When I first came to Vermont, in the very early 1990s, I was in the market for a computer. I don’t remember exactly where it was, but I found a little computer store that put their own boxes together. That was a pretty popular thing to do then. This particular store was a Vermont outfit, though, and each system they put together proudly displayed a “Made in Vermont” label.
This is the first paragraph of a story appearing on the front page of the Burnington Free Press of 9 September 2008. The writer is Erin Kelly; the copyright is theirs.
The University of Vermont and other public universities feel intense pressure to raise their tuition as they struggle to increase student aid with less government support, university President Daniel Fogel told congressional leaders Monday.
Can you imagine? Dr. Fogel wants to raise tuition fees so more student aid might be available. He wants the university to take more money from students so he can give it back to them. What are tuition fees? It is money taken from students. What is student aid? It is money given to students. Universities feel pressure to take more money from students so they can give more money to students?
Along State Route 23 in Weybridge, off on it’s own, away from the road, is a stone obelisk. I have driven by it for years, but never stopped to investigate. In the first place, there’s no place to park a car for miles around. There are just farms and lots of private property. Next, the monument is well away from the road with just a mowed lane for access. It is not intended for a driveway. I’m not even sure it is intended for pedestrians. There is no marking near the road to suggest what it is.