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,…

By Katy Savage Eric Mallette caught the “theater bug” when he was 19 and working as a college intern at the Paramount Theatre. “I remember the magic I felt walking through the doors,” Mallette said. It’s where he realized the power theater has. “I remember thinking how exciting it was to be part of something…

On Monday, June 15, Governor Phil Scott signed an executive order to update and extend the state of emergency in Vermont to July 15. He emphasized that the intent of the order was as “a vehicle or mechanism to do all the things we need to do to manage our response.” Scott noted that the state…

Summer weather is here and many more people seem to have an interest in gardening this year. Some people want to plant flowers and others want to grow their own food. One beneficial effect that has arisen from the pandemic we are living through is the connection to nature that is happening for many people.…

The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) would like to remind pet owners that pets need special care during the hot summer months. When the temperature rises, dogs and cats should be inside with air conditioning or fans, or in the shade if they’re outside.  All animals need access to lots of clean, cold water to help…

Living the Dream By Merisa Sherman I’ve always loved Vermont. As a kid, my parents would pick my sister and me up from school every Friday afternoon and we would make the four hour trek in our Jeep Grand Wagoneer. The woodie kind. And we’d head out skiing first thing on Saturday morning. It was…

Hey, Jack. I just wanted to fill you in on the last week. What a whirlwind! Everyone was shocked when you left – I mean everyone. You were the talk of the town. I know, you would have preferred being the focus of another big win on the courts, but this was next-level news. I…

By Kevin Theissen The uncertainties we face in retirement can erode our sense of confidence, potentially undermining our outlook during those years. Year after year, few retirees say they are very confident about having enough assets to live comfortably in retirement. And more are either not too confident or not at all confident. Today’s retirees…

The Outside Story By Susan Shea I grew up on a street lined with tall, stately elms. While walking to school one day, I found a bird’s nest that the wind had blown down. The nest was a beautiful, silky gray pouch. My teacher helped me identify it as a Baltimore oriole’s nest. Over the…

By Cassandra Tyndall This week brings another dramatic turning point in 2020 in the form of the Summer Solstice. The term solstice is Latin for “standing still.” As the sun reaches its highest point in the Northern Hemisphere, it remains stationary for approximately three days before it ever so slowly begins its southern decent. In…