Blue Bottle Design Group

Poster mock-up:

2010-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

I created a poster which used neither black or white, just color. No, the event isn't real (that's why I included the June 31 date), but the organization is.

Make sure to click on the poster when viewing. Some detail is lost at the smaller size.

Magazine cover mock-up:

2010-11-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Celebrate Lake Champlain's Quadricentennial

2010-10-10T15:22:00.000-07:00

I designed the cover of this special advertising section commemorating the Quadricentennial of Samuel de Champlain's exploration. It was included in June 2009 issues of The Essex Reporter, The Colchester Sun, The Milton Independent and The St. Albans Messenger.

Derby Dames debut

2010-10-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

Fast and furious, Derby Dames wow sold-out crowd

By WENDY HATOUM
The Essex Reporter (February 12, 2009)

In fishnets and face paint, helmets and knee pads, the Green Mountain Derby Dames delighted the crowd Saturday night in a fast-paced bout against the ByTown Blackhearts of Ottawa.

Five hundred cheering fans filled the venue at the Champlain Valley Exposition for the popular roller derby spectacle that sold out the day before. The music was loud (many in the audience wore earplugs), and the crowd cheered, shook cowbells, and “oohed” and “awed” as players took some hard spills on the concrete floor.

Along with the fast skating, the players’ attire added to the drama. The women had their skating names screened across their backs: Bruise Control, Queen Defeat-ya, The Silencer and Zelda Savage, to name a few.

For many people in attendance, Saturday’s bout was their first introduction to roller derby. Ron Manganiello of South Burlington said he wanted to see the women in action because he had seen the Derby Dames at the Vermont City Marathon last year supporting a team member who was running in the race. “They had a lot of good energy. They looked like a fun, wild bunch of women. I thought it would be fun to come out,” said Manganiello, who heads Bike Recycle Vermont.

It was Carol Speranza’s first roller derby bout as well. Her daughter has been training with the team, though she wasn’t skating that evening. “It’s pretty rough and a little scary,” said Speranza of Essex Junction.

Though the Dames certainly have a bit of a hard edge to them, the crowd was similar to what you’d find at a Lake Monsters’ game, albeit with fewer children in attendance. It ranged from seniors, no doubt some being parents of the Dames, to couples with babies in tow. Brandee Hayes was there with her husband and infant son. “We came out to support Kristin,” explained Hayes, of her co-worker at IBM, Kristin Ackerson.

Ackerson, an electrical engineer by day, takes on the persona of Star Slayer when she skates. The Colchester resident said she got into roller derby last March.

“I’ve always been a jock. I wakeboard, snowboard, and competed as a gymnast growing up,” she said. Ackerson trains with her teammates three nights a week, for two to three hours a session. She is vice-president of the skater-owned team and is one of the team’s jammers – or scorers.

The Derby Dames play by Women’s Flat Track Derby Association rules with 14 players, and five skaters on the track. Points are scored when the jammer (denoted by the star on her helmet) passes the other team’s blockers or pivot, scoring one point for each player passed. Pushing and shoving are part of the game, but blatant aggression, “holding, grabbing, shoving, punching, chair-throwing...” will result in a player receiving major or minor penalties or getting sent to the penalty box.

During much of the bout the Blackhearts led by 20 points, but the Derby Dames battled back, narrowing the lead to within two points, with only seconds left on the board. Despite the supportive crowd yelling and some aggressive skating by the jammers, the Dames lost, with the final score of 131 to 136. Regardless, the crowd was cheering their hometown team, as they circled the loop after the bout.

The Derby Dames’ next bout is scheduled for March 14 at the CV Exposition. Tickets are available though the Flynn Regional Box Office at 802-86-Flynn or http://www.flynntix.org/.

Photo captions: The Green Mountain Derby Dames line up at the start of their first bout, held at the Champlain Valley Exposition last weekend. PHOTO BY AMY BRADFORD

Kristin Ackerson (above), an IBM engineer, known as Star Slayer on the team, is a jammer for the Derby Dames. Jammers score points by passing other players. PHOTO BY WENDY HATOUM

Wiemann Lamphere Architects

2010-10-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

Architects create environmental showcase

Colchester
building promotes
sustainability

By WENDY HATOUM

The Colchester Sun (March 11, 2010)

When you walk into a recently constructed building, your senses can often be overwhelmed by the building materials used to create it— that telltale “new” smell. If you were to tour the new office building of Wiemann Lamphere Architects, located on Hercules Drive in Colchester, you would be greeted by air that smells clean and fresh, though the building has only been inhabited since December. The good air quality was by design, as were many other environmentally friendly features. Vice presidents (and brothers) David Roy and Steve Roy led the design team, which focused on not only air quality, but sustainability and energy efficiency. They wanted the building to showcase the latest “green” features, so the firm’s clients could get a hands-on look at what is available on the marketplace.

