Letters to the Editor (8/27/25)

‘Imagine’ This

On Saturday, August 16, my wife and I, along with a group of 40 or so Vermonters and several hundred Canadians, joined together on the U.S.-Canadian border in a powerful act of symbolic resistance to the Donald Trump regime and all it stands for [Last 7: “Thin Red Line,” August 20; “Vermonters and Canadians Express Solidarity at the Border,” August 16, online].

We stood — many of us holding signs of resistance to tyranny — on either side of the border between Vermont and Québec, between the United States and Canada, an imaginary line that an Indigenous woman speaker skillfully reminded us was drawn by colonizing powers across lands that had been occupied and protected for generations by Indigenous peoples.

The Canadian activist group Mères au front Cantons-de-l’Est had organized a highly educational and emotionally charged event that was to have ended with participants on both sides singing John Lennon’s “Imagine.” However, as the words of that gentle anthem of nonviolent resistance filled the air, dozens of Canadians spontaneously walked toward where we were standing on the U.S. side of the line. They approached with huge smiles, holding out their hands and arms, and soon we were all (not quite legally) joining hands and hearts across that imaginary line, tears in our eyes and lumps in our throats, experiencing viscerally that “none of us is alone,” that “we are one” in our determination to save our democracies from the autocratic forces that currently threaten us all.

Peter Kelman

Montpelier

Homelessness and Understanding

Thank you for the excellent article [“Tent City,” August 13], and a big thanks to Neil Preston and Daniel “Jake” Payne for their kindness and compassion toward the homeless people they serve. In this very difficult time when so many individuals and families are forced to live on the streets, it is gratifying to read of two men who are willing to spend time with the homeless.

I believe that getting close to those who are living rough to understand their circumstances is critical. They are, after all, just people. In my opinion, if the city councilors, selectboard members and town authorities who are so concerned about “cleaning up the streets” could leave their comfortable conference rooms and walk the streets with workers like Preston and Payne, they might learn of ways to actually change the situation. It seems ridiculous for those of us with resources and privilege to decide how we think homelessness and the problems of the marginalized should be resolved. We need to talk to people in those situations and ask them what they need and want.

In my work at our food shelf, I have been honored to be able to listen to the homeless, mentally challenged and addicted people who come to us for food. I am constantly reminded that we are all people who want the same things: safety, community and respect.

Sally Stockwell, MD

Williston

‘Less Bad’ Is Good

Nothing but gratitude and compassion for Neil Preston and Daniel “Jake” Payne as they “make it less bad” [“Tent City,” August 13].

Phil Gentile

Berlin

‘Housing and Care for All’

Kudos to Neil Preston, Daniel “Jake” Payne and the City of Burlington for bringing humanity to understand and deal with homelessness [“Tent City,” August 13]. However, the only solution for homelessness is homes: permanent residences that people can afford, often with the health care and mental health support they need. Attempts to shuffle people into temporary situations, whether in hotels or shelters, work best as the initial link in a chain that includes subsidized and supported permanent housing. Across Vermont, that is the weakest link in the chain. Waiting for the housing that is available to open up can take months or even years in Lamoille County. As in most of the country, housing creation has lagged behind housing need for years. Restrictive zoning inhibits development, and the costs of building continue to climb.

Meanwhile, in Lamoille County, we are seeing an older and sicker population experiencing homelessness, similar to Stephen in this article. Like him, many of these folks have multiple serious health issues, including dementia. They will not survive long in unhoused conditions. And most of them are born-and-bred Vermonters.

During World War II, America came together to fund a war effort that defeated fascism. People sacrificed for the good of the community and the country. Now we need to put our collective effort into housing our neighbors. It will not be easy, but it can be done if we commit to a long-term goal of housing and care for all in our state.

Nathaniel Beyer

Hyde Park

Beyer is director of development and communications for the Lamoille Community House.

