Thanks for your recent "Downtown Dilemma" cover story [August 14], which thoughtfully addressed how crime is devastating our wonderful city. I also enjoy reading the North Avenue News, which on September 6 included a "Legislative Report" in which our state reps tell us what they are doing to address our city's most serious challenges. I looked forward to hearing what Rep. Carol Ode, Rep. Mary-Katherine Stone and Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale are doing to reduce crime in Burlington. Their thoughts: nothing. Not a word. Nothing at all about the shootings, drug abuse, car thefts, robberies and other crimes plaguing our city. No words of condolence for the victims. No ideas or strategies to give us hope that they are on the case and can deliver help from Montpelier. Burlington, we are on our own in this battle, together.
Scott Anderson
Burlington
The residents of Diane Wheeler's neighborhood have every right to expect relief from her dog's bad behavior ["A Prosecutor's Dog Is Biting People and Pets in Burlington," September 23, online]. Unfortunately, I doubt his behavior can be reformed. A family member who had a similar situation with a rescue dog tried many solutions until an animal behaviorist he'd consulted advised him the behavior wouldn't change and it would be like living with a pet alligator. He made the heart-wrenching decision to euthanize the dog in order to protect his family and neighbors who were terrified of the dog. The problem had started from the dog's birth and upbringing in a dog-fighting kennel. That's where the problem has to be addressed in every state to prevent the cruelty that turns dogs into monsters.
Luanne Sberna
Burlington
Thank you, Pride Center of Vermont, for your courage and integrity in standing in solidarity with Palestine and connecting your mission and vision of liberation and community with the struggle for Palestinian freedom ["Pride — and Prejudice? Vermont's Leading LGBTQ Org Is Roiled by Allegations of Antisemitism," September 4]. This issue is not controversial globally — why is it here? United Nations member nation votes over decades of resolutions related to Israel's violence in Palestine evidence a handful of primarily wealthy Global North nation-states, including the U.S., blocking actions affirmed by almost the entire rest of the body of 193 member states. Why are more organizations in Vermont and the U.S. not learning about and speaking out against the long campaign of dehumanization, colonization, denial of basic human rights, ethnic cleansing, land grabbing, apartheid, starvation, ecocide and genocide in Palestine by Israel, only made possible by the direct support — militarily, diplomatically, economically, politically — of the U.S.? What public good, principles, vision and mission that your organization stands for hasn't been egregiously violated and denied to Palestinians with U.S. public dollars?
Any advocacy priority is dependent upon human and environmental needs being met — food, water, shelter, human rights, freedom from violence and oppression — and any advocacy priority is dependent upon solidarity. The worst acts we could imagine are being perpetrated in Palestine by the government of the place where we live, work and contribute taxes. We encourage readers to learn about the history of Palestine, work with your organization and your community to stand in solidarity with Palestine, and join the apartheid-free communities campaign here in Vermont.
Graham Unangst-Rufenacht
Montpelier
As a small business owner, I understand there are challenges with any business. But I was disheartened when I learned that the owner of Merrill's Roxy Cinemas will prevent the space from continuing as a movie theater when he sells ["Reel Drama: As Vermont Movie Theaters Respond to a Changing Industry, Burlington May Lose Its Only Cinema," August 21]. Not only that, but he also blames his struggles on the issues in Burlington when Seven Days clearly highlights how movie theaters in Vermont are evolving and continuing to be popular spaces with upgrades and creative ideas.
I understand that upgrading a movie theater requires significant investment, but why would I go to a theater with old chairs and small screens when I can watch a movie on my own lumpy couch and small TV? Instead of disparaging Burlington, the owner of the Roxy should sell his business to someone with ambition who wants to continue the tradition of movie theaters and help Burlington and its businesses thrive.
We revere entrepreneurs in the U.S., but we don't talk enough about how bad businesspeople can ruin a city. In a city the size of Burlington, the negative actions — or inactions, in this case — can have outsize consequences. People in Vermont love small business more than anything, but we should not support businesses in our city that disrespect the people who live here and make excuses for their poor management instead of changing with the times.
I won't support these businesses any longer, and I won't feel guilty about it. Enough is enough.
José Ureña
Burlington
I feel that Montpelier's misguided greenhouse gas law was bad enough ["Group Says Vermont Isn't Being Frank About Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions — and Plans to Sue," September 4]. The legislators then opened us up to lawsuits. When this happens, legislators who voted for it should be the ones to pay.
John Houston
Milton
[Re "Ask the Rev: Why Do I Have to Get My Driver's License?" August 28]: I want to offer some additional perspective for the teenager who asked, "How do I get [my parents] to understand that I just don't want to drive?"
Considering the geopolitical and environmental implications of oil-dependent infrastructure, and the 40,000 vehicular deaths per year in the U.S., and the fact that walkable communities report better mental health, and that access to public transportation promotes health equity and social engagement, it's frustrating to see a distaste for driving treated as an individual problem to overcome.
It's especially disheartening to read, in the same issue, news of Green Mountain Transit's planned service cuts ["Green Mountain Transit Proposes Major Service Cuts," August 27].
We are all familiar with the reflexive declarations of American car culture: the insistence that driving equals "freedom" and that "relying on others" is inherently bad. But many people are working to challenge these assumptions, address the needs of those who cannot drive due to age or disability, and imagine more equitable and sustainable transportation options for all.
