Editorial

Time to stop the denial

“We’re in denial of the African holocaust. Most times, people don’t want to talk about it. One is often restless or termed a racist just for having compassion for the African experience, for speaking truth to the trans-Atlantic and Arab slave trades, for speaking truth to the significant omission...

Virus containment, true equality need to be part of country’s “new normal”

Vermont is slowly returning to a more normal world, or at least a world that is more open than what we have experienced during the past three months. Gov. Phil Scott continues to “turn the spigot” on the economy, as he likes to say. More and more business sectors are being allowed to reopen....

The center of the storm

“Lightning makes no sound until it strikes.”
Martin Luther King Jr. Much of the country and the world has been struck by lightning over the past two weeks. When Minneapolis police detained and eventually killed George Floyd, that incident became the lightning strike that ignited...

Weekend a big milestone

Vermont has passed an important milestone in its attempts to return to some semblance of normal.
The Memorial Day weekend, always seen as the kickoff to the summer season, this year also serves as a significant mile marker along the pandemic highway. It was the first major holiday weekend...

Thanks to all who are on pandemic's front lines

Memorial Day is a day for honoring the men and women who have given their all in service for our country. This year we think it appropriate to honor not only those who have served in the armed forces, but those who have been in the front lines during the current response to the coronavirus...

“New normal” requires new ways of thinking

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity”
Sun-Tzu, “The Art of War” Towns in the area that rely on summer events as key components of their local economies face some difficult decisions in the coming weeks. One example, as reported a week ago, is Wilmington. The selectboard will...

Promises, promises

This week top officials noted how important it is to have the entire state of Vermont wired for high speed internet access.
Hoo, boy, we’ve heard that one before.
Again, a leader is calling for the buildout across Vermont. This time it was Congressman Peter Welch. From politicians...

Time to go back to school on state colleges proposal

It takes a shocker of a news story to cut through the buzz about all things coronavirus. But that’s exactly what happened a couple of Fridays ago when Vermont State Colleges chancellor Jeb Spaulding announced the four-school, multiple-campus system was in dire financial straights.
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A silver lining in Gov. Scott’s press conferences

Lisa Loomis is editor of the Valley Reporter in Waitsfield and president of the Vermont Press Association In the midst of this time of self-isolation and social distancing during COVID-19 our lives have changed in so many ways that it’s hard to keep up.
A lot of these changes have been...

It's too early to declare victory in virus battle

“We’re not declaring victory, and we’re not out of the woods yet, but we are seeing some daylight. We’ll only continue to see these positive numbers if Vermonters remain committed to social distancing, staying six feet away from others, wearing masks, and washing hands a lot. If we continue to do...