By Sam Watson Midnight North will perform at the Pickle Barrel this Thursday. The band was formed in early 2012 by singer/songwriters Grahame Lesh, son of Phil Lesh who founded and played with The Grateful Dead, and Elliott Peck, along with bassist Connor O’Sullivan. The band’s current lineup was completed when drummer/banjo player Nathan Graham…

Dear Editor, I just read the result that the judge ruled against the snowboarding coach. What world do we live in? Boys cannot be girls and girls cannot be boys. They can pretend, change clothes and mutilate their bodies but that’s it. This is mental illness disguised as compassion. You don’t humor an anorexic by…

Dear Editor, I am concerned about the upcoming community decision on the proposed new middle and high school. The plan is based on a model that is out-of-sync with recent enrollment trends and future projections. Since education funding in Vermont is based on enrollment, it is a critical element of any funding plan. Indeed, the…

Select Board leaders choose to divert voter attention to a known dead-end instead of addressing hard choices for school facilities By Polly Mikula The Select Board meeting Monday night, Jan. 22, meant to inform voters about the proposed $99 million bond for a new middle school/high school, but instead sowed confusion. Instead of focusing on…

Late last Friday, Jan. 19, members of the House Appropriations Committee unanimously agreed to proceed with this year’s budget adjustment bill. Called the BAA (Budget Adjustment Act) at the State House, it is an annual mid-year amendment to the current year budget approved the prior session. Any individual member of the committee can find provisions…

Addressing Vermont’s housing crisis is one of the Legislature’s top agenda items this year — as it has been for the last four years. There are many factors creating the challenge we face. Vermont been underbuilding new housing units since the 1980s, and add to that the Covid pandemic, the loss of housing because of…

“Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think,” said Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Many Killington-area residents and visitors are familiar with a popular fundraising event for the Rutland Community Cupboard (“the Cupboard”) that features local luminaries volunteering their time and talent as “Celebrity Servers” — i.e., waitstaff — at a…

  Submitted   OKEMO VALLEY—Following the 2023 summer flooding, grocery stores around the region have gone above and beyond, demonstrating exceptional dedication and community spirit. The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce selected six grocery stores as the January 2024 Members of the Month to honor their commitment and the work that they do to…

Submitted  Anthony Russo   By Victoria Gaither French Painter Henri Matisse said, “Creativity takes courage.” It took a lifetime of courage for Painter Anthony Russo to find his brush stroke as a painter and artist. “I always liked painting, but getting a regular job got in the way, and I had three boys,” said Russo.…

Submitted By Curt Peterson The Hartland town budget and warning are set for the March Town Meeting. Interim Town Manager and Finance Director Martin Dole said a copy, including proposed budget figures, will be mailed to residents shortly. The proposed General Fund budget, which doesn’t include appropriations, as they are voted separately, is $2,055,243, 6.41%…

By Curt Peterson The Hartland Conservation Commission will be adding an article to the 2024 Town Meeting warning, asking voters to approve “setting aside” funds for part of possible purchase of approximately 75 acres near the Three Corners village center.  The amended article reads:  “Article 10: Shall the Town vote to direct the Selectboard to…

Submitted Attorney General Charity Clark announced Monday, Jan. 22, a $2,350,733 settlement with the estate of a former owner of a dry cleaner site, resolving over a decade of litigation with the state. The settlement resolves claims brought by the Attorney General’s Office on behalf of the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) for remediation of hazardous…

Courtesy vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports   Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a leading nonprofit in the adaptive sports industry committed to providing year-round sports and recreational opportunities to people with disabilities, recently announced that 2023 marked a historic year of growth and impact for the 37-year-old organization. Vermont Adaptive provided a record-breaking 5,336 total…

Town offices in Bridgewater, Killington, Ludlow, Plymouth and Pomfret will receive 1,000 free Covid tests by the end of the week. The Ludlow Fire Dept. and First Stop Ski Shop in Killington will also have some available.  Maxwell Elles, the director of Bridgewater’s FAST Squad, received 5,000 free Covid tests from the federal stock that…

Submitted David Francis Minard   Nov. 9, 1945-Jan. 7, 2024 In the quiet early morning of Jan. 7, 2024 our father passed peacefully, on the knoll with family by his side. He was born on Nov. 9, 1945.  As daylight approached a cardinal pair were fluttering in his picture window to take him on his…