By John Gonter Editor’s note: John Gonter teaches cooking, foraging, fishing and hunter safety. He volunteers as an instructor with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. In Vermont, we are blessed with opportunities outside. Direct experience with our mountains, lakes, rivers, fields and forests are restorative, develop our outdoor skills and reduce our stress. Our modern lives,…

  By Lucie Lehmann Editor’s Note: Lucie Lehmann of South Burlington is a former state director for now-retired U.S. Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski of Maryland. She is a member of the board of the Green Mountain Audubon Society.  Just in time for the gift giving season comes word of yet another honor bestowed on retired…

  By Sarah Billings-Berg, VTSU dean of nursing and health sciences  Ready for some good news about nursing in Vermont? I bet you are. I know, reports haven’t always focused on the good news. As recently as last year, news reports focused on nurses retiring, how we don’t have personnel or facilities to educate new…

  Dear Editor, As concerned parents, my husband and I have recently removed a child from a local school for his safety as the bullying, harassment and constant safety issues have risen and are not being dealt with. Schools are supposed to be safe places for our children to gain an education.  As parents we…

Dear Editor, A recent commentary by an anti-hunting activist took their standard track in denying the value of the sporting community to wildlife stewardship in Vermont. It is intriguing that this handful of activists has the hubris to claim that they speak for the general public. They don’t. They speak for themselves. If they spoke…

  Understanding the Dec. 1 property tax letter By Kathleen James Editor’s note: Rep. Kathleen James, D-Manchester, serves as assistant majority leader in the Vermont House.  On the last day of November, the annual “Dec. 1 Letter” was published by the Vermont Department of Taxes.  This year’s letter landed with a bang, as Tax Commissioner Craig Bolio…

  Dear Editor, It is with deep gratitude that the Ludlow Expeditionary School announces another successful fundraiser to help support the school. For its Giving Tuesday 2023 Campaign, ESBR once again had several anonymous (“Angel”) donors offer a Matching Fund Challenge of up to $7,000 to be doubled. Thanks to the support of many wonderful…

  Dear Editor, Greetings from the North Pole! As the holidays approach, I wanted to share some exciting changes happening in Christmas preparations this year. In the spirit of embracing sustainability, I am delighted to announce that our beloved reindeer will be retiring to a beautiful sanctuary. They have served tirelessly, guiding my sleigh through…

  Dear Editor, Down in Montpelier, groups are actively trying to persuade legislators to ban the use of dogs to hunt bears. They either don’t realize or don’t care, that their goal would make us all much less safe. Everybody loves to see bears. These amazing creatures are fun to watch in the wild. But…

  By Rep. Erin Brady, Rep. Rebecca Holcombe and Rep. Monique Priestley Editor’s note: Rep. Erin Brady, of Williston, is an active public school teacher; Rep. Rebecca Holcombe of Windsor-Orange 2, is the former Vermont Secretary of Education; and Rep. Monique Priestley, of Orange-2, is the tri-partisan Rural Caucus clerk. Governor Scott recently described an…

  By Sen. Bernie Sanders  There have been five wars in the last 15 years between Israel and Hamas. How do we end the current one and prevent a sixth from happening, sooner or later? How do we balance our desire to stop the fighting with the need to address the roots of the conflict?…

  Dear Editor, å children are our most precious resource. Yet, we must be mindful that their care and public education is not supported by limitless resources. Unfortunately, the Education Tax Rate Letter released today does not provide balance that Vermonters can afford.  Last spring, school districts asked for an additional $127 million from the…

  Dear Editor, As the 20th anniversary of the Gift-of-Life Marathon approaches, incredible memories have come flowing back. From the year Rutland set out to collect 1,000 pints, the effort captured in the documentary “The Blood in This Town,” to breaking New England and national records, there are so many great moments to recall. One…

By Megan Sullivan Editor’s note: Megan Sullivan, of Jericho, is the vice president of government affairs for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Last year at this time, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce shared that “amid a nation more divided than ever, Vermont remains a leader in unity, particularly when it comes to agreeing on the top issues…

  That was how Governor Scott responded to the Nov. 30 letter from the Tax Commissioner, which projected an 18.5% increase in the average statewide education property tax rate for next year. The annual letter, required by law, bases the increase on an estimated 12% hike in school budgets and revenue forecasts for the state’s…