Dear Editor, I attended the Killington Select Board meeting on March 20 and all in all it was a well-attended meeting with people being calm and communicating, until Select Board member Jim Haff turned red in the face. He was abusive and bullied a member of the audience. This seems to be a pattern.  He…

Dear Editor, My Dad encouraged me to find my voice and my Mom taught me to respect those who serve the public good. So, I  would like to extend a hearty thank you to all who have served the public as the Killington Search and Rescue team (KSAR) since 2011 in their capacity as trained…

Dear Editor, I want to thank Polly Mikula for her editorial on the public safety issue published in last week’s edition of the Mountain Times, it is informative and asks the questions that need to be addressed. As a past select board member (2013–2019) and a relative of two past members of KSAR (three if…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication of the Mountain Times. As a Vermont state legislator, one of the most satisfying parts of the job is to craft legislation that solves a problem for a particular group of constituents.  In H.429, legislators…

What is the ideal structure for public safety? By Polly Mikula Monday night over 70 people attended the select board meeting (in person and online). The recent riff between Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR) and the newly hired Chief of Killington Fire and Rescue Chris LaHart, spurred the spike in attendance. Unfortunately, the three-plus hour…

Dear Editor,  Thank you to our fantastic Killington community for supporting the Drive-Thru Lasagna dinner on March 3 at the Killington Public Safety Building sponsored by the Sherburne United Church of Christ, Killington’s Little White Church.  A special thanks to Rob Merrill who prepared and cooked the lasagna, to the Killington Resort who donated the…

Dear Editor, Human-wildlife conflict poses a major challenge for the conservation of carnivore species globally. Today black bears inhabit only about 60% of their historic range in North America, mostly due to human persecution. Large home territories and a varied diet can easily lead them into conflict with humans. Wildlife agencies consider bear hunting to…

Dear Editor, Last month, 21 schools across Vermont were targeted by a vicious hoax that terrorized countless students and staff members as they were sent into lockdown and SWAT teams carrying AR-15s burst into the lobby.  We are thankful nobody was physically harmed in these incidents. Yet, many of us faced the credible threat of an active…

Dear Editor, A big thank you to the voters of Killington. The passage of the Killington Forward article at last week’s Town Meeting, by a wide margin, has finally set the new Six Peaks Village into motion. We owe it all to this amazing community. Killington Resort and Great Gulf Group are excited to embark…

Dear Editor, The citizens of Castleton, along with students, faculty and staff of Castleton University, are taking action. We held a book read-in Monday, March 6, to show support for retaining print books at the Vermont State University libraries. The read-in began on the Calvin Coolidge Library steps at 5:30 p.m. and everyone was asked…

By Howard Jennings Editor’s note: Howard Jennings, a Bristol resident, is the former research director of Mobility Lab, a transportation think tank in Virginia. He is now working with Save Public Forests, a collective effort of scientists, researchers, ecologists and individuals from many organizations, united in researching and promoting realistic modern-day solutions to climate change,…

Dear Editor, Today, more than ever, our children are struggling with their mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, but the issue needs to be recognized all year long. We simply can’t ignore the problem any longer. Between mass shootings, the pandemic, and social media our children are suffering. Covid-19 alone has increased rates…

Dear Editor, Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers that were going to help with Vermont Volunteer Services for Animals Humane Society’s “Drive Up & Poke!” Rabies Clinic. We couldn’t win a fight with Mother Nature, so we’ve postponed the clinic to April 1, 12:30-2 p.m., WUHS Parking Lot. $13 per vaccination.  Drive ups are…

Dear Editor, When Vermont faces an acute crisis – floods, pandemics, national security events – our first thought is often: “Call out the Guard.” With a phone call from the governor, the women and men of the Vermont National Guard drop everything to help our beloved state in its time of greatest need. From Tropical…

Dear Editor, On Feb. 7, Vermont State University President Parwinder Grewal announced a new decision to transition to an all-digital, university-wide “library” and repurpose the existing library spaces on each campus. The Middlebury chapter of the Association of American University Professors (AAUP) strongly opposes the closing of any of the VTSU libraries.   “Libraries are…