By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

The opinion piece by Paul Noel in favor of trapping is nothing more than that: An opinion. He admits that he has no “measurable” statistics to back up his arguments, yet he urges us to take his statements at face value, on trust. 

Well, why can’t trapping opponents say the same? The answer is that obviously there’s no way to settle an argument except by using facts and science. And all the evidence supports the fact that trapping is not necessary to “manage” populations or even provide reliable data on population trends. Quite the contrary; trapping is counterproductive to these efforts. 

Yes, trappers are now required to submit annual reports on their harvests, but they are still not required to report on nontarget or incidental takes. So we have no idea how many animals are truly killed and suffer in traps. 

Paul Noel released a single dog from a trap many years ago, and on that basis he says trapping is harmless? Was the dog examined by a vet afterward? How long did the dog spend in the trap? 

Wild animals, unlike dogs, are not accustomed to being restrained and therefore will struggle that much more in traps and suffer commensurate injuries.The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has itself supplied overwhelming evidence of the injuries all species of animals suffer even in Best Management Practice traps (H. Bryant White, “Best Management Practices for Trapping Furbearers in the United States,” Wildlife Monographs, December 2020). 

Trappers, unlike hunters, are not even trying to kill an animal; they are simply trying to restrain the animal until they get there, hours later. So how does an animal not suffer in a trap? 

Noel’s opinion piece is completely off the cuff and doesn’t even engage in the debate in any serious way. It ends with an appeal to tradition, which is to say, no argument at all. Just because something has been done in the past is no reason to continue with it today. On that basis, we should still engage in slavery, or allow cockfighting, or do any number of things that were horrible in the past, and are still horrible in the present, and future. 

Recreational trapping should be banned, and that is what all surveys, including one conducted last year by Vermont’s Fish & Wildlife Department, say that the public wants.

John Aberth

Roxbury

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: Tradition is no justification for trapping to continue.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

John LaBarge certainly made an accurate appraisal of the Affordable Heat Act. It seems that the Democrats and Progressives in Montpelier are determined to make Vermont a “first-in-the-nation” state by putting the cost of those grandiose ideas directly on the backs of working-class and low-income Vermonters. 

When will the voters of this state realize what is being thrust upon them by these clueless folks in the Statehouse?

I agree with John that most Vermonters are doing their best to fight climate change through recycling, adopting LED lighting, and, if they can afford it, adding heat pumps and solar panels. But there are simply things that many in the working class cannot afford to do, such as buying electric vehicles or adding heat pumps and solar panels. 

Forcing this proposed act upon them by making their current means of transportation and home heating unaffordable is heartless and inconsiderate. Clearly, the people offering support for this agenda are not working-class or low-income Vermonters. Numbers show that this small state with its tiny population will have absolutely no effect on the climate health of the world. So, why are our Democrats and Progressive representatives convinced that we will?

Tom Heeter

Vergennes

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: Affordable Heat Act will hurt working class, low-income.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

In the 1990s, they decided there were too many snow geese. The state had just put money into improvements at Dead Creek for people to view the birds when they were there in the thousands. A truly magnificent and mesmerizing sight. 

Then for some reason, the state thought if they stopped the feed, it would help reduce the population. I guess this was their thinking: Birds fly and animals walk so they are going to go to food no matter where it is. The geese did; they left a preserve where they could do no damage to the farmers’ fields in New York state, where they could do damage.

I am sure they do some damage to crops, but considering they are around when crops are harvested already or close to it, just how much do they do? They are mostly eating the scraps left to rot. 

The local Audubon said they are doing good because wetlands are preserved for hunters. What? Wetlands started getting preserved in the early 1970s with the Clean Water Act, a federal law. They actually started getting preserved long before. 

Snow geese do use water but not to the extent of other waterfowl. Snow geese tend to use large bodies of water, like the ocean, Lake Champlain and other large lakes and ponds. 

The hunt also includes Ross and blue geese, along with the common snow geese, if I’m not wrong. Ross and blue heese numbers are far, far fewer than the common snow geese, yet they are just lumped in there for the hunt.

