All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
Commentary: Rep. Clarkson on gun safety, tech security bills
By Sen. Alison Clarkson Both bodies of the Vermont legislature have now passed three major measures to improve firearm safety in our state. These bills: S.221, H.422 and S.55 are designed to keep guns out of the hands of those who intend harm to themselves or others, domestic violence abusers, and those with a serious […]
To the editor: Gun proliferation is part of problem
Gun rights advocates are fond of saying “guns don’t kill people, people do.” Presumably this means that someone who is intent upon committing murder or mayhem will always find a weapon of some sort and a way to use it. So, since guns are not the problem, there is no need to control access to […]
Telegraph Poll: Why did you vote against the GMUSD budget?
The Green Mountain Unified School District Board is revisiting the budget that was voted down by residents in Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester and has questioned why it failed. The Telegraph wants to give you the opportunity to say why you voted against it. (You can also choose multiple answers.)
Commentary: Rep. Bock on gun, tax measures
By Rep. Tom Bock The school shooting in Florida plus the incident at Fair Haven High School right here in Vermont has brought the need for immediate attention to be paid to gun violence. Gov. Phil Scott had already outlined an action plan to improve school safety and reduce gun violence. The gun violence prevention […]
To the editor: GM Iron Chef teams cook up wins
St. Patrick’s Day proved to be a lucky day for two of the three Jr. Iron Chef teams that Green Mountain Middle & High sent to compete in the 11th Annual Jr. Iron Chef Competition in Essex on Saturday, March 17. GM teams have competed for six years, and our teams have been winners in […]
To the editor: Condos concerned by over-reach of Homeland Security bill
As Vermont’s Chief Elections Officer my responsibility is to ensure that our fundamental democratic voting rights are protected. I recently learned of language included in Section 4012 of H.R.2825, which provides for the reauthorization of the federal Department of Homeland Security, which would allow armed Secret Service agents to enter polling locations – at the […]
To the editor: Gun owners, control advocates can find common ground
On March 14, I watched about 30 Leland and Gray students walk out of their school and conduct a 17-minute demonstration to honor the 17 students and teachers who were slaughtered in the April 14 school-shooting in Florida, and to demand action by national and state legislators to prevent such tragedies from happening again. The […]
Editorial: Sunshine for Southern Vermont
By Cynthia Prairie ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC This week, we “celebrate” Sunshine Week, that annual effort by journalists and good government advocates around the country to raise awareness of the crucial role that open meetings and public documents play in our democracy. Of course, for journalists, every week is Sunshine Week. And, over the years, […]
Op-Ed: Open government is good government
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State March 11-17 is Sunshine Week, a national celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. All across Vermont new board members and other town and city officials are being sworn in and taking their seats for the first time. I am […]
EDITORIAL: Involvement is the next step in fixing GMUSD budget
By Cynthia Prairie ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The voters of the towns of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester have spoken, voting down the new Green Mountain Unified School District’s first ever budget, amounting to $12.5 million. The outcome was far from inevitable. While there were strong objections to the proposal, many teachers and parents as […]
To the editor: Board chair urges ‘Yes’ vote on new GMUSD budget
The Green Mountain Unified School District became operational in September 2017. In short order, the board, represented by the towns of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester, elected officers, organized committees, and began work on the budget. The budget proved challenging. We had anticipated substantial savings as a result of consolidation under Act 46. Because of […]
To the editor: Green Mountain Party seeks pay equity study
The Green Mountain Party has requested that T.J. Donovan, our state’s attorney, investigate the pay inequity between the sexes. We have requested the number of investigations done on pay discrimination for the last 10 years. We have asked for his plans to investigate the pay inequity we have been hearing about, where women are paid […]
Editorial: Vote ‘No’ on GMUSD budget: It’s not ‘for the kids’
By Cynthia Prairie ©2018 Telegraph Publishing LLC The Chester Telegraph urges the voters of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester to vote NO on Tuesday, March 6 on the proposed $12.5 million school budget for the new Green Mountain Unified School District. The GMUSD school board needs time to retool its budget to offer the added […]
Telegraph Poll: Should public school teachers in Vermont be armed in school?
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To the editor: Chester Brochure Committee seeks listings, photos
Over the last three years, the Chester Brochure has become the premier marketing tool for Chester businesses and services. The addition of an online presence at Meet Chester Vermont and on Facebook has significantly expanded our reach and the effectiveness of this effort. Work is now under way on the 2018 brochure including: Contacting local […]
Sen. Clarkson: Firearms, minimum wage hike among issues in state Senate
By Sen. Alison Clarkson The arrest of a Poultney teenager who was allegedly planning a mass school shooting at the Fair Haven high school should be a game changer in Vermont. We can no longer justify inaction on enacting common sense firearm safety measures. Yes, Vermont is a safe state, but we now know that […]
To the editor: In debate on mass killings, AR-15 restrictions must be addressed
Efforts by students to ban the weapon used to slaughter 17 of their friends and teachers on Feb. 14 in Florida have been rebuffed by lawmakers. None of the politicians with whom they met, including the president, supported making the sale of AR-15s illegal, even though it has been the weapon of choice in five […]
To the editor: Siano-Goodwin seeking seat on Grafton Select Board
I am writing to let you know that I, Cathy Siano-Goodwin, am running for the three-year seat on the Grafton Select Board. As most of you know, I am a long-time resident of Grafton, living with my husband Kirk Goodwin here atop Parker Hill Road. I have seen and experienced many changes in Grafton and […]
To the editor: AR-15s, similar weapons should be illegal
Another school shooting with 17 dead at a Florida high school. How many will it take before our legislators and president do something other than offer sanctimonious condolences? No other country in the world makes lethal weapons, like the AR-15, so easily available, and no other country has nearly as many school shootings as we […]
To the editor: Tom Bock’s update from Montpelier
Much has happened in Montpelier since my initial note to you starting with Gov. Scott’s annual State of the Budget Address. For the second year in a row, his proposed budget does not increase a single tax or fee. The governor’s General Fund Budget for 2019 exceeds this year’s amount by only $82 million, (a […]
