Letters to the Editor 

NOT YOUR PARENTS’ GODDARD

It is a testament to Goddard’s storied history that so many myths and so much misinformation about the college persist. We feel compelled to correct some assertions made by Jernigan Pontiac in his “Hackie” column [“Road Tripping with Sleepy Linda,” May 6].

Most egregious of his errors is the statement that “…the school lost 90 percent of its enrollment and nearly folded.” Yes, in June 2002, Goddard closed its residential undergraduate program and enrollment declined. Goddard’s pioneer low-residency adult degree program remained vibrant. With enrollment higher today than it has been since the 1970s, Goddard is still growing with two new programs here, and a second campus in Port Townsend, Washington.

Regarding degrees in “candlemaking,” Goddard has never had such degrees. Have the passions of creative students been respected and encouraged at Goddard when other, more traditional colleges rejected them? Yes, and we are proud of that. Has Goddard remained true to its mission of progressive education, along with rigorous academic standards? Yes, and that is why we are accredited by NEASC ...

Goddard is not for everyone. But for the vast majority of students, young and not-so-young, a Goddard education is nothing short of transformational. Visit Goddard and make up your own mind. That is what Goddard students are encouraged to do every day.

Mark Schulman

PLAINFIELD

Schulman is president of Goddard.

PARANOID OR PRACTICAL?

Normally, I don’t read your publication, but a coworker passed me the [May 6] edition at lunch. I was rather surprised by what I have to say is a well-written, nonpanicked piece about the need to be prepared for a disruption of normal life [“The Pandemic Pantry”] with one of the first steps, which is to have a week or more of food on hand.

I also liked how you urged your readers to do this, while implying on several occasions that those of us who have been saying this for several decades are paranoid conspiracy theorists. As someone whom you might describe in that manner, I’d like to say that we’ve been composting and using hand-collected heirloom seeds and having our own organic gardens and livestock long before it was cool. We baked bread, made cheese and yogurt, and grew sprouts. We’ve also talked about alternative energy and getting away from oil, before it leads us into a war we’ll never get out of, since the ’70s.

We predicted the infringement of civil rights in the name of national security since the ’60s, and the possibility of agricultural failure due to industrial farming, and the dangers of letting financial companies have control over the regulations that affect them. We’ve been fixing our own stuff rather than replacing it, and riding bikes or walking when we could, too...

Guess what, hippies: You’re all survivalists; it just took you a while to realize it. Please forgive me if I laugh right now.

Kevin Dole

BURLINGTON

TAX CREDIT FOR WINDOWS

Great article [“Pane Relievers,” May 13]. As a contractor working on old houses throughout Vermont, I often deal with the issue of efficiency versus budget, and well-insulated window treatments go a long way toward increasing the comfort of our homes as well as saving energy costs.

As for replacing windows, there are many things to consider before spending, as noted, what can be a huge investment. Luckily, there are almost as many manufacturers out there as there are window styles. When replacing windows in a historic home, one should consider the original style and function of the existing windows and make every effort to match the original details...

Independent studies have shown that the real payback period in energy savings for the cost of replacement windows is 40-240 years. That doesn’t take into account the carbon footprint of manufacturing new windows or throwing away existing ones. A great way to increase efficiency is to install storm windows ... we are lucky enough to have a company here in Vermont that makes traditional wooden storms with screen and glass panels that are changed from the inside and meet the guidelines for the tax credit! Green Mountain Window Co. of Rutland uses Low E coated glass ... Your readers should check out their website.

Ron Wanamaker

BURLINGTON