Dear Editor,
Thank you so much for your coverage of the local selectboard meetings. Those of us living in towns where there is no public information program depend on the weekly newspaper to keep us informed of the business of our local governments. Attorneys for the Town of Plymouth informed the Court that since Plymouth has no post office capable of posting meeting notices or other legally required notices, the town’s residents don’t deserve any public notices. Forget legal challenges, the Court can’t be bothered.
When reporters inform the public regarding specific items that are discussed at meetings, it is sometimes the only time the information may be available. Last week, your reporter informed your readers that the Chester Selectboard will drop the number of board members on the cannabis board to five because the state has already written procedures which guarantee a sufficient number of board members. Similarly, the Plymouth Selectboard could have saved themselves the trouble of creating their own public information process simply by researching the Vermont statutes and reporting that the process has already been carefully articulated by the state legislators.
The press is a great American treasure, offering its citizens the opportunity to stay informed about the business of its governmental bodies. We should be thankful for the wonderful job that the Vermont Journal’s professionals do for us.
Sincerely,
Nancy Kessling
Plymouth, Vt.