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…

Dear Editor, As you may have heard or read, The University of Vermont is now pushing a medicare “advantage” plan in partnership with MVP health care, a local non-profit we are told in direct competition with more affordable traditional medicare plans. Additionally and to their discredit, rather than promoting what civilized nations around the globe…

Dear Editor, The Itty-Bitty Committee wants to thank all those who have been volunteering with decorating the Fair Haven Park. We had many folks share their creative talents with us in October making stick figures. The figures decorated the park throughout the month of October. November saw the committee gather several times to create stick…

By Annette Smith Editor’s note: Annette Smith is the executive director of Vermonters for a Clean Environment. She lives in Danby.  Not long ago, utilities envisioned a new renewable electricity system that would involve time-of-use rates and load management via smart meters. The idea was that customers would do laundry and charge electric vehicles (EVs)…

Dear Editor, Listening to the presentation to the Climate Council on the cost savings they are claiming will be associated with the Climate Action Plan, I was reminded of the classic scene from “Caddyshack” where Bill Murray’s character tells the story of his compensation for a round with Dalai Lama: “Oh, there won’t be any…