By Curt Peterson Following a public hearing, the Woodstock Select Board narrowly approved short-term rental regulations by a vote of 3-2 on Jan. 21. The new bylaw requires owners of short-term rental properties to register them and pay a short-term rental fee of $115 per property, plus $100 per guest room,  Woodstock Town Planner Michael…

Staff members on the Manchester and Rochester-Middlebury ranger districts of the Green Mountain National Forest have been working to develop a recreation strategy that is intended to reduce costs and maximize public benefits while balancing social, economic, and environmental factors. The Forest plans to finalize its 5-year Recreation Facility Strategy before this year’s prime recreation…

By Jack Hoffman There’s a lot in the budget the governor presented last month to the Legislature—and to the public. It’s a proposal to spend more than $6.3 billion for the fiscal year that starts July 1. The detailed budget book is over 1,350 pages, and that doesn’t count the supporting documents. Buried in all…

Dear Editor, The Vermont Rural Education Collaborative includes 44 schools from Canaan in the Northeast East Kingdom to Bradford in the Connecticut River Valley. Our school-communities have some of the highest poverty levels and include the most sparsely populated areas in Vermont. We implore the Legislature to take the recommendations of the recent University of…

Dear Editor, We are women business owners who serve in the Legislature and we believe more Vermonters should have access to paid family leave in their time of need. Paid family leave should not be limited to people who work for large employers or have high-income jobs. As business owners, we know the value of…

Dear Editor, “I had my doubts when you invited us, but that was incredible,” a friend from Burlington said minutes after watching Rutland’s “Newly”wed Game, which benefited the Rutland Community Cupboard, BROC’s Community Food Shelf, and the Salvation Army. The fourth-annual event, presented by WJJR and Green Mountain Power and hosted by The Paramount Theatre…

By Jim Condos Following the results-reporting debacle during the Iowa Democratic Caucus, my office has been asked numerous times about Vermont’s presidential primary process, and if the problems that occurred in Iowa could happen here. The simple and straightforward answer is “no.” I want to take a moment to clear up how Vermont’s presidential primary…

By Angelo Lynn The one positive thing you can say about Trump’s State of the Union speech is that it had entertaining moments. Trump’s brilliance, if that’s a fitting word, is that he believes in the power of reality TV and brings a larger-than-life version of the presidency into his supporters’ living rooms with the…

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.—RANDOLPH—The Hocus Pocus Magic Show is a high energy, comedy show with lots of amazing magic that will “knock your socks off!”  Blaine Goad has been performing magic for over 40 years. It is his passion and he loves to share his amazing talents with audiences of all ages. The…

With only one match to go before the championships, Howard Stockwell of Randolph boasts a 15 point lead in the Vermont High School bowling ranks. In the team standings, the scores are much tighter, with only one point separating first place So. Burlington and second place Windsor. The teams will meet again on Saturday, Feb.…

Tuesday,  Feb. 18 at 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—Rutland Regional Medical Center is offering a 12-week weight loss program for overweight and obese community members, who would like to lose weight through modification of key behaviors that not only affect body weight, but also overall health and wellness. Topics to be covered in this course include nutrition, fitness…

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 6 p.m.—KILLINGTON—Pico Ski Education Foundation’s annual silent auction fundraiser is underway, and will culminate on Saturday with a Caribbean dinner. Funds raised at this event will be applied towards items and initiatives that the Pico Ski Club needs to run a safe, competitive, modern youth Alpine race program, offering a greater…

Monday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m.—STOCKBRIDGE—Dr. Alan Betts of Atmospheric Research in Pittsford is Vermont’s leading climate scientist. He is a frequent speaker on climate change issues around the state, and has worked on climate change adaptation planning for Vermont. He is a Weekly Planet columnist for the Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus. You can…

Sunday, Feb. 16 at 1 p.m.—RUTLAND—Looking for something fun to do with your Valentine? How about a fun afternoon of lots of painting and lots of sipping at the Moose Lodge 1122? No painting experience is required. A birch tree painting will be done in the course of 2-3 hours. Admission is $65 per couple…

Saturday, Feb. 15 at 10 a.m.—WOODSTOCK—What lies beneath the snow as we wait for spring to emerge? The forest floor is buried but a whole other world exists where we cannot see. Animals are hibernating or living in their dens. Small creatures may be cozy in the roots of the trees. Below the earth’s surface,…