This is not the column I planned on issuing, which requires something of an apology to the amazing librarians at the Craftsbury Public Library — truly, all libraries in network — who secured a copy of The National Bureau of Economic Research’s working paper titled, thoroughly as journal articles usually are, “Adaptation and The Mortality Effects of Temperature Across U.S. Climate Regions.”

“No one’s the winner in this” was the comment from Dick Sears, the longtime senator from Bennington this week as the Senate took up the confirmation of Zoie Saunders for Vermont Secretary of Education.

It’s been a difficult time across Vermont for schools and property taxes. Quite a few school budgets have been voted down, including the Elmore-Morristown Unified Union School District and the district that includes my hometown of Worcester. I urge Elmore-Morristown Unified Union voters to support the budget that is up for a vote this month, the third attempt this year.

Democrat Leanne Harple, former Glover Selectboard member, has announced her campaign for Vermont representative for Orleans-4, serving the towns of Albany, Craftsbury, Glover and Greensboro.

What a difference a year can make. Over the past few years, with federal pandemic aid, we’ve had unprecedented revenues. As those funds dry up, we’re in a very different place.

I am writing to announce that I am a candidate to represent Greensboro, Craftsbury, Albany and Glover in the Vermont House of Representatives.

In Morrisville, Vermont, a recent Front Porch Forum post reads: “Vote down the school budget! They don’t want to just survive, they want to thrive.”

Democrats in the Statehouse were parading around this week with a banner insisting, “If you make a mess, you clean it up!” Yeah! Big talk! They think this should apply to oil companies regarding climate change (another story I’ll get to soon), but apply that message to themselves regarding the colossal property tax tsunami of a mess they’ve made for us? Well, not so much.

With only a few more weeks remaining in this year’s session, activity is focused on resolving differences between the House and Senate versions of numerous bills, major and minor. There will be legislation taken up in the House this week dealing with education property taxes.

Senate appropriations was wrapping up the budget when I left the Statehouse around 5 p.m. last Friday, as indicated by the large group of people outside their committee room. The Senate will vote on the budget later this week and then it will come back to the House. More than likely there will need to be some negotiations between the House and Senate before it is sent to the governor.

I have carried this poem with me for years. Always close at hand, it is tucked into my wallet. I reread it from time to time to remind myself of what it takes to “get the job done” — whatever the job may be.