They are the purr that heals, the curtain ninja that entertains, the in-house Zen master. They are the cats we invite into our homes and in February the spotlight is on their well-being during National Cat Health Month. Pet cats are varied and complex creatures, whether they are devoted couch surfers, or indoor/outdoor cats that…

Vermont continues to lead the nation by a commanding margin as the top maple producing state. Total U.S. maple syrup production in 2020 was 4.37 million gallons, with Vermont’s contribution accounting for 2.22 million of those gallons (that’s about 51% of U.S. production). The Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association (VMSMA) offers the statewide annual Maple…

By Curt Peterson Windsor Central Unified Union School District board members unanimously approved their search committee’s choice, Sherry Sousa, to be the district’s superintendent. The next step in the process will be completing contract negotiations, and approval of the agreement by the board. “It was a very exciting night,” Sousa told the Mountain Times in…

Dorset Theatre Festival is taking its acclaimed Art of storytelling and playwriting workshops online to students this spring. Building on the success of their first online workshop in fall 2020, the festival is expanding its offerings to reach as many middle and high school students in Vermont as possible and provide support to Vermont teachers.…

All are welcome to attend a free virtual Abenaki speaker series this spring, hosted by the Community College of Vermont (CCV). The series is part of CCV’s ongoing effort to honor the Abenaki people, who originally stewarded the land on which the college’s 12 academic centers are located. “We are pleased to have three accomplished…

Feb. 19 – 28—This series by the Vermont International Film Festival will feature recorded conversations with directors Natasha NGaiza and Ashley O’Shay.  The series will be available for 10 days on VTIFF’s online portal at watch.vtiff.org. More information, tickets and passes on vtiff.org/vtiff-now/split-screen/ The six films  1. “Losing Ground” by Kathleen Collins  One of the first American features directed by a Black woman, Kathleen Collins’s 1982 film was released…

Castleton University can now virtually connect its campuses and provide an improved active learning environment with its new telepresence classroom. Through telepresence, Castleton extends its in-person instruction to remote sites and off-campus students. Telepresence uses high-definition cameras, installed in both the front and rear of the room, allowing distance learners to see both the instructor…

On Thursday, Feb. 11, the Parent Child Center of Rutland County (PCC) announced it had received $1.2 million investment to expand its services. The grant and loan funding, provided by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), will be used to renovate and modernize PCC’s Chaplin Street Site into a community facility that includes a food…

Home renovation trends are ever-changing. Renovations that might have been de rigueur 20 years ago may seem dated now. Recognizing the potentially popular trends of tomorrow is a great way for homeowners to give their homes a fresh new look and put themselves in position to capitalize on popular trends when they put their homes…

The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) would like to remind you that February is National Pet Dental Health Month. An astonishing 80% of dogs and 70% of cats shows signs of oral disease by age 3. Symptoms of gum disease in dogs and cats include yellow and brown build-up of tartar along the gum line,…

Being a good babysitter involves more than just knowing how to keep kids entertained. To help middle school youths learn the skills needed to be a responsible, caring and capable babysitter, University of Vermont (UVM) Extension 4-H is offering a free six-hour babysitting course via Zoom. Anyone in grades 5-8 may register for one of three…

Sundog Poetry Center is pleased to announce that “the blue-collar sun” by Lucas Farrell of Townshend is the winner of the 2020 Sundog Poetry Book Award for a first or second manuscript by a Vermont-based poet. “the blue-collar sun” will be published in partnership with Green Writers Press of Brattleboro  this spring. The award also includes a $500 cash prize, 50…

Rootstock Publishing, a Montpelier-based publisher and imprint of Multicultural Media, Inc., announces the release of “A Lawyer’s Life to Live”, a memoir by Kimberly B. Cheney, Vermont Attorney General (1973-1975), of Montpelier. “A Lawyer’s Life to Live” is about a unique time when Vermont culture was ready for change, and one young lawyer heeded the…

Liz ONeill, a third-generation Vermonter currently residing in Brookline, is a retired teacher having taught for over 25 years and spent 30 plus years volunteering and working at a woman’s advocacy shelter and as a mental health worker for those dealing with substance abuse. Through her experience in education and mental wellness, ONeill was inspired to…

Parent Child Center of Rutland County to expand space and services for rural families, affordable daycare The Biden Administration recently announced that the United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) has provided $1.2 million to the Parent Child Center of Rutland County (PCC). Grant and loan funding will be used to renovate and modernize PCC’s Chaplin…