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> Subject: Dear Ben, > Janice asked me way back on the 16th to email you this press> release I > wrote for our meeting on the 12th. Double pneumonia caused my unread> inbox > mail to reach more than 700 as of this morning! In whittling it to> about half> of that I just came across her request. Sorry for the delay. > In future you will automatically receive all such material the day> it is > issued: in an effort to coordinate policy and action on Vermont State, national and internatiomal issues among all the Vermont support groups, we > are taking steps to establish and maintain goodcommunications with > them, under the leadership of Robert Freeman, an active member (along with his equally active wife) of our Group. In this regard, of immediate interest and concern is a bill in Montpelier to finance an adult day - care > center for Alzheimer's victims -- apparently to furnish relief to their carepartners as much as any other reason. AARP 's Pete Kelley has suggested that all the Parkinson's Support Groups unite in calling for the legislation to cover Alzheimer's AND Parkinson's victims, clearly a good idea. What do you know about this bill, who sponsored it, its chances, etc, and what is your view? Interestingly, the next meeting of our Rutland Regional PSG -- March 12 -- focuses on the subject of adult day-care centers for Parkies. > > Cheers, > Elliott > > FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > > 02/05/98 Rutland, VT -- Robert Hamill, M.D., international authority on > Parkinson’s Disease and other movement disorders, will discuss this > growing national problem in Rutland on February l2, marking his first > public appearance in the city since becoming Chairman of the > world-reknowned Neurology Department of UVM’s College of Medicine, it > was announced today by Judy Brodsky, Publicity Director of the Rutland > Regional Parkinson’s Support Group. > > “Coming on the heels of President Clinton’s announcement in his State > of the Union address that the Parkinson’s gene had been discovered in > only nine days,” Brodsky asserted, “this meeting could hardly have been > better timed. Everyone -- here and abroad -- who > knows that the latest victims of this mysterious, progressive, > indiscriminate killer of brain cells include Pope John Paul II, Muhammed > Ali, Janet Reno and Johnny Cash was struck by the > President’s statement,” Brodsky continued. “They want to know if this > heralds the long-awaited cure, and if not, what hope it does hold for > the millions upon millions of Parkies and their Carepartners worldwide > whose only hope for a future rests in the hands of medical > researchers and scholars like Dr. Hamill.” > > The February 12 occasion on which Dr. Hamill will speak -- the > regularly scheduled meeting of the Rutland Regional Parkinson’s Support > Group, which meets the second Thursday of every month -- > would normally not be touted widely, Brodsky explained, “but because the > ‘bully pulpit’ has aroused such widespread interest in the subject, > while simultaneously spreading deep confusion about it, the Group > thought it only fair to invite the general public to attend the first > hour of the session when Dr. Hamill will share his knowledge of the > Disease and answer questions.” > > The public meeting will begin promptly at 2:00 PM in the library of > Trinity Episcopal Church, 85 West Street in downtown Rutland. From 3:00 > to 4:00 PM the regular members of the Group (Parkies, their > Carepartners, family and friends), plus any newcomer (welcome!) who > qualifies under at least one of these many membership entitlements, will > be cordially invited to enjoy the opportunity to talk in confidence with > Dr. Hamill and among themselves. This hour is richly rewarding > and rapidly growing in popularity, according to Brodsky, who adds that, > because of the caliber of the membership, networking is already > transforming the Rutland Regional Parkinson Support Group in the three > months of its existence into a cohesive yet warmly inclusive, mutually > supportive assembly of trusted friends and confidantes. > > Owing to the expected larger but indeterminate attendance at this > meeting it would be helpful to the Group and to its generous, gracious > Trinity Church host if everybody planning to be there notified the > Group’s fun-loving leader, Elliott Haynes, by postcard, phone, > megaphone, fog horn, fax, Email, dog sled or brandy-cask-toting Saint > Bernard (no smoke signals, please) at 728 Eastham RD, Shrewsbury, VT > 05738, phone/fax 802/492-3566, or Email [log in to unmask] Haynes > would like to make sure, Brodsky explained, that the surroundings are > congenial and the acoustics excellent so that every single person -- in > Haynes’ own words -- “who comes to the > meeting > in order to get acquainted with and listen to and learn from this > illustrious, humble, brilliant, soft-spoken, caring, truly remarkable > man will have full opportunity to do so.” > --------------30-------------- > NOTE TO SOME RECIPIENTS OF THIS FAX. We recognize and apologize for the > fact that your deadline for news about events on February 12 and earlier > may well have passed. Should that be the case, we invite you to send a > reporter for the first hour of the meeting (which is open to the > public), and in any case we will fax you a press release on the > newsworthy highlights of the meeting for which this press release should > provide useful background. For further information contact: > Judy or Bernie Brodsky > 20 East Prospect ST > Brandon, VT 05733 > (802) 247-8097 > [log in to unmask] > > or Elliott Haynes > 728 Eastham RD > Shrewsbury, VT 05738 > Phone/FAX (802)492-3566 > > [log in to unmask] >