Jeff Beaupre

Essex

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: More about the snow geese hunt.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

Watching from a distance, I was pleased to see the people of Randolph vote for a pause in the local police-shopping process. I live outside the tiny area of suggested coverage, but I did the math anyway: six weeks of no cops in town has saved the Randolph people close to $50,000 so far. Another six weeks of thinking about it will save another 50 grand. Real money still in the town’s pocket, and a chance for folks to discover that a heavy local police presence does not prevent crime. 

The police we have had simply respond to crime, usually a few hours or a few days after the fact, most often taking a few pictures and letting you know that there is nothing that can be done, really. Sorry. Maybe leave a light on outside? Get a locking gas cap?

What I have noticed in the last six weeks is that there is no longer a nice new SUV in the Orange County Sheriff’s Department colors, usually parked at the firehouse, or sometimes pulled up behind some older-model Subaru with two wide-eyed kids in the back seat, and a young mom in tears at the wheel, wondering how her $14-an-hour job will be able to pay the $300 ticket she just got for rolling through a stop sign, driving 34 in a 25 zone, or for not having her rusty car wearing a current inspection sticker. 

Seeing those folks pulled over never made me feel safer, and I never took any pleasure in seeing tax dollars spent on further grinding down the local people at $300 a pop. I’m happy that I don’t see that now. I hated seeing that.

I do think about safety and crime prevention. I drive pretty slow myself, I lock up my stuff when I can, and try to not tick people off. I’d likely stop and try to help if I saw someone at risk. I’d like for us all to be safe. 

But the crime I worry about — things like domestic violence, child abuse, cruelty to pets and wildlife, like families being hungry, or freezing because they ran out of propane — those crimes were never prevented by that patrol car parked at the firehouse. 

Public safety spending should address the real dangers of life in Randolph, and you do that with education, addiction services, and by relieving hunger and poverty. There is a lot of evidence that a good safety net and a close sense of community provide more safety than a few guys with guns handing out tickets. That’s the kind of safety I’d like to see more of. Good neighbors, kindness and concern.

Gary Hillard

Randolph

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: I hope Randolph invests in real public safety.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

I was a Vermont veterinarian for 45 years and I saw so many instances of this horrible practice that it brings tears to my eyes when I remember them. 

My own daughter’s dog was caught in a trap on the property of a friend who did not know the trapper. Luckily, I was hiking with a friend who was stronger than I, so we were able to release the dog. 

It is a cruel, unnecessary practice that should be banned.

Jean Ceglowski, DVM

Rupert

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: I’ve seen the cruelty of trapping.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

This is in response to Robert Wickberg’s letter of March 9 regarding William Brattle, in which he states: “Col. William Brattle, for whom Brattleboro is named, was not a ‘Southern colonial colonel’ …There is, however, no connection between William Brattle and slavery. Unlike many of the country’s founding fathers, as he was Massachusetts-born and raised, he would not have owned any.”

While Mr. Wickberg may be correct that William Brattle was not a “Southern colonial colonel,” he was indeed connected to slavery, as were many prominent New Englanders.

In 2007, a 36-page report (“Harvard and Slavery, Seeking a Forgotten History” by Sven Beckert, Katherine Stevens and the students of the Harvard and Slavery Research Seminar) noted that several past professors and presidents of Harvard as well as First Church of Cambridge Minister William Brattle (father of Major-General William Brattle) were slave owners.

The Wikipedia article Mr. Wickberg sites goes on to say: “In 1727, at the age of 21, Brattle, as the sole heir of both of his father and Brattle’s uncle Thomas, inherited their estates, which made him one of the wealthiest men in all of Massachusetts.”

It would be no stretch to imagine that the estates included slaves, since further on in the article is: “Brattle was also a slaveholder, being recorded in church records as owning two enslaved women, Philicia and Zillah, in 1731 and 1738 respectively.”

The mere fact that he (or anyone) was “Massachusetts-born and raised” in no way precludes him from being a slave owner.

Andrew Tetreault

Brookfield

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: ‘New Englander’ does not preclude slave owner.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

Many children come across the magic of theater at a young age, whether it be through a school play or the local community theater. I got involved with theater in the third grade and have continued into college as I pursue my degree in drama. 

I continue to love theater because it is a space to learn and explore issues that are meaningful to me, like climate change. In fact, there’s a word for this intersection of theater and climate change: eco-theater. 

