Local News
Dream Maker Bakers will close Dec. 22
December 11, 2024
By Polly Mikula Megan Wagner, owner of Dream Maker Bakers, announced Saturday Dec. 7, that she will be closing her bakery in Killington. “With a mix of emotions, I’m announcing that Dream Maker Bakers will be permanently closing on December 22, 2024,” she posted on Facebook. “This is something that I have known I wanted…
Long-time Killington clerk is retiring
December 11, 2024
By Curt Peterson No one will ever call Lucrecia Wonsor a “nine-to-fiver.” The veteran Killington clerk (20 years, 4 months) and treasurer (11 years, 10 months) is known for her dedication to her responsibilities, working long hours and some weekends to successfully manage the official and financial affairs of this resort town of about 1,500…
Meet John Neal: Master of a versatile, enjoyable career
December 11, 2024
By Karen D. Lorentz When someone has worked their entire adult life in as many different ski-industry positions as John Neal, it’s not too surprising to hear him say, “The people and the passion for the sport and lifestyle have given me the opportunity to have a career I enjoy.” Neal grew up in Ludlow,…
Parents complaints about gender curriculum in kindergarten spark concerns from local advocacy groups about censorship
December 11, 2024
By John Flowers/Addison Independent and Mountain Times staff The leadership of the Rutland Area NAACP raised concern over recent developments in neighboring Addison County related to the actions of two Mary Hogan Elementary School parents/guardians who have challenged gender-related instructional materials to educate kindergarten students at the Middlebury school. According to sources, the complaints relate…
Howard Barbash, age 80
December 11, 2024
Howard Barbash passed peacefully on Dec. 6 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center following a long but hard-fought battle with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). His wife, Connie, was with him durinag this time as she had always been during their 41 years of “blissful” marriage. …
Opinions/Columns
School district budget woes are exacerbated by late changes
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This letter was originally scripted as a message to legislators. As you get ready to go to work in Jan. I wanted to share the budget situation in our district. Due to the penalty phase being enacted, we calculated that we would need to cut $2.5 million to stay under the…
Care Coordinators save lives and costs
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Is aging at home working for you? Do you have an advocate that checks in, helps find what you need, someone to talk over what going on? I do in Sharon. We have Dena, Health Care Coordinator, because 10 years ago a group us formed the Sharon Health Initiative (SHI), to get this…
End disability discrimination in general assistance hotel shelter
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, The administration’s announcement that the discriminatory prioritization categories throughout the winter months will be used is not only inhumane; it does not follow the law, which created no such prioritization categories and states who is eligible for shelter on a first come, first serve basis. These “priority categories” deprioritize people experiencing homelessness and…
Vt eases access to food program for community college students
December 11, 2024
Dear Editor, Earning a college degree is challenging, especially for Vermont students who balance school, jobs, and family while working to put food on the table. Fortunately, a new policy change now makes it easier for Vermont’s community college students to access 3SquaresVT, the state’s name for the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to…
Send a message by working together
December 11, 2024
By Dan Smith Editor’s note: Dan Smith is the president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. People are tired of politics. Fear, mistrust and polarization have that effect. Trust is the connective tissue of civic structures, and the trend at every level is to trust leaders and each other less and less. As elections…
Top Events
State News
Long-time Killington clerk is retiring
December 11, 2024
By Curt Peterson No one will ever call Lucrecia Wonsor a “nine-to-fiver.” The veteran Killington clerk (20 years, 4 months) and treasurer (11 years, 10 months) is known for her dedication to her responsibilities, working long hours and some weekends to successfully manage the official and financial affairs of this resort town of about 1,500…
Healthcare, housing take center stage with new Vt legislative leaders
December 11, 2024
Vermont’s legislative focus is sharpening on healthcare and housing as Representative Lori Houghton (D-Essex Junction) and Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale (D-Chittenden County) take on their new roles as House and Senate majority leaders, respectively. Both leaders transitioned from key committee chair roles, marking the first in at least two decades for Vermont’s Legislature. Houghton, a…
Vermont State Historic Sites attendancehits 22-year high, more to open
December 11, 2024
2024 was a banner year at Vermont State Historic Sites. New data released Dec. 3 by the Vermont Dept. of Housing and Community Development’s Division for Historic Preservation shows 80,678 people spent $512,053 at seven Vermont State Historic Sites during the 2024 season. Spending is the result of admission fees (charged at six sites) and sales at six…
House leadership prepares to tackle property tax
December 11, 2024
On Tuesday, Dec. 3, Speaker Jill Krowinski and the Chairs of House Education and Ways and Means outlined the groundwork for the upcoming legislative session to address the rising property taxes and the future of public education in Vermont. Governor Scott issued the administration’s “December 1 Letter” which projected a property tax increase next year…
Study group hesitant about psychedelic therapy in Vt
December 11, 2024
By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger A Vermont advisory group is not recommending a state psychedelic therapy program after group members could not agree on its potential risks and benefits. In a final report issued mid-Noveber, the Psychedelic Therapy Advisory Working Group declined to support the creation of some kind of a state-backed program involving therapeutic use of psychedelic drugs, specifically…
Arts & Entertainment
‘Emilia Pérez’ aims high but doesn’t quite reach the top
December 11, 2024
Jacques Audiard’s musical thriller can’t achieve its lofty ambitions but still offers more than most films Acclaimed French film director Jacques Audiard delivered one of the best crime films of the past 20 years in 2009’s “A Prophet.” Audiard returns to the crime world once more, but this time, he travels from the French prison…
Shaker Bridge Theatre presents ‘The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley’
December 11, 2024
Thursday-Sunday, Dec. 10-22—WHITE RIVER JUNCTION—Shaker Bridge Theatre opened “The Wickhams: Christmas at Pemberley” on Thursday, Dec. 5, at the Briggs Opera House. This yuletide sequel to “Pride and Prejudice,” written by Lauren M. Gunderson and Margot Melcon, invites audiences to experience Pemberley’s bustling servants’ quarters during the holiday season. The story unfolds as Mrs. Reynolds,…
Jingle Bell Shop bring holiday cheer to downtown Rutland
December 11, 2024
Thursday, Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. — RUTLAND —The highly anticipated Jingle Bell Shop returns to downtown Rutland on Thursday, Dec. 12, from 5-8 p.m., blending festive shopping with locally sourced food and drink in an event designed to support local businesses and bring seasonal cheer. For $25, ticket holders can explore nearly 30 stops…
Creativity shines at Killington’s Festival of Trees
December 11, 2024
The Festival of Trees, part of the Vermont Holiday Festival held Dec. 5-7 at the Killington Grand Hotel, once again brought holiday cheer and creativity to the spotlight. Local businesses showcased their talent by sponsoring and decorating themed trees, which filled the venue with festive magic and community spirit. The competition featured standout designs that…
The Dance Factory prepares for its 33rd annual ‘Nutcracker’ performance
December 11, 2024
Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 15-16—SPRINGFIELD — The Dance Factory will enchant audiences with its 33rd annual production of “The Nutcracker” at Springfield High School on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Directed by Ashley Hensel-Browning, the performance features a cast of youth and adult dancers, dazzling custom costumes, and magical elements like a growing…
