Thursday, Oct. 12, 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—On Thursday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m., Phoenix Books Rutland will host Stephen Butz for a discussion of his new book, “Shays’ Settlement in Vermont.” The ruins of Daniel Shays’ fortified settlement reveal the hidden story of the famous rebellion. Shays and the Regulators founded the settlement deep in the Vermont wilderness after…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—Speaking at the annual Killington Pico Area Association, Killington Resort president and general manager Mike Solimano outlined some updates to the schedule for the Audi FIS World Cup in November. “By all accounts it was a pretty amazing event,” Solimano said, referring to last year’s World Cup. “Now we have to replicate…

Saturday & Sunday, Oct. 14-15—BRANDON—The Brandon Artists Guild is a hub for Fall Open Studio Weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 14-15, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. each day. Statewide Open Studio maps are available there, too. Foliage season is a good time to check out the fine art and crafts in Brandon, starting with the Brandon…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul This time of year, I keep the windows cracked open on even marginally warm nights, savoring the sweet air that sifts through the screens. On that air come the sounds of others relishing the last bit of warmth before frost settles in: namely, crickets and katydids. With trills and chirps, clicks…

By Kevin Theissen According to a recent report, only 34 percent of American’s have a will, which may not be entirely surprising. No one wants to be reminded of their own mortality or spend too much time thinking about what might happen once they’re gone. But a will is an instrument of power. Creating one…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Sitting outside the Gran Hotel Pelayo in Covadonga, Spain, the internet connection was as elusive as  el sol, but soon the sun and blue patches of sky emerged from swirling clouds and mist. We didn’t realize how rare sun could be high up in the Picos de Europa mountains. There my…

By Brady Crain The shoulder is coming along, and next week I will be able to lift weights. This week was marked by lots of walking and lots of road riding, because of the gorgeous weather. One interesting thing that happened to me was that as I was headed down West Hill Road the other…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Having grown up with party lines and phones without a dial, I am truly amazed by the way communication has changed. Dial phones were probably as welcome to my parents’ generation as cell phones are to mine. But what is the history of the telephone? Going back to 1900, there were…

By Brett Yates I was hired in 2008 as a youth culture columnist for the Mountain Times, just a few months after my 20th birthday, and one of the earliest articles I wrote was an impassioned denunciation of emo music, as feverishly and embarrassingly over-the-top as the genre itself. My polemic identified the key ingredients…

Dear Editor, When the Ludlow and Cavendish transfer stations recently increased their fees, our donation shed saw a steep increase in unusable donations we cannot resell – especially those made at night and on weekends when the store is closed. As a result, our trash disposal cost has skyrocketed. Black River Good Neighbor Services has…

By Daryle Thomas Once you know where you are, it’s easy to get to where you want to be. And that, dear reader, is why you need to test your garden soil. A bit of a leap? Not really. Garden soil is not just dirt. You have sand, silt, a little bit of clay, and…

By Carl Diethelm, a.k.a. Compost Carl As a tenant not owning his own home and living in town, I understand how difficult it can seem to be to compost food scraps instead of putting them in the trash. There might not be space to compost outside (if the landlord would allow it), or it could…

By Julie Moore Despite the Scott administration’s commitment to restoring Vermont’s waterways and funding clean water initiatives, recent news stories have contained inaccurate information and given the false impression that we’re decelerating our efforts. This is simply not the case. The Agency of Natural Resources, and all the partners engaged in this work – including…

By Dom Cioffi A few months ago, one of my coworkers was in my office to discuss an upcoming project. In the middle of our conversation, the internet radio I was tuned into started playing a song that I absolutely love. I abruptly stopped her in mid-sentence and turned up the volume. “You know who…

By Lani Duke National Night Out More than 1,000 people came to the Giorgetti Athletic Complex to celebrate National Night Out, NeighborWorks of Western Vermont announced in its recent newsletter. More than 35 organizations came to inform the community about their services and take part in the fun. The 15th annual National Night Out is…