Williston Observer

Remember the importance of reading drug labels

Dec. 24, 2008

By Peter Pitts

For seniors, the holidays represent a special opportunity to spend time with children and grandchildren alike. Such family gatherings are also the perfect time to talk about serious issues with loved ones. Here’s one that’s especially relevant to seniors: the importance of reading drug labels.

Americans — and seniors in particular — have access to more cutting-edge pharmaceuticals than ever before. But medicines carry risks. Failing to pay attention to a drug’s label — by taking more than the recommended dosage or mixing with the wrong medicines — can lead to serious side effects.

Right now, only the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to approve drug labels. This helps consumers by ensuring that labels in all 50 states contain the same warnings about potential side effects and instructions for safe usage.

That may soon change. The Supreme Court is about to decide a landmark case about drug labels. The question before the Court is whether expert scientists at the FDA or local juries should have the final say regarding what’s written on a prescription drug’s warning label.

It all goes back to Diana Levine, a Vermont woman who went to a clinic because of a migraine. In the course of her treatment, a doctor’s aide administered the anti-nausea drug Phenergan. Tragically, the drug was improperly injected despite an explicit warning label. Levine ended up losing her arm.

Levine sued the physician, the assistant and the clinic. Each settled. But she also sued Wyeth, the company that produces Phenergan. A Vermont jury ruled that even though Phenergan’s label had been approved by the FDA, Wyeth should have prohibited the method of administration used in Levine’s treatment.

This put Wyeth in a pickle. By Vermont law, the company was now obligated to prohibit a particular method of drug delivery. Satisfying this requirement, though, would put the company at odds with the FDA.

If the Court rules against Wyeth, drugs could be required to have different labels in each state. And labels might end up reading like complex legal disclaimers.

Regardless of what the Supreme Court decides, this case should serve as a reminder for seniors about the importance of carefully reading and following the instructions on drug labels. There’s no better time than the holidays to make sure loved ones are doing just that.

Peter Pitts is president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and a former FDA Associate Commissioner.

 

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Dec. 24, 2008

By Mariana Lamaison Sears

Observer correspondent

Neighbors and members of the North Country Sportsman’s Club met last week at an informational session to express their views on the potential effects that club activities could have on the environment and public health. At the Thursday night meeting, hosted by the town, representatives of the Agency of Natural Resources, or ANR, and town officials were on hand to answer questions.

Town and club officials and neighbors agreed that lead, which is contained in bullets and concerns neighbors more than noise, is toxic and can contaminate the soil and water if left unattended in the ground. No one had a scientifically calculated number of how much lead sits in the club’s property, located off Old Creamery Road, but everyone agreed that several tons must have accumulated by now. The club has operated since 1962 at the site and has never recovered any lead, said Tom Blair, the club’s president.

Regardless of the amount, the club does not perceive the lead deposited to be a problem, Blair said.

“We don’t believe we have a lead contamination issue, all tests are below detection limits,” he said at the meeting.

Two samples from different water sources taken at the club were tested in October and resulted in undetectable levels of lead. Water tested in August at the home of Leo and Mona Boutin, neighbors of the club, showed lead levels below the state’s action limit for the first sample and below detection limit for the second sample, which came from the aquifer. And a nearby public water supply that is regularly tested never had alarming levels of lead detected, either. But neighbors do not want to wait until a test reveals higher levels of lead to take action.

“What happens if lead is found in our water next week?” questioned Rob Nesbit, a physician and neighbor of the club. “I treated people with lead poisoning. It is a tough thing to deal with.”

In a follow-up conversation with the Observer, Nesbit, who lives on Bradley Lane, said he would like to have water in the club and nearby wells closely monitored, by the town if necessary.

“Something systemic, not random; and transparent,” he said. “I have seen the effects of lead in multiple cases and by the time you find out, it is too late. I would like some responsible agency to study the problem.”

Best practices

Residents attending the meeting — more than 30 — learned that ANR does not consider lead in gun clubs a hazardous substance. George Desch, manager of hazardous waste sites with the Department of Environmental Conservation, or DEC, explained that his office, following federal law, does not regulate shooting ranges or clubs because the lead there “is being used for its intended purpose.”

“We care for places abandoned where lead has been left behind,” he said.

The DEC encourages clubs to apply best management practices according to federal guidelines, such as lead recovery and recycling, he said.

Blair told neighbors that shot recovery is difficult, due to the terrain characteristics, but the club developed a lead management plan to implement best practices. The three-page document, approved by club directors this month, calls for applying lime to the soil to stabilize its acidity, monitoring technology to reclaim shot and implement reclamation when feasible, and monitoring lead in water and building containment structures if necessary.

Neighbors want to see further commitment from the club to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council guidelines. Their manuals suggest ideas including planting vegetation and installing a ditch to prevent rainwater runoff and thus the migration of lead, Nesbit said.

“There must be some way to contain or remove the lead,” said Adam Deyo, who lives on Old Creamery Road. “Best practices should be followed.”

Said another neighbor, David Yandell, “I feel that they need to hold themselves to higher standards in terms of land stewardship.”

