All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
To the editor: Vote for Chase for Windsor Senate
I have known Heather Chase for 15 years, and she has my vote for a Windsor County Democratic Senate seat in the Aug. 11 primary. Her experience as a state representative and select board member in Chester means she will be ready to go on Day One. A small business owner for 30 years, Heather […]
To the editor: Senate candidate Chase has compassion of a nurse, knowledge of business
I am writing this letter to pledge my support for Heather Chase who is running for Windsor County senator. I have known Heather for more than 20 years, as an RN, a mother, a nine-year member of Chester Select Board, and a Representative for two years in the Vermont State House. Equally impressive: Heather has […]
Op-ed: The operating system behind Vermont’s educational decline
By Kendra Rickerby Six months ago, the Vermont Agency of Education released guidance encouraging schools to use artificial intelligence to improve teaching and learning while preserving the human relationships that define education. Last week, in a WCAX article on July 16, it was announced that the U.S. Department of Education has identified Vermont as “needing […]
To the editor: Why Ben Brickner is qualified for your vote
Worried? I am. Many of us Vermonters feel the squeeze of cost of living. Looking down the barrel are national issues we cannot control. But we also see Vermont issues that we can control. Here’s how. Vote for candidates who: offer different perspectives and backgrounds bring new and qualified blood into the Vermont Legislature know how to […]
To the editor: Rep. Goldman backs Chase for state Senate
It was an honor and a privilege to work with Heather Chase when she represented Windsor-Windham in the 2023-2024 legislative session of the House of Representatives. Her work ethic was remarkable, fueled by curiosity and persistence. She did not determine her vote either in the Commerce Committee, where she served, or in the House until […]
To the editor: Vermont needs a course correction
US. Rep. Becca Balint (D) served in the Vermont Senate from 2015 to 2022. During her tenure, the state budget increased from $5.1 billion to $7.71 billion. Balint’s voting record can be found by clicking here. I searched and did not find one instance where she voted against a tax increase for Vermonters. Her voting […]
To the editor: A vote for Chase is a vote for experience, character and results
Democratic voters in the Windsor Senate District have an outstanding opportunity to elect a proven leader by supporting Heather Chase for State Senate in the Vermont primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 11. Heather has already demonstrated her commitment to public service through her work in the Vermont House of Representatives, on the Chester Select Board […]
To the editor: Malloy has what it takes to serve in Congress
I am writing this letter in support of Gerald Malloy for U.S. House from Vermont. Gerald graduated from West Point in 1984, served as an active duty field artillery officer and a paratrooper. He served our nation honorably and with distinction for 22 years. He has an MBA from Temple University. Gerald is an old-fashioned […]
Commentary: An African American’s American Dream
By James Michael Brodie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing The United States is 250 years old this year. And my alma mater, the University of Colorado, marks 150 years. There are a lot of celebrations on both fronts. Both institutions also share a common origin thread: Africans were not welcomed at the founding in either place. So, […]
To the editor: Join a tax revolt, write in Cris Ericson on Progressive primary ballot
The Progressive Party Primary Election Ballot has no candidate for representative to U.S. Congress. In my opinion, voters of Vermont would do best to join my tax revolt, tax revolution and do their revolutionary best and give me, Cris Ericson, a write-in vote. We pay taxes to the I.R.S. and then the U.S. Congress votes […]
To the editor: It’s time to transform or trash the Democratic Party
Despite its imperfections and frustrations, the two-party system has worked in the United States for more than 150 years. It worked because the two major parties were constrained by laws, ethics, precedents and protocols. But no more. The party currently in control of the White House is lawless and deeply corrupt. And the opposition party, […]
To the editor: Vermont’s citizen legislature, a place where most citizens cannot afford to serve
To the relief of many, the Vermont Legislature has adjourned. Once again, school reform consumed the session and ran into overtime. Redistricting, tax bills patched with one-time money, the reach of Act 250 – these are the same fights carried over from last year. For all the effort, the result remains unclear. Will this year’s […]
To the editor: We must make Vermont survivable for our youth, families
I am a proud mom of four — and all of my children have left Vermont to pursue careers and opportunities that aren’t available here at home. My kids are doing exactly what they should be doing — exploring the world and finding what works for them. But my kids are hardly alone — this […]
Op-ed: When leaders listen to their constituents
By Nicholas Boke ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC Where are the leaders who listen? The Educational Forum held in the Springfield High auditorium held on Monday, May 11, focused on Vermont’s current effort to reform statewide education. It involved state legislators, local educators and Vermont Secretary of Education Zoie Saunders. The forum was “designed to provide […]
To the editor: Brickner says he’ll fight for housing affordability, a reformed Act 181
I am running for Vermont Senate in the Windsor District. When my wife and I put down roots in Windsor County, we were looking for something that has become hard to find: a place to raise a family and belong to a real community. We found it here. For seven years I’ve served my neighbors, […]
Op-ed: Keep our schools to keep our town
By Carl Henshaw ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC At a recent Chester Planning Commission meeting, Kellen Appleton and Allison Hopkins from the Mount Ascutney Regional Commission shared a statistic that stopped me cold. Chester’s average age is rising one year for every two that pass. At that pace, within 30 years, our average resident will be […]
From the editor: Speaker Krowinski has an epiphany
By Cynthia Prairie ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC If you were having trouble putting your finger on that one thing that bugs you about the Whiz Kids on the Winooski (aka the Vermont legislature) you only have to read the recent apologia of House Speaker Jill Krowinski concerning the ill-considered Act 181. But first, let’s recap […]
To the editor: GM schools face a disturbing trend of non-acceptance
The GMUSD superintendent suggests that the school board consider a “flag policy” and further suggests that the policy includes limiting classroom materials that do not relate directly to school curricula. At the most recent school board meeting a Chester resident suggested that classrooms should be inspected to see if they include LGBTQ+ or Black Lives […]
Part 3: Disability Rights: Building a Vermont for everyone
By Anne Henshaw ©2026 Telegraph Publishing LLC If housing, healthcare, and transportation determine whether disabled Vermonters can live in community, public education determines whether they were ever fully a part of their community to begin with. For many disabled children, school is their first public community. It is the first place where systems affirm their […]
To the editor: At GMUSD board meeting, students inspire in defense of their educators
I am writing this letter as an individual, as a parent, and as a member of this community — not in my capacity as a member of the Green Mountain Unified School District board. The views expressed here are my own. On Monday evening, the board of the Green Mountain Unified School District held a […]