All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
To the editor: Chester board should institute a mask mandate
After some debate on the topic, I can only determine three core reasons that some of my fellow citizens have for not wanting a mask mandate in Chester. a) They don’t want anyone telling them what to do. b) They don’t believe the science telling us that masks help mitigate the transmission of Covid. c) […]
The Telegraph Poll: A mask mandate for Chester?
This Telegraph Poll will be open until Dec. 15. Should the Chester Select Board institute a mask mandate for public buildings and businesses?
Op-ed: Does the First Amendment allow racist and personal threats of violence?
By Bill Schubart It’s time for a statute prohibiting hate-speech, online bullying and threats of physical violence. Five years ago, Rep. Kiah Morris (D-Bennington) resigned from the Vermont legislature, where she had earned the respect of her colleagues and a reputation as an effective promoter of equity and justice in Vermont. The online harassment began […]
To the editor: Londonderry should consider other ways to control speeding than costly sheriff
At Town Meeting last year, Londonderry voted to appropriate $45,000 to hire the Windham County Sheriff to spend up to 20 hours per week for policing the town of Londonderry. A representative from the sheriff’s office said that they were committed to policing the community as a whole (which was important to the voters since […]
To the editor: Budget deliberations to begin for BRSU school districts; public urged to attend
As December is upon us, the Bennington Rutland Supervisory Union is focusing on the future of its three school districts: Winhall, Mettawee, and the Taconic & Green, which serves Peru, Londonderry, Landgrove and Weston. For all three jurisdictions, December marks the traditional start of formal district budget discussions on finances and tax rates for fiscal […]
To the editor: Thanks to all who made Warm Hands coat drive successful
The Warm Hands Warm Hearts planning committee wishes to thank the Chester and Andover communities for the wonderful support for Warm Hands Warm Hearts 2021, held in late October. Many generous donations of coats, blankets, boots and other warm items were all given free to all shoppers. Donations of cash were used to purchase healthy […]
To the editor: Community responds to Whiting Library visioning efforts
On Sept. 7 and Oct. 5, 2021, residents of Chester and Andover gathered at the Chester Town Hall to talk about shared aspirations for the community and to envision the future of Whiting Library. Professional library consultant, Amy Howlett, facilitated these conversations with the assistance of Library Director Deirdre Doran. The goal of the meetings […]
To the editor: Family Center seeks donations for Thanksgiving meals
The Chester-Andover Family Center Food Shelf needs your help. We are busy preparing to provide Food Shelf participants with food for their Thanksgiving dinners. As Vermont Food bank partners, we can purchase turkeys and shelf stable items at very low cost. We also partner with local grocery outlets and farmers to purchase fresh produce and […]
To the editor: Townscape celebrates fall season with new plantings
Many changes let residents and visitors know that Chester is geared up for the fall season. Most of summer’s prominent bridge boxes and pots and barrels of cascading flowers have been replaced with decorations that proclaim a new season with a different abundance. Chester Townscape thanks all those volunteers who planted, watered, and cared for […]
Op-ed: Critical Race Theory is American history
By James Michael Brodie Across the country, lawmakers, educators (including the Board of Regents at my alma mater, the University of Colorado), and other interested parties are taking up discussions regarding Critical Race Theory and the 1619 Project. The conflict among many White Americans is whether or not to acknowledge what actually happened to enslaved […]
To the editor: People should not be used as mascots
Mascots are symbolic figures adopted by a group to bring them good luck, to promote a sense of teamwork and unity, and to symbolize the attributes that the group aspires to. A stereotype is an oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing. I believe that, when an image is based […]
Op-ed Why is there a worker shortage?
By Jack Hoffman The Washington Post recently tackled the question a lot of people have been talking about. The headline read: “Why America has 8.4 million unemployed when there are 10 million job openings.” What was refreshing about the Post story was that it didn’t offer the usual explanation about the mismatch between jobs and […]
Rep. Tom Bock: Cares Act, ARPA funds give historic aid to Vermont
By Rep. Tom Bock Because of Covid-19, an unprecedented spending at the federal level, a vast infusion of federal dollars came to Vermont, leading to unprecedented levels of revenue for our state. In the spring of 2020, Vermont received $1.25 billion from the Cares Act and in the spring of 2021 we received $1.052 billion […]
To the editor: Roper’s letter incorrect, misleading
In his Aug. 17, 2021 letter to the editor Tim Roper stated the following: “Imagine you’re someone who wants a permit to use your property in some way that’s different from how it’s used now. That could be opening a business, or building a new shed, barn, garage, or accessory dwelling unit. Or maybe you […]
To the editor: Greenhouse project thanks Chester residents for feedback
I would like to thank the people of Chester who came to the public forum at the July 21 Select Board meeting to support, give opinions, and find out more about the Chester Community Greenhouse & Gardens. Everyone overwhelmingly voiced their support of the project as a whole. It was the third public informative presentation, […]
To the editor: In zoning laws, do words confuse or clarify?
Does adding more words to Chester’s Development Bylaws bring onerous regulation to our citizens and business owners? No, it doesn’t. But how can that be? If the document is longer, doesn’t it include more regulations? I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Since there are no pictures […]
To the editor: Do more words make Chester’s proposed zoning bylaw stricter?
You may have heard at the Chester Planning Commission meetings that the length of the document means there is no more regulations than before. The current bylaw is 142 pages and the proposed bylaw is 245 pages in a smaller font. The difference is about 100 pages. Let’s look at a use in the current […]
To the editor: Whole new festival this year in Chester
Get ready for a whole new festival this year! For more than 40 years, the annual Chester Fall Festival — now called The Chester Festival on the Green — has been held as a hallmark kickoff to the beginning of fall foliage season here in Chester, where hundreds of people converge on our historic Green […]
To the editor: Restrict recreational trapping
Wildlife advocates recently presented four petitions at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Board meeting, including a petition to restrict recreational trapping. Despite the fact that the petitions were submitted to Fish & Wildlife in February, the petitioners were contacted only one week prior to the June board meeting and were told that we had to […]
To the editor: Vermont’s shifting population means public input on redistricting more crucial
The 2020 Census numbers for Vermont indicate that our little state grew by about 20,000 people over the past decade, or +2.8 percent. We also know that within Vermont our overall population has been migrating toward the northwest region of the state (Chittenden, Franklin and Lamoille counties), and away from the south and east. Moreover, […]
