Dear Editor, Trump reportedly intends to keep pushing the baseless claim that massive fraud of unbelievable scope robbed him of reelection even after Congress accepts the results, because  “Why should I ever let this go?… How would that benefit me?” That Trump plans to continue this demolition of democracy even after the almost certain inauguration…

Dear Editor, With the “year of Covid” barely behind us, we look forward to the New Year and the customary resolutions: reduce personal weight, reduce time on social media, and reduce consumption of animal foods. Yes, that. Nearly 40% of Americans are already eating more plant-based foods. Hundreds of school, college, and corporate cafeterias have…

Dear Editor, As we sprint away from 2020, and towards what we hope will be a happier new year, many of us have environmental resolutions front of mind. Leaders have resolved to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and host a global climate summit early next year. Many individuals are seeking to reduce their environmental footprint…

By Rob Riley Over the past year, I’ve heard two very different narratives about rural America. The first is that rural people face enormous economic and social challenges and the federal government does little to help them. The second is that the coronavirus pandemic has turned rural places into refuges where the urban elite — with…

It’s up to us By Michael J. Caduto It was one of our country’s most turbulent years. Demonstrations and riots demanding equality were staged nationwide. Gunshots rang out. World leaders threatened military force to control protesters while millions of sympathizers joined demonstrators on the front lines. A foreign war dragged on, seemingly with no end.…

How our disregard for nature is making us sick By Tom Rogers On a warm summer evening this past July, I arrived home feeling unusually worn down. I’d been exhausted all day, and I was soon overcome with waves of crippling chills, my fever spiked, and I spent the night sweating through my sheets. I…

Dear Editor, As one of the longest and most challenging years of our lives draws to a close — with the promise of a vaccine offset by the gravity of staggering infection rates and devastating loss of loved ones — I would like to take a moment to reflect on the amazing resilience of our…

Dear Editor, As 2020 comes to an end (and no one is sad to see it go), the Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF) is winding down Covid-19 relief activities. The fund was established as a short-term measure to get folks through these economic challenges until they could get back on their feet. It is the…

By Angelo Lynn With the New Year upon us, let’s look for silver linings. Nine months into this pandemic, for instance, we have fine-tuned the art of looking at bleakness and coming up with ways to smile. We’ve turned panic of the unknown into a calm resignation of semi-isolation. We are learning how to infuse…

By Molly Gray, lieutenant governor-elect Editor's note: this commentary was originally written as an open letter to the Biden-Harris Administration. Over the last year, rural Vermont much like rural America has been hit hard by this pandemic. While our small rural state has much to be proud of in terms of the collective sacrifice of…

By Karen Tronsgard-Scott Editor's note: Tronsgard-Scott is the executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence. Every Vermonter has the right to thrive and live their life free from violence. Unfortunately, the reality is that too many Vermonters aren’t safe. Each year, thousands of Vermonters experience domestic or sexual violence. What would…

Dear Editor, The long-anticipated Christmas holiday is nearly upon us. It conjures visions of happy families gathered by a warm fireplace, opening presents, sharing their love, and... feasting on ham and turkey. It’s the happiest time of the year, but not for the animals. The 222 million turkeys killed in the U.S. this year were…

Dear Editor, “If you build it, they will come,” is a phrase that haunts the main character in the movie “Field of Dreams.” In that film, the thing to be built is a baseball field for spectral players from the early 1900s, but it got me thinking, and not about baseball. It got me thinking…

By Michael Caduto What a journey we are on together. For some 10 months our lives have been upended by Covid-19, and yet we carry on. In the midst of more than 1.65 million deaths worldwide, including over 313,000 who have lost their lives in the United States (more than 100 in Vermont and rapidly approaching…

Dear Editor, As I gradually lost my sight over my lifetime, I realized how important work is. Obviously it provides the income you need to live, but it also shapes identity, builds confidence, and provides purpose and meaning. I benefitted from all the preceding because I was able to remain employed as I transitioned from…