Over 600 Families: Cheryl Twarog Guest Post

Cheryl Twarog

My name is Cheryl Twarog, and I’m proud to say that my husband works at Vermont Yankee.  At Vermont Yankee there are 620 of the most dedicated, hard-working, highly trained individuals you’ll ever meet.  But there’s another chapter in this story that often goes untold.  That’s the story of the Vermont Yankee families:  the moms & dads, husbands & wives, sons & daughters of the employees.

At Vermont Yankee we are 620 families strong.

• That’s 620 families that count on the affordable health insurance that Vermont Yankee provides.
• That’s 620 families that rely on the $65 million in wages paid each year.
• That’s 620 families that worry that we will have to put our homes on the market, find another job in this tough economy, or move our children from the only schools they’ve ever known.
• And that’s 620 families that are holding our breath hoping that you will agree that it’s for the public good that Vermont Yankee be given a certificate for continued operations.

My family is one of the Vermont Yankee families, and we realize just how much we have to lose if Vermont Yankee closes prematurely.  My husband, John, has worked and trained at Vermont Yankee for almost 14 years.  His skills are highly specialized and wouldn’t easily translate to other jobs in the area, making it necessary to pack up our family and move.  There is much that we would miss:
Such as the way the lives of everyone in our family have been enriched by our time spent volunteering for local non-profit organizations.

Or the many opportunities our boys have been blessed with, many of which are unique to the area…

• Like the Keene State Orchestra and Keene Chamber Orchestra welcoming in our 12 year old son, Cam, who lives and breathes the violin.
• Or the highly regarded service organization that has allowed our 15 year old son, Evan, to develop and demonstrate leadership skills, along with his compassion for others. 

Both boys have ambitious goals for their futures.

The simple truth is that much of this is possible because of Vermont Yankee, and our lives would look dramatically different if VY were to close prematurely.  As you work to make your decision I hope you’ll remember that there are 620 families just like ours, who depend on the continued operation of Vermont Yankee.

Thank you for being here tonight and giving us the chance for our  voices to be heard.

Cheryl Twarog and her family made these buttons
You can see many people wearing them at the meeting
(Only some of the buttons had the red background..mostly they were black)

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This is the 17th in a series of posts which share statements made in favor of Vermont Yankee at the Public Service Board hearing on November 7, 2012.

At the hearing, Cheryl spoke directly after Evan spoke, and started her statement with a cheerful: "That's my boy!"

Cheryl Twarog also wrote a guest post on this blog:  When Did Nuclear Become a Four Letter Word?