All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
To the editor: Ludlow Elementary board clarifies mailing
To the Voters and Citizens of Ludlow and Mount Holly, The Ludlow Elementary School Board wishes you to know that some information included on the May 25 mailing was not written, authorized or approved by any board member. The two text boxes on the addressee side stating “A ‘NO’ vote means:” as well as the outdated information […]
To the editor: Citizen group wants more time for BRHS ideas
Black River Area Innovative Network, BRAIN, is a grassroots organization of people from both Mount Holly and Ludlow who have been meeting for the past several weeks. Initially a few of us came together to promote a NO vote. We wanted more time to figure out a possible solution rather than closing our school. Our […]
To the editor: An open letter to AOT Secretary Flynn from Londonderry Rescue
Dear Secretary Flynn: The motto on the Vermont Agency of Transportation’s web page says: “Providing for the safe and efficient movement of people and goods.” Unfortunately, VT RT 11 between Londonderry and Chester does none of those things and is, in fact, a very dangerous stretch of road for our patients and for our ambulance […]
To the editor: Family Center, Food Shelf grateful to mail carriers, donors, volunteers
A big thank you from the Chester-Andover Family Center to our local rural carriers for collecting donations of non-perishable food donations to benefit the Chester-Andover Food Shelf. Thanks to board member/volunteer Ginger Roper for coordinating the 25th Annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive on Saturday, May 13. A very special thanks also to Postmistress Cathy […]
To the editor: Loss of Black River High will resound throughout community
It takes a community to raise a child. Ludlow has been that community for generations. When my daughter began thinking about high school, Black River was her first choice even though we live in Springfield. Black River is a school that her grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins have attended. She visited for a day, […]
To the editor: Champion Fire Co. thanks others who helped during storm
I would like to take a moment and thank all of the mutual aid fire companies that came to our aid in the storm on May 18. Our dispatch system was completely overwhelmed and we were left on our own. The incident on Spring Hill took a long time to control, there were five homes […]
To the editor: School rankings depend on more than tests
Mount Holly and Ludlow will be voting on May 30 whether or not to close Black River HS and send their 7 – 12th grade students to Mill River HS. Some folks have been saying that Mill River ranks higher than Black River HS, but Vermont does not have a ranking list for its high […]
To the editor: Neighborhood Connections thanks you
Neighborhood Connections, based in Londonderry, would like to thank the towns of: Andover, Jamaica, Landgrove, Londonderry, Peru, Weston and Windhall for their pledge of support at the recent March Town Meetings. Your generous backing helps us do our important work – particularly since we do not receive any federal or state funds. Neighborhood Connections provides […]
To the editor: Get the facts and vote on May 30
This letter is for the parents of students that would be impacted by the Section 721 merger vote. As you may know, there has been a lot of noise out there about Act 46, Section 721 and the upcoming vote for Ludlow and Mt Holly on May 30 to decide whether or not to close […]
To the editor: Thank you to all Green Up Day volunteers
I would like to express greetings and gratitude to many who made Green Up Day 2017 a vibrant reality. Thank you! To the volunteers: More than 22,000 people of all walks of life and varied ages volunteered to come out and clean up litter from Vermont’s roadsides, public and natural spaces and waterways. They did […]
Op-ed: President’s baseless claims undermine trust in voting
By Jim Condos Vermont Secretary of State On Friday, President Trump announced the establishment of a commission by executive order to investigate the presence of voter fraud in elections. Despite continued assertions by President Trump that widespread voter fraud, in the millions, occurred during the 2016 election, there has been no evidence that any widespread […]
To the editor: The French vote and an ode to joy
On Sunday, May 7, the Springfield Community Chorus celebrated its 50th anniversary by performing Beethoven’s Ode to Joy, the final movement of the Ninth Symphony, with the Choral Society of Bennington, at Springfield High School. Also on the program was John Rutter’s Distant Land. It includes these words, which the chorus sang with passionate intensity: […]
To the editor: Answers to Act 46 merger questions
Saturday’s Andover Information Forum on the proposed school merger was attended by about 25 voters and generated a many good questions. What follows is a recap of the questions and the answers that were discussed: Why are we talking about a merger? ACT 46 requires that small, local school districts consolidate into larger unified school […]
To the editor: Board members urge Yes vote on Act 46 merger
We urge the residents of Andover, Baltimore, Cavendish and Chester to vote on May 2 in favor of forming a single pre K-12 school district, the Green Mountain Unified School District. A “yes” vote merges the governance structure of the existing school districts into one school district. A merger will stabilize the tax rates for […]
Commentary: NEA funds help the arts reach rural communities
By Charma Bonanno ©2017-Telegraph Publishing LLC Congressman Peter Welch is due a lot of credit. While his peers in other states are also holding town hall meetings, Rep. Welch has gone the extra mile of pulling together small groups in a variety of fields to discuss how Vermonters would be affected by the sweeping cuts […]
Editorial: Good grief, Gov. Scott!
© 2017 Telegraph Publishing LLC Local representatives and select boards hoping to get Route 11 between Londonderry and Chester repaired for years must have felt a bit like Charlie Brown. Autumn after autumn, in the Peanuts comic strip, he tried to kick a football held by his nemesis, Lucy. And no matter how solemnly she […]
To the editor: School gardens connect kids with good food
At this time of year, the anticipation begins to build toward the last day of school and many teachers find that working in the school garden, or simply growing plants in the classroom, is a welcome hands-on activity that successfully engages students with their curriculum. Most schools in the region have some sort of school […]
Commentary: Vermont’s ethics crisis
By Bill Schubart The Vermont legislature is at an impasse trying to decide whether to establish and adequately fund a statewide ethics commission that has real enforcement capability. There’s been considerable favorable testimony by Vermonters, ethicists and Secretary of State Jim Condos, who has been a relentless champion of government transparency, inclusion and establishing such […]
To the editor: Local rules for local schools
Earl Butz – Richard Nixon’s Secretary of Agriculture – was famous for telling farmers to “get big or get out.” His tenure set off a frenzy of consolidation in agriculture pushing small farmers off their land and turning neighbors against each other in an everyone-for-themselves scramble for more acreage. Farming began its perilous decline from […]
To the editor: Wild for Pollinators program benefits Vermont environment
Vermont has more than 275 species of bees, three of which have recently been added to the threatened and endangered species list. Across the world, and in our own backyards, many pollinator populations are being threatened by pesticide use, habitat loss, climate change, parasites and disease problems, and more. Wild for Pollinators is a new […]
