COVID and the courts
These are strange times for all of us, and that includes the Vermont courts. Several people have asked me recently whether the courts are open, and how they are functioning, so I thought I’d share the answers with all of you.
Giving up muscles for brains I hope
Well, yes, you do think back over three-quarters of a century lifetime and remember how much of it revolved around a physical presence and how much, now that that physicality has receded, has turned mental—we hope anyway.
Letters To The Editor
The local paper…the local news. How else would one know all the details of a town? Activities, politics, achievements, real estate transactions, memorials, conservation, agriculture, education and much more: each edition brings new news of the neighborhood.
The island calls you home
Hello, again. It seems like awhile since my last article, but who knows…time seems a bit hard to keep track of lately. I find that one day often kind of blends into another, and if pressed I frequently couldn’t tell you the date or day of the week.
Just Asking – July 9, 2020
Are you wondering what your neighbors are thinking about? So is Jim Squires, so he went around town asking people what they think; he’ll do this regularly for the paper until he runs out of Charlotters, which will probably be several years from now.
Letters to the editor – June 25, 2020
I write this letter to The Charlotte News as a respectful response to the letter of the Rev. Dr. Arnold Thomas in the June 11 Charlotte News.
Baseball beyond the diamond
When I first contemplated a theme for this OutTake my mind happened to be on religion and how, despite its philosophy and otherworldly set of beliefs and beings, it was all established by humans to explain what we do not understand through data. In other words, religion is man-made, not heavenly dropped.
The ongoing cycle of violence against black Americans
What white Americans refer to as a crisis, black Americans call business as usual. The murders of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and George Floyd in Minnesota are but the latest in an ongoing cycle of violence
The subtleties and the damage
George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Thousands before these strong men. I’ve been at a loss for the right words. And sad. And dejected because it feels like nothing ever changes. Tired of abuse of power.
The incremental journey
May 25th, 2020 was a Memorial Day. Millions of Americans look back on this day on the quintessence of protecting the global order or the continental homeland by the United States military. I, too, did my own reflection and went for a quiet walk on the Charlotte Village Loop Trail, all the way to Ethan Allen Highway.
Support for Town Link Trail investment
I’m writing to add my voice to those in favor of trail investment and for a “Yes” on Article 4 in the upcoming ballot.
The ongoing cycle of violence against black Americans
What white Americans refer to as a crisis, black Americans call business as usual. The murders of Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia and George Floyd in Minnesota are but the latest in an ongoing cycle of violence toward black people that has plagued this nation since its inception.
A book that can send you flighting in the fields
I think it’s been awhile since my last article on books and reading, so as you might imagine, I have quite a stack (it’s literally a stack) of reading material.
Living in the bike lane
So, where did my focus on bicycles come from? Well, it’s a bit of a convoluted story that connects my own youth with a modern read from one of the more interesting books I have picked up recently.
Letter to the Editor – May 14, 2020
This can only be an echo of Rookie Manning’s extremely thoughtful, insightful and loving remembrance of Monica Smith. Monica’s time at Charlotte Central spanned most of my tenure on the board. Consequently, it strikes me as appropriate to underline what struck me as the essence of Rookie’s tremendous insights.
Vermonters: Contribute to keeping agriculture afloat this summer
There is no hiding from COVID-19. This virus has no borders and travels at will, menacing people and businesses in every sector of society. The pandemic threatens agriculture and with it our food security, as farmers work to produce the food on our tables.
Diary of distance learning: Recess is long, and the teacher is mean
March 20, 2020
Dear Diary: I’m excited to teach these kids at home. How hard can it be? I made a color-coded magnetic schedule with time for reading and simultaneous snuggling, made an exercise schedule so I can work out and the kids can do P.E. at the same time . . .
Are state colleges just bricks in the wall?
By the time this issue of the News comes out, the state college board of trustees will have received Chancellor Jeb Spaulding’s resignation following public reaction to his plan to close the campuses of Northern Vermont University and relocate their student populations to Castleton.
Vote no on trails funding
To the editor: With the Charlotte population at approximately 3,800, and according to the trail survey the committee did, seven people use the trail daily…that is a staggering .0018421 percent of our population, and of the 200 people who responded to the survey, that is only five percent of the population.
Good neighbors in the time of coronavirus
I live in East Charlotte, the far southeast corner where a small group of homes has been built and inhabited over several decades. Early on, there was a concerted effort to create a well-connected neighborhood with summer celebrations, potlucks and fun.