Dear Editor, I have tried in earnest to answer Jim Haff’s questions regarding several topics regarding the town of Killington’s financial reports such as the town report and the annual audit. I wrote those answers under the assumption Mr. Haff understood certain basic financial concepts. I guess one should never assume anything. Mr. Haff seems…

By Lee H. Hamilton You can understand why President Obama and congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle sought to cast their end-of-October budget deal in the best possible light. They avoided a potentially catastrophic national default. They reduced the possibility of a government shutdown. And they raised the debt ceiling until March, 2017,…

By Rebecca Holcombe and Scott Giles Fifty years ago, on Nov. 8, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Higher Education Act of 1965 into law. This historic act marked our first commitment to universal access to higher education, and represented one of the great achievements of the Civil Rights movement. Reflecting on the momentous occasion, President…

Those who grew up in Vermont likely experienced a childhood with adventures through snowy woods, discoveries in neighborhood brooks, and foot races through grassy fields. In Vermont we’re so fortunate to be surrounded by a natural world that offers so much. It truly is nature’s playground that we all get to enjoy. For many, it…

Dear Editor, One of the articles recently, regarding the status of the Rutland State Fair, mentioned the "Master Gardens." I think it is important for people to know that the Fair staff has nothing to do with maintenance, or even creation of the landscaping of the grounds, except to mow the lawn. There is a group…

Dear Editor, On Sunday, Oct. 25, approximately 70 members, friends and supporters of ARC-Rutland Area arrived at the Bomoseen Grange Hall for their annual Halloween Dance. That afternoon the hall was filled with music, munchies, costumes and plenty of dancing. Lori Anna and Bob Mason, did a super job as DJs and provided a delightful assortment of…

Dear Editor, I am writing to you today to share a vision for Vermont that is guided not by what is lacking but by what is working. I have so much optimism about our beautiful state. Vermont has incredible resources and resilient people. We see it in our working landscape, our revitalized downtowns, in our…

Dear Editor, My question on transparency (two books, two reports, two financials) gets really confusing when the town is not using one set of financials for all. In the 2013 Town Report “Goodnight Irene” on page 5, it states: “By completing construction of new bridges on Stage and Ravine Roads and repairing a series of…

Dear Editor, I love the wind...waves lapping against my dock, the whispering of the tree leaves, the way my flags blow. All are moving with this crisp wind blowing through my land. I even have a little windmill in my garden that I love watching! So you may wonder why I'm opposed to industrial wind…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin When we talk about renewable energy, the focus is often on the project–the solar panel or the wind turbine that allow us to harness local, Vermont-grown energy to power homes and business around the state. But if we dig deeper we find that renewable energy projects are about more than the…

By Brian Dubie Vermont’s Department of Public Service (DPS) has concluded that “after extensive review of a homeowner’s own sound measurements and analysis, . . . the indoor sound pressure levels at the homeowner’s residence” may have violated the state’s noise standards, justifying an investigation into Vermont Wind’s alleged compliance with the noise monitoring plan…

Dear Editor, In response to Patty McGrath’s attempt to answer my questions in her letter to the editor in last week’s edition, Oct. 28-Nov. 4: Patty, first off, I say two books, you say two reports, isn’t that the same thing? Why two sets of financials? This has been the question since day one, over…

Dear Editor, Mark Foley and Art Jones’ roles at the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce annual meeting felt like the perfect antidote for a cold, wet  day in Rutland, Oct. 29. The Chamber’s recognition of Mark Foley as Business Person of the Year was an acknowledgment of one of the brightest lights in Rutland. Mark…

New report outlines the impacts By Julia Purdy At its Town Meeting in Killington recently, the Vermont League of Cities and Towns came out in opposition to the legalization of recreational marijuana in Vermont. Apparently they have read the latest report, “The Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado: the Impact  Vol. 3,” issued in August by…

Dear Editor, I am writing in response to Jim Haff’s repeated requests to have several questions answered. Jim would like simple answers to what he refers to as simple questions. Despite his belief these questions are simple, the truth is that the answers are not, and to give them out of context would be highly…