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…

Dear Editor, On Oct. 20, 2015, two dozen members of Gun Owners of Vermont went to an advertised “fall regional meeting” of Gun Sense Vermont (GSV) which was supposed to be a public forum. We did this because we wanted to have a conversation with the officers and members of GSV and the general public…

Dear Editor, I was never scared of all the witches, zombies, and assorted goblins wandering around on Halloween next Saturday night. What really used to scare me was the meat industry. This is the industry that mutilates, cages, and butchers billions of cows, pigs, and other feeling animals, that exposes thousands of undocumented workers to…

By Steve Costello As many of your readers may recall, I enjoy perusing “Aesop’s Fables” from time to time, and look for lessons that apply to life, work and community. Three recent events, a speech by incoming Rutland Police Chief Brian Kilcullen, a conversation with filmmaker Art Jones, and an Associated Press article about Rutland’s…

By Rob Roper A recent article about the new school district consolidation law, Act 46, quoted a state legislator whose reaction seems to be representative of many parents, local school board members, students, and law makers who value and hope to preserve Vermont’s 150-year-old school choice tuitioning system: “I don’t think we can still have…