Eco-theater allows us to use theater to teach audiences about environmental issues and can also be extended to working on shows that use recycled materials for costumes, props and the set. Children’s theater is a great space to put eco-theater to use. Children’s theater can teach many different lessons, from making good choices to learning about climate change. 

Across ages, the theater is a space for cultivating empathy and provoking the audience to think. While climate change can be overwhelming for anyone to deal with, let alone kids, it is essential we educate the younger generations, as they will be the most impacted. The theater is a great space to talk about climate change and environmental injustices because it relies on creativity and collaboration, which is how we will move forward to fight climate change.

Faith Embler

Bennington

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letters to the editor: An eco-theater for children.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, newsletter, Opinion

Battery storage project deserves skepticism

I am writing about recent news of a proposed battery storage project near Novato (“Marin battery storage project sparks early opposition,” March 14).

I think resistance to this idea is bound to pick up steam as the project progresses. It is definitely concerning that it is happening near an ecologically sensitive area. I’m not an engineer, but I predict that any lithium-ion battery mining, energy production and, most of all, disposal project will just as efficiently produce environmental headaches, if not irreversible damage, down the line.

I think it is naive to believe that there is finally something human-developed that won’t have a catch to it. History has proven over and over again that every great idea comes with a price. That price is usually a costly one when it comes to the environment.

— Denize Springer, Mill Valley

Move forward with Novato battery storage proposal

As a citizen observing land use disputes in Marin for many years, I was interested to see that some residents living near the proposed location of a renewable energy company’s proposed battery storage facility are opposed to the project (“Marin battery storage project sparks early opposition,” March 14).

I am shaking my head about the opposition in Bel Marin Keys. Despite the obvious need to accommodate “green” power sources when faced with a global environmental crisis, neighbors now use battery safety in addition to the usual, vague “environmental impacts” as a reason not to do something.

I am tired of “not in my backyard” groups using emotional language — saying “development here is unconscionable” and that they will “fight tooth and nail.” I hope Marin County and Novato officials are able to see past this opposition and display the kind of flexibility and forward-thinking needed to facilitate an innovative project that can help move the needle on global warming.

— Roger A. Smith, San Rafael

Elizabeth Holmes deserves to do her time behind bars

I am writing in response to the recently published Bay Area Voice commentary by Tim Draper (“As a venture capitalist, I believe Elizabeth Holmes should be freed,” March 14). I found the assertion that there should be a different set of rules for tech entrepreneurs to be ludicrous. I do not agree that Holmes was “heroic in her efforts.”

It appeared clear to me, from the start, that Holmes’ shenanigans were fraudulent. And, indeed, they were. She knew that what she was doing was fraudulent, despite (or even because) of her 19-year-old dreams to change health care as we know it.

Draper appears to believe those who have a distorted view of reality should be spared from justice. That’s injustice for all who have served or are serving time in prison.

Holmes’ fraud was immense, costly and damaging. She is fully capable of serving her time and deserves to do so.

This demand for a double standard in the justice system only goes to prove that if one has wealthy political friends who participated or enabled the crimes, one can get pampered treatment. They are the same ones waving the freedom flag to set Holmes free. It is these political friends and enablers who giddily send many to prison for far less egregious crimes than those committed by Holmes.

— Dr. Wendy Shearn, Tiburon

Holmes’ conviction will deter other who break laws

In his recently published commentary (“As a venture capitalist, I believe Elizabeth Holmes should be freed,” March 14), Tim Draper expresses a belief that Holmes should not be in jail. He says that other venture capitalists agree.

The primary question is whether she broke the law. The court and a jury think so. That is who decides guilt, not the venture capitalists.

Draper thinks that her conviction will deter entrepreneurs and women from taking chances. But her conviction is per the laws of our country. Asserting that entrepreneurs and women will be dissuaded by treatment in court obfuscates the facts.

Her conviction should only deter those who break the law.

— David Colton, Greenbrae

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

We learned from this VTDigger article that the consortium of hospitals called the Green Mountain Care Board is not able to make a decision on the allotment of funds from 2017 toward the care of juveniles in the state of Vermont. 

