Letters to the Editor
Marathon
Experience
What a wonderful experience all around.
I finished 2 minutes better than my previous record, despite the hilly
course. I would call the Vermont City Marathon the best marathon yet.
I really appreciate the fabulous article
in Out in the Mountains - you all do such good work up there.
I am thinking about subscribing to the newspaper. I did not get to meet
up with Jenn [Baudreau, who wrote "Marathon Man" OITM's
June cover story about Ted's run] while there, but we talked on the phone.
I did however get to meet with Matt Mulligan at Vermont CARES. Matt gave
me a personal tour of the clinic. I also met with Kate Jerman of Outright
Vermont. We had such an incredible talk about all sorts of things.
All of it made my running the marathon
so inspirational and very powerful. Even in the midst of cramping up at
mile 20, I was able to work through it all by thinking about why I was
running the marathon. How my one-person act could help others keep the
memories alive about Lollie and Julie.
Again thanks for all your hard
work in getting my marathon run to others. I am currently working with
a writer for the Advocate about a story about Lollie and Julie.
I am highly considering running the Vermont City Marathon again next year
for the 10th Anniversary.
Ted Hobart
Arlington, VA
Ted Hobart ran the Vermont Cities Marathon in memory of his friend
Lollie Winans and her partner Julie Williams. He also raised over $100
for Outright Vermont.
Not on the Trail
I just saw two articles on your site
that contain false information, particularly surprising because they purport
to come from friends and admirers of Lollie and Julie.
They were not, repeat not, hiking
or backpacking on the Appalachian Trail that week. They had registered
for a week of hikes on side trails in Shenandoah National Park. The campsite
where they were murdered is east of both the A.T. and Skyline Drive. They
did have to cross the A.T. to get to the restaurant at Skyland Lodge,
where they were seen at least one night. Because of where their car was
parked, we conjecture that they briefly were on the A.T. to walk from
the car to the intersection of the side trail down to their campsite,
at the beginning of the week, but that was it.
That does not change the fact that
their murders were despicable acts of violence, nor does it change the
fact that many in the A.T. community were, and are, shaken by them and
we mourn them. But, the other fact is, they were not hiking or backpacking
on the A.T., and a simple check with the law-enforcement authorities in
the park or with the U.S. attorney's office would confirm at least that
part of this sad story.
Brian King
Director of Public Affairs
Appalachian Trail Conference
VDH: Not Hypnotic
Thanks so much for your on-going coverage
of the health initiatives at R.U.1.2? Community Center. We are proud of
the work that we are doing in helping queer and allied Vermonters make
healthier choices for themselves.
The Vermont Department of Health did ask
us to clarify one point in your May article on our tobacco cessation programming.
The State of Vermont did help pay for a cessation class at the Center
co-sponsored by Fletcher Allen Health Care in January 2005. That class
offered information and supplies including nicotine replacement therapy.
However, the cessation class offered
by hypnotherapist Betty Moore Hafter that was offered this spring was
not paid for or endorsed by the Vermont Department of Health. We are thrilled
that Betty volunteered to run a hypnotherapy class and we know from the
evaluations of the participants that they felt very positive about their
experience. Hypnotherapy, like many alternative health care practices,
is effective for many individuals but is not currently endorsed by the
Vermont Department of Health.
We hope to have Betty return in the
future and we will continue to work with the Department of Health, local
practitioners and other partners to offer innovative, culturally competent
queer health programs.
Thank you very much for your coverage of these important issues.
Christopher M. Kaufman, M.Sc.
Executive Director
R.U.1.2? Queer Community Center
Republicans Infiltrating?
Interesting to read that OITM has
been targeted by the toady Log Cabin Republicans ("George W Is Right,"
Letters, June). Remember Troy's Trojan Horse? Lock the doors at night,
you never know who will crawl in. Love those nebulous gay statistics,
obviously from Karl Rove. No mention of the non-existent weapons of mass
destruction that sent and killed thousands of young American soldiers,
not to mention even more Iraqi citizens.
You have to question how many of these
vapid letters were sent to other newspapers across the country. A mailing
party around the swimming pool while sipping adult beverages, the Gold
Coast address says it all.
Albert Santerre
Salem, NH
Corrections:
Because of incorrect information supplied to OITM, the name of the company that donated condoms for HIV/AIDS prevention in Cuba in last month's article "Southern Transport" was wrong. The company was Boston-based Global Protection Corporation.
And due to an editing error, the "In Memoriam" piece on Jack Nichols in the June issue was misattributed. The writer was Malcolm Lazin, executive director of Equality Forum.
Finally, the caption was omitted from Leah Wittenberg's "At Witt's End" cartoon last month. It should have read: "No dollar left behind."
OITM regrets the errors.
AT WITT'S END by Leah Wittenberg
