Dear Editor, I wish to agree with Rebecca Holcombe’s views about religious schools taking public money on the basis of “nondiscrimination” for a religious school, while those schools not only discriminate, as the Grace School in the article does in a heinous manner, denying gay people’s humanity as they do, but have traditionally been allowed to do…

Dear Editor, The Vermont State Auditor’s report, which tells us that the cost to taxpayers for supporting the Vermont dairy industry during the period 2010-2019 has been very high but stops short of saying largely ineffective, has already stimulated the predictable responses from the industry’s apologists: that “agriculture isn’t an optional industry, but rather a…

Dear Editor, Many people don’t realize that global weather patterns can actually have a bearing on their health. I consider it part of my responsibility as a medical professional to explain these challenges to my patients, especially as the weather starts to get unseasonably warm. During physicals, I remind patients of all ages to check…

Dear Editor, You’ve probably heard a lot about the personal actions we can all take to help mitigate the effects of the climate crisis. Bike to work more. Stop eating meat. Turn off your lights. Sound familiar?  I may be jaded, but in my experience, individual actions alone, however gratifying, will be insufficient to get…

Dear Editor, Two Mondays ago, on my way to work I stopped at the end of Spellman Terrace to take my turn onto South Main Street when a terrifying scene unfolded in front of me. A young man, in obvious distress, slumped against a white van parked on South Main Street. Even though he was…

Dear Editor, We read that Bridge to Rutland (B2R), a well-meaning grass-roots project, is laying plans to bring asylum seekers to Rutland. I am bucking the current here, but has anyone given any thought to how and where any numbers of asylum seekers will actually live here in Rutland? I have spent the last nine…

Dear Editor, The Rich Earth Institute applauds Secretary Moore’s April 28 editorial focused on wastewater infrastructure and the pending ARPA funding from Congress, and offers this response. Based in Brattleboro, our organization has been developing innovations in the wastewater sector since 2012, guided by the clear need for effective and affordable wastewater technologies to meet…

Dear Clarendon Residents, On May 18, there will be a special election for a seat on the Mill River School Board.  My experience demonstrates that I will be able to contribute the leadership needed to help the school district move forward. My background in Communication supports an understanding of the barriers that occur between people…

Dear Editor, When some school board members state that the Rutland City School Board should have been doing other things, maybe they didn’t notice we were because they were so stuck in retaining the Raider mascot. Over this last year the School Board has operated schools in person during a pandemic, hired a new superintendent,…

Dear Editor, So, I heard on Fox News that President Biden may be banning meat to combat global warming. Then I remembered that Colorado Democrat Governor Jared Polis had issued a similar proclamation last month. My first reaction was, what kind of cockamamie idea will the Democrats cook up next. But then I read the…

Dear Editor, The Vermont Legislature is currently considering whether or not to tax the forgiven loan I received under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that offered my business, Sugarsnap Catering, the relief that kept us afloat over the last year.  I was aware as early as February 2020 that Covid-19 would impact my business. I…

Dear Editor, One of my favorite Vermont sayings, “You can’t get there from here,” applies to the double standard our state has when it comes to our policy on criminal justice reforms. Our progressive state, known for social reforms, known for breaking barriers, is far ahead of other states, I don’t doubt the truth of that.…

Dear Editor, Last night’s Oscar for best documentary went to Netflix’s trailblazing documentary, "My Octopus Teacher." The documentary chronicles a complex relationship between a man and the world’s most bizarre animal — an octopus. It further testifies to our highly conflicted relationship with non-human animals and the natural world. Most of us treasure our “pets”…

Dear Editor, America is the technology titan of the planet. America is the productivity engineer of the nations. America is the humanitarian giant of the globe. America is the policeman of the world. If so, why then is India burning its people to ashes night and day to remove the human fallout of our leadership…

Dear Editor, It has come to my attention that the Green Mountain state has become greatly incognizant of the issues of the U.S./Mexico border wall in regard to its environmental instability. Our local newspapers have failed to recognize the immense issues of the border wall even though they coincide with the ideals and values of…