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Remembering a true gentleman
Editor of the Reformer:
Russell Ellis was one of those men one never forgets. Tall, slender, good-looking, a charming man, devoted husband and father, and a good friend. I first met Russ when I moved to Vermont in 1966, just married to someone who also worked at the then Experiment in International Living (EIL) in Putney.
We were newlyweds and young and Russ introduced us to life in Vermont: He and his wife Millie invited us to dinners in their home, cross-country skiing in West Hill, and he introduced us to the West Hill Cabaret. This was a group that loved dancing and would get together every so often, at The Country Kitchen or some other place, and after a special meal, we danced to music that often Russ -- an avid and talented dancer -- has chosen.
Because of his association with The Experiment in International Living, Russ who had done extensive traveling, was always interested in foreign cultures and peoples. At the time I met him, he had a keen interest in Chile. He had gone several times, and was entirely charmed by the country and its people. A wine connoisseur, Russ would often rave about a particular Chilean wine he liked. Russ and Millie both loved entertaining. Russ had a special talent for being his own MC and. whether it was in his living room, or around his pool, he would delight everyone with his wit and humor.
Russ had one very special quality and that
When learning about Russ’, death, an old friend, Marcia Steckler wrote: "His was an intentional and meaningful life, notable for clarity and vision, gracious consideration of others, devotion to family and impeccable integrity ...."
I will always remember Russ as a gentleman par excellence, and I am sure I am not alone in this beautiful memory.
Beatriz Fantini,
Brattleboro, July 18
Discussing
VY-related letters
Editor of the Reformer:
I recently returned home from a week’s vacation and have been going through my Reformers to catch up on local news. I noticed quite a few letters about Vermont Yankee.
Mr. DeVincentis wrote (July 12) about the failure of the Department of Energy and the Congress to site and construct a national spent fuel disposal facility, and the anti-nuke lobby using this as a reason to shut down nuclear power plants. Mr. DeVincentis implies that Yucca Mountain is safe for storing spent fuel, but there are many who would disagree. In fact, it just may be that there is no such repository yet simply because there is no place safe enough. Our government went blithely forward with promoting nuclear power generation before it knew what to do with its incredibly toxic waste, and now we are all in a terribly dangerous bind.
Richard January (July 2) corrected the people who have been putting up the yellow and black "Vermont Yankee Evacuation Zone" signs, saying there is no "evacuation zone," just an EPZ. Mr. January, you can correct our word choice, but the reality is that, if there is an "accident" of sufficient magnitude at VY, the authorities will attempt to evacuate all of us in the EPZ.
Mr. January and Michelle Joy (July 12) talked about all the economic benefits VY brings to the region. No one denies that an employer as large as VY brings economic benefit to this region. We just don’t think the benefits are worth the risk of being irradiated for generations to come. As I’ve said before, VY’s closure is something Entergy and state and local governments should have started planning for years ago, to mitigate the impact on the local economy. Instead Entergy is thumbing its nose at the state of Vermont and trying to scare everyone into thinking that, without VY, the sky will fall. In my opinion, this is a rogue corporation operating with extreme arrogance, little oversight, and lots of money -- a very dangerous combination.
Harriet Green (July 12) wrote that VY is virtually emissions-free and that this is a central reason why VY must keep operating. This argument annoys me no end. We know better than to look at just one part of an energy production cycle and think that’s all we need to consider when weighing pros and cons. Yes, that reactor doesn’t create much carbon emissions, but the mining of uranium takes incredible amounts of water and carbon-creating forms of energy, and it destroys entire habitats, most of them on aboriginal lands in places like Australia and Canada, and the U.S. Nuclear power plants leak radioactive toxins into the water and air.
There are many things that humans can do that we shouldn’t. As far as I’m concerned, splitting atoms to generate electricity is one of those things. We’ve been doing it for decades, but only with huge government subsidies paid by the taxpayers. Far better to direct that money to sustainable forms of energy generation like wind, hydro and solar. Germany is doing it. Even Japan is doing it. Let’s get with a program.
Ann Darling,
Brattleboro, July 16
A future
full of VY
Editor of the Reformer:
A few days ago I purchased a 10-inch box fan. I noticed that it only had three switch positions: low, medium and high speed; no reverse button. But, alas, not a problem; the directions indicated that to reverse the direction, all you had to do was turn the device around. I was so happy to find this out.
Apparently Vermont Yankee thinks I’m as stupid as whoever wrote the instructions for my fan. In the Reformer (July 14-15), a front page article indicates that VY is going to, reluctantly, test a drinking water well, which possibly contains radioactive water, but that this could produce "misleading results that may lead to public confusion." Whatever information is released from VY, it is to be as interpreted by VY. The rest of us just have to wait for their report. And it’s never a health/safety hazard.
VY has wiped out the governor and the Vermont Legislature as having anything to say as to their continued existence (pre-empted by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission); they are currently involved in curtailing the Public Service Board as to what it can actually regulate (same logic as above). Why don’t we just let Entergy Louisiana take over running the state? Vermont could be the first state in the union to be taken over by a corporation. We could replace a star in the American flag with a dollar sign. Some may not like this, but John Galt would be proud. (Who is John Galt? You don’t know? That question is the theme of the book).
So what would Entergy Louisiana do running the state? The Public Service Board would become even more unnecessary; bills passed by the Legislature would be subject to VY veto power -- forget the governor; VY certainly would want to control the Department of Transportation, if they needed to move radioactive materials from somewhere to somewhere they would not want some pesky little town objecting; the State Police -- full time security at their plant and offices on Ferry Road. Arrests? Forget habeas corpus, protesters could be terrorists; control of the Reformer, no more negative VY editorials; the 4th of July Parade, total control -- a few years ago I wrote a letter to the editor regarding VY’s attempt to refuse inclusion of several non-VY supportive groups (they were included; this would never happen again); the Department of Education, watch out what they teach in the local schools regarding "green energy" and anything else VY holds sacred; and, last but not least, the decommissioning fund that the current owners have not contributed to -- well, no need if you’re not going to be decommissioning anyway.
Some months back VY placed numerous ads in the Reformer, each highlighting one of their employees. Not so anymore; they now fight their battles in the courts. Interest in public opinion has dwindled. You and I don’t count for squat in their eyes. Have they already taken over the state?
Ken McCaffrey,
Brattleboro, July 16
SAGE Alliance grateful for help
Editor of the Reformer:
The SAGE Alliance is grateful to many local citizens and organizations for their support before and during our July 1 Independence from Entergy action in Vernon. We are especially appreciative of the Vermont State Police and Vernon police for collaborating and providing a safe space for our action and the Brattleboro Police Department for traffic safety and providing safety for bikers.
Vermont sculptor and puppeteer Ria Blaas and her team did an amazing job designing and building the 14-foot-by-8-foot papier mache Trojan cow. Bill Deters and Klondike Sound generously donated sound equipment at the Rally. The caretakers of the Governor Hunt Recreation area and TransCanada Hydro Northeast were very helpful. Finally, we offer our sincere thanks for the residents of Vernon’s Governor Hunt Road for their patience that afternoon.
Leslie Sullivan Sachs,
SAGE Alliance,
Brattleboro, July 12
To be, or not to be ... cuckolded
Editor of the Reformer:
Regarding Becky Karush’s describing a wife in a TV show as being "cuckolded" -- it is linquistically impossible for a woman to be cuckolded.
It is a venerable Middle English term referring only to a cheated upon husband, never a wife. It alludes to the habits of the female cuckoo bird, which habitually lays her eggs in the nests of other birds, to be hatched and reared.
Heidi Mario,
Brattleboro, July 15