For example, check out Not Just Bikes, a popular YouTube channel explaining European public planning, which encourages American viewers to "find your local advocacy group to get started." Or "The War on Cars" podcast, or the Facebook group New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens, where young people engage in policy discussion while sublimating their car-culture frustration into bite-size hilarity. Or attend a meeting of your town's transportation committee or pedestrian and cyclist advisory board.
Axel Greeze, aside from just getting over it, there are resources for you to examine your driving aversion; you might even find purpose and community there.
Emma Brewer
Bristol
[Re Seven Days' Voters' Guide 2024: "Voting Checklist," September 18]: When I lived in France, I had the privilege of accompanying my friend to vote. She had to produce three pieces of identification: credit card, driver's license, and birth certificate or passport. She had to show these pieces of ID at three different tables before she was given a ballot. Now that is secure voting!
Claudette Lavigne
Burlington
[Re Seven Days' Voters' Guide 2024, September 18]: While living in Wolcott, I had the pleasure of having John Rodgers as my state senator. I corresponded with him on numerous occasions regarding legislation. Although we may not have always seen eye to eye on every issue, John always made the time to listen to my concerns.
Now running for lieutenant governor, John is the kind of true leader I believe Vermont needs. On day one, he will roll up his sleeves and listen to all Vermonters as individuals. John has a long history of advocating for the "Vermont view" — an approach focused on bettering the state for the sake of all Vermonters, rather than serving special interests, lobbyists or any one political party.
Key areas in which John can lead important discussions and drive positive change include cleaning our waterways, rethinking fiscal responsibilities, spurring responsible housing developments that don't continue polluting our waterways and advancing environmental conservation.
I encourage you to reach out to John directly with any questions you may have. He will be sure to respond.
Jeremy Ayotte
Fletcher
Another development project at the Pine Street Barge Canal goes down in flames ["Developers Pull the Plug on Burlington Spa Plans," September 13, online]. This time, the State of Vermont kicked in $6 million to offset the regulatory costs of building next to a Superfund site. Alas, despite the state stipend, the spa has followed into oblivion the other projects proposed for the Barge Canal over the past 30 years: office building, supermarket, gas station, bowling alley. Perhaps there is a message here: Let it be. Let the whole Barge Canal — both public and private land — evolve into its best and highest use.
For almost 60 years, since the closing of the super-polluting manufactured gas plant on the site, nature has been allowed to start regenerating a viable ecosystem. For all those years, the wetlands and forest have been sequestering carbon, containing toxins, managing stormwater, and providing habitat for hundreds of plant and animal species. Let's consider a new option besides conventional redevelopment; let's use our public funds and creative energy to imagine a unique 24-acre green space in the heart of the rapidly densifying South End of Burlington.
In 1993, local residents united to stop the federal Environmental Protection Agency from building a $50 million toxic waste dump at the Barge Canal. Thirty years later, we can find unity again around a simple, profound theme: Let the Barge Canal Be.
Andrew Simon
Burlington
We are grateful the Silt Botanica Bathhouse project will not be developed at the Barge Canal ["Developers Pull the Plug on Burlington Spa Plans," September 13, online]. It is unfortunate that federal remediation funds go to "scoop dump" or "cap" build tracts. The federal definition of remediation requires updating by the two-plus decades of scientific research in this crucial and emerging field. Science indicates that true remediation can occur through proper application of site- and toxin-specific microbes, fungi and plants. Through long-term strategies that facilitate the transformation of complex compounds into benign elements, polluted ecosystems can recover. Where equity-oriented communities apply these strategies, ecosystems can be restored and accessible to their Original People caregivers.
Learn more about the history of the Pine Street Barge Canal and grassroots efforts to conserve, restore, remediate and rematriate this site through resources from MycoLab, the community branch of MycoEvolve. We are hopeful that a diverse team will harness this opportunity to model responsible polluted site management for watershed and community health. Let us set a new precedent where ancient collaborations between microbes, fungi and plants can help humans transform the legacy of petrochemical industry pollution into new pathways of reconciliation.
Jess Rubin
Burlington
Rubin founded and directs MycoEvolve.
What a great article about the fabulous White River Junction ["Creative Crossroads: Three to Six Hours in White River Junction, a Charming Village With Eccentric Character," September 18]. I love this town and all it has to offer. I'm usually there many times a week.
Tony Luckino
Thetford Center
Thank you for the extensive coverage of Vermont's Afghan refugees ["A World Away: Hundreds of Afghan Evacuees Are Cobbling Together New Lives in Vermont. But They Can't Help Looking Homeward," September 25] and the work Molly Gray is doing as the executive director of the Vermont Afghan Alliance [From the Publisher: "From Kabul to Colchester."] This is the Molly Gray I came to know as a fellow congressional candidate in 2022 and as a friend since then. She is intelligent, hardworking, honest and sincere — and has a great compassion for people in all walks of life.
Louis Meyers
South Burlington
[Re "A Public Safety Forum in Burlington Draws a Crowd," September 19]: None of these ideas will help until the city starts arresting people for public drug use. Oregon learned the hard way and reversed course. How much more evidence does Burlington need? When you don't punish public drug use, offer free food and tents, and let people leave their feces all over private property without consequences, you invite everyone near and far to come do drugs in Burlington.
Ginger Vieira
Essex Junction