-4499 SAT.& MON. (8 a.m.- 4 p.m.); SUN. (8 a.m.-noon) “There’s now universal agreement in America’s public health community that no one should be leaving their home to go to anyone else’s home for Thanksgiving. If you do so, you’re increasing the danger to your community and state hospital systems at their breaking points,” said journalist Seth Abramson Collection & transfer of solid waste deposited by residents and property owners of the Town. (Windshield sticker & punch card needed) Recycling Center for residents and property owners of the Town. (Free with windshield sticker) If you need to dispose of solid waste outside the normal operating hours of the Transfer Station or have construction & demolition debris or other non-acceptable waste, residents and property owners of Killington can go to the Rutland County Solid Waste District Transfer Station & Drop-off Center located on Gleason Road in Rutland. Winter hours began November 1, 2020.
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Mountain Times - Volume 49, Number 48 - Nov. 25- Dec. 2, 2020

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