All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
State budgets, Zoie Saunders vote on menu as Vermont legislative session nears end
By Sen. Alison Clarkson There are about two weeks left in Vermont’s 2024 legislative session. This is not a lot of time to negotiate policy differences between the House and the Senate. A great deal of policy work is still not settled. which concerns me. I am not a fan of the work that is […]
To the editor: Rep. Chase announces run for re-election
As I complete my first term in the Vermont State House, I am pleased to announce that I am running for re-election for state representative for the Windsor-Windham District, made up of the towns of Athens, Chester, Grafton and Windham. The legislative primary is Tuesday, Aug. 13 and the general election is Tuesday, Nov. 5. […]
Op-ed: Don’t make our children pay for inflation
By Madeline Bodin ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC On social media, the “’90s kids” rule nostalgia, with shoutouts to Britney Spears and the early video game Oregon Trail. You don’t hear from ’70s kids. We got the oil crisis, disco and inflation. I saw inflation first-hand, even as a small child. In elementary school, my half-pint […]
Op-ed: What will the Vermont Senate do about Zoie Saunders?
By John Walters ©2024 Vermont Political Observer Gov. Phil Scott’s administration is acting as if Zoie Saunders’ nomination as education secretary is a fait accompli. On Monday, the Agency of Education issued a press release that trumpeted Saunders’ first day on the job. Nowhere did it mention that her appointment must be approved by the […]
To the editor: Land use, municipal ethics bills draw interest in Montpelier
The Statehouse is an extraordinarily busy place at the moment. The legislature is in the last month of its two-year 2023-24 biennium, which means that if bills don’t pass in the next four weeks, they are ‘dead’ until January 2025, when they can be re-introduced. So, for many issues and bills, this is crunch time. […]
To the editor: ‘Egalitarian utopia’ an expensive fantasy
In 1990, I was a financially struggling college student attending Lyndon State College in northern Vermont. I was an active member of the College Democrats, and an avid supporter of Bernie Sanders who was then running for the U.S. House of Representatives. Like his other supporters, I too found appeal in Bernie’s grand promise of […]
To the editor: Working to solve the housing crisis
During the two years I’ve served in the legislature, Vermont’s housing crisis has been constantly top of mind. I’ve heard heart-wrenching stories of Vermonters with disabilities facing homelessness, seen tears in the eyes of constituents on the brink of losing their long-term rental home and unsure of where they would find a new place, and […]
To the editor: TRSU schools thank Okemo Mtn., Vail for Winter Sports Program
All of us at the schools of the Two Rivers Supervisory Union – Cavendish Town Elementary, Chester-Andover Elementary, Green Mountain Union High, Ludlow Elementary and Mount Holly – want to thank all the amazing people who helped make the Okemo Winter Snow Sports program a huge success. The students, volunteers and staff from our schools […]
To the editor: Montpelier wrestles with flood impacts, school budgeting
The Vermont legislature has now said “thank you and farewell” to our second set of pages, which means we are more than halfway through our 2024 session. If you know a young person who will be in the 8th grade next year and is interested in how Vermont works – please suggest they consider serving […]
To the editor: Roper thanks Chester voters
I am writing to thank Chester’s voters for electing me to represent them on our Select Board. I am always open to hearing from anyone who has a local issue or a need that the board may be of help with. It’s important for all to know that our Select Board is a place where […]
To the editor: After flooding, Green Mountain Gardeners lead in landscape restoration
Remembering July 2023, the area of the state where some of the worst Vermont flood devastation occurred, the Green Mountain Gardeners members lead in community landscape restoration. “The Green Mountain Gardeners is a group of community members who foster horticulture, beautification, and conservation of all natural resources in their mountain communities,” saya club President Linda […]
To the editor: Self-checkout no convenience at convenience store
I was driving home from Charlotte to South Londonderry the other day after working long hours. I was tired and thought it would be a good idea to stop at a convenience store for a coffee with a little hot chocolate in it to perk me for the drive. A Maplefields (location to remain nameless […]
To the editor: Chester seeks volunteers to help water new trees
Chester has been awarded one of the 2024 Urban & Community Forestry Grants to increase and maintain a healthy tree population. See Chester Telegraph Feb. 20, 2024 article: Chester gets $47,000 grant to remove, replace ash trees. The goal for the approximately $50,000 in awarded funds is to plant ornamental trees in targeted locations in […]
To the editor: Senior Solutions thanks Chester voters for approving funding
Senior Solutions, the area agency on aging in southeastern Vermont, offers our heartfelt gratitude to the residents of Chester who voted to approve funding for us during Town Meeting. The decision to allocate resources to support our seniors demonstrates the compassionate and forward-thinking nature of your community. We look forward to working to ensure the older residents of […]
To the editor: Change in medical cannabis law a step backward
The Vermont House Government Operations Committee is considering amending Vermont law to allow high-potency cannabis to be sold at retail stores to patients with “medical” cards for marijuana. This would depart from the present law, which limits sale of high-potency cannabis concentrates to medical dispensaries only. This change would be a major step backward for […]
To the editor: School branding bill amendment is ‘state censorship’
You know the saying “You’ll spend us into the gutter?” How about a Vermont version: “You’ll spend us into the ditch.’’ Vermont’s veto-proof state Democrats are doing just that: spending the people of Vermont into the ditch. For example, there’s the mind-boggling education property tax? A half joke in Montpelier has it that only one […]
To the editor: Banish ‘Groundhog Day;’ Vote for Nikki Haley
Since the hit movie starring Bill Murray came out in the 1990s, the term Groundhog Day — meaning a monotonous, unpleasant and repetitive situation — has become part of the English lexicon. As I watch the 2024 election unfold, it seems like Groundhog Day all over again. We are trapped in a time loop that […]
To the editor: Lisa Rufa on her race for Chester Select Board
I was unable to attend the Candidates Night, however I would like to answer the questions so voters can read my position on the issues that affect Chester. Question 1: Why do you want to serve on the Chester Select Board? I would like to serve on the Select Board because like so many in […]
To the editor: Thanks to the Wantastiquet Rotary for contributions to Bob Perry Lane House
Martha Dale and Patty Eisenhaur, co-chairs of the Mountain Towns Housing Project Steering Committee, thank the Wantastiquet Rotary Club for its contribution to the Bob Perry Lane House. Their help in providing all of the appliances for the home in addition to other financial support has been instrumental in finishing the project. Kara Corlew and […]
To the editor: Why I will vote for Nikki Haley in the Vermont presidential primary
I usually vote Democratic and will probably vote for President Biden in November, but I will be voting for Nikki Haley in Vermont’s presidential primary election on March 5. Here’s why: Vermont is one of only 15 states that have an open primary in which all registered voters, regardless of their party affiliation, can vote […]
