By Kesha Ram Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sen. Kesha Ram, D-Chittenden, who is the first woman of color to serve in the Vermont state Senate. She is the co-chair of the Vermont Social Equity Caucus. Jan. 6 began with historic election results in Georgia and my own swearing-in to the Vermont state Senate. By…

By Marguerite Jill Dye I never knew I craved normalcy To such an extent, to such a degree. But suddenly, I’m finding myself Heaving sigh after sigh of needed relief.   Your calm, steady voice, and healing words, Spoken directly from your heart, Soothe my soul, calm my nerves, Alleviate headaches and regulate my heart…

By Bob Allen, former president of Green Mountain College, Poultney The Select Committee and the Vermont Legislature have a difficult task ahead. Covid-19 exacerbated and accelerated a problem that has existed in higher education for at least a decade or more. I will argue the business model for most public and private colleges and universities…

By John Steen Editor’s note: John Steen is a retired scholar and teacher of philosophy, followed by a 20-year career in health care planning, health regulation and public health, ending as a professor of health policy and a private consultant. He is immediate past president of the American Health Planning Association. He lives in South Burlington. Public…

By Paul Costello As we come out of the crucible of the pandemic and look to a new year, we need more than recovery, we need to work together to advance renewal and resilience for our communities and economy. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has been asking Vermonters what recovery will look like.…

By U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) Jan. 6, 2021, will forever mark a day of infamy for our nation. It will be remembered because our beloved Capitol building — the very heart of our democracy — was stormed and laid under siege. Rioters broke through windows, doors, and security barriers in both the Senate and…

By Haviland Smith Editor’s note: Haviland Smith is a retired CIA operations officer who was the CIA’s first chief of counterterrorism. Since his retirement in 1980, he has lived in Vermont. It is a fact that the best, noblest political movements often attract the worst kind of violent participants. These people barge in and commit the…

By Paul Costello As we come out of the crucible of the pandemic and look to a new year, we need more than recovery, we need to work together to advance renewal and resilience for our communities and economy. The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) has been asking Vermonters what recovery will look like.…

An open letter to Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Legislature from industry leaders We appreciate the challenge of governing during a global pandemic. Instead of meeting with colleagues and constituents, we now rely on video chat, texts, emails, and phone calls. We are in an extraordinary time, where safety requires us to maintain physical distance from one…

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…

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 Haley Frechette In all the chaos of the election, it would be easy to lose track of the fact that Nov. 8 was National First-Generation Student Day. This day was meant to highlight and celebrate those who are the first in their family to attend college. I am proud to be one of those…

By Angelo Lynn Gov. Phil Scott’s decision to ban inter-household gatherings, while allowing schools to remain open and limited access to restaurants and bars, prompted rare public pushback among Vermonters who have been model citizens in obeying the dictates Vermont has successfully imposed since the pandemic’s outbreak in March. Numerous letters across the state’s media outlets attest…

By Dr. Joshua White “Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips and shows itself in deeds,” Theodore Roosevelt said. And so, the second wave of Covid is upon us. As I write…

By Marguerite Jill Dye, Killington I never knew I craved normalcy To such an extent, to such a degree. But suddenly, I’m finding myself Heaving sigh after sigh of needed relief. Your calm, steady voice and healing words, Spoken directly from your heart, Soothe my soul, calm my nerves, Alleviate headaches, lower blood pressure. I…