Every year, when budget writers in Montpelier begin their work – and legislators begin to determine what to spend – the backdrop of these conversations is marked by an unavoidable reality: Vermont has a serious problem with its unfunded liabilities. … Continued
Summer is a magical season for kids – a time when they finally get to make many of their own decisions. Except when it comes to reading. This summer millions of children will be slogging through a school-assigned reading list. … Continued
My very good friend John M. Mitchell died at 80 March 28 in Rutland. He was the CEO of Swiss-owned OMYA’s North American operations, managed from Proctor, until his retirement in 2000, and a founding director of the Ethan Allen … Continued
Many Vermonters are not aware that Vermont is number two in the U.S. for incidence of Lyme disease. According to the Vermont Department of Health, cases of other tick-borne diseases such as Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis are also steadily increasing in … Continued
Attending the 34th annual Essex Memorial Day Parade Saturday, May 25, Gov. Phil Scott delivered the following address for Memorial Day. In the early summer of 1944, the world had been at war for nearly six years. Free nations were … Continued
May 20 marks National Older Adult Mental Health Awareness Day, creating an opportunity to raise recognition in our communities around the importance of supporting older Vermonters in maintaining good mental health. Twenty years ago, a one-year experiment concluded, and it … Continued
The son of a tenant farming parents in west-central Indiana, Ernie Pyle became history’s greatest war correspondent. When Pyle was killed by a Japanese machine gun bullet on the tiny Pacific island of Ie Shima in 1945, his columns were … Continued
One of the smartest investments Vermont can make as a state is in the weatherization of our homes and businesses. Our old housing and building stock means that too much of Vermonters’ hard-earned money ends up going up the chimney … Continued
Recently, the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce surveyed 500 young professionals, primarily Burlington area residents between the ages of 22 and 34, and learned that over 40% intend to leave Vermont. Why? The high cost of housing, the overall high … Continued
Despite Gov. Scott’s $8 million commitment to restoring Vermont’s waterways and funding clean water initiatives in his recent budget proposal, the Vermont Legislature has so far failed to live up to their responsibilities to help ensure we all have clean … Continued