2020 was a year for the record books in so many ways, not least in the number of commentary submissions you sent to VTDigger.
There was plenty to talk about — Covid, of course, and the elections, local and national. George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests that swept the country brought a huge number of thoughtful essays. Education is a perennial favorite — taxes and budgets and mergers, then add the coronavirus to complicate matters. Marijuana, the climate crisis, farming, health care, hunting … for a small state, we do have a lot going on.
Over the year, we published 869 commentaries by 649 different authors. We heard from senators and reps, the governor, his administration, activists and politicians of every stripe. Early childhood educators, school principals, college professors and students. The old (Jules Rabin, 96) shared their wisdom and the young (Ira Davies, 9) their fresh voices.
Some wrote as part of their job, but the vast majority wrote because they believed they had something to say.
You wrote singly, for the most part, but also collaborated in pairs and trios, and sometimes as an organization, a faculty department or a group with a cause.
Some of you wrote only once, had your say and were done, while others peppered us with submissions. One writer repeatedly apologized for the number of emails he sent, admitting it was writing his thoughts out that kept panic at bay.
We salute your strong opinions — even those that were too strong for publication — and your willingness to put them out there under your name. Thank you for using your time to give your fellow Vermonters the gift of ideas and insight. It makes all our lives richer.
Thanks to …
Aaron Weisman
Adam Grinold
Adam Norton
Adam Roof
Adeline Druart
Adrian Ivakhiv
Alan E. Steinweis
Alan Hedge
Alana Stevenson
Alden Harwood
Alec Ewald
Alex Binzen
Alex Tolstoi
Alexander (Sandy) Wurthmann
Alis Headlam
Alison Lamagna
Alison Notte
Aly Richards
Amanda Gokee
Amanda Witman
Amy Johnson
Andrew Christiansen
Andrew Haig
Andrew Lelling
Andrew Perchlik
Angela Patten
Anna Kolosky
Annabel Bruno
Anne Donahue
Anne Dougherty
Anne Sosin
Anne Watson
Annette Smith
Anore Horton
Anson Tebbetts
Arnold Isidore Thomas
Ashley Smit
Asim Zia
Aubrey Boyles
Avery Book
B.J. Rogers
Barb Wilson
Barbara Felitti
Barbara Murphy
Becca Balint
Becky Colley
Ben Edgerly Walsh
Ben Heintz
Ben Kinsley
Benjamin Ola. Akande
Bert Crosby
Beth Ann Maier
Beth Foy
Bethany Breitland
Betsy Bishop
Betsy Dorminey
Betsy McGavisk
Betsy Thomason
Bill Bender
Bill Stritzler
Bob Bick
Bob Cappadona
Bob Frenier
Bob Hawk
Bob Pepperman
Bob Stannard
Bob Zeliff
Bor Yang
Brenda Siegel
Brenna Galdenzi
Brian Ricca
Brian Shupe
Brockton Corbett
Brooks Addington
Bruce Pandya
Bruce Post
Calvin Moen
Carl Hilton VanOsdall
Carlen Finn
Carol Frenier
Carol Ode
Cary Brown
Cate Marvin
Catherine Antley
Catherine Crawley
Cathy Davis
Charles Bergmann
Charles Simpson
Charlie Murphy
Chloe Learey
Chris Rimmer
Christa Zehle
Christina Goodwin
Christina Nolan
Christine Zachai
Christopher Bray
Christopher Kaufman Illstrup
Circle
Claire Kendall
Claude Deschamps
Clifton Long
Craig River-Westling
Cristina Mazzoni
Curt Kolovson
Curt McCormack
Dale Goldhaber
Damian DiNicola
Dan Baker
Dan DeWalt
Dan Jones
Dan Quinlan
Dana Dwinnell-Yardley
Dana Kaplan
Dana Michalovic
Dana Walrath
Dane Rank
Daniel Felde
Daniel Gatti
Dave Gram
Dave Silberman
David Blittersdorf
David Clark
David Coates
David Deen
David Farnsworth
David Flemming
David Goodman
David Kelley
David Mears
David Rand
David Roth
David Sanguinetti
David Scherr
David Scrase
David Van Deusen
David Williamson
Dean Whitlock
Deadra Bachorik Ashton
Deb Billado
Deb Bucknam
Deb Richter
Deb Snell
Debbie Ingram
Deborah McKinley
Deborah Messing
Deborah Riemer
Dennis F. Mahoney
Dennis O’Brien
Devon Thomas
Diana Whitney
Diana Yiqing Sun
Dianna “Annie” Murray-Close
Dillon Burns
Don George
Don Keelan
Don Tinney
Don Turner
Donna Baile
Doug Hoffer
Doug Racine
Drew Clymer
Duncan Nichols
Ed Stanak
Edward McMahon
Eileen Glover
Elaine Collins
Elayne Clift
Eleanor Miller
Elijah Hawkes
Eliza Cain
Elizabeth Courtney
Elizabeth Fenton
Ellen Kaye
Ellen Oxfeld
Eric Booth
Eric Hutchins
Erica Da Costa
Erik Ruggles
Ernest Wallace
Eve Alexandra
Faith Foley
Fay Homan
Felicia Kornbluh
Fran Putnam
Frank Manchel
Frankie Dunleavy
Fred Baser
Fred Jagels
Fred Kniffin
Friederike Keating
Garrison Nelson
Gaye Symington
Genie Rayner
George Cammack
George Cross
George Plumb
Gerry Silverstein
Glenda Bissex
Glenn Fay Jr.
