Trees provide shade, color, prevent erosion, use carbon dioxide and wildlife habitats, to name a few benefits. Trees also can blind intersections, fall on electric lines, overrun sidewalks and get into underground pipes with their roots.

I'd like to thank the kind woman, Barbara, who helped me after I fell off my bike Aug. 31 on Center Street.

As a former employee for 32 years at Mill River Union High School, I am horrified, disappointed and greatly saddened by the frequent headlines I am seeing in the news.

According to CNN this morning, the party of fiscal insensitivity has cost the state of California $276 million for a thoroughly bogus recall election intended to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom.

In her Sept. 14 letter, Christine Smith took a mighty swing at Joe Biden and succeeded in knocking out Donald Trump.

I have a few questions for Nick Searles and others who are obsessing over the potential dangers of introducing Afghan refugees into American society.

To the folks who were upset about the recent flag story in Barre, as one might guess, there is more to the story.

I was extremely disappointed that your paper did not bother to lead with your 9/11 remembrance on page 1. You put some of it on page 6, but the bulk on page 10. Your Friday paper never mentioned 9/11 at all.

I'm paraphrasing, but a point will be made. Outside one of the businesses in downtown Rutland — you know who you are — the employees wrote a sign saying to wear a mask and if you won't be an A-- about it, it would be appreciated. Regardless if the profanity is fully written or not — you migh…

It seems to me there are some issues that need to be stated clearly:

In July, Castleton’s Recreation Commission concluded its third two-week-long youth Sailing Camp on Lake Bomoseen. Enthusiastic and intrepid middle-schoolers started the week paddling and intentionally capsizing six donated Sunfish. Within a few days, they were capably navigating a triangular…

Haven't enough anti-vaxxers died of COVID for the rest of you to get the message?

Wouldn't be refreshing, certainly educational and utilitarian if we knew and heard more about Afghanistan culture instead of bombings, violence to women, terrorism — and all the rest of the 20-year war news.

Let us consider rodeo for what it really is: animal cruelty.

In these trying times, I want to give a shoutout to our local police department for their heroic efforts to keep us safe. In the best of times, a staffing shortage would be challenging with officers having to pick up extra overtime shifts in order to protect the city. With COVID and a number…

Having read the recent story about the shortage of homes for Realtors to sell gives me much concern.

I know Vermont is a Democratic state and diehard Vermonters, but do you realize what Democrats are doing to this country?

Twenty years ago, this country was rocked by multiple terrorist attacks — 20 years ago. That's a long time to never forget. Now, 20 years later, Afghanistan is rocked and the Taliban took over. The answer: Let's move them into the United States. Give them free money "for housing," of course.

It would seem that Biden has taken a kinder, gentler approach to the terrorist government in Afghanistan as evidenced by his description of the killers as “business like” and “focused.” Hmmm.

There have been discussions about displaying the American flag in the paper lately.

To all in the Mill River district who have worked so hard to keep political and divisive flags off the flag poles at our schools, I want to offer my heartfelt thanks and praise. Beginning in June 2020 when the initial flag request was made, you worked tirelessly to get petitions signed, to a…

The Barstow School District School Board is asking for input on the question of whether to use public education dollars specifically in support of our public schools. Public education is part of the foundation of democracy, and our public schools are mandated to serve every child.

I strongly agree with the two recent anti-rodeo letters. Be aware that every animal welfare organization in North America condemns rodeo because of its inherent cruelty.

With his trivial and obstructionist line of questioning at the Board of Alderman’s meeting of Sept. 7, Tom DePoy has once again demonstrated that he is Tom DePoy. In his belaboring of the subtle distinction between integration and assimilation, he seems to imply that Afghan refugees should n…

In response to Rep. Thomas Terenzini's conspiracy theory from the Sept. 8 Herald: I hope he clarifies how he believes that Democrats "see open borders as a way to invest in more votes on Election Day." Is he trying to promote the lie that millions of undocumented immigrants illegally vote in…

People won’t wear a mask or get the vaccine because it is their personal freedom not to. They say that it is their bodies and their choice, and it doesn’t matter how many people die from an easily spreadable fatal disease. But when it comes to women’s constitutional right to choose whether t…

Rodeos must be stopped. They foster cruelty toward animals.

