'A Glimmer of Hope' Thank you to Joe Sexton and Seven Days for sharing the stories of people connected with Enough Ministries and other community leaders in Barre ["Acts of the Apostles," December 4]. My older sister was one of the early fentanyl casualties, in 2011. We were raised in a church family, and I saw how she was shunned in her darkest days. The reminder that we are all "imperfect, even broken, people" is important. It's easy to dismiss people who are lost in addiction. It's harder to look them in the eye and meet their pain. There are no easy answers for solving the addiction epidemic. Thank you to the community leaders in Barre for providing a glimmer of hope for people who desperately need it. Hilary Casillas Monkton 'Gritty' Sounds Sh*tty With all respect and admiration for this newspaper and the people who make it an important part of Vermont, I hope that Seven Days will rethink reporting that categorizes Barre with negative stereotypes. Love Joe Sexton's story, "Acts of the Apostles" [December 4], but Paula Routly's preamble to the story [From the Publisher: "Leap of Faith"] describes Barre as "perhaps the state's grittiest ... city." It is this kind of continued, incorrect stereotype of our city that perpetuates an untrue narrative of this wonderful place. Barre is a town of folks who are considerate of others and take pride in their downtown, as well as the many neighborhoods and countryside that encompass it. We have a deep and wonderful history, as well as a vibrant and supportive current population. Bill Sugarman Barre Editor's note: A definition of "gritty" is "showing courage and resolve." Synonyms include brave, gutsy, bold and resolute. 'Support the Stickerers' [Re "Sticky Situation: A Proposed Burlington Ordinance Would Let People Sue Over Hateful Graffiti and Stickers. First Amendment Lawyers Have Concerns," November 6]: The hate is not coming from the stickerers; it's coming from the authoritarian city council. "No one was ever born in the wrong body" is not a hateful message. Nor is "woman = female adult." Nor is it hateful to oppose a local news channel's report on "people who pump in the workplace." Yet when I did so, I was verbally attacked in an email — called hateful and transphobic. Women, not people, pump in the workplace. It is utterly unconscionable that the council, starting with the Miro Weinberger administration,…