Dear Editor, Can an entire country kill itself? We’re about to find out. Among all the self-destructive policies being pursued by this administration, I’ll focus on the one I spent my entire academic career studying: our medical response to infectious disease. In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner created the smallpox vaccine. But now, under Robert F.…

Dear Editor, Equity is meaningless when it is defined by those in power, rather than by stakeholders. Legislators need to keep this in mind as they reimagine Vermont’s education system. Living in a rural area is a social determinant of health, of educational outcomes, and, I would argue, of power. Nearly 65% of Vermonters live in small towns, rural,…

Dear Editor, As if the onslaught of U.S. tariffs on goods from the Great White North weren’t enough... … now this, per Bloomberg via The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Washington. The Trump tariffs on Canadian petroleum, cars, hydropower, medications, vehicles, and softwood lumber for construction include wood pulp for … paper products. Yes, that includes toilet paper.…

Dear Editor, March was Youth Art Month, and we held our bi-annual show at the statehouse in Montpelier. I want to share my speech from that evening. My name is  Melissa Kristiansen, and I am honored to serve as president of the Vermont Art Education Association and co-chairperson of Youth Art Month alongside the incredible…

Dear Editor, I want you to imagine standing in a field surrounded by 9,000 beautiful, healthy Brussels sprout plants—months of careful planning, hard work, and abundance growing from the soil. But then, in a matter of days, relentless rain pounds the earth, drowning the roots, rotting the harvest, and washing away not just my crops…

Dear Editor,  I think about energy a lot. I grew up in a drafty house with cold bedrooms, whereas my best friend lived in a modern, passive solar home that was always comfortable. That contrast put the role energy consumption and efficiency played into clear focus at a young age. This idea led me to…

Dear Editor, A considerable amount of attention and work this legislative session has been devoted to Vermont’s preK-12 public education system and its funding. This is important work as 30% of state spending is devoted to our most precious resource, 83,000 children. Vermonters understand how meaningful these conversations are. Education is critical to our communities…

Dear Editor, The recent actions of Americans for Prosperity (AFP) and the Vermont Republican Party (VTGOP) reveal a concerning inconsistency. AFP, founded by the Koch brothers and a mouthpiece for Big Oil, is campaigning to repeal Vermont’s Act 18 of 2024, the Clean Heat Standard, citing concerns that it will “increase the cost of living,” “make it…

Dear Editor, Education is heading for a major overhaul in Vermont. Whether it be the governor’s, the House, or the Senate proposal (or most likely some amalgam of the three), it is happening. Although the pressure for action is intense now, we won’t actually see substantive changes play out until 2027 or beyond. In the…

Dear Editor, Justice should not be a privilege reserved for those who can afford it. In Vermont, the gap between legal needs and available resources continues to grow, leaving too many individuals and families without meaningful access to the justice system. This is not just a legal issue — it is a fundamental challenge to…

Dear Editor, For better or worse, the word “affordability” is the new buzzword. It is all over the news and in the public sphere. It was all over the campaign trail and the governor and our Legislature mention it in practically every other sentence. While this is a great thing, something we all should be…

Dear Editor, Thank you to our Killington community for supporting the Drive-Thru Lasagna dinner on Monday, March 3, at the Killington Public Safety Building. The event was sponsored by the Sherburne United Church of Christ, Killington’s Little White Church. A special thanks to our chef, Rob Merrill, who prepared and cooked 12 pans of lasagna…

Dear Editor, Lawsuits and similar threats against local nonprofits and their volunteers don’t just target individuals, they weaken our community. They deter public service, drain resources, and distract organizations from delivering vital services many of us rely on. It is a reality that well-meaning community members — in many cases our neighbors and friends —…

Dear Editor, I am writing to share my family’s ongoing struggle with Vermont’s judicial system and to raise awareness about the consequences of impaired driving.  Almost 4 years ago, my wife’s life was forever changed when she was involved in a head-on collision caused by a man under the influence. While she continues to suffer…

Dear Editor, On Oct. 29, 1943, my father, Etienne Aberth, an immigrant from Strasbourg, France, signed up with the U.S. Navy a little more than two weeks after his seventeenth birthday. He was assigned to the newly-minted cargo ship, USS Cepheus, and earned a bronze star during the invasion of southern France on Aug. 15,…