Quotes in Press

VT DIGGER 08/18/21 By David Goodman An extremist movement led by angry and entitled white men is spreading throughout the country, and Vermont is providing fertile ground for their violent hatred. That’s the contention of Michael Shank, a resident of Brandon, who says he is moving in order to escape […]

KNOLL 08/10/21 As individuals, communities, and companies increasingly turn their focus to improving the environment, how do we prioritize our commitment to carbon reduction and align a common approach to progress? Uncover the strategies trailblazing organizations are taking to protect the planet for generations to come. Guests Michael Shank, PhD […]

RUTLAND HERALD 04/13/21 By Keith Whitcomb Jr.  BRANDON — There won’t be a noise ordinance in town, at least not anytime soon, after a 4-1 rejection voted by the Select Board on Monday. For the past several months, the town has debated whether to draft a noise ordinance. Two public […]

RUTLAND HERALD 03/29/21 By Keith Whitcomb Jr. Staff Writer  BRANDON — Some in town see a noise ordinance as a case of the government overstepping its bounds, meanwhile others think not regulating decibels makes Brandon a hard place to live. The Select Board hosted two public listening forums on March […]

RUTLAND HERALD 03/12/21 By Keith Whitcomb Jr. Staff Writer BRANDON — Citing a belief in term limits and differences of viewpoint from that of town leadership, the chairman of the Planning Commission resigned last week. Michael Shank sent his resignation letter to the Select Board on March 3. At Monday’s […]

RUTLAND HERALD 12/23/20 By Keith Whitcomb Jr. Staff Writer  PITTSFORD — Police, climate change and LGBTQ issues were the topics that the winners of the first Brandon Writes contest chose to focus their essays on. Brandon Writes is a contest put on by Michael Shank, of Brandon, who was behind […]

RUTLAND HERALD 10/28/20 By Keith Whitcomb Jr.  Two local leaders are offering to teach Rutland County board chairs some conflict resolution skills for free. Michael Shank, of Brandon, and Lisa Ryan, of Rutland City, said Tuesday they got the idea to offer this free training after learning about each other’s […]

RUTLAND HERALD 10/21/20 By Keith Whitcomb Jr.  A federal energy regulator, nominated to his position by President Donald Trump, told those attending a virtual renewable energy conference Wednesday that America needs to listen to scientists on man-made climate change. “We’ve got to stop having these disagreements as to whether greenhouse […]

LET’S GROW KIDS 10/08/20 1. What steps would you take to quickly address the immediate emergency need facing households without sufficient internet access, while also planning for a future that will require increasingly faster internet speeds? We need broadband for all. At the Rutland Regional Planning Commission (RRPC), where I […]

THE HERALD 10/01/20 Rutland County District (Three Seats) The Rutland Senate District covers the White River Valley town of Pittsfield. The Herald sent out questionnaires to area candidates running for state representative and state senator. Each was given space to respond to the following questions: As a result of the […]