Some Oddservations on the oddest year — ever

Soberly think about this. A forest fire, running along the 250-mile spine of the Green Mountains from Bennington to the Quebec border devastates everything for 5 miles on each of the east and west sides, erasing 5,000 of the state’s 9,623 square miles. As of last Sunday, that’s what California alone had endured. These are scary times on all fronts.

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Dear Vermont Congressional delegation: Please immediately contact your colleagues on both sides of the aisle to discuss an adjustment to Veterans Day. We remain in this difficult war, one that has taken more American lives than all wars combined since WWII. The heroes and heroines, who have put their lives on the line to fight this pandemic with courage and commitment equal to any wartime soldier, certainly are worthy to be included as veterans in service to the nation on every Nov. 11 moving forward.

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Also, Leahy, Sanders and Welch: If we live past Jan. 20, there’s no better time or opportunity for a societal equalizer — mandatory national service to America. A term of 18 consecutive months, to fill national needs in possibly 200 different skill sets, will be performed by all young men and women sometime between the ages of 18 and 24.

The first six months might include service-related training and education in a diverse community of young people. Exemptions would only be approved for those with existing serious health issues and those who join the military sometime before age 22. Once completed, a grateful nation will pay a significant share of post high school education or job training expenses previously incurred. It would provide a similar credit to others for use on education or job training moving forward.

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With a national depression looming, and no matter who emerges from Nightmare-2020 next January, the near future is ominous for Stowe and the other ski havens. Rules and restrictions hurt, yet Vail Inc. is on the proper path.

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Meanwhile, the D-word certainly must have everyone in Burlington fretting over its local economy as well. There is, metaphorically, a big hole in the ground on the UVM campus and a really large scar downtown. The $95 million UVM athletic facility construction was delayed by both budget issues and Vermont’s COVID-19 shutdown.

They’ve resumed progress on Gutterson Field House, but the Tarrant Arena remains on hold, as well as the sports programs themselves. Meanwhile, with a big hole, no plan and little patience, downtown Burlington’s timing to fix things could not have been worse.

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Any COVID-19 vaccine success announcement prior to the general election on Nov. 3 must include live television coverage of president sociopath and his entire cabinet of enablers receiving the first injections, followed by 14-day quarantine.

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Admittedly, this AP class issue encompassing Lamoille South Unified Union school district appears to be a pandemic problem. Still, tough luck you small-minded state politicians. You merged it; now you fix it. You were so clever to deliver revenge even though your tiny towns of 56 kids in K-12 populations made no sense at all.

Now, these two qualified-to-stand-alone communities, good friends with different lifestyles, are forced into your shotgun wedding. Just reading about this impactful development and what else has occurred in through these early stages, the gut tells me that someday this is not going to end well. So stop gloating and fix this starting in January.

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Well, the state did fix something. Never sure of the I-89 Sharon rest area’s pandemic status, we routinely pulled off to see if it was finally open. Road signs were inconsistent and confusing. In truth, all summer there should have been a temporary sign, “Don’t stop unless you really, really, really gotta go.”

If you stopped, your options at the top were three port-a-potties and the woods.

This weekend the facility was open for business. Well, kinda. Something like, “How many (fill in your nationality preference) does it take to change a light bulb?” Navigating to your final destination inside was interesting. And, if you successfully depart, you will be qualified to test the Percy Farm corn maze.

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Finally, I doubt if there is one adult in America who isn’t at political loggerheads with some close friends or family members at this moment in time. All are extremely divided, perplexed and speechless that the other person could possibly support a man they believe will ruin this country.

More than once in the last year, I’ve said to more than one familiar face. “Our relationship has thrived forever and I’m not tossing that away over an election. Let’s simply agree to no longer talk about this and say things we’ll both regret in a year.”

Dave Matthews lives in Stowe. His column appears monthly. Email letters to news@stowereporter.com.