By Katy Savage With some restaurants, inns and bars being forced to close last year, option tax revenue is down by 50% or more in some towns, but many of them will be able to make up some of that with the help of a federal Covid-19 relief bill. Part of $2.7 billion in federal…

By Brooke Geery For most people, the ski season is over. If you live anywhere other than the Killington-area, that is. (And even many locals have shifted their goals to spring and summer pursuits — fishing, mountain biking, golfing or even yard work.) The fact is, most have other things that come to mind first…

The winning entry in the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry program’s growing works of art contest for Grade 5 was submitted by Emma Haley, who attends Middletown Springs Elementary School. Oak tree in my dreams One night when I was fast asleep, I had a beautiful dream. In my dream, it was dark in my room,…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife (VTF&W)board voted on April 7 to have 60 either-sex moose hunting permits and 40 antlerless moose hunting permits available this year for a hunt limited to Vermont’s Wildlife Management Unit (WMU) E in the northeastern corner of the state.  The science-based hunt will result in an estimated harvest of 51 to 66 moose,…

WEST RUTLAND—The Carving Studio and Sculpture Center (CSSC) presents a gallery exhibition of works from the “Core” series by Tsuneo Narumi through April. The elegantly balanced kinetic sculptures were each carved from a single piece of wood. His aim was to show that freedom can be found among restrictions and that we are all harmonically connected…

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By Leonard Perry, UVM Horticulturist and Charlie Nardozzi, garden consultant Proper planting of containers, sowing greens, and pruning woody perennials are some of the gardening activities for this month. Container gardening remains a hot trend. When planting large containers for the deck or patio, save on soil by creating a false bottom. Most of the…

National Healthcare Decisions Day, a day devoted to educating the public about the importance of advance care planning, is Friday, April 16. Though we at the Vermont Ethics Network spend all year stressing the importance of planning ahead for future health care decisions, we take this annual opportunity to make a public statement encouraging Vermonters…

A good friend died recently. At the age of 80 all his life insurance had expired and his savings were spent. His family, financially, were living from week to week. His failing health along with Covid-19 put him in an intensive care unit for days apart from his family where he died. His hospitalization brought…

A week ago, I explained how I was sitting on the deck of a beautiful boutique hotel overlooking the pristine waters of the Caribbean while writing my column. This week, unfortunately, I’m back to my living room chair. It’s hard returning home after any vacation, but this one was especially difficult. The weather, people, food,…

By Kevin Theissen If you have been procrastinating on one, some or all aspects of your personal finances, why not apply the concept of spring cleaning to your money? The following are some ideas to get started or restarted: Get organized The first thing to do when organizing your finances is to collect all your…

Erie was perched on a sunny branch when I met her on a cold day in March. She turned her head this way and that to survey her surroundings at the Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences (VINS). She is a slender hawk, brown above, with a dark-streaked, buff breast and a long, barred tail. A…

What may sound cute to the general public causes a shudder every year among animal shelter staff across the country. “Kitten season,” as it’s known in the animal welfare field, starts each spring and lasts through fall. Like the term implies, it’s the time of year when unspayed female cats have most of their litters and animal shelters are inundated by orphaned kittens who need intensive care. “Cats can become pregnant…

The Killington Pico Area Association last week announced that it has helped extend operations of the Rutland-Killington commuter bus (a.k.a. The Bus) effective immediately through Thanksgiving. The additional routes will depart from the Rutland Transit Center at 8:15 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. The additional bus routes were made possible by financial support from the town…

The Chaffee Art Center announced Friday, April 9, that plans are underway for Rutland BenchART — a 2021 Community Street Art Project. It will be a fundraiser for the Chaffee Art Center, and benefit downtown Rutland and the region, showcasing local creative talent while fostering the economic vitality of our communities. “This project is a…