Noisy Saturdays

Noise was discussed in the second part of the meeting. Neighbors were upset after noticing over the summer an increase in special events hosted by the club on Saturdays, outside regular hours of operation. After confirming this, Town Manager Rick McGuire said  the club agreed to cut special events back to an annual average of once a month. A neighbor suggested the town and the club come up with an official definition of a special event so it becomes clear how frequent those could be.

What is going to happen next remains unclear. Key to figuring out future steps, some say, is to continue the dialogue that began at the meeting.

“I do not have a clear sense of what we should be doing,” McGuire said the day after the meeting. “We need to continue the conversations.”

“We need to continue the dialogue; communication wasn’t good until this point,” Yandell said.

 

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Jewish comedy event to benefit heating assistance program

Dec. 24, 2008

By Tim Simard
Observer staff

A laugh-filled night of Jewish comedy is returning to Williston this Hanukkah, and is helping to raise money to heat the homes of low income Vermonters this winter. Moo-Jew Comedy, organized by Burlington comedian Jason Lorber, will once again take over the Asian Bistro in Maple Tree Place this Wednesday and Thursday.

The comedy nights benefit Project WARMTH, which helps less fortunate Vermonters with heating oil assistance, and fit neatly into the Hanukkah spirit. The Jewish holiday, also known as the Festival of lights, is an eight-day commemoration of the Maccabeans’ victory over the Syrians, when one night’s supply of oil lasted eight days.
“It’s a natural tie-in,” Lorber said.

Project WARMTH is administered by the Champlain Office of Economic Development, which works with low-income people to achieve economic independence.

For the third year in a row, Moo-Jew Comedy is bringing its unique brand of humor to Williston. Lorber said it’s a great time and usually sells out. He said a few Canadians even reserved tables for the event. “We’ve gone international!” Lorber said proudly.

Joining Lorber for the festivities will be two Jewish comedian friends from New York City — Ophira Eisenberg and Myq Kaplan. “It wouldn’t be Christmas without New York Jews,” Lorber joked.

Both Eisenberg and Kaplan have appeared on Comedy Central and tour in the comedy festival circuit. Lorber said they’re looking forward to visiting Vermont and playing in the deep snow.
The Moo-Jew event is non-denominational, meaning non-Jews are invited to attend “as long as they’re loud,” Lorber said.

“It’s really a wonderful community event,” he said. “Everybody gets into the spirit together.”
Lorber, an actor and comedian from Burlington, also represents the city in the state’s House of Representatives. While the professions might seem light years away from each other, Lorber said it “plays to the same strengths.”

Moo-Jew Comedy’s opening night was on Tuesday, Dec. 23, but will also be taking place on Dec. 24 and 25. Tickets are $50 for a four-course meal and comedy show, and the cost includes tax, tip and jokes. Lorber said the dinner would start at “8 o’clock-ish,” with the show starting at “9 o’clock-ish” and ending around “10 o’clock-ish.”

Tickets and reservations can be purchased in advance through the Flynn Theater box office by calling 863-5966. Tickets can also be purchased at the door of Asian Bistro the night of the performances, but not before.

For more information, visit www.moojew.com.

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Dec. 24, 2008

By Tim Simard

Observer staff

For the third year in a row, a Williston family is making the holiday season an audio-visual experience like no other.

The Germain family of Aster Lane in the Meadowridge neighborhood has decked its house and property in a grandiose Christmas display. Don Germain, owner of the house and technical mastermind behind the display, said anybody and everybody is welcome to pull into his driveway and see the home.

The display is completely computerized and built by Germain and his 16-year-old son, Josh.

“He’s the wonder worker here,” Germain said of his son. “He’s Mr. Christmas.”

Josh also designed a Web site — wiredwonderland.com — that gives a detailed explanation of how the display was set up and other information.

“Let’s Celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ, the Reason for the Season,” the Web site says.

The lights are designed to flash and dance along with music that can be heard on a low-frequency radio station, 88.3 FM.

The station can best be heard from the driveway, Germain said. The lights have been programmed to match songs on a programmed rotation, including the popular Christmas songs “Sleigh Ride,” “Winter Wonderland” and “Jingle Bells.”

Germain said he and Josh begin setting up the display in September, by building sets in the yard and eventually decorating the house. Typically, the display doesn’t come down until a January thaw, Germain said, and barring that, not until the spring.

“It’s such a huge undertaking,” he said.

When the family started the “light party,” as Germain called it, the father and son used 35,000 lights. This year’s display uses 60,000 lights, he said. On top of that, Germain built all the circuit boards from scratch, as well as the 208 electronic switches that program the display to music. Germain has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Vermont to thank for his technical expertise, he said.

Germain said the creation of his family’s Christmas display couldn’t be done without his son’s involvement. In fact, Germain said he’s not sure how big the display will be when his son goes off to college.

“I can’t imagine what his house will look like when he owns one,” Germain said.

Being a very religious family, Germain hopes many people come by and see the show for themselves and get into the spirit of Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ.

“It’s a lot of work we do and we’d really like people to enjoy it,” Germain said.

