All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
Op-ed: Why are you ‘white?’
By James Michael Brodie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC I recently posed a question to my friends on Facebook who identify as white: “Do you know how you came to be called white? Do you know why?” Those who responded shared their experiences of living in white skin, but none could cite the source of those […]
To the editor: Windham Fire Co. cancels fund-raiser amid Covid-19; 50/50 raffle to take place
This year has brought some very unexpected changes to our daily lives. All of us have felt the impact of Covid-19. Here in Vermont we are fortunate that the virus has not affected us as gravely as our neighboring states, but we must take precautions nonetheless. I am sorry to report that the Windham Volunteer […]
To the editor: Thanks to all for Family Center’s successful Empty Bowl Fundraiser
The Chester-Andover Family Center Empty Bowl Soup Take Out Fundraiser, held June 10, raised $4,000 to support its Financial Assistance and Food Shelf programs. In addition to all who participated by reserving soup meals and making generous donations, we have many to acknowledge and thank. Jess Holmes and Paul Frasca, chef-owners of the Country Girl […]
Op-ed: My alma mater needs to teach about racism
By Cheyénne Prescott I was raised in the town of Chester, population slightly more than 3,000. From the 2nd grade to the 12th, I’ve been a part of this tight-knit, corner of Vermont. Some of my earliest childhood memories took place on the wooden play structure at Chester-Andover Elementary School. My “crew” and I would […]
Op-ed: Seeking racial equity in Vermont
By Sen. Alison Clarkson This week’s New Yorker magazine cover “This Side Up,” illustrates an upside down world, capturing an aspect of how many are feeling right now. Our U.S. government has failed to adequately prepare and protect its citizens from a global pandemic – and our public safety officers, whose job is to protect […]
Editorial: Why Black Lives Matter
By Cynthia Prairie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC You say “All Lives Matter?” Let me be clear that Black Lives Matter now because they have never mattered. They haven’t mattered to the majority of white Americans and white America holds all the cards and all the privileges. As a nation, we have enslaved black lives to […]
Op-ed: Racism is white America’s problem
Editor’s note: This column is reprinted with permission by the author, James Michael Brodie, an old friend and colleague of mine from Baltimore, Md. — Cynthia Prairie. By James Michael Brodie ©2020 Telegraph Publishing LLC It should be evident by now that people like the white woman who called the police on a black man […]
To the editor: Keith Stern running for state Senate
My name is Keith Stern and I am announcing my campaign for the Windsor County Senate as an independent candidate. Some of you may recognize me as a candidate for governor two years ago. My platform has not changed: I want to see a more responsible budget, end Act 46, and make sure Act 250 […]
To the editor: Congress, industry hijack access to paid TV
What if the government told you that you could no longer subscribe to the New York Times because you live in Vermont—even if you wanted to pay for it at a premium price. That is exactly what is happening now with broadcast television. Congress has decided that certain area codes can no longer receive distant […]
To the editor: Eliminate ‘power base for racism’
The obscene public execution of George Floyd on Monday night, May 25 by Minneapolis police has brought about righteous indignation and protests not only in Minnesota but across the country as the American public has finally had enough of the continuous system of non-accountablity and protection from serious prosecution afforded to brutal thugs posing as […]
To the editor: Vermont LWV urges state to adopt mail-in voting
The League of Women Voters of Vermont supports every citizen’s right to vote in a safe and secure manner. It is our position that Vermont should be among the 20-plus states that are proactively mailing ballot materials to voters for the general election. Requiring voters to come together in large numbers at polling places this […]
To the editor: Southern Windsor County gets $300,000 Brownfields Grant
The Southern Windsor County Regional Planning Commission has received a $300,000 community-wide Brownfields Assessment Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It is one of just two grants awarded in Vermont in the 2020 fiscal year. This funding will provide a substantial boost in our ability to offer much needed assessment of brownfield sites in […]
Sen. McCormack: Right ideas, wrong applicaton
By Sen. Dick McCormack The pandemic, its economic fallout and the resulting social and personal stresses all beg for analysis. What’s going on? What are proper responses? What mistakes are being made? What fundamental problems are exposed? I’m grateful for the informed, insightful, indeed wise communications I’ve been getting from concerned citizens. It’s gratifying when […]
To the editor: Is industrial renewable energy really ‘green?’
A few weeks ago I sent the following email regarding the recently released documentary Planet of the Humans to our state representatives and senators. I sent a similar email to our congressional delegation: Rep. Peter Welch, and Sens. Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders. Not one of those seven politicians who represent Windham-3, Windham County and […]
Sen. Clarkson: Vermont’s housing problem is a health problem
By Sen. Alison Clarkson The Covid-19 crisis is challenging all of us, but it is particularly challenging for those already at risk in Vermont. “Stay Home, Stay Safe” assumes two things – that you have a home and that it is safe. Sadly, for too many Vermonters this is not the case. And so Vermont’s […]
To the editor: Chester/GM Alumni Association cancels parade
Unfortunately we have decided to cancel this years Chester High/Green Mountain Union High Alumni Parade, which was scheduled for Saturday, June 6. Due to various circumstances related to the coronavirus shutdown, we can’t plan a future date at this time. We are hoping to have an alumni event of some type this fall but it’s […]
To the editor: Empower Vermonters going forward with Covid-19 rcovery
Regular Vermonters are on the front line of the Covid-19 crisis and are our first line of defense. Health care and testing, as important as it is, is the second line of defense and contact tracing is the third line. Going forward with the Covid-19 recovery, it is important that all Vermonters have access to […]
To the editor: Erskines announce impending closure of iconic grain store
We are writing to inform everyone of our decision to close Erskine’s. This has been coming for a while now with the decline in storefront retail businesses and the state of repair of our old building, furnace, etc. That is the easy part of our decision. The folks like you who have made our business […]
To the editor: Tanzer thanks community as she departs Whiting library directorship
Whiting Library’s first librarian served for 50 years. My tenure was a relatively short 11 ½. What began in the children’s room moved down the hall into the front office, which was the library’s original entrance. From there the services to the public, physical needs of the building and news ideas were nudged along. During […]
To the editor: No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask – NO SERVICE
We don’t allow smoking in stores because second hand smoke causes cancer. Why in the world should we allow people to transmit a deadly virus in stores when they can easily wear a mask? Second hand smoke takes years of multiple exposures to cause cancer, while one exposure to the novel coronavirus can kill. At […]
