Dear Editor, We are community members who work locally to provide medical care for the entire range of our population from newborn babies to seniors in their 90s and 100s. We feel privileged to work in and for the greater Woodstock community. We’d like to share our perspective on the proposed new middle and high…

Dear Editor, I join my friends and neighbors to vote “Yes” on Article 7, the new school bond. I was initially skeptical but changed my mind for several reasons. The new school is a bargain. It will cost less than maintaining the old one, which is already inadequate and beyond repair, and it will cost…

Dear Editor, In recent discussions surrounding the upcoming bond vote for our local school district [Mountain Views Supervisory Union], a significant amount of information has been shared. However, some of it may not fully capture the situation’s complexity. This letter aims to provide a more nuanced understanding of the key issues at hand, focusing on…

Dear Editor, Vermont’s school financing system is incredibly complex, and that means it can be difficult to make a decision that you feel good about. No one wants to spend money if it’s not essential. The question is, how do we know what’s essential and what’s not? It’s not an easy thing to answer. The…

Dear Editor, As a full-time Killington resident, here are three reasons why I’m voting for the new school build. First, the time is now. As others have indicated in previous letters, seven years of school boards have been working on this project. Over the course of that time, volunteer school board members, community members, and…

Dear Editor, In regards to building a new middle school/high school, many are asking how we can all work together to meet the needs of our students now and in the future, as well as take into consideration the concerns of taxpayers who may already be at their financial limits. Here are several ideas on…

Dear Editor, My name is Elizabeth Wellington and I live in South Pomfret. My husband grew up in the Upper Valley and we moved here to raise a family in this community. I’m voting YES for our new Woodstock middle/high school. As a relative newcomer to our area, it’s been a joy to discover each…

By Sarah Copeland Hanzas Editor’s note: Sarah Copeland Hanzas is Vermont’s 39th Secretary of State. She was a teacher, coach, small business owner and an 18-year member of the Vermont House before being elected as Secretary of State in 2022. As Vermont’s Secretary of State and Chief Elections Officer, it’s my job to help sustain and defend…

By Curt Peterson When Select Board candidate Andrew Gieda confronted current board members about Killington’s personal property tax at a recent public meeting, it garnered attention. Gieda claimed a large percentage of eligible Killington businesses were not filing their “personal property tax” reports, and that the self-reporting process encouraged filers to minimize their obligation. He…

  It was widely known that putting together the next state budget was going to be tight. All the extra federal money that came to Vermont during the pandemic, has previously been appropriated and state revenue growth has slowed. The governor’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (beginning July 1, 2024) had an overall increase…

Warns Legislature: more work is needed to control costs Governor Phil Scott signed H.850, an act relating to transitioning education financing to the new system for pupil weighting, on Thursday, Feb. 22. The new law seeks to reduce property tax increases this year, which could reach 20% without action by local school districts, according to Scott. When signing…

The Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) announced the launch of its second annual Two-Sentence Writing Contest on Feb. 22. Open to all Vermont and New Hampshire children aged 12 and under, the contest is free to enter, and prizes will be awarded to top submissions in each of four categories. This year’s contest challenges young writers…

By Curt Peterson The $99,000,000 bond for a middle/high school in Woodstock is not the only option, according to Killington Selectman Jim Haff. Four years ago a much less expensive proposal was presented to the Mountain Views Supervisory Union (MVSU), that would have fixed many of its failing systems and extended the useful life of…

By Dr. Vern Grubinger, UVM extension vegetable and berry specialist The first Census of Agriculture was conducted in 1840, when Vermont produced 3.7 million pounds of wool from 1.7 million sheep, and just $1.4 million of milk. Since then, data collected at regular intervals has documented ongoing, often dramatic, changes in farming. The most recent…

Courtesy the Dept. of Environmental Conservation Top: Barrier tape marks the limits of the construction site. Bottom left: Stone or rock check dams slow erosion in drainage channels. Bottom right: Filter socks (a manufactured tube filled with shredded material) slow stormwater runoff on long open slopes. All projects over 1 acre require additional state permits  With…