By Harrison Bushnell My first food was a testament to Vermont’s economy. As a baby, the story goes, my parents held me as we admired the steaming arch at our neighbors’ house. They took a small spoon and let me […]
Category: Op – Ed
Op - Ed
“Proficiency-based Learning” reform lacks in proficiency
By Rob Roper Vermont’s student test scores are falling. It’s no longer a blip, but a trend. As State Board of Education member Bill Mathis said, “When you have two different tests showing much the same thing, you have to […]
Op - Ed
Guns, commonsense, and Vermont’s example
By Senator Patrick Leahy Editor’s note: This is a transcription of Leahy’s address on the floor of the Senate, April 12, 2018. Yesterday, Vermont set an example for the Congress. A Democratically controlled Legislature and a Republican Governor, in a rural […]
Op - Ed
The Environmental Protection Agency issues Vermont report card
By Anson Tebbetts The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Boston regional office announced that the Vermont Agency of Agriculture has made significant progress toward meeting the state’s water quality goals. In a letter to the agency dated April 2, EPA regional administrator […]
Op - Ed
Margolis: Scott likely to win big in November
By Jon Margolis, VTDigger OK, enough for a while of all this chit-chat over minimum wages, family leave, getting the goop out of the lake, and guns (especially, mercifully, guns). Let’s turn to one of the eternal verities: politics. Not that […]
Op - Ed
Timing could not be worse for education funding bill
By Emerson Lynn The House Ways and Means Committee is pushing legislation that would change the way Vermont finances education. The impetus is political. Property taxes are high, and rising. Legislators want to rush in to ease the pain. The timing […]
Op - Ed
Higher education is a necessity, not a privilege
By Joyce Judy In this time of heightened dialogue around the future of higher education in Vermont, I am compelled to reflect on the narratives that inform and affect our students and their families. I am reminded that our responsibility […]
Op - Ed
The worst year ever
By Barrie Dunsmore This will be my last column of 2017. Traditionally, this has been an opportunity for reflection on important events of the past year, usually with a look ahead – and if possible – a positive spin that […]
Op - Ed
Now’s the time for soil testing
By Daryle Thomas Once you know where you are, it’s easy to get to where you want to be. And that, dear reader, is why you need to test your garden soil. A bit of a leap? Not really. Garden […]
Op - Ed
Indoor composting made easy
By Carl Diethelm, a.k.a. Compost Carl As a tenant not owning his own home and living in town, I understand how difficult it can seem to be to compost food scraps instead of putting them in the trash. There might […]