By Susan Shea Santa’s reindeer need fuel to pull that sleigh full of toys, and one of their primary winter foods is reindeer lichen, also known as reindeer moss. These are puffy, many-branched, pale green or grayish-white lichens up to 4 inches tall, spongy to the touch when damp. Multiple species of reindeer lichen cover…

By Kristen Fountain/VTDigger Thousands more Vermonters are poised to become eligible for health insurance savings this year after two recent changes to federal guidelines. For six more weeks, it is open enrollment season for Vermont Health Connect, the state health insurance marketplace and the gateway to federal health insurance subsidies. Just over 25,000 Vermonters get their insurance…

By Merisa Sherman It was dark as I pulled into the parking lot, but a beautiful glow from the almost full moon lit up the trees that surrounded the lot. The clouds prevented a perfectly clear night, giving the sky an almost eiry Halloween feeling — even though we are almost two months past. With…

By Dom Cioffi I’m on a business trip this week about five hours from my home. The company I work for is having their products installed at a remote location and I needed to be available for help in a particular area. I made the trip on Sunday night so I could wake up and…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent Years of college and graduate school plus decades in front of classes have prepared Principal Tracey Harrington for her job leading instruction for scores of students at Ripton Elementary School. On Monday, though, she found herself not in the classroom but in the lunchroom. She was filling a hole in…

By Gary Salmon Several years ago, Michael Wojtech’s book, “BARK: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast,” came out, which helped in this difficult identification process. Bark is not as consistent as leaves are and changes as the tree gets older, as rates of growth change over time, and where on the tree the…

By Rachel Sargent Mirus Grinning and giggling, my 1-year-old son ran across the living room, only to trip over his own feet and faceplant on the carpet. Sometimes, two legs can be too many to coordinate. How, then, do invertebrates walk with six, eight, or hundreds of legs? In some ways, walking for insects, arachnids,…

By Dave Hoffenberg Bridgewater’s Collen Doyle, who owns the Woolen Mill Comedy Club there and Killington’s Matt Vita put on the festival. They both performed throughout the weekend. There were shows from Thursday through Sunday in Bridgewater, Killington, South Pomfret and Woodstock. I was fortunate to catch 5 of the shows. On Thursday I saw…

By Katy Savage The Board of Aldermen is considering sharp increases in parking meter rates and fines, with meter rates jumping from 25 cents an hour at some meters, to $1.50 an hour. Members of the Aldermen parking committee proposed doubling fines for expired meters to $30-$45 and suggested implementing a ticket forgiveness program in…

By Deborah Benoiti Editor’s note: Benoiti is a UVM Extension master gar- dener. Do you admire orchids from afar but haven’t considered growing them or giving them to a plant lover you know? Sure, they’re a pretty plant, but orchids have a reputation as being difficult to grow. When you think of orchids, do you…

Friday - Saturday, Dec. 9 - 10 — ROCHESTER — Bald Mountain Theater presents "Krampusnacht: Stories of Light and Dark for the Winter Solstice "on Friday, Dec. 9 and Saturday, Dec. 10 at its natural outdoor amphitheater in Rochester. An eclectic mix of original material and seasonal traditions from around the world, the show will…

By Don Keelan Editor’s note: Don Keelan of Arlington is a retired certified public accountant. Recently, numerous media stories have covered the troubles at many of the country’s top tech companies. Christopher Mims’ recent Wall Street Journal piece, “The Myth of the Tech God Is Crumbling,” notes, “America’s biggest tech companies have collectively lost more…

By Curt Peterson The Winsor Central Supervisory Union Board unanimously adopted Mountain Views School District as the new name for the consolidated seven-town district formed under Act 46 on Monday, Dec. 5. The new name will become effective July 1, 2023. Woodstock High students Aiden Keough-Vella and Owen Courcey, who served on the WCSU configuration…

Staff report An employee of Charity’s in Killington was arrested for petit larceny on Dec. 1 after he was caught embezzling on video camera, according to Killington Police. Police said the employee, Randy Babcock, 31, of Rutland, admitted his involvement after police met with the owner and Babcock. The owner reported just under $500 dollars…

Dear Editor, As you may have heard or read, The University of Vermont is now pushing a medicare “advantage” plan in partnership with MVP health care, a local non-profit we are told in direct competition with more affordable traditional medicare plans. Additionally and to their discredit, rather than promoting what civilized nations around the globe…