Around Town

Congratulations

to Maura (O’Dea) and Justin Wygmans whose son William Dea Wygmans was born August 27 at Fletcher Allen Health Care, Burlington.

to Ted Braun, formerly of Charlotte, now living in sunny southern California, who wrote and directed a feature-length documentary film for Warner Brothers, entitled Darfur Now. The movie premiered September 9 at the Toronto Film Festival. Ted, the son of Joan and Ted Braun of Charlotte, graduated from Charlotte Central School, Champlain Valley Union High School and Amherst College before earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California Film School where he is currently on the faculty.

to Amanda Blaine Easton Cats-Baril who graduated magna cum laude in June from the University of Washington in Seattle. She gained credits for a double major in International Studies and in Comparative Literature. As an undergraduate she was invited to participate in an honors program through the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies. Her program culminated in a final thesis entitled, “Assessing NGOs as Agents of Social and Political Change.” Amanda acknowledged the contribution her high school Graduation Challenge project made to this work, saying that as a senior at CVU she interned with a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Kiev, Ukraine. Amanda plans to attend Law School next year after taking some time off to travel around the world.

to James D. Hudziak, M.D., professor of Psychiatry, Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, who was selected to hold the first Thomas M. Achenbach Chair in Developmental Psychopathology. Hudziak joined the university faculty in 1993 and is currently Director of the Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families. His research uses twin, family and molecular and genetic approaches in order to better understand genetic and environmental influences on a variety of child psychiatric conditions, and he has pioneered the use of telemedicine to deliver psychiatric health care to children in rural areas of the state. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota and completed a residency and fellowship in child psychiatry at Washington University in St. Louis before coming to UVM. In receiving the recognition, Dr. Hudziak acknowledged Dr. Achenbach’s strong influence on his career.

to Peter Kidd who received the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Regional Representative of the Year award for the second year in a row. Kidd is a sales representative for Elan, Boeri USA, Dalbello and Scott. He was recognized for his strong support in fostering relationships with retail stores to “help move winter sports products.” The northeast region includes Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

to Bruce Hasse who received his 54-gallon pin from the American Red Cross Blood Services, New England Region recently.

Sympathy

is extended to family and friends of Francis H. Barnes of South Hero, Vermont, who passed away September 14 at the age of 63. Barnes was born in Charlotte, the son of James Barnes and Mary Catherine Collier Barnes Peterson. He grew up on the family’s farm here and helped build the Old Lantern clubhouse. He later moved to several communities in Vermont, ending in South Hero. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory be made to the South Hero Rescue, Route 2, South Hero, Vermont 05486 or to the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) Hospice, 1110 Prim Road, Suite 1, Colchester, Vermont 05446.

is extended to family and friends of James Montgomery Orben of Milford, Pennsylvania, who died September 5 in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 51. An avid boater, James spent many summer vacations in Charlotte, enjoying water sports on Lake Champlain. The family asks that those wishing to make memorial donations in his name do so to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America (H.D.S.A.) at hdsa.org.