Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income…

California ranks No. 1; Maine is most improved; Northeast leads nation As Americans struggle to pay rising energy bills, leading states have instituted energy efficiency policies that cut utility bills—especially for those who need it most—while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 2022 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard. These policies can serve as models for…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent You won’t find a lot of framed press clippings in the office of Patrick Leahy, the longest-serving member of the U.S. Senate. But there are two that stand out. One features a Vermont newspaper report that came out five days before the Nov. 5, 1974, General Election. The banner headline…

Dear Editor, If you do anything before putting up your Christmas tree you are making a huge mistake. For example, if you buy your presents first, what do you do with them? Do you keep them in the trunk of your car? Smuggle them into the house and wait for a tree? Get your tree…

Dear Editor, I am concerned that a lovely Christmas gifting idea, organized by Project HOPE and promoted by the National Bank of Middlebury, has a damaging though easily correctable serious flaw. I am referring to the drive for community members to donate Christmas gifts to be distributed to children and teenagers from low-income homes. When…

Dear Editor, As 2022 itself draws to a close, the winter is only just getting started. With new progress underway, the Ludlow Recreation Committee is excited to share the most recent updates. To start the season the Ludlow Parks and Recreation Department hosted a Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning, a familiar race that this year…

By Julia Purdy After the Gospel, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” is probably the best known story of Christmas in the English language. Since 1900, the entertainment industry alone has produced at least 50 versions for film and TV. We enjoy the “Carol” like a box of Christmas candy, a cornucopia of special effects thanks…

By Angelo Lynn Editor’s note: Angelo Lynn is the editor and publisher of the Addison County Independent, a sister publication of the Mountain Times.  It’s hard to overstate the impact Sen. Patrick Leahy has had on Vermont, and the nation, during his 48-year tenure at the U.S. Senate. Reading a complete list of his many…

By Dom Cioffi I look forward to this time of year, which is why I save up several vacation days to coincide with my company holidays. I use this extra time to partake in various Christmas activities and get numerous household chores accomplished. I also take a lot of naps in front of the fire.…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann The lyrics of the holiday ballad “Grown-Up Christmas List,” reference fervent hopes for peace and a better world, a poignant contrast to blaring jingles that play on endless repeat. The song, written three decades ago by renowned composer David Foster, speaks to universal humanitarian quests: “No more lives torn apart…That wars…

By Mark Bushnell/VTDigger Charles Dickens had writer’s block in the worst way. It had been years since he’d laid down his pen while only halfway through writing “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” In desperation, some say, he turned to an unlikely assistant. The public was stunned to read that the great British writer had picked…

By Merisa Sherman Pulling my hood over my head, I dove off the trail and under the tree branch, heavily laden with the snow from the past few days. Usually, the branch would be bent from the weight of heavy wet snow, but today it was only from the weight of so much snow falling…

By Kenrick Vezina Have you noticed the cheery evergreen sprig with pearly berries, currently perched over the doorways of Yankee traditionalists and those desperate to be kissed? That’s common mistletoe (Viscum album), which one botanical dispatch from the 1800s called “perhaps the most distinguished plant in the flora of England.” It’s found in broadleaf trees…

The First Universalist Church and Society of Barnard, located at 6211 Route 12, will host BarnArts 12th annual winter carols at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 16. The event is free with donations welcome to offset costs. There will also be a bonus outdoor BarnArts Chorale performance on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m. on…

December — LUDLOW — Help Benson’s Chevrolet make a child’s Christmas special this year. The car dealership is once again a local drop-off location in the Ludlow area. Help them fill the tree and truck with books, toys, clothing and more this holiday season. There is no greater joy than a child receiving a Christmas…