This is mentioned as a slow-moving catastrophe. Speaking from my own personal experience, I know this to be true.

It’s been three years since my son died by his own hand, and in his tenure as a young adult, he interfaced with that same system, which simply did not know what to do with him. In spite of having led his high school cross-country team to victory for several years, in spite of having started his own contracting business, he could not prevail over his own psychological issues. 

While there are many great people within the state who put their time and effort into helping people like my son, still, he spent a year in prison, and weeks awaiting treatment in the emergency department. While it certainly is not the job of the state to take responsibility for individuals’ mental health, children daily die because there is no comprehensive statewide system to help them develop some level of emotional security. In fact, we like to treat them like criminals. 

So far, we are losing a resource beyond measure, beyond regaining. And elsewhere in the article it states that part of the reason is that apparently most insurance companies don’t think it’s profitable. It reminds me of the way we treat the environment; let’s just keep making money! Nonetheless, why are we sitting on money that we already have that could go toward treatment of individuals who are sitting in emergency rooms right now?

The article further states, “The decision on whether to loosen restrictions on the use of $18 million held by the UVM Health Network has raised questions about the board’s ability to direct private health care investment.” It suggests that we could combine the children’s hospital with the treatment of children with psychological disorders in order to get this issue off the back burner when it obviously should be on the front burner.

I wholeheartedly agree, I don’t want to see any more kids become traumatized by a system that seems not to be able to address this dire constant threat to the future of Vermont.

Tom Howard 

Burlington

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: Why sit on money that could help people?.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

What does a community-supported kitchen look like? It’s the trifecta of community funds, community labor and community being fed with dignity. 

One intergenerational example resides in an old school in the Barre Street neighborhood of Montpelier. The FEAST Meals on Wheels/Senior Meals kitchen, run by Shalonda James (she/her) and Poa Mutino (they/he), featuring mouth-watering local foods and volunteers ranging from 14-84 in age.

The kitchen produces 2,000 meals every month for some of the most lonely and invisible members of our community: homebound elders and homebound people living with disability. 

For some reason, we’re stuck on a grant treadmill in a well-heeled town. Our pitch is this: 400 Montpelier residents donate $100 per year. With this $40,000, we support living wages for our diverse staff and keep busting the stigma of government slop on a plate that haunts Meals on Wheels countrywide. 

Vermont is leading the nation in high-quality nutrition for elders, and leading the nation in the percentage of people over 55. We are rooted with the only capital city-run farm in the country that supports elder nutrition. We are rooted with hundreds of local volunteers. Help root us with a donation today. Visit bit.ly/MFM2023 to donate or stop by the senior center today. Or, come to our gala and silent auction Saturday, March 18, from 5 to 7 p.m. 

The time is now to support our nation’s historic signing of the Older Americans Act with a donation during National March for Meals month.

Poa Mutino

Montpelier

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: It’s National March for Meals Month.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

As a community, we’ve supported one another through means that we know best. In many ways, our efforts have started to wear heavy in the community. 

In the aftermath of Covid, families are tired, and often trying to find the best way to voice the effects that staying home and staying online had on their lives. Specifically, families who seek help, with a child who has autism spectrum disorder, or social-emotional disorders such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. While these are diverse challenges among those with these disabilities and disorders, there are specific needs that as a community we have the means to provide, in order to support these Vermonters.

Together we can better support our neurodivergent students in the home, school and community setting as we come to hear the voices and experiences of the families who struggle most. To achieve this, our focus needs to be on ensuring additional child care specialized in these needs and providing a safe, effective place to express concerns.

Bringing forward the experiences of children and their families will ensure the ethical change that is required of our community. Families have shared experiences reflecting deep concern, and heartbreak as they navigate support. For example, a 7-year-old autism spectrum disorder student was left in tears as she attempted to engage in her Zoom class. Often the class had moved on before she could answer, or before giving her time to articulate her response. 

Overlooked events similar to this are detrimental to any individual’s well-being and growth. By getting their voices out in the community and asking what they need, we can start a conversation about how to best provide support.

Cassidy M. Sweeney

Barre

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: We can do better in supporting neurodivergent students.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

A recent letter to the editor asserts, “There is, however, no connection between William Brattle and slavery. Unlike many of the country’s founding fathers, as he was Massachusetts-born and raised, he would not have owned any.” 