Gordon Jensen
Grace Oedel
Greg Guma
Greg Marchildon
Gwendolyn Hallsmith
Haley Frechette
Halsey Frank
Hannah Lane
Hans Ohanian
Harris Webster
Harry Chen
Haviland Smith
Heather Eagan
Heather Furman
Hector Vila
Helen Morgan Parmett
Henry Parker
Hilary Melton
Hilton Dier
Holly Morehouse
Howard Fairman
Huck Gutman
Ian Balcom
Ira Davies
J. Alvin Wakefield
J. Paul Skokal
Jack Hoffman
Jahala Dudley
Jake Claro
James Duff Lyall
James Maroney Jr.
James Murdoch
James Nagle
Jamey Fidel
Jamie McCall
Jan Carney
Jan van Eck
Jane Knodell
Jane Kolodinsky
Janice St. Onge
Jaqueline Rieke
Jared Carter
Jared Duval
Jason Hill
Jay Canning
JB Barna
Jean Hamilton
Jean Kiewel
Jean O’Sullivan
Jeb Spaulding
Jeff Danziger
Jeff Dardozzi
Jeff Dickson
Jeff Dinitz
Jeff Fannon
Jeff Ward
Jeff Weld
Jeffrey Wennberg
Jen Duggan
Jen Kimmich
Jenny Backus
Jerry Greenfield
Jesse Cormier
Jessica Nordhaus
Jill Krowinski
Jill Rinehart
Jim Andrews
Jim Condos
Jim Hurt
Jim Leddy
Jim White
Joan Javier-Duval
Jock Gill
Jody Fried
Joe Benning
Joe Carroll
Joe Flynn
Joe Patrissi
Joe Randazzo
Joe Sherman
Joey Bergstein
John Bossange
John Brumsted
John Casella
John Downes
John Durham
John Fairbanks
John Forbes
John Freitag
John Greenberg
John Hughes
John Killacky
John Klar
John McClaughry
John McCormick
John Odum
John Pimental
John Reuwer
John Sayles
John Snell
John Steen
John Vogel
Jon Groveman
Jon Kovacs
Jon Leibowitz
Jon Lynch
Jonathon Podolsky
Jonathon Weber
Joseph Gainza
Joseph Hagan
Josh Fitzhugh
Joshua White
Juan Maura
Jubilee McGill
Judy Olinick
Jules Rabin
Julia Purdy
Julia Ronconi
Julian Barnett
Julie Moore
Julie Wasserman
Justin Morgan Parmett
Kara Shannon
Karen Horn
Karen Mittelman
Karen Tronsgard-Scott
Karl Meyer
Kate McCarthy
Kate Nugent
Katherine Sims
Kathleen Kesson
Kathleen Manning
Kathleen Scollins
Kathryn Dungy
Kathy Urffer
Katie Gough
Katie Wells
Kay Johnson
Keith Klepeis
Keith LaFountain
Kellie Campbell
Kellie Fleury
Kelly Pajala
Kelly Rohan
Ken Fredette
Ken Libertoff
Keri Gelenian
Kesha Ram
Kevin Ellis
Kim Dougherty
Kit Harrington
Kolby LaMarche
Kristen Cameron
Lance Smith
Laura Chapman
Laura Hierl
Laura Sibilia
Laural Ruggles
Laurie Cox
Laurie Essig
Lawrence Connolly
Lawrence Jones
Leah Costello
Leda Scheintaub
Lee Russ
Leigh McCaffrey
Leigh Pelletier
Leo Parini
Leslie Nulty
Lewis First
Lila Bennett
Lilly Salvia
Linda Johnson
Linda Joy Sullivan
Linda Olson
Lisa Manning Floyd
Lisa Schnell
Lokangaka Losambe
Lori Fisher
Louis JosephsonLouis Meyers
Luca Kolba
Lucy Leriche
Luke Albee
Lynda Ulrich
Lynn Barrett
Lynn McNamara
Mac Parker
Mack Gardner-Morse
Mairead O’Reilly
Major Jackson
Marc Estrin
Marc Sherman
Marcie Gallagher
Margaret MacLean
Maria Mercedes Avila
Mariah Sanderson
Marianne Donahue Perchlik
Marisa Keller
Mark Alexander
Mark Anders
Mark Anderson
Mark Barlow
Mark Crow
Mark Hughes
Mark Klinedinst
Mark O’Maley
Mark Redmond
Mark Stoler
Mark Whitworth
Martin Thaler
Mary C. Burke
Mary Cole
Mary Hayden
Mary Holland
Mary Sullivan
Maryellen Griffin
Matt Breton
Matt Kolan
Matt Krauss
Maura Collins
Maxwell Rye
Meg Hansen
Meg Smith
Meg Streeter
Mel Martin
Melanie Clerihew
Melinda Moulton
Melissa Willard-Foster
Michael Caduto
Michael Cassidy