Steve Roy said the building was even more energy efficient than originally estimated: “We anticipated it coming in at two-thirds of a typical building. It’s actually coming in at 80 percent of (our estimate).” Besides fresh air, the team wanted to incorporate lots of natural light and natural materials into the building’s design. Daylight sensors read the amount of light filtering into the building and adjust the amount of artificial light automatically.

The floors in the main work area are made of polished concrete with stone aggregate from Hinesburg. Counters are made from Marmoleum, a material made from a combination of linseed oil and wood dust. “It’s not a new product,” explained David, “but it is gaining wider use.”

When walking through the main work area, you might first notice the ventilation system — long blue tubes of fabric, clearly visible in the ceiling above the building’s main work area. These ‘duct socks’ inflate when pressurized air is moved through them. This type of ventilation system offers the advantage of using less metal, and it can be cleared of dust by simply being thrown in a washing machine.

Some of the building’s most impressive features are hidden away. If you take a peek at the mechanicals for the 10,600-square- foot building, you’d notice two boilers that are sized similarly to something for a 2,500-square-foot home. (Weimann Lamphere is only occupying 5,000 square feet of the building and plans to lease the other half.) Despite the 35-degree temperature outside the building, neither boiler was running.

Controlled by computer, the building was being heated by an air- to-air exchange system, which takes heat from outside (even on a cold day) as it also circulates fresh air inside the building. “It’s the reverse of an air conditioning coil,” David said, explaining that in the summer the system can be switched to cooling.

The walls are 16 inches thick, have an R-value of 34-35 and are filled with cellulose insulation. Steve Roy explained that the insulation is essentially 80 percent recycled newspaper.

Other features include carpets with recycled content, paint with low or no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and water saving toilets. Printing rooms are sealed to contain particulates and enhance air quality.

The building’s roof has reflective surfaces to reduce the amount of cooling needed in summer months. Steve Roy said, “Even in this area, cooling in summer comes at a higher cost than heating in winter.”

The building features a shower/ changing room for employees who like to ride their bikes to work. The parking lot has L.E.D. lighting and reserved spots for low-emission vehicles. The firm plans to add a solar panel array this summer.

The project cost $1.2 million; the cost of efficiency measures was $89,500.

It is anticipated the building will earn a “gold” certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. LEED is a third-party certification program with nationally accepted benchmarks for design and construction of high performance buildings.

Weimann Lamphere Architects recently achieved “silver” certification when it completed Colchester’s first LEED-certified building, the 35,000-square- foot office and laboratory space of UVM’s Colchester Research Facility. Other local examples of the firm’s work include the Pomerleau Alumni Center at St. Michael’s College in Colchester and Moe’s Southwest Grill in Williston –– both are LEED certified buildings –– as well as the recently completed spa addition to at The Essex Resort and Spa.

Captions: Top - Vice presidents (and brothers) Steve Roy and David Roy stand in the main work area of the newly completed Weimann Lamphere Architects building. The blue tubes in the ceiling are ‘duct socks,’ a fabric ventilation system. PHOTO BY WENDY HATOUM

Bottom - The newly completed Wiemann Lamphere building is anticipated to earn gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. PHOTO CONTRIBUTED

Burton Snowboards Protest

2010-10-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

Protesters prepare to march to the Burton headquarters in
Burlington to show their anger with the company’s Love and
Primo snowboards. PHOTO BY WENDY HATOUM

150 protest Burton boards

Essex woman leads charge

By WENDY HATOUM
The Essex Reporter (October 30, 2008)

About 150 demonstrators, as many as 20 percent of them children, gathered at the headquarters of Burton Snowboards in Burlington, chanting “Boycott Burton.”

The protest last Thursday was organized by Essex resident Lezlee Sprenger, who called for a general boycott of Burton products until the company withdraws two controversial lines of snowboards from the market: the “Love” line, which features vintage photos of Playboy models on the boards, and the “Primo” line, which includes graphic images of hand gestures depicted with severed fingers.

During the protest, Burton’s Burlington headquarters had uniformed police officers and squad cars posted at each of the property’s two driveway entrances. The company allowed protesters to gather on a narrow strip of land along the road fronting the property.

Reading from a written statement, Sprenger thanked the group for joining the protest and remarked on how the issue has grabbed the attention of people across the country.

“We, together, have led an enormously successful information campaign,” she said. “Tens of thousands of people have heard the message. This issue is being discussed in news groups and blogs across the country. People’s eyes are opening – they are seeing Burton for what they really are: a corporation driven by greed and self- interest; a company that shows no respect for women, no respect for children, and does not care about our families and community.”

In response to a statement released earlier by Burton CEO Laurent Potdevin, in which he stood by Burton’s board graphics, Sprenger said, “Burton continues in a long tradition of the debasement of women for profit. They hide behind their claim to freedom of artistic expression. Porn is not art. Porn is not love. And mutilation is not comical.”

Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville and Vail Resorts in Colorado have taken a stand on the snowboards, prohibiting their employees from using the Primo and Love boards. Vail Resorts owns Vail Mountain, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Keystone Resort, and Beaver Creek Resort.

Smugglers’ Notch issued this statement: “Smugglers’ is disappointed in the direction Burton is taking in this regard. None of the Love or Primo lines of products will be sold at Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

Employees will not be allowed to use these or other lines of products, which are likely to offend our guests, in the course of their interaction with guests at the Resort.”

At the protest, Sprenger was flanked by other community leaders, including Mark Redmond, director of Spectrum, Todd Centybear, executive director of the Howard Center, Tiffany Bluemle, executive director of Vermont Works for Women, David Ellenbogen, director of the Lake Champlain’s Men’s Resource Center, and Roddy O’Neil Cleary, a Unitarian minister and professor at the University of Vermont.

Ellenbogen questioned Burton’s naming one of the product lines “Love.” “What’s love got to do with it? Tina Turner got it right. It’s got nothing to do with love,” he said. Ellenbogen called for the company to stop producing the boards and pull the remaining ones from store shelves.

“They should melt them down and make a white ribbon board and donate the proceeds to prevent domestic violence,” said Ellenbogen. The white ribbon campaign was started by a group of men who formed to end men’s violence against women.

“This line of snowboards objectifies women,” said Spectrum’s Redmond. “Objectifying women leads to domestic violence.” He also decried the boards’ depictions of self-mutilation because of the problems that many young people have with cutting.

In response to the offensive boards, Redmond recently ended Spectrum’s participation in the popular “Chill” program, in which Burton supplied boards and apparel for the program’s youth. “There’s some things you stand on principle. It means giving something up.”

Redmond announced that the Alpine Shop in South Burlington had recently donated four snowboards and that other individuals had donated resort passes to Spectrum. With recent community donations, Redmond said he was hopeful that the young people who rely on the services of Spectrum will be able to participate in snowboarding this winter.

“I predict that Spectrum kids will be on the slopes,” he said.

O’Neil Cleary was dismissive of Burton’s Love line: “It is stuck in the ‘70s,” she said. “They are not cutting edge, not pushing the boundaries. It’s really regression.”

One of the protesters, Kathleen Kemp of Winooski, carried a “Shame on Burton” placard and called Burton’s actions “shameful.”

“I think that the stand that they’ve (Burton) taken is shameful and reprehensible in this day and age, and in this place in the world,” said Kemp. “I hope they take the opportunity to question where they’re headed with this whole idea, which of course is tied to profits.”

The Essex Reporter contacted Burton, and according to a company spokesperson, there has been no further comment on the issue aside from Potdevin’s statement, which was issued Oct. 22, the day before the protest. (See box.)

In light of the snowboard controversy, Burton co- owner Donna Carpenter has withdrawn from a November conference of the Women Business Owners Network where she was to have been one of two keynote speakers.

Robin Grunland, executive director of WBON, sent a press release dated Oct. 15 explaining the change.

“Over the last several weeks, Burton Snowboards has received media attention, and community members have expressed concern, regarding several of the company’s board designs,” the release said. “Donna Carpenter has graciously expressed concern that she might be a diversion to the goal of our conference and with much apology has decided not to speak at our event in order to keep the focus on the economic issues at hand.”

In WBON’s original press release, Donna Carpenter was described as “the founder and director of Burton’s women’s initiatives that ensures that Burton is the employer and brand of choice for women … Through Carpenter’s leadership, Burton established the women’s product and creative departments and internal committees that focus on retaining and promoting women within their organization.”

At the end of the protest, Sprenger requested participants to turn toward the Burton building and respectfully call on the principals, Jake and Donna Carpenter. There was no response to the repeated queries from the crowd, chanting, “Please talk to us” and “Where is Jake? Where is Donna?”

The answer to at least one of the protesters’ questions could be found on the Burton website: According to a post by Jake Burton Carpenter, the day of the protest found him with his sons, getting in the season’s first snowboarding runs at Loveland Basin, Colorado.

Community Health Pharmacy opens

2010-10-01T15:40:00.000-07:00

Congressional delegation opens community pharmacy

Discounts on prescription drugs offered statewide

By WENDY HATOUM
The Colchester Sun (December 25, 2008)

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, and John Tracy of U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy's office, gathered at a nondescript commercial building in northern Colchester on Monday, Dec. 15, to announce the latest effort in lowering the cost of health care in Vermont: the opening of a discount Community Health Pharmacy.

The pharmacy, which is supported by the state's congressional delegation, can offer prescription drugs at a price of up to 40 to 60 percent less than at a regular retail pharmacy, depending on a person's insurance coverage.U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Congressman Peter Welch, and John Tracy of U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy's office, gathered at a nondescript commercial building in northern Colchester on Monday, Dec. 15, to announce the latest effort in lowering the cost of health care in Vermont: the opening of a discount Community Health Pharmacy.

