Michael Szostak

Eastes: deep integrity, strong leadership

GUILFORD-Those of us who live in Guilford and Vernon are quite fortunate to have many citizens willing to volunteer their time and talent to benefit all who live here. Sara Coffey, our state representative, is certainly a tough act to follow, but two people have stepped forward to replace her: Zon Eastes and Jason Herron.

Although I give both people credit for their willingness to take on this very demanding role, from my perspective, Zon is by far the stronger candidate.

Even when criticized as a Selectboard member, Zon stays calm and responds in a thoughtful and respectful way. When anger so pervades our national, state, and local political scene, Zon takes the high road, seeking to find reasonable solutions. Bashing those he disagrees with is not what Zon Eastes is all about.

Through his work on the Selectboard and in his personal life, Zon consistently puts forth the effort to understand and address the issues people and our environment face. He digs below what might appear on the surface, considering the legal and personal impact on all community members, regardless of income level, vocation, or other personal factors.

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Eastes: deep integrity, strong leadership

GUILFORD-Those of us who live in Guilford and Vernon are quite fortunate to have many citizens willing to volunteer their time and talent to benefit all who live here. Sara Coffey, our state representative, is certainly a tough act to follow, but two people have stepped forward to replace...

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We must not be complicit in murder, regardless of the circumstances

I appreciate the local writings of Dan DeWalt, Tim Stevenson, and others who try to bring fact, common sense, reason, and human decency into addressing the disasters we are facing throughout our crumbling world. It's becoming increasingly difficult to bring people together to address the problems we face because...

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There is no going back once the trigger is pulled

Many gun advocates say, “Guns don't kill; it's people who kill people.” They say that the problem with an epidemic of mass shootings in this country is a mental health issue, and that is not a reason to restrict gun ownership. If we are being honest with ourselves, as a human being with some flaws that most of us have, at times we make bad decisions. In retrospect, we regret what we did and sometimes beat ourselves up for what...

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Coffey: Accomplishments have exceeded expectations

In 2018, I decided to actively support Sara Coffey in her run for office. I did not know Sara well, but I initially liked her as a person and found common ground in her stated values, her priorities, and her willingness to seriously consider differing views. Admittedly, my support for her was primarily riding on hope rather than demonstrated accomplishments. Now, four years later, my commitment to helping her stay in office is firmly entrenched. I don't have the space...

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BUHS in leadership hands that can create possibilities for change

Most of us have been taught that leadership means top-down-rule, with one person, often a man, at the top of a pyramid-type organizational structure. When that structure does not exist, it is understandable that some people become uncomfortable and insecure. Another structure for leadership of an organization is a collaborative model, without the hierarchical form of decision-making. Currently, we are fortunate to have at Brattleboro Union High School three very capable women leaders who are committed to collaboration with teachers,

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For many people in our nation, we’ve never had a democracy

What happened recently at our nation's Capitol is being commonly described as an assault on our democracy. But that characterization sounds as if it's something new and it fails to recognize the assaults that have been occurring in our country since its founding. Black, Indigenous, people of color (BIPOC), other historically marginalized people, and those of lower income have been and are continuously assaulted. Sometimes these assaults have been physical, but other times they've been in the form of systemic...

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Lawmakers, stop the bleeding by taking action against guns

Most sensible people realize that when someone is seriously wounded, you must stop the bleeding before dealing with the actual cause of the wound, or else the victim is likely to die. As recently occurred in Florida, the blood of our children is being shed while we adults debate the causes and prevention strategies. Improved background checks, competency and mental-health requirements, school-safety drills, family-unit revitalization, and spiritual renewal are all worth considering, but we've been studying this issue since Columbine...

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