I’m writing to recommend that you vote for Erik Krauss for the Selectboard. He and I were on the Hartford Energy Commission at the same time. He served there for four years. We were on a subcommittee that sought to make homes more energy efficient and comfortable. Erik later was elected chairman of the Energy Commission.
Erik is thoughtful, does his homework, takes on tasks and delves into subjects beyond where other people think to go. He is a technical thinker who seems to me to want to solve problems. In our meetings, he was efficient, thoughtful and productive. As chairman, he was mindful of people’s time.
Erik is running for one of the three-year terms. I hope you will join me in voting for Erik Krauss for one of these two seats.
Lynn Bohi
Wilder
A strong candidate
On March 4, I will be voting for Erik Krauss for a three-year seat on the Hartford Selectboard. I am thrilled to see Erik’s candidacy because of his deep commitment to the town of Hartford. Erik has served on our Energy Commission and Climate Advisory Committee, and I have known Erik to approach problems with an open mind and tenacity. He doesn’t settle for a superficial understanding of an issue, but seeks out data and expert opinions and learns about approaches tried elsewhere to develop an understanding of the issue and the potential consequences of actions. Erik’s critical thinking skills, focus on genuine progress and willingness to collaborate with others will make him an effective member of the Selectboard.
Erik can take a seed and grow it into a thriving living thing — both in the real sense with his dedication to sustainability, evident on the homestead he shares with his partner, Becky, and with the cultivation of countless community projects.
In addition to Erik Krauss, I am excited to be casting my ballot for Ashley Andreas, Miranda Dupres and Mary Erdei.
Rebecca White
White River Junction
The writer is a state senator.
Hanover Finance panel backs school
On Tuesday, March 4, Hanover voters will decide whether to approve a Hanover School District FY26 proposed budget and collective bargaining agreements. The Hanover Finance Committee (HFC) unanimously supports the agreement with support staff in Article 4, the service staff in Article 5 and the Hanover School District budget in Article 6.
Overall, expenditures are increasing 4.09%. The proposed increase in FY26 expenditures results primarily from increases of $532,385 (3.84%) associated with the direct operating program offered to students in grade K-5 at the Ray School due to a 4% increase on teacher’s base as per contract, $232,900 (22.75%) in special education costs and a 12.5% increase in employee health insurance rates. Cost reductions in this year’s budget included $105,250 in the area of site and building improvements and $16,265 in debt service.
After factoring in revenues, the Hanover assessment is expected to increase $799,149 (6.25%). When combined with the increase in the Dresden assessment and if all the warrant articles in Hanover and Dresden were to pass, and if all of the assumptions of valuation and local tax calculations hold true, then the total school tax rate would increase by $.50 to $12.11 per $1,000 of property value or by 4.30%.
Together with ongoing health care and personnel cost pressures, the HFC foresees the need for continued careful evaluation of staffing levels, which was commendably demonstrated this year. HFC commends the efforts of administrators, faculty and staff in our district’s pursuit of educational excellence.
Please vote via absentee ballot or on March 4, 7a.m. to 7 p.m. at Richmond Middle School. Details of the warrant articles, budget and additional HFC commentary can be found in the mailer or at www.sau70.org and the public is invited to attend the Annual Meeting at Hanover High School at 5 p.m. on Feb. 27.
Greg Snyder
Hanover
The writer is chairman of the Hanover Finance Committee.
Approve Royalton flood bylaw
On March 4, the citizens of Royalton will be voting on a Flood Hazard Bylaw. I own a significant amount of river frontage on the First Branch of the White River that will be covered by this bylaw and I urge people to vote yes to approve it. Since Tropical Storm Irene, I have watched my pastures flood numerous times; that means the lives and certainly the properties of people living in areas like these are at risk.
Some detractors of this bylaw say it is zoning, and needs to be defeated because it will open up a slippery slope that will lead to more zoning. Royalton has had zoning for around 40 years under the current flood hazard bylaw; that zoning bylaw has not led to additional zoning in town. Whatever one’s opinion on other land use zoning, this is a separate issue and is a commonsense agreement not to build in flood-prone areas.
