All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
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 […]
To the editor: Tim Roper asks for your vote for seat on the Chester Select Board
I’m Tim Roper and I’m running for a one-year seat on the Chester Select Board. I hope you’ll vote for me on Tuesday, March 5. I’ve been involved in the community for the 30 years I’ve been in Chester, from coaching and refereeing youth sports to serving on the Planning Commission for the past seven […]
Op-ed: Voting rights at Andover Town Meeting
By Madeline Bodin ©2024 Telegraph Publishing LLC Where will you be on Monday, March 4 at 5 o’clock? If you live in Andover and you say, “Leaving work, of course,” you have a problem. For the second time in two years, Andover’s Town Meeting will be held on a weekday afternoon. There is a well-respected […]
To the editor: Economic development efforts heard in Montpelier
I want to bring you up to date on some of the activities that I have been involved in during this current legislative session at the State House in Montpelier. In the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee, on which I sit, we took testimony on the Film and Creative Media Workforce Development Initiative from […]
To the editor: Hudkins sees self as ‘independent centrist’ who gives sleigh rides
Peter Hudkins here. I was having my coffee this morning before going to do my barn chores, waiting for the wood stove to get going before I left, when I read the article in The Telegraph. Although my name was not in the article it was in the flyer for the Republican “Meet the Candidates” […]
Rep. Pajala: School choice flourishes in rural Vermont communities
By Rep. Kelly Pajala It has been a tough year for the rural community I represent in southern Vermont. Flooding struck not once, but twice. July ravaged our towns, damaged small businesses, and forced people from their homes (including my own). Now that the legislature is back in Montpelier, I hope my colleagues can work […]
Sen. Clarkson: Vermont’s housing crisis continues to be priority in Montpelier
By Sen. Alison Clarkson Addressing Vermont’s housing crisis is one of the legislature’s top agenda items this year – as it has been for the last four years. There are many factors creating the challenge we face. Vermont has been underbuilding new housing units since the 1980s. Add to that the Covid pandemic, the loss […]
To the editor: Vermont needs to help kids addicted to vaping
My son is addicted to vaping. He started when friends introduced him to a flavored vape product in high school when he was 17 and is now struggling to quit at 24. He’s part of Vermont’s youth tobacco addiction crisis that demands action — on two fronts. We can immediately remove the enticement for these […]
To the editor: Chase schedules time to meet with constituents
To the residents of Chester, Grafton, Athens and Windham: I will be having constituent meetings in our communities throughout the legislative session on the dates and times as set out below. I look forward to meeting you face to face, hearing your thoughts and discussing matters of importance. This schedule is through April. More dates and […]
To the editor: Derry Rescue Squad, Technical Rescue receive hefty donation from Thrifty Attic
Londonderry Volunteer Rescue Squad and Londonderry Technical Rescue each recently received a $3,000 donation from the Thrifty Attic in Londonderry. We thank them for their generosity and their commitment to our community. January marks the halfway point in our year. From July 1, 2023 through Jan. 1, 2024, LVRS responded to 335 calls. We are […]
To the editor: The bane of flavored tobacco products
I recently turned down a deal with the devil. Two lobbyists with Altria, a big tobacco company, reached out to me because of my work with Vermont’s recovery and harm reduction community. They tried to convince me that flavored tobacco products serve as a “coping mechanism” for people in recovery and compared these products with […]
To the editor: Flood recovery, resiliency among legislative priorities in 2nd half of biennium
The 2024 legislative session, which began on Jan. 3 in Montpelier, is the second half of a two-year biennium, so Vermont lawmakers spend far less time on the formalities, pomp and circumstance. And, with committees and leadership in place, we got right to work. Which is good as we have a huge amount on our […]
