I am not a resident of Vergennes, nor even Vermont. I live in the small Western Massachusetts town of Worthington, population approximately 1,100 — slightly less than half the size of Vergennes, which I now understand is classified as a “city” no less, a designation that is a bit presumptuous in my estimation. I have use of a family cottage on Lake Dunmore that has been in the family for almost a century, and my wife and I enjoy patronizing a number of the excellent restaurants in your fair “city.”  I choose to live in a small town to avoid the pettiness of local officials who presume to be more important than the people they are supposed to serve.
After reading the accounts published in your fine newspaper about the goings on in Vergennes, it is apparent that pettiness and subterfuge are alive and well in Vergennes. Perhaps my wife and I should limit our restaurant choices in the future to Middlebury and Bristol since Vergennes no longer meets our level of confidence in a “city” that is sufficiently well grounded. It might be advantageous for local business owners in Vergennes to weigh in on the hideous machinations of the local officials who potentially could adversely affect their own livelihoods.
Brian Schick
Worthington, Mass.