The Brattleboro Reformer
February 22, 2005
Editor of the Reformer:
On behalf of the Vernon Elementary School I would like to thank Entergy for its continued support and generosity. Over the years VY, now Entergy, has been extremely generous to our town and many others in Windham County.
Today, Entergy presented the Vernon School principal with a check in the amount of $10,000 to help the school purchase various pieces of equipment that need replacement. This is only the latest in a long history of corporate generosity. When the operating system for the school gym divider broke, we were faced with an $80,000 repair. The folks at Entergy heard of our problem and an engineer came from the plant to see what could be done. He found a suitable and reasonable fix and our doors are back in operation, with no cost to the community. There are many more examples of the "good neighbor" practices of Entergy/VY.
Probably the greatest "good neighbor" efforts are in the area of safety and security. A good example of this happened today. Whenever Entergy is having a meeting at our school, we are concerned with the security provided to insure that the school building and property are protected. I was invited to attend today's meeting -- unfortunately, a prior commitment did not allow for this.
The time line I was on did allow for an experiment. I stopped by the school and attempted to park in an unauthorized area.
I tried to bluff my way in, but the deputy who stopped me -- while very courteous -- made it quite clear that I would need to park in another location. I did so. I parked in front of some orange cones at the south end of the building. I then walked from there to the gym entrance. As I was walking, I was aware that this same deputy was following me at a discreet distance. She then spoke with another deputy who came to inform me that my vehicle was in a restricted area and needed to move it immediately. I told him that I would be only two or three minutes and then I would be leaving. Vernon's police chief also was quick to find out what was amiss. I then spoke with a plant official to tell him of my inability to attend the meeting and my disappointment in not being able to meet with the Entergy CEO for lunch.
I then left the school, under the close scrutiny of the deputies. As I drove away, I was comfortable in the knowledge that indeed the desired outcome of my experiment had come to pass. As Entergy promised, proper security was provided, all was secure and safe at the school. Thank you to the Vernon Police Department and especially the Sheriff's Deputies for their diligence and professionalism.
Mike Hebert, Vernon
The writer is the chairman of the Vernon School Board.
Vermont Yankee pays $9,974,000 in annual tax payments to the state, a portion of which ($2,500,000) goes to supporting education. We are committed to the safety and security of our community and for the advancement of education in our state.
