As things wind down from the COVID restrictions and emergency measures come to an end, we are returning to normal, but that’s not the same good news for everyone. At the governor’s news conferences, we are told most homeless people will no longer be able to remain in paid temporary housing. …
Two-and-a-half years ago, Montpelier overwhelmingly voted in favor of permitting people who are not citizens of the U.S. and who have visas, to vote in local elections and on local questions. These are people who live in Montpelier, pay taxes in Montpelier, send their children to Montpelier …
Biden, macron, Merkel, NATO, Putin, political cartoon
Many legislators and school officials are eager to adjust Vermont’s education finance system to provide more money for school districts with kids from low-income families and those for whom English is not their first language. We agree these resources are necessary and should be provided as …
Let’s hope Vermont is looking in the rearview mirror at the coronavirus pandemic. Have we learned anything about health care?
In October 2020, I resigned my position as Social Studies teacher at Rutland High School effective at the end of this school year. As a teacher, adviser for the Gay-Straight Alliance, Model UN and New Neighbors student organizations, my primary role has been as an advocate for my students. I…
Open letter to the Rutland City School Board Commissioners:
One night in February 2020, a homeless man in Bennington went to sleep under a bridge. He had a voucher to spend the night in a motel 6 miles down the road, but he didn’t have a ride to get there, so he chose to sleep under the bridge again. It was 4 degrees outside. Thierry Heuga died that …
The Rutland Herald recently featured three community leaders — Lyle Jepson, Paul Costello and Will Notte — who not only possess influence but energize their engagement for the greater good. Nonprofit leaders refer to this as “building bridges, not moats.” Exemplary leaders from various backg…
Early in my life, I was given the gift of a stepbrother who happened to be gay. We used to sing and dance in our living room for hours and belly laugh until we cried. We talked about everything and I always knew he never judged me. By the time I was 16, I began to see judgment from family an…
Periodically, it seems, concerned citizens of Vermont gather to revive the idea of creating an inspiring vision for the state’s future. Last month, the largely federally-funded Vermont Council on Rural Development released the draft of its “Vermont Proposition.” It draws on the ideas, they c…
I am beyond upset at the school system and especially, Otter Valley. Yesterday, there was a parade to celebrate Pride Month which I don’t have a problem with. What I do have a problem with is at school we are always told we should be taught to think for ourselves and not be influenced by oth…
If anyone has the right to hold a soft spot in their heart for the Raiders, it is the extended family of Roger Laird. In the 1920s, as a Raider, Roger suffered a traumatic brain injury on the football field behind the high school on Library Avenue, one that would take his life just 7 years l…
The Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge is seeking public comment on its recreational hunting and fishing plan in the Nulhegan Basin Division and the Putney Mountain Unit. Protect Our Wildlife, a Vermont-based advocacy group, initiated a petition to ban hounding from the refuge. Public …
Rep. Ilhan Omar, in trouble again, has accused not only Hamas and the Taliban but also the U.S. and Israel of “unthinkable atrocities.” Some Republicans in Congress want her sanctioned, and some Democrats insisted she apologize for not distinguishing between democracies that act according to…
Trump, Getting attention, political cartoon
I read with interest Rebecca Mattis’ analysis of Critical Race Theory and if her description is accurate (and I have no reason to doubt it is), it is damning. But, to me, it is a side issue. The real issue is, who owns history? A comparison between the way we treat our history and the way Ge…
Dear Governor Scott:
What an extraordinary legislative session 2021 has been. It was historic — the first Vermont legislative Session to be conducted completely remotely during an international pandemic. And, despite those challenges, we were incredibly productive — managing to accomplish a great deal to improve…
I am the SafeSpace Anti-Violence Program Director at Pride Center of Vermont, and I am always honored to speak on behalf of our statewide LGBTQ+ community center about issues that impact us.
Responding to Alis Headlam’s “Vermonters, take off the blinders,” I must say I was offended.
It was with profound disappointment I learned the Board of Aldermen sent a motion to enshrine the Raider name in our city charter to committee for discussion. Nothing positive will come of this decision.
According to the latest IRS stat sheet, $631,909 is the total federal tax refunds generated by the 729 returns completed by 12 Rutland AARP TaxAide volunteers for Rutland County residents this past tax season, from March 1 to May 17.
We have heard the words “critical race theory” bubbling up in the news, but I imagine many people haven’t read much about the theory itself. It is time to take a critical look at critical race theory.
Gov. Phil Scott has vetoed two bills, H.77 and H.227, that would have permitted noncitizens who are legally present in the United States to vote in local elections. He was correct to veto the bills, but I disagree with his reasons for doing so.
Around Fathers Day, we see ads telling us to buy a gift for Dad. The movie “Field of Dreams” goes into heavy rotation to spark memories. My own reminder arrives on my porch every morning, year-round. It is the newspaper.
The recently adjourned Vermont Legislature will be heading back to a virtual session on June 23 to take up a couple of bills vetoed by Governor Scott. These bills would allow non-citizens to vote in Montpelier and Winooski. House and Senate leaders have indicated they planned to move forward…
In Vermont, we exist in small communities, where youth, families, schools and citizens depend on each other for our ability to grow, serve, engage and thrive. And by thrive, we mean “to grow vigorously; to flourish; to prosper in life and thought.” We benefit from educational institutions th…
During my 35-year career as a naturopathic physician, I noticed the natural treatments that had been successful in keeping people healthy in the 1980s, became less and less effective. During these years, the toxic load of chemicals in the environment has increased drastically. One group of f…
After an 18-month hiatus from racing, I saw an opportunity to pin a number on my chest and enjoy some self-inflicted pain in the form of running a long distance for a “free” T-shirt. When I read the announcement for a post-COVID half-marathon in Shelburne, I was excited to register.
