Dear Editor, Congratulations class of 2020!  What an extraordinary time this is. We know that every graduation from pre-school to advanced degrees is a benchmark in the life of a student filled with personal memories, but yours is one that will be remembered by the population at large. You are part of a global collective…

Dear Editor, Donald Trump petulantly stalks out of pressers and haughtily betrays our allies and nemeses alike. In effect, he takes his marbles and goes home. Fine! We’ll just keep on playing. But in fact, there is a silver lining. And that is: the betrayed and disenfranchised are flexing their muscle with a new vigor.…

Dear Editor, The obscene public execution of George Floyd on Monday night May 25th by Minneapolis police has brought about righteous indignation and protests not only in Minnesota but across the country as the American public has finally had enough of the continuous system of non-accountablity and protection from serious prosecution afforded to brutal thugs…

To the editor, We are writing this letter as an enthusiastic endorsement of Meg Hansen for lieutenant governor of Vermont. We have known Meg Hansen for several years and are  impressed with her knowledge of the concerns facing all Vermonters. Hansen is a tenacious researcher, a gifted speaker, writer and a honest and compassionate woman.  She will…

Dear Editor, Do you feel like you’re living in some type of strange dream? Us, too. Or maybe the nice weather and a few business openings have you feeling like things might someday get back to normal? We hear you. Either way, we want you to know that WARF (Woodstock Area Relief Fund) is here…

Dear editor, In reading the article entitled “Police investigate harassment of black family with out-of-state plate in Hartford”, which appeared in the May 20-26 issue, I had an alternative interpretation of the motivation.  The car was pulled over and the driver “advised that he was not wanted in Vermont and told to leave” and this…

Dear Editor, There was good news from Covid-19 for this past Memorial Day weekend and beyond. We didn’t get stuck in traffic jams. And, the meat shortage kept us safe from our outdoor grills. Folks who grill hamburgers and hot dogs face a nasty choice. The U.S. Meat and Poultry Hotline advises grilling at high…

Dear Editor, Forget “government takeovers” of health care. It was taken over long ago by insurance companies and other commercial interests. Now it’s just a money pit. Insurance premiums are tied to how much insurers have to pay out to doctors and hospitals. The fees doctors and hospitals charge include money to compensate for the enormous…

Dear Editor, The Covid-19 pandemic has created unprecedented public health and economic challenges for the people of Vermont. Vermonters have lost their lives, many have lost access to healthcare services, one in four are now unemployed, and too many families are struggling with hunger and food shortage. The true extent of this devastation will only…

Dear Editor, Over the last several weeks, Vermonters have been thinking a lot about food—where it comes from, who harvests it, how far it travels, what it costs and how much is available. I was not one of those kids who grew up wondering where her food came from. My brothers and I were born…

Dear Editor, To all of those who helped us search for our dog Finn in Pittsfield, the Masillo family can not thank you enough. He got free with his leash attached and was out in the woods and stuck for 42 hours. We are overcome with gratitude, by both the willingness and kindness, of our community. He…

Dear Editor, The following is a letter that U.S. Rep. Peter Welch wrote to Speaker Pelosi and Minority Leader McCarthy on May 8. I write today to request that the next Covid-19 legislative package include funding to support local journalism and media. This support is essential to ensure that our communities continue to have access…

Dear Editor, There is no hiding from Covid-19. This virus has no borders and travels at will, menacing people and businesses in every sector of society. The pandemic threatens agriculture and with it our food security, as farmers work to produce the food on our tables.  Our farmers, producers and those making their living off…

Dear Editor, As our public health paradigm shifts with the emergence of Covid-19, many Vermonters are experiencing loss—of connection, of livelihood, of basic necessities, and some have lost loved ones. We are living with uncertainty. The road forward must be paved with time for grieving, resources for the vulnerable, and opportunities to restart Vermont’s economic…

Dear Editor, While waiting for a resolution to the Covid-19 crisis we need to be looking to the future of  health care in general. We have continued to struggle with unaffordable premiums, unaffordable deductibles, and unaffordable co-pays, forcing choices between health care and food, rent, mortgages, clothes, tuition,….add to that the millions of people who…