These claims are patently false and misrepresent the roles that both Vermont and Massachusetts, not to mention Brattle, played in slavery.

Both William Brattle (1706-1776), for whom Brattleboro was named, and his father, the Rev. William Brattle (1662-1717), were enslavers while living in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both father and son were Harvard graduates and had multiple Harvard affiliations. Harvard University’s 2022 report, “Harvard & the Legacy of Slavery,” solidly documents these facts, as well as the known names of enslaved persons. Philicia and Zillah were enslaved by the younger Brattle in the 1730s.

It is particularly important to correct this error as the recent letter to the editor was framed as a correction to a VTDigger article about Vermont school mascots. Both disrespectful mascots and the erasure of slavery perpetuate cultural and historical myths that harm us all, and disproportionately harm some of us.

Let us remember Philicia, Zillah, and all persons hidden in flawed histories and representations.

Charlene Galarneau

Newfane

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the Editor: Correcting a false correction.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, newsletter, Opinion

Resource officers part of school-to-prison pipeline

As a high school student in San Rafael, I want to raise awareness about concerns that children of color are being “funneled” from schools into the criminal justice system. Many believe this has been facilitated by the presence of campus-based school resource officers (SROs).

Unfortunately, while the role was created by schools with good intentions, there are concerns that SROs are responsible for initiating the school-to-prison pipeline. Students arrested by SROs are sent to the school district superintendent, the school principal or the police department to await punishment. They are more likely to end up in the juvenile justice system.

Teens in the system can be exposed to dehumanizing situations. The environment often drives youth offenders into deeper isolation. Many serving time in prison today can trace back to those interactions.

One way to break the cycle is to seek alternative punishments. They should address student crimes through principles and practices of accountability and healing. They include positive behavior intervention and support, social-emotional learning, counseling, health education and peer programs.

The Novato Unified School District reminds staff to be mindful when speaking to students about their behavior and asks that they replace accusatory language with supportive or helpful language. White Hill Middle School in Fairfax took similar steps through its student-led restorative justice organization promoting reflective practices designed to improve learning environments. Restorative justice practices are crucial because they allow students to understand the impacts of their actions while keeping out of the criminal justice system.

It is also important to address the root causes of student misbehavior, including adverse childhood experiences and societal issues, such as food insecurity and difficult family dynamics. By addressing the school-to-prison pipeline at its source, our society can work toward a more equitable and rehabilitative justice system for all students.

— Riya Aghi, San Francisco

Law enforcement needs to be treated with respect

I am concerned that crime is rampant in our country because there are no longer consequences for bad behavior. I grew up respecting authority and, because of that respect, I behaved accordingly. As kids, we knew that there were consequences for disobeying members of law enforcement. I went to jail once for forgetting that.

I have been following the investigation of San Rafael police officers after an arrest that led to a claim against the city for “life-altering,” “catastrophic personal injuries.” It is commonly believed that there are issues related to police violence in our country and data showing that people of color are treated differently. However, I want to focus on the elements of societal behavior that “set the table” in this situation.

The man was approached for drinking beer in public. It is unclear if he was displaying signs of being drunk in public, but anyone who is proven to be drunk in public should be penalized, as drunks tend to cause problems for other citizens.

Sometimes, when suspects refuse to obey the instructions of law enforcement, officers need to interact with physical force. If a suspect feels the officers crossed a line, it should be shared immediately and handled at the command level.

Based on video of the incident, it appears to me that both parties made some bad choices. I consider this to be a minor incident. To make such a big deal about this is a waste of time and money — simply discipline the officers by docking a few days pay and issue an infraction (with a fine) to the man.

Ruining the lives of two cops will only serve to reduce the authority of the San Rafael Police Department. Law enforcement is the main thing separating good from bad. In the end, it’s all we have.

— Thomas A. Tucker, San Rafael

Are taxpayers on the hook for Silicon Valley Bank?

I am writing in regard to recent news about the government covering losses to people who invested money with the failed Silicon Valley Bank.

