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The Open Column

Independent civic journalism and reader-driven commentary for the Millbrook Valley — where the debate stays in the open.

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Column: The Valley Does Not Need a Slogan, It Needs a Sidewalk

A branding consultant wants to sell us a new tagline for the valley. The stretch of missing sidewalk on Main Street would serve us better.

Published September 14, 2026
Categorized as Opinion & Columns

The River Flats Are Sinking Slowly, and the Maps Have Not Caught Up

Longtime residents of the river flats say their yards flood in storms that the official maps still call routine.

Published September 13, 2026
Categorized as Environment & Land

Reader Letters: On Speed Bumps, Streetlights, and the Farmers Market Parking Fight

This week’s mailbag runs hot on traffic calming near the elementary school and cold on the market’s new parking arrangement.

Published September 12, 2026
Categorized as Reader Letters

School Budget Passes, but the Music Program Survives on a Technicality

Trustees approved next year’s spending plan after a marathon session, restoring the middle-school music line only after a parent found a coding error.

Published September 11, 2026
Categorized as Civic Affairs

Water District Proposes Tiered Rates as Reservoir Dips Below Average

The valley’s main reservoir is running low for a second dry year, and the district wants to charge heavy users more per gallon.

Published September 10, 2026
Categorized as Environment & Land

Volunteer Crews Reopen the Old Quarry Trail Ahead of Schedule

After two weekends of chainsaws and wheelbarrows, the loop above the quarry is walkable again for the first time since the winter storms.

Published September 9, 2026
Categorized as Community

Column: We Keep Voting on the Same Culvert Because Nobody Will Own It

The Depot Road culvert has been studied four times in six years, and every study lands in the same drawer.

Published September 8, 2026
Categorized as Opinion & Columns

Millbrook Valley Board Delays Ridgeline Zoning Vote for Third Time

A packed hearing ended without a decision as the planning board sent the ridgeline overlay back to committee, frustrating residents on both sides.

Published September 7, 2026
Categorized as Civic Affairs

Recent Posts

  • Column: The Valley Does Not Need a Slogan, It Needs a Sidewalk
  • The River Flats Are Sinking Slowly, and the Maps Have Not Caught Up
  • Reader Letters: On Speed Bumps, Streetlights, and the Farmers Market Parking Fight
  • School Budget Passes, but the Music Program Survives on a Technicality
  • Water District Proposes Tiered Rates as Reservoir Dips Below Average

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