By Vermont Humane Federation On Christmas Day a Pittsford family dog was shot and killed by a man when he mistook the dog for a coyote. The man claims that he thought the coyote was chasing a deer. Neither party has yet to be cited for a legal violation by the state police. Eastern Coyotes…

Dear Editor, The real travesty to the news like that of recent similar instances that Green Mountain College will be closing due to economic problems is that meanwhile billions upon billions of federal taxpayer money goes to funding a bloated military budget for endless phony wars to generate endless military/industrial corporation profits. America is more…

Dear Editor, To our wonderful community at large: It’s been over nine years since I was hired to run the Rutland Youth Theatre as its leader. It has been an amazingly successful ride for all those years of making magic together and one I have done with love! At this time, however, I have decided…

By Angelo Lynn What happens when Democrats and Americans begin to confront Trump? When they call his bluff and simply say, “This will hurt you more than it will hurt us.” Democrats were at that point with the government shutdown but they had three important reasons not to give in: First, they’re in the right;…

By Ross Sneyd As with most adages, there’s truth to the one we hear a lot. Vermont can be an expensive place to live. After we pay the rent or mortgage,  taxes, health care, transportation and heating, there’s often not much left over. It’s a fact of our rural economy. But that’s no reason to…

Dear Editor, There have been many misconceptions by the general public regarding the need for a new Public Safety Building. The major objection is to the cost, with no real regard to the pressing need due to the antiquated facility (Oren Bates Firehouse). The old firehouse is not in need of repair, it is in…

By Pamela Frasher As a record number of female members of Congress are sworn in this month in Washington, D.C., things are different in Vermont. Here, top state officials are removing elected officials from local office, and the removals disproportionately affect women. In interpreting Act 46, Vermont’s 2015 school consolidation law, the state is attempting…

By Angelo Lynn As political partisanship reaches an all-time high in the country (recent studies show the nation’s two major political parties have never been further apart in terms of their priorities and ideology), Vermont’s political leaders offered a different scenario on the opening days of this biennium. In Gov. Phil Scott’s inaugural address on…

By Anson Tebbetts As we enter a new year, many Vermont dairy farmers, as well as farmers nationwide, continue fighting through their economic fog. Trapped in an antiquated federal dairy pricing system, Vermont’s hard-working stewards of the land are at the whim of a highly competitive global structure. Compensation for their milk is out of…

By Rob Roper As a result of the November 2018 elections, Vermont Democrats and Progressives achieved veto-proof majorities in both chambers of the Legislature. Their first priority flexing this new muscle is to pass a mandatory, government-run, paid family leave program that will require a new payroll tax. This proposal demonstrates exactly why Vermont is…

Dear Editor, As a young and native Vermonter who is committed to this state it has been frustrating to watch many of my peers leave Vermont for more affordable college opportunities. I know this frustration is shared and felt by many Vermonters. These include small, large, local business owners and employers who are struggling to…

By Angelo Lynn Just 16 hours after Trump’s prime-time speech from the Oval Office urging support for his border wall fell flat Tuesday night, news organizations reported he slammed his hand down on the table and walked out of a Wednesday afternoon meeting with Democratic congressional leaders declaring angrily that trying to negotiate was a…

By Lawrence Zupan “If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street, If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat. If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat, If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet…  TAXMAN!” Though that’s from a 1966 song by The Beatles (“Taxman”), with our Legislature plotting to…

Dear Editor, Each year the staff and volunteers at Black River Good Neighbor Services collect food and toys during December and distribute them to deserving families throughout the area. This distribution dates back to well before the creation of BRGNS, but our staff and volunteers are proud to continue the tradition and to serve our…

Dear Editor, By the time you are reading this we hope that the government shutdown has ended. But if not, the folks at Black River Good Neighbor Services in Ludlow want to remind any government employee who is having trouble meeting financial obligations that we stand ready to help with food or heating assistance. We…