According to press materials, about one in seven Vermonters – more than 80,000 patients – now receives care at a Federally Qualified Health Center regardless of income or insurance coverage.

“These are tough times. It's nice to take a moment to give good news,” said Sanders. “Over the last five to six years we've been really successful in expanding health care. This is a significant step forward. It will save Vermonters money.”

The pharmacy is a cooperative venture, owned by five of Vermont's seven federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), including Community Health Center of Burlington, Community Health Services of the Lamoille Valley, Northern Counties Health Care, Northern Tier Center for Health and the Health Center.

There are no eligibility requirements to qualify for the discounted rates, except that they are only available to patients of the five centers, which have 22 sites in Vermont. Those saving the most are the uninsured, or underinsured, who will pay based on a sliding fee scale. Pharmacy customers who hold health insurance will continue to pay prescription co-payments.

“This is a creative, community-based solution that helps bridge one of the major gaps in health care. The Heinz Foundation has been a catalyst in helping to forge these partnerships, and they deserve great credit and our thanks. These community pharmacies bring buying power to Vermonters unable to afford coverage, lowering the cost of the prescriptions they need,” said Sen. Patrick Leahy in a written statement.

Not only will it save consumers money, but there are anticipated cost savings in the state's Medicaid program as well. According to press materials, the Community Health Pharmacy has 340 B pricing, which is the lowest wholesale prescription drug pricing available in the United States, outside of federal contracts for the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration. Sanders estimated the state would save at least 13 percent when Medicaid patients use this pharmacy program.

“This community pharmacy is a major step toward assuring Vermonters have access to the affordable prescription drugs they need,” said Welch. “This program saves money – up to 50-60 percent of retail. And it will save Vermont money with Medicaid. The Vermont taxpayer is going to benefit.”

The location for the Community Health Pharmacy, at 158 Brentwood Dr., adjacent to Furniture World of Vermont, was chosen because it was central to the FQHCs, said Mark Contois, operations manager for the pharmacy. “This is as far noth as we wanted to go. We wanted to be close to a post office and close to the interstate. And it was a new space, with no deconstruction costs, so it was cost-effective,” explained Contois.

The facility has been open since Nov. 1, has six employees, and it is envisioned that it will eventually fill 55,000 prescriptions each year.

Filling a prescription is most frequently accomplished by mail, and patients are required to fill out a one-page information questionnaire, as they normally would when switching a prescription to a new pharmacy. Most prescriptions are filled the same day, and are received throughout Vermont the next day via U.S. mail.

Patients can also have prescriptions filled in person. For more information call 893-1120.

Wiemann Lamphere reprint:

2010-10-01T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is the reprint I designed for Wiemann Lamphere Architects. The original version was clearer, as it was created as a PDF, which is incompatible with Blogger software. The text of the article, which I wrote, can be found under writing samples.

A future for raw milk?

2010-10-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

A future for raw milk?

Bill would lift limits, establish oversight

By WENDY HATOUM
The Essex Reporter (April 30, 2009)

Dairy farmer Adam Wilson begins each morning milking his cows by hand. The New Jersey native owns Essex Creamery, likely one of the smallest dairy farms in the state of Vermont. Located in the rear lower barn at Chapin Orchard, off Chapin Road in Essex, it has four heifers, only two of which are currently being milked, currently producing just six gallons a day. Wilson, who leases the pasture and the barn, can afford to operate on such a small scale because he sells raw milk directly to his customers, for a premium price – $10 a gallon.

“It allows me to take really good care of the animals,” said Wilson of the price he charges, noting that organic milk in the store often costs $8-$8.50 per gallon. Though not certified organic, the herd is mainly grass fed and managed organically. “The cost and scale would be prohibitive for a farm of this size,” said Wilson, but he said he sees organic certification as an important symbol for larger farms with greater distance from their customers.

Though Wilson would like to expand his production, current state regulations limit sales of milk directly from dairy farms to only 50 quarts a day. There is legislation before the Vermont House agriculture committee that could change this. House bill H.125, which has a number of sponsors, including Essex Rep. Debbie Evans and Westford/Essex Rep. Martha Heath, would expand the measure of milk that could be sold by dairy farmers directly to consumers to unlimited amounts. It would also establish an oversight board and certification process.

“The farmers are wanting this oversight process. They want to show they are using good practices and meeting criteria for animal health and cleanliness,” said Wilson. “Two of the most revolutionary things about this bill are it allows me to sell directly to customers and to set my own price. It is huge for the continuation of the dairy industry.”

Wilson came to the area to attend school in Dartmouth and worked on a small farm in Norwich. “I just fell in love with having fresh milk, cheese, cream cheese, butter, buttermilk and yogurt,” he said.

Wilson said many people prefer raw milk to pasteurized for both health and taste reasons. “Raw milk contains the enzyme lactase which aids in the digestion of lactose and is destroyed by pasteurization. The taste they find is so different, and so good,” said Wilson. “The milk Omega 3 to Omega 6 (fatty acid) ratio is more optimal when cows are grass fed. It’s the same reason people are taking fish oil.”

