Dear Editor, We were recently in Millinocket, Maine, where one of the largest paper mills in the world closed in 2008, and wondered, after we got home, what was going to happen to the old mill site. According to ourkatahdin.com and other sources, the site has been bought by a company called Nautilus, which plans…

By William Mathis Editor’s note: William J. Mathis, who lives in Goshen, is a former superintendent of the Rutland Northeast School District and former member of the State Board of Education. There are few issues as controversial as school consolidation and closures. Whether as a member of the state board, a school superintendent, a local…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times. Vermont Progressives took center stage in Vermont following Tuesday’s primary with left-leaning candidates capturing seats for U.S. Congress, lieutenant governor, the state’s Attorney General and several down-ticket offices. It was a…

By Fred Baser Editors note: Fred Baser is the financial advisor and founder of Bristol Financial Services, is a commissioner of the Vermont Housing Finance Agency, former member of the Vermont House of Representatives and past member of the Habitat for Humanity of Addison County board. Despite recent efforts, in our state and nationally, to…

Dear Editor, Kevin Mullin, chair of the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), called our state’s health insurance premiums “unaffordable” in 2019. Those premiums have since risen, and double digit-plus increases were just approved for both Blue Cross and MVP, making health care far more unaffordable. Our hospitals are requesting major increases in their budgets that…

Dear Editor, Warning. The state of Vermont has changed the process of renewing a vehicle driver’s license. No longer can you go to a real person who can answer questions and help fill out the forms, like at the Courthouse. Now it is to be done by the taxpayer, at home, and on a computer.…

By Josh Castonguay Editor’s note: Josh Castonguay lives in Colchester, and is the vice president, chief innovation and engineering executive at Green Mountain Power. When it gets hot outside, folks say it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity that gets you. Some Vermonters relish the warm weather no matter how damp it is. Summer is…

Dear Editor, We’ve been following local and national news reports, and want to tell you that we are worried about the recent extreme heat and wildfires raging across the country. We feel for people who’ve lost their lives and/or livelihoods to extreme weather, and we believe that it’s only a matter of time until it…

Dear Editor, Why is it that modern name changes leave us so much in the dark about organizations and their legacy? For instance some of the local hospitals have given up the names of their medical benefactors of yesteryear. Instead of Mary Fletcher or Bishop DeGoesbriand or Fannie Allen, we now have UVM Medical Center.…

Dear Editor, After reading about the new train service between Burlington and Rutland and seeing the cost, I began thinking. The cost of taking a taxi from Burlington to Rutland is about $150. For the price of constructing the new rail service, Vermonters could have taken 1.18 million taxi rides between the two cities. The…

By Rick Hubbard Editor’s note: Rick Hubbard is a retired attorney and former economic consultant living in South Burlington. I’m a native Vermonter now just entering my ninth decade of life and I’m writing to explain why, beginning Oct. 1, I’m going to walk across America from Los Angeles to our U.S. Capitol in Washington,…

By Rob Roper Editor’s note: Rob Roper is on the board of directors for the Ethan Allen Institute, a non-profit that lobbies for conservative principles in politics. He lives in Stowe. As gasoline prices hover around record highs, putting tremendous pressure on family budgets, stressing businesses, and making life generally more expensive, the Vermont Climate…

By Dr. Carolyn Dwyer Editor’s note: Dr. Carolyn Dwyer is a 25-year veteran of local and national Democratic politics. She has managed campaigns for Senator Leahy and Congressman Welch and supported many more candidates for office at all levels in Vermont. She is not employed by any candidates running in 2024. Senator Leahy’s announcement that…

Dear Editor, My friend David Singer is running for assistant judge, a position he held for eight years before retiring in 2012 to be a grandfather and resume his position in the family business as a producer on Broadway. The man has incredible energy and I might note that he and his group won more…

Dear Editor, Are we prepared to help the many, many people who have lingering health problems from a Covid infection? Long Covid means health problems linger for weeks, months, or years after a Covid infection. Symptoms include but are not limited to brain fog, profound fatigue, exercise intolerance, and shortness of breath. How many “long…