The Vermont Select Board Un-Candidate #5

Brattleboro, 4/18/17
     Today, I attended a meeting at the River Garden about Advanced Directives (ADs) for people under 35. The presenter, Hannah Thurber, had two friends under 45 who had strokes. Fortunately, they weren't fatal ones. With downhill skiing, mountain bike riding, and motorcycles so popular in Vermont, young people should be aware that they could be badly injured and decide if they want heroic measures if they are going to be grossly impaired the rest of their lives.
     She stressed that ADs are "a continuous conversation" with your agent. There are many issues and nuances once you begin to scratch the surface. Hannah said some people complete the application and get two people to witness the signing in one day, but that is a rarity. Once you have completed the application, Vermont ( you, the people) pays the fee for your AD to be on the national registry so it follows you in the other states.
     I asked if Ads interfaced with suicide services, and Hannah couldn't recall an instance. She did distribute a brochure from that service, Compassion With Choices. That avenue appears to be difficult according to one participant who said it required some sort of approval by three doctors.
    I also ask for any more possible details about the legal force of an AD and the agent, specifically, suits. Hannah had recently read of suits and at least one settlement on a hospital that did not honor an AD. So the AD has established teeth.
     After the meeting I talked with a woman who had moved here after thirty years in Florida. She had worked the night shift on the island next to Sanibel Island and had seen bobcats and alligators crossing the road on Sanibel. One morning, going home from work, she saw a solid black panther crossing the road in front of her about twenty yards away. She said, "My heart stopped."
     On the way here to the library to blog this, I passed a friend and her new lab from the rescue people. She said the Fishes and Loaves had their biggest crowd today, and it wasn't even close to the end of the month. People are reporting that they are losing their food stamps. Why, she didn't know. If anyone does, I'd like to know what's going on.
     I plan to attend the Select Board tonight. If you're watching on a screen, I'll hold up one finger if I'm having some uncomfortability and two fingers if I'm fighting panic. I'm interested in seeing the seating for the selectmen, as how conspicuous it is, how close to a door, that sort of hiding, escape thing. Boo-Rah! Let's do this!
     If you have any comments or want to discuss something, please contact me. I will also be at my open door "office" at McDonald's at 9:05 Monday thru Thursday and at 8:05 Friday evenings. I'll be at the Select Board tonight.
 Peter Nickerson peternickerson12@yahoo.com or 352-359-0850
"FREEDOM, REASON, AND EVIDENCE!