Dear Editor, The Vermont State House of Representatives closed the week by approving one of the most important bills I believe will come before us this year.  Vermonters overwhelmingly went to the polls in November and showed they want reproductive freedom and access to abortion protected in our state. Every single community in Vermont approved…

By James Lyall Editor’s note: James Lyall is the executive director of  ACLU of Vermont. The Vermont affiliates of the NAACP and ACLU this month invited to Montpelier five family members whose loved ones were lost to police violence, and who are a part of the Love Not Blood Campaign. Their stories are a powerful…

By Richard Hopkins Editor’s note: Richard Hopkins is a retired public health official who has devoted himself to volunteer activities to try to reduce climate change. He is a member of the board of the Climate Economy Action Center of Addison County, and of the town of Middlebury Energy Committee. Do you remember when Al…

Dear Editor, In the Jan 25 edition of The Mountain Times, environmental activist Bill McKibben opined about health and environmental risks of household gas stoves. He tries to make the case that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted by stoves is a leading cause of asthma and he cites statistical studies to back that up. It strikes…

Dear Editor, There are few times in our lives when we have the opportunity to have the impact that we, Killington voters, have this March on Town Meeting Day. The last time someone or something had an impact this great on Killington, Pres Smith was hiking to the base of Killington mountain to start planning…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times.  It’s hard to ignore Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican firebrand and likely presidential candidate leading the nation’s third most populous state. His keen sense of timing when championing cultural issues…

By Mary E. Mendoza Editor’s note: Mary E. Mendoza is an assistant professor of history and Latino/a Studies at Penn State University. She lives in Weybridge. Because I teach about the history of race in America, I often ponder the differences between equity and equality. In addition, the start of my current semester teaching Latino…

Dear Editor, Let me begin by saying thank you for your support and encouragement over the years. I am truly honored and humbled to be your mayor.  I want you to know I am totally healthy and cancer free, working every day, and am as motivated and excited about the next two years as I…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times. A bill introduced last week to reform the way Vermont sheriffs operate is a step in the right direction, and sorely needed. Currently Vermont sheriffs have an unseemly way of earning…

By Ruth Farmer Editor’s note: Ruth Farmer is a published essayist and poet. She is sole owner of Farmer Writing and Editing ruthfarmer.com. A few weeks ago, I was in the midst of a busy fall semester — too many student papers, meetings and emails — when a friend sent me a link to the…

Dear Editor, Where is one expected to go and what is one supposed to do, particularly when there is no place located either centrally downtown or elsewhere within easy strolling distance, to go, most especially at night, on the weekend or on an official holiday when one urgently needs to relieve themselves and there is…

Dear Editor, Vermont Senate bill S.5, the Affordable Heat Act, is an attempt to lower Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from heating  buildings in Vermont. A laudable objective. However, the bill goes about this reduction in an extremely complicated and expensive way. It requires fossil fuel dealers to pay for their customers to invest in…

By Bill McKibben Editor’s note: Bill McKibben is an internationally known climate activist and writer who lives in Ripton. I have been arguing for some time now that we’ve reached the point in human history where we should stop setting stuff on fire: coal, oil, biomass, or in this case the “natural gas” that’s burned…

By Anya Rader Wallack Editor’s note: Anna Wallack is the chair of the OneCare Vermont board of managers. OneCare Vermont is improving the health of Vermonters and lowering the cost of health care. OneCare is an Accountable Care Organization (ACO). We partner with health insurance companies, hospitals, independent medical practices, community health organizations and community…

Dear Editor, I’ve spent my professional life as a primary care pediatrician, mostly in Vermont. Now I’m retired and the beneficiary of Medicare. I see alarming signs that Medicare, a public good, is being privatized and abused by for-profit insurance companies. Their greed threatens the integrity and sustainability of Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are actively…