Dear Editor, From sun-up to sun-down (yes this rainy spring gave us perfect weather for the day) on Tuesday, July 18, Brandon was a-glow with donors, volunteers, bidders and buyers at the 29th Great Brandon Auction. After unloading our spiffy “Auction Storage Trailer” and organizing the donations that poured out from storage areas, barns, cars,…

By Angelo Lynn There he goes again President Ronald Reagan coined the refrain, “There you go again,” to disarm President Jimmy Carter’s repeated attacks during the 1980 presidential campaign. The refrain has made a comeback, in a completely different context, with Donald Trump’s numerous outrages since moving into the Oval Office. Adding to his mounting number…

By Tom Hughes Last week Governor Phil Scott took another step towards real climate action.  He signed an executive order creating a Vermont Climate Action Commission and reaffirmed the climate and clean energy goals set forth in the 2016 Comprehensive Energy Plan. In this era of federal backsliding, Gov. Scott has sided with the facts. …

Dear Editor, As summer has arrived and we have time to reflect on another school year, there are many great things that our staff and students did here at Poultney High School, and I would like to highlight just a few of them. This year, Poultney High School was one of a handful of Vermont…

Editor’s note: the following letter was submitted to the Woodstock Select Board and has been edited for clarity.  Dear Editor, What company starts early on weekends with no permits around wet lands and brooks? The zoning administrator is on vacation and the state offices and town hall are closed. I am the only abutting neighbor,…

Dear Editor, Rochester voters – Here are the facts: Early February 2017 Fact 1: The filing at Rochester Town Clerk’s office of a Petition for Article for the 2017 Rochester Annual Town School Meeting. The petition was filed within the Vermont state deadline with the required number of Rochester voter signatures. Fact 2: The text…

By William J. Mathis Editor’s note: William J. Mathis is managing director of the National Education Policy Center and vice-chair of the Vermont State Board of Education, and a Goshen resident. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization with which he is affiliated. It was June 26, 1997, when Governor…

Dear Editor, Julia Purdy writes in her piece “Conserving lands, healing people” published in the July 5-11 edition: “They became part of the progressive movement to de-institutionalize the mentally ill and offer them meaningful lives in community settings.” I am not sure what she meant, but the vast majority of people dealing with a mental…

Dear Editor, The Ted Bridges Scholarship Hospitality Golf Tournament was held in June under sunny skies. Chris Karr, owner of The Foundry on the Killington Access Road, and his crew once again organized the event. Bobby Peterson was his usual jovial self in bringing it together. The day was capped off with a delicious buffet…

Dear Editor, The Board of Directors of Fletcher Farm School for the Arts & Crafts wishes to express its gratitude to all local businesses for their generous donations. The school received many fabulous items and gift certificates for their 70th Anniversary Celebration, making it a great success, despite the New England weather surprise. The school…

By Lee Hamilton I’ll be the first to admit that when it comes to journalism, I’m a traditionalist. Old-fashioned, even. But I don’t think it’s a coincidence that even while confidence in the media drops to new lows and Time magazine feels moved to wonder “Is Truth Dead?” on its cover, huge numbers of Americans…

By Jon Margolis Praising elected officials ought not to be a common practice. They tend to do an adequate job of that themselves, rarely missing an opportunity to tell the world how wonderful they are. There are times, though, when an elected official deserves the approval of his constituents. Right now, Secretary of State Jim…

Dear Editor, Poultney Area St. David’s Society extends a public thank you (“diolch yn fawr”) to the many members, friends and visitors to our Slate Valley region who recently participated in the Society’s June 25th Gymanfa Ganu and Te Bach event, which was hosted by and held in historic (1833) Federated Church Castleton. Appreciation is…

Dear Editor, This case involves many tragedies. The first tragedy in this whole case was the death of Jon Bellis. We are all extremely sorry for this loss. This was a terrible accident and one that had already been adjudicated in civil court. This is where this case should have ended. Rose Kennedy should never…

By Rob Roper  The last thing the Vermont House of Representatives did before leaving town was pass H.R. 15, a resolution “strongly opposing the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement … and recognizing Governor Phil Scott’s enrolling Vermont in the U.S. Climate Alliance.” It passed, 105-31. Hey, look at us! We love the environment,…