LETTER: Conservation Commission invites property owners to participate in natural resources project
The Waterbury Conservation Commission invites interested landowners to take part in Phase II of the Waterbury Natural Resources Inventory.
Moretown: Your town needs you
Moretown, our small community of 656 households according to the U.S. Census, is governed by volunteers. Among Vermont municipalities, our town is not unique in that regard. Continuing community involvement is vital to keeping our town running and has served our small towns well for more than 250 years.
Circus Smirkus: Listening, learning, leaning into action
As we close down camp, we also ramp up the work of setting ourselves up for success in the years to come. If August is about debriefing and learning, September is about careful planning and how to put those plans into action with attention and care.
LETTER: Gratitude for recent LIFT fundraiser
On August 29, LIFT held its third annual fundraising event at Lawson's Finest Liquids in Waitsfield. It raised over $14,000 to be used to fund scholarships for Harwood Union High School students to travel on school-sponsored international trips.
Op-Ed: Three scenarios for November’s election
I've been asked by several readers whether I still believe that what I wrote over a year ago remains a possibility. Yes, I do, even more so given the never-ending tweets, off-the-cuff statements, and carefully orchestrated distractions from President Trump and the MAGA party leadership.
Op-Ed: Before Voting on Prop 3, Vermonters should know what it really does
This November, Vermonters will vote on Proposal 3 – or “Prop 3” – a constitutional amendment advertised as protecting the right to collectively bargain. What Prop 3 would actually do is far more consequential. It would permanently prohibit Vermont from adopting a right-to-work law for private-sector employees and bar future laws that “interfere with, negate, or diminish” collective bargaining rights.
POEM: Thank you, Dave Morse
After 25 years running Dave’s Community Fitness, founder Dave Morse retired this summer and handed over the reins to gym regular Thomas Jacobs and spouse Bridget. Longtime gym member John Malter penned this tribute to Morse.
LETTER: Try getting to know Amanda Janoo for governor
I don’t know a lot about Amanda Janoo, the Democratic Party’s candidate for governor. But I do know that there’s a better future waiting for Vermont, and it is not being delivered by Phil Scott and his administration.
LETTER: Vermont Conservation Voters launches ‘Don't Data Center Vermont’ campaign
Vermont Conservation Voters has launched a new campaign dubbed “Don't Data Center Vermont,” urging Vermonters to get informed about how to protect Vermont communities from the costs and environmental harm of large-scale data centers.
Letter: Celebrate press freedom and free speech on Constitution Day
Third Act Vermont is planning an exciting community event in observance of United States Constitution Day. The celebration will be Sunday, Sept. 20, 1:30-3 p.m., at the Film House at Main Street Landing on the Burlington waterfront.
Times Argus: 15 years after Irene
Aug. 28 marks 15 years since Tropical Storm Irene bore down on Vermont, soaking some parts of the state with as much as 11 inches of rain in 12 hours.
LETTER: Waterbury’s school came from consolidation – in 1898
As the Harwood Unified Union School District considers a consolidation plan that could close Brookside Primary School, I have been thinking about Waterbury's long history with school consolidation because we have been through versions of this before.
Rep. Stevens remembers Tropical Storm Irene: ‘Stay resilient’
August 28 has come and gone, and I missed taking a moment to remember and acknowledge the power of Tropical Storm Irene and what it did to our community and to our state.
New York paper mill closure is bad news for Vermont forests and Vermonters
Recent news coverage about the end of pulping operations at Finch Paper has understandably focused on how it is bad for logging contractors and the forest products industry. As organizations and associations focused on the future of Vermont forests, we agree — those impacts are significant. But the story is more than that: This is bad news for everyone who cares about sustaining Vermont’s forests.
Responding to Sweeney: A community is more complex than ‘us vs. them’
Most of us do not begin a public-policy argument by presenting our résumé of suffering. And we should not have to.
Gov. Scott to education leaders: We must finish the job
Dear education leader: For the past few years, we’ve had a lot of conversations about education — property taxes, funding formulas, district boundaries, and governance. Those things matter. But they aren’t what this conversation is really about.
Sen. Sanders seeks Vermonters’ views on AI, robotics technology
I would very much appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding AI and how we best go forward in responding to this unprecedented development. This is a vitally important discussion that needs to happen, and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sweeney: ‘United we bargain, divided we beg’
If service and hospitality workers, factory workers and teachers in this town want any real change, there is only one way that they’re going to get it — and that’s organizing. Organizing labor unions, organizing tenant unions, and organizing community meetings.
Op-Ed: Paralyzed by bureaucracy
As more and more parts of our governmental systems and priorities founder on the rocky shoals of crisis, I am convinced that our governmental and business bureaucracies are simply paralyzed.
Vermont Head Start Association condemns Trump administration’s proposed changes
The Vermont Head Start Association condemns Friday’s proposal from the Trump administration to overhaul the Head Start Program Performance Standards, warning that it would weaken one of America’s most successful investments in young children and families and make it harder for local programs to provide the high-quality services children deserve.