All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
To the editor: Education and healthcare crises are inextricably linked
We encourage all school workers, community members, parents and students to share their thoughts around school district consolidation with the Redistricting Task Force, assigned to create the new district maps per Education Reform Act 73. The Task Force recently held four public hearings that gave the opportunity to provide feedback on the creation of three […]
Op-ed: A truly scary story
By Madeline Bodin ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC When I was in sixth grade, our teacher gathered us to tell us a scary story on the school day closest to Halloween. He said that he had been a night security guard at a mansion in town. This spooky house had a mausoleum in the basement. Late […]
To the editor: A provocateur comes to Chester
On Saturday, Oct. 18, at the GOP counter-rally to Chester’s No Kings protest in Chester, Hank Poitras stood in front of about 60 people and did what he always does: sold himself. If you don’t know him, Poitras runs a brand called Planet Hank out of Brattleboro — part podcast, part “news” channel, part traveling […]
To the editor: Stand up for the Land of the Free
Our national anthem ends with a question: “Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave?” Are we still the land of the free when the president can deploy federal troops to states that do not want them under the phony pretext that […]
To the editor: Pennells announce closing of Smokeshire Design, but sales and party first!
Dear friends, family and customers of Smokeshire Design, Eight years ago, on Thanksgiving weekend, Smokeshire Design opened its doors. Simon Pearce glass, Hugh Pennell furniture, Andrew Pearce bowls and many beautiful home goods, jewelry and gift items became the background for our adventure into the world of retail. Hugh and I have met so many […]
To the editor: Better investment choices would have boosted Cyprus Mineral Fund
On Sept. 10, 2025, you reported on the Select Board discussions regarding the potential uses for the Cyprus Mineral Fund. It is clear that it will be up to the Select Board to decide what the best use of the funds will be. I would like to point out however, that the historical stewardship of […]
To the editor: The truth that Truth Social denies
On July 7, Jibia Tusifu, age 10, died in the Congo because the richest country in world history withheld a $2 mosquito net. Trump’s cancellation of USAID funds prevented her destitute family from replacing their torn net and Jibia contracted malaria. Due to U.S. aid cuts, the local health clinic had no medicine to control […]
Op-ed: Laughing at the Scopes Monkey Trial
By Madeline Bodin ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC In 1925, 100 years ago this year, John Thomas Scopes lost his trial in Dayton, Tenn., a case that tested a new state law that made it illegal to teach evolution in public schools. Scopes lost the legal case, but the hearts and minds of most of the […]
To the editor: Let Vermont politics remain civil
The recent murder of Charlie Kirk is a stark and tragic reminder of just how fragile our democracy and our civil society can be when disagreements cross the line into violence. Let me be clear: I fundamentally reject much of the rhetoric Kirk stood for. His words often carried racism, homophobia, and misogyny views that […]
To the editor: Secretary of State lying about election security
In a recent radio interview, our Secretary of State, Sara Copland Hanzas, painted a dishonestly rosy picture of Vermont’s current elections system. She responded to the host’s question about potential “ballot stuffing” by saying, “We have very detailed election procedures that our town and city clerks follow to a T, which means that whether they’re […]
Op-Ed: Two events, two parties, intersecting viewpoints
By Nicholas Boke What a contrast. A couple of hundred southern Vermont Democrats gathered — for the fourth time since Donald Trump was elected — on the Chester Green on Labor Day for Workers over Billionaires, a honk-and-wave that included speeches by several state senators and a couple of Vermont labor union spokespeople. The following […]
To the editor: Solar proposal a sign of Chester’s, state’s progress
Solar technology has become a frequent target in the Trump era culture wars with most of the attacks including misinformation or disinformation. A recent comment in response to a Telegraph story about a proposed solar facility in Chester was no exception. An individual inferred that solar power is not needed in Vermont because our forests […]
To the editor: Londonderry Rescue warns that high temperatures are a continuing threat
With a month to six weeks more of potentially dangerous heat until fall, here is a brief discussion of heat illness and treatment. Heat illness can be a serious medical situation resulting from the body’s inability to cope with a high heat load. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two of the most common illnesses […]
To the editor: Scott’s ‘measured approach’ toward Trump admin is the wrong one for Vermont
In recent weeks, Gov. Phil Scott has once again made it clear that he is unwilling to fully confront the Trump administration. When pressed on the matter, the governor maintained that he wouldn’t “sign on to every single lawsuit on everything the Trump administration does,” saying such a strategy wouldn’t be “beneficial” and would make […]
To the editor: Nearing the goal, thanks to all who donated to preserve Hessie’s coat
Just a couple of months ago, the Friends of Yosemite Firehouse Museum sounded the call for help in preserving a piece of Chester firefighting history. And people answered with checks and donations to our GoFundMe campaign and we thank all of them. With nearly 75 percent of the $5,500 we asked for in hand, we […]
To the editor: Proposed federal cuts to harm citizens, push boundaries of good sense
I recently attended protests in Manchester and Chester. The theme in Chester and all over the country and the world was “No Kings.” More protests are coming. I believe that the Trump administration is pushing beyond the boundaries of law, the Constitution and good sense. Governments around the world have slipped from being democracies to becoming authoritarian. Mr. […]
To the editor: Chester ‘No Kings’ event was large, peaceful, committed
The recent “No Kings” demonstration on the Green in Chester brought together nearly 600 people, who protested peacefully against threats to our democracy and the human rights of those who are the most vulnerable. During the event there was an incident in which a vehicle drove into a crosswalk while people were in it. That […]
To the editor: We march for America, its values and freedom
I want to thank Mr. Murray for their service and for sharing their views in the comment section of the recent Telegraph article regarding the No Kings protest (No Kings rally in Chester attracts large, peaceful crowd to protest Trump policies, June 16, 2025, The Chester Telegraph.) Civil dialogue — especially across political divides — is […]
To the editor: Education reform bill a cause for concern
As a teacher and mother, it looks to me like the state’s education reform bills with larger class sizes and larger districts will lower teacher and community control. However, my largest concern about the possible legislation is that I’m unsure what the tax savings will actually be since there are so many unaccounted for costs […]
Op-ed: AG Clark stands strong to safeguard our democracy and Constitution
By Nick Boke It’s been quite a while since many of us have felt so positive. We — the very active members of the Chester Town Democratic Committee and others — have been busy ever since Donald Trump took office. Trump’s inauguration got the half-dozen stalwarts who showed up for monthly CTDC meetings to jump […]