Michael Costa
Michael Crane
Michael Giangreco
Michael Johnson
Michael Long
Michael O’Brien
Michael O’Donnell
Michael Olinick
Michael Shank
Michelle Fay
Mike Mrowicki
Mike Reilly
Mitzi Johnson
Molly Gray
Monica Donovan
Monica Filippenko
Monique Priestley
Morgan Brown
Morgan Coutts Irons
Morgan Nichols
Nancy Braus
Nancy Fowler
Nancy Welch
Nate Denny
Nathan Fry
Neil Nussbaum
Netanel Crispe
Nevin Zablotsky
Nicholas J. Gotelli
Nick Richardson
Nicole LeBlanc
Nina Gaby
Nolan Atkins
Norm Ward
Norman Arthur Fischer
Patricia Erickson
Patricia Mardeusz
Patrick Flood
Patrick Kiernan
Patrick Leahy
Pattie McCoy
Paul Dame
Paul Dragon
Paul Fleckenstein
Paul Gambill
Paul Kendall
Paul Manganiello
Paula Higa
Peter Berger
Peter Clarke
Peter Gilbert
Peter Langella
Peter Smith
Phil Baruth
Phil Holland
Phil Scott
Philip Finkelstein
Paul Cillo
Rachael Montesano
Rachel Fraumann
Raise the Wage Coalition
Randall Szott
Randy Brock
Randy George
Ray Vega
Rebecca Holcombe
Renee Carpenter
Amy Pitton
Rhianna Kendrick
Rhoni Basden
Ric Cabot
Rich Clark
Richard Bernstein
Richard Bland
Richard Czaplinski
Richard Davis
Richard I. Sugarman
Richard Moye
Richard Page
Richard Slusky
Richard Watts
Rick Cowan
Rick Hubbard
Rick Veitch
Rob Lehmert
Rob Riley
Rob Roper
Robb Kidd
Robby Porter
Robert Areson
Robert Emmons
Robert Fireovid
Robert Gordon
Robert Haynes
Robin Chesnut-Tangerman
Robin Scheu
Robyn Freedner-Maguire
Roger Allbee
Ron Jacobs
Ron Krupp
Ron Pulcer
Rowly Brucken
Ruth Hardy
Ryn Gluckman
Safiya Ibrahim
Samn Stockwell
Sandra Levine
Sandy Dooley
Sara Nelson
Sarah Bush
Sarah Carleton
Sarah E. Turner
Sarah Kaeck
Sascha Mayer
Scott Beck
Scott Campbell
Scott Pavek
Scott Thompson
Scott Weathers
Scudder Parker
Sean A. Witters
Sean L. Field
Seth Steinzor
Shamura Awayle
Shannara Johnson
Shap Smith
Sharon Cohen
Sharon Panitch
Shawn Shouldice
Shawn Tester
Shelby Semme
Skyler Nash
Sophie Bowater
Spencer Putnam
Spencer Smith
Stanley Sloan
Stephanie Bonin
Stephanie Clement
Stephanie Seguino
Stephen Leslie
Stephen Terry
Steve Gladstone
Steve Hawkins
Steve May
Stuart Savel
Stuart Stevens
Sue Dinitz
Sue Racanelli
Suresh Garimella
Susan Aranoff
Susan Lawrence
Suzanna Jones
T. Elijah Hawkes
Tal Birdsey
Tara Pereira
Ted Cody
Teddy Waszazak
Teresa Butler
Terese Black
Terry Norris
Theresa Lever
Thomas Anderson
Thomas Dee
Thomas Weiss
Tim Ashe
Tim Kane
Tim Kipp
Tim Volk
Tim Wilkerson
Timothy Burgess
Timothy Doherty
Timothy Nulty
Tina Escaja
TJ Donovan
Toby Fulwiler
Todd McGowan
Tom Dalton
Tom Evslin
Tom Hughes
Tom McKone
Tom McLinden
Tom Payeur
Tom Pelham
Tom Slayton
Tom Stevens
Tom Torti
Tomasz Jankowski
Tony Magistrale
Tony Redington
Trey Dobson
Turner Osler
Tyler Jager
UVM Theatre, Dance & Speech and Debate faculty
Valerie Rohy
Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness
Vermont Community Newspaper Group
Vermont League of Cities and Towns
Vermont Racial Justice Alliance
Vicki Harrison
Vicki Loner
Victor Prussack
Victoria Silsby
Walt Amses
Walter Medwid
Ward Heneveld
Wayne Senville
Wayne Tetrick
Wilda White
Will Addington
Will Patten
William French
William Hancy
William Notte
Win Smith
Women’s Legislative Caucus
Zack Porter
Zayda Kellogg
