During National CACFP Week Capstone Community Action, a non-profit sponsor of the CACFP joins with Vermont family child care providers in acknowledging the many ways our community benefits from the CACFP. Children who are cared for by providers participating in the CACFP benefit by being fed nutritious USDA regulated meals that ensure their proper development. These children gain from early nutrition education that helps them establish positive eating habits that will enrich the quality of their diet throughout their life. Parents of children in child care are assured that their child(ren) receives high-quality meals. With proper nutrition, the child is less likely to experience illnes…

15 Vermont towns got 2019 started by passing a climate solutions resolution on Town Meeting Day this year, with more results to come. Last year, 39 Vermont towns passed the resolution, which brings the total 54. The results of 350Vermont’s two-year campaign indicate that many are calling for a halt to new fossil fuel infrastructure and a transition to renewable energy that is fair and equitable for all. Some resolutions included additional requests for specific emission reduction projects for their towns.  Last fall the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change released a report calling for radical reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to limit global warming, yet Vermont emissio…

Green Mountain United Way and Tatum’s Totes’ are celebrating their third year as partners serving the foster children of Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom. Through this partnership, organizations and individuals throughout the community have supported Vermont children entering into foster care by providing essential  items that go into Tatum’s Totes backpacks, and gifts to support foster  families at the holidays. This past December, employees at organizations throughout Central and Northern Vermont opened their hearts to foster children by contributing holiday gifts to over 260 children and families in Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans, and Washington Counties. The outpouring of…

By G. E. Shuman              Sometimes we can be shown a truth and witness a lesson to be learned about some big thing we are going through, because of some smaller incident or observation that we experience. These things become object lessons from real life; they are parables that are more than stories, but real-life evidence that the bigger thing that we fear will be okay. Such is, in my belief, a thing that happened to my wife and to me just last Tuesday.             For many days before last Tuesday Lorna and I had been worrying, talking to each other, and also praying about something that was about to happen to some members of our family. Being proud parents, grandparents and grea…

Oscar Winner for Best Animated Film                              *** There was a media backlash against “Bohemian Rhapsody” for winning the Golden Globe for Best Drama and “Green Book” for winning the Oscar for Best Picture.           Backlash is an understatement. It was more like a coordinated firestorm of internet fury. If you google Bohemian Rhapsody Deserved to Win and Green Book Deserved to Win, you get a grand total of TWO articles praising “Green Book.” The dozens of other articles are expressions of righteous outrage over the tragedy of these mediocre old-fashioned movies winning major awards.           Well, I thoroughly enjoyed “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book.” The…

A group of teacher leaders and founding partner, National Life Group, announced the launch of a new coalition to address and prevent school shootings and other acts of violence by providing teachers and all school employees with the knowledge, tools and resources they need to proactively keep schools safe. The National Coalition for Safe Schools (NCSS) is a first of its kind initiative led by U.S. Varkey Teacher Ambassadors (US VTA’s) and other teacher leaders from throughout the United States. The coalition’s goal is to develop real-world solutions for both the short and long term that focus on the root of the problem, which begins long before a child ever thinks about bringing a gun to…

Dear Editor, Governor Phil Scott in his 2019 Budget speech stressed that he wants to increase Vermont’s population with young people in response to our aging population. However, population growth is the direct cause of all the very serious environmental problems Vermont is now facing. Population growth is also the underlying cause of many of our financial problems. Because of a larger population size, big box stores found it profitable to move to Vermont, Instead of locally owned businesses, most have been replaced by giant out-of-state owned corporations. With those revenues now leaving Vermont, many of our once-vibrant downtowns (such as Barre) now too many empty stores.  And if…

Dear Editor, Like many Vermonters, I am troubled by President Trump’s declaration of a national “emergency” to build his border wall along the southern border of the United States. I have serious questions about the legality of this declaration. I am also concerned by the detrimental impact this declaration may have on the State of Vermont. In declaring a national emergency, President Trump seeks to raid funds already designated for other purposes, diverting those funds to pay for an unnecessary border wall. My office is currently working with the Governor’s Office to determine if Vermont funds will potentially be diverted by President Trump’s declaration. I am personally monitoring th…