By Ali Elwell Zaiac Editor’s note: Ali Elwell Zaiac, of Arlington, holds a master’s degree in theological studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., where her thesis focused on repurposing church spaces in Vermont to meet broader community needs. Last week I attended the housing conference hosted by Rep. Seth Bongartz and Rep. Kathleen…

By Anne Sosin Editor’s note: Anne N. Sosin is a public health researcher and Policy Fellow at the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center at Dartmouth College and the co-lead on research on Covid-19 and rural health equity in northern New England.  Delta, we learn in science, means change. Delta changed the course of the virus in…

Dear Editor, Little scares me about Halloween or trick-or-treating. Ghosts, zombies, skeletons and witches have nothing on all the milk ingredients in candy and the frightening truth about the dairy industry. This is the industry that has spent billions convincing humans that drinking the milk of another species is okay. This is the industry that…

Dear Editor, This is in direct response to the article “Monkey Wrench: How the Delta Variant Caught Vermont Off Guard,” published in the Mountain Times Oct. 6. Why do case counts remain stubbornly high, despite vaccination of so many eligible Vermonters? Community spread. Without pairing vaccines with other mitigation measures, cases will increase or remain…

Dear Editor, I grew up spending summers on Lake Bomoseen, where Fair Haven was our nearest village for shopping, restaurants and other activities. I was also a soccer player in high school at that time, and spent two months in Germany, where I was invited to play soccer. My daughters all played soccer from grade…

Dear Editor, Covid cases are climbing around the state and Gov. Scott says “I don’t know why.” The answer is obvious: the abandonment of the indoor mask mandate. This is causing serious outbreaks across the state, particularly in schools. From the early days of the outbreak, Vermont was justly praised for keeping the numbers down.…

By Madeleine Kunin Editor’s note: This commentary is by former Gov. Madeleine Kunin, a Democrat and the first woman to serve as the governor of the state of Vermont. It’s dismaying to see Republicans and some conservative Democrats hacking away at President Biden’s historic budget reconciliation act. They say it’s too expensive, without looking at…

By David Martins Editor's note: Martins is the director of the Vt. Affordable Housing Coalition. “Out of storm and manifold perils rose an enduring state, the home of freedom and unity” — These words are the epitaph printed on the gravestone of the first governor of Vermont, Thomas Chittenden. The phrase serves as an acknowledgement…

By Vicki Ward Editor's note: This commentary is by Vicki Ward of Barnard, who holds a master’s degree in family nursing and a post-master’s certificate in psychiatric and mental health nursing. This piece was published in VTDigger Oct. 8. I once thought Vermont OneCare was a functional fox guarding the henhouse when Dartmouth-Hitchcock and UVM…

By Tanya Vyhovsky Editor’s note: State Rep. Tanya Vyhovsky, P/D-Essex, is a licensed independent clinical social worker, works in the public school system, and has a private counseling practice in her hometown of Essex. September was Suicide Awareness Month, and I am sure many of us felt inundated with frightening statistics and information about mental…

Dear editor, In 2022, after decades of hopes, fears and tears, Amtrak’s Ethan Allen Express should finally restore passenger rail service between Rutland and Burlington, after a 69-year absence. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTRANS) and media will closely track this $25 million project until the train becomes a reality: Vergennes Station/Platform restoration (summer 2020),…

Dear editor, In response to the article about combined state colleges to be named Vermont State University, it truly is time for the state of Vermont to come to terms with its support of its state college system. This problem has plagued the schools for years, not only because of the national issue colleges and…

By Bill McKibben Vermont gets good press, and I’ve generated my share of it — especially after the pandemic years I’m proud of the Green Mountain State. But this is a different kind of story: a story of a state that’s failing to understand we’re actually in a climate emergency, and so continuing with business…

By Brian Ricca Editor’s note: Brian Ricca is the school superintendent in St. Johnsbury. There has been a great deal of discussion in the abstract about the impact of the Delta variant in Vermont schools since the academic year began. Here in the real world, with real students, faculty, staff, and families, it’s been excruciating.…

Dear editor, Since 1964, Oct. 15 has been designated White Cane Safety Awareness Day to celebrate the achievements of people who are blind or visually impaired, and to recognize the importance of that tool for independence. The white cane is a symbol of strength and independence for blind and visually impaired people. As a blind…