Letter to the editor: Children are first priority

No. No, and no again. I write in defense of my fellow Addison Central School District board members, who are much more diplomatic and polite than I am. Contrary to what John Freidin has written in this paper and on Front Porch Forum — cutting the school budget is not the board’s major goal. The board is grappling with reality while trying its damnedest to provide all youngsters with the best education possible. Yes, the board has fiduciary responsibilities but not at the expense of children’s needs and educ … (read more)

Letter to the editor: Help children reduce stress

As children get ready to return to school, I am reminded of my family counseling work after 9/11. Kids came to school following that horrific day carrying tremendous trauma and stress with them. Not surprisingly, they used phrases and drew pictures much l … (read more)

Faith Gong: Why keep a garden, chickens, or children?

This will likely be a short column, because we are in the midst of putting in our garden. I have a complex relationship with my garden — as, I suspect, do many. Starting around March, a feeling that has lain dormant throughout the winter begins to stir in … (read more)

Family services asking for help keeping community strong

The most common type of maltreatment of children is neglect, the Middlebury Family Services of the Vermont Department For Children And Families is reporting. In these hard times, it is especially important that we all do what we can to support families in … (read more)

Former county priests cited in abuse report

VERMONT — The statewide Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington knew at least 40 Vermont priests faced accusations of sexually abusing children over the past seven decades but did nothing to alert the public or police, a lay-led church committee announced Th … (read more)