Editorial

The dangers of extending COVID-era meeting laws

Right now the Vermont Legislature is considering extending the pandemic-driven laws that allow for virtual government meetings and Australian ballots. There are some who would like to make it permanent.
We think that’s a bad idea.
While we understand the desire to keep the virtual...

Sen Leahy’s legacy: five decades of public service

This week marks a significant milestone in Vermont history. On Tuesday the state’s longest-serving senator, Patrick Leahy, retired from Congress.
Leahy spent 48 years, eight terms, in the Senate. It’s incredible to think about how much the country has changed in the five decades since...

Lessons and reflections as we approach the new year

“Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards”
Soren Kierkegaard Well, here we are on the cusp of 2023. With the New Year comes new hope. Let’s all toast to the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. We wish everyone a healthy and happy new year.
On...

Peace and goodwill; easier said than done?

“Every year at this time, an important phrase marks the season: peace on Earth and goodwill towards men. It’s so common we sometimes forget about what it really means - that we strive for a world without war, a society where we respect and help our neighbors, a place where we protect and uplift...

Vermont says “yes” to personal autonomy

Tuesday was a historic day at the Vermont Statehouse. With all the pomp and circumstance befitting a milestone event, a number of state officials formalized Proposition 2 and Proposition 5 as amendments to the state’s constitution (see Lauren Harkawik’s report in this week’s edition).
...

There can be no community without affordable housing

A couple of weeks ago we published a story titled “Housing headaches hit home.” That article by Lauren Harkawik chronicled just how difficult it is for people to find affordable housing here in the valley. That is a problem for working people and for employers looking to fill open positions. In...

Support small businesses this Saturday, and every day

#ShopSmall is the social media tag for Small Business Saturday, taking place this weekend on November 26. It represents one of a series of post-Thanksgiving days designed to generate revenue for businesses and charities.
Of course there’s Black Friday, the original holiday weekend...

The negligence lawsuits should be neglected

To the Editor,
After reading the two articles about “negligence lawsuits” in last week’s Deerfield Valley News, the only thought I could muster was “WTF.”
First, anyone with half a brain seeing a “DANGER - KEEP OUT” sign will heed that warning. In this case, that warning was ignored...

Can a middle ground exist?

Phil Scott’s office released a commentary by the governor earlier this week. The opinion piece was Scott’s reflection on last week’s election. In it, he called for more prosperity for all of Vermont and a bipartisan approach to the upcoming legislative session, which will begin in early January...

Be wary of misinformation, seek different perspectives

The country is heading into the final days of the midterm elections and, as we’ve seen over the past decade, the political divides continue to widen. While political disagreements in this country date back to Tories and Whigs and the founding of the United States, the chasms have only grown wider...