If taxpayers are forced to choose between refunding more than the amount insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. to the millionaire account holders at Silicon Valley Bank or canceling student debt, give my money to the students.

— Charles Kelly, Fairfax

County should address functionality of theater

I’m writing in regard to the recent article about seismic work planned for the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium (“Marin theater closure plan for seismic work distresses arts groups,” March 5).

The auditorium is an aging facility. The acoustics are unsatisfactory. The seating is uncomfortable. The layout is untenable. Senior citizens particularly struggle. Performing arts patrons and symphony audiences have put up with these deficiencies in hopes that someday they will be rectified. These issues have been discussed over the years but never resolved.

Recently, the county secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for seismic work. But little is said about renovating or updating the inside. The performing arts groups, including Marin Symphony, will be moved to the smaller Exhibit Hall, causing them serious financial distress.

The county should help with this financial hardship. Performing arts contribute so much to the vitality and quality of life in Marin. They deserve nothing less.

I also urge the county to take a second look and imagine what a treasure the auditorium could be if it were possible to not only improve the structure, but the functionality as well. Additional planning and fundraising would be needed. Audiences have proven over time their appreciation and support. They surely would welcome this new opportunity to improve their performance venue and bring it up to state-of-the-art standards.

Leadership is needed. The county made a good start by securing the grant. Hopefully it can continue this positive momentum by addressing the functional deficiencies and maximize that initial FEMA investment. In addition, by decreasing or waiving the fees to arts organizations during their hiatus, the county will help ensure that arts organizations are able to return to the auditorium in reasonable fiscal health.

— Trish Hibben, San Rafael

Relations with Israel must be dictated by the public

It appears to me that the major role of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is to shut down any public debate or criticism of Israel and, by default, to influence the U.S. government’s Middle Eastern policy.

At a time of great concern over foreign interference in our elections, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was invited to speak to Congress in 2015. He attacked U.S. leadership for giving Iran the ability to develop nuclear weapons. From my perspective, I think his speech contributed to Hillary Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 presidential election. It was as if Democrats were afraid to speak out and their response was barely timid. I was outraged and considered it a stain on Congress.

At this point, there is no doubt that the Palestinians have suffered the consequences of terrible leadership. Israel, with its overwhelming control, is now responsible for what goes on in the occupied territories. The occupation has gone on for almost 60 years, there is no excuse for it.

U.S. occupations of Japan and Germany lasted about 10 years after World War II. What goes on in the occupied territories is with our money and supposedly with our support, but without our citizens’ consent.

The decisions as to what kind of ally Israel is ultimately lies with the American public, after full and public debate. Being told by politicians what to think is the antithesis of democracy.

— Jack A. Rauch, San Rafael

As Reported by Marin Independent Journal

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

This commentary in VTDigger is spot on. Burning wood to heat buildings is a terrible idea. 

The pollution given off by wood-burning is something Vermonters don’t want to talk about. We have a long tradition of cutting trees to provide heat without realizing the impacts. The air quality emitted from a wood furnace is not realized. There is no network of air quality meters around the state to measure local areas’ particulate on a minute-by-minute basis, so the practice is not recognized as harmful. After all, our grandparents did it. 

So, watch a website — purpleair.com — to see the days when wood burning is active. This measures the PM2.5 particles that go deep in our lungs and don’t come out easily. 

When we smell the nice odor from burning wood in a fireplace or stove, think of what it is we are smelling.

Allan Seymour

East Dummerston

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: Don't burn wood to heat.

As Reported by VTDigger

By:
On:
In: Letters to the editor, Opinion

Letters to the editor are brief reader responses to stories and opinion pieces published by VTDigger. Letters give voice to community members and do not represent VTDigger’s views. To submit a letter, complete this form.

Whether the victim is a wild animal or a domestic animal, trapping is cruel and inhumane. To say that it has anything to do with controlling wildlife population is a weak argument — hunters are not in charge of controlling animal populations, nor do they kill for that reason. 

Preying on helpless, sentient beings for sport with torturous traps and powerful guns is just wrong.

Betsy Donlon

Greensboro

Have something to say? Submit a letter to the editor here.

Read the story on VTDigger here: Letter to the editor: Trapping is cruel and inhumane.

As Reported by VTDigger