Dear Editor, “The evidence is clear,” stated Mary Newman, head of school at The Sharon Academy (TSA). “Starting the school day later makes a big difference to high school students.” For years, educators have known that starting the school day later helps teenage students’ sleep patterns, mental health, and academic achievement, explained Newman. “There is…

Dear Editor, False prophets are not just a fixture of ancient times. In April of 2020, experts predicted that as many as 60,000 people might die from Covid-19 in this country. People reacted in disbelief. In a nation with such great technology, a fervent commitment to rule of law, churches inspiring neighborly behavior, and schools,…

Dear Editor, Editor's note: the following is an open letter to members of the Vermont Senate.  On behalf of NFIB and AGC/VT members in Vermont, we are writing to express our opposition to S.10, legislation that was intended to hold harmless small businesses from the historic event – pandemic unemployment in the magnitude of $1…

Dear Editor, I stayed with Henry Miles for three years while going to school in Rutland. He gave me shelter from the storm. He did not drink one drop for three years while I was there, but I needed to go to take care of a relative who had dementia out of state. I would…

Dear Editor, Editor's note:  The following is an open letter from Vermont students to Vermont representatives. We, the undersigned Vermont students, wish to convey the urgency for the passage of S.53. Period poverty is real and pervasive, and it affects many Vermonters. You have the ability to help end that and provide the equal footing…

Dear Editor, The Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA) is embarking on a name-changing process. We feel our acronym evokes associations to a name that isn’t ours to use. Out of respect for the Rastafari religion and movement, we will soon be changing the name of our club. This name-changing process offers the opportunity to…

Dear Editor, Most people who rent out a property they own through Airbnb or VRBO are people like myself who are just trying to make ends meet and be able to afford a small slice of Vermont. We rent out our vacation homes to pay the mortgage and the upkeep. There’s no big profit to…

Dear Editor, Over the past several weeks, we have seen a growing anxiety around conversations happening in the legislature regarding public employee pensions. We have seen a rise in misinformation and confusion concerning what is actually happening and why these considerations are occurring at this time. The reason I have prioritized this issue is simple:…

Dear Editor, Faithful political representatives of the people in ancient Rome participated in peaceful negotiation and regular compromise with their adversaries. This concept of “concordia” was so highly admired by the citizenry that a temple and a bronze statue were built for Lady Compromise, and people worshipped her as a god in heaven. The nation…

Dear Editor, As the elected legislative body in the town of Stockbridge, the Select Board received a petition to start the process of breaking up the merger of Stockbridge and Rochester’s schools in 2020. This merger created the RSUD or Rochester Stockbridge Union District. This merger was the result of the arduous and lengthy Act…

Dear Editor, With the recent regime change in Washington D.C.  the Democrats are in charge of the executive branch, the House and the Senate.  Quite rapidly, we are witnessing corporate America and Big Green Energy flooding social media and legacy news with advertisements pushing the virtues of  transitioning to battery operated transportation. The external costs…

Dear Editor, It was not my first choice to write this letter. I would have preferred to be able to handle the Bird Feeding Problem within the Telemark Village Association internally.  But, sometimes you have to take a stand on something you believe is truly unfair and unjust. My husband and I have been living…

Dear Editor, Some years ago, a baby girl of Asian-African decent was born in America. She was named “Kamala.” She had a rough life growing up as a third-class citizen in this land of “white supremecy.” People of color have always been classed as second- or third-rate citizens. As she grew older, she decided to…

Dear Editor, Planet America has coarsened over the past 50 years. Back then, President Nixon was embarrassed out of office when his late-night plumbers got caught poking around the other party’s national headquarters. Now, Trump brings howitzers into Congressional chambers in broad daylight and feels no remorse. Then, interest rates were limited by law to…

Dear Editor, Young children are open to learning everything they can all of the time. That is why they pick up on parents’ beliefs including prejudices. If parents make positive comments about people from other races, or from different parts of the country or the world, then children take on those positive attitudes as well.…