Dear Editor, The 2020 Lt. governor’s race is wide open. It presents an important opportunity to turn the tide for struggling Vermonters. Voters have a clear choice in the Aug. 11 primary election. Meg Hansen is the only Republican Lt. Governor candidate who can defeat the Progressive/Democrat nominee in November. Hansen has a medical degree,…

Dear Editor, This is the first time I have written a letter to a paper. There were three items in the June 3-9 edition of the Mountain Times that compelled me to write. 1) This goes first as it is the one I know the most about not because it is the most important. To…

Dear Editor, Editor’s note: This was written as an open letter to the member of the Vermont General Assembly, June 10. As you build a plan to spend the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) monies that were allocated to Vermont, we hope you will use some basic guidelines in your decision making. Vermonters are struggling. These…

Find new ways to make your summer count By Secretary Anson Tebbetts As the weather gets warmer, Vermonters are comforted by the simple pleasures of summer, among them, fun with friends at Vermont country fairs and festivals. My own family has enjoyed fairs all over the state year after year. Unfortunately, Covid-19 has caused this summer’s…

By Angelo Lynn In this unique moment in the national debate over racial justice, particularly as it is being portrayed through acts of police brutality, we are all asked to do the hard work of looking within, to examine our own wells of systemic racism and flush them out. It’s a tall task and not…

By Rep. Jim Harrison This past Friday, the House gave final approval to S.348, which removes the governor from the decision on how the elections are run this fall and allows the secretary of state to establish any new rules. Secretary Condos has indicated he plans to mail out ballots to all registered voters for…

School immunization data recently released by the Vermont Department of Health shows that over 95% of Vermont students from kindergarten to 12th grade have all their required vaccines. “This high rate of children who are up-to-date with their vaccines reflects the ongoing work by Vermont health care providers, child cares, schools and parents,” said Christine…

Vermont Maple Sugar Makers’ Association (VMSMA) members said “thank you” to essential workers in hospitals throughout Vermont with a tasty donation as part of their new Maple Essential Gratitude Program. VMSMA collected and delivered over 60 gallons of 2020 maple syrup from sugar makers statewide to hospitals in each corner of Vermont, including, but not…

Until the recent Covid-19 restrictions, the number of Vermont homes used as short-term rentals has ticked up each year, according to a recent analysis by Vermont Housing Finance Agency. In a typical month last year, about 8,000 homes were listed as short-term rentals across the state. Largely located in towns near Vermont ski areas, homes…

75% of home weatherization projects covered, boosting resilience during Covid-caused recession As Vermonters cope with an economic recession, Efficiency Vermont and partners announced a raft of higher-than-ever incentives to help Vermonters reduce their home energy costs, make their homes healthier and more resilient into the future, and encourage investments that support the local economy. Efficiency Vermont…

Hank Dimuzio and Rhonda Roberts of LedgEnd Farm worked with the Vermont Land Trust to conserve 132 acres of their deer farm on Munger Street. Theirs is the largest deer farm in the state with over 400 animals. Dimuzio didn’t follow a typical path to become a farmer. For over 20 years he built up…

By Katy Savage and Polly Mikula Killington’s attempt to codify existing zoning regulations for short-term rentals has hit a snag. A group that calls itself the Concerned Killington Taxpayers Association, LLC, filed a petition on May 26 to put the question of amending the zoning bylaws to voters, instead of letting the Select Board decide.…

By Curt Peterson Killington selectmen and planning commissioners met via Zoom on Wednesday, June 10, to hear what progress has been made on the “Killington Road Master Plan.” According to traffic engineer Evan Detrick of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB), project cost could reach $33,200,000 and involves rebuilding almost 4 miles of Killington Road, from…

Family encourages blood donations in Rutland man’s memory The family of Pete Giancola, a well-known local musician, is urging the greater-Rutland community to donate blood in his memory at the 2020 Mini Gift-of-Life Marathon (GOLM) blood drive. Giancola died in March after a 10-year battle with cancer, and relied on hundreds of blood donors who…

By Sawyer Loftus and Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger More than 200 community members gathered on Saturday, June 13, to help paint “Black Lives Matter” in massive yellow letters in front of the State House. The project had been in the works for just under a week and was a collaboration between Noel Riby-Williams, a Montpelier resident, and City Councilor Conor Casey. The week prior,…