Rutland Daily Herald from Rutland, Vermont • 5

Vermont Report MAY 20, 1990 The Sunday Rutland Herald, Pages Rainbow IN THIS STATE To Newhart Don Political Alliance Meets Let The Door Hit To Organize Supercoalition You As You Leave By JULIE K. HALL Staff Writer MONTPELIER Members of the Progressive Coalition and Burlingtons Rainbow Coalition convened Saturday to give birth to a supercoalition that could send a ripple through Vermont politics and, potentially, across the country. About 125 people from across the state convened at Montpelier High School to create an umbrella organization intended to promote what they consider to be progressive changes through the electoral process. For now, both the Progressive and Rainbow coalitions will retain autonomous identities, said Jane Knodell, a Progressive Party member. However, down the road the two groups might merge and form a new progressive party in Vermont, Knodell and other members said.

After almost six hours of meeting to discuss the partys platform, bylaws and hints for running successful campaigns, Ellen David Friedman, who led the meeting, announced, We have adopted the bylaws and amendments to bring this organization into existence. Its been a long time coming, said one person as she cheered from the audience. Congressional candidate Bernard Sanders said in a closing speech that the convention was a tremendous success and that Vermonters could ultimately lead the nation in forming independent, third-party politics. The loquacious Sanders said criminals in the savings and loan industry, social and economic inequities, gross poverty in third world countries, an environmental crisis, and the alienation of ordinary people who are not represented by current parties all point to the need for a new, progressive political movement in Vermont, and nationwide. The Progressive Vermont Alliance will endorse only independent candidates not those affiliated Photo by Judo K.

Hall Members of the Progressive and Rainbow coalitions take a vote during a joint yesterday in Montpelier. By TOM SLAYTON Vermont leaves prime time this week with a soft but audible sigh of relief. The CBS sitcom, Newhart, which used an inn supposedly located in Vermont as its setting and the wacky wit of comedian Newhart as its staple diet, will air its final episode Monday. An inability to agree on financial terms for a ninth season brought the show to a halt. Though Vermonters were initially flattered that their state had been chosen as the location for a national sitcom, and though many found the show entertaining, there is no widespread grieving in the Green Mountains over the end of Newhart, because the show never attempted a realistic por- trait of Vermont.

Jfl I guess theres not too much of a reaction here, said Sandra Wimette, manager of the Way-Sffm bury Inn, the inn pictured in the opening momenta of each show. Newhart she said the Waybury had gained some notoriety, but little business from its national television exposure. Most of the East Middlebury Inns business comes by word of mouth, by repeat business, and from local people, Wimette said. She mentioned one probable reason Vermonters never took the show to heart: The sad thing is that every Vermonter on the show was portrayed as being stupid or maybe I should say simple. Im not a Vermonter, but I take a little offense at that, she said.

Several other people interviewed mentioned that fact and their irritation at it. Most said they liked Bob Newharts humor and gentle persona but found his shows characterization of Vermonters demeaning. Handyman George Utley (Tom Poston) and the triumvirate of Larry, Larrys brother Darryl, and his other brother Darryl (William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad) made native Vermonters out to be simpletons who had trouble counting to 20 with their shoes on. In fact, the Darryls have visited Vermont, done fund raising for good causes, and are by all accounts, hice fellows. Newharts humor, especially in the earlier Bob Newhart Show in which he played a Chicago psychiatrist was intelligent and often hilarious.

But his basic comedic routine is to portray a sane man's reactions to an insane world, and when the insane world being used as a sounding board happens to be one's own neighborhood, it can seem offensive. able housing, and vigorous protection of the environment. The Burlington-based Progressive Coalition came to prominence in 1981 when Sanders, now running for Congress against Democrat Dolores Sandoval and incumbent Peter Smith was elected as mayor of Burlington. The organization has commanded the city's mny-See Page 6: Coalition with either the Vermont Democratic or Republican parties. By the close of Saturdays convention, nearly 20 people from around the state said they would consider running as independents in upcoming elections.

