THE LAST
facing facts
WEEK IN REVIEW JANUARY 08-15, 2014 COMPILED BY JEFF GOOD & TYLER MACHADO
A Case for Compassion
THE STATE WE’RE IN
COURTESY OF ALICIA FREESE
Gov. Peter Shumlin’s opiate abuse speech has attracted all kinds of national attention. One place you won’t see it? In ads for Vermont.
ONE MORE FOR MORAN
Burlington will take one more crack at transforming the Moran Plant — using a plan hatched by two college students. Otherwise, it’s the wrecking ball.
B
he sat next to her, talking in hushed tones, and the two hugged before she stepped out of the room. Schirling and Barbara Brunette, it turns out, grew up close to one another in the North End. They both came to Monday’s meeting to support a resolution put forth by City Councilor Dave Hartnett (D-Ward 4) that calls for a review of police procedures for dealing with mentally ill people. Councilors asked for a moment of silence after Brunette spoke, and they later passed the resolution unanimously. During his remarks, Schirling described a beleaguered mental health system — “We have folks literally living in our emergency departments for weeks on end” — that’s relying too heavily on local law enforcement. The Burlington police chief has said that while all officers carry pepper spray, it wouldn’t have been a plausible alternative in Brunette’s case; because the man was threatening officers in a deadly way, they needed to respond in kind. Schirling said he recognizes that police presence can be counterproductive in these scenarios and that his department is continuing to work with the HowardCenter to minimize his officers’ involvement in situations that don’t involve “imminent risk.”
FOR WHOSE SAFETY?
The mother of an Essex teenager killed by his father says she’s been involuntarily committed to a psych ward since the murder. It just gets sadder and sadder.
A HOME-BREWED PROBLEM
The Department of Health says half of Vermont adults ages 18 to 24 drink to excess — and not enough doctors take note. Even local beer must be consumed responsibly.
That’s how much the maker of VerMints has to pay for erroneously implying the product is made in Vermont. The company gets to keep the “VerMints” name, though.
TOPFIVE
MOST POPULAR ITEMS ON SEVENDAYSVT.COM
1. “Burlington Remembers Andy ‘A-Dog’ Williams” by Dan Bolles. The local music scene memorializes DJ A-Dog, who died late last year after a battle with leukemia. 2. “An Iconic Woodstove Maker is Bringing Manufacturing Jobs Back to Vermont” by Ken Picard. Vermont Castings saved 200 manufacturing jobs in the state after coming back from the brink of bankruptcy. 3. Side Dishes: “Parkway Diner Is Reborn With New Owner” by Alice Levitt. A South Burlington breakfast landmark is back. 4. “Violent Odyssey: Kidnapping Victim Speaks for First Time About Terrifying Road Trip” by Mark Davis. A St. Johnsbury man tells the story of the 2012 kidnapping that nearly killed him. 5. “Sugarbush Owner, Former Merrill Lynch Exec Win Smith Writes Book” by Paul Heintz. Before he ran a ski resort, Win Smith had a close-up view of pre-bankingcrisis Merrill Lynch.
tweet of the week: @SKITHEEAST We have a weather center on our site. Don’t go to it today. No link for you. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SEVEN_DAYS OUR TWEEPLE: SEVENDAYSVT.COM/TWITTER
01.15.14-01.22.14
R ULE NO 12
Test out for things you already know. Get credit for your work experience and prior college learning. See how much time and money you can save with your personal PATHe by calling 1-866-637-0085 or visiting our website at champlain.edu/pathe.
“I chose to enroll at Champlain College because it offered me the flexibility that I needed.”
SEVEN DAYS
YOUR DEGREE PATHe IS AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE.
– Lynda P., Director of Health Services at Wake Robin
WEEK IN REVIEW 5
LET US DARE
4h-champcollege011514.indd 1
SEVENDAYSVT.COM
arbara Brunette, the wife of a man fatally shot by police two months ago, implored the Burlington City Council Monday night to invest more resources into taking better care of the mentally ill, Seven Days’ Alicia Freese reported on the Off Message blog. A police officer shot Wayne Brunette on November 6 in response to a call from his parents, who said the 49-year-old was acting irrationally at their New North End home. Police say that Brunette, who struggled with schizophrenia, charged at two officers with a shovel before he was shot. Both officers were cleared of criminal wrongdoing. “My husband was a very caring, poetic, loving, romantic man. He was a fantastic father,” Barbara Brunette told the council. “Policies have to be changed.” Clearly on the verge of tears but maintaining her composure throughout, Brunette outlined her proposal: “Training needs to be increased for police officers on how to handle mental health issues. Tasers need to be equipped in every vehicle. Every officer should have a Taser, should have pepper spray, a pellet gun — anything that’s not lethal.” When she returned to her seat, Burlington Police Chief Mike Schirling brought her a cup of water. Later
$65,000
1/13/14 1:49 PM