Dear Editor, Planet America has coarsened over the past 50 years. Back then, President Nixon was embarrassed out of office when his late-night plumbers got caught poking around the other party’s national headquarters. Now, Trump brings howitzers into Congressional chambers in broad daylight and feels no remorse. Then, interest rates were limited by law to…

By Lt. Gov. Molly Gray Each March we have the opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month and to recognize the achievements of women in our communities and across the globe. Let us honor women this month by acting to address their economic wellbeing. The president and vice president paid tribute to…

Dear Editor, Young children are open to learning everything they can all of the time. That is why they pick up on parents’ beliefs including prejudices. If parents make positive comments about people from other races, or from different parts of the country or the world, then children take on those positive attitudes as well.…

Dear Editor, The old adage, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, is as true for energy as it is for eggs. Witness what has happened over the past few weeks. An energy spike in Texas causing rolling blackouts, leaving 2 million people without power, cold and in the dark. Here in Vermont, many…

Dear Editor, I hope this falls on the right ears. It has been a rough year for everyone, and it is not going to get any better whether Covid is controlled or not. Our economic situation in this country does not leave much for the average person any more ... as the days and years…

Dear Editor, I am reaching out to urge Vermont state representatives to reconsider the prioritization of teachers in the Vermont vaccination rollout plan. In an editorial from the NYTimes’ David Leonhardt, he outlines how and why educators must be made a priority if we actually want to reopen schools while protecting our educators, who are putting their…

By Pattie McCoy How often does an education reform bill pass on a voice vote in the Vermont Legislature? From experience, I can tell you it is about as rare as the same type of legislation passing unanimously. That is, very rare indeed. Yet, when the Vermont Legislature contemplated a statewide commission to determine the…

By Angelo Lynn This year on Town Meeting Day, 23 towns voted on whether to allow the retail sale of cannabis. They were: Barton, Bennington, Berlin, Brandon, Brattleboro, Brownington, Burlington, Danby, Danville, Duxbury, Lyndon, Middlebury, Montpelier, Newport City, Pawlet, Pownal, Randolph, Richmond, Salisbury, Strafford, Waitsfield, Waterbury and Winooski. (Voting finished after publication deadline, visit mountaintimes.info…

Dear Editor, When Woodstock Area Relief Fund Covid-19 (WARF) was formed the last spring, we never imagined this type of extended hardship. So we’re grateful for several recent generous donations that mean funds are still available. WARF provides grants of up to $1,000 to residents of the Windsor County Supervisory Union. We’re aware that many…

Dear Editor, I would like to take the time to thank all our customers for 40 years of loyalty, support, and most of all their friendship. Thank you for sharing your stories and laughter. These memories we will forever hold in our hearts and we will cherish them always.  Sincerely, Ron and Toni Ciccone, Rutland

Dear Editor, Tom Vilsack’s nomination as secretary of agriculture does not belong within Joe Biden’s progressive agenda. Vilsack has served as governor of Iowa, secretary of agriculture under President Obama, and chief lobbyist for the dairy industry. His candidacy is opposed by a vast coalition of small and minority farmers, as well as consumer, labor,…

Dear Editor, I, “Champlain” Mike-Michel Messier have been a taxpayer/ratepayer and an active participant in Rutland Real Estate and Community for 40 years. I attended Rutland Elementary, MSJ, UVM (BS), St. Michael’s (MSA); CCV and Castleton. I have the intellect, skills, ability, desire, temperament, and work experience to be the next Rutland City Assessor. I…

Dear Editor, Since late January, there have been 22 avalanche deaths in America across 16 incidents in nine states, including a death in New Hampshire. It’s been one of the most deadly periods in recorded history. It is absolutely heartbreaking to see people get killed doing something they love. It makes these deaths very hard…

By Jenn Swain Burton Snowboards was born in a barn in southern Vermont over 40 years ago, and we proudly remain a Vermont-based business. The climate crisis is a direct threat to the sport we love, the mountain lifestyle that we and our community lead, and our long-term business success. In today’s world we are…

By William J. Mathis It is particularly noteworthy (and problematic) that Vermont, with a low gross state product, allocates a high proportion of its wealth to education.  Yet, regardless of how and who is doing the measuring, we can take pride in consistently scoring in the top 10 in educational quality. Realizing the need for…