They will likely run on the newly adopted party platform, which includes an appeal for a progressive tax system that is based on a persons ability to pay, health insurance for uninsured Vermonters, afford Satanism Conference Warns About Teenage Devil Worship Leahy Calls For New Foreign Aid Outlook In Wake Of Changes Most of the people I talked to were either outraged at the way Vermonters were portrayed or else said So what now maybe so many of them won't want to come up here, if they think that's the way we Anneke Edson, Montpelier mote American interests abroad: Aid must reflect American vsl ues. Countries no longer should be supported simply because they are anti -communist, he said. American foreign aid must be based on a countrys respect for hu man rights and its progress in the establishment of democratic institutions," Leahy said. I will stick to these principles even if the admin istration sticks to its guns, on mill tary aid to El Salvador and Guatemala." Foreign aid must be shifted from military assistance to economic development and human itarian programs. Sixty cents of ev ery dollar in U.S.

foreign aid goes to "security assistance money spent on foreign armies and their bureaucracies, Leahy said. But a fraction of military aid could help alleviate problems of pverpopula-tion, disease, environmental degra dation and poverty, he For example, just 5 percent of military aid $250 million could finance an expanded rain forest preservation program Ten per cent of the military aid budget or $500 million would double economic assistance to Africa. With only 1 percent of the military aid package $50 million the U.S. could moro than double the money See Page 6: Ieahy Staff Report ROYALTON The United States' $16 billion foreign aid program must be overhauled to reflect the dramatic changes taking place in Eastern Europe and elsewhere, Sen. Patrick Leahy, said Saturday.

In a speech prepared for delivery at Vermont Law School's commencement Saturday, Leahy who chairs the Senate Foreign Operations subcommittee called for cutbacks in military aid and increases in assistance to countries emerging from decades of communist rule. President George Bushs proposed foreign aid budget reflects an out-dated Cold War mindset, Leahy said. Of the $15 billion foreign aid request, the administration wants more than $6 billion for direct military aid, a $300 million-plus increase over last year. It is as if Vaclav Havel is still in a Czech prison and Lech Walesa still under house arrest in Gdansk. Yet the administration insists on increasing levels of military aid in the world that doesn't look anything like it did a year ago," he said.

Leahy, whose committee oversees the foreign aid bill, said he will push for four elements in the aid package that he said would pro Photo by Monk Alton By MONICA ALLEN Sunday 9taff Writer NEW HAVEN Parents and children gathered in a small fundamentalist church this weekend, sat on folding metal chairs, and listed to a Florida college professor prepare them for what he called a spiritual battle against Satan. If we're going to be successful in this spiritual battle, we must understand more about Satan," said Brent Hunter, a professor of communications and Bible studies at Florida College, a Christian school in Tampa. I think we tend to ignore Satan, and 1 think that pleases him quite well." Members of the Addison County Church of Christ invited Hunter to give a three-day conference on satanism because they were concerned about satanism among teenagers. There is no evidence that such a religious belief in the devil is growing among young people in Vermont. However, there was an incident in this rural community two yearn ago that police believe had satanic overtones.

A teenaged girl shot herself to death and her boyfriend attempted to kill himself at her side. Police said the girl left a note that spoke of satanic beliefs. More than 50 people attended the first two-hour session of the conference Hunter, 36, spoke from a podium, used overhead projections, handouts nnd hard rock albums to demonstrate his points. Hunter said there wore three types of sat-anista the self-styled Botanist who worships the devil alone, religious satonists who belong to the Church of Satin or the Temple of Set and loosely organized satanic cults that may engage in child or animal molestation. Religious people, law enforcement officials nnd educators in Vermont agree that salani-sm is attractive to some young people However, they disagree on the best approach to satanism.

Hunter advises vigilant attention to signs, symbols and music. However, at least one educator in Addison County who works with teens advises parents and teachers to avoid hysteria and listen to youths in a noqjudgmentnl way. Police said there was a fine line between getting good information about satanism nnd dan- Brent Hunter, a Bible studies professor from Florida, holds up a copy of the album "Hotel California by The Eagles during a conference on satunism. Hunter believes the album contains sutanic lyrics. geroun hysteria.

Hunter handed out sheets of paper with diagrams of Satanic signs nnd symbols nnd pointed out rock groups including U-d Zeppelin, Venom nnd Twisted Sister, that he believes sing satanic verses. State Police Lt Dean George, commander of the Middlebury barracks, said he was pleased that people were trying to learn about satanism. The law enforcement community has just begun to open its eyes. Throughout the nation, we're seeing a lot of crime activity is directly related to snt-nnism." State Police Sgt. Uvallee, who has been giving talks to teachers nnd counselors Sec Page 6: Conference UVM Presents Award To Newest Graduates Probably the skewed version of Vermont that Newhart projected came from city-bound script writers, who commonly think of rural people as ignorant and illiterate because they live in the country, not the city.

But Vermont has never been the land of the crude, and in fact has traditions and a cultural heritage that are rich and subtle. Writer Noel Perrin, who once critiqued the show for a national magazine, recalled that Newhart did have some saving graces. Perrin felt that almost every concrete detail of the show that supposedly portrayed Vermont was wrong Larrys accent as a hick Vermonter, for example, waa southern Appalachian, not at all like the clipped dialects of the Green Mountains. Still, on a deeper level, it did have some truth, Perrin said. The small town feeling that you get here was well expressed in the show, and tho feeling that one person could make a difference in things.

