Freyne Land

So I dropped into Walgreens in downtown Burlap for some AA batteries around 5 p.m. on Monday and who do I bump into head-on but Vermont Secretary of Transportation Neale Lunderville!

Sec. Lunderville, who lives near downtown,  was picking up prescription drugs for an allergic condition he has. He was gracious enough to hold still for a photo AND take one of this blogger, who's gotten a little light on top.

Incidentally, last week a former Associated Press bureau chief echoed our recently published remarks that Sec. Lunderville has gotten more good press in his first few few months running that agency than all the previous Vermont Secretaries of Transportation have in the last 20 years!

Still, getting positive comments from the likes of yours truly does put Young Lunderville, Gov. Jim Douglas' former campaign manager, on shaky ground amidst his Republican teammates.

The price of being a good communicator. And, oh yeah, nice shot, Mr. Secretary of Transportation, of yours truly at Walgreens.

Who needs a lot of hair?

What did it ever do for Patrick Leahy? Or Bernie Whatshisname, the U.S. Senator the Capitol Steps have NEVER heard of?

In the past two weeks, the biotechnology industry has kicked in at the personal level in Freyne Land, and this columnist/blogger with cancer has lost most of that thick white Irish mop from the top of the ol' skull. (And the beard has mostly fallen out, too.)

Chemotherapy is action.

Cool. And the tumor's shrunk to almost nothing!

Then, speaking of chemotherapy, one picks up the Vermont newspaper and learns all is not well in Drug Land.

Barre mayor wants death penalty for drug peddlers

By SUE ALLEN The Times Argus Editor

BARRE— Mayor Thomas Lauzon on Saturday said he hoped the Legislature wouldconsider imposing the death penalty on convicted crack and heroindealers, and to legalize marijuana.

Failing that, the mayorsaid, he would call for a public forum in Barre to kick off a statewidediscussion about the growing drug problem in Vermont and steps —including the death penalty and legalization — to control the situation.

"I'msure everyone will distance themselves from me," Lauzon said Saturdaynight of his death-penalty call. "But if anyone tells you we're winningthe war on drugs, they're lying."

the rest of it.