“Pack to Give Back” event in Rutland prepares 500 boxes for those in need By Robin Alberti RUTLAND — The Vermont Foodbank hosted its first ever “Pack to Give Back” event in Rutland at its new distribution center located on Park St. on Monday, Dec 15. The event was sponsored in partnership with local businesses,…

By Cristina Kumka Killington to hold off on tax repeal idea; town may make hires The Killington Select Board agreed on Tuesday, Dec. 16, without a binding vote, to support hiring a full-time recreation director for an additional cost in the budget for the 2015/16 fiscal year and possibly hiring an assistant treasurer that will…

By Polly Lynn A cockapoo is breed of dogs that is a cross between the cocker spaniel and the poodle. It may not be the first breed one thinks about for search and rescue missions but owner Tom Levy says his dog Bluu is a natural. Weighing in at just 30 pounds, Bluu has no…

By Cristina Kumka Tucked inside one of Rutland’s redeveloping neighborhoods is a rare business that mirrors what’s happening around it — innovatively growing to better serve the community. Lenoci’s Fine Shoe and Leather Repair Shop started 82 years ago after John Lenoci, an Italian cobbler, made his way to Fair Haven then Rutland, working at…

LUDLOW – Okemo Mountain Resort has added kids’ snowmobile tours to its lineup of winter activities for families visiting the popular ski and snowboard resort. Pint-sized Polaris snowmobiles travel at a maximum speed of 8 mph. Kids love the look and sound of the Indy 120 XC – a real snowmobile built for kids. Each…

MOUNT HOLLY—This fall, the Mount Holly Town Library was one of only 12 libraries to be awarded a grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF). The library received $2,000 worth of new books for the library’s children’s collection, plus a storytelling presentation at the Town Library for kindergarten through sixth grade. In spring 2015 CLiF…

Dear Editor, My name is Jessica Moore. I live in Burlington and have lived in Vermont all my life. I became a nurse because I wanted to help people, but the real world of health care is far from what I thought it was. I see patients every day who are diagnosed with debilitating and…

Dear Editor, The next session of the legislature starts in a few weeks. There was a very clear message that education and property taxes had reached the limit of Vermonters’ ability to pay. They want action to solve this problem. Governor Shumlin and legislators have heard the message. The cost of health care, clean-up of…

By Thomas P. Salmon In 1958, when I moved from Boston to Bellows Falls, Vermont was something of an economic and political backwater. The economy was stagnant and political loyalties were virtually unchanged since the Civil War. More people moved out than moved in. Not until 1963 did the human population exceed the bovine. Construction…

By Governor Peter Shumlin Earlier this week, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my public life when I announced that I cannot support a move to a publicly-financed health care system in Vermont at this time. I have advocated for such a system for much of my public life, but over the…

By Steve Costello With a national record set last year and a lack of a specific goal at the 2014 Gift-of-Life Marathon – 12 Days of Giving, a black-and-white definition of success seems elusive to a lot of observers. Since the GOLM wrapped up, I’ve been asked at least 100 times if the new GOLM…

Editor’s note: The Mountain Times receives many questions from readers every week about Killington Resort and Pico Mountain operations. In order to best answer some of the most common questions we will pose them directly to Mike Solimano, president and general manager for Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, who has agreed to respond in an…

By Dom Cioffi My grandmother was the quintessential Italian: she was short, attentive, liked to wear sundresses, hid money underneath the mattress, and spent the better part of her days cooking and watching soap operas. When I showed up and knocked on her door (which was always locked), she would yell, “Who is it?” I…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org For the second consecutive year, Vermont ranks as the second-healthiest state in the U.S., according to America’s Health Rankings 2014 report. The report was is based on an evaluation of four categories of health determinants including behaviors, community and environment, clinical care and policy as well as the health outcomes those…

Smart Approaches to Marijuana chapter takes root in Vermont By Julia Purdy At the start of 2012, both Colorado and Washington State voters legalized recreational marijuana. However, the votes amounted to nothing like a landslide, as many expected, with about half the counties in each state voting against it — a push-back has been building since.…