Bernie Buzz

The third-annual “Youth Chess Day” will be held on Saturday, April 19 from 11:00 AM to 4 PM at Vermont State University in Randolph. The Learn to Play session is a great opportunity for first through eighth grade students to learn how to play and hone their skills, while more experienced players grades first through twelfth can test their knowledge in a recreational tournament in the afternoon.

I wanted to take this opportunity to update you about the very serious set of developments which are unfolding in Washington. Last Friday, I voted against a very dangerous bill that will not only be a disaster for working families, but will undercut the very foundation of our democracy. This bill – known as a continuing resolution – was written in a 100% partisan manner. The only people involved were extreme right-wing Members of the Republican-led House of Representatives. They had no input from anybody but themselves.

Our Bernie Buzz team bundled up and headed outside to share the experience of The Great Ice with our readers. They spoke to attendees and volunteers, who help make the festival possible. When asked what he hopes for the Great Ice in the coming years, one volunteer shared “I hope it continues to be something that is special and that people in the community take a lot of pride in…. I hope it continues to grow and be about family, outside, and about people putting their phones away and enjoying each other.”

Last week, Senator Peter Welch, Congresswoman Becca Balint and I held a Telephone Town Meeting, and we were overwhelmed by the response from Vermonters. More than 34,000 households tuned in – an extraordinary turnout for a state of 650,000 people. Though we could not get to every one of the thousands of questions you submitted, below are my responses to some of your most frequently asked questions.

In 2022, we asked Bernie Buzz readers about their favorite country stores. One of the stores that many of you wrote about was Coburns’ General Store in South Strafford. Recently, the Buzz Team sat down with Melvin Coburn, a lifelong Vermonter and the co-owner of Coburns’, to learn about what a day in the life of a general store owner looks like.