Perrin said a farmer neighbor of his loved the show and watched it often. He said, All right, I admit they portray ua ns hicks but heck, we are hicks. And usually by the end of the show, the country people have shown a little tiny shred of sense, which is more than the city people have shown. Anneke Edson of Montpelier said she liked the earlier Bob Newhart Show better, and disliked the way Vermont was portrayed in Newhart Like Perrin, she said she found that response to the current show varied. Most of the people I talked to were either outraged at the way Vermonters wero portrayed or else said So what now maybe so many of them wont want to come up here, if they think thats the way we are.

Of course. Vermont is no stranger to Hollywood. Movies and plays have been made about the state since the days of early film star Lillian Gish, and in recent years, the Vermont Travel Division has attracted movie-makers here because of the significant amount of business they bring with them. And Hollywood is notorious for ignoring the facts associated with the places it portrays. Shortly after the show started, Paul Villar, a Norwich bartender, told a reporter: If anyone experts it to be realistic then theyre foolish Nothing in Hollywood is accurate Nevertheless.

I know Im not alone when I hope that Bob Newharts next show is located someplace other than Vermont preferably someplace urban and far away. (Tom Slayton it editor of Vermont Life maga-tine. He livet in Montpelier.) Gypsy Moth Spraying To Begin is the second recipient of the Keith M. Miser Leadership Award, established to recognize outstanding ser vice to the university. Outstanding student loader awards went to: Andrea Beaulieu of Westport, Jessica Greer of Rye, N.Y.; Ray Steen of 8t.

Johns-bury; William B.F. Steinman of Waitafield; Matthew Glass of Pat-choque, N.Y.; and Brenda Stoll White of Williston. Stephen R. Graubard, the com mencement speaker, told graduates that a world that has been frozen for decades is melting. I think that we today, in this country, are witnessing abroad the most cosmic events that have occurred In the world since 1945...," said Graubard, editor of the scholarly magazine Daedalus and a Brown University history lecturer The decade ahead will be foil of surprises, and not all of them are likely to be pleasant," he said.

Graubard urged graduates not to be mere tourists, but to discover the variety in the world, and to try to understand people who dress dif forently and whose values differ Staff Report BURLINGTON Three Vermonters and a student from New York City received prestigious senior awards at the University of Vermont graduation Saturday. The state's largest university also awarded 2,627 degrees at an outdoor ceremony held under chilly, gray skies. Julia W. Carlson of 8towe received the Mary Jeon Simpson Award, given to a senior woman for leadership, academic competence and character. Carlson, a French mqjor, was part of a group of UVM students organized to improve relations between the university and the legislature.

Robert Franklin Cioffi of St. Albans received the Kidder Medal, awarded to a senior man ranking first in character, leadership and scholarship. Cioffi, a political science major, served on the UVM Board of Trustees for two years Robert Rosen of New York City received the Class of 1967 Award for academic competence and character. Donna Izor of Essex Junction per hour, the plane will send out a mist of containing Bacillus thuringicnsis kurxtaki, also known a Foray 4HB H. Brenton Tillon, the forestry section chief of the state Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, said About two quart of soda on a football field gives you an idea of the amount of material going on." The day when spraying begins dppend on how quickly the young caterpillar grow in the next few days, Tillon said.

They need to be large enough to eat enough of the bacteria, and small enough so the disease kills them, he said People with a history of allergies or asthma are being advised not to breathe the fine mist. Tillon said But even if people breathe some of the mist, there are no toxic chemicals, he said The problem with breathing the stuff is like that of breathing dust from a car going along a dirt road, Tillon said. Tire bacteria affect only moth nnd butterfly caterpillars, and are harmless to other animals, including Bee Page 6. Moth By ED BARNA Correspondent When Colchester Town Manager David Timmons trios to describe what last year's gypsy moth caterpillar infestation was like, he asks if people remember the Star Trek story In which little creatures suddenly came crawling out of everywhere Its like a plague of sorts," Timmons said Veterans of other peaks in the gypsy moth cycle have told stories of car paint ruined by droppings, children afraid to go outside, mass migration by horde of crawling wrigglers, and of course the defoliation and sometime death of prized shade trees But this year, things will be different for about 5,000 heavily infested acres in Colchester, Burlington, South Burlington. Shelburne.

and Essex. Probably today or Monday, by the dawns early light, a Duflow Spray Chemicals crop dusting plane will take off from Ixjwvillc, Y. loaded with a solution containing the bacteria that cause a caterpillar disease. Flying at about treetop level at 160 mile.