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Living story sections

False Hope and Deadly Consequences

by RDavis | Health

Just when it seemed that the validity of science was gaining credibility among the masses the story of Aducanumab (Aduhelm) shows that profit still rules. Aducanumab is a drug that claims to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug in June despite the fact that an advisory committee of experts outside of the FDA, as well as many Alzheimer’s specialists, said that that it was not clear if the drug provided benefit to patients. They noted that the drug presented a high level of risk because of serious side effects.

Last Shopping Day at Swap Shop

by rbrem | Home & Garden

The LAST SHOPPING DAY at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro will be on Saturday, November 20, 8:30 am to noon….then we’ll be closed until the spring.  ALL ITEMS ARE FREE.  Photos are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page.  Some available items are 2 drawer file cabinet, lamps, dresser, crib, high chair, small vacuum, sewing machines, Christmas tree stands, jumper cables,  jelly jars, chairs, kitchenware.

SCHEDULE & HOURS:(CLOSED FOR WINTER SEASON AFTER SHOPPING DAY ON NOVEMBER 20)
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month

Windham County Humane Society Thanks Harriet Ives

by cgrotke | Pets

You’ve seen the donation cans for the Windham County Humane Society around. The coffee cans near cash registers in town where you can toss a few coins to help local animals?  Harriet Ives, the keeper of the cans, has passed away at age 96.

Here’s the what WCHS had to say about her in their newsletter:

“Harriet Ives recently passed away, at 96 years old. She was a longtime WCHS supporter and friend to any animal in need and we already miss her.

As The Planet Dies All We Get Is Blah, Blah, Blah

by RDavis | Activism

This is the 26th year that world leaders have come together at the Conference of Parties (COP) organized by the United Nations. During those years the planet has been increasingly abused by humans and is now in danger of even more climate catastrophes than we have already experienced.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg has declared COP 26 a failure and she has made it clear that as the planet dies all we get are words of recognition that a crisis is taking place. What little action there has been to fix the planet has not been enough and world leaders have nothing to offer but empty promises of throwing money at the problem a few years from now.

Are Vermont’s Hospitals Capable of Big Changes?

by RDavis | Health

The Green Mountain Care Board, the entity that oversees and regulates Vermont’s health care system, commissioned a consultant’s report, “Green Mountain Care Board: VT Hospital Quality Review and Capacity Planning in Preparation for Value-Based Care October 27, 2021” to point the way for long-overdue systemic reform. Hospitals do not take kindly to being told what to do. They have become institutions that have been resistant to big change because of the power they wield in local communities. But pressure is mounting for real change. That is what this report points out.

We hear talk about the high cost of health care and about how something needs to be done. The only way this country is ever going to control health care costs is for there to be bold change and bold change in not something hospitals are good at. The consultant’s report calls for bold change.

November 6 Shopping Day at Swap Shop

by rbrem | Home & Garden

SHOPPING ONLY DAY at Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro on Saturday, November 6, 8:30 am to noon. ALL ITEMS ARE FREE.   Photos of some available items are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page.
Swap Shop will be open on Nov. 6 for shopping only, Nov. 13 for donating only and our last day before closing for the winter will be Nov. 20 for shopping only. Come get your Christmas decorations and stocking stuffers while we’re still open!

Don’t Forget The Flu!

by tomaidh | Health

Influenza (flu) is a contagious viral infection that can cause mild to severe symptoms and life-threatening complications, including death, even in healthy children and adults.

There was an epidemic of H1N1 Influenza that began in 1918 and petered out in about 1950. At the time, the spread of “The Flu” was blamed by many on the electrification of homes. Another H1N1 pandemic began from 1970 and is still with us today. A more severe flu variant, H3N2, has been running parallel. Electrification has nothing to do with any of it.

5th Saturday – Swap Shop Closed

by rbrem | Home & Garden

CLOSED! The Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro will be closed on Saturday, October 30 as it is the 5th Saturday of the month.
 
Swap Shop will be open on Nov. 6 for shopping only, Nov. 13 for donating only and our last day before closing for the winter will be Nov. 20 for shopping only.
 
SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month

The Pandemic Revealed and We Turned a Blind Eye

by RDavis | Activism

There seemed to finally be hope that the American health care non-system would finally be scrutinized in a new way. It became clear that as the pandemic unfolded our public health infrastructure was inadequate to meet even the most basic of needs. It also became clear that what we call health care in this country is really a reflection of the socioeconomic divide that is growing wider every day.

We learned that if you have money and live in a “good” neighborhood you have a better chance of staying healthy and avoiding the ravages of the pandemic. This comes as no surprise to anyone who has had their eyes open for the past few years.

Privatizing Medicare A New Threat Beyond Medicare Advantage

by RDavis | Health

Seniors are being bombarded with advertising for Medicare Advantage plans because the open enrollment period for Medicare is from October 15 to December 7. Insurance companies make piles of money if people switch from traditional Medicare to an Advantage plan.

The Advantage plans were created to move Medicare into the private marketplace and provide a financial windfall for the insurance companies.

They are good plans if you never get sick because the initial premiums are low and you get a few extra benefits not available in traditional Medicare.

But if you try to use the insurance in an Advantage plan you are subject to network restrictions and out of pocket expenses. It is not uncommon for a plan to have you pay $6000 out of pocket if you need care.

Shopping Day at Swap Shop

by rbrem | Home & Garden

Another SHOPPING ONLY DAY at Swap Shop at WSWMD on Old Ferry Road, Brattleboro on Saturday, October 16, 8:30 am to noon. ALL ITEMS ARE FREE. Many new donated items were added last Saturday.  Photos of some available items are posted on Facebook’s Brattleboro, Vermont group page.  Many Christmas decorations!

SCHEDULE & HOURS:
Shopping Days- 1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month
Donation Days- 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month