By Mary Ellen Shaw Well, it’s almost time to make New Year’s resolutions. I was curious to know how the tradition started so my research began. I was surprised to learn how long that tradition has been around. I wondered if Americans came up with the idea. But I was totally wrong. The ancient Babylonians…

State says Afghan refugees will start to resettle in Rutland over the next few weeks By Ethan Weinstein Several families of Afghan refugees will settle in Rutland next month, according to the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). USCRI has been coordinating with Rutland organizations, such as Rutland Welcomes and the school system, to…

By Kevin Theissen Second-guessing the Federal Reserve is a popular American pastime. Americans have been speculating about the Fed’s monetary policy choices — raising rates, lowering rates, buying bonds, tapering bond buying, and so on — for a long time. Sometimes, they even second-guess themselves. Paul Volcker (1979-1987) took over an economic quagmire known as…

By Polly Mikula New Year’s is a time to reflect on the previous year and celebrate the arrival of a new one. Last year at this time — about nine months into the pandemic when Covid case numbers were reaching (then) record highs — we were hopeful that the end of Covid was around the corner. Vaccines…

  Editor’s note: Karen D. Lorentz is an ambassador herself at Killington Resort. This is her first year with the program. Regular visitors to Killington may spy something new on the green-jacketed Killington Ambassadors this year. The new Mammut uniforms include shell jackets with the familiar “i” on the back, but the new word “Host”…

By Ethan Weinstein Amidst the year’s pandemic tumult, business is thriving in Rutland’s downtown. “We’re beginning to see a revived vibrancy,” said Lyle Jepson, executive director of the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR). “What’s exciting to me as someone who would call himself no longer young, is that there are young…

By Jodi Larison, extension master gardener intern, University of Vermont While rosemary is not a perennial in Vermont, you can still grow and enjoy fresh rosemary all year. Just plant it in a container. Bring it outside in warmer weather and inside before the first frost. Why rosemary? It is attractive, resembling a small pine…

Kitchens serve as the heart of many homes. Thanks to the popularity of open floor plans, kitchens also tend to be highly visible from nearby spaces, such as family rooms and even main entryways. A messy, cluttered kitchen can be an inefficient eyesore that’s visible from various locations in a home. That makes getting organized…

By Karen D. Lorentz When you talk with skier Karl Thomas Acker, he readily admits that he got the ski bug from his Pico experiences. Lots of people can lay claim to that, but Acker’s experiences were truly unique. And there may have even been a “ski gene” thrown into the mix along with a…

Learning how to participate in an outdoor activity can be challenging, and ice fishing is a good example. Knowing this, the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. has scheduled a series of free ice fishing clinics for anyone who would like to learn about the latest proven ice fishing techniques. “Our ice fishing clinics will be…

By Katherine Sims Editor’s note: Katherine Sims is a Democratic state representative in the Orleans-Caledonia district and the Rural Economic Development Working Group (REDWnG) of the Vermont House of Representatives, a tri-partisan group working together to advance legislation and policy initiatives that strengthen the economy in rural Vermont communities. Working lands are central to Vermont’s…

Dear Editor, Public health experts are critical participants in the development of government policies dealing with challenges like the pandemic. But their perspective is only one consideration in the development of effective and rational public policy. These folks may know more about limiting the transmission of a pathogen, but their prescriptions have consequences that fall…

By Lana Cohen/VTDigger There is a shortage of foster homes in Vermont, and the pandemic is at least partially to blame. Placing older teenagers and children needing specialized care has always been difficult, state social workers say, but now finding appropriate homes for children of all ages and all levels of need is posing an…

By Anita Lobel William Edward Giles, a country gentleman, an adventurous world traveler and entrepreneur, an easy New Yorker, was born in Windsor on July 31, 1946. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City on Sept. 25, 2021 after an eight year struggle with progressive anti-MAG peripheral neuropathy, a disease that chips…

By Dan Galdenzi As Vermonters, we take on a certain reputation — or maybe, more accurately, a set of stereotypes — that come immediately to mind for non-Vermonters. Whether earned or not, those stereotypes are part of being a resident in this unique community. In fact, there was a study recently that said Vermont was…