Rutland Free Library tightens belt A $40,000 budget deficit has caused the Rutland Free Library to look for ways to economize in the 2017-2018 budget year. The shortfall is the result of lower interest returns on library endowments, combined with Rutland City Board of Aldermen level funding. The library is not asking for increases from…

Castleton Community Center adds board members, plans March activities CASTLETON—Joan Chader and Mary Beth Hadeka joined the Castleton Community Seniors board at that group’s February meeting. Chader and her husband moved to their Lake Bomoseen home in 2002. Hadeka and her husband have lived in Castleton for 36 years. The Castleton Village School Band entertains…

Dear VPIRG, You asked for comments on the wind sound rules you would like to see in place. Since this is such an important issue to all Vermonters and your website wouldn’t receive comments, I had to seek other avenues to comment. These are statements you made to which I couldn’t help but respond. “Wind…

Dear Editor, As evidence of the dangers of secondhand smoke continues to rise, many communities have passed tobacco-free laws that cover outdoor areas such as parks, recreational facilities, beaches, outdoor workplaces, and public events such as county fairs and farmers’ markets. Locally, Rutland City passed a ban on all tobacco products in Rutland City parks…

Dear Editor, In his recent commentary in The Mountain Times, “Something to Write Home About,” Windsor County state senator Dick McCormack opines about “respecting the education fund.” He claims that he would never  raid the education fund for other purposes, due to his strong support for Act 60. Contrary to his present-day promise, McCormack fully supported…

Dear Editor, As a state legislator, my first responsibility is to stand up for a Vermont that works for all of us. I’m continually looking at what we can do to strengthen Vermont’s economy for future generations. I’m proud to be a lead sponsor of legislation that would create a family and medical leave insurance…

By Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos An open government makes for a better government. This is Sunshine Week and it is being celebrated all across the nation.4.1x7  In reality, it should be celebrated every week – not just this week – in Vermont and every other state. Here at the secretary of state’s office, our operations…

By Adam Grinold, Lyle Jepson, William Colvin There is a scene from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” set in days of the Black Plague. Eric Idle moves through a village, calling “Bring out your dead!” John Cleese appears, a body slung over his shoulder. As he negotiates offloading the corpse to Idle, the body interrupts;…

On March 1, the Killington Aquatic Club with 34 swimmers swam for 2 hours to complete a very successful Swim-A-Thon at Pico Sports Center. Many of the older swimmers swam up to 3 miles in the two hours, while the younger swimmers (as young as age 5) swam the most laps they ever had without…

RUTLAND—Cobra Gymnasts had an action packed weekend competing in both Bow, N.H., and Rutland. Level 4, 6 and 7 teams traveled to the Friendship Classic on March 4 at Granite State Gymnastics. Over 15 talented teams from all over New England attended the New Hampshire meet. On Sunday, March 5, Cobra Gymnastics hosted a Vermont…

RUTLAND—History was made for Vermont on Feb. 25 in Ocean City, Md., when the Rutland High School’s Varsity Cheerleaders won Vermont’s very first National Cheer Championship title against teams from across the country at the Reach the Beach National Competition. The day started with one of RHS’s stunting groups’ first-place win at the stunting competition.…

Governor Scott officially opens Vermont’s “sweetest season” The unseasonably warm days and crisp nights through February have had the sap gushing, and the 2017 maple season is not only underway but off to a promising start. Last year, Vermont produced almost 2 million gallons of maple syrup, from 4.85 million taps, which was an all-time…

Ron and the late Ellen Jeanne Willis announce the engagement of their daughter, Charmaine Noelle Willis, to Scott David Ward, son of Lynda and the late Baxter “Toby” Ward, of Searsport, Maine. Scott and Charmaine met while she was attending the University of Southern Maine and he was attending the Maine School of Law in…

A new report by The Solar Foundation cites Vermont as a national leader in the solar industry, ranking third for the number of solar jobs per capita. Between 2015 to 2016, solar jobs in Vermont grew by 29 percent, with an additional 400 solar jobs created in the state last year. “Each solar job means that a skilled craftsman, a…

By Polly Lynn Mikula A ranking of the 2017 Best Public Schools and Districts was recently released by Niche, a website that analyzes date about schools and neighborhoods across the country. Over 80,000 public schools and 10,000 school districts were analyzed to create the nationwide rankings, according to the news release. “For millions of families,…