By Lee J. Kahrs, Editor, The Reporter, Brandon Anyone who can’t claim Native Vermonter status came here for a reason. I came here in October 2002 after living through the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. I wasn’t in the towers, and I wasn’t downtown, but I was in Manhattan that bluebird…

Dear Editor, There have been two issues before the Select Board these past few months that I would like to update the community on: West Hill Road and the adoption of a Gun Ordinance. First, West Hill Road. Quite a few residents have expressed concerns regarding the safety of traffic (car, pedestrian and bicycle) on…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin When Julia Dunn arrived at middle school, she learned something troubling about education in her community. Students from certain towns were well prepared in math, and students from some other towns were not. Some students had strong arts education in elementary school, and others did not. Some had studied foreign languages,…

By Lee H. Hamilton The campaigning for next year’s elections is starting to draw more attention, and with it comes a focus on voters and their mood. Which is all well and good, but it leaves out of the equation one large bloc of citizens: people who are eligible to vote, but don’t. They give…

By Deb Markowitz Last week I had an opportunity to spend some time with an older gentleman who has lived in the hills of Vermont his whole life. As he showed me his land, he shared his belief that more Vermonters are environmental stewards than folks in other states because we are connected to the…

Dear Editor, It appears that there is a concerted Killington town effort to either eliminate the West Hill slip lane, or make it dysfunctional. For many years the slip lane has safely removed exiting Access Road traffic from the dysfunctional Route 4 intersection during peak ski traffic mass exodus times. The convoluted logic to force…

Dear Editor, The Maine House of Representatives made big news at the end of June: it soundly defeated a bill to legalize retail marijuana, 98-45. This is significant for two reasons. First, the margin of defeat was a full 27 points greater than the first time Maine turned down a pot legalization bill in 2013.…

Dear Editor, For 105 years, the Boy Scouts of America has played an important and significant role in shaping the lives of its youth members by instilling in them the values found in the Scout Oath and Law. For those readers who are unfamiliar with the Oath and Law, please read on: Scout Oath: "On…

Dear editor, In this past week’s edition Rob Roper, president of the Ethan Allen Institute, wrote an opinion telling us that in order to improve the job market in Vermont we need to become a "right-to-work" state and that all workers should become "independent contractors" instead of employees. If employees became contractors, business owners would…

The end of summer and the beginning of another school year is an important milestone in the life of each child. For many Vermont kids, this summer was likely a time of rich experience and opportunity, with travel to a new place, quality time with family and friends, camp, and days packed with learning, excitement,…

By Mayor Christopher Louras On Aug. 26 I co-hosted (with the Vermont Council on Rural Development) a regional public forum at the Paramount Theatre on Advancing Vermont’s Climate Change Economy. The City of Rutland has garnered statewide and, in numerous instances, national recognition for embracing solar development as a tool to promote itself as a…

By Lisa Chalidze Pregnant women: hardly the stereotypical political image. Yet birth stirs up intense political, moral and even legal controversy. Why? Maybe it’s really a question of power? In our society, there is a trade-off between individual liberty, on the one hand, and compliance with social rules, on the other hand. To protect itself…

Dear Editor, I’m waiting on some answers from past letters to the editor, which my understanding Killington Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath has stated: “I also plan to continue to write letters monthly to The Mountain Times to address citizens concerns publicly so that all residents and property owners can stay apprised of the facts.” I…

Dear Editor, On Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, ARC Rutland Area again held their Annual Janet Wetherby Pampered Chef bingo at the American Legion in Rutland. The event is one of only two fundraisers held by ARC each year. The funds collected go towards the services provided to individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, which…

By Rebecca Haslam Editor’s note: This commentary is by Rebecca Haslam, who is the 2015 Vermont State Teacher of the Year. It is republished here with permissions from VTDigger which published the commentary on Aug. 18. Haslam teaches first grade and serves as the K-5 social studies and equity curriculum coach in the Burlington School…