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Vol. 4 No. 16 • April 18, 2012
Community News, Sports, Arts, Entertainment and Food for Rutland and Southern Vermont
Chester family healthier with lead-free program
Dakota Gardner
Springfield inmate threatened governor From Staff & News Reports
newmarketpress@denpubs.com SPRINGFIELD — On Jan. 26, the Vermont State Police were notified of a threatening letter that had been sent to the Office of Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) from an inmate the Southern State Correctional Facility, located on the Charlestown Road in Springfield. Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Dakota Gardner, 21, of Springfield, sent several letters to Shumlin threatening violence against him and his family. At the time of the incident, Gardner was incarcerated at the Southern State Correctional Facility located in Springfield stemming from a 2009 arrest by the Brattleboro Police Department for aggravated assault. As a result of the investigation, Gardner was cited for three counts of disorderly conduct and is cited to appear in Windsor County Criminal Court. Gardner remains in custody at the Southern State Correctional Facility, which is a Central Level male facility with 370 beds, not including the admissions area. It started operations as Vermont’s newest facility on Oct. 6, 2003 when it accepted its first offenders.
CHESTER — Americans on average spend about 90 percent of their time indoors, and 65 percent of that time is spent in the home. The condition of a home (including the presence of chemical and environmental contaminants), its age, the occupants (especially pets and smokers) can have a significant impact on the health of the family residing there. For children like little Jada Grisczenkow of Chester, who suffers from asthma, the condition of the home is especially significant. At age three, Jada was diagnosed with asthma, a disorder that causes the lungs to swell and narrow, leading to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and chronic and uncontrollable coughing. She and her other three sisters, also asthma sufferers, are classified as ‘sensitive populations,’ whose condition can leave them especially vulnerable to the presence of allergy-and non-allergy causing substances like dust, chemicals, mold, pollen and dander. These substances exist as potential triggers which can exacerbate asthmatic states. A new Healthy Homes Initiative being launched by Lead Safe and Healthy Homes (LSHH), a program of Parks Place Community Resource Center in Bellows Falls, seeks to ameliorate in-home, environmental hazards that contribute to conditions like asthma, as well as a long list of other health-related problems. As part of the initiative, free, comprehensive healthy home assessments are available (to families with young children who reside in Wind-
The Grisczenkow family of Chester are living better thanks to Lead Safe and Healthy Homes. ham County, southern Windsor County and parts of nearby New Hampshire) that promote safe homes. The service provided by LSHH is intended to not only educate parents about hazards that may exist in the home but also provide the resources to make a difference. The program has received funding to underwrite the purchase of tangible resources
for parents to address indoor hazards, including dehumidifiers, allergy proof bedding, child proofing supplies and the free use of HEPA vacuum cleaners. The Grisczenkows, who live in Chester, were a recent beneficiary of the initiative. The family is both confident that the asthma related problems experienced by Jada and her siblings will decrease, and
thankful for the increased knowledge and resources gained to combat hidden dangers that are largely preventable. Lead Safe and Healthy Homes is a non-profit program of Parks Place Community Resource Center. To schedule a free assessment, call 4639927 ext. 208 or 207 or email Brianne@parksplacevt.org.
Rutland Southwest teachers end strike From Staff & News Reports
newmarketpress@denpubs.com
Teachers on strike
POULTNEY – The teachers and boards of the Rutland Southwest Supervisory Union moments ago reached a tentative agreement on a multi-year contract, bringing a six-day strike to a close. The deal came after almost 12 hours of talks with a federal mediator, and represents the first time the sides have come to a contract accord in more than 645 days. “It was clear that both sides really wanted to do the hard work necessary to reach a settlement that is fair to us, fair to our fellow taxpayers and good for our schools and students,” said Kaitlin Cioffi, a Poultney High School biology teacher and the spokeswoman for teachers in the Poultney Teachers Association, the Rutland Southwest Education Association and the Middletown Springs Education Association. “We have missed our classrooms, and look forward to getting to work doing what we love: teaching our students.” Details of the deal will be released once it has been ratified by teachers and each of the school boards in Poultney, Wells, Middletown Springs and Tinmouth. Classes were expected to resume this morning.
THIS WEEK Gov goes fishing............2 Spoonerville Brook ........3 Rusty Dewees ..............4 Local Flavor ..................5 22379
Classifieds....................10-11 Auto Zone ....................12
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