Vermont Research News: Fast hiking, milkweed, cannabis and more…

courtesy of vermont research news

Vermont Research News: Fast hiking, milkweed, cannabis and more…

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Cannabis and Pregnancy
Pregnant women are turning to cannabis for relief from nausea and other discomfort. Data from 2016—collected by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health—found that 4.9 percent of pregnant women aged 15 to 44 reported using cannabis within the past month.Vermont has included questions about cannabis use in PRAMS surveys since 2001. In 2013, 9.4 percent of Vermont women reported using cannabis during their pregnancy. However, studies caution that cannabis use during pregnancy can affect the normal transport functions and physiological status of the placenta.

Child abuse at St. Joseph’s
An intensive five-year investigation into child abuse at a Burlington Orphanage brought Vermont into the national news. The investigation by a reporter at Buzzfeed uncovered years of abuse at St. Josephs and may trigger other investigations into Catholic orphanages around the US.
Writer Reidun Nuquist discusses the history of the Long Trail.
Fast Hiking

Alyssa Godesky now holds the title of the Fastest Woman on the Long Trail, shattering the known record after completing it in 5 days, 2 hours and 37 minutes. Godesky averaged roughly 47 miles per day—pausing only to sleep. There is a long tradition of women hiking the Long Trail, including the three women who first brought the trail to national attention, see this video interview with Long Trail historian Reidun Nuquist.
Senior Success: Vermont’s Home Program

Vermont’s Support and Services at Home program is receiving national acclaim. SASH focuses on bettering the wellness of its patients, making these services available for elderly citizens who cannot afford more expensive care options. In a study,87.8% of SASH patients had blood pressure readings considered “in control” by industry standards — well above the national average of 49.3%.
Vaccination Rates Decline

A number of Vermont schools have immunization rates below the national average, according to a new study. While 94% of Vermont K-8 students are vaccinated to national standards, several schools in the states had lower  vaccination rates. The study found that students from private schools were more likely to not have all their required immunizations.
Opioid Overdoses Decreasing

Although the opioid crisis is far from contained, Vermont is one of the eight states where overdose deaths are decreasing. One decisive factor was that most Vermonters (96.3 percent) have health  insurance and were more likely to receive treatment. Also seeing declines were Hawaii, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wyoming—states where individuals with opioid use disorder were twice as likely to receive treatment.
Milkweed and Monarchs

Vermont’s state butterfly, the Monarch continues to see population declines continuing a long-term trend. A Canadian parka company is renewing its commitment to sell coats made with the milkweed floss produced by Vermont and Canadian farmers as part of an initiative to increase monarch butterfly populations.
Phantom OdorsDo you sometimes smell a bad, unpleasant or burning odor when nothing is there? You may be among the 6 percent of adults that suffers from phantom odor perception. According to a recent study co-authored by Dr. Donald Leopold from the UVM Medical Center, 1 in 15 people older than 40 experience phantom odors, often resembling an ashtray or burning hair. The sensations can have profound effects on appetite and food preferences. The causes of the unusual perception have yet to be understood.
Rich People

Vermont is one of the most expensive states for rich folks to live, according to Vermont Business Magazine’s analysis of data from Smart Asset.After modeling income, property and estate tax payments for wealthy households, the report ranked the state in the top five. Vermont has a relatively high per capita income at $29,178—ranked 20th in the country, above the national average of $28,889.
New Historical Landmark
Cambridge Central teacher Steve Butz may have uncovered a long-concealed historical landmark on Egg Mountain in Sandgate, Vermont. The expansive area—which looks on the surface like a stone wall ringed by grass—was home to Daniel Shays and his followers in the late 18th century. Shays was a Massachusetts farmer who enlisted in the local militia during the American Revolution, and later organized Shays’ Rebellion to protest the lack of payment to soldiers. According to State Archaeologist Jess Robinson, the area is “an extremely important site…it could ultimately end up being a National Historic Landmark.”
Fair Haven Non-Shooting Focus of New Podcast
The Fair Haven school-shooting-that-wasn’tignited a statewide debate about gun laws and prompted Vermont’s Republican governor to support gun control. Although the case—which centered on the defendant being tried for a thought rather than an action—failed to make it to trial due to a 112-year-old law that distinguishes “planning” a crime from “attempting” one, the case rocked the state.  A new five-part podcast, “Jolted,” from VPR tells the story.
17-year-old Barre resident Jamie Heath transformed her inspiring ten-year battle and recovery from a life-threatening illness into a new children’s book, Wishes are Medicine: How Make-A-Wish Gave Me Hope and Helped Me Heal. After suffering two strokes and losing the ability to walk and read, Heath was diagnosed with the birth defect Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) at seven years old. Make-a-Wish Foundation granted her the opportunity to swim with sea turtles in Hawaii, a trip that filled her with hope and ignited the strength she needed to recover.

 
Nick Zwirblia, who is also known in Vermont as the “happy hop guy,” has just released his first book, set in 1933 in a fictional Vermont town of Bramford, north of White River Junction. The Bramford Chronicles, Book 1: Johnny & Baby Jumbo tells the story of a 9-year-old boy, Johnny, who saves a baby elephant from the wreck of a circus train.
There is a definite art to “weeding out” a space, whether it’s a deceased relative’s attic or your long-neglected garage. When the option is throwing out a potentially valuable historical item or cluttering the area with useless knick-knacks, many of us begin to feel overwhelmed. Elizabeth H. Dow and Lucinda P. Cockrell—a retired archivist and retired museum curator, respectively—are here to help. Their new book, How to Weed Your Attic: Getting Rid of Junk without Destroying History, provides a clear guide with photos to ensure clarity.