Appointments can be made starting Thursday, May 13   Vaccination registration will open to Vermonters ages 12 to 15 on Thursday morning, following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s action late Wednesday authorizing use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for this age group. The Food & Drug Administration authorized this emergency use of the…

Governor Phil Scott announced April 30 that as of May 1, masks will only be required outdoors in situations where a 6-foot distance cannot be maintained. Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, said this change is based on science that shows the risk of transmission when outdoors is very small. “This is why, now when you’re…

Vermonters age 16, 17 and 18 can make their vaccine appointments starting Saturday (April 17) at 10 a.m.;  all Vermonters age 16 and up will be eligible on Monday, April 19, as was originally planned (but now at an earlier time — starting online at 6 a.m.), state officials announced at Friday’s press conference, April…

Bruce Bouchard reflects on 50 years in theatre By Polly Mikula In his last 12 years in the industry, Bruce Bouchard simultaneously elevated Rutland’s Paramount Theatre, while demystifying its elitism. Through his efforts, the number of events on the Paramount stage tripled and, though it was six figures in debt when he took the reins…

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By Karen D. Lorentz Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Kirsten Ericksen-Read’s future was pre-ordained when she was just 6 weeks old. That’s when her parents moved to Vermont so her father, a civil engineer, could work at Killington. “This was in 1969 when things were really moving along there. We drove to Vermont in a Caprice…

Dear Editor, The 2020 elections might turn out to be the most consequential of the 21st Century so far—both for Vermonters and for all Americans. On the national stage, in the midst of a global pandemic and economic downturn, a heated and unusual presidential election is drawing closer to its end. Whatever the outcome, there…

Dear Editor, I am asking you to vote for Alison Clarkson, who I have known many years, for another term in the Vermont Senate. She was initially elected to the Senate in 2016, and prior to that had served in the Vermont House from 2005. She served on the Board of the VT Natural Resources…

Dear Governor Scott, I am writing to urge you to leave the Republican party and run for re-election as an independent. You have publicly stated that you will not vote for Donald Trump in November, and while I respect that decision, it does nothing to address the underlying deficiencies with today’s GOP. For the first…

Dear Editor, Too often in 21st Century political elections we are faced with the situation of voting for the lesser of two evils from the two establishment parties. In the 2020 Vermont general election we have seven candidates for the office of Vermont governor and thankfully a chance to break away from the aforementioned voting…

Dear Editor, On behalf of the Castleton Community Center members and board of directors I would like to express our sincere gratitude to the many individuals and businesses that helped make our 16th annual Castleton Community Center Golf Outing a success.  Proceeds from the golf outing support our elderly and disabled transportation program. A special…

Dear Editor, I recently began volunteering for the Vermont Democratic Party in hopes of aiding the blue wave in the upcoming election cycle but also due to my strong interest in the campaign of Molly Gray for Lieutenant Governor. Molly is the change Vermont needs. She is passionate, driven, intelligent and truly cares about her…

Dear Editor, In the 1990s, my wife and I bought a home in Vermont. We lived there and raised a family. Our kids went to school there. We ran a small business, and made lasting friendships in a close community. But as time went on, Vermont became a less affordable place to live. Our property…

Dear Editor, We all know that there are some elected officials whom you only see when they are running for another term of office - if you see them at all. They have their solid supporters, and that’s whose favor they continue to curry. Not so for state Senator Cheryl Hooker. I’ve known Cheryl for…

Dear  Editor, My letter is addressed to my Vermont friends who are ATV, snowmobile, and motorcycle enthusiasts and who do not vote. Many of you say it doesn’t matter. “My vote doesn’t count,” you insist. Sadly, I have heard these sentiments from gun owners and hunters, too. The Vermont Legislature has passed the Global Warming…