Under a bill passed last year by the Legislature and signed by the governor, the state of Vermont will be zoning these same flood hazard areas by 2028. If we pass these bylaws ourselves, it will likely mean that Royalton will administer its own rules and we will be able to make common sense adjustments for property owners in the flood hazard area. If we do not pass the bylaws, we will not have that local control when the state implements its flood hazard zoning law.
I urge my fellow town members to approve this reasonable update to our existing flood control bylaw.
Bob Slattery
Royalton
Palestine vote on Thetford warning
It is time to help free the Palestinian people from the shameful conditions they are forced to live in on their own land. It is our responsibility to help the Palestinians because we are supporting an Israeli government that administers a cruel Jim Crow system with our tax dollars. At Thetford Town Meeting on March 1, the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge to divest from Israeli will come up for discussion and a vote. If you would like to bring it up at your own meeting as “other business,” helpful information is at apartheid-free.org. Anyone can do it!
Why Town Meeting? Because it is our best form of direct democracy. For example, in 1982, 155 Vermont towns voted to reduce nuclear weapons testing and production. In 2005, many towns voted to withdraw American troops from Iraq.
We oppose paying for these immoral policies at the top. Nearly half of our federal taxes go to the Pentagon each year, when the poor among us don’t have basics like health care and decent housing. Apartheid-Free pledges are on Vermont Town Meeting warnings in five other towns this year. We hold up this banner for peace and freedom everywhere on this small and beautiful planet.
Duncan Nichols
Thetford
Grabill deserves a celebration
Jim Kenyon’s Feb. 5 column, “Longtime Hanover boys soccer coach deserves better treatment” was right on the money when it comes to describing Hanover High School’s inconsiderate, inexplicable, ill-judged decision not to bring back Rob Grabill for another season.
My son Matthew played for Rob in his first three years as HHS head coach. I published a book about the experience called “Soccer Dad: a Father, a Son, and a Magic Season” (Skyhorse NYC 2008). While most of it describes how father and son bond over their favorite sport, much of it celebrates how the team was led by a remarkable coach, Rob Grabill, the kind of coach and mentor every high school in America would love to have on its staff.
Everyone who ever played for Rob can cite example after example of his inspirational — and very successful — coaching style. I’ll mention just one.
When Matthew came down with a bad case of pneumonia during his junior season, the very first phone call he got was from Rob, assuring him that he would still be the starting center back when he recovered — exactly the message a young man needed to hear to help him get better, and very typical of Rob’s sensitivity and compassion.
I urge HHS administrators to do the adult thing, reconsider their decision, bring Rob back for a farewell season (or two, or three), then throw him the wonderful retirement party he so richly deserves.
Walter Wetherell
Lyme
Letters get it wrong on Grabill
Recent letters defending Hanover High’s athletic director Megan Sobel’s action in dismissing long-time soccer coach Rob Grabill, after he declined the suggestion he retire, avoid some of the most disturbing aspects of this episode (“Kenyon’s motives, Feb. 15 and “In defense of the athletic director”; Feb. 18).
One letter references “significant or on-going concerns” and “unsupervised access to students.” This could be read as referring to Grabill’s conduct in a very negative way. This innuendo is deplorable and contradicts Dresden Superintendent Jay Badams’ statement that “it’s safe for me to say that there was nothing horrible, no harm to children or anything like that.”
The writer further accuses Grabill’s supporters of “second guessing administrators without all the facts.” This is the crux of the matter; we don’t have the facts and neither does she.
Sobel, despite many opportunities, has failed to explain the decision, she has failed to be transparent. This does not need to involve referencing “sensitive personnel records.” One example is Sobel’s comment about wanting to go in a new direction. Could she please explain what this new direction is? Apparently, it is different to the outstanding record of success, on and off the field, that Grabill established, to the benefit of students he coached and mentored, to the reputation of Hanover High School and the wider Hanover community.
Steve Cornish
Grantham