One of the most satisfying aspects of my work is receiving unsolicited letters from appreciative readers. Due to our ‘business model’ of relying on readers to voluntary contribute, the Chronicle isn’t a big money-maker. For the minority of you who give, your checks or Stripe.com contributions are mighty appreciated. I don’t say Thank You anywhere near as often as I should. 

My appreciation and encouragement grows when accompanied by a letter or a note like the one below. 

When I met John Lewandowski in 2012, I was the communications director for the Vermont Energy Partnership, a not-for-profit committed to clean, safe, affordable, reliable electricity, which is why we supported the continued operation of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. Alas, our legislators – while running around with their hair on fire about carbon emissions reduction – were determined to shut down an affordable, reliable 100% carbon-free source of hundreds of megawatts of electricity in favor of the cost-ineffective, unreliable wind and solar power. Wind and solar has never replaced fossil fuels or nuclear, in Vermont or anywhere else. Vermont electricity consumers to this day remain heavily reliant on out-of-state fossil fuels. 

Who knew that would happen? Answer: John Lewandowski. Me. Plenty of other people. Too bad the Legislature didn’t listen. But their studied ignoring of an obvious truth did have at least one positive effect: it prompted me to start writing my own blog back in 2017. That column, “State House Headliners,” has, with support from John and others, since grown into the Vermont Daily Chronicle and the Burlington Daily News. 

But I digress. I asked John if I could print his (by the way beautifully hand-written) letter. He said ‘sure.’ So here it is. 

Dear Guy

My wife, Barbara and I became Vermont residents officially on January 1, 2011 when I retired. Years earlier, we had bought a home to retire to in a Northean Kingdom town with a population of 581 (the 2020 Census shows that we have grown all the way up to 584).

Jumping ahead to March of 2012, our town was informed by a wind power developer the day after Town Meeting of their plan to put as many as 31 wind turbines on land where three towns intersected. This included our town.

A committee was formed in our town to combat this project. Having just retired from nearly three decades in the electric utility industry, I offered to help in any way I could. I didn’t believe that wind could solve any of our problems. 

(After all, we had gotten plenty of wind from the State House in Montpelier for years, what had that solved? In fact at a meeting that I attended of a House/Senate energy committee that allowed audience comments, I suggested that any/all wind turbines erected in Vermont should be on the hills around Montpelier and face the State House, because that’s where all the wind comes from. I made a lot of friends that day, but none on the committee.)

On a more serious note, I did my homework to learn all I could about wind and solar energy. I used only reputable sources, especially the U.S. Energy Information Administration (USEIA). These were all documented facts and figures, not hearsay and opinions. 

It was around this time that I was leaving a meeting that I was approached by a gentleman who told me that he liked what I had to say, and asked where I had gotten my information. I told him where and stated that I would not say anything that I couldn’t back up with an authoritative source. This gentleman’s name was Guy Page. We talked numerous times after that. I enjoyed each encounter.

When I later found out that he was publishing a fact-based newsletter/newspaper, I was more than happy to subscribe. Now when I hear someone complain about the news media, I tell them to look up Guy Page and the Vermont Daily Chronicle. The articles and comments are great and very informative.

Please keep on doing what you’re doing. The rest of your staff are all following your lead. Thank you for a job well done! I hope the enclosed check helps in some small way to keep this going.

Thank you,

John Lewandowski

Newark, VT

If you wish to emulate John’s support, please send a check and/or note to P.O. Box 1547, Montpelier, VT 05601 or contribute at Stripe.com and/or email a note to news@vermontdailychronicle.com.