It should be noted that the Vermont state health department recommends against drinking raw milk, and warns in a press release on its web site that raw milk potentially contains a wide variety of harmful bacteria – including salmonella, E. coli, listeria, campylobacter and brucella.

“Illnesses caused by pathogens found in raw milk can be especially severe for pregnant women, the elderly, infants, young children and people with weakened immune systems,” reads the news release, the full text of which can be found at: http://healthvermont.gov/news/2007/030707milk.aspx.

“People drank raw milk for thousands of years and did pretty well. From healthy cows it is a pretty safe product,” countered Wilson, who added that he periodically has his milk tested for bacteria. “I feel confident in it or I wouldn’t be selling it. My customers feel confident in the quality. I estimate there might be 10,000 people in the dairy industry (in Vermont) consuming it every day. It is an extremely small number of people who become ill.”

Wilson currently has 24 households who purchase shares from him, (typically between one and three gallons) stopping in once a week. Customers bring in their empty containers, switching them for freshly sterilized stainless steel containers full of milk.

Wilson milks his Jerseys only once a day, explaining that they produce less total milk, but it is higher in solids. “I once had it tested. It came in at 7.9 percent butterfat and 4½ percent protein, double whole milk in the grocery store,” said Wilson, describing the butter made from Jersey milk as bright golden yellow, unlike anything one would find in the grocery store.

On Sunday, May 3, from 1 - 4 p.m. Wilson will be offering a class through Rural Vermont, on using raw milk to make butter, yogurt and cream cheese. Though the class is already full and has a waiting list, Wilson hopes to offer another class if there is interest. Call Rural Vermont at (802) 223-7222 for more information.

Milk from Essex Creamery can be purchased by calling Adam Wilson at 922-2808.

Photo top right: Adam Wilson strolls among the heifers he milks at Essex Creamery. Photo left: Likely one of the smallest dairy farms in the state of Vermont, the creamery is located at Chapin Orchard, off Chapin Road in Essex. Photos by WENDY HATOUM

Lessons from Grief

2010-10-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Beth and Tom Tailer lost their daughter Kate (pictured below) to a drug overdose a year ago in December 2007. Instead of hanging a stocking from their hearth for Kate this year, as they did for their three surviving daughters, they hung a wooden angel.

PHOTO BY WENDY HATOUM

Lessons from grief
Family reaches out after losing daughter to drug overdose

By WENDY HATOUM

The Essex Reporter (January 15, 2009)

Beth and Tom Tailer lost their daughter Kate to drug addiction just over one year ago. The vibrant 21-year- old overdosed accidentally on a prescription painkiller, and died in December 2007. In the face of this loss, the Tailers decided to share what they’ve learned during the last year with their community.

The Tailers are open with their lives and their emotions, and are very forthright in talking about Kate’s life, and their process of grieving her loss. Their approach through this period has been to embrace the emotion of the moment and experience it, rather than tuck it away to be dealt with later, or not at all. The circumstances surrounding Kate’s death have forced them to confront two taboos in our society – death and drug addiction.

Kate Tailer had a gift of communication with all things wild, her parents said. She once won a wager with a high-school teacher who doubted her when she said she could catch a bird with her bare hands. As a toddler she could catch two frogs at the same time and hold them in her hands. Kate was a gifted athlete, mastering soccer, track and pole vaulting.

She helped her father build an addition to their home, delighting in framing a 16- foot-high wall and pulling it up into position.

Despite her strengths she couldn’t beat her personal demon, addiction. Katelyn Sue Moosh-ka-koosh McGuinness Tailer died Dec. 18, 2007 in Windham, New York. She was partying with “friends” and overdosed from a combination of the prescription drugs and alcohol.

She left her parents and three sisters, among other family members, who continue to work through their grief, questioning, “Why did she have to die?” and “Why could she not win over the addictions?”

One of the most difficult parts of dealing with this experience for the Tailers was that some people simply preferred not to know. Their daughter’s death was communicated in some circles, and the couple was given support, specifically at Tom’s school, Mount Abraham High School in Bristol, where he works as a physics teacher.

Similarly at Beth’s workplace, Fletcher Allen Health Care, her peers were emotionally present and supportive. But in other areas of their lives, their loss either wasn’t communicated or news of it was not received well.

“I wish you hadn’t told me,” Beth recalls being told by the parent of one of her daughter’s classmates when she told her of Kate’s death.

In dealing with their loss, the Tailers have found that our society has very few rituals to cope with the death of a child, and death in general. So they’ve developed their own as they’ve gone along.

“There aren’t many cultural references for grief,” explained Tom, saying that some cultures have physical manifestations of loss. “You wear black, torn clothes or cut your hair to communicate your loss to society. We don’t have that kind of custom.”

