By Rob Roper What happens when an irresistible force meets an immovable object? Vermonters will find out in January when the new Republican governor officially takes office along with a Legislature that has, if anything, moved a little to the left. During the campaign, governor-elect Scott, often accused by his critics of being non-committal and…

Dear Editor, The framers of the US Constitution created the Electoral College as a result of a compromise for the presidential election process.  During the debate, some delegates felt that a direct popular election would lead to the election of each state’s favorite son and none would emerge with sufficient popular majority to govern the…

Dear Editor, As I reflect on this World Cup weekend, I would like to offer my greatest thanks to Killington Resort and the volunteers that made this event a success. Without the town, the resort and the business community working together, this international skiing competition would have been near impossible to pull off. Very rarely…

Dear Editor, This past weekend Vermont hosted over 30,000 spectators for the return of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup to Killington – one of the largest women’s weekend crowd in the 50-year history of the World Cup. On behalf of the athletes who came from every corner of the globe, a big thanks to…

By Governor Peter Shumlin One of the key responsibilities of governing is crafting a budget that reflects Vermonters’ priorities and lives within our means as a state. As we transition this important responsibility to the incoming administration, it’s worth reviewing the last six years of financial management. Let’s remember where we started. Before I took…

Dear Editor, I have been asked many times about my feelings for the outcome of the presidential election… and I say this: Every 365 days each of us travels around the sun together within this magnificent solar system. The earth, the sun, the moon, Mars, Jupiter, the balance of the universe… could care less about…

Dear Editor, Thanksgiving is a time when people think about what they are grateful for. Some people think of this holiday as a time to eat food and cook, but really, it’s a time to sit around the table with your family or friends, and tell what you are thankful for before Aunt Marge or…

By Lee Kahrs I stood in front of the Pittsford town offices on Veterans Day with almost 100 other people at the dedication of the new veterans’ memorial. A fierce cold wind whipped dead leaves in all directions, the temperature dropping by the minute. Flags were lowered and then raised above the new slab of…

By Lee H. Hamilton One of the more intriguing aspects of this unusual election year is the extent to which the underpinning of the election itself — voting — has become an issue in its own right. An act that we used to take for granted is increasingly being called into question. Just look at…

By Bob Allen and Thanh Nguyen Editor’s note: The following is an open letter addressed to the region’s future Syrian neighbors written by Bob Allen, president of Green Mountain College in Poultney, and GMC student Thanh Nguyen who was born in Moscow, Russia, and lived most of her life in Hanoi, Vietnam. International students at…

Dear Editor, The other day I googled “Killington cartoons” and an interesting link came up. It was about the cartoonist Tim Newcombe, who drew a cartoon in the 80s lampooning Killington Resort’s quest to alter Vermont laws to allow it to use recycled sewage to make snow. Killington sued him and the papers that printed…

Dear Editor, I have been on the Killington School Board for over 10 years and this is my first letter to the editor. I am writing to invite you all to a meeting that will be held on Monday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. at the Killington Elementary School library. The School Board is holding…

By Tad Montgomery So, we have a petulant progressive farmer who is purportedly trying to plant himself firmly into the position of lieutenant governor in Vermont. One might say this is going a bit against the grain of politics as usual in our fair state, but anyone who has ever felt their oats in the…

By Lee H. Hamilton This campaign year has been full of twists and turns. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone on Nov. 8. So talking about what comes afterward seems premature. But it’s been on my mind a lot, because I’m worried. This specific worry is not about who wins the…

By Angelo S. Lynn The political bomb that dropped over the weekend did not, as many expected, explode at Sunday night’s second debate between Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Rather, it hit Friday night with the release of a video in which Trump speaks lewdly and openly about his boorish…