Bennington Banner from Bennington, Vermont • 3

Vs V-. BENNINGTON BANNER LOCALSTATE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1992 3 Douglas and Gropper fight for U.S. Senate seat NRA backs Wennberg in U.S. House race RUTLAND (AP) The National Rifle Association yesterday endorsed Rutland Mayor Jeffrey Wennberg in next weeks Republican primary for Vermonts U.S. House seat.

In a letter to Vermont NRA members, NRA Director of Federal Affairs David Gibbons said Wennberg had been awarded an rating by the national organization, As a voter in Vermont at-large congressional district, you have the opportunity to elect a fresh new voice for Vermonts sportsmen and sportswomen in Washington Jeff Wennberg," Gibbons said in a written statement. Wennberg said he was gratified by the endorsement. He faces Timothy Philbin of Wallingford in the Sept. 8 primary. But the president of the Sporting Alliance for Vermonts Environment expressed dismay at the NRAs "We are surprised and somewhat dismayed that the National Rifle Associations office in Washington has chosen to involve itself in Vermonts Republican congressional primary, said Doug Hoffman, president of S.A.V.E., also in a written statement.

"It was our understanding that the NRA intended to stay neutral in this race until after the primary, Hoffman said. "It is disturbing because Tim Philbin has been a staunch friend of sportsmen and gunowners, and has consistently taken strong stands against gun control. In a separate written statement, the state chairman of the American Pistol Rifle Association said, "Tim Philbins position on gun ownership is held in high esteem by the (association)." Added Chairman Charles Convard III, "Tim is a friend and avid, proven supporter of the second amendment." Jim Douglas SUSAN ALLEN THE ASSOCIATED PRLSS MONTPELIER The two Republicans hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy are campaigning against a congressional system they say is at best broken, at worst corrupt.

Secretary of State James Douglas and John Gropper, a Rochester businessman, believe members of Congress are out of step with the very people who send them to Washington, bowing instead to the special interest groups and political action committees that fuel their campaigns. The system in Washington is broken. The Congress is in gridlock, Douglas said recently. I believe change is long overdue." Gropper, in his announcement speech this summer, agreed. 1992 is the year in which the working, tax-paying people of Vermont can take back control of their state from the special interest groups who have crippled our economy and burdened us with excessive taxes," he said.

Oropper took to the streets and dirt roads of Vermont with his message, walking 500 miles over the summer to ask Vermonters for the chance to challenge Leahy, a Democrat. His chief complaint against Leahy, he said, is that the senator lacks the backbone to stand up against pork-barrel spending by Congress. Groppers criticism of Douglas: He has spent his entire working career in politics. I have been out- if 1 I John Qropper Douglas favors capping government spending, approving a graduated cut in the capital gains tax to stimulate investment, establishing enterprise zones to boost business in economically depressed areas, and allowing a line-item veto to cut pork-barrel spending from the appropriation bills. Douglas has also called for cuts in defense spending $80 billion over the next five years.

But Douglas warns against cutting too far or too deep, saying U.S. troops should remain well-armed. There lire, however, clear differences between the two Republicans. While they both support tax reform, Gropper favors a flat tax, and Douglas would push for a more progressive method. New York has record number of unsettled teacher contracts New York officials warn of increasing rabies epidemic DAVID BAUDER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ALBANY, N.Y.

A record number of local unions will send members back to school this fall with contracts still unsettled, according to a survey released yesterday by the states largest teachers union. Nearly 90,000 of the states 186,000 teachers will return to work without contracts, said New York State United Teachers. The union and the state School Boards Association, which also reported unprecedented labor strife at the beginning of the school year, blamed tight financial times for the trouble and each other. Money is the bottom line and the tightness thereof, said William Pape, spokesman for the school boards group. Of 830 bargaining units represented by NYSUT, 354 are working with expired contracts, according to the survey.