In Burlington, ‘Wishing’ Isn’t Enough

I read with interest the story about the urban park rangers and the problems created by the surge of encampments around Burlington [“Tent City,” August 13]. Housing and homelessness are two significant and vexing problems facing Burlington. Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak lists them as two of her highest-priority areas. It is surprising, then, that during the city’s recent staff layoffs, the housing staff at the city’s Community & Economic Development Office was reduced by 50 percent, including the non-reappointment of director Brian Pine, who had decades of housing and municipal government expertise. Since then, another housing staff member resigned. With three-quarters of the housing staff gone, 90-plus years of Burlington-specific housing expertise went out the door. The team of two tasked to address homelessness was reduced to one in the layoffs. Literally, there are now two staff members devoted to housing and homelessness; they are dedicated and doing the best they can.

Meanwhile, the “senior adviser on housing strategy” the mayor promised to appoint is on hold because of the accounting mistake her staff made and the need to make up for that additional deficit. While it is clear the city had a budget deficit and needed to make cuts, there is a discrepancy between its stated priorities and the resources devoted to them. The city’s strategy seems to be to hope the State of Vermont will deliver housing support. The state should do that, but wishing isn’t really a strategy, especially while decimating the only resources you have to address housing within the city.

Kathy Fox

South Burlington

How They Do It in the UK

[Re Feedback: “A Short-Term Rental Is Not a Home,” July 23]: Ever heard of “council housing”? This has been the UK’s answer to its homelessness problem. In short, shelter is a right over there, and the taxpayers want it that way since it is both humane and farsighted. Council houses consist of rooms big enough for a bed and a nightstand next to it. Kitchens and bathrooms on each floor are shared by the tenants. Sorry, but our mantra — “The reason why you’re homeless is because you don’t want to work!” — is nonsensical, victim blaming and just kicks the can down the road. This is our way, but we can do better.

Tom MacDonald

Winooski

‘I No Longer Feel Safe’

[Re “Tent City,” August 13]: As a nonresident, my solution to Burlington’s problems with crime, open-air drug use and homelessness is to stay away from the downtown area. I know this does nothing to help solve the city’s problems, but like many other people, I no longer feel safe in downtown Burlington. It seems to me that the city government has made public safety a very low priority, so I feel like I’m better off spending my time and money in other places. I don’t get to vote in Burlington, but maybe the city’s residents should consider electing a government that is committed to keeping residents and visitors safe. Downtown Burlington has some wonderful attractions and great businesses, but it’s simply no longer worth the risk to go there.

Jim Sackett

Shelburne

Building Bike Tourism

We at Local Motion were thrilled to see Seven Days highlight the growing energy around bike tourism in Vermont [“Wheel Life: Bike Tourism Is Growing in Vermont, but Leading a Bike Tour Is No Walk in the Park,” July 2]. Every day, we see the joy visitors and residents alike experience when exploring Vermont by bike. Along the Island Line Trail on Lake Champlain’s shoreline, riders can roll across the Colchester Causeway and take our bike ferry to discover the Champlain Islands, an unforgettable adventure that blends natural beauty with local culture.

Local Motion works with communities across the state to make biking (and walking) safer, more accessible and more inviting, whether for recreation, tourism or daily transportation. One promising area is the Western New England Greenway, a scenic route connecting New York City to Montréal through western Vermont. We’re partnering with local and regional stakeholders to improve the experience along this corridor and draw more riders into Vermont’s villages and downtowns.

Bike tourism brings big benefits to small communities. It supports local businesses, encourages outdoor activity, and connects people with the landscapes and communities that make Vermont special. We’re excited to keep growing this movement.

Christina Erickson

Burlington

Erickson is executive director of Local Motion.

A Toast to Tamarack

Just want to take a moment to acknowledge the good folks at Tamarack media cooperative who were mentioned, but just briefly, in [“Cultivating Connection: With a Newly Modernized Website, Vermont Land Link Pairs Farmers With Landowners,” July 22]. Not only did Tamarack design and build this new Vermont Land Link site, it also ensured that the app has been replicated in multiple other states, linking up thousands of farmers across the country. Yet another powerful example of little Vermont worker-owned co-ops leading the pack!

Ace McArleton

Winooski