Dear editor, Scammers are getting even more imaginative in their attempts to separate you from your money. One technique they use – successfully – is to pretend they are a legitimate business or service soliciting information from you so you can get something you want or think you need... or give you false protection you…

Thursday, Dec. 16 at 6 p.m. — KILLINGTON — The Greater Killington Women’s Club invites you to attend a Cookie swap party at the Summit Lodge from 6-9 p.m. Admission is $10, with proceeds going to support the club’s scholarship program and community charitable giving. Here is how it works: Bring 4 dozen cookies (all…

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy and Governor Phil Scott on Thursday, Dec. 2, announced that Vermont will be receiving $63,041,000 in funding for drinking water systems and wastewater treatment as a result of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden late last month. The funds will go into the state’s revolving loan…

By Susan Shea Every year my husband and I cut a Christmas tree on family land. We look for a young balsam fir growing in the power line right-of-way or in a forest clearing. Fir is our favorite type of Christmas tree because of its delightful, pungent fragrance. While Christmas tree farmers cultivate a variety…

By Curt Peterson On Nov. 18, the Hartland Select Board decided to retract their proposed abandonment of a section of Town Highway 8, a Class 4 road that connects Barron Hill Road and Advent Hill Road. Town manager David Ormiston said at least part of their decision was influenced by an organized public campaign against…

Friday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m. — RANDOLPH — Multi-award-winning bluegrass mandolinist Matt Flinner will team up with American roots band Low Lily to mark the Winter Solstice at 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10, at Chandler Center for the Arts. Tickets are $10-$50 in person and $20 to watch the livestream. The high-energy show will…

By Ethan Weinstein Despite another week of record high case counts, hospitalized Covid patients, and patients needing ICU treatment, Governor Phil Scott and his Covid team will not make any substantive policy changes to stop the spread of the virus. “We need to continue to watch hospitalizations,” Scott said, not specifying when, if ever, Vermont’s…

By Alan Sculley It’s been a particularly prolific year for holiday albums – so much so that I’ll stop the introduction here to save space and just get right to reviewing the albums themselves. The headliners Kelly Clarkson: “When Christmas Comes Around…” – Clarkson’s second holiday album opens with a real show stopper – “Merry…

By Kevin Theissen The real rate of return is an important personal finance concept to understand. It’s the rate of return on your investments after inflation. The real rate of return indicates whether you are gaining or losing purchasing power with your money. So, if inflation checks in at a rate of 3%, does that…

Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. — RANDOLPH — For the final concert of 2021 Brandon Music welcomes Bloodroot to Brandon Music. Performing their special combination of bluegrass, jazz, Celtic and traditional American string music, steeped in the hills of Vermont, this concert promises to provide an incredible night of entertainment from some of Vermont’s…

By Dom Cioffi I was lucky enough to grow up next to a municipal playground. I could run from my back door to acres of limitless fun within 60 seconds. A pool, jungle gyms, baseball field, a hill that was perfect for winter sledding, and numerous tennis and basketball courts were always at my beck-and-call.…

Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) has a fabulous opportunity to end 2021 with a bang! Two very generous supporters have offered to donate $20,000 to RCHS if the community will match it by Dec. 31, 2021. What a great opportunity to help the homeless animals in Rutland County! Before you know it, we will have…

By Angelo Lynn BURLINGTON—Early Monday morning, Vermont Lt. Gov. Molly Gray declared her candidacy for Vermont’s lone congressional seat being vacated by Congressman Peter Welch. A lifelong Vermonter, Gray, 37, was born and raised in South Newbury on a vegetable and dairy farm still operated by her family. She has served Vermont in Washington as…

By Brooke Geery On Thursday, Dec. 2, GreenSpell hosted a grand opening at 35 Center St. in downtown Rutland. (The location was formerly home to the Christian Science Reading Room.) The store features a variety of indoor plants: from small succulents, to hanging plants, to large floor plants. Many are common houseplants, but the new…

By Merisa Sherman It’s crunchy season. A gorgeous afternoon, with the shining sun strong in the sky, but the ground beneath is the loudest it will be all year. A few inches of beautiful snow had melted back to reveal snowy patches alternating with leaves frozen on the ground. It was like a chorus of…