Not Just Newcomb I’ve noticed a trend with Tim Newcomb’s cartoons: More often than not, they support Gov. Phil Scott’s positions. [“Fork in the School Merger Road,” June 10] particularly stood out. It presented school mergers as the road to utopia and resistance to mergers as the r oad to ruin. The reality is much more nuanced, and the actual path is probably some combination of mergers and a whole lot of other strategies. I would appreciate — as would, I’m guessing, the many other Vermonters who are frustrated with Scott’s “my way or the highway” obstructionism — a greater diversity of political opinions in the very prominent slot above the letters to the editor that Newcomb’s cartoons currently have a monopoly on. How about a rotation of political cartoonists with different takes? Jason Van Driesche Burlington ICE Action Was ‘Foreseeable’ The article [“Man in the Middle: Body Camera Footage From the March 11 ICE Raid Shows How South Burlington Deputy Police Chief Sean Briscoe Tried to Keep the Peace,” May 6] shows how local law enforcement harmed the community and acted in service to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Context matters. For example, if an officer responds to a domestic dispute knowing the resident is an alcoholic gun enthusiast, this informs their approach. ICE has earned a reputation for lying about the circumstances surrounding its apprehensions and for unlawfully detaining people — detentions that are regularly overturned through habeas corpus petitions because they are unlawful and often violate the U.S. Constitution. Despite this context, when ICE reacted to South Burlington Deputy Police Chief Sean Briscoe’s friendly approach with hostility and vulgarity, Briscoe responded by apologizing to ICE?! Who was serving who was clear. Publicly, peacefully suffering state violence is among the most potent tools available to nonviolent movements. The Vermonters who put their bodies in ICE’s way to protect their neighbors knew this, saying ICE would “have to beat the shit out of them, tase them, whatever, to move them out of the way.” Local police robbed this community of that tool by choosing to be the satin glove on ICE’s iron fist. At the end of the day, ICE unlawfully arrested and detained three people, none of whom was named on ICE’s warrant, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Local police helped them do this. They cleared the path for ICE’s unlawful and unconstitutional actions, helped prop up ICE’s tarnished veneer of legitimacy, undercut the impact of brave and caring community members, and assisted in the unlawful abduction of innocent people. This result was entirely foreseeable, given the context. Daniel Schmidt Pomfret Great Grandsons I remember the day Frank Cioffi invited me to lunch to talk about his grandson, Frankie. Frank told me the story of his beloved daughter, Alexa Rose, and her passing. He shared that he was adopting her then-2-year-old son, Frankie, who was autistic. Frank knew that I had an autistic grandson. The story Ken Picard wrote, “Love, Dad” [June 17], is one of deep sadness but also great hope, joy and inspiration. Frank is the everyday caretaker and joy maker for his grandson, Frankie. Picard captures their bond beautifully. Frank and I share this enlightening view of our grandsons. Frank understands his grandson’s courage and deep human spirit. He honors and inspires Frankie to be all that he can be and to embrace his unique exceptionalism. Frank celebrates his grandson with dignity and enthusiasm. There are challenges, but they are outweighed by the neurodiverse’s mystical life force. Picard, Frank and Frankie have done a great service for our autistic community. They have opened minds and helped others understand, include and celebrate our neurodiverse citizens. Thank you for this most touching and powerful story, and thank you, Frankie, for being in our lives and in our hearts. Melinda Moulton Huntington Befriend Barge Canal Gratitude for mentioning the Friends of the Barge Canal in the article about the Doug Nedde housing proposal for Burlington’s Barge Canal [“Housing Planned for Property Near Burlington’s Pine Street Barge Canal,” May 26]. Please note a significant inaccuracy: The project has not yet received Development Review Board approval. Developers still need to go back to the DRB with responses to the board’s 2025 comments. There will be a public comment period before a vote to approve. The proposed plan on 2.5 acres of the Barge Canal requires that “several feet” of contaminated soil be removed and sent to a landfill in Coventry. Google says that at a depth of just three feet, this is equivalent in volume to about 1,000 standard dump trucks or a