Dear Editor, Many thanks to the parade committee of the 53rd Loyalty Day parade: Sam Gorruso, Gerry Garrow, Dick Blongy, Bruce Baccei, Mark and Jean Prouty, Bill Flory, Don Choiniere, Jim Mills, Sharon Corey, Bonnie Burke, Suzanne Houston, Shella Mills, Tony and Donna Manfredi, Ron Senecal, Marie Fallon, Howard & Hurley Cavacas, Donnaleen Farewell and…

Dear Editor, Are you, too, fighting mad about Trump pulling the U.S. out of the Paris climate accord? Then let’s fight back three times a day by adopting an eco-friendly plant-based diet. Yes, our diet is pivotal. A 2010 United Nations report blames animal agriculture for 19 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, 38 percent of land…

Dear Editor, President Trump’s call to abandon the Paris Climate Agreement, slash federal funding for clean air and water, and reduce protections for threatened and endangered species have made national headlines and created grim reading for those who care about protecting the health of our people and our environment. But, as is often the case,…

By Larry Williams As the numbers of people who participated in the climate march recently showed, Vermonters and Americans across this country are concerned about climate change. Millions of Americans want action. And while the president and his cabinet are busy denying the science behind climate change, states, cities, businesses and individuals are tackling climate…

The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants for Vermont universities, according to an announcement Thursday, June 1, made by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The grants, awarded through the Upward Bound program, will go to four institutions of higher education to…

In response to 47 separate price scanner violations, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets has issued more than $210,000 in penalties to Dollar General stores in the state since 2013, including $24,000 in penalties this year. Agency inspectors have observed repeated pricing inaccuracies, which could shortchange consumers, such as discrepancies between the posted…

Gov. Phil Scott recently signed into law legislation that provides greater First Amendment protections for student journalists and their teachers and advisers in Vermont. “The Vermont Press Association is pleased the state Legislature moved quickly this year to provide proper First Amendment safeguards for student-journalists and their advisers,” said VPA President Adam Silverman, an editor…

Class of 2017 sets high standards for achievement RUTLAND—On Friday, June 2, Mount St. Joseph Academy celebrated its 130th commencement exercises at St. Peter Church with the traditional pageantry that accompanies each MSJ graduation. The opening procession included flags from the various countries whose students attend MSJ, as well as a Knights of Columbus honor guard.…

WEST RUTLAND—On Thursday morning, June 1, West Rutland’s fifth-graders participated in Rutland County Audubon’s second Marsh Education Day at the West Rutland Marsh. Volunteers from Audubon manned four stations that the students rotated through every 30 minutes. The stations focused on four areas: the marsh itself (history, habitat and its role as a “nursery” for…

Killington Resort finishes out the season with free skiing in June KILLINGTON—For the first time in 15 years, Killington Resort offered lift serviced skiing and snowboarding in June. And Thursday, June 1, hundreds showed up for lift-serviced skiing and riding offered free to the public. It was the first time that Killington had offered lift-serviced…

Vermont Days are an annual invitation to visitors and Vermonters to explore — for free — Vermont’s excellent fishing, state parks, and historic sites. For the weekend of June 10-11, all Vermont State Parks day-use areas and all state-owned Historic Sites will be open at no charge. Additionally, Saturday is free fishing day—no license required. “Vermont…

By Amy Allen Student-athletes at Killington Mountain School are no strangers to spending time outdoors in a variety of weather conditions, and the class of 2017’s graduation day kept that tradition alive. From brisk wind, to clouds, to rain, to brightening skies, Friday’s ceremony, June 2, ran the gamut, and KMS students did one of…

By Evan Johnson RUTLAND—The Hunger Council of Rutland County describes Act 148, also known as the Universal Recycling Law, as the most significant change to Vermont’s solid waste system in recent history. The law focuses on reducing food waste, with the goal of eliminating food waste from the waste stream by 2020.  At its quarterly…

By Tiffany Danitz Pache, VTDigger Local residents met this week to go over their options under Act 46 in preparation for a June 13 revote on a school district merger with Rochester and Bethel. In April, Royalton voters overwhelmingly rejected the same proposal, but resident Laurie Smith said people were surprised to learn their vote…

By Stephen Seitz LUDLOW—On May 30 the towns of Mount Holly and Ludlow narrowly defeated an Act 46 merger proposal, which would have closed Black River High School and sent the students of those towns to the Mill River Union Unified School District in North Clarendon. The combined votes of both towns came to 636…