PUTNEY-The articles and commentary of the last several months regarding the problems that the town of Brattleboro is facing have been, in my opinion, very informative and balanced.
I appreciate this because, though I don't live in Brattleboro anymore, I did live there for over 30 years and still have reasons to go there. Having said that, I have taken steps to minimize those visits in the past months due to experiences that echo many of the issues raised in the articles mentioned above.
It's sad because, though the town has been through various phases, it always seemed to have a sort of inspired spirit and an artsy-entrepreneurial acceptance. It was a place where one could be themselves and maybe even take a stab at their dreams.
I'm not saying that some of that doesn't exist now. But there seems to be an oppressive feeling, a kind of pall of confusion and ambivalence that hangs over the town.
PUTNEY-I just want to say how much I loved this article. It was so heartwarming and interesting to hear of the lives of three wonderful women, Alice Anderson Stockwell, Sylvia Smith Morse, and Janice Pratt Martin. It gave me the opportunity to step back to a time when things...
The article was very interesting and informative. However, I take issue with Elizabeth Bridgewater's insinuation that those who oppose the Windham-Windsor Housing Trust's proposed building project in Putney are responsible for the increase in costs for the project. Once again, it seems that citizens who have every civil and...
I thank and applaud Laura Campbell for all of the time and energy she has given to opposing the proposed housing project in Putney. She and those who have helped and supported her in this effort deserve a lot of credit for stepping up and showing up to meet all of the complex challenges of this important issue. It is important because it will change Putney in ways that many of its residents will have to live with for years...
Are we ever going to be able to talk to each other again? This is something I've been asking myself for a while now. And, along with the threat to our democracy, I find that question to be one of the real tragedies of our polarized society. Oh, and let me be clear: I'm not only talking about our inability to talk to those with opposing views; I'm also referring to the increasing difficulty in talking to those on our...
In reading the various articles and commentaries regarding the low-income or mixed-income housing proposal in Putney, I am struck by the fact that most of the people who are advocating for it do not live near the proposed site. They talk about all of the reasons we need more affordable housing in this town - an argument that would be difficult to dispute anywhere in Vermont. But I don't get the feeling that those who are opposed to this particular...
In reading Nick Biddle's essay, I found myself taken aback by the words, “Our democracy began not as an ideal but as a con by our Founding Fathers to spur colonists to war.” But then it was meant to be provocative. And though I am not ready to see our Founding Fathers as cons rather than idealists, I was reminded of something I learned in college many years ago: to accept an idea or concept for hypothesis' sake long enough...
As I write this, it is the first day of a new year, and I, along with many others, ponder the mostly dreadful year that can't get into the rear view mirror fast enough. So long, 2020 - don't let the door hit you on the way out! There is a sense of relief as I anticipate positive changes on the horizon. I look forward to an administration that at least has the intention of focusing on things like racial...