Local Analysis

Animal Welfare in Rutland County

RUTLAND HERALD 01/29/21 By Michael Shank For those who have been following this story in Brandon regarding our recently dismissed Animal Control Officer (ACO), a story the Rutland Herald covered recently, there’s some additional information and background that will be helpful in both unpacking what happened and preparing and equipping […]

Getting Off Fossil Gas

VTDIGGER 12/30/20 By Michael Shank Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank, of Brandon, who is communications director for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance and adjunct faculty at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs. This month witnessed the launch of the first-ever “Gas Index,” which ranks American metropolitan […]

Electricity is Cleaner and Healthier

RUTLAND HERALD 12/26/20 TIMES ARGUS 12/26/20 By Michael Shank This month witnessed the launch of the first-ever “Gas Index,” which ranks American metropolitan areas on the leakiness of the gas supply chains that service their cities. This new index — of which Burlington ranks in the middle – takes into […]

Working Toward Thriving Communities

VTDIGGER 11/04/20 By Michael Shank  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank of Brandon, who is vice chair of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and the chair of the Brandon Planning Commission. He was an independent candidate for a Rutland District seat in the Vermont State Senate. When the […]

Rutland County Needs to Band Together for Broadband

VTDIGGER 10/07/20 By Michael Shank Editor’s note: This commentary is by Michael Shank of Brandon, who is vice chair of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission and the chair of the Brandon Planning Commission. Many things in life are easier when done together. Whether it’s education, economic development, everyday chores or […]

Band Together for Broadband

MOUNTAIN TIMES 10/07/20 By Dr. Michael Shank Many things in life are easier when done together. Whether it’s education, economic development, everyday chores or even emergency response, when you have more hands and more help, the work is more efficiently executed and more effectively implemented. It takes a village to […]

Broadband for All

RUTLAND HERALD 10/07/20 By Michael Shank Many things in life are easier when done together. Whether it’s education, economic development, everyday chores or even emergency response, when you have more hands and more help, the work is more efficiently executed and more effectively implemented. It takes a village to lighten […]

A Roadmap for a Resilient Rutland County

By Dr. Michael Shank Published: September 20, 2020 Protecting our infrastructure – physical, economic and social – from shocks to the system should be everyone’s priority. It’s compromised by increasingly extreme weather, extreme economic hardship and extreme ideologies. Committing to a repair and reinvestment strategy, then, should be on everyone’s […]

Education and Life Skills

RUTLAND HERALD 09/19/20 By Michael Shank As a university professor who has worked for educators in the U.S. Congress and was raised by high school teachers, I’m constantly thinking about the education system and how best to equip the next generation of leaders. I’ve also been interviewing educators throughout Vermont, […]

Rutland Roundtables

MOUNTAIN TIMES 09/16/20 By Dr. Michael Shank Storytelling. It’s the one thing that has the potential to cut through the political noise and allow us to see each other in a new way. It’s why we love films, books, and television series so much. We’re drawn to stories. And as […]