The Germain Christmas light display will run until New Year’s Eve. Anyone can stop by and check out the show, which runs daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, the show will probably run until midnight, Germain said. Visit wiredwonderland.com for more information.

 

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Fehrs: Frugality needed in bad economy

Dec. 24, 2008

By Greg Elias

Observer staff

Signs of the sour economy are everywhere.

Businesses are struggling. Unemployment is rising. It seems nearly everyone is paring budgets, waiting for the economic storm to blow over.

Is it time for the town of Williston to cut back too?

Selectboard member Jeff Fehrs thinks so. He has proposed freezing municipal spending at current levels in the 2009-10 fiscal year budget.

The idea represents a radical departure from recent years. Driven by infrastructure demands caused by rapid growth, town budgets have far exceeded the rate of inflation over the past decade.

Fehrs said in hard times the town should share residents’ pain.

“Pretty much everyone in Williston is looking at some kind of spending they can reduce or even eliminate,” he said. “We should do everything possible to keep taxes down.”

His proposal colored the debate as the Selectboard mulled departmental budgets during a pair of meetings earlier this month.

Town Manager Rick McGuire’s proposed $7.8 million budget represents a 2.8 percent spending hike. He said the budget adds no personnel or programs, with the modest increase — the smallest in years — only enough to maintain the status quo.

Fehrs, the longest-serving member of the Selectboard, said he usually supports McGuire’s budget proposals and thinks town services represent a good value for taxpayers. But with the economy in worse shape than any other time in his 10 years on the board, Fehrs said town spending needs to shrink.

At least one resident agrees. Mike Mauss, a former history teacher who operates a horse farm on Old Stage Road, believes the economic downturn will be severe.

“When I look at history and the shambles the economy is in right now, I think of the 1930s and it’s very worrisome,” he said. “I think history shows we need to be very careful with our consistent lending.”

Every department should painstakingly justify each expenditure, he said. Increases should be approved only when the expense is an “absolute necessity.”

Looking for support

Other board members have remained noncommittal on Fehrs’ proposal. Chris Roy came closest to backing him, noting that residents struggling with their own finances are likely to balk at government spending hikes.

Roy pointed out that McGuire’s modest budget increase would actually produce a much larger 9 percent property tax hike for residents, largely because other revenue is expected to drop.

“We’ve got to find a way of enhancing revenue or finding additional cuts,” he said. “And by that I mean down to if not a 0 percent increase. That’s going to be more palatable to people because they are going to scream bloody murder if we come out with a 9 percent increase.”

But finding places to reduce expenses won’t be easy. Department heads warn of service reductions and program cuts if their budgets are frozen.

In years past, department leaders proposed budgets, which were usually pared by McGuire. Then the Selectboard would consider whether to restore some departmental funding.

This year, department heads are still making their cases to the board. But then they are asked what they would slash if their budget was frozen.

A case in point was the Williston Police Department. Sgt. Bart Chamberlain, the acting chief, told the board his department is responding to more crimes and calls for services but has not added an officer for four years.

“I understand taxes are going up and the economy is terrible,” he said. “But at some point we really need to figure out what we’re going to do in terms of adding people.”

Chamberlain said he would struggle to cut his department’s proposed $1.6 million budget, which bumps spending by 5 percent. In tough times, he said, crime tends to rise, making it even harder to reduce spending without imperiling public safety.

Fire Chief Ken Morton faced many questions about his budget. Spending for fire and emergency medical services rises by 11 percent, the biggest jump for any department.

Morton said much of the new spending was driven by factors out of his control, particularly pay for overtime and on-call firefighters. Making matters worse, Essex recently said it will no longer provide free dispatching, so Williston will have to pay an estimated $20,000 for the service.

If his budget was level funded, Morton said he may have to reduce staffing. He warned that could increase response times, which in a worst-case scenario could mean more property damage in fires and lost lives in medical emergencies.

Mauss, who was there for Morton’s presentation and grilled him about fire expenditures, said he was disappointed he was the only citizen to speak out during the meeting.

Fehrs said ideally the budget passed by the Selectboard would prevent an increase in the current municipal property tax rate. He acknowledged that would require even greater reductions in spending than a level-funded budget.

He’d prefer to decide departmental spending on a case-by-case basis rather than using the blunter approach of an across-the-board budget reduction.

The town should first look for savings that don’t impact essential services, he said. The last resort should be employee layoffs.

Beyond Williston

Fehrs’ proposal comes as other towns and the state of Vermont struggle with revenue shortfalls and budget cuts. Gov. Jim Douglas and legislative leaders have proposed tens of millions of dollars in budget reductions. Hundreds of state jobs will either be left unfilled or cut.

Fehrs, who works for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, said he feels little security himself these days.

“There’s no guarantee I will have a job soon,” he said.

The Selectboard is scheduled to finalize the budget by the end of January. Voters will decide whether to approve the municipal and school budgets in March.

Fehrs vowed to stubbornly advocate for his proposed spending freeze when the Selectboard resumes its budget deliberations next month.

“I’m going to push for this,” Fehrs said. “I don’t know what we’re going to end up with when the budget is finished.”

 

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