Dear Editor, With decades of effort toward raising public awareness on the plight of pollinators, we the beekeepers of Vermont are deeply concerned about recent communications from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food and Markets (VAAFM), and we would like to set the record straight. The VAAFM’s claim of record honey bee numbers in Vermont…

  Dear Editor,  Snow globes are popular and soothing. What’s not to like about a glass globe with a pleasant scene inside, with snow gently falling whenever you shake the globe? But what if those falling flakes are actually bits of greed, corruption, violence and ignorance?  That’s how America seems to me now: a carefully…

  Dear Editor, In the heart of Vermont, a market transformation is underway in the world of homebuilding construction, and it’s not your average headline.  This isn’t just about bricks and beams; it’s about creating homes that are healthier, more energy efficient, and built to last. Picture this: The year is 2023, and the Legislative…

  Dear Editor, The Castleton Woman’s Club would like to thank all of the individuals and families and organizations/businesses who made donations in memory or honor of family and friends for the 2023 Tree of Remembrance.   The Woman’s Club would like to thank the librarians from the Castleton Free Library for all their hard…

Submitted   By Carolyn Weir Editor’s note: This commentary is by Carolyn Weir of Weybridge. She is executive director of the McClure Foundation, an affiliate of the Vermont Community Foundation that works to close opportunity gaps in the state by strengthening college and career training pathways to Vermont’s most promising jobs. Young people deserve to…

Dear Editor,  Try to imagine Rutland City without its New England steeples and Grace Church’s organ parts strewn all over Court and West Streets. Imagine a flattened parking garage down the street and Walmart a charred pile of plastic poisoning the air.  No running water because the water treatment plant no longer exists, little food,…

Dear Editor, In 2023, the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion Initiative completed the third full year of its statewide effort, grew internally, and was recognized by several Vermont organizations. At year’s end, 131 cities and towns had adopted the Declaration of Inclusion. Nearly 73% of Vermont’s population resides in those towns. Members of the Initiative are…

Dear Editor, The Ludlow Area Rotary Club thanks the residents and businesses of the greater Ludlow area for their support in 2023. Our club is a part of Rotary International which is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The mission of Rotary is to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance…

Dear Editor, Try to imagine Rutland City without its New England steeples and Grace Church’s organ parts strewn all over Court and West Streets. Imagine a flattened parking garage down the street and Walmart a charred pile of plastic poisoning the air.  No running water because the water treatment plant no longer exists, little food,…

Dear Editor, In 2023, the Vermont Declaration of Inclusion Initiative completed the third full year of its statewide effort, grew internally, and was recognized by several Vermont organizations. At year’s end, 131 cities and towns had adopted the Declaration of Inclusion. Nearly 73% of Vermont’s population resides in those towns. Members of the Initiative are…

Dear Editor, The Ludlow Area Rotary Club thanks the residents and businesses of the greater Ludlow area for their support in 2023. Our club is a part of Rotary International which is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The mission of Rotary is to “provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance…

  Dear Editor, While real estate prices are absurd — and home-buying and renting are an impossibility for many — laying blame for homelessness at the feet of people of means who move here from elsewhere is a trite and glib iteration of a Vermont Old Guard classic: “It wasn’t a problem until these people…

  Dear Editor, Don’t look down, just breathe, I told myself. Breathe. Just admit you’re scared and breathe.  Slowly try to make just one simple move. Just move one foot. One hand. Breathe. Another foot, another hand. Breathe. You’re going to be OK. If you can climb a flight of stairs you can begin to…

  Dear Editor, As concerned parents, my husband and I have recently removed a child from a local school for his safety as the bullying, harassment and constant safety issues have risen and are not being dealt with. Schools are supposed to be safe places for our children to gain an education.  As parents we…

Dear Editor, A recent commentary by an anti-hunting activist took their standard track in denying the value of the sporting community to wildlife stewardship in Vermont. It is intriguing that this handful of activists has the hubris to claim that they speak for the general public. They don’t. They speak for themselves. If they spoke…