Discover More from This Category: Letters

Stop bullying

March 29, 2023
Dear Editor, I attended the Killington Select Board meeting on March 20 and all in all it was a well-attended meeting with people being calm and communicating, until Select Board member Jim Haff turned red in the face. He was abusive and bullied a member of the audience. This seems to be a pattern.  He…

Thank you, KSAR, for your service

March 29, 2023
Dear Editor, My Dad encouraged me to find my voice and my Mom taught me to respect those who serve the public good. So, I  would like to extend a hearty thank you to all who have served the public as the Killington Search and Rescue team (KSAR) since 2011 in their capacity as trained…

Strengths, culture of KSAR disrespectfully dismissed

March 29, 2023
Dear Editor, I want to thank Polly Mikula for her editorial on the public safety issue published in last week’s edition of the Mountain Times, it is informative and asks the questions that need to be addressed. As a past select board member (2013–2019) and a relative of two past members of KSAR (three if…

Thanks for community support

March 22, 2023
Dear Editor,  Thank you to our fantastic Killington community for supporting the Drive-Thru Lasagna dinner on March 3 at the Killington Public Safety Building sponsored by the Sherburne United Church of Christ, Killington’s Little White Church.  A special thanks to Rob Merrill who prepared and cooked the lasagna, to the Killington Resort who donated the…

Bear hunting not useful tactic

March 22, 2023
Dear Editor, Human-wildlife conflict poses a major challenge for the conservation of carnivore species globally. Today black bears inhabit only about 60% of their historic range in North America, mostly due to human persecution. Large home territories and a varied diet can easily lead them into conflict with humans. Wildlife agencies consider bear hunting to…

School workers: We need action to ensure everyone’s safe at school

March 15, 2023
Dear Editor, Last month, 21 schools across Vermont were targeted by a vicious hoax that terrorized countless students and staff members as they were sent into lockdown and SWAT teams carrying AR-15s burst into the lobby.  We are thankful nobody was physically harmed in these incidents. Yet, many of us faced the credible threat of an active…

Thanks for passing Killington Forward: the future looks bright

March 15, 2023
Dear Editor, A big thank you to the voters of Killington. The passage of the Killington Forward article at last week’s Town Meeting, by a wide margin, has finally set the new Six Peaks Village into motion. We owe it all to this amazing community. Killington Resort and Great Gulf Group are excited to embark…

Please save our books

March 15, 2023
Dear Editor, The citizens of Castleton, along with students, faculty and staff of Castleton University, are taking action. We held a book read-in Monday, March 6, to show support for retaining print books at the Vermont State University libraries. The read-in began on the Calvin Coolidge Library steps at 5:30 p.m. and everyone was asked…

A carbon bomb in our Green Mountain National Forest?

March 15, 2023
By Howard Jennings Editor’s note: Howard Jennings, a Bristol resident, is the former research director of Mobility Lab, a transportation think tank in Virginia. He is now working with Save Public Forests, a collective effort of scientists, researchers, ecologists and individuals from many organizations, united in researching and promoting realistic modern-day solutions to climate change,…

Exercise is good medicine for the mental health of Vermont kids

March 8, 2023
Dear Editor, Today, more than ever, our children are struggling with their mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but the issue needs to be recognized all year long. We simply can’t ignore the problem any longer. Between mass shootings, the pandemic, and social media our children are suffering. Covid-19 alone has increased rates…

Thanks for your help with the rabies clinic

March 8, 2023
Dear Editor, Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers that were going to help with Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society’s “Drive Up & Poke!” Rabies Clinic. We couldn’t win a fight with Mother Nature, so we’ve postponed the clinic to April 1, 12:30-2 p.m., WUHS Parking Lot. $13 per vaccination.  Drive ups are…

Vermont veterans have earned tax-free pensions

March 8, 2023
Dear Editor, When Vermont faces an acute crisis – floods, pandemics, national security events – our first thought is often: “Call out the Guard.” With a phone call from the governor, the women and men of the Vermont National Guard drop everything to help our beloved state in its time of greatest need. From Tropical…

Libraries should be better funded, not closed

March 8, 2023
Dear Editor, On Feb. 7, Vermont State University President Parwinder Grewal announced a new decision to transition to an all-digital, university-wide “library” and repurpose the existing library spaces on each campus. The Middlebury chapter of the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) strongly opposes the closing of any of the VTSU libraries.   “Libraries are…

Please vote ‘yes’ on TIF plan

March 7, 2023
Dear Editor, While I am not a full time resident and cannot vote, I have been a property owner/stakeholder in Killington for 30 years. On March 7 we have an opportunity to take a critically important step forward. The economic reality is that without growth, stagnation and degration set in. We have all lived through…

Concerned about TIF

March 5, 2023
Dear Editor, I've owned property in Killington for 15+ years, and I want Killington to be successful for a long time to come. I need to say that every growing community that I've lived in and worked with over the past 20 years struggles to cover the cost of new services associated with growth/development with…