Discover More from This Author: MtnTimes
Hotels in Rutland: A look back to yesteryear
February 9, 2023
By Mary Ellen Shaw There is talk of building a hotel in downtown Rutland in the same location where the Berwick Hotel once stood. That hotel was destroyed by fire 50 years ago and since then the spot has been a vacant lot, known locally as “The Pit.” Recently there have been both TV and…
Water boatmen: Foraging beneath the ice
February 9, 2023
By Declan McCabe If you get a chance this winter, take a peek through the icy window of a pond surface. You may see water boatmen (order Hemiptera: Family Corixidae) clinging to the pond floor. Long oar-like hind legs propel these insects, inspiring their common name. Shorter, scoop-like front legs are used for feeding and…
Crazy cold
February 9, 2023
By Merisa Sherman It was quiet. A little too quiet. An eerie quiet. No fresh animal tracks on the ground, no wind moving the trees around. It’s so cold, you feel like even the surrounding air must be frozen even though it truly freezes at temps colder than 300 degrees. You couldn’t hear anything from…
United in love
February 9, 2023
By Dom Cioffi My wife and I were having dinner with some friends recently when the couple started talking about a wedding they had just attended. It was a destination wedding near the ocean with about 25 close family and friends. Apparently, the bride and groom wanted something simple since it was a second marriage…
Too late for business as usual
February 9, 2023
By Richard Hopkins Editor’s note: Richard Hopkins is a retired public health official who has devoted himself to volunteer activities to try to reduce climate change. He is a member of the board of the Climate Economy Action Center of Addison County, and of the town of Middlebury Energy Committee. Do you remember when Al…
Opinion on natural gas was wrong
February 9, 2023
Dear Editor, In the Jan 25 edition of The Mountain Times, environmental activist Bill McKibben opined about health and environmental risks of household gas stoves. He tries to make the case that nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emitted by stoves is a leading cause of asthma and he cites statistical studies to back that up. It strikes…
TIF vote will have big impact
February 9, 2023
Dear Editor, There are few times in our lives when we have the opportunity to have the impact that we, Killington voters, have this March on Town Meeting Day. The last time someone or something had an impact this great on Killington, Pres Smith was hiking to the base of Killington mountain to start planning…
DeSantis, culture wars, and politics perpetuate grievance
February 9, 2023
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. It’s hard to ignore Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican firebrand and likely presidential candidate leading the nation’s third most populous state. His keen sense of timing when championing cultural issues…
FAQs: Killington Forward
February 8, 2023
In response to comments and questions heard around town, on the slopes and at the public hearing, Jan. 30, the Killington Select Board answers questions on what voters need to know to be informed about Killington Forward before voting March 7 on Article 5. What is Killington Forward? Killington Forward is a comprehensive, multi-phased plan…
U.S. Fish and Wildlife service extends effective date to reclassify northern long-eared bat as endangered
February 8, 2023
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is delaying the effective date of the final rule to reclassify the northern long-eared bat from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The agency is extending the effective date by 60 days, from Jan. 30, 2023, to March 31, 2023. The extension will allow the Service to…
Cannabis Control Board issues warning about contamination
February 8, 2023
The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) is issuing a consumer protection warning for flower produced by Holland Cannabis, due to pesticide contamination. The CCB received a report of an adverse health impact allegedly related to the smoking of an unregistered strain of Holland Cannabis flower. The CCB obtained a sample of this product from the complainant…
Safe storage for firearms offered
February 8, 2023
Vermonters who need to remove firearms from their homes now have access to a renewed program that provides safe storage at sites statewide, the Vermont State Police and the Vermont Attorney General’s Office announced Jan. 24. Two of the safe storage sites are in Addison County and one is in Brandon. Under the Firearms Storage…
Vt not meeting its recycling goals
February 8, 2023
By Fred Thys / VTDigger Vermont is still not meeting its goal of recycling and composting half its waste, according to a new report from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation. “We need to do more with waste reduction,” said Josh Kelly, the department’s solid waste program manager and the author of the report. Vermonters…
Mentor Connector’s John Woodward invests in our youth
February 8, 2023
By Liz DiMarco Weinmann Long before recently launched Vermont nonprofits began promising to help disengaged youths “feel valued and experience belonging,” there was Mentor Connector. Working with families, educators, caretakers, business leaders, and other nonprofits, Mentor Connector offers a broad variety of programs led by trusted experts who have been helping youths feel valued, nurtured…
RNESU superintendent full of hope and pragmatism
February 8, 2023
By Erica A. Langston/Addison County Independent BRANDON — This fall, Kristin Hubert, the new superintendent of the Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union (RNESU), welcomed the school year with hope and pragmatism. Six months into her tenure, it’s these sentiments that continue to shape her vision and work in the district. From school closures to a mass…