“There are no rules. Everyone experiences their own grief in their own way,” said Beth. She explained that as a Native American, one of the first things she did was to cut her hair. “You cut your hair away because it held memories,” said Beth, explaining that the short hair also communicates to others that you are in the grief process.

Tom thought it important that he make his daughter’s casket. He and Beth along with some of Kate’s friends crafted one of pine with cherry handles and a bronze heart adorning it.

“We went back and forth, them (the funeral home) saying you can’t do this,” Tom recalled, but once they realized the family was serious about their wishes, the funeral director worked with them. “Let the funeral director know what you want,” advised Tom.

The couple has found support from the Burlington chapter of The Compassionate Friends, which offers grief work to those dealing with the loss of a child or sibling. It has helped them deal with the questions of “why?” and “what if?” “There are an infinite number of unanswerable questions that plague me in the night,” said Tom. “Once you realize you’re in that loop, you just have to let it go.”

When they learned of their daughter’s death, anger, in addition to grief, was their initial reaction. “She had the tools, she had the support, so why did she overdose?”

Tom said, referring to Kate’s successful completion of Second Nature, a rehabilitation program in southern Utah. Kate had graduated from high school and had planned to enroll in college at the time of her overdose. “She fought the addiction, but it was stronger than she was,” Beth said.

Kate’s cravings for a high started very early. As a child, her parents would find bowls lined with sugar crystals under her bed. They were the remnants of syrupy concoctions of sugar and water, which she would drink to get a sugar high.

According to her mother, Kate was strong willed, loved nature, and “was always her own person.”

They believe Kate started to take drugs, specifically Ecstasy, in eighth grade, as that is when they noticed a marked difference in her behavior. She gradually lost interest in sports, her grades suffered, and her friends changed.

“She was gifted, brilliant and intuitive,” Beth said. “But Kate was always outside the box.”

In 10th grade, Kate left Essex High School for a series of stays at rehab facilities in Vermont and New York. None of these was effective for her.

If anything they exposed her to other addicts and addictive behaviors, her parents said. It was the seven- week stay at the Second Nature program in Utah where she finally found the tools and inner strength to be clean. The program was expensive, but had a record of success.

Following high school graduation from a Virginia boarding school where she thrived, she returned to New England where she experienced a series of relapses. She knew she needed help and told her parents she needed a new start.

She moved to the Catskills and lived there only a few months before she died.

Once her addiction took hold, Kate became a person neither parent recognized. She lied, stole, and despite a parole- required curfew, snuck out of the house – all in the service of the addiction’s cravings.

“Kate fought the addiction, but it was stronger than she was. She was hard to love, so we had to love her harder. I miss Kate, but I do not miss her addiction,” Beth said. “In her last year, almost all we saw was the addict.”

The family struggled to balance helping Kate without enabling her, and employed “tough love” principles. Her parents still second-guess their choice to bail her out of jail in June of 2007. Kate was pulled over by police as she was driving the wrong way down a one-way street. Police found her to have a series of outstanding legal issues.

Her parents had already started to work with her to start her life over again, as Kate had acknowledged she had a problem. She was bailed out and was starting to address her issues in New York. At the time of her overdose, she was working two jobs, communicating more with her family and said, “I love you,” the last time she spoke to her parents.

“You have the illusion that you can go back to that place,” said Tom. “But ultimately we make our choices based on the knowledge we have at the time.”

Both of the Tailers conclude that the war on drugs has not been effective, and the criminal justice system’s approach to dealing with addiction is not working.

“Our family lost the war on drugs,” Tom said. They worry about the drugs that are currently taking hold in Vermont communities, specifically increased use of heroin, crystal meth and oxycontin.

“Our culture is in denial,” Tom said, noting that they know of parents who lost a child to a drug overdose and never told their surviving children the cause of death.

Both Beth and Tom Tailer have seen the effects of addiction, not just from their personal experience, but from their work as well. Tom can attest to the easy accessibility of drugs to high school students, saying that according to recent studies, in most Vermont high schools the majority of students know an adult pusher and have peers with access.

Beth, a nurse in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Fletcher Allen, has seen the effect of addicted mothers giving birth to babies. These infants then need to be weaned from their own drug dependence. “I see babies born addicted to opiates, or affected from cocaine use,” said Beth, adding the hospital is currently involved in a national study working to change the treatment of infant addiction.

Tom would like to see marijuana legalized, (not just decriminalized as Massachusetts has done), and heavily taxed. “Currently hundreds of millions of dollars are going into organized crime,” he said. “The profits are an incentive to pushers to get kids addicted.”

The Tailers would like to see those tax dollars used to fund treatment. “There are rehabilitation programs that are successful…but they are very expensive and take time,” Tom said. “My understanding is that the programs for addicts in Vermont are not enough. Some drug addictions take months or years of counseling and treatment to overcome.”

