It started off as such a small ask. At the City Council meeting where meetings are set for the year, we, citizens of Newport, asked for the City not to schedule a meeting on Martin Luther King Day. Out of respect for the day. It was refused. And it was made clear at that meeting…
This letter was submitted by Rep. Mark Higley (Eden, Lowell, Westfield, Jay, Troy) The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented public health and economic challenges for the people of Vermont. Vermonters have lost their lives, many have lost access to healthcare services, one in four are now unemployed, and too many families are struggling with hunger…
Dear Community Members: As we enter the uncharted domain of the Corona Virus (COVID-19) and the subsequent declaration of the state of emergency in Vermont, I want to assure all our communities that Northeast Kingdom Human Services stands prepared to serve our clients with mental health, substance use, and intellectual and developmental disability needs. I…
Dear Editor, I would like to bring to the attention of your readers a study, completed in 2017 and published last Fall by the USGS and Vermont Fish and Wildlife, that has received little if any notice. I received a copy of the study from a Canadian friend, not through the State or local media.…
Dear community members of the Newport City area, my name is Amy Gillespie and I am running for a seat on the Newport City Council. Today I am writing to you in hopes of planting a few seeds. Unless you’ve been attending the City Council meetings or watching them online from NEK-TV, you might not…
This letter was submitted by the Board of Directors Newport City Downtown Development, Chair Conrad Bellavance. The City of Newport Ordinance #120 Regulating ALL – Terrain Vehicle Use on Town Highways also known as the “ATV ordinance” was approved by the City Council on October 21, 2019, for a trial period commencing May 2020 to…
In an attempt to divert attention from the conditions that resulted in serious injury to one of the truck drivers and the spill of thousands of gallons of toxic landfill leachate, diesel fuel and other noxious fluids, Casella spokesman Jeff Weld casts blame not only on those who raised concerns about the spill, but on…
This letter to the editor was submitted by Jeff Weld, the Director of Community Engagement at Casella Waste Systems. Inc. A week has passed since an early morning truck accident occurred that significantly impacted two drivers and their families. Over the course of the week, there have been several articles, social media posts, and letters…
My name is Ben Roberts. I am 12-years old writing from Orleans. I formed a small snow removal business in November of 2019. I got interested in this form of work because I have helped shovel off my walkway and driveway at home for years. I’m still getting off of the ground with the business.…
DUMP LLC is a group of local residents who have been researching volumes of documents relating to the Coventry Landfill expansion for over a year now. We currently are appealing the permit that Casella received for this expansion. John Casella wrote a letter to all the local papers with a bunch of “facts” to support…
This letter was submitted by John W Casella, Chairman and CEO, Casella Waste Systems. As a lifelong Vermonter I have been a staunch advocate of the environment for my entire life. Over the last 45 years I have surrounded myself with the most forward thinking, hardest working, and intellectually capable people in the waste management…
Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time in a bathroom. It’s not what you’re thinking. I hang out in the basement bathroom of a Greensboro church for the fast internet. And I’m thankful for Spark, the new co-working space close to my house, for providing the space — now used just for calls —…
The following letter to the editor was submitted by Newport Mayor Paul Monette. At the October 15, 2018 Newport City Council Regular Meeting, Charlie Pronto, representing D.U.M.P., and Robert Benoit, representing Memphremagog Conservation, presented their concerns that leachate may be leaking from the landfill, that the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) may not be properly…
After the September 10th forum in Newport with a panel presenting opinions on the expansion of the Coventry landfill, I’ve been asking myself and others a lot of questions. As a member of DUMP, Don’t Undermine Memphremagog’s Purity, I’ve met concerned citizens working hard to investigate the issues surrounding our local landfill, unfortunately, the only…
In November of 2013, Congressman Peter Welch made an impassioned plea to save Vermont jobs in front of the International Trade Commission in Washington D.C. He did so on behalf of hundreds of Vermont loggers, truckers and wood workers at Columbia Forest Products’ hardwood veneer plant in Newport, Vermont. In no-nonsense “Vermont” fashion, Peter educated…
Dear Orleans County voters, I am pleased to support the re-election of Sheriff Kirk Martin. I was honored to appoint Sheriff Martin in 2008 to succeed Sheriff Lance Bowen and I’ve never regretted it. Sheriff Martin has demonstrated his commitment to serving the community. He’s able to adapt to new circumstances and opportunities and he’s…
To the citizens of Orleans County, I am writing in support of State Attorney Candidate Jennifer Barrett. After growing up in Orleans County, and seeing how the times have changed, the only responsible choice for our community is to vote for Jennifer Barrett. My support of Jennifer Barrett is largely in part due to her…
Two of our most basic human rights should be clean air to breathe and untainted water to drink; both of these basic human rights are now under threat in the NEK. If you detect the slightest hint, or an overwhelming stench coming from the Coventry landfill please report it as SOON as you smell it.…
I am writing this letter to the editor in support of Sheriff Kirk Martin to be re-elected Sheriff of Orleans County. Sheriff Martin is a lifelong member of our community. He grew up in Brownington and attended Brownington Central School and Lake Region Union High School. He was first appointed Sheriff in 2008 by Governor…
The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Solid Waste Management Division has granted approval of a proposed Coventry Landfill expansion of 51 acres. The decision was based on existing rules that are probably outdated, and certainly do not address the very real concerns of those of us who live in the area or who are impacted…
The only reason Vermont has a monster landfill by the lake in Coventry is because 100 years ago dumping trash into wetlands was considered a great way to manage solid wastes. We don’t do things that way now, but due to inattention on the part of the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR), there are now…
Over the past two weeks, sold out audiences from the Northeast Kingdom and the Eastern Townships enjoyed performances of Little Shop of Horrors, the premier musical production by the new theatre group Borderline Players, directed by former local talent, Thomas Perry. A convergence of sheer will to keep theatre in the Haskell after 25 years…
The following letters to the editor were submitted to Newport Dispatch: From Rick Danforth, Westfield. I am writing this letter in support of Sheriff Kirk Martin. I have worked with Sheriff Martin for many years. He is a dedicated to making our communities a better place to live. While I was working as a Community…
I am writing this letter to the editor in support of Woody Page for Vermont House of Representatives Orleans-2, (Newport, Newport Center, Coventry, Irasburg and a portion of Troy). Woody was born and raised in Newport, he went to school in Newport and graduated from North Country Union High School and Norwich University before joining…
To Whom It May Concern, I am writing as a concerned citizen. I have been scouring your news and webpage for information about the proposed forced mergers of school districts due to Act 46, and I have not seen one article discussing it. As an educator in a small school faced with this reality, I…