Dear editor, With the weather warm upon us, family travel and college and high school schools out on vacation, the need for blood is critically low – but the Gift-of-Life Mini Marathon Blood Drive is fast approaching. The annual summer blood drive, the offspring of Rutland’s national-record-setting Gift-of-Life Marathon, is set for July 19 from…

Dear Editor, There’s a vocal segment of  Vermonters who consistently decry what they see as “the liberal” tendency to spend “other people’s money” on social programs. I ran across this most recently in comments supporting gubernatorial candidate Phil Scott’s public statement that he’s pretty sure that $50 million can be cut from Medicaid. That’s an…

Dear Editor, I haven’t fully made my mind up yet about the national election, but there’s a weird similarity between the presidential campaign and the politics of Rutland, Vt. Without a doubt the presence of Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump (both totally unlikely candidates) have demonstrated that change is in order. Both spoke clearly on…

Dear Editor, I am writing regarding the Rainbow Family of Living Light Gathering of the Tribes that has been setting up in the Green Mountain National Forest in Mount Tabor. I am a California native who has travelled to Vermont in order to volunteer my time and labor at the gathering. Rainbow Gatherings mean a…

Dear Editor, On, July 4, my wife, an extremely careful driver who has never received a speeding ticket in her life, was driving on 100 South in Plymouth at the posted speed limit of 50 m.p.h., when suddenly she passed a 35 m.p.h. speed limit posted without previous warning on the same road—with a police…

Dear Editor, The 2016 gubernatorial candidacy of Bill Lee marks the resurgence of the Liberty Union Party as the main voice of progressive conscience and thought in state politics as the Vermont Progressive Party has lost that distinction due to recent ill-advised decisions and bad campaign strategies in their attempts to collaborate with the establishment…

Dear Editor, Last Wednesday, June 15, at The Local in Rutland, Team Romulous raised money for animal cruelty investigations against a background of outrageous music by Rick Redington & the Luv with Swamp Cabbage. Founder Walter Parks and Rick generously donated their time for our cause. In his column last week in the Mountain Times,…

Dear Editor, At the Killington select board meeting, Tuesday, June 21, Ms. Kathryn Bellis whose husband was killed in an accident involving Craig Mosher’s bull July 31, 2015, was allowed to speak at the meeting during citizens input. What she said was for the most part a direct quote, from the letter that appeared in the…

Dear Editor, When my husband and I moved to Chester in March of 2001 on a very snowy day it was impossible to really appreciate the meadow we had acquired. By the middle of April we were able to walk the property. As we were coming back to the house I mentioned to him what…

Dear Editor, The majority of the citizens who I hear oppose the refugee relocation program for Rutland are afraid to speak up or be branded “phobes” and bigots . . . nasty politics. The people are not opposed to humanitarian efforts or persons of cultural difference. It’s the lack of democratic process that angers them.…

I would like to thank everyone who bowled or made donations for the Strike Out Hunger Benefit Bowl, held on Friday, June 3. Together, we raised $1,726 for the Rutland Meals Challenge! This is enough money for us to package an additional 6,904 meals for local community dinner programs, food pantries and the Vermont Food…

Dear Editor, A big thank you to Amy Morrison for all of her help with organizing the town-wide tag sale and to the KPAA for the space.  Though the weather was less than perfect on June 11, the sale was somewhat of a success and we hope to make it an annual event. Again, thanks to…

Dear Editor, Ms. Bellis certainly has my sympathy for the loss of her husband. As she stated in her letter to the editor last week, not only did she lose her husband but also her best friend. No one can deny the gravity of such a loss. But I question her characterization of Craig Mosher…

Dear Editor, In response to the state of Vermont’s criminal charges of involuntary manslaughter, a criminal charge that could carry up to a 15-year prison sentence, against Craig Mosher, the owner of a Scottish Highlander bull that escaped its pasture when a tree caused a fence failure, leading to a tragic car crash and the…

By Lawrence G. Jensen In just a few months, the first Syrian refugees may begin to arrive in Rutland, and as they settle in they will be far removed from the culture and places they have known as their home. Good neighbors and strong communities welcome newcomers and provide a friendly environment that meets their…