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 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…

By Philip Finkelstein Editor’s note: This commentary is by Philip Finkelstein, of Charlotte, Vermont, who is a technical writer and business analyst. After attending the University of British Columbia, where he received a BA in political science, he served as a blog contributor for Citizens’ Climate Lobby.  Americans value their freedom—so much so, that refusing to…

By Angelo Lynn As all Americans wish fervently for a return to normal times, we are faced with twin crises that have shaken the country to its core: a meteoric rise in Covid cases and an erosion of trust in the truth — a casualty of four years of lies and misinformation spewed by a…

By Betsy Dorminey Editor's note: Betsy Dorminey of Enosburg Falls is an attorney, entrepreneur and hotelier, proprietor of the Quincy Hotel of Enosburg Falls. She serves as the Vermont state director of The Capitalist League. As Biden savors his slim victory and prepares to “Occupy 1600 Pennsylvania” for the next four years there are lessons to be learned. Neither…

By Bill Bender What, isn’t Vermont “green?” Of course it is, right? Wrong. Green Mountain Power, which is owned by a Canadian natural gas distributor and supplies 70% of Vermont with electricity, claims that its energy supply is 94% carbon free and more than 63% renewable. This sounds great, except that 95% of this electricity…

By Angelo Lynn “The war for truth is now the war to preserve our democracy,” is how New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman summed up the state of the union in the wake of Trump’s defeat and his willingness to fabricate falsehoods about fraudulent votes and rigged elections. Friedman’s fraught warning has been five years in the…

By Lynn McNamara Several years ago I made a decision that came as a surprise to many of my friends and family. I was going to start hunting deer here in Vermont. As a lifelong animal lover and considered the family “tree hugger,” this desire to hunt seemed to some to be at odds with my…

By Jim Condos, Vermont Secretary of State Many of us love going to the polls on Election Day. Joining in-person with our friends, family, and neighbors to participate in the civic process is something I look forward to every election year. As Vermont’s chief election official, it is my responsibility to ensure we can all safely…

Dr. Michael Shank As a university professor, I’m constantly thinking about how to best equip my graduate students with life skills. I’m always taken aback when they struggle with how to communicate effectively, handle conflict constructively, think critically, or engage civically. Not only is a degree less valuable now, it’s also less applicable. Especially as…

By Layne Bruce A move by the USPS to slow down mail service by cutting overtime and reducing sortation sure seems like a gambit by the Trump administration to impact voting by mail this fall. He practically said as much Aug. 13 on Fox Business. Democrats have proposed over $3.6 billion for voting by mail at…

By Rob Roper A number of public school teachers and administrators have recently raised serious concerns about re-opening schools this fall. Harwood Union Superintendent Brigid Nease, just penned a 2,225 word letter sounding the alarm about the overwhelming challenges facing the system (see letter on page 10). Then on July 30, the House Education Committee held a…

By Angelo Lynn With Gov. Phil Scott’s declaration that everyone in the state should don facemasks when inside public establishments and when social distancing is not possible outside, Vermont just might be one of the few states to stay ahead of this pandemic’s rapid spread. The governor’s timing was particularly relevant as college towns and ski…

By Annabel Bruno I played a lot of sports in high school: soccer in the fall, snowboarding in the winter, and some mix of lacrosse, swimming and pre-season camps in the spring and summer. It will come as no surprise to those who know me that the athlete in my “tri-scholar athlete” status at RHS…

By Cathy Resmer The demand for local news has never been greater, U.S. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) acknowledged to newspaper publishers at the start of a June 4 Zoom call organized by the Vermont Press Association. “But the market model — in order to fund it — has never been weaker. It’s just an unbelievable…