Dear editor, During last Wednesday’s community meeting on Aug. 11 in Rutland’s gym at St. Joseph’s College, there were many stupendous ideas expressed on ways to spend the initial $4.4 million Covid funds that will be coming to Rutland City. Rutland Free Library needs money to modernize the building and its technology. Main Street Park…

Dear Editor, My wife and I were driving along River Road in Killington, Sunday evening, Aug. 15, around 6:15 p.m., about one mile farther down from the Killington town hall (on the dirt road). We spotted what looked like a black cat with a very long tail. We were traveling about 15 mph, enjoying the…

By Ivy Scott and Camille Caldera, Boston Globe correspondents Better late than never, as the saying goes. Massachusetts residents who only recently got immunized against Covid-19 cited a variety of reasons for waiting: a torrent of misinformation on social media, concern that the vaccine would exacerbate preexisting medical conditions, and skepticism of the health care…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: This commentary is written in collaboration with The Boston Globe, which has provided news reports, charts and graphics on the Covid-19 virus to participating papers throughout New England. Their initiative seeks to more fully educate the public about the virus and the benefits of getting vaccinated. Each participating paper was…

By Reps. Michelle Bos-Lun, Westminster, and Mike Mrowicki, Putney Climate change and its resulting weather variations are contributing to floods and massive roadway erosion in some parts of Vermont and floods and droughts in other areas this month. A large section of northern Vermont experienced abnormally dry conditions in July, but southern Vermont endured two major storms…

Dear Editor, Summer is synonymous with creemees, and well-timed ones at that. Dairy, as an industry, has supported Vermonters for 150 years. Summer is a wonderful time to celebrate the food that dairy provides, and the hardworking families who have produced that food while stewarding the land and landscape that sets Vermont apart from so many…

Dear Editor, Education finance in Vermont is an often hard-to-understand and quite complex system. Act 59 of 2021 created the Task Force on the Implementation of the Pupil Weighting Factors Report, a group of eight Vermont legislators who will spend time this summer, as the name implies, determining the best path forward to implement the…

Dear Editor, Virtually every business owner or manager Green Mountain Economic Development Corp. works with as the regional development corporation for Windsor and Orange counties, cites the lack of decent housing and child care as the most important factors hampering recovery from Covid. We believe this is true throughout New England and beyond. Both were…

By Chris Winters, Vt. Deputy Secretary of State It is important we all understand the strengths of American democracy, as well as its weaknesses. If we are to work together as a nation to address the limits of "the great experiment," and ensure our government is truly created of, by and for the people, having…

By Shayne Spence Editor’s note: This commentary is by Shayne Spence of Johnson, who was a Republican candidate for the Vermont House in 2020. With an ongoing battle taking place over the future of voting rights and access, on the federal level and in many states, we often hear about the For The People Act,…

By Walt Amses Editor’s note: Walt Amses is a writer and former educator who lives in Calais. The waning days of July find me swimming in silken water that feels prematurely cool, gliding by a shoreline maple sporting a single bright-red leaf, a distinct reminder that nature will not only have its way, but also set…

By Tom Evslin Editor’s note: Tom Evslin is an entrepreneur and author from Stowe. He is a former Douglas administration official. The U.S. government talks the talk about Covid vaccination but doesn’t walk the walk. The CDC and the FDA say “get vaccinated” but they don’t act as if they really believe in the efficacy of…

Dear Editor, Most people don’t know what Home & Community Based Services (HCBS) are, let alone their importance to many disabled people. People who are physically disabled often depend on others to perform “activities of daily living” like getting in and out of bed, dressing, bathing, preparing meals, toileting and transferring to and from a…

Dear editor, Recently I had the opportunity to tour the newly repurposed Cortina Inn, the beautiful property that my wife Breda and I owned for 33 years, which is now under the management of a family that is now offering a new kind of hospitality — perhaps the most essential kind. Long known for Sunday…

Dear Editor, Since Dec. 2018, “Vermonters for Vermont” Initiative has been talking about educating every Vermonter about freedom, liberty, individualism, independence, innovation and personal responsibility. We have been defending and promoting our Constitution, free markets and taking risks. We have been working to educate and encourage Vermonters to learn what Montpelier and local governments are…