By Bill Schubart Robert Kennedy said in a 1968 speech at the University of Kansas: “Yet the gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages,…

What citizens, workers have learned in the pandemic and what it means By Kevin Ellis Editor’s note: Kevin Ellis, a partner in Ellis Mills, a communications consulting firm in Montpelier. We are not returning to normal. Almost two years since the start of the Covid pandemic. What have we learned? And what is to come?…

Dear Editor, In an Addison Independent article last week regarding Ripton’s withdrawal from the Addison Central School District, Oliver Olsen said: Other communities contemplating similar activity should view Ripton’s experience as a cautionary tale and should consider postponing any withdrawal actions. In effect, the chairman of the Vermont Board of Education warned Vermont citizens against…

Dear Editor, The Covid pandemic has continued to drag on for nearly two years, changing all of our lives in ways great and small. For our two daughters, ages 5 and 7, this pandemic has lasted for a significant portion of their lives. This was most evident when we first went to the local library…

By Darby Bradley Editor’s note: Darby Bradley has worked for the Vermont Land Trust in many roles since its founding, including a stint as president. For the Vermont Land Trust (VLT), land conservation has always been about more than simply protecting land. When Rick Carbin founded the organization in 1977, he was already thinking about…

By Narain Batra Editor’s note: Narain Batra of Hartford is a professor of communications and diplomacy at Norwich University. He is the author of “The First Freedoms and America’s Culture of Innovation” and the forthcoming “India in A New Key.”  Major U.S. social media network companies — including Apple, Alphabet (Google), Facebook (now Meta), Microsoft…

Dear Editor, The recent news that Vermont experienced 487 Covid cases on Thursday, Nov. 4, breaking the all-time record by more than 100 cases, was extremely disheartening even to the most optimistic Vermonters. Friday followed on its heels with 377 new cases and a 3.3% positivity rate. With more than 90% of eligible Vermonters vaccinated,…

Dear Editor, Here is a recap of the Nov. 1 Rutland Aldermen meeting, as it pertains to my request that the board take a fresh look at fluoridation of the city water supply. I believe this issue is important, as indicated by a significant turnout of people. All members of the public who spoke were…

By Shane Spence Editor's note: Shayne Spence was a candidate for the Vermont House in 2020, and is a justice of the peace in Johnson. The tripartisan legislative apportionment board voted this month to recommend a new map for legislative seats, which is required every 10 years following the census. Its new map would eliminate…

By Betsy Bishop Editor’s note: Betsy Bishop, of East Montpelier, is the president of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. Every day there is a news story about policies Vermont is addressing to further diversity, equity and inclusion. Many organizations, including the Vermont Chamber, are focusing on this internally and programmatically to do our part to…

By the board of directors of the Coalition for Vt Student Equity: Kendra Sowers, Alison Notte, David Schoales and Rory Thibault Our poorest and most diverse Vermont school districts have been critically underfunded for decades. This is due to inherent flaws in our pupil weighting formula, which directs how Vermont calculates student needs and allocates…

By Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos Over the past few weeks, I have given considerable thought to the message I want to convey to Vermonters on cybersecurity. The world of cybersecurity has changed significantly for election officials over the last five years. Turn back to September 2017, when Dept. of Homeland Security officials confirmed…

By Cathy Davis Editor’s note: Davis is the president of the Lake Champlain Chamber. In the past two months, I have heard about housing challenges almost as much as I’ve heard about staffing shortages. Of course, they’re related. If employees can’t find housing, they have to move to where they can find it. That might…

Dear Editor, Phoners, that’s the term I coined for those people that have decided it’s their god-given right to drive and phone at the same time. I have been the near victim to these phoners five times in as many years. Lucky for me I have quick reflexes and I was paying attention. As recently…

Dear Editor, As Health Careers Awareness Month in Vermont ends, it's time to keep up the buzz around the importance of health careers in our state. Vermont has among the highest shortages of medical professionals in the nation per capita, and the Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated an already stressed and depleted health workforce. The need…