By Vern Grubinger Blueberries are a popular backyard fruit. Once established, they will provide lots of delicious, healthy berries for many decades with proper care. To succeed with blueberries, plant winter-hardy varieties and maintain soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Mulch every few years with several inches of wood chips or sawdust. Apply a non-nitrate…

False hellebore is a poisonous lookalike If you are outdoors foraging for wild leeks, also known as ramps (Allium tricoccum), health officials want you to be sure you don’t mistake the ramps for a poisonous lookalike plant called false hellebore, pronounced faals heh-luh-bor. The young leaves of American false hellebore (Veratrum viride) can resemble the edible…

  Proceeds benefit the Springfield Humane Society  Saturday, April 29, at 3 p.m.—SPRINGFIELD— Head to the Great Hall in Springfield this Saturday from 3-7 p.m., to enjoy art, live music, entertainment, appetizers, beverages, and learn about the Springfield Humane Society’s mission, present state, and future.  “We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves,” the…

It’s almost time for spring turkey hunting in Vermont. Youth and novice turkey hunting weekend is April 29-30 this year, and the regular spring turkey season is May 1-31. “The youth and novice turkey hunting weekend provides an excellent opportunity for experienced hunters to teach young or new hunters how to safely and successfully hunt wild…

Friday-Sunday April 28-30—RUTLAND—Vermont Actors’ Repertory Theatre, a nonprofit theater group located in Rutland, will present the world premiere of “Going Up the Country.” The play has been adapted from Yvonne Daley’s book of the same name. Performances of this play with music will be held this weekend on Friday, April 28 and Saturday, April 29…

Upper Valley theatre brings a Black queer lens to a hilarious, immersive one-person show April 27 to May 14—WHITE RIVER JCT— JAG Productions is opening its new one-person comedy, “Every Brilliant Thing,” starring Jarvis Antonio Green, April 27 at Briggs Opera House in White River Junction. Green is JAG’s founder and producing artistic director. This is…

  The spirited performance troupe known as Barn Opera is inviting the Killington-Rutland community to a unique meet-and-greet plus a concert, being held on May 3, from 6-7 p.m., at The Hub CoWorks, 67 Merchants Row in Rutland. Most area residents refer to that location as The Opera House, and next week, Barn Opera’s performers…

Submissions are open for all categories The guys who brought you the first ever Vermont Comedy Festival this past December are at it again with the first ever Vermont Film Festival. The comedy fest will be an annual thing and the hope for this is to follow the same blueprint. I sat down with founders/comedians…

Mrs. Schneider’s Killington Pre-k class collected four bags of trash last Friday in honor of Earth.

  By Mike Roy Editor’s note: Mike Roy is a member of the town of Middlebury Energy Committee, serves on the board of the Climate Action Economy Center of Addison County, and this year is serving as one of 16 Climate Catalysts with the Vermont Council on Rural Development.  What is the carbon footprint of…

  Dear Editor, The new Career and Technical Education report from outside consultants strengthens the argument that Vermont’s education system is a mess.  After over 40 years teaching and helping to plan education reforms around the world, I believe that Vermont’s continuing commitment to fixing what’s broken in different silos of the system and within those silos…

Dear Editor,  Rutland South Rotary Club is doing its part to protect the environment by starting with a roundup of the poisonous weed killer Roundup. They are asking those who have containers of Roundup sitting in their garages, basements, or sheds, empty or with some quantity left, to please bring them to the Vermont Farmers…

Dear Editor, April is volunteer appreciation month, and Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains wants every person who volunteers for us to know that we appreciate them. We have more than 4,000 volunteers across New Hampshire and Vermont who give generously of their time and talent to ensure that Girl Scouts are encouraged…

Dear Editor,  The Vermont Sierra Club supports the passage of S.5, the Affordable Heat Act (AHA). We appreciate the hard work of representatives and senators to move this important policy forward. We believe that the governor must act now to send this proposal to the Public Utilities Commission and don’t delay any further in transitioning…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication to the Mountain Times.  When the House Committee on General and Housing was handed the omnibus housing bill last week, S.100, committee members were eager to contribute to one of the key legislative issues of…