By Frank Kaczmarek Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) lived his entire life in Jericho, Vermont, where he developed a passion for snowflakes at an early age. He started by collecting snowflakes and trying to create detailed drawings of each one, but the snow crystals’ tiny size and the speed at which they melted made this a futile…

By Virginia Dean With her father, Michael, inspiring her love of cooking and her mother, Virginia, a part of the Killington community for 28 years, Lindsay (“Lulu”) Ochman found herself in a perfect position to open up a local restaurant. Yama Ramen offers a unique take on Japanese and other Asian specialties, including bao buns,…

By Kevin Theissen Financial markets can be challenging to understand. But when markets enter a “bad news is good news” cycle, it becomes even more difficult to follow along. For a recent example, at its November meeting, the Federal Reserve outlined its plan to taper monthly bond purchases, which will end this pandemic-era policy response…

By Nicole Sanchez, master gardener Oregon State University extension service For those seeking to “spruce” up their interior spaces during the holidays, fresh evergreens are a great place to start. In addition to the natural feel and fragrance, evergreens are especially forgiving to work with. Even those with little experience in floral design can effectively…

By Brooke Geery Portland, Oregon-based professional snowboarder Erik Leon kicked off his "CORENATION" jam session tour on Saturday, Dec. 11 at Killington. The charity event — this stop to benefit Vermont Adaptive — has a goal of making snowboarding fun and accessible, in response to the insane level of riding the general public sees in…

Dear Editor, Sen. Patrick Leahy’s recent announcement has caused me to reflect on his legacy and his many years of service to Vermont and the nation. Until recent events, I considered myself a lifelong Republican. Although I now consider myself an independent, I still firmly believe in limited government, self-reliance, public safety and free enterprise.…

By Julia Purdy A prominent thread woven into the fabric of present-day Vermont is the question of the “two Vermonts” — the old versus the new, the traditional versus the forward-looking, the rural versus the urban, the economically depressed versus the financially flush, and the assumptions and expectations on both sides. A particular issue has…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann For many Vermont nonprofits, the past year was as challenging as 2020 was. For the nonprofits that serve our most vulnerable populations, 2021 was even more challenging. Many of us donate to nonprofits we care about, but few of us have limitless resources. Even before Covid, donors faced tough decisions: What…

By Angelo Lynn Otter Valley Union High School and the greater Brandon community are coming to the aid of a beloved teacher and founder of the unique and highly popular Moosalamoo Education Program who suffered a stroke just before Thanksgiving. This week they launched a gofundme campaign for Joshua Hardt and his family. Hardt, only…

Dec. 17-18 — CHESTER — The Stone Village Art Guild and the First Universalist Parish in Chester are holding a fine art and craft sale Friday, Dec. 17 from 12-5 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., at the First Universalist Parish on Rt 103/211 North St. in Chester’s "stone village."…

Free filming of holiday greetings for Rutland County residents, businesses, and organizations Spread holiday cheer and reach over 20,000 homes! Rutland Region Community Television (PEGTV) invites the public to send in or reserve a time to record a non-commercial, short holiday greeting to be aired on television throughout the upcoming holiday season. It’s a great…

School tax rates likely to decrease By Peter D’Auria/VTDigger This spring, Vermont lawmakers may have a welcome question on their hands: what to do with a $90 million surplus in the state’s education fund. State tax officials unveiled the projected surplus in the “December 1 letter,” a series of financial projections that the tax commissioner…

By Nadie VanZandt, Extension master gardener, University of Vermont Hung in doorways to spread holiday cheer, mistletoe is rich in mythology and tradition. Mistletoe comes from the Old English word “mistiltan” in which “mistil” means “dung” and “tan” means “twig.” This reference to bird droppings is certainly counterintuitive to mistletoe’s romantic symbolism. Mistletoe is the…

By Curt Peterson All’s well that ends well-done, one might say in summing up the saga of an escaped bovine that roamed the Hartford-Hartland border for a few November days. At first mislabeled a “bull,” the wandering cow’s gender was ultimately nailed down, and correctly categorized as “beef cow.” Webster Road resident Tucker Westenfeld told…

Christmas trees for personal use only may now be cut on Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) lands, subject to purchase of a permit. Christmas tree cutting area maps Trees may be cut only within designated areas within both north and south sections of the GMNF. Downloadable maps are available online at recreation.gov/tree-permits/gmfl, or by visiting…