By the time you are reading this, we hope that the government shutdown has ended.

The recent column on the Zika virus makes it clear that I misunderstood my source and for this, I apologize.

Let's be clear that Sen. Bernie Sanders has been a huge help to all Vermonters. As a Nam-era veteran, he helped me get medical care through the VA.

Mr. Trump wants a win with the wall and the government shutdown. He has backed himself into a corner. He needs to save face.

In reference to the proposal to reduce the size of signage in the city, we are regulating the size of signage and the ban on roadside billboards but solar panel eyesores that are in view everywhere, are not? Talk about hypocrisy.

I am a longtime subscriber, and have generally felt that the Herald does a great job for a small paper, and has been fairly even-handed in it's perspective on the news.

It looks like you will need brain surgery while attending the Vermont Police Academy as a trainee.

I and nearly everyone I know used to be Democrats. Now, pretty much 100 percent are either Green or Independent.

You scaring Bernie Sanders and telling him not to run for the U.S. presidency is not helpful.

I would like for Jeff Wennberg to explain why he needs to put up a bond issue to repair bridges when it is said that the state and federal governments provide funding for these projects.

I am no fan of Bernie Sanders, but I suspect that the alleged sexual misbehavior of some of his campaign staff is not unique to his campaign. Presidential campaigns are intense and exhausting and people spend long periods of time in close contact. This does not excuse bad behavior, but in a …

Since 1980, we have endured 11 partial government shutdowns and the resulting waste of our taxes. This government shutdown affects 800,000 federal workers who are not receiving pay and Vermont farmers who are not receiving support payments.

ARC Rutland Area would like to wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2019. We had a wonderful holiday season and we hope you and your family did, too.

This letter goes out to a stranger who attempted to give me a hat about a month ago. Sir, I've tried to find you since then. I don't know your name, so it's been unsuccessful. The next best thing is this letter.

Mr. Weseman made a brilliant suggestion in his Jan. 4 letter on page A4 (Open letter to delegates). I have said for many years that all it would take to solve many of our local and national issues is to hold our elected officials to the same standards we must face. This is true for health ca…

I propose that you introduce a bill in Congress that would include all support staff, excepting security personnel, of the White House, the Naval Observatory (VP's residence), the Capitol and Congressional and Executive office buildings, as "nonessential government employees." This would mea…

Coyotes are a chief predator of mice.

In 2017, one of President Trump’s key advisors, Steve Bannon, said the administration’s goal was to “destroy the administrative state.” Years earlier, Republican theorist Grover Norquist said we should “shrink the size of government so we can drown it in a bathtub.”

I am disappointed at the continuing failure of the Rutland Herald coverage of mosquito control to address, or even mention, the issue of mosquito-borne diseases. Have you forgotten that some years back, two persons died of Eastern Equine Encephelitis in Salisbury? We are also exposed to West…

On New Year's Eve, I was on the bus riding home. I didn't notice this, for I was in a spot I couldn't see out the window. With a couple others looking on, someone yelled out a rude comment about someone not being able to stand because he was either "sick or drunk or something."

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) would like to thank the many individuals and organizations throughout our service area who, in recent months, have generously coordinated and contributed to a range of charitable initiatives benefiting the clients of SVCOA.

I agree with the Marijuana Commission (pot panel) that road side testing of drug abusers and others is needed. I recommend road side testing for driver impairment for all persons under age 21 to make sure they are not using pot or alcohol. That goes for cigarettes too. Gotta be 21! In additi…

On behalf of the hundreds of moms, dads, children and seniors who received something from the WSYB Christmas Fund this year, we wish to thank the thousands of kind and generous souls who made donations. This year’s total was the largest in recent memory and continues a nearly 50-year traditi…

When I first chose to run for office to represent Bennington in the Legislature, I saw that move as an opportunity to use a greater platform to lift the voices, concerns, dreams and ideas of the people in this region. I am forever grateful for the experience of serving and for the many hands…

I had the pleasure to visit a local homeless veteran shelter recently to drop off Christmas gifts for those residing there. Vermonters, this is the season for giving.

