By Curt Peterson On Dec. 1 the Killington board of health voted unanimously to pursue a public health order (PHO) regarding an alleged septic system failure 287 Estabrook Road, a short-term rental property belonging to Killington Mountain House LLC (KMH) and Vincent Connolly. A Dec. 15 public hearing will determine whether the PHO will be…

High school senior Netanel Crispe is raising funds to restore and preserve the oldest Jewish known cemetery in Vermont, though many Vermonters are completely unaware of its existence. The East Poultney Jewish Cemetery  was first purchased by the Poultney Jewish community in 1873, and the Jewish cemetery marks the burial place of Vermont’s first Jews…

By Susan Durant Tim Owings and the Mission Farm Bakery have been part of the charm of Mission Farm for the past 23 years. Many a passerby remembers when the bakery was also a café offering simple fare for locals to stop by and enjoy.  More recently, Owings has maintained the bakery as a wholesale…

By Katie Jickling/VTDigger If all goes smoothly, doses of a Covid -19 vaccine could be distributed throughout Vermont this week, but likely won't be administered to anyone until next week. Doctors, state officials, and nursing home administrators are scrambling to get ready to offer the first doses, which will go to high-risk Vermonters.  Medical teams are…

By Polly Mikula and Katy Savage On Friday, Dec. 4, Governor Phil Scott announced that the season for youth winter sports would continue to be postponed due to surging Covid cases in the state. Scott originally announced the ban Nov. 24. Recreation and club sports activities have been on hold since Nov. 14, when the…

By Brooke Geery Dan Tilly has been home brewing cider, wine and beer for almost a decade. Though he dreamt of starting a beer company for years, he finally got down to business this year after the pandemic brought him back to Vermont from London. The Mt. Holly native teamed up with friend and fellow…

By Merisa Sherman As a child, Christmas in our house was absolutely perfect – and was always a party.  Friends and family would gather, Christmas music would be blaring and trays of hors d’oeuvres were placed in different rooms as there were always too many people to squish into the one room where everyone wanted…

By Dom Cioffi I have a friend who has collected movies for years. He’s amassed a huge array of films on multiple formats that has literally commandeered an entire room of his house. I’m an obvious movie-lover but I’ve never felt the need to collect physical copies. In fact, I’ve never been much of a…

By Gary Salmon “May” and “shall” are found on legal documents and for us laypersons mean “can” and “must.” These terms are important when reading H.673 which Governor Scott signed into law on Oct. 8 and became “the law of the land” effective Nov. 1. The legislation modernizes the existing tree warden statutes which have…

By Kevin Theissen Holiday shoppers may not have been racing into brick-and-mortar retail stores, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t shopping. Consumers have earmarked about $998 for spending on winter holidays, which include Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa, according to the National Retail Federation. They plan to spend: Slightly less on gifts for family, friends, and…

By Lee Emmons As winter approaches and snow coats the ground, the tufted titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) will again become a ubiquitous backyard visitor. Familiar to even the most casual observers of nature, titmice readily come to feeders, especially those filled with sunflower seeds. Like many other birds that spend winters here, they seem to relish…

By Cassandra Tyndall One thing was for certain in 2020 and that is, that nothing was certain. As the New Year grows closer and we begin to reflect on the year that was, there is no way we could have known it would have looked quite like this. In our modern and material world, we…

Potato pancakes are traditionally served during Chanukah celebrations. This dish is often referred to as “latkes,” a Yiddish word that loosely translates to “little oily thing.” Potato pancakes are not exclusive to Jewish celebrations and cuisine. Germans have their own variation called “kartoffelpuffer” that can be served with sour cream, applesauce or  smoked salmon. The…

Saturday, Dec. 12 at 3 p.m.—On Dec. 12 an international coalition of performing arts presenters invites viewers to join Sweet Honey in the Rock’s “Celebrating the Holy Days.” Audience members will stream the live concert and turn on their cameras to “be seen” by Sweet Honey in the Rock and by one another in the…

CAVENDISH—Community has never been so important. To underscore that point, the Cavendish Community and Conservation Association (CCCA) has produced its 2021 Cavendish Community Calendar, which is now on sale, just in time for the holidays. You can purchase them at Crows Bakery on Depot Street in Proctorsville, or order them through the mail. Send $20…