Dear Editor, Virtually every business owner or manager Green Mountain Economic Development Corp. works with as the regional development corporation for Windsor and Orange counties, cites the lack of decent housing and child care as the most important factors hampering recovery from Covid. We believe this is true throughout New England and beyond. Both were…

By Rep. Jim Harrison Unlike earlier this summer when daily Vermont Covid cases were declining and often in the single numbers, they are now significantly up due to the more contagious Delta variant. Last Friday, there were 88 new cases despite over 84% of Vermonters aged 12 and older having at least their first vaccine…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept. says bear hunting season starts in September and reminds hunters about the bear hunting regulations. Vermont has two bear hunting seasons. The early season, which requires a special bear tag, starts Sept. 1, and continues through Nov. 12 with one exception. Nonresident hunters using dogs cannot start bear hunting…

By Curt Peterson Killington Select Board member Chuck Claffey was about a half-year short of completing his first term on the Board when he sold his house and moved to Mendon, requiring him to resign from his seat. Chair Steve Finneran and Jim Haff (the remaining two Select Board members) appointed a replacement for Claffey…

By Curt Peterson KILLINGTON — Town manager Chet Hagenbarth told the Select Board on July 20 that Killington’s unaudited finances show a $90,000 net surplus for the June 30 end of FY2020. It will be some time before the books are officially audited, but internal records show the surplus came about during a year burdened…

Increased home valuations, lower municipal tax rate, surplus, state education formula explained By Brett Yates MENDON — A previous article in the Mountain Times, “Tax rate plunges in Mendon” (July 28), misstated the municipal tax rate in Mendon for 2021–2022 as 0.3973%. The correct rate is 0.3793%. Following publication, several readers wrote in to express…

By Sophia McDermott-Hughes/VTDigger Former Green Mountain Power President Mary Powell is now the chief executive officer of Sunrun Inc, the largest residential-solar company in the U.S. Powell stepped down from Green Mountain Power (GMP), Vermont’s largest utility provider, in 2019 after working there for 20 years. In that time, the company posted a more than 300% increase in…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger RUTLAND — An attorney’s review, requested by the Rutland City Board of School Commissioners, says the board’s vote to change the Rutland High School mascot to the “Ravens” should stand. The board voted to retire the previous mascot, the “Raider,” in October after a group of students, staff and alumni expressed concerns about racism in…

BRANDON—On Aug. 8, at 4:15 a.m. the Brandon Fire Dept. responded to a structure fire at 149 North St. in Brandon. When firefighters arrived, they found the detached garage fully involved with fire. Firefighters from Brandon and Pittsford were able to suppress the fire quickly which prevented further fire spread and limited property damage. As…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger State officials announced last week that students and staff should start the school year masked but could bare their faces once 80% of students in a school had received their Covid-19 shots. Two days later, the Agency of Education and Dept. of Health issued a two-page memo, which reiterated — but did little to elaborate on…

Governor Phil Scott announced Tuesday, Aug. 10, that that cities, towns and villages expecting to receive American Rescue Plan Act Local Fiscal Recovery (ARPA-LRF) funds should receive their payments in the next few days. The state disbursed the first payment of $29 million in ARPA-LRF to 274 eligible local governments on Aug. 9. As the…

By Chris Winters, Vt. Deputy Secretary of State It is important we all understand the strengths of American democracy, as well as its weaknesses. If we are to work together as a nation to address the limits of "the great experiment," and ensure our government is truly created of, by and for the people, having…

By Lola Duffort/VTDigger When Gov. Phil Scott’s administration announced new Covid-19 guidance for K-12 schools on Tuesday, Aug. 3, it did so with an important caveat. The state’s recommendations — including around masking — were not themselves requirements. With the state of emergency no longer in effect, officials said they would need to rely on…

RUTLAND CITY—On Aug. 2, the Rutland City Board of Aldermen signed off on Fire Chief Bill Lovett’s request to raise the rate of pay for fire department officers on private duty. In addition to providing taxpayer-funded services to Rutland City residents, the fire department can be contracted by private companies and organizations. Lovett named Green…

By Katy Savage WOODSTOCK — The streets of Woodstock are busier than ever this summer, but the Woodstock Economic Development Commission is looking toward the future. The EDC board voted 6-2 on Thursday, Aug. 5 to spend $110,000 on a marketing firm to bring more visitors, businesses and residents to town. The board agreed to…