In honor of Dick Lloyd and to grant his wishes, there were no calling hours or services after his untimely death. Because of his love for Rutland Town, we decided to have a gathering and potluck supper at the firehouse with his friends and family to honor the life of this caring, humble, ded…

To the voters of Castleton, Fair Haven, Hubbardton and West Haven, this letter is long overdue and I apologize. My fall was full, with the death of my mom, the election and the birth of our first grandchild.

Many, many thanks to Home Depot for presenting the opportunity to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus. The display was beautiful. Santa and Mrs. Claus were overwhelmingly friendly and encouraged those shy youngsters to share what was on their lists. Beautiful job, thank you so much.

Perry Green, Manchester GOP chairman, should know that none of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were born in America, since the process to create the U.S. did not even begin until they had signed. Many signers were born in English colonies.

The first couple days, I thought perhaps your layout folks had simply made a mistake. But after a week, I have come to the sad realization that you have replaced the "Non Sequitur" comic strip with "Beetle Bailey."

I rode on the rotten sidewalks from the Stewart's on the corner of Strongs Avenue all the way through town to the Stewart's on State Street. I counted 13 empty storefronts. Why? Well, the high tax rate makes the rent high and small businesses can't afford it; so, they close. What do our city…

This is in response to Mr. Perry Green's complaint that our Harvard-educated "former first lady" ought to have known that several of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were born in America and thus, were "born American."

John McClaughry’s column, “That really scary climate report,” disparages the recent National Climate Assessment. One might imagine that Mr. McClaughry is a climatologist or other expert, but he has no serious background in climatology.

With the cold weather here and blood supplies dangerously low, Rutland County residents once again have an opportunity to give a truly life-changing gift — at no cost.

In the Dec. 11 issue, Mr. Perry Green takes "a former first lady" to task for stating to a group of new citizens that they, like the signers of the Declaration of Independence, became Americans.

Perry Green, the Manchester GOP chairman, in the Dec. 11 Rutland Herald, takes a cheap shot at Michelle Obama without naming her. He criticizes statements she made more than four years ago at a naturalization ceremony for 50 new citizens.

John McClaughry's opinion piece in the Rutland Herald questions the recent climate report's "highly speculative projections." His role and that of the Ethan Allen Institute has long been to muddy the waters about how we view climate change and its impacts on our environment and us. As a mout…

This letter is in response to Mr. Perry Green's recent letter seeming to chide our former first lady for pointing out (in 2014 at a naturalization ceremony) that the signers of the Declaration of Independence were not born in America. Mr. Green points out that “only 8 of the 56 signers were …

I am one who believes that women should be paid the same amount of money for the same work, [as men.]

What next? The recent news about several radio stations banning an old seasonal song, "Baby, It's Cold Outside," ("Me Too" movement) is absolutely ludicrous.

I want to thank the city of Rutland for another great Kids and Family Fun Day.

I am reading credible reports that Donald Trump is self-dealing from campaign funds, using campaign funds to pay personal legal expenses, and there are multiple admissions of his lawyer committing crimes at the direction of Donald Trump.

I want to thank the voters of Rutland Town for supporting me once again for re-election to the Vermont State Legislature. It is an honor and a bit humbling to represent the good people of Rutland Town in Montpelier. Each time I enter the General Assembly, I always remember who sent me here a…

Richard Nixon used every sneaky, evasive tactic in his criminal playbook to try and throw reporters off the trail of his Watergate crime.

Now that the excitement of the election has died down, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all the people who supported me in my recent bid for the office of probate judge.

It’s that wonderful time of year when most, if not all, of us seem to be at our best. Shifting our interests away [from] ourselves to doing for others. For many, the inspiration comes from the celebration of Jesus’ birth. For some, it is a "festival of lights" celebrating the rededication of…

Over the years, the important question has been asked, "What can people do to make the world a better place?" How about "If we didn't live in a world of 'What's in it for me?' the world will finally be beautiful." Enough said.

Regarding the Sanders Institute's "Gathering," I was surprised to read about it in the paper the day before it took place, and again the day after, having never seen any publicity further in advance, or received registration information by mail or online.

I was briefly but deeply relieved to hear the U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly to talk about Yemen. But what we all know we need is to stop the genocide immediately.

The statue of the Roman Goddess Ceres was hoisted up on to the top of the capital building in Montpelier after a new creation of the old one was replaced.