Editorials
Local journalism is a cornerstone of democracy and a vital source of information for communities across the country, with newsrooms covering local politics, high school sports, local business openings, cultural events, and other matters that help a community remain vibrant and connected. But…
This holiday season, go plaid and go small.
In the early days of the environmental movement Vermont passed Act 250, a land use and development law aimed at preventing uncontrolled growth that would ruin the beautiful vistas for which the state is so famous. It assures that larger developments compliment Vermont’s unique landscape, eco…
Southern Vermonters have a lot to celebrate following Tuesday’s general elections.
America is at a cultural and political tipping point as we head into next Tuesday’s midterm elections.
When we posted online on Tuesday that Susan Johnson, Bellows Falls Middle School principal, was placed on paid leave without any explanation from the district, our community was up in arms on social media.
Brattleboro has a lot to brag about. There’s the vibrant arts scene, an eclectic mix of restaurants and shops to attract locals and tourists alike.
There is always more than one side to every story, and last week we finally got to hear the other side of the contentious relationships within the Windham Southeast school boards.
Over the past three weeks, young female protesters in Iran have led the biggest show of resistance against the country’s theocratic regime in more than a decade. U.S. and European leaders have rightly voiced support for them.
Typically, when people hear about a drug overdose in town, they conjure up images of a panhandler they recently saw begging for money, wearing grungy clothes and a vacant expression.
Bennington County State’s Attorney Erica Marthage and Deputy SAs Robert Plunkett and Jared Bianchi took an important step last week in the fight to keep criminal drug dealers from moving into our region, bringing violent crime and devastating addiction into our neighborhoods.
In March of this year, the Reformer ran a series of short articles from Senior Solutions to mark the 50th anniversary of the national Meals on Wheels program and tout its benefits throughout Windham County.
Columnists
I felt that 44 would either be the most amazing year, or horrible.
The sky didn’t fall. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse didn’t show. Armageddon? Not yet! I am relieved for now. Liz Cheney was quoted as saying the mid-term elections were a clear vote for “Team Normal.” Once again, the polls were very wrong. Even Fox News seemed perplexed by the “Red Ripp…
Well, Thanksgiving is in the books. Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa are next up and then New Year’s, the day we can hit the imaginary reset button and make the next 365 days better than the last 365 days. 2019 served as our last year of full holiday traditions, I guess. What I mean to say i…
Imagine being a college student who’s trying to get ahead but faces obstacles at every turn. Maybe it was a late phone bill, an unexpected closure of a child care center, or a failed vehicle inspection that prompted skipping class because there weren’t enough dollars for essentials. Would yo…
Incidents of fraud are increasing as the December holidays draw closer. Consider the following:
It’s 10 a.m. as students start arriving at the bright classroom in the Multicultural Community Center on Birge Street. Soon, the room is filled with women from Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, and Guatemala — all of them ready to take on the challenge of learning the language of their new community.
PREAMBLE: We have reached the point in the climate crisis when we can no longer postpone a transformation of everyday life to sometime other than now. This is the only life-affirmative choice we have. We either embrace and take responsibility for ourselves, for life, and for our fellow being…
Listening to the presentation to the Climate Council on the cost savings they are claiming will be associated with the Climate Action Plan, I was reminded of the classic scene from Caddyshack where Bill Murray’s character tells the story of his compensation for a round with Dalai Lama: “Oh, …
RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) is a respiratory virus that, in adults, typically produces the symptoms of a mild cold. But an unseasonably early spike in RSV among children — particularly those aged 5 and under — has been hitting communities across the U.S. pretty hard.
Have you figured out how to get food, heat, and health insurance to cover you through the upcoming winter months?
At 4 a.m. the day before every election, my team and I set out on a 14 County Tour, visiting all of Vermont’s 14 counties in one day. This 500-plus mile tour has a way of putting things into perspective. It reinforces how beautiful our state is and how much it has to offer. And it reminds us…
As autumn winds down and our Green Mountain fields and forests prepare to rest, we give thanks for the bounty of the seasons. In the coming weeks, Vermont food will be at the center of the table as many of us celebrate with family and friends. Maybe the meal will begin with an appetizer plat…
If you wanted to pick a digital fight and troll your political rival, Twitter is where you went. I even went viral once, having a tweet I sent to Donald “Twitter Fingers” Trump himself get shared (re-tweeted) over 5,000 times. It produced more death threats than I can count from the MAGA-cha…
Letters to the Editor
To the editor: Sources within the Vermont State Employees Credit Union reveal that the merger with New England Federal Credit Union won only by around 300 votes ("VSECU members approve merger with NEFCU," Nov. 10). This is probably why, unlike other voting outcome practices, where the actual…
To the editor: On behalf of the Putney Big Tree Quest planning committee, we extend a huge thank you to all who made the Quest possible: the community members who enthusiastically submitted 106 Big Tree entries, Julia Von Ranson and the Putney Public Library for being home base, Amber Paris …
To the editor: I recently became reacquainted with the word polycrisis. The Cascade Institute has listed a number of crises that need fixing: climate heating, biodiversity loss, pandemics, widening economic inequalities, financial system instability, ideologic extremism, pernicious social im…
To the editor: December 7 spells the end of the yearly period to sign up or change Medicare plans all over the U.S.A. As someone who has been receiving traditional Medicare services for over 20 years, I do not plan on changing my plan to a Medicare Advantage plan, no matter how much less exp…
To the editor: In response to the Wednesday, Nov. 16, front-page article on the Guilford public records complaint, I just want to thank our Guilford Select Board for their dedicated service in the face of repeated aggressive challenges from a group within our community. While I am sorry this…
To the editor: I want to echo the sentiment of the editorial "Our View: Act 250 update is long overdue" that the commission needs to listen and consider the wants of the community.
To the editor: I would like to express my appreciation to the citizens of Chesterfield, Hinsdale and Westmoreland for re-electing me to the N.H. House of Representatives. I want to assure you that I will be active to serve the best interests of my constituents in Concord.
The 'fever swamp' of belief-dependency endangers us all
As autumn winds down and our Green Mountain fields and forests prepare to rest, we give thanks for the bounty of the seasons. In the coming weeks, Vermont food will be at the center of the table as many of us celebrate with family and friends. Maybe the meal will begin with an appetizer plat…