Putin, At Home, horn costume, political cartoon
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Trump, Biden, Good News, political cartoon
Gov. Phil Scott’s vetoes of the Montpelier and Winooski non-U.S. citizen voting charter changes are both mean and hypocritical. Not four months ago, Scott wrote the U.S. State Department asking to triple the number of refugees sent to Vermont. “Refugees are an integral part of our efforts to…
The 2021 Legislature has adjourned from a unique session. All of our business was conducted virtually and the state saw a vast infusion of federal aid dollars flow in during 2020 and 2021 as result of the global pandemic. We took this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make thoughtful, high-i…
Every conversation these days seems to turn to the various ways we are moving back to “normal” after 15 months under siege by the global pandemic.
Mar a Lago, lawyeers, Trump, re-election claim, 2024, poitical cartoon
Horses wear blinders so they will not get spooked when they go into high density areas or traffic. When people wear blinders and claim there are no issues of racism or other forms of discrimination that need to be addressed in their community, it does not mean problems do not exist. They are…
Dear Mr. Danziger: I appreciate your email and your apology. And I feel badly about your lifelong antipathy towards Israel.
eff Danziger’s cartoon May 25 is based on a faulty and dangerous parallel. A large, grimacing Jew in an armband with a Star of David kneeling on the head of an unarmed Palestinian who lies there helpless. The reference couldn’t be clearer, although there is no parallel between police brutali…
All armed forces, including those of the State of Israel, are bound by international law to refrain from indiscriminate and disproportional attacks. Israel has a further obligation, as the occupying power of Gaza and the West Bank, to protect the civilian population from violence.
The Vermont State Colleges System (VSCS) has been described as “broken.” The truth is that decades of underfunding forced the system to run on fumes. Finally, during a blizzard-like pandemic, it ran out of gas.
Gov. Phil Scott’s only veto of the 2021 session is of a bill (S.107) that would raise from 19 to 20 the age before which the identity, arrest and criminal charge of young adults must be kept confidential. The governor opposes the bill because it would “raise the age of accountability for cri…
{{summary}}
Five Questions With
Just over three months ago we started “Five Questions With ...” to put a human face to this pandemic. Today marks the final installment in this stage of the project, but it will continue with a new set of questions more focused on Vermont’s recovery. Here, Paul Costello, of Montpelier, offer…
Marlee Brunton, of Middlesex, talks about the pandemic and its effects on her family.
Marlee Brunton, of Middlesex, talks about the pandemic and its effects on her family.
Alayna Martel, of Barre Town, is a registered nurse at UVM Medical Center. She talks about how, as a frontline workers, her life has been affected by the pandemic.
Gayle Townsend-Lang, of Rutland, works full time wearing many hats for the Rutland City Public Schools as “Miss Gayle.” Here she talks about how she has been affected by the pandemic.
Stefanie Schaffer, of Rutland, talks about how she has been coping with self-isolation and dealing with the pandemic.
Stefanie Schaffer, of Rutland, talks about how she has been coping with self-isolation and dealing with the pandemic.
Yankee Notebook columnist Willem Lange, of East Montpelier, talks about how he has been affected by self-isolation and the pandemic.
CPA Thomas Lauzon, of Barre, discusses how his life has been affected by the pandemic and self-isolation. Earlier this spring Lauzon was named to the governor’s Economic Mitigation & Recovery Task Force.
Chrispin White, of Rutland, discusses how he has been adapting to self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting him.
Christina Sweet, of Rutland, discusses how she and her family have been affected by the pandemic and self-isolation over these months.
Educator and Vermont Mountaineers General Manager Brian Gallagher, of East Montpelier, discusses how the pandemic has affected his life. Earlier this spring, the Mountaineers’ organizers announced they would cancel the 2020 season.
Cat Heatley, of Rutland, talks about how her life has been affected by the pandemic in recent weeks.
Cat Heatley, of Rutland, talks about how her life has been affected by the pandemic in recent weeks.
Salon owner and fitness instructor April Rogers Farnham, of Plainfield, talks about how she has been affected by self-isolation.
Barre Partnership Executive Director Tracie Lewis talks about self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting her life.
Montpelier writer Thomas Greene discusses how he has been affected by self-isolation and the pandemic.
Drew Smith, of Rutland, talks about self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected his life.
Jessica Van Orman talks about her experience in self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected her life.
Artist Jen Rondinone, of Rutland, reflects on self-isolation and how the pandemic has affected her and her family.
Mark Breen, the "Eye on the Sky" guy from the Fairbanks Museum in St. Johnsbury, shares his thoughts in self-isolation and how the pandemic has been affecting his life.
Senate President Pro Tem Tim Ashe discusses how self-isolation and the pandemic have affected his life.
Executive Director of the Paramount Bruce Bouchard, of Rutland, talks about how his life has been affected by the pandemic and its consequences.
Stay-at-home mom and low-income advocate Roni Lynn Shrout, of Montpelier, discusses how the pandemic has affected her family.
Carrie Allen, of Rutland, explains how she has been coping with self-isolation and what she hopes will come from it after the pandemic is over.
Vermont cartoonist Tim Newcomb provides a bit of levity to his answers about self-isolation and how he is coping.
Recovery Vermont’s Melissa Story, of Montpelier, shares her thoughts on self-isolation and how it has affected her.
Major Jackson is a poet and professor at the University of Vermont. He lives in South Burlington.
Former governor Jim Douglas shared his thoughts on self-isolation.
Danziger: Five Questions With