Last week, the graduation at Rutland High School capped off the school year wonderfully as it always does. The weather on that day was exceptional, complementing a gorgeous, outdoor celebration of the achievements of our students, staff and families in reaching another milestone in life.

Regarding the letter "Culture war" by Charles Kader, I'm lost as to what he is trying to say about the "mascot" of Rutland High School, the "Red Raiders." It sounds like he is saying that, as a Native American himself, he thinks the Red Raiders logo is not a problem.

I read with interest Jim Sabataso’s account of a rally held at the fairgrounds. The rally put together people who fear Critical Race Theory (CRT). Their opinion, which I disagree with wholeheartedly, should be heard if for no other reason than to strenuously debunk it. I will leave it to mor…

This past spring, the Rutland High School Girls’ Varsity Tennis team amassed a record of 13-1 in the regular season, making them No. 2 in the state and earning the title of “Southern Vermont League Champions.” To honor this, T-shirts proclaiming this accomplishment were made for the players.…

As a Native American journalist of Mohawk (Kanienkehaka Turtle Clan) descent, I was surprised to read Rutland resident Gregory Thayer's commentary in these Opinion section pages on the Rutland Raider school athletic mascot subject. It would seem we have reached a point in American genealogy …

The details of our Vermont environment can be overshadowed by the pandemic. But since life is, as they say, in the details, best we pay attention.

It was implied in commentary by Nick Parker that Otter Valley students were recently threatened with expulsion merely for wearing Don't Tread on Me or Trump flags, and not because of misbehavior. I know people on the outside of these things from time to time may make such statements without …

I was disheartened to read the opinion of John McClaughry on the Vermont Proposition. Enormous outreach and participation went into that process. Did he participate? What particularly concerns me with John and other conservatives is they often criticize the democratic process without offerin…

I would like to commend Gordon Dritschilo for correcting the difference relating to bears (June 12-13 issue). While I am somewhat familiar with bear behavior due to my lifelong pursuit of game animals as a source of recreation and organic meat consumption, I have never thought or considered …

An honor system's exactly what? And is it a thing we can trust in this age? Sans supervision — in lieu of surveillance — trust feels like code word for just disengage.

This morning I woke up, had my coffee, read the daily newspapers and realized I didn’t have to dread reading the news about our president as he met with G7 world leaders in Great Britain. For four years during the past administration, I frequently had to cringe at what the previous White Hou…

I just read a good book. It’s called "White Fragility." It’s about how white people in our white bubble have a hard time discussing racism or acknowledging racism exists, and our failure to discuss it or acknowledge it simply perpetuates it and actually hurts us all.

I wish to thank Tom Koch for his very eloquent commentary on Wednesday, June 9. He explains all of the reasons that only citizens should be allowed to vote. It is beyond my comprehension why anyone believes it is OK, or legal, to betray the state Constitution in any way. I do not believe the…

I write to strongly endorse Ron Hemenway’s defense of vaccination records. I, too, possess a WHO shot record (two booklets, actually; one got filled up) going back to the 1960s (my father was a Foreign Service officer, and much of my youth was spent in Africa). My COVID vaccination card is n…

I can't believe the headline I read in today's June 9 Rutland Herald, "Board can't let mascot go." Could you not find a more important issue for a headline?

Ongoing, really? There was a lengthy June 7 article I read online about mask-wearing being an ongoing battle for years to come — even after the pandemic is over. "It's a psychological thing," as someone stated.

Prescription costs are what Bernie Sanders has been preaching for years.

Congratulations to Lyle Jepson navigating the difficult path of combining two organizations. In a world where more bureaucracy is the norm, making one organization out of two that were replicating each other, is at least noteworthy.

My favorite (now retired) Rutland High School teacher, John Peterson, wore a pin to my 2002 graduation ceremony with a quote from The Wizard of Oz: “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.” This is appropriate given Mr. Peterson had spent the previous year teaching us to always look…

I saw a Vermont GOP ad calling for military pensions to be exempt from Vermont income tax. How about really doing something and get behind a move to repeal the Reagan tax on Social Security pensions? Which do you think would better serve veterans of military service and their families, the v…

Many industries are consolidating. Large mergers and acquisitions are increasing as big companies buy out small rivals before they can become competitive. Exclusionary practices by dominant companies — refusals to deal with rivals, restrictive contracting and predatory pricing — stifle compe…

Are the fractures and divisions in America worse today than they were in the 1960s? In the 1960s, no one questioned whether Vietnam existed or claimed the military casualties were really crisis actors. No one claimed China and Venezuela had manipulated the presidential election. No one claim…

There is a seriously erroneous notion that, if you deflect a problem to the back, it won’t exist anymore.

