Dear Editor, A new Vermont law extending paid time off benefits to tens of thousands of workers is good for the state’s economy and will result in a healthier and more stable workforce. Governor Peter Shumlin signed H.187, an act relating to the absence from work for health care and safety, into law Wednesday morning,…

Dear Editor, On behalf of the staff, volunteers and board of directors of the Rutland Area Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice (RAVNAH), I would like to thank the city, towns, and residents of Rutland County for your strong and heartfelt support of our comprehensive home care, hospice and community health services. Thanks to your vote…

Dear Editor, It is with heartfelt appreciation that the members of the Board of Directors and the staff of the Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging thank voters of Rutland and Bennington Counties for your continued funding of our work serving elders and their caretakers. Thanks to your financial assistance, we are able to provide such…

By Sen. Christopher Bray Vermonters want a greater voice in solving this century’s greatest challenge—how to change our economy from one powered by burning fossil fuels to one powered by clean, renewable energy. Over the past several years, the legislature has struggled to find the right way to promote this energy transformation while also empowering…

Dear Editor, Debbie Haskins’ recent op-ed titled “Youth and marijuana: Colorado’s experience and efforts” published in the March 9-15 edition of The Mountain Times, claims that a government survey (the National Survey of Drug Use and Health) showed dramatic increases in marijuana use by teens (12-17) and young adults (18-25) in the year immediately following…

Dear Editor, In response to the article “Budget Proposal Raises Worries of Waitlist for Child Care Subsidy” published by VTDigger.org last week, Let’s Grow Kids would like to issue the following statement to the media. Vermont cannot afford to place the healthy development of our children on a waiting list. Every Vermont child deserves a…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin I’ll admit that I don’t understand how Washington D.C. and Congress work most of the time. For years, Republicans in Congress have thrust the institution into perpetual gridlock, so much so that it struggles to fulfill its most basic responsibilities. Even after the death of a Supreme Court Justice, Senate Republicans…

By Debby Haskins When recreational marijuana was made legal in Colorado, the governor and other proponents promised that they would keep it out of the hands of youth. It’s the same promise Governor Shumlin and other legalization proponents are now making here. Can they succeed? The answer from Colorado is a resounding “No.” The newly-released…

By Lee H. Hamilton These are very unhappy times in Washington. Relations between the executive and legislative branches are not just sour, but corrosive. Partisan paralysis and game-playing on Capitol Hill have become a hallmark of these times, as has the evident distaste our nation’s leaders feel for one another. It would be understandable to…

Dear Editor, In the wake of the recent election it has come to my attention that a certain prominent member of the community has made some proprietary statements to the Killington Pico Areas Association (KPAA) concerning the 1 percent options tax. This person stated the tax is raised by the businesses and infers because the…

Dear Editor, Hip hip hooray for Jim Haff’s excellent run for Selectboard. Jim, you stuck to the issues, and with honesty and integrity you made your case for a better Town of Killington. Hip hip hooray for Jim Haff’s attention to details. Jim, again, you brought attention to the “mistakes” in this year’s Town Book…

Dear Editor, After this past election in Killington, I would like to thank everyone for coming out and voting. For those of you that did cast a vote for me, Jim Haff, thank you very much. I understand the platform that I ran (and will continue to run) on is a tough one to get…

Dear Editor, The article “Senate OK’s marijuana legalization bill” by Elizabeth Hewitt and Mark Johnson in the March 2-8 edition of The Mountain Times certainly grabbed my attention! With full disclosure, I admit (and apologize) today for having been a part of that late ‘60s college “culture” that probably began this snow-balling predicament. The slogan…

Dear Editor, There is a problem with the ski industry, and it is the way ski areas pay their snow sports instructors. They only pay them for when they are interacting with a student. So what that boils down to is they require you to be at work at a certain time and if no…

Dear editor, This is an open letter to Governor Peter Shumlin. We request that you (Shumlin) request the immediate resignation of Commissioner of Vermont Department of Health, Dr. Harry Chen, for his attempt to influence voter decision on fluoridation by sharing misinformation in a Rutland Herald commentary dated Saturday, Feb. 20 on the issue of…