By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of an Aries Moon, a few days ahead of the 2018 Winter Solstice. I was born with the Moon in Aries, and on top of the power of the Solstice, this week is a big milestone for me.…

Wednesday Dec. 19 KILLINGTON 5:30 p.m. Charity’s 1887 Saloon Frank Chase 6 p.m. Liquid Art Open Mic with Fiddlewitch 9 p.m. JAX Food & Games Tony Lee Thomas PAWLET 7 p.m. The Barn Restaurant and Tavern “Pickin’ in Pawlet” POULTNEY 6:30 p.m. Taps Tavern Jazz Night with Zac Hampton’s Moose Crossing RUTLAND 9:30 p.m. Hide-A-Way…

Dear Editor, Things are getting better. Dec 11 is the time when the sun starts to set later. A second of time a day at the start and by noon March 20 (the equinox, when the Sun crosses the equator and day and night are equally long at the equinox) when we gain 4 minutes…

Dear Editor, On Saturday, Nov. 17, the Pittsford Recreation Department sponsored the annual holiday craft sale in the Lothrop Gym and downstairs in the cafeteria. The Recreation Department would like to recognize Kelly Connaughton, the craft fair coordinator. Thank you very much for all your hard work you put into the Craft Fair events the…

By Melissa Martin Santa Claus (a.k.a, St. Nick, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa) is a Christmas figure celebrated for flying around the globe on Dec. 25 to give gifts to children. And the holly-jolly guy carries around a list of names with two columns: one labeled “good” and one labeled “bad.” “Santa Claus…

By Angelo Lynn Vermont’s congressional delegation lined up in support of a compromise $867 billion Farm Bill passed overwhelmingly by the U.S. House and Senate earlier this week. The House approved the bill 386-47; the Senate approved it 87-13. The strong bipartisan support, analysts said, was spurred in part by pressure from farmers battered by…

By Euphemia Anderson Vermont is known for its picturesque pastures, endless seas of white pines, and its historically tight-knit communities. Being the sixth smallest state in the country geographically, with the second smallest population, it has maintained its open spaces without infringement for most of its existence. But there is something that is slowly killing…

Vermont ranks No. 2 among states with the highest number of Peace Corps volunteers per capita, according to a recent announcement.  There are 43 volunteers from Vermont currently serving worldwide and 1,622 Vermonters have served in the Peace Corps since the agency’s founding in 1961. Notably, Vermont has ranked as a top volunteer-producing state per…

Kwanzaa traces its origins to Africa and is celebrated across North America and other nations that have large populations that trace their heritage to Africa. The holiday begins on December 26 and continues until January 1. The main components of the celebration include family, community and culture. Kwanzaa was not designed to replace Christmas. In…

By Curt Peterson After 1 ½ years of fighting  and pondering an independent school, the Barnard School Board agreed on Dec.17 to pursue a voluntary merger with the Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District. “I move that the WCMUUSD Board not pursue a forced merger, and require Barnard to vote in the affirmative before…

By Katy Savage A Killington vacation homeowner may need an Act 250 permit to continue renting his home. Act 250 District Coordinator William Burke said the three-bedroom home on Estabrook Road has “potential for significant adverse impacts under Act 250 criteria” in a Dec. 13, 2018 opinion letter. Homeowner Vincent Connolly has caused contention for…

By Katy Savage Mondo Mediaworks is pulling out of a one-year $150,000 contract to market Rutland County three months early. Mondo, the Brattleboro-based digital marketing company, was hired by the Rutland Regional Chamber of commerce and Rutland Economic Development Corporation two years ago to produce digital marketing campaigns for Rutland and the surrounding area.  The…

By Julia Purdy When President Calvin Coolidge called for the first-ever national Christmas tree in 1923, Riley Bostwick was ready. He knew just the tree, an imposing wild balsam fir growing on Bread Loaf Mountain in Ripton, on forest land belonging to publisher and philanthropist Col. Joseph Battell of Middlebury. Working at that time as…

Staff report A new restaurant and deli are opening in  Killington. Don Billings, who owns The Bakery on West Street and Roots the Restaurant on Washington Street in Rutland, recently purchased the former Phat Italian and On the Rocs in Killington. His deli and market, now called Mountain Merchant, opened in time for the World…

By Katy Savage When Dick Horner came to Killington back in 1989, Killington Road was just one lane in both directions, the Killington Grand Hotel didn’t exist and snowboarding was in its infancy. In his 30 years as town planning and zoning administrator, Horner has overseen development of major projects that have shaped Killington Resort…