By Julia Purdy A prominent thread woven into the fabric of present-day Vermont is the question of the “two Vermonts” — the old versus the new, the traditional versus the forward-looking, the rural versus the urban, the economically depressed versus the financially flush, and the assumptions and expectations on both sides. A particular issue has…

By Nicholas Boke Editor's note: Nicholas Boke is a freelance writer and international education consultant who lives in Chester. In late December, Rutland Board of Aldermen member Matt Whitcomb asked the big question as he and his colleagues puzzled over the possibility of enacting mask mandates. Rutland Herald reporter Gordon Dritschilo explained in a Nov.…

By Ken Fredette Editor's note: Ken Fredette resides in Wallingford. After watching public input and the ensuing conversation among board members at the Mill River School Board meeting Nov. 17, I find myself compelled to reach out to all of you with some thoughts. First and foremost: It is clear that members of the board…

By Dr. Marvin Malek Editor's note: Dr. Malek is an internal medicine specialist at Springfield Hospital. He is also on the executive committee of Vermont Physicians for a National Health Program. In 1938, the notorious bank robber Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks. His response: “That’s where the money is.” Were Willie Sutton…

By Julia Purdy Under a fuzzy gray sky that promises snow They stand like lone sentinels At the traffic lights Dark figures, straight-backed, lean, Once strong, capable bodies Muffled up in layers of old clothes, hoodies under jackets worn thin. Some are veterans. Small birds flock across the sky, strength-training for their journey. Where are…

By Bill Schubart Robert Kennedy said in a 1968 speech at the University of Kansas: “Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages,…

What citizens, workers have learned in the pandemic and what it means By Kevin Ellis Editor’s note: Kevin Ellis, a partner in Ellis Mills, a communications consulting firm in Montpelier. We are not returning to normal. Almost two years since the start of the Covid pandemic. What have we learned? And what is to come?…

By Darby Bradley Editor’s note: Darby Bradley has worked for the Vermont Land Trust in many roles since its founding, including a stint as president. For the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), land conservation has always been about more than simply protecting land. When Rick Carbin founded the organization in 1977, he was already thinking about…

By Narain Batra Editor’s note: Narain Batra of Hartford is a professor of communications and diplomacy at Norwich University. He is the author of “The First Freedoms and America’s Culture of Innovation” and the forthcoming “India in A New Key.”  Major U.S. social media network companies — including Apple, Alphabet (Google), Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft…

By Shane Spence Editor's note: Shayne Spence was a candidate for the Vermont House in 2020, and is a justice of the peace in Johnson. The tripartisan legislative apportionment board voted this month to recommend a new map for legislative seats, which is required every 10 years following the census. Its new map would eliminate…

By Betsy Bishop Editor’s note: Betsy Bishop, of East Montpelier, is the president of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Every day there is a news story about policies Vermont is addressing to further diversity, equity and inclusion. Many organizations, including the Vermont Chamber, are focusing on this internally and programmatically to do our part to…

By the board of directors of the Coalition for Vt Student Equity: Kendra Sowers, Alison Notte, David Schoales and Rory Thibault Our poorest and most diverse Vermont school districts have been critically underfunded for decades. This is due to inherent flaws in our pupil weighting formula, which directs how Vermont calculates student needs and allocates…

By Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos Over the past few weeks, I have given considerable thought to the message I want to convey to Vermonters on cybersecurity. The world of cybersecurity has changed significantly for election officials over the last five years. Turn back to September 2017, when Dept. of Homeland Security officials confirmed…

By Cathy Davis Editor’s note: Davis is the president of the Lake Champlain Chamber. In the past two months, I have heard about housing challenges almost as much as I’ve heard about staffing shortages. Of course, they’re related. If employees can’t find housing, they have to move to where they can find it. That might…

By Ali Elwell Zaiac Editor’s note: Ali Elwell Zaiac, of Arlington, holds a master’s degree in theological studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where her thesis focused on repurposing church spaces in Vermont to meet broader community needs. Last week I attended the housing conference hosted by Rep. Seth Bongartz and Rep. Kathleen…