The Tailers advocate that the drinking age remain at 21. They cite the “Rule of Fives,” explaining that the younger someone starts experimenting with drugs and alcohol, the more quickly they become addicted.

According to the rule, it takes five days to become addicted to a substance if you are in middle school, five months if you are in high school or college, and five years to become addicted, beyond the age of 25.

Community involvement and participation in group- organized sports are some of the tools that parents can use to keep their children from becoming involved in drugs.

“It’s a cliché, ‘it takes a village,’ but in Vermont we still have villages,” said Tom. “Facilitating community is the easy part, but we need funded intervention – that’s the harder part. We need state-funded programs like Second Nature here in Vermont.”

The Tailers know that Kate’s death has made an impact on her friends, three of whom have been clean and sober since her death. The family hopes that by sharing her story, the impact will go beyond those who knew Kate personally, and will ripple through the community.

“Our children cannot afford our silence around these issues,” Tom said.

This is a follow-up story to an article Joyce Carroll wrote for the Jan. 24, 2008 issue of The Essex Reporter.

Essex Reporter Front Page March 30, 2010

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Holiday Gift Guide 2008 - Colchester Sun

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Holiday Gift Guide Cover 2008 - Essex Reporter

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Martial Way celebrates 20 years

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Martial Way celebrates 20 years

By WENDY HATOUM
The Colchester Sun (February 12, 2009)

David Quinlan, known as Sensei Quinlan to his students, believes the study of martial arts gives kids much more than self-defense strategies, building skills they can use throughout their lives.

“For kids, it’s about the bigger picture, life skills rather than just the punch and kick,” said Quinlan.

When asked what values the study of martial arts can impart to his students, Quinlan had a long list: work ethic, perseverance, patience, respect, self-control, and the habit of a healthy lifestyle. Quinlan said students learn “discipline as a healthy quality – used toward building self esteem and self confidence, the ability to follow directions and complete a step by step process.”

Owner and head instructor of Martial Way Self-Defense Center in Colchester and St. Albans, Quinlan has 31 years in training in the martial arts. His business has been located in Colchester since he opened his doors in September 1988. Three years ago, he opened another center in St. Albans, managed by Kevin

and Karen Greeley, a husband and wife team.

Quinlan credits a childhood baseball coach as being one of the most influential people in his life.

“He gave me the understanding that I could succeed if I focused on something and stuck with it,” said Quinlan.

The school has between 125 and150 students throughout the year, and offers over 50 classes per week in Colchester for children and adults. For children, classes are divided according to age groups, including those as young as 3 years old. For ages 7-13 years, classes are divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Students who achieve a green belt and are at least 9 years old can join the junior leader program, where they become peer leaders for younger classes.

Adult classes are offered for beginners and advanced levels.

“Adults come here for two main things: fitness and self defense,” said Quinlan, explaining that he has a variety of students, from housewives who come to get in shape, to law enforcement personnel, who do itfor the self defense. He has also seen interest growing in the young adult market for mixed martial arts and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

The Martial Way website states very clearly, “We do not guarantee everyone a black belt.” When asked about this, Quinlan said that they don’t make that guarantee because of the commitment it takes.

Each school has its own set of requirements. “To earn a black belt at Martial Way, one first has to be in excellent physical condition and have a high level of technical skill,” explained Quinlan. “I’ve had dozens of people come in with a black belt, but they’re unsure whether they deserve it.”

The black belt at Martial Way will go to only a highly committed person.

On average the person has to be at the martial arts center twice a week. Quinlan estimates that of his students he has only 20 percent who make that time commitment of attending 100 classes per year.

“They want a real test. They want it to be tough,” explained Quinlan. The black belt takes at least four years, with supplemental training. “They have to work outside of what they do here. It’s more than just a hobby.” The black belt training culminates in a three-day summer camp held once a year, in summer.

“It’s still subjective,” said Quinlan. “There’s a certain amount of ego involved. I joke, ‘your job (as a black belt) is to make me look good.’ ”

Martial Way also offers Thinksafe, a self-defense program with a shorter time commitment, for men, women and children.

In addition, one-week camps for children are offered over February and April vacations, as well as throughout the summer. Camps cost $150 per week, with a maximum of 12 campers. Quinlan thinks the camps are an excellent way for a child to be introduced to Kempo karate. “By the end of the week the kids usually have a really good handle on it,” said Quinlan.

Quinlan enjoys watching his students progress over the years.

“The nicest thing about this for me, is I’ve had the opportunity of watching my students growing up, and it’s amazing,” said Quinlan, who explained that for most coaches kids move on after a year or two. “I now have kids of kids coming here,” said Quinlan, of a student who began with Martial Way in 1988, and is now a black belt and has a son studying martial arts at the center.

Quinlan lives in Milton, with his wife Kelly Rybicki, a chiropractor,his son, Liam, age 10, and daughter, Evi, 2½.

