By Frankie L. Trull Blind mice are famous in nursery rhymes—and maybe soon, in scientific laboratories. A team of Swiss scientists recently restored sight in blind lab mice by injecting new, light-sensing cells into their eyes. They’re working to develop a cure for acquired blindness in people. Today, millions of mice are bred for medical…

By Deb Markowitz, Secretary of Vermont Agency of Natural Resources When Vermonters see a problem, we work to fix it. That is why earlier this year Vermont signed onto two historic climate agreements which will strengthen our state’s resolve to combat carbon pollution and transition to a new clean energy economy. In April, Governor Shumlin…

Dear Editor, My letter to the editor in the July 16-22 edition was a simple question of transparency. I asked why the auditor’s report showed (on page 9) a $815,491 debt from Irene. Nowhere did I mention this money was due to an outside entity. In Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath’s response last week (the July…

Dear Editor, On June 2, 2015, Governor Shumlin signed into law Act 46 of 2015. This landmark education legislation calls on school boards and administrators to lead changes in their districts and supervisory unions that will result in greater opportunities for students, increased efficiency in delivering services, and more sustainable governance structures. Act 46 provides…

By Rob Roper We need to lower the cost of health care in Vermont, and the state, dealing with a structural budget deficit, doesn’t have the capacity to raise more taxes. So, what can we do? One simple, cost-free solution is to repeal Vermont’s Certificate of Need (CON) laws. What are CON laws? Basically, a…

Dear Editor, The Affordable Care Act, despite its name, is not making health care affordable. One in five people in Vermont are struggling with medical bills. Meanwhile, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, as a “non-profit,” will receive a tax break of over $15 million this year, while ten of its executives are paid up…

Dear Editor, I am writing to respond to the questions Jim Haff raised in his letters to the editor recently about our Irene flood reimbursements. These questions he raised have been addressed by the Selectboard at several public meetings and in letters to citizens, but I am glad to have the opportunity to address them again…

By Lee H. Hamilton The presidential election is 16 months away, but already we’re smack in the middle of the usual media scrum of campaign coverage, prognostication, and strategizing by many who have nothing much to do with the real campaigns. I’ve been following the rhetoric of both parties, and there are a few points…

By Larry Abelman I have a lot of time to think on my morning two mile walks I take with my dog Tyler on the roads of Shrewsbury. With what’s been going on in South Carolina I couldn’t help but think about my own associations with race growing up in D.C., where my family took…

By Frankie L. Trull The fight against rubella, the deadly German measles, has finally paid off. The eradication was possible by one of modern medicine’s most indispensable tools—routine vaccination. Global health authorities say the terrible disease has been eliminated in the Americas. It’s a rare dose of good news in the fight against the debilitating…

By Governor Peter Shumlin Last week I traveled to Toronto to attend the Climate Summit of the Americas, which brought together Pan-American governmental, advocacy, energy, and climate change leaders to share ideas on how we can work together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and capitalize on a cleaner energy economy to grow jobs and opportunity.…

Dear editor, The musical performances at the Killington Library on Thursday evenings in an informal setting are meant to provide entertainment and enjoyment to locals and visitors alike. There were several groups in attendance at last Thursday’s event who coalesced into a larger group who appeared to come for the purpose of socializing rather than…

Dear Editor, The Solar Energy Industries Association recently stated there are 72 solar companies in Vermont. Looks like they are swooping in buying up land and desecrating our environment with these ugly panels and their hardware. When there are no siting standards to speak of in Vermont, anything goes, when it comes to solar placement. It’s…

Dear editor, Thanks to all who attended the Rutland Meals Challenge at Rutland Bowlerama and to those who gave donations to our bowlers! This event raised an amazing $1,126 for the Rutland Meals Challenge, which will provide 4,504 meals to food shelves in Rutland County. Please visit https://vtmealschallenge.wordpress.com to learn more about the Rutland Meals…

Dear Editor, In response to the article “Experts predict bad mosquito season for area” in the May 28-June 3 edition: This year, it is so obvious that something is different in respects to the horrific amount of mosquitos out, not just during the evening hours, but, all day long.  I have not been able to…