Is the Texas GOP, with its new recklessly unconstitutional anti-abortion law, trying to force the Biden administration to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices to create a major political issue for the 2022 and 2024 elections that they hope will offset what’s coming?

Cruelty of a rodeo

There will be Afghan refugees coming to the United States. How long before the Rutland First lawn signs appear?

More than 117,000 people were airlifted from Kabul in two weeks’ time, under absolutely atrocious conditions by the U.S. military under Joe Biden — over 122,000 if you count back a couple more weeks. Nothing this amazingly coordinated has been carried out since the Dunkirk armada took 340,00…

The Commonwealth Fund, a philanthropic foundation, has recently published another report on our health care system, and it doesn't look good. The United States ranked dead last when compared with 10 other high income countries. The study looked at access to care, care process, administrative…

As the cost of replacing infrastructure, such as sewer, water and storm drains to name a few, tends to baffle the public, several things must be told.

Calling all seniors. One of the many great programs we offer at BROC Community Action is the Vermont Farm to Family Program.

Rodeos are cruel and outdated.

Animals should not be injured or killed for entertainment and that is what rodeo is.

Ridiculous to continue to publish COVID-19 misinformation under the guise of "opinion." Meg Hansen has continued to make outrageous claims that are not backed by any reality. The CDC has multiple studies cited on their website that support the effectiveness of masks, in direct contradiction …

In response to Mr. Schneider's "Children's fate," I agree how sad (and horrifying) to see and try to contemplate the desperation of mothers and other citizens in Kabul, Afghanistan. It is truly terrifying, the danger posed by a group of religiously fanatic men bent on controlling the bodies …

On Saturday, Aug. 28, the Rutland Moose Club 1122 and Cub Scout Troop 120 arrived at the gate of the historic Rutland West Street Cemetery at 8 a.m. They brought a four-wheeler, a trailer, wheelbarrows, pry bars, shovels, weed trimmers and most importantly, over 40 volunteers to help in the …

At the current rate of the global COVID-19 vaccine rollout, low-income countries may not receive the vaccine for years to come. Sharing excess vaccine doses and providing additional resources with countries in the greatest need is vital to limit the spread of more COVID-19 variants and the e…

With the attack on the people at the gate and 13 service members dead and others wounded, the quandary begins: if the Taliban hold true in their promise. Any enemy of yours is a friend of mine. The ISIS-K movement opposes the Taliban seeking to take power away from them and ruling Afghanista…

This letter is in response to Mr. Shank's commentary titled White supremacy in the Aug. 28-30 Rutland Herald.

This was inspired by the letter of Karen Marino. Sometimes, neurological symptoms aren't noticed right offhand. Unfortunately, so-called adult bus passengers have stared at and made fun of me for wearing a seat belt on the small buses. If I don't wear one, I'm in danger of falling, especiall…

The past 18 months of the COVID pandemic prompt the following thoughts about our current situation.

I’m tired of reading about how “exorbitant” the proposed $3.5 trillion social infrastructure bill is. Where were these same voices of doom when the Trump Congress passed tax cuts for the wealthy in 2017-18 which ended up costing at least as much? Or where were they when minimum wages were so…

Dear Vermont: You failed my son.

Imagine my surprise. Here I was, enjoying my morning coffee and reading the latest commentary from Don Chioffi. I got about two-thirds of the way through the column thinking Don was going to make some astute big-picture comparisons between Vietnam and Afghanistan. I really didn’t see that ‘B…

In his Aug. 24 commentary James Hall urges his readers to get their news online, noting that, among other things, it is available "free of charge." If Mr. Hall's own "contributions" to the public discourse are any indication of the quality of the information he is garnering from the internet…

The latest figures show the COVID-19 childhood case fatality rate is 0.01%, that is, around 520 children have died since the pandemic began. Let’s put this statistic into context. During the 2018-19 influenza season, over 46,000 children were hospitalized and 480 children died. The Centers f…

I don't often read the Rutland Herald anymore. Tabloids don't hold my interest, as the continual printing of opinion as truth is tiresome at best and detrimental to the livelihoods of hardworking people at worst. Call me an idealist to expect to read facts in a newspaper, and I'll keep hopin…