By Declan McCabe I consider the lack of biting insects and other invertebrates to be a wondrous gift of the winter season. I can wander unmolested through wood and field absent the attentions of mosquitoes, deer flies, and ticks. And aside from a short list of “usual suspects,” insects are a rarity to be encountered…

By Victoria Gaither For 25 years, Black Dog Sports in Killington has been getting skiers and snowboarders ready forThe Beast. Based on industry standards, new techniques developed over the years by owner and operator Dave Manning provide skiers with a better edge to ride Killington and Pico. “We iron on the wax, and it’s a…

By Brooke Geery Skolf, developed by Airblaster in 2016/2017, is a competitive snowboarding blend of S-K-A-T-E and golf. For the past several seasons, the outerwear brand has held skolf world tours, crowning champions across the globe. But with Covid-19, the world tour was scrapped for a  smaller, localized activation. The Darkside in Killington was one…

By Cassandra Tyndall Many moons ago, I had a powerlifting coach who helped me take my lifting goals to the next level. He used to call out a series of coaching cues that totally revolutionized the way I lifted. “Tighten up tension out,” he’d say in a calm deep voice as I prepared to deadlift.…

Every year, advocates join together to raise their voice in support of Mental Health Advocacy Day at the Statehouse. This year is no exception, everyone is meeting virtually on Monday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to call on Vermont leaders and legislators to support “Our Mental Health in the Time of Covid.” The Covid pandemic will be the focus of this year’s Mental Health Advocacy…

Gov. Scott issues proclamation recognizing Jan. 24-30 as Vt. School Choice Week In the midst of a school year like no other, Vermont families and educators are gearing up to safely spotlight education options during School Choice Week 2021. Vermont community members are hosting 69 virtual or at-home celebrations during the week. Taking place annually…

FAIR HAVEN—Fair Haven Free Library Is now offering take-out… for your child’s brain that is. The library has prepared several story time take-out kits. Each kit contains four books on a theme with accompanying family fun activities appropriate for children approximately age 3-8. Current available themes are Penguins, Silly Stories, Maple Sugaring, Pirates, Valentine’s Day, Presidents,…

By Amy Collett Opening a business used to involve high startup costs, piles of inventory, and an ecologically unfriendly amount of waste. But if your dream is to become an ECOpreneur, there are options – and they don’t require overconsumption of fossil fuels or living out of a cubicle. Check out these ECOpreneurship ideas and…

WEST HAVEN—Devil’s Bowl Speedway is making a big change for the 2021 season. The historic half-mile Vermont dirt track is switching to Saturday as its primary race night for the new year, setting itself up for a schedule that should be more convenient for fans, competitors, and officials. Opening night will be Saturday, May 1…

Wed. Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.—All of this has happened before and will happen again as noted by Marcus Aurelius—the same plot from beginning to end, the identical staging. However, when you are in the midst of a pandemic, it feels as if it’s never happened before (it most likely hasn’t happened to you before) and…

A talk by Professor Ellery Foutch MIDDLEBURY—The Henry Sheldon Museum presents “Forget Me Not: Memorial Practices in 19th-Century Vermont,” a talk by Professor Ellery Foutch on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. In this talk presented via Zoom, Professor Foutch will discuss memorial wreaths and mourning objects created in Vermont in the 1800s. Crafted from…

By Brooke Geery Burton Snowboards, based in Burlington, has announced a program to support shops during the challenges of Covid-19, by encouraging customers to stop by and enter to win a professional snowboarder’s personal equipment. George Carpenter, son of Burton founder Jake Burton Carpenter and Donna Carpenter, explained in a letter: “When Covid hit, our…

Fair Haven public schools went all-remote this week after discovering Friday, Jan. 22, that two people with Covid-19 “were in attendance while contagious,” said Brooke Olsen-Farrell, superintendent of the Slate Valley school district. “Contact tracing is underway and we are in the process of notifying anyone with possible exposure and sending them home until a…

With the 2021 winter ice fishing season firmly underway, and Free Fishing Day coming up on Saturday, Jan. 30, the Vermont Fish& Wildlife Dept. (VTFW) announced they have created an online virtual ice fishing festival to help new anglers learn about ice fishing equipment, gear, and techniques. For the past seven years, VTFW has hosted an in-person…

Jim Curran, executive director of Dismas of Vermont, Inc. (DOV), has announced the planned March 2021 opening in Rutland of a fifth “Dismas House.” The new residence, to open in March in Rutland, will be the fifth Dismas House in Vermont working to effect lasting reconciliations between Vermont communities and justice-involved persons. The facility, to…