One morning in the early 1990s, my phone rang. It was not a nice man from Nigeria telling me I owed the IRS money. James Lawrence was on the line. “There’s a situation with The Charlotte News,” James said. “I’m asking all of the newspaper’s contributors to meet at the Congregational Church this afternoon.” He did not wait to hear my excuses. I showed up.
I’m tired of writing critical commentaries, which my last two have been. And besides, the natural world of Charlotte is not something one can easily criticize. Its skies, landscapes, clouds and harvest moons bring together many of the reasons for choosing here as home. Too often we fail to be conscious of the role our environment plays in our lives.
When it comes to gravestones, there are as many choices as there are individuals. Some people are adamant about their ashes being spread from a mountain top, on the water, in the forest or over their garden. We will limit this column, however, to traditional burials in a cemetery with a gravestone.
Although the legislature is not in session, many legislators serve on special committees that meet between sessions. The Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules (LCAR) is one such committee, and it’s been keeping me busy this summer. LCAR consists of four Senators and four Representatives and is responsible for reviewing rules proposed by agencies of the executive branch of state government. Rules spell out the process by which an agency administers laws. Examples include the health standards of hotel accommodations, licensing of professionals, and standards for fuel oil tanks in our homes. It is LCAR’s job to review the rules to ensure that
Veterans Day, eh? I should be honored to take part in it, but, frankly, the Navy and I parted company on Treasure Island, California, in late summer of 1968 and have lived in blissful ignorance of each other ever since. I put my medals in a drawer and responded to a letter from the government asking me to become an active reserve with a “Thanks, but no thanks.” The country must have had a large enough supply of people (mostly men in those days) to keep their tanks full and did not feel the need to press too hard on those of us who said no.
I read with interest Rep. Mike Yantachka’s commentary (9/20) criticizing the Public Utility Commission’s decision to reject an application for construction of a large-scale commercial solar array in the iconic Mt. Philo viewshed. My reaction to the decision was quite different from Mike’s: Finally the PUC “build everywhere” policy seems to have been modified to consider land-use planning in reviewing large-scale commercial solar and wind applications.
I admit that I watched all the sessions of Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s Vietnam history. A young adult of the 1960s, I was there during the war and played a small a part in “Rolling Thunder” on an aircraft carrier bombing the north. But that was not the reason I found the series fascinating.
We are proud to announce The Charlotte News has won “Distinguished Newspaper” in our category in The New England Newspaper & Press Association (NENPA) “Newspaper of the Year” 2017 competition.
Dealing with death and burials can be a touchy topic and is often postponed. People feel skittish talking about it.
I was disappointed to read about the Public Utility Commission’s denial of a Certificate of Public Good (CPG) for…
So, what does Alexa have to do with the future of humanity? An article in the September 10 New York Times says, “These Are Not the Robots We Were Promised.” Those expected were more mechanical than intellectual. These, on the other hand, bring brains, not brawn, to the world. According to Nicholas Carr, author of the article, Alexa’s cones will soon be scattered around our houses, and we will be able to converse with “solicitous A.I. assistants wherever and whenever we like.”
In this 60th year of production of The Charlotte News we will feature editorials from editors past. This edition features Melissa O’Brien who served in 2008.
Alice Outwater takes us through the paces of aging gracefully.
Our editor Lynn Monty, a gen-Xer, speaks from her heart about the important lessons of justice and equality.
Our readers share their thoughts on school, giving and construction.
Edd Merritt reflects on his Baby Boomer generation
Mt. Philo Hops Farm sparks local debate in Charlotte, Vermont
Alice Outwater writes from the heart about aging well and other inspiring topics of general interest
My secessionist writer and friend, Thomas Naylor, was a resident of Charlotte until his death five years ago. He led the charge for our state and whoever wanted to join us, to pull out of the union and form our own nation-state that focused on community, local control, local resources and the needs of a smaller group of people than the current U.S. population.
We hiked Mt. Philo on June 11 in memory of Chris Desjardin of Colchester. About 35 of his friends…