By Richard Slusky Editor’s note: Slusky was CEO at Mount Ascutney Hospital and Health Center in Windsor from 1982 to 2010. After retirement, he was director of payment reform for the Green Mountain Care Board for six years. He now owns Slusky Consulting LLC. What follows is an open letter to the Green Mountain Care Board,…

By Matt Krauss Editor’s note: Matt Krauss of Stowe is a happily retired state employee and a former Vermont legislator. Vermont women were denied membership in the exclusive and private Ethan Allen Club until 1990. The welcomed change came about because of very intense public pressure. Women remember the sting of exclusion, and Vermonters have rightfully rejected joining these private, very restrictive clubs. Not all private clubs in New England are so progressive. Bailey’s Beach Club in…

By Jennie Gartner, a now former teacher at Rutland High School In October 2020, I resigned my position as a social studies teacher at Rutland High School, effective at the end of this school year. As a teacher, and adviser for the Gay Straight Alliance, Model UN and New Neighbors student organizations, my primary role…

By John Keough I founded Appalachian Trail Adventures (ATA) in 2007, and the company has grown steadily each year, with a focus on providing fun adventures and premier customer service. I have lived and worked in Killington since 1986, and at 51 years old, that’s 34 years spent in the local area. ATA has enjoyed…

By Jack Hoffman Many legislators and school officials are eager to adjust Vermont’s education finance system to provide more money for school districts with kids from low-income families and those for whom English is not their first language. We agree these resources are necessary and should be provided as soon as possible. But the Legislature…

By Lt. Governor Molly Gray  This past year has proven what we have long known to be true: Vermonters are resilient and know how to come together to get through tough times. While we should all be proud that our brave little state has led the nation in responding to Covid-19, the all too familiar…

By Elayne Clift As I watched the flag-draped coffin of the late Billy Evans, the second Capitol Police officer to lie in state, descend from the Capitol steps, I wept — and wondered how much longer we would find ourselves living in a country that has become so violent. As I saw the photograph of the deceased Dwayne…

By Lisa Loomis The Vermont Press Association wishes to thank Gov. Phil Scott for his veto of S.107 and siding with greater transparency for all Vermonters while also allowing for more time on this important issue. His veto letter is very clear and thoughtful as to why the bill as passed needs more consideration. The governor makes…

By David Kelley, board member of the Vermont Wildlife Coalition  When I was young everyone in my family hunted and fished. In fact, when I was young, it seemed like everyone in Vermont hunted and fished. At Otter Valley, where I went to high school, absenteeism shot up during deer season. Going to deer camp…

By Madeleine May Kunin Editor’s note: Madeleine May Kunin, a Democrat, was the 77th governor of Vermont, serving 1985-1991.  It’s almost the end of lockdown. Light is coming through the open door. Fresh air is rushing in. Outdoors, we can breathe again, without being muffled by masks. Where I live, at Wake Robin, a senior living…

By Ron Krupp Editor’s note: Ron Krupp, author of “The Woodchuck’s Guide to Gardening,” “The Woodchuck Returns to Gardening” and “Lifting the Yoke,” is working on his third garden book, “The Woodchuck’s Guide to Landscape Plants and Ornamentals.” When we plant a seed, we create a direct link between our ancestral past and our potential future.…

By Julia Purdy As I continued my search for a smallish property to settle into permanently – land or land-with-small house – my budget gave me no slack. On my side, I do have the advantage of knowing the southern Vermont counties well, being a native of the area and having returned almost 20 years…

By Michael Metz Editor’s Note: Michael Metz is a retired materials scientist, entrepreneur, and business owner. He has a history of board leadership with profit and nonprofit organizations and currently serves in that role for the Maker Space Generator and The Vermont Community Foundation. This commentary is the seventh in a 10-part series in which the…

By Lindsay DesLauriers Editor’s Note: Lindsay DesLauriers is one of the co-owners and the president of Bolton Valley Resort. She lobbied for the Vermont Early Childhood Alliance from 2012-2018 and for Voices for Vermont’s Children from 2012-2014. This commentary is the sixth in a 10-part series in which the authors respond to the pressing topics identified…

By Governor Phil Scott Editor’s note: Governor Phil Scott announced April 17  that he will allow H. 315 to become law without his signature and issued the following letter to the General Assembly. Pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, H.315, An Act Relating to Covid-19 Relief, will become law without my signature for…