By Heather Furman, director for The Nature Conservancy in Vermont Only a few short weeks ago, none of us could have predicted the impacts to our personal and professional lives that COVID-19 would wreak. During times of crisis or tragedy we are often compelled to gather with one another and find community, but in this…

Dear Editor, We are in an intense fight to defeat the Coronavirus; to reduce passing it around and deaths.  If we really want to beat it, then we have to work together.  So here is my concern. First, a tiny list of some of what I believe the medical community considers part of essential health…

Dear Editor, Listen, people!  Vermonters have what it takes! We don’t run from problems, we run TO them. For generations we have prepared for this. Our tendency is to be courteous and law-abiding. We give each other space, naturally (and by the same token we don’t like to be pushed). We embody “Yankee ingenuity” —…

Dear Editor, The time is now for our Black River community. We are ready to make a big move. You have been hearing from us for three years now, in some form, about our mission to open an independent school in Ludlow, to serve any area student, tuition-free. A school whose independent status will allow…

By Jack Hoffman Let’s all take a deep breath. Before we jump to the conclusion that $600-a-week federal unemployment checks on top of state benefits are going to destroy the work ethic and wipe out the labor force, let’s remember why we’re doing this. The intended consequence of federal pandemic unemployment benefits through July is…

Staff report On Sunday, April 5, the state of Vermont released a summary of ventilators and personal protective equipment (PPE) available as part of the coordinated fight against COVID-19. Under the “most likely scenario” modeling the state currently has a sufficient supply of N95 FFP respirators, surgical masks and gloves. It does not have a…

By Katy Savage Volunteers from the Rutland MINT Makerspace are committing to making 10,000 face shields for the Rutland Regional Medical Center as the hospital combats the coronavirus. MINT MakerSpace spokesperson Karen McCalla said MINT members Gabe Oberkirch and Tom Lichtman created the design for the shields and are cutting them with a laser. Oberkirch…

Diana Lynn Gildersleeve, 62, passed away peacefully at her home in Bridgewater, Vermont, on March 31, 2020. Born Sept. 18, 1957, to parents Joyce (Wardwell) and Raymond Phillips, she was a graduate of Woodstock Union High School class of 1976. Diana Gildersleeve worked at the Book Bindery, the original Cole Farm Restaurant, Bridgewater Country Store,…

By Editor Emeritus Royal Barnard I am so sad to report the passing of Dave Pfannenstein, my friend, a friend of the Mountain Times and one of the most wonderful people many of us have had the privilege to know. Dave Pfannenstein recently retired as the executive director of the Vermont Golf Association and moved permanently to…

Charlie Demarest passed away on March 30 following a period of declining health and a short hospitalization at the Rutland Regional Medical Center. Charlie Demarest was born in Randolph, Vermont, on Aug. 3, 1948, the first son of Harrison Bowles Demarest and Ruth Cooley Demarest. In 1951 the Demarests moved to the Haskell section of Wanaque,…

CU experiments with new ways to improve learning outcomes CASTLETON—A pilot program at Castleton University aims to expose students to alternative hobbies that could help build community on campus and promote valuable social skills, according to a news release, April 1, from the University. Dr. Greg Engel, assistant professor in the Psychology Department, said the…

By Polly Mikula On Friday, April 3, Health Commissioner Mark Levine officially recommended that Vermonters wear cloth facial masks, or coverings, if they need to leave their homes for essential purposes. This advice is based on new data about how COVID-19 can spread before a person has any symptoms, in other words: before they know…

Staff report The state identified 70 new coronavirus positive cases Saturday, April 4 — the largest increase of any single day so far. The next day brought 52 more. The state has double its confirmed cases in just a week, 280 new cases in seven days for a total of 575 confirmed cases as of…

Officials recommend fishing low and slow Vermont’s traditional trout fishing season opens Saturday, April 11. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department said anglers can still get out and fish while following  COVID-19 safety precautions and state executive orders as long as they are in effect. State Fisheries Biologist Shawn Good said, “Trout will become more…

KILLINGTON – Killington Music Festival has canceled what would have been its 38th summer season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a letter from the Maria Fish, executive director, and Daniel Andai, artistic director, that they posted on the Killington Music Festival website. “Killington Music Festival has been monitoring local, state, and national safety…