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,…

Dec. 28-30 — RUTLAND — College of St. Joseph will conduct its first annual Holiday Baseball Camp on the CSJ campus from Dec. 28-30. CSJ head baseball coach Bob Godlewski and his coaching staff will focus the camp on pitching, catching and hitting, with an emphasis on fundamentals and individualized instruction. Members of the Fighting Saints baseball…

Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 5 p.m. — LUDLOW — Okemo Mountain Resort turns New Year’s Eve into a family celebration by moving midnight forward – allowing families with young children to ring in the New Year at a reasonable hour. Okemo’s family New Year’s Eve party is scheduled from 5 to 9 p.m. on Dec. 31.…

Saturday, Dec. 27 at 3 & 5:30 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — Billings Farm & Museum, gateway to Vermont’s rural heritage, will host the award winning film “Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago” on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 3 and 5:30 p.m. as part of the 5th Annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series. “Walking the Camino: Six Ways to…

Q: I keep hearing that I should put LED light bulbs in my home, but they always seem to be the more expensive option. Why should I pay more for an LED? A: It is true that LEDs do tend to have a higher up-front cost, but there are many things that make them a…

By Tom Joyce If there is anybody out there who is going to need a drink after work, it’s Rudolph! First he wasn’t even scheduled to work Christmas Eve! Oh, he applied for the job alright but was quickly shown the door when his prosthetic fell off and exposed his luminous snozzola. Sure, he might…

By Karen D. Lorentz Killington is famously big and has an abundance of terrain that offers skiers and riders of all ability levels a huge choice of wide, groomed cruisers, narrow classic New England runs, moguls, steeps, all manner of glades and trees, terrain parks, halfpipe, and gentle learning hills. It’s that size and variety…

Wednesday, Dec. 31 at 7 p.m. — RUTLAND — Come join the fun on New Year’s Eve VAC’s 27th Gala Dinner Dance and Auction on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, at the Rutland Country Club. Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 7-8 p.m. followed by an elegant dinner and dancing to Bobby and Susie Dick until 1…

RANDOLPH — Starting Jan. 1, bands throughout New England will have the opportunity to enter Chandler Music Hall’s second annual Beat the Band contest. In celebration of the diversity and originality of music being produced across the region, Chandler is inviting both amateur and professional bands from all genres to compete for the opportunity to perform…

Spending time on ice skates is a great winter activity for all ages to enjoy. Many towns in Central Vermont have indoor rinks that are open for the season. See listings below for individual rinks and their open ice times. Please note, fees for ice use may apply, and generally, rentals are available for a…

By Cristina Kumka The local option tax has served the town well, allowing town officials to increase the number of spring, summer and fall events in town by 75 percent since 2009 and paying down debt on a municipal golf course that was once $4 million in the hole. Continuing to pay down that debt…

Commins holiday films featured on Hallmark Channel By John Flowers The next time you watch one of those made-for-TV Christmas movies on the Hallmark Channel, realize that the idea and dialogue were more than likely the creations of Middlebury resident Kevin Commins. Commins, 60, is a professional screenwriter specializing in documentaries and feature film scripts.…

Photo by Robin Alberti A man gazes at a snowy slope on Bear Mountain in Killington, which opened earlier than expected after Winter Storm Duncan blanketed the area with over a foot of snow.