Dear Editor, OneCare, Vermont’s “Accountable Care Organization” (ACO), operates the “All Payer” (AP) system that Vermont adopted a few years ago.  It is frequently in the news these days, but even people who are heavily involved in health care issues don’t fully understand what it is, how it works, and why it supposedly benefits the…

By Curtis Hier Some of us are old enough to remember when Mr. Rogers welcomed Officer Clemmons into his neighborhood and onto his television show. They famously shared a foot bath. And a towel. It was a momentous television event because Francois Clemmons was black and also, as Fred Rogers knew at the time, was gay.…

Dear Editor, In late December, long after the election, columnist Don Keelan proposed the currently vacant Southern Vermont College as the site of the Trump presidential library.  My first reaction was laughter, which is probably why Keelan felt the need to assure readers it was a serious suggestion.  “Vermont,” he wrote, “starting with the governor,…

Dear Editor, On Feb. 6  I got my Covid-19 vaccine. Individual feelings about vaccination vary, and side effects may differ, but the event itself was low-key and smooth, with lots of supportive staff. I walked into the CVPS-Leahy entrance of the new outpatient building at Rutland Regional feeling ready to meet the unknown. Inside the…

By Shawn Shouldice Small business challenges have persisted for years due to wage mandates, health insurance premium increases, paid family leave requirements, climate change policies that raise energy costs, and higher taxes or trouble hiring due to the state’s aging demographics. But when Governor Scott declared a state of emergency on March 13, 2020, a…

Dear Editor, It is with tremendous gratitude that I write this letter to the residents of the town of Killington. It has been my great pleasure and honor to serve as your School Board member for the last 15 years. I joined the Board before my son entered the Killington Elementary preschool and he will…

Dear Editor, As you may know, I am running for Rutland City Assessor on Town Meeting Day, March  2. I am not into political endorsements. I will run on my proven experience in Real Estate mortgage financing, my experience doing title searches and RE closing settlements and my experience as a banker. My work in…

Dear Editor, Kids are one of our resources. Just like the farmers and farming and farms, Rutland is abundant in natural resources but our children are in trouble. The data collected prior to Covid showed that over 40% of Rutland children believe nobody cares about them. It gets worse from there. The 2017 Vermont Youth Risk…

Dear Editor, The Castleton University Alumni Association Board of Directors, who represent over 18,000 living alumni members, oppose any name change from Castleton University to Vermont State University. The historical significance of Castleton’s name cannot be overstated. Castleton was founded in 1787 four years before Vermont became the 14th state in the Union. Castleton University,…

Editor’s note: This is a commentary by the Rutland Herald/Times Argus editorial board, republished here with VPA permissions.  Something is way out of whack. Isabel Jennifer Seward, a teenage driver, was fined $220 for her part in a double-fatal vehicle crash that killed an elderly Ferrisburgh couple last fall in Charlotte. Were it not for…

By John Casella, president, and Lyle P. Jepson, executive director of CEDRR The following is a letter to the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) board of trustees dated Feb. 2, from the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) representing its membership of approximately 400 Rutland County businesses, as well as many municipalities. This…

By Cathy Davis Vermont understands sustainability in a way few other places do. Whether it be our agrarian roots, living closer to natural resources, or something else, it is hard to find a Vermonter who does not intrinsically understand that the environment or natural systems have a carrying capacity, that resources are finite, and that…

Dear Editor, I felt it was vitally important to let Rutland City residents know where I stand on this issue. For background, while I attended Mt. Saint Joseph Academy, my mother and three siblings attended Rutland High School. From the beginning, I have been disturbed by how this issue has been handled — particularly in…

Dear Editor, Serving as a school board member can be a thankless undertaking. The hours take you away from your family. The issues sometimes can put you at odds with your friends and neighbors. Financial reward? Forget about it. Despite what may sound like an unappealing package, residents of our community step forward each year…

Dear Editor, America has become a trashy nation. We are embroiled in trashy politics. We have trashy law enforcement and trashy criminal justice, where the rich and white get better treatment. Our education systems have become trashy, lacking in civics education and focused as they are on low-bar academics. Religion has become trashy because it…