Rutland Daily Herald from Rutland, Vermont • 11

RUTLAND DAILY HERALD, TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 28, 1989 11 State Sanders Praises Advances Made by Castros Cuba Students Spearhead Bid To Abolish All Smoking wonder how Americans can call themselves free when millions of people sleep out in the streets and millions more are hungry. I think theres some truth to that point of view, he said, noting that an American woman is not free when she has to worry about how she will pay for medical bills when her child is sick. The question, Sanders said, is how to integrate intellectual and economic freedom. The question is how you bring both economic and political freedom together in one society," Sanders said. Sanders didn't have an answer to that question.

But in defense of the strong hold of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, Sanders noted that when Salvador Allende, former president of Chile, pushed for greater democratic freedoms he was overthrown (in 1973) with help from the CIA. Allende was murdered and replaced by military dictator Augusto Pinochet. Nonetheless, Sanders said Cuba's revolution was strong enough that greater democratization can begin to occur in that island country. He said he hoped Cuba would break down some of the rigidities in its political culture. By DEBBIE BOOKCHIN BURLINGTON Mayor Bernard Sanders said Monday that the tiny socialist country of Cuba is not a perfect society but has gone a long way toward providing economic security for all its inhabitants.

Sanders and his wife, Jane, returned Sunday from an eight-day visit to the Caribbean island where they met with the mayor of Havana and toured hospitals, schools and neighborhoods in the capital, city. The trip is the third one he has taken to a socialist country in his eight years as mayor. Previously he visited the Soviet Union and Nicaragua. Sanders steps down as mayor April 3, when his successor, Peter Clavelle, will be sworn in. At a press conference Monday Sanders lamented the fact that the United States does not allow its citizens to travel directly to Cuba except for research purposes.

I find it extremely disturbing that in a country which prides itself on its freedom that the people of the United States cannot simply get on a plane, go to-'Cuba and see whats going on," he said. He said that Cubans wanted to see improved relations with the United States cus possibility of a sister-city relationship with the mayor of Havana. Sanders made the trip for research purposes under the auspices of a New York-based foundation. Other Americans have traveled to Cuba via Canada or Mexico. He said he found that the revolution there is far deeper and more profound than I had understood it to be.

It goes beyond economic reforms, he said. It is a revolution of values in which people, instead of working for their own personal wealth, work for the common good. Sanders acknowledged that Cuba lacks intellectual freedoms such as freedom of expression. But he lauded the country's progress in bringing free health care to all its citizens, improving literacy and educational opportunities and providing housing so that no one is homeless dr hungry. He said that unlike the Soviet Union, Cuba has advanced computer technology and medical technology.

In a Third World region where thousands of peasants in most Latin countries are oppressed and starving, Cuba is a model of what a society could be, he said. He said that Cubans mosphere at MUHS could create aupervision problems if a ban is implemented. And there is no money in either the current or proposed budget for enforcement of smoking regulations. Fifield does not view this as a serious obstacle to a ban. It wouldnt take a lot of time if enough teacher participation is there," he said.

Murder 'is wrong, but it's practically very hard to enforce. We have to enforce it." Fifield said that while the antismoking campaign does relate to the values the school teaches, smoking is mainly a public health issue. Any ban should be accompanied by smoking cessa-' tion classes, both for students and teachers, he said. With hundreds of thousands of people dying each year from smoking-related diseases, and with American Cancer Society saying tobacco smokers are 15 times more likely to go on to marijuana and other drugs, Fifield is unimpressed with the argument that smokers have rights. Its like asking, Should Johnny jump off the bridge and kill himself? Fifield wrote in an editorial in the student newspaper.

He continued If the administration or anybody else can provide a reason why Johnny should jump, then Id love to hear their justification for smoking." the building. At Vergennes Union, all student smoking and all smoking inside the budding will be banned as of September 1, 1989, but the issue of employee smoking in outside areas has yet to be resolved. The petitioners have also noted the inconsistency in having a state law against furnishing anyone under the age of 17 with tobacco, yet allowing people under the age of 17 to smoke at the school. Junior high age students have, been caught using the smoking area, Fifield said. Fifield also indicated there are tensions between students who smoke and those who oppose the practice.

Some students are strongly opposed to the ban. There are reports of students getting smoke blown in their face and spat on and verbal attacks," Fifield said. Principal William Jesdale believes that any decision must be established through a democratic process. The issue will be the subject of a debate before a student assembly on April 10 and a student poll is scheduled April 11. Jesdale indicates his decision will be based on information obtained from those two events.

However, Fifield said that his group will take the matter directly to the school board if Jesdale compromises on a complete ban. The "open campus at- FM AL OFFER EXPIRES 4489 High Returns. A Safe, Solid and Guaranteed Certificate. Marble Bank Investment Certificates provide a high return that's guaranteed! By ED BARN A MIDDLEBURY A student anti-smoking campaign at Mid-dlebury Union High School has become a community issue, with students and adults signing petition calling for complete abolition of smoking at the School. Juniors Adam Fifield and Bruce Reedstrom, and sophomore Jeffrey Pannozzo, are leading the campaign.

On Sunday, Fifield said the petition for the abolition of smoking at MUHS" has already been signed by between 350 and 400 studenta, plus another 400 older community members. The petitions preamble states that it will be presented to the School Board, firmly requesting that this health hazard among students and faculty be abolished in all parts of the school." Senior high students are now allowed to smoke in an outdoor area between the library and one sing of the school structure. The petition notes that this area is lalso a school entrance, so that the 95 percent of the students do not smoke (by the petitioners estimate) suffer great from the presence of smokers who gather there. c- Teachers can smoke in a small room separate from the regular teachers room. The faculty Wednesday in favor of banning students smoking anywhere on schools grounds beginning with the next school year, and allowing employee smoking only in designated The faculty of the vocational school, which is on the same grounds, has decided to wait for nigh school principal William -''Jesdales decision before taking action.

school director James Morse said that while it is technically within state law to have separate policies for the two units, the vocational faculty realizes this would be very difficult in practice. Junior high principal George Kulhowvick said the faculty has voted for complete abolition of smoking. Junior high teacher Katherine Barwin said none of the seventh and eighth grade teachers smoke. Leaders of the smoking ban noted that a new state law provides that school boards without v-a smoking policy on July 1, are required to ban smoking until such a policy is established. Since MUHS does not have such a policy now, the school is technically in violation, they say.

However, Fifield said MUHS has been in contact with state officials on the issue, unlike others echools in a similar position around the state. The three high schools nearest to MUHS Vergennes Union, Mount Abraham Union, and Otter Valley Union have all adopted policies. At Otter Valley, senior high students and employees can smoke in outside smoking areas until July 1, when all smoking vyill be banned. At Mount Abraham Union, no student smoking is allowed, and employees must smoke outside Emory Hebard to Help ETV Board MIDDLEBURY Emory A. Hebard of Barton has been appointed to the Vermont ETV governing board by John C.

Candon, chairman of Board of Trustees of University of Ver- mont. Hebard was State Treasurer for the past 12 years and Ereviously served in the egislature for 14 years. He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Middlebury College. Hf is a real estate broker, a member of the board of directors of Orleans County Historical Society and Orleans County Fair. Hebard is former owner of general stores.

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