NYSUT represents mostly teachers, but also some bargaining units of bus drivers or clerical workers. There are slightly more than 700 school districts in the state, i The state Public Employment Relations Board said 91 school districts were at impasse with their teachers. Negotiations have stalled in these districts to the point that mediation, POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT fact-finding or other PERB help has been asked for. Thats the most since 1985 and far above the average of 68 districts at impasse over the last six years, said Richard Curreri, director of conciliation for PERB. The NYSUT survey also said that students returning to school next week will find larger classes, fewer course offerings, fewer guidance counselors and fewer remedial programs.

"These conditions are purely the -result of budget cuts imposed by districts caught in the squeeze be tween local property taxpayers wrath and shrinking state and federal support for education," said NYSUT President Thomas Hobart. The union complained that many school districts are trying to take advantage of the tough financial times by seeking givebacks in contract negotiations. Its such a difficult time financially that theyre trying to exploit the situation, said Linda Rosenblatt, union spokeswoman. Its blackmail. Its a very poisonous situation at the bargaining table." 1 But Pape said school boards are1 trying to save jobs.

He said many unions are more concerned about' salaries than in saving jobs. 1 The forecast for future labor relations is cloudy. POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT DENENE MILLNER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS GUILDERLAND, N.Y.' Its a viral disease more deadly than the HIV-virus, which causes AIDS, if left untreated. And it can be spread with just a simple touch. People get it.

Animals get it. And once it goes too far, theres no way to stop it. Its rabies. State health officials warned Wednesday that the number of rabies cases in New York has hit epidemic proportions. This year, 1,18 cases have been confirmed in animals surpassing the all-time high of 1,175 in 1946.

Officials predict the reports will increase to 1,640 by years end. The state is in the middle of its worst rabies outbreak ever, state Health Commissioner Dr. Mark Chassin said Wednesday during a news conference at the Health Departments rabies laboratory near Albany. We have surpassed previous by more serious symptoms including convulsions, respiratory problems, coma and finally, death. No one has died of rabies in New York since 1953 and there are only three known people who have survived advanced cases of the disease.

Treatment for the disease entails five series of shots. The disease can be prevented if the shots are administered before the rabies virus attacks the nervous system. Cost of treatment is covered by the counties, which are reimbursed, in part, by the state, Chassin said. Treatment can run as high as $1,000 per case, he said. House pets are the chief way rabies gets transmitted to humans, Chassin said.

About 80 percent of rabies-positive raccoons fought with domestic animals, and they spread the disease to their owners, he said. Quiet and unassuming animals, such as baby raccoons, also catch humans off-guard because they are cute, Chassin said. However, if they are alone and look sick or injured, theres a reason, he said. In Steuben County, a number of On farm subsidies, Gropper believes the price supports for farmers should be phased out, allowing farmers to compete in a fair market situation. Douglas said he does not favor ending supports any time soon.

Id like to see ultimately a system without subsidies," Douglas said. But not in the short term. Vermont farmers are in too dire straights." Douglas has also called for federal procurement policies that encourage recycling, a national bottle bill, and charging people to use federal recreation lands while earmarking those funds to improving or maintaining the areas. And Douglas favors reforming a federal program to promote farm products overseas requiring a means test to guarantee the money is spent on needier companies, rather than large agribusinesses, and directing some of that funding toward the dairy industry. On the environment, Gropper favors the increased use of hydropower, which he calls the cleanest and lowest-cost source of energy.

Douglas has served as Vermonts secretary of state for 12 years, after serving in the state House of Representatives during the 1970s. He lives in Middlebury. Gropper has held faculty positions at New York University and MIT. He founded Thunder Hill a consulting company specializing in automation and information systems, and is involved in several other Vermont operations. people were exposed when a young married couple picked up a raccoon, brought it to a bar, passed it around because it looked cute, brought it home, let it sleep with their children, Chassin said.

It took a few days before it got sick, then it bit both the parents and another relative before it died. Its important to emphasize that raccoons dont come out in the daytime," Chassin continued. "If it does, something is wrong with it. Animals acting aggressively or unusually friendly should be avoided." The rabies epidemic is expected to continue to grow over the next few years, according to Dr. John Debbie, state public health veterinarian.

