Letters to the Editor (8/7/24) 

Final Resting Place

[Re "Final Act: Rita Mannebach Traveled From Florida to Vermont to Choose How She Died," July 17]: I understand that many people from out of state struggle to find a place in Vermont where they can stay to take advantage of our "death with dignity" provisions. I am deeply committed to assisting people who choose to shape their end of life. Please spread the word that I am happy to host people who come to Vermont to do so.

Cindy Cook

Burlington

'Simply the Best'

How could you possibly leave out Goodies Snack Bar in West Addison in your article ["Creemee Confidential: What It Takes to Create Vermont's Treasured Summer Treat," July 16]? Simply the best!

Larry Duffany

Addison

Best Vermont Filmmaker?

Congratulations to winners of the Seven Daysies and even to those who did not win but who contribute to "what's great about our state" [All the Best, July 31]. I'm always glad to see how many awards go to individuals in the culture categories and yet, at the same time, so disappointed that there is no option to vote for filmmakers. Hollywood has always defined itself as entertainment rather than culture or art, but surely Seven Days should know better? We have hundreds of good and interesting filmmakers in the state, and I'd love to see this art form appreciated. Perhaps next year?

Orly Yadin

Burlington

Orly is a past executive director of the Vermont International Film Festival.

Sexist Cartoon

I can't believe you printed the Harry Bliss cartoon in the July 24 issue. If the roles were reversed, you never would have printed it. I believe Seven Days and Harry Bliss owe your readers an apology! I am not a frequent reader of Seven Days, but if this is an example of what Harry Bliss considers humor, he should be dropped as a contributor. There is no humor in demeaning half of the population, particularly when it would never be acceptable to print the reverse. Can you imagine a cartoon with a man calling a woman stupid?!

Maybe your publisher and editor-in-chief and her assistant condone sexist humor.

Since I am not a regular reader, I would appreciate a personal response as well as a printed apology to all 35,000 readers.

Thomas Frazier

Roxbury

What Ails Newspapers

While the symptoms were addressed in ["Breaking News," July 24], the core problem was overlooked: a changing reader profile. Fewer consumers rely on print media, let alone paid sources. Millennials and Gen Zs were raised on access to free information, immediate news and short-form narratives. They resist advertising and make purchasing decisions on their terms. The old mantra "Content is king" has been replaced with "Audience is king."

Paid subscriptions and newsstand sales typically offset printing and fulfillment costs, leaving ad revenues as the principal source of profits. How do you replace subscriber attrition when the available pool of readers is relatively static and young townies are glued to their phones? Ditto advertisers. To accept that print readers tend to be older, how many actively purchase advertised lawn mowers or ski jackets? Remember when classified ad sections were an eagerly anticipated red-pen experience? No more.

This brings me to publishers' increasing reliance on philanthropy. Absent a predictable recurring funding scheme, donations are Band-Aids that communicate desperation. That "the community needs solid journalism" raises the obvious question: Do those communities vote with their pocketbooks in sufficient numbers? And do awards for editorial excellence translate into dollars?

Turns out, Amazon had more of an impact on bookstore chains, leaving small boutique stores with fewer local competitors and winning customers through personal service. Perhaps local newspapers can similarly adjust as Darwinism discards the fatally wounded? Or disrupt the disrupters with an entirely new and engaging collaboration between writer and reader?

Eric Killorin

Middlebury

'Reckless' Reporting

As a member of the campaign team to reelect Emilie Kornheiser, I would like to address a fallacy that was stated by her opponent in the Windham-7 representative race, Amanda Ellis-Thurber, and a lack of fact-checking about this statement by Seven Days.

In ["A Farmer Challenges Kornheiser for Her House Seat," July 29] in which both candidates apparently were interviewed, only Ellis-Thurber was quoted for a response to a letter to the editor that was written entirely by a member of the public. Neither Emilie nor the campaign team had anything to do with the letter and did not know about it until it was published. Yet, in response to noting that Ellis-Thurber was "surprised that details about her financial situation had come to play in the campaign," she is quoted as saying, "Is Emilie and her campaign team worried that I am going to win, and are they trying to cancel me?" This question certainly seems to imply that Ellis-Thurber believes Emilie is affiliated with the letter. Seven Days did not fact-check this statement. It may seem insignificant; it's one statement among many. However, Ellis-Thurber then goes on, and Seven Days concludes the article with another quote from her: "What is going to be the next stage?"

The combination of a false statement paired with an insinuation of something more menacing to come is reckless behavior on both the part of the candidate and the news outlet. Is an apology too much to expect?

Jennifer Jacobs

Brattleboro

Missing Maple

[Re "Turnaround Town," July 17]: I was amazed that such an extensive review of St. Johnsbury revitalization past and present left out its turn-of-the-century "Maple King": George C. Cary. He and his associates single-handedly cornered the maple sugar market and followed its transition to maple syrup, then again to blended cane sugar/maple syrup products. This empire included much of the industrial complex/railroad infrastructure in St. Johnsbury and many other cities in the U.S. and also Canada. They also spun off to guesthouses and restaurants. I believe your readers will find this story fascinating: It's a boom-and-bust not to be missed. I refer you to a 2018 book all maple sugaring folks as well as Vermont industrial history buffs would not want to miss: Maple King: The Making of a Maple Syrup Empire by Matthew M. Thomas.

Rich Cappello

Gilford, N.H