We have to push for rail in western Vermont Rail service via North Bennington to Albany-Rensselaer in the west and Manchester/Rutland to the north is a hot topic and a significant economic opportunity for the Shires of Vermont. The Southwestern Rail Corridor adds a critical missing piece to our area's transportation network, with the promise of jobs and convenient connections   Full Story

Zoning change will enable town to plan On three previous occasions, the Planning Commission has proposed and the Select Board has approved, amendments to zoning boundaries so that they conform to property lines. The changes involved the Forest and Recreation and the Farming and Rural Residential boundary on the southeast part of town, and the Transient Commercial Overlays on Routes 11/30 and   Full Story

Saving a stray My husband is a local UPS driver and found a stray dog in the area of Austin Hill Road and Vail Road last Tuesday. I don’t know how many people had passed up this elderly golden retriever/German shepherd mix before my husband stopped, but you ought to be ashamed of yourselves if you did.   Full Story

Lies, what do you expect? Vermont Yankee is an old plant, at the end of its original service life, and it is running at 120 percent of its originally intended ability. The company running it is trying hard not to put money into its maintenance unnecessarily. What can you expect but breakdowns? As Vermonters, we might console ourselves that a bit of tritium getting into the groundwater is   Full Story

The pressure is on to consolidate It was a welcome sight to see the MAU school board bring up the subject of consolidation. Now that state budgets and Montpelier are placing a higher priority on the evaluation of consolidation and the potential of mandatory consolidation efforts in school districts, it is not a surprise that the MAU board and the SVSU would yet again bring up the subject.   Full Story

Justice for children Salvatore MacEwan of Rutland was charged with murder in the death of his 5-week-old child, to which after a year-and-a-half he has pleaded guilty. The judge is considering a mere 14-year prison sentence for MacEwan's heinous abuse of his child and the resulting murder. But did you know .   Full Story

Kudos for Favre’s courage Brett Favre’s pain-defying performance in the National Football Conference Championship game Sunday, Jan. 24, merits his being recognized as a super sports hero. Favre took the worst pounding I have ever watched, sack after sack viciously rendered, perhaps designedly so.   Full Story

Change to drinking age would be devastating In response to an article in the Bennington Banner on Jan. 21, "Drinking age debate could stir in Vermont," I was shocked to read that officials from several Vermont colleges were advocating reducing the legal drinking age from 21 to 18 years, and that several lawmakers are considering a pair of bills which will "push the drinking age back to 18   Full Story

Thursday, June 11 Send letters and columns to the Bennington Banner: by mail to 425 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201; by e-mail to news@benningtonbanner.com (no attachments, please); by fax to 802-442-3413. We may edit any letter or column for length, style or content, and reserve the right to reject letters or columns as not suitable.   Full Story