However, officials hope to stem the growth within in three years with an experiment now being tested in Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Debbie said. That experiment, approved by the United States Department of Agriculture, allowed health officials to feed raccoons with rabies vaccine-laced bait, he said. The experiment is expected to come to New York, pending USDA approval, he said. a a Mass. SOFT CONTACTS Optica Daily Wear side where regular humans exist earning a living in the real world." But the two Republicans, who face off in Tuesdays primary, agree on some issues.

Both believe women should have the right to a legal abortion. They also agree Congress should cut the obvious pork-barrel from the budget, reduce defense spending, trim the size of state government, and impose a needs test on social programs including Social Security to control spending. Gropper most recently outlined his plan for trimming the deficit cutting federal employees pay, reducing the size of White House and congressional staff, and reducing defense spending by 25 percent. records set in the 40s for the number of rabies cases in animals, and the epidemic shows every sign of continuing to spread relentlessly through the state. The deadly disease took flight in New York in the late 1970s, the result of raccoons migrating north from Virginia and Pennsylvania, Chassin said.

Most of the confirmed cases of rabies have been reported in southern and southwestern New York, with a few reported in extreme northern New York. Most of the cases are found in raccoons, Chassin However, the disease now is being found as well in skunks, muskrats, sheep, pigs, woodchucks and deer. Some 590 people have been treated for exposure to rabies this year, compared to 965 in 1991. Chassin predicted 1,400 people would be treated for exposure to the deadly disease by the end of this year. Rabies destroys the nervous system.

First signs of the disease include a tingling sensation, followed Dont touch, pet or feed wiid or stray animals. If they appear sick, do not try to nurse them back to health. Hunters should avoid animals acting abnormally, including deer and bears. They also should wear rubber gloves when handling animal carcasses, and wash hands afterward. Equipment should be disinfected with household bleach and water.

And meat, whether fresh or frozen, should be thoroughly cooked, as heat kills the virus. Vv Installed) Macintosh Upgrades 486DX50 $2700.00 386SX16 $1500.00 Complete with 2 Meg Ram, 80 Meg Hard Drive, 1.44 Meg Floppy, SVGA Monitor, Mouse, Fax Modem, Dos S.O Shaftsbury, Vermont 802-447-0705 Check out our Macintosh Prices! ELECT Tips to avoid catching rabies DICK SEARS STATE SENATOR BENNINGTON DISTRICT Dont Be Fooled Over the years we have established a reputation lor being THE jewelry store (or every occasion Why Because we dont cut corners. We believe in giving you the very best quality for your money and servlet to match. Every single piece o( jewelry we sell meets our very high sta' dards from the cut, clarity and color of our diamonds to the Intrica craftsmanship on our gold and platinum designs We wont disappoint yoi That way youll come back to us lime and lime again and our reputation will continue "untarnished McWAYNE JEWELERS Corner of Bonnet Street (Next to The Northshire Bookstore) Manchester, VT 362-1257 Open 9-5 Mon. -Sat.

GUILDERLAND, N.Y. (AP) -Some tips on how to avoid being exposed to rabies, according to New York state health officials: Get pets vaccinated. Raccoons are the standard bearer of the disease, and household pets act as a buffer between humans and rabid wildlife. If a vaccinated pet comes in contact with a rabid animal, then they only will require a rabies booster shot. Unvaccinated pets must either be killed, or kept in strict quarantine for four months before they are deemed safe.

Make yards unattractive to wildlife. Raccoons, squirrels and other wildlife are attracted to backyards with garbage and pet food. To make a yard unattractive to pets, keep all garbage covered, dont keep pets or their food outside for long periods of time, and cover any holes near the home which could serve as animal nesting sites. Admire wildlife from a distance. SMmtom Vision Emms Effective Government Since 1987 Dick Sears has been an effective member of the Bennington Select Board.

Dick is currently in his fourth year as Chair. Dick knows how to make government work lor people. Dick Sears will be an ellective State Senator. 1 VOTE Tuesday, September 8 Democratic Primary Fwd tog by Ommok Ud Dick Sma. 5rtb Boifini 41 Judith Fw-Dilii UGiain 5(M Berkshire Mai! (near Food Court) Lanesboro, Summer Celebration! a pair SSS New piechaset only With this conxm Exp 912.92 Must be presented at Bn of piechasc.

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