Cal Garrison (a.k.a Mother of the Skye) writes weekly horoscopes for The Mountain Times. If you would like an emailed notification sent to you weekly, sign up for the newsletter, below.         Horoscopes for April 2 - April 8, 2015 Aries March 21 - April 20 The way things are going you would…

Free outdoor concerts, a mud run, food and wine festivals, and more KILLINGTON – The Killington Pico Area Association (KPAA) has announced a full slate of events for the 2015 summer season. Beginning with the Killington Stage Race on Memorial Day weekend and continuing through September with the Spartan Race. The robust lineup includes the…

By Dom Cioffi I drove my family to Florida recently for a week’s vacation on the beach. We opted for driving instead of flying so we could afford a better hotel with better amenities.  I do most if not all of the driving on trips like this while my wife and son watch movies and…

KILLINGTON — Eat, drink and be “Irie” is the theme for Vermont’s first Caribbean Foodie festival, scheduled for July 31-Aug. 1, 2015 at Killington Resort. The resort announced what it plans to be the first Annual Vermont JerkFest & Reggae Festival celebrating all things spicy and jerk hot in the cool mountains of Vermont, on…

By Robin Alberti KILLINGTON — On April 3-5 discounted single-day lift tickets were offered at Pico Mountain. With the donation of three non-perishable food items a lift ticket cost just $25 for all ages. The closing weekend promotion supported BROC-Community Action in Southwest Vermont, a nonprofit organization which provided over 40,000 meals to low-income Vermonters…

RUTLAND–A Boston solar developer is putting down roots in Rutland, adding to Green Mountain Power’s Solar Capital initiative and the increasing occupancy rate of Downtown Rutland. NextSun Energy, which began developing solar in Massachusetts in 2010 and has built four projects in Vermont in recent months, including two major projects in the City of Rutland,…

By Robin Alberti Myra Peffer, director of the Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum, (center) accepts a check for $4,500 from Heritage Family Credit Union. The funds were raised from the second annual “Shiver Me Shamrocks” 5K run in Rutland, March 14. For the second year in a row, the Heritage Family Credit Union sponsored the “Shiver Me…

On April 3, the Agency of Human Services announced the selection of the first seven Vermont communities that will participate in the new Promise Communities initiative. This initiative supports collaboration across the education, health care, human service, public, and private sectors to create an all-of-the-above, comprehensive approach to transforming communities to better support children with…

On April 2, the Vermont House of Representatives passed a comprehensive education reform package that proposes to address growing disparity in learning opportunities for Vermont’s students, and places firm restrictions on local education spending growth. “Vermonters want property tax relief and greater equity in education across our delivery system,” said Speaker Shap Smith. “Balancing what’s…

By Amy Ash Nixon, VTDigger.org As a bill that requires larger school systems works its way through the Legislature, a group of House lawmakers has formed a Small and Rural Schools Caucus to focus on issues that could affect their districts. The group has met three times in recent weeks, said Rep. Laura Sibilia, I-West…

By VTDigger staff Vermonters oppose taxes on carbon and sugary drinks and show less support for Governor Peter Shumlin, according to the annual Town Meeting Day poll conducted by Sen. Bill Doyle, R-Washington. The 11,000 returned surveys also show a drop in support for the legalization of marijuana, compared to last year’s Doyle poll. This…

HARTFORD — A project to replace the I-91 bridges over US Route 5 in White River Junction is underway, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) announced April 3. Thanks to the deployment of an innovative slide-in construction technique, the highway will remain open during construction except for two weekends, likely in late August depending on…

S.20, a bill that allows dental therapists to practice in Vermont, passed the Senate floor on an 18-8 vote April 3. This legislation, sponsored by Sen. Claire Ayer (D- Addison), Sen. Michael Sirotkin (D-Chittenden), and Sen. Jeanette White (D-Windham), will increase access to affordable, quality dental care for all Vermonters. Sponsor and Chair of the…

A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) finds in New England electric rates for families and businesses went up an average of 9 percent last year. During that same time, GMP reduced rates by 2.46 percent. GMP has kept rates low for customers–as cost pressures increase–by finding efficiencies in operations and through…

On April Fool’s Day, a coalition of labor and human rights groups spoke out to say they’re “not fooled” by harsh austerity actions in the Vermont State House, arguing the budget crisis is in fact a revenue crisis which results from the failure to raise taxes in an equitable way--from those who can afford it.…