Photo by Donald Dill Marji Graf, CEO for the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, welcomes Just Doggin’ It to the chamber. Pictured (l-r): Marji Graf; Model Mary Mire as Estella-Luna, the Just Doggin’ It coffee maiden; Miss Vermont U.S. Int’l 2014 Olea Nickitina; Summer Ray, Princess for the Miss America scholarship pageant program, 2012,…

By Denise Simpson, Rutland Regional Health Services Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. The flu viruses spread mainly from person to person through coughs and sneezes. People might also get the flu by touching a surface or object that has flu virus on it and then touching their own…

To ensure Vermont highways remain safe, the Vermont State Police is participating in the National Highway Traffic Safety Campaign that began on Dec. 10 and runs until Jan. 1, 2015. Vermont has experienced 42 traffic fatalities in 2014. Of those traffic fatalities, four operators were impaired by alcohol and six by drugs; most commonly marijuana.…

Photo by Donald Dill Marji Graf, CEO for the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce welcomes Ludlow Laundry Company to the Chamber. Pictured (l-r):Marji Graf, Mike Pacilio and Bob Friedrich. LUDLOW—Ludlow Laundry Company is the new laundromat in Ludlow offering brand new state-of-the-art Speed Queen washers and dryers, as well as large machines for sheets,…

By Cristina Kumka Mountain Green condominium owners are loving a new fish, produce and grocery market right in their complex, according to Chef Brad Pirkey of Maya Papaya CSA. Opened since Thanksgiving weekend, Maya Papaya offers a new option for select groceries and take out dining and folks staying at Mountain Green or the Killington…

By Robin Alberti The Killington ART Garage recently opened its doors on Killington Road, next to Wally’s American Grill, and hopes to be in full operation soon after Christmas. ART Garage owner Traci Templeton started the ART Garage as a summer ART Day Camp at her home on Upper Michigan road in Pittsfield in 2012.…

Does the weather have you feeling down in the dumps? There might be more to it that you realize. For about 5 percent of the population, dark cloudy skies and few daylight hours can lead to an issue known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD). “There are some factors that contribute to that, and usually it’s…

By Benjamin Raymond While there are hundreds of different types of sugars, there are only a few that are of much importance for use as sweeteners in foods. All sugars are made of the elements carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.  These elements are formed into a ring structure. Nutritionists and food scientists may refer to sugars…

Last week, YouTube released its annual (I assume) list of the ten most viewed videos of the year.  Each of the videos therein received tens—if not hundreds—of millions of plays in 2014, which makes the almost total banality of the videos kind of interesting. The only video on the list containing any real semblance of…

A few years ago, I approached Royal Barnard, then editor of the Mountain Times. Intrigued by Brett Yates’ “Generation Y” column, I suggested I write a column geared for our Baby-Boomer generation. The one-word response from Royal, “OK”, launched a four-year stint for me. My first column appeared in mid-September 2010 with the opening line,…

By Kate Rowe Ever wonder why so many people make a New Year’s resolution only to “fail” by February? According to research published in the Clinical Journal of Psychology published by the University of Scranton, almost half of the U.S. population makes a New Year’s resolution each year, yet only eight percent of those people…

A Christmas Tree farmer’s year in review By Patrick White Walking through a large chain store this past October – at least a week before Halloween – I stumbled upon a display of decorations. Not witches and pumpkins, but trees and bells. There’s no question that retailers are intent on pushing the start of the…

By Scott Funk How is it you can go to bed feeling great and wake up in the morning with a pain in your leg that turns out to be osteoarthritis? (For the younger readers of this column, osteoarthritis is a degeneration of joint cartilage the and underlying bone, causing pain and stiffness, usually in…

Friday, Dec. 26 at 7 p.m. — KILLINGTON — Join the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) at the Killington Grand Hotel for a free interactive raptor encounter, on Friday, Dec. 26 at 7 p.m. Live falcons, hawks and owls provide the lens through which we examine food webs, predator-prey relationships and the interdependence of the systems…

Dec. 26-Jan. 1 — WOODSTOCK — Discover the traditions of a late 19th century Vermont Christmas with a visit to the Billings Farm & Museum, gateway to Vermont’s rural heritage. Christmas at the Billings Farm will continue to be featured daily, Dec. 26 – Jan. 1, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tours of the authentically decorated farmhouse,…