By James Lyall Editor’s note: James Lyall is the executive director of  ACLU of Vermont. The Vermont affiliates of the NAACP and ACLU this month invited to Montpelier five family members whose loved ones were lost to police violence, and who are a part of the Love Not Blood Campaign. Their stories are a powerful…

Dear Editor, In the Jan 25 edition of The Mountain Times, environmental activist Bill McKibben opined about health and environmental risks of household gas stoves. He tries to make the case that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted by stoves is a leading cause of asthma and he cites statistical studies to back that up. It strikes…

Dear Editor, There are few times in our lives when we have the opportunity to have the impact that we, Killington voters, have this March on Town Meeting Day. The last time someone or something had an impact this great on Killington, Pres Smith was hiking to the base of Killington mountain to start planning…

Dear Editor, Let me begin by saying thank you for your support and encouragement over the years. I am truly honored and humbled to be your mayor.  I want you to know I am totally healthy and cancer free, working every day, and am as motivated and excited about the next two years as I…

Dear Editor, I’ve spent my professional life as a primary care pediatrician, mostly in Vermont. Now I’m retired and the beneficiary of Medicare. I see alarming signs that Medicare, a public good, is being privatized and abused by for-profit insurance companies. Their greed threatens the integrity and sustainability of Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans are actively…

Dear Editor, A very important fact was edited from my letter to the Mountain Times on Dec. 28 about Killington’s removal of beaver dams that the town residents should be made aware of. It’s obvious the town and state have implemented this river management plan in the complete absence of knowledge about the river itself.…

Dear Editor, In the Dec. 28 Mountain Times, a letter writer made many false claims and assertions. I am referring to the letter about Killington’s river permit. The writer is uninformed and not qualified to make these comments regardless of how much time they have spent paddling the river. I have lived on this segment…

Dear Editor, ‘I don’t give them money, because they’re just going to buy drugs with it. I don’t want to feed their addiction.' Let’s unpack that statement that was just repeated to me for what felt like the gazillionth time today. Maybe they are, maybe they’re not. But let’s say for argument’s sake they are…

Dear Editor, Founded in 2007 Appalachian Trail Adventures, the company has enjoyed steady growth each year since—with a focus on providing fun adventures and premier customer service. Escapades range from guided hikes on the Appalachian Trail, to kayaking on rivers, to exploring a cave, to taking a sightseeing tour and much more. Given the scope…

Dear Editor, New England businesses, both large and small, offer charitable support to the many projects and programs that enrich the lives of all New Englanders and therefore play a vital philanthropic role in maintaining the region’s quality of life. In return, many businesses reap enormous benefits, such as enhanced image, better customer relations and…

Dear Editor, National weather services have been calling the latest storm to strike the Northeast a “Nor’easter.” But it wasn’t. The term Nor’easter has been used by generations along the coast of the far northeastern U.S. to describe a coastal storm swirling counterclockwise in a westerly direction from the north Atlantic Ocean, with the winds…

Dear Editor, If you do anything before putting up your Christmas tree you are making a huge mistake. For example, if you buy your presents first, what do you do with them? Do you keep them in the trunk of your car? Smuggle them into the house and wait for a tree? Get your tree…

Dear Editor, As 2022 itself draws to a close, the winter is only just getting started. With new progress underway, the Ludlow Recreation Committee is excited to share the most recent updates. To start the season the Ludlow Parks and Recreation Department hosted a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, a familiar race that this year…

Dear Editor, In response to Mr. Emerson Lynn’s guest editorial “The Peril of OneCare’s failure,” which ran in the Nov. 30-Dec. 6 editon of the Mountain Times, OneCare’s failure would hardly impact Vermont’s health care because it has always been a failure to begin with. I commend Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB) members Owen Foster…

Dear Editor, It’s time for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department (VTF&W) and elected state officials to act on the wishes of the majority of Vermonters and ban recreational and fur trapping for furbearers (bobcat, otter, fisher, coyotes, beaver, red and gray fox, muskrat, raccoon, opossum, weasel, mink and skunk). VTF&W recently commissioned a survey…