Dear Editor, As children get ready to return to school, I am reminded of my family counseling work after 9/11. Kids came to school following that horrific day carrying tremendous trauma and stress with them. Not surprisingly, they used phrases and drew pictures much like their parents described to explain their own despair. It became…

Dear Editor, The National Congress of American Indians advocates for “ending the legacy of racism and the era of harmful ‘Indian’ mascots.” As the NCAI elaborates, such mascots “have serious psychological, social and cultural consequences for Native Americans, especially Native youth.” The caricatures and stereotypes perpetuated by the use of “Indian” mascots spawns a culture…

Dear Editor, The Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF) anticipates that many local residents will be significantly impacted by the lapse of the $600 per week supplemental unemployment income.  If you live in Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, or Reading, WARF can help provide immediate financial assistance of up to $1,000. This is available to anyone…

Dear Editor, When I stood with students, parents, and educators recently to discuss the challenges of emergency remote education during this global pandemic, I found myself wondering, how have we left so many children behind. To be clear, the efforts of our teachers during this crisis have been nothing less than heroic. Our teachers have…

Dear Editor, Vermont is aptly named the Green Mountain State. Our verdant forests are a defining part of our landscape and offer incredible and diverse services. They provide us with clean air and water, flood control, and climate change mitigation. They are habitat for native plants and animals, and are places where we maintain our…

Dear Editor, Most of us know it’s just as important to be a good guest as it is to be a good host. But what if we’ve never been taught how? That hospitality is as much about respecting the rules of the house to which we’ve been invited as it is providing a place of…

Dear Editor, We all can play a significant role in electing a woman as Vermont state auditor for the first time in a long time. Interesting? You bet. For many reasons. Linda Joy Sullivan of Bennington County is that woman. She is a certified public accountant, with an MBA and a master of laws in…

Dear Editor, Schools in Vermont support the academic, social and developmental needs of children, help address food insecurity, and provide mental health services. Weighing the health risks of reopening schools in fall 2020 against the educational and developmental risks of limiting in-person instruction, school districts should prioritize full-time, in person attendance for all students preschool through…

Dear Editor, The physician and physician assistant members of the Vermont Medical Society applaud Governor Phil Scott’s announcement Friday putting in place a mandatory face mask policy. On Wednesday night, the Medical Society governing council led by president Catherine Schneider, MD, met for an hour to discuss the evidence and policy options regarding the universal…

Dear Editor, In response to some of the lieutenant governor candidates who responded to a moderator question in last Tuesday’s vpt/vpr debate by expressing support for Donald Trump’s economic policies, I offer these pertinent facts. After three years in office his administration has dismantled most of the major environmental protective policies as the basis for…

Dear Editor, Now more than ever, Vermonters must ask themselves who they want to audit their tax dollars and critical state programs and in 2020 the answer is Linda Joy Sullivan. She is a two-term state legislator from Dorset but more important to this letter she is a trained and nationally renowned professional certified public…

Dear Editor, The field of lost dreams. That is now what the Killington softball field is being called. They built it, but nobody is coming. Every player loves playing here and always say how beautiful the field is. The town now has two fields that are not in use by anyone. I have been the…

Dear Editor, In my years serving in municipal and state government, I’ve occasionally come across individuals who have an unparalleled commitment to their communities and dedication to service. Josh Terenzini is one of those individuals. As chair of the Rutland Town Selectboard, Josh Terenzini has  demonstrated his steadfast devotion to his constituents. He has crafted…

Dear Editor, In November the Trump campaign and the Vermont Republican Party announced a partnership they labeled the “Vermont Trump Victory Team.” The announcement touted supposed Trump accomplishments—including, oddly, “controlling healthcare costs”—and announced a goal of “electing Republicans across Vermont…to ensure [Trump] can achieve more victories for the American people for many years to come.” The…

Dear Editor, Doug Hoffer gets my vote for state Auditor in the Democratic primary and, I hope, in the general election. He has consistently done a good job for all of us. His efforts to hold our state’s “accountable care organization,” OneCare, accountable are laudable and necessary. But that job is not yet finished. Few Vermonters…