Share your commentaries
Have an opinion on a current topic? Send it in to waterburyroundabout@gmail.com. Letters to the editor (up to 300 words) and Commentaries (up to 800 words) must be signed. Include your hometown and a phone number for confirmation.
The 2026 legislative session ended with the budget, yield bill and the education bill wrapping up one of the more difficult biennium sessions in my 11 years of service to the citizens of Bolton, Buel’s Gore, Huntington and Waterbury. Even with that difficulty, I am prepared to continue this work going forward.
Now that the legislative session has ended, I want to share with you some of the most important bills passed out of the legislature and passed out of Senate Natural Resources and Energy, which I chaired, and then I want to highlight what I'm at least currently perceiving as priorities going into next session, but I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on what should come next.
Housing in Vermont is too expensive and too scarce. Since 2020, home prices in Vermont have risen by an average of 31%.
To add to the issues with the Fish and Wildlife Department’s management comes their decision to embark upon a greenwashing campaign on Vermont Public (radio).
Lt. Gov. John Rodgers will select a Vermonter to represent the state at the 2026 Great American Seafood Cookoff in New Orleans next month. The nominee will receive $1,000 to offset travel, in addition to hotel accommodations.
Life today in America is reminding me of my years in Brazil, where I lived in the late 1970s. At the time, Brazil was a country under the military dictatorship of General Ernesto Geisel and characterized by state-sponsored violence, pervasive censorship and political oppression.
As long-standing current and former members of Vermont's active and dispersed network of town energy committees, we have worked hard to advance solutions in our communities and for our friends and neighbors in those communities to reduce energy costs, cut planet-warming pollution, and become more energy independent. Solar, which is strong, reliable, and powerful – and now the cheapest power on the planet – can do the job.
Deep cuts to federal election funding and the dismantling of cybersecurity support are leaving Vermont dangerously exposed. Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hazas is joined by three predecessors in assessing the upcoming election landscape.
Rise Up, Sing Out is an Indivisible nationwide day of action and celebration on June 14, bringing communities together to honor the country we love on the anniversary of No Kings and Flag Day.
On May 28, Gov. Phil Scott vetoed H.727, an important bill that would have protected Vermonters from the negative financial and environmental impacts of future large-scale AI data centers.
For the first time ever, Vermonters have an opportunity to establish formal rules governing how our public lands are managed. This may sound like an obscure bureaucratic exercise. It is anything but.
Molly Gray’s recent endorsement of universal primary care (“Vermonters Deserve universal primary care,” May 15) mirrors Vermont’s investment in other progressive policies that support Vermonters’ health and well-being while saving money.
Waterbury knows what it means to build, rebuild, and keep going. But even the most resilient communities can’t outrun statewide trends forever.
As I prepare to step away from my role as president of Central Vermont Medical Center, I want to express my deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve this incredible community over the past nine years.
I would like to share comments below that I made at the Harwood School Board at its May 26 meeting.
Before you take to the hills this summer for camping, fishing, boating, hiking, and swimming, make sure you comment on the future of your Vermont state lands by June 18.
We face real, complex hurdles ahead, but I know what Vermonters can achieve when we look out for one another. I am running because I believe that by working together, we can build a resilient, supportive future where every neighbor thrives.
Since the founding of our nation—right here in New England—American innovation has transformed our lives, our communities and our economy by turning bold ideas into reality. As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, that legacy is gaining renewed momentum, fueled by policies that put American ingenuity and entrepreneurs first.
Last September, Gov. Phil Scott issued an executive order that directed the Agency of Natural Resources to establish rules allowing housing construction without a permit in unmapped wetlands.
Democrats need to unite and bring about change together. We have some great, fresh candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor and legislative seats.
Vermont is getting harder and harder to afford. That’s not an abstract policy problem. It’s the math around kitchen tables: rent, mortgage, property taxes, child care, groceries, gas, and whether there’s enough left over to keep building a life here.
The members of Harry N. Cutting American Legion Post 59 would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many local businesses, organizations, and individuals who generously donated items and services for our recent Silent Auction and Prom Fundraiser.
Through a lengthy process and several years of effort, Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources proposed changes to the Use of Public Waters Rules that restricts wakesports on numerous small inland lakes have been approved.
I have entered the 2026 Vermont Primary Election as a candidate for Assistant Judge in Washington County. The assistant judge position has a dual role: judiciary and county executive.
On April 30, I joined former Gov. Howard Dean and dozens of Vermonters in testifying before the Vermont Legislature in support of Universal Primary Care.
I enjoyed visiting with many of you and appreciate the interest and energy shown by you for our utility district.
On Memorial Day, the Green Mountain Submarine Veterans Chapter of the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI) remembers the Vermonters who lost their lives in the Submarine Service during war and peacetime.
The proponents of this action are telling Vermonters that this is necessary in order to successfully implement Act 59, which laid out goals for the conservation of Vermont’s landscape. This is not true. I do not plan to support the move to bypass the committee process.
Please vote this coming Wednesday, May 13, in the elections for seats on the Edward Farrar Utility District Board of Commissioners.
This past legislative session, Vermonters for a Clean Environment participated in the development of a responsible data center bill, H.727. Despite these efforts, Gov. Phil Scott's veto of the bill was justified due to the Senate's massive fumble.