football field covered nearly eight feet deep. Readers may or may not think this is an improvement over a similar proposal in 1992 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which would have dumped the soil on an adjoining parcel. At that time, the public objected to this “remediation” in such numbers that it necessitated extending the EPA’s public comment period from a month to six months. The Friends of the Barge Canal’s extensive work documenting the real value of that land is on our website at pinestreetbargecanal.org. The Friends’ ongoing dialogue with businesses, residential neighbors and private owners is building a coalition to enhance the city’s planBTV 2050 process. The Barge Canal does indeed have a lot of potential. To realize it, we need to have a long-term vision that includes the interests of the public and the land itself. Ruby Perry Burlington Editor’s note: The online version of the story was corrected soon after publication. The print version did not include the error. ‘Vermont Way’ Revealed [“‘The Vermont Way’: Seven Days’ Final ‘Ways Means’ Story Considers Whether the Vermont Legislature’s Tradition of Civility and Compromise Can Endure,” June 17] overlooks where most Vermonters’ political lives begin: town meeting. Gathering at least annually to govern ourselves in our moderated direct democracy, we learn by example and by points of order how to participate in civil political discourse and decision-making. When some of us are elected to municipal or state office, we naturally govern ourselves as we did at town meeting. This is why Vermont and New England are safe harbors in the stormy seas of American politics nowadays. Howard Fairman Putney Don’t Forget Rural Vermont In [“‘The Vermont Way,’” June 17], summarizing the historic blowback to and subsequent repeal of major portions of Act 181, the author wrote “critics, particularly in rural communities, warned that it could fundamentally alter the character of small towns.” That’s an odd way of describing what tens of thousands of Vermonters have actually been expressing: that the law would further hollow out towns, dispossess already marginalized people of generational land and livelihood, and make it even more impossible to survive here while accelerating the gentrification process already under way. The law was economically regressive, particularly targeting those who have managed land along roads (oddly, Tier 3 mapping focused on these areas for “protection”) while not making illegal anything destructive to land. It simply would have made everyone go through the onerous, cost-prohibitive process of Act 250 — accessible to those with big budgets, effectively closing all doors to those without the means to tackle it. For second- and third-home owners and large corporate projects, nothing would change under Act 181. It was a bizarre piece of legislation written without those whom it would affect the most at the table. It’s not too late for Seven Days to choose to report on this watershed moment accurately and correct its record. Ben Falk Moretown Twenty-First Century Preamble We the Peopleof the United States,in order to forma more perfect unionthan chocolateand coffee, or hotdogsand baseball—of liberty and justicefor all: for donkeys,elephants, and catswho walk by themselves—but depend equallyon common loveand compassion—we establish equality,to ensure domestic tranquility—even for the braying,trumpeting, yowlingfat cats, politicians, pundits,masses, and middle class,with whom still othersmay disagree; we do providefor the common defense,which is not synonymouswith offense or pre-emption,to promote the common welfareof every human being,and secure the blessingsof health, education, and wealthwithout prejudice to all,to ensure posterity measuredby the Golden Rule, polishedto its highest gloss;we do ordain and establish,in common sense, honoringour common divinity—in the United States of America,and globally, a model,and beacon of hope, beckoningto the oppressed everywhere.We enshrine this Constitution,this covenant of cooperation,in civility, independence,and interdependence,the preservation of whichwill make America great again. April Ossmann White River Junction “Twenty-First Century Preamble” — or “Peace Hymn for the Republic” or “State of the Union” — is from We by April Ossmann (Red Hen Press 2025). Used with permission from the publisher. Correction A story in last week’s paper, headlined “Deep Clean,” contained inaccurate information about debris collected at the end of the University of Vermont’s spring term. It was gathered from sites set up by the university. The post Letters to the Editor (7/1/26) appeared first on Seven Days. ...read more read less