All Entries in the "Commentary" Category
To the editor: A special thanks to Chester from Bill Lindsay
After many years on the Chester Select Board, I have been retired. Thanks to the many voters for your support over the years. It is my sincere hope that decisions made were favored by most Chesterites. Thanks to my wife Nancy for her endurance, and also for the cards and calls we have received. This […]
To the editor: GMUHS principal thanks all for passing budget
I want to thank all of you who voted for and approved Green Mountain Union High School’s operating budget for the coming school year. For those who did not vote for the budget, I promise to do all I can so that our school earns your trust and confidence so that in the future you […]
To the editor: New Chester Select Board member urges involvement, dialogue
To the residents of Chester: Thank you for the support. The act of unseating a long-term incumbent requires a groundswell of support. You did it! Your voice spoke loudly last week as the overwhelming support for improvement away from status quo leadership was made clear. This places a tremendous responsibility upon the shoulders of the […]
To the editor: Dakin introduces bill to tighten amounts of opioids prescribed
At the half-way point of the legislative session in Montpelier, we in the State House are working hard to resolve the many differing ideas and interests in order to reach the consensus necessary to keep our state government accountable, efficient and well-functioning. When the session ends in May, Vermont budgets will be balanced, our transportation […]
To the editor: Vote yes on GMUHS, CAES and RVTC budgets
The Green Mountain Union High School Board respectfully requests your support of the FY 2016-17 proposed budget on Town Meeting Day. The budget represents an increase in the amount to be raised by taxes of 2.1 percent, largely based on personnel costs and a decrease in state revenues. Our actual budgeted expenditures to operate the […]
To the editor: Hall touts dedication to Grafton in Select Board race
I’m Noralee Hall, and I’m running for re-election to the three-year selectman’s seat on the Grafton Select Board. I’m asking for your vote on Town Meeting Day Tuesday, March 1st so that we can continue to move our town forward. I have known and worked with many of you over the years, but for those […]
To the editor: Chester businesses invited to be part of 2016 brochure
Last year, the Chester Community Alliance Inc. spearheaded the launch of the Chester Brochure, highlighting 49 local businesses with maps, photos, a calendar of events and other information to attract visitors to our town. Five thousand copies of this brochure were distributed through eight Vermont information centers as well as through local businesses/inns. This year, […]
To the editor: For experience, enthusiasm, vote Cote for Chester Select Board
For more than 30 years, I have worked in senior management roles, first as a regional risk manager for a national insurance company and the last 17 years, as senior vice president of MEMIC, an insurance company headquartered in Maine. During that time, I was also president of MEMIC Safety Services, a safety and business […]
To the editor: Re-elect Tom Bock to Chester Select Board
I enthusiastically endorse Tom Bock for re-election to the Chester Select Board. In my nine years of service as recording secretary for both the Select Board and the Planning Commission I have witnessed firsthand Tom’s thoughtful devotion to the well-being of the people of Chester in consideration of the issues presented to each board. During […]
To the editor: Write-in candidate seeks Grafton residents’ votes
My name is Matt Siano and I am asking for your write in vote on March 1st for the two year open seat on the Grafton Select Board. My wife Anita and I have been voting residents since 1980 and have gratefully given our son Anthony the opportunity to live, attend school and grow here […]
To the editor: Jonynas deserves another term on Chester Select Board
Having known Arne Jonynas for nearly 20 years, it’s quite easy for me to endorse him in his bid for re-election to the Chester Select Board. I know Arne to be a good, honest, hard-working businessperson, an involved citizen of our town, a solid, caring parent to his children and a thoughtful, pragmatic selectman who […]
To the editor: Chester needs new leadership with vision
Chester needs new leadership. The current focus of our town governance is on managing the tax rate – that is, the annual town budget divided by the cumulative assessed valuation of all the properties in the town. This puts the focus on nickel-and-diming the services the town provides while ignoring the far more important factor, […]
To the editor: A change in Chester for more opportunities
Did you know that the Town of Chester is in the center of the fastest fiber optic cable network in the United States? VTel is currently converting our entire network to state-of-the-art fiber-optic to deliver blazing gigabit-per-second Internet speeds to every home in its south-central Vermont service area of 14 rural Vermont villages. This is […]
To the editor: Jr. Iron Chef teams update; cafeteria gets pay online system
Both of Green Mountain High School’s Jr. Iron Chef Vt. teams have been working hard to create and perfect their recipes to be submitted for approval by Feb. 15 to enter the March 19 competition. A big thank you to the coaches for giving the teams so much of their time and support. I will […]
To the editor: In Montpelier, marijuana, budgets on the agenda
The first month of the 2016 legislative session included Gov. Peter Shumlin’s last State of the State and budget address. The Senate had the difficult job of deciding whether to suspend a colleague who faces criminal charges. I voted against suspension out of respect for the presumption of innocence and for the separation of powers […]
To the editor: What does the public get for giving tax exemption?
© 2016 Telegraph Publishing, LLC With regard to the Chester Rod & Gun Club’s request for property tax exempt status, I’d like to know that the facility will be open for public use if exemption is granted. That was always my understanding of how the town benefits from not collecting property tax on that sizable […]
Commentary: Vt. Attorney General overreaches in prosecuting anti-wind activist
By Deborah T. Bucknam Esq. Vermont’s Attorney General has filed a complaint against Annette Smith, the activist who helps Vermonters opposed to industrial wind navigate the administrative jungle that best describes the Public Service Board proceedings. I have represented folks opposed to industrial wind at the Public Service Board, and the hearings are overrun by […]
To the editor: Time for a change on Grafton Select Board
In the last two years, I have attended the majority of Grafton Select Board and Planning Commission meetings. I have repeatedly observed behavior and treatment of people at these meetings like nothing I have seen in town, since Noreen and I moved here in 1973. I have seen heated and emotional debate in town in […]
To the editor: Nature Museum speaker on cougars drew large, enthusiastic crowd
A big thank you to Sue Morse for leading a fascinating talk sponsored by the Nature Museum on the cougars return to the East on Jan. 20. This was our largest audience on record ever so thank you to everyone who came out! It was standing room only in the NewsBank Conference Center in Chester […]
Where are all the candidates?
By Shawn Cunningham © 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC Many years ago a police officer in a large, East Coast city gave me some house-hunting advice. He said that if you are looking at buying a house, walk down the street in that neighborhood and ask passersby how to get in touch with the Neighborhood Watch […]