For more information about Martial Way, you can visit the website at: http://www.vtmartialarts. com/. Call 893-8893 in Colchester for more information. Martial Way is located at 25 Raymond Road in Colchester and in the Collins-Perley Sports Complex in St. Albans. For more information about the St. Albans center, call 527- 5141.

PHOTO CAPTION: A class for 8- to 10-year-olds is led by instructor Karl Ennis, who has studied at Martial Way since the age of 6.

CHS students invited to explore technical programs

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By WENDY HATOUM
The Colchester Sun (February 5, 2009)

Though the Colchester School Board recently decided to end its school choice agreement with the town of

Essex, Colchester High School students still have the option of pursuing a technical education at both the Center for Technology, Essex and the Burlington Technical Center at Burlington High School.

While many of the two centers’ technical programs overlap, such as professional foods, construction, automotive and child care programs, some are unique to each school. These include CTE’s dental assisting training and Burlington Tech’s aviation maintenance program and its criminal justice program, which was introduced in 2007.

The FAA-approved aviation program, offers students 492 hours of training, which count toward FAA certification (with a 1,900-hour total requirement). After completing their high school training, students can go on to a post secondary program at the airport to complete an air frame and power plant technician certification, also offered by Burlington Tech, according to director Mark Aliquo.

Burlington Tech’s criminal justice program is headed by Colchester resident Dave Scibek, a 20-year veteran of the Burlington Police Department and chief of the Malletts Bay Fire Department. The program has expanded from one year to two, and offers beginning training in law enforcement. “It’s a rigorous program, with many of these students going on to college,” said Aliquo. Sandy Simonds, guidance coordinator of Burlington Tech visited Colchester High School this week, letting students know of the school’s offerings. Those students with a strong interest in the programs can investigate them further through a visit to Burlington Tech.

“We have high school students ride the bus in with the tech students, and select two programs of interest,” Aliquo said.

Students spend about two hours learning more about the programs of interest. Colchester students’ next scheduled visit is Feb. 11 and 12.

Those interested in learning more about the Center for Technology, Essex can attend its open house Saturday, Feb. 7, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. High school students and adult learners can talk with CTE staff, students, area employers, Vermont State Assistance Corp. (VSAC) advisors and college representatives, and take a tour of the 15 programs offered at the Technical Center. In addition to its more well- known offerings, CTE has programs in the arts, computers and medical technology, including health informatics, training in dental and opthamalic assisting, as well as graphic design with digital publishing, web design and computer animation.

According to Karen Archer, adult services coordinator for CTE, the program is not just limited to high school students. “Adults with a GED or without a high school diploma can enroll as a high school student, and receive credit through their sending program,” Archer said. “Adults with a high school diploma can attend on a space-available basis.”

The school serves students primarily in the Chittenden County area, but students can come from other areas if a program isn’t offered in their region.

“Dental assisting is available to anyone in the state,” said Archer, explaining that CTE is the only technical center that offers the program to high school students in Vermont.

Students at both Burlington Tech and CTE receive technical training and hands-on work experience, and can also earn college credit during their high school studies. CTE’s Shannon Edmonds, a senior from South Burlington, has already worked in web support at the University of Vermont in the course of her studies.

This semester she hopes to develop web password technology for a local private school’s web site.

Edmonds has developed a computer portfolio she can use for applying to colleges, as well as a two dimensional portfolio from a course she took in design at Community College of Vermont as part of her studies at CTE.

CTE also offers training specifically geared to adults in its SkillTech program. Courses include offerings in CAD, small engine prep certification, machine tool technology, refrigeration and electrician preparation, among others. Many of these courses prepare enrollees for specific professional certifications.

In the 2007-08 school year, Colchester High School sent 51 students to the technical program in Essex; 31 Colchester students are attending Burlington Technical Center and 56 are at Essex in the 2008/2009 school year. If you would like to learn more about CTE’s offerings, you can call the school at 879-5558 or visit its website at www.gocte.org. The Center for Technology, Essex is located at 3 Educational Drive in Essex Junction, next to Essex High School.

You can get more information about Burlington Technical Center by calling 864-8431, or on the web at burlingtontech.org.

CAPTION: Kyle Goodrich, a senior in CTE’s automotive program, explains how current travels through the circuit board he designed in class. PHOTO BY WENDY HATOUM

Logo mock-up for Bike Recycle Vermont:

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Ad mock-up for Smugglers Notch

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Ad for Good News Garage

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Web page mock-up/logo design:

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Here I created a logo and two mock web pages for a local non-profit organization for a design course I was taking. I chose the Vermont Haiti Project.

Home page:

Secondary Page:

Logo:

Photography:

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Photo copyright Wendy Hatoum

Published photo:

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Photo copyright Wendy Hatoum

Published photo:

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Photo copyright Wendy Hatoum

New year, new focus...

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The plan for 2010: immerse myself in creativity. I'll be focussing more on art and design in the coming year. Watch for works in progress and an expansion of my portfolio.