I just wanted to say how impressed I’ve been watching Addison County respond to the coronavirus. College staff managed to get two thousand kids safely home in a matter of days, Porter is setting up the necessary regimens, and everyone from clergy to teachers is pitching in to make things work. 
The contrast with the confusion and bluster in D.C. is illuminating. The economic fallout is going to be enormous, and hardest I fear on small local businesses. I’ve bought a big stack of books from the Vermont Book Shop (who will mail them to you for a buck postage a book, or deliver them curbside on Main Street) and gift certificates from several local restaurants, to help guarantee they will be there when this crisis finally ends. 
Please figure out creative ways to patronize local businesses. And many thanks to the Indy for keeping us well-informed. It’s times like these when we remember how lucky we are to still have a first-class local newspaper!
Bill McKibben
Ripton