Vermont is being suckered by people claiming homelessness: drug addicts, hookers and lowlifes taking advantage of free room and cable TV. I was homeless, living in the woods a few years ago, winter and 14 below zero. They would not get me a room. These motels get what they deserve for taking…

Jim Sabataso’s article (Schools consider equity plans, June 3) mentions Rutland School Board member Tricia O’Conner’s concerns about where all of this is headed. Ms. O’Conner is quoted as preferring hiring decisions based upon merit, as opposed to race, gender or some other characteristic un…

We have become a nation of comfort seekers. Just take us out to the ballgame, give us some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, we don’t care if we never come back.

I recently learned the Bennington Housing Authority no longer provides housing for people with a disability if they are younger than the age of 62 in their existing subsidized apartments. While ‘seniors’ who no longer can age in place because of the architecture of our current homes will fac…

President Biden has proposed his climate agenda, making it clear we have to prepare for a “greener” future, sooner rather than later.

Dementia awareness is now being featured in well-produced movies such as “Still Susan” starring Julianne Moore, “The Father” starring Anthony Hopkins, and "Here Today” starring Billy Crystal.

Regards the letter written to the Rutland Herald objecting to the cartoon by Danziger, the images he created and op-ed are not appropriate for print in the paper as it resembles an anti-Semitic image with Nazi-Holocaust overtones.

Discrimination

I was very disappointed this morning to see our Rutland Town officials could not bring themselves to endorse a proactive statement of inclusion. It should have been unanimously approved. And Don Chioffi should be ashamed to parade his failing memory in this way. I very clearly remember him c…

A huge shout-out to the cast and crew of Rutland Youth Theatre recent adaption of Aladdin — what a phenomenal performance by all. This type of creative outlet and ability to have kids working together and mastering new types of information has been sorely missed for the last year. It was a t…

The idea of creating outside dining environments on Center Street is a worthy activity.

Gov. Phil Scott has done a remarkably good job in guiding Vermont through the COVID-19 pandemic and in many other policy areas. Why then does he seem to avoid talking about OneCare, the state health care system which is massively expensive and is failing in nearly every measured outcome?

Congratulations to cartoonist Danziger. Relentlessly and viciously anti-Israel, he outdid himself by portraying Israel as a man wearing a star of David on his suit jacket, cynically echoing what Jews were forced to do by the Nazis. And what a brilliant, apt comparison he makes between Derek …

Your front page photo on May 21 begs the bigger question to Rutland officials and organizers — Why not a May Festival? Call it “Rutland Blooms” or any other name you wish, but do something with all the beauty blooming on our streets in May.

The Montpelier postmaster told me they are crying for help — we are only getting mail every other day now. Other employers say the same — and yet we don't want to let immigrants in?

Amidst the flurry of concluding business last week, the Vermont Senate passed three resolutions that are small, but important steps to acknowledge and address racism in the state.

As the Vermont Department of Labor begins to deny unemployment benefits of people whose job search does not please them, remember some factors.

Anyone who was inspired by the city's beautiful memorial to Martin H. Freeman might want to read more about his remarkable life and times.

OK, as Father Mulcahy of MASH used to say, now "I am acrimonious!"

It’s no secret Vermonters have struggled during the pandemic. From layoffs to business closures, everyone knows someone who’s hurting. However, with Vermonters doing their part to get vaccinated, we now have an opportunity to help our state recover and get people back on their feet.

The Golden Plunger is awarded to Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the House of Representatives from the state of Georgia.

I’m confused as to why it’s so important to be more concerned about the name of a high school mascot than it is to be concerned about a worldwide pandemic? Since when does that take higher precedence to hundreds of thousands of people dead? Let’s focus on more important things.

Mc and Mc have demonstrated where their true loyalties lie — that’s Mitch McConnell, the Senate (I am happy to say) Minority Leader and Kevin McCarthy, lead Republican in the House.

As a fully vaccinated individual for the COVID virus, I can only say I am overjoyed the CDC has lifted the mask restrictions for myself and others who have been vaccinated. But my feelings of relief are somewhat clouded by the anxiety I will experience when I pass by others while not wearing…

Wait, just a minute.

We feel it’s always good to start with the positive. Celebrating and memorializing the life and works of Rutland native Martin Henry Freeman, the first African American college president, reflects the positive, dare we say, “progressive,” streak in Rutland.

The unwanted, recorded phone calls were particularly irksome and intrusive today as I prepared to eat my lunch. In fact, it seems to have been some time since I was able to enjoy a meal without such interruption(s).