All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
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 […]
To the editor: Housing, education and a tentative meeting in Grafton
Hello Neighbors, The Vermont General Assembly is still in session as of the writing of this note, which is Sunday, May 25. The complexity of the bills under consideration and the work needed to find consensus have kept us in Montpelier longer than usual to get the work done. I am hopeful that this will […]
To the editor: School officials fail to see central importance of Flood Brook School to community
Editor’s Note: The following is an open letter to the Taconic & Green School Board and the Bennington-Rutland Supervisory Union. Dear Members of the Taconic & Green School Board and BRSU, I’m writing as a parent of two students at Flood Brook School, a community member and a third-generation graduate of Flood Brook to express […]
To the editor: Why did the GMUSD board reject Benelli?
Editor’s note: This is an open letter to the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District. Dear Members of the GMUSD Board, Let me begin by apologizing for my brief outburst as I left the GMUSD meeting last Wednesday. I don’t remember what I said, but to have commented at all was inappropriate. And […]
Op-ed: TRSU-teacher contract talks, mediation fail Union, school board heading to fact-finding.
By Brett Mastrangelo Lead Contract Negotiator Two Rivers Southeast Education Association Take a moment and think of a teacher who has had a positive impact on you or your child at Green Mountain Middle/High School and Chester Andover, Cavendish, Ludlow or Mount Holly elementary schools. Consider the role this teacher played in your child’s development […]
Op-ed: Speaking of domestic violence
By Madeline Bodin ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC I’ve been talking to neighbors and friends about domestic violence more the usual over the last few weeks. Maybe you have also. Of all the comments I’ve heard and seen, the ones that have caught my eye are the ones saying that we shouldn’t be talking about this, […]
Op-ed: Domestic violence should not be condoned
By Marilyn Mahusky ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Driving home from the Green Mountain Unified School District Board meeting Thursday night felt a bit like it did after the verdict was announced in the O.J. Simpson trial in which O.J. was accused of murdering his wife. Prior to her murder, Simpson had pled no contest to […]
Editorial: Two boards too weak to make the right decisions
By Cynthia Prairie ©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC Over the past two weeks, both the Chester Select Board and the board of directors of the Green Mountain Unified School District could not have come across as weaker, more spineless. Under the mistaken guise of avoiding a political morass, they each punted their responsibilities: in the case […]
To the editor: Silence is not the choice Chester’s Select Board and school board should have made
In a town meeting, you don’t expect silence to be the loudest thing in the room. Yet at our most recent Chester Select Board meeting, you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. At this meeting, our Select Board’s duty was to review candidates and provide their endorsement of a candidate, to then be considered […]
To the editor: AG Clark, Vermont lawyers ignoring the U.S. Constitution
This is a letter of response on the subject of Vermont Attorney General Clark and more than 300 Vermont lawyers who gathered in Burlington earlier this month to rally and protest against the Trump administration. Why are Clark and more than 300 Vermont lawyers blaming the Trump administration for the ongoing lawless choices and irresponsible […]
To the editor: A letter to the Chester Select Board on how two rallies were organized for the Green
An open letter to the Chester Select Board: What follows are responses to the incomplete and misinformed comments presented at the May 7, 2025, Select Board meeting. Comments made at the meeting implied that the organizers and attendees at the April 5 and May 1 rallies on the Chester Green were not concerned about the […]
Op-ed: Protect voting by rejecting the SAVE Act
By Sue Racanelli President League of Women Voters of Vermont On April 10, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, H.R.22, passed the U.S. House and is on its way to the Senate. The League of Women Voters of Vermont opposes the SAVE Act because it would require all Vermont citizens registering to vote or updating […]
To the editor: Did Bill Schubart have a change of heart?
Bill Schubart is a lifelong progressive Democrat. (Chester Telegraph, April 21, 2025, Op-ed: Where are our once vibrant towns?) In 2011m he was a keynote speaker at an education conference I attended, sponsored by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns and the Vermont Superintendents Association. This was held at the South Burlington High School. […]
To the editor: Former Vermont lawmakers say education reform bill weakens system
More than 50 years ago, Vermont recognized the hardship faced by homeowners whose property taxes were rising faster than their ability to pay them. Since then, state fiscal policy has moved, in fits and starts, toward a system where school taxes are based on Vermonters’ income, the best measure of their ability to pay. We, […]
To the editor: GM middle schoolers do their part on Green Up Day
On Friday, May 2, close to 80 7th and 8th graders of Green Mountain Middle School participated in Vermont Green Up Day. Students spent a few hours on Green Mountain Turnpike and Popple Dungeon Road collecting discarded litter. Students collected hundreds of bottles and cans as well as plastic containers, car parts, a dozen tires […]
To the editor: Bellows Falls Trump, DOGE protest attracts more than 485
Saturday, April 19 was an amazing day in Bellows Falls with over 485 people lining the streets protesting the actions of President Donald J. Trump. Despite the rain, protesters came from Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Chester, Springfield, Brattleboro, Westminster and Claremont, N.H. The man from Claremont came dressed in a kilt and carried the […]
