Soldiers Unknown and Known
Last week, we (“Grammie” and “Gramps”) received a number of text messages with photos from our grandson, who was on his way to Scouting’s 2026 National Jamboree in West Virginia. As part…
State of Mind: War With the Machines
I just read a book that detailed how trees and other plants communicate underground through the tiny fibers of fungi called mycelium. It was fascinating…
Commentary: Public Records Requests Aren’t the Problem, They’re the Symptom
A recent article in The Bridge highlights that this one resident’s public records requests required hundreds of hours of staff time at Montpelier City Hall.…
Commentary: Slow Down for Mountain Lions
By Jason Batchelder, Andrea Shortsleeve, John Austin, Alison Thomas, and Justin Stedman A campaign is underway to bring mountain lions to Vermont, led by…
Letters to the Editor, Mar. 4, 2026
Epstein Even Deeper To the Editor: I hope readers of The Bridge caught its recent (Feb. 18) commentary, “The Epstein Class.” It was one…
Commentary: The Inclusion We Don’t See
By Pelin Kohn As we approach International Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 16–22), it’s worth pausing to consider a form of inclusion that rarely enters…
Commentary: Tribalism and the Epstein Class
By Bronwyn Fryer People often wonder why it is that so many of the brilliant, over-educated, and powerful movers and shakers who run politics,…
History Corner: Remembering America’s First Scoutmaster
Did you know that the first Boy Scout troop in the United States began in Barre? Scout Troop No. 1 was formed in 1909…
Letters to the Editor, Feb. 18, 2026
Gratitude to Our Community To the Editor: I am writing to express my deepest gratitude to the Montpelier community and the Montpelier Police Department.…
The Way I See It: Vermont Granite Museum, Part 2: Work in Progress
In a particularly frigid mid-February, things look pretty deserted outside the Vermont Granite Museum, just west of downtown Barre. The museum is open to…
Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4, 2026
No Judge. No Jury. To the Editor: No judge. No jury. No trial. Put him on the ground. Shoot him. He’s dead. Ross Connelly,…
A State of Mind: Tales from the Piggly Wiggly
Lately I find it very confusing to watch the news on TV. It is unnerving to watch video footage of large groups of armed…
History is on the Side of Vermont’s Abenakis
By Giovanna Peebles Canada’s Odanak and Wolinak/Becancour First Nation tribes (Canadian Abenakis) and their allies are working to extinguish the four Vermont state-recognized Abenaki…
A ‘No’ Vote on Montpelier’s City Budget Would Allow New City Leaders to Weigh In
By Peter Kelman I have always voted to approve Montpelier’s proposed city budgets, even when I may have had some reservations. I have done so…
From the Editor’s Desk: Let’s Not Let History Repeat Itself
Black history is American history and should be studied year-round. But in the spirit of February’s designation as Black History Month, and in the…
Stand Against Injustice: Why Silence Is No Longer an Option
By Diadel Ortiz In a world full of complexity and inequality, standing against injustice is among the most powerful actions we can take. Throughout…
Stop Blaming Schools for a Healthcare Crisis
By Libby Bonesteel, Mia Moore, and Joe Carroll Beware, community members, of what has become a familiar routine: Gov. Scott takes to the microphone…
City of Montpelier at a Turning Point: Why Unified, Future-Focused Leadership Matters Now More Than Ever
By City Councilors Adrienne Gil and Pelin Kohn Montpelier is navigating one of the most significant periods of transition in recent memory. Leadership changes,…
From the Editor’s Desk: Lessons for an Authoritarian Time
The first few weeks of 2026 have cemented the political reality we are living under. Do an internet search for “Minneapolis” and you’ll be…
History Corner: A Brief History of the Montpelier PD
The Montpelier Police Department began shortly after 1895, when the village of Montpelier became the city of Montpelier, per a 1981 report written by…
Letter to the Editor, Jan. 21, 2026
Tear it Down To the Editor: Hey, I have an idea of what to do with the Post Office/Federal Building: tear it down and…