In fiscal year 2014 Vermont companies earned 519 government contracts worth $103 million dollars—close to a 300 percent increase over FY12 and a 25 percent increase from FY13. This was thanks to the outstanding quality of Vermont products and services and the hard work of the Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) in matching Vermont…

By John Herrick, VTDigger.org Vermont’s plan to improve Lake Champlain’s water quality does not go far enough to comply with federal regulations, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA released phosphorus pollution reduction targets for Lake Champlain at a meeting in Middlebury on Monday, Nov. 17. It also ran a model of the phosphorus…

Dear Editor, Vermont’s not-for-profit hospitals congratulate all of the candidates who have been elected to serve our state over the next two years. Like all Vermonters, our hospitals believe in providing more affordable access to everyone, preserving quality and protecting the right patients have to choose their doctor and hospital and make their own healthcare…

Dear Editor, First, I would like to thank The Mountain Times for printing my concerns with regard to the repealing of the option tax. Secondly, I attended Tuesday’s select board meeting and much to my disappointment the attendance by local residents was sparse, to say the least, with such an important issue on the agenda. However many of…

By Emerson Lynn If several Vermont environmental groups and key policy makers have their way, the Legislature will impose a tax on gasoline and heating fuels, raising the price of a gallon of gas an estimated 45 cents. This will be Vermont’s way to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. They are delusional. Vermonters pay considerably…

On Nov. 17, Governor Peter Shumlin and members of the State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience delivered 75 recommendations to President Obama about how the federal government can help communities across the country prepare for the impacts of climate change. “In Vermont, our experience recovering from Tropical Storm Irene…

KILLINGTON — For the first time, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, the largest nonprofit in Vermont to provide sports and recreational programming on a daily, year-round basis for people with disabilities, will participate in the nationally recognized charitable giving campaign, #GivingTuesday on Dec. 2. It will harness the generosity of an anonymous Vermont Adaptive family…

By Cristina Kumka KILLINGTON — The proposed repeal of the sales and use portion of the 1 percent option tax was the agenda item that inspired about 40 citizens to show up at the Selectmen’s meeting last Tuesday, Nov. 18. Killington Resort, once again, presented a short Power Point presentation on the benefits such a repeal…

By Michael Kempesty Rutland will once again be host to the Gift of Life Marathon Blood Drive during December but this year the Red Cross, working with Green Mountain Power, Catamount Radio and Castleton College, has made some changes. This year there will be 12 Days of Giving beginning on Tuesday, Dec. 2 through Dec. 16.…

By Stephen Seitz WOODSTOCK – This year marks an important milestone for the environmental movement – the 150th anniversary of Woodstock native George Perkins Marsh’s landmark book, “Man and Nature.” The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park has been marking the occasion throughout the year, capping the historic anniversary last weekend with an event called “Landscapes of…

Staff report It took Sarah Josepha Hale, the same woman who wrote the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” 36 years of campaigning to get Thanksgiving made into a national holiday, which President Abraham Lincoln did in 1863. Now, people all across the country celebrate the pilgrims’ bountiful 1621 harvest, eating an average of…

By Dom Cioffi Most everyone is familiar with the popular adage that I used for the title of this week’s column. More commonly known as Murphy’s Law, the phrase “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” points to the understanding that, given enough time, even the most unlikely scenarios will eventually unfold. The last…

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 November 13 - November 19, 2014 Aries March 21 - April 20 Don't be held back by thoughts…

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Community College of Vermont (CCV) announced that 56 high school students from across the state were accepted into CCV's rigorous Early College program. The program provides qualified Vermont high school seniors with the opportunity to get a head start on their college career by spending their final high school year enrolled…

Catwalk for a Cause showcased local style By Polly Lynn Over 500 people filled the seats at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Sunday afternoon for the second annual Catwalk for a Cause benefitting the United Way of Rutland County. Additionally, 105 models wore collections from nine retailers complete with hair and make-up done by area…