RANDOLPH—The New World Festival in Randolph continues its tradition of presenting vibrant Celtic and French Canadian music and dance this year on Sunday, Sept. 4. Central to the festival’s success is its core of more than 100 enthusiastic volunteers whose only payment is the gratitude of the community and the joy brought to patrons and…

Wednesday, Aug. 24—RUTLAND—BROC-Community Action in Southwestern Vermont’s Economic & Workforce Development Program is presenting a free financial literacy workshop on Wednesday, Aug. 24, at the BROC office in Rutland at 45 Union Street. This is open to anyone who wants to find out how to review their credit report, how to set SMART goals—Specific, Measurable,…

Fairgoers adapt to changes, enjoy perennial favorites By Jimmy Britt In 1846  the Liberty Bell cracked when it was rung on George Washington’s birthday, the Mexican American War began and Iowa became the 29th state in America. That same year Vermont held its first State Fair in Rutland, and 170 years later the annual event…

Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m.—RUTLAND—Legendary folksinger Bob Dylan’s son Jakob Dylan and his group The Wallflowers will appear at the Paramount Theater Tuesday, Aug. 30 at 8 p.m. As part of the mid-90s revival of roots-rock, the Wallflowers are more influenced by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers than original 60s folk-rock, though lyrically, Dylan…

MENDON—On Monday, Aug. 22, at about 7:45 a.m., members of the Rutland City Fire Department, Vermont DMV Enforcement and Vermont State Police responded to a crash involving a grain truck rollover on Route 4 in the town of Mendon. Investigation at the scene revealed that 48-year-old James Wright of Randolph, Vt., was driving a 2012…

RUTLAND—After seven months of construction, Rutland Regional Medical Center has completed phase 1 and has begun work on phase II of what is to be an expected 18-month long construction and renovation project involving the hospital’s emergency department (ED). The first phase involved 1,840 sq. ft. of new construction and partial renovation of the existing…

LUDLOW—Chrisandra’s Interiors held a charity event benefiting the Women’s Freedom Center (WFC) on Aug. 13, Saturday. at its retail store located on Main Street in Ludlow. “Our goal is to raise money through the sale of raffle tickets to help the WFC provide much needed services and programs for victims of domestic violence,” said store…

By Amy McClure LUDLOW—On Sunday, Aug. 14, the Book Nook in Ludlow welcomed World Horror Grandmaster Brian Keene and local author Asher Ellis to perform readings from their various works, sign copies, and answer questions from the audience. Keene is best known for his 2003 novel “The Rising,” which is often credited with starting the…

Sunday, Aug. 28 at 10 a.m.—RUTLAND TOWN— Let your favorite pooch enjoy the end of summer with a dip in the pool from 10 a.m. to noon, Sunday, Aug. 28 at North Wood Pool, Post Road in Rutland Town! There will be a free swim for dogs only throughout the event, along with games and…

By Rev. Lee Alison Crawford In the end, gravity always wins. For about 60 years, the barn that Oren Bates built has been a fixture on the Mission Farm property. One notices it even as one barrels by at 50 m.p.h. over on Route 4. A quick glance across the fields and river is all…

By Laurie Morrissey Birdsong has always fascinated humans. Besides waking some of us up a wee bit too early in the morning, it has inspired musical compositions and immortal poetry. It has produced lush descriptions, like those of the early 1900s field guide author F. Schuyler Mathews, who wrote of the wood thrush’s song: “It…

People in their late 20s and early 30s are able to determine which of their peers are attempting to become “real adults” by checking for an array of telltale signs: a marriage, a mortgage, a Costco membership, a firm support for the pragmatic politics of Hillary Clinton. For the past decade, there has perhaps been…

By Brady Crain Last week on one of my hikes, I got neck deep in some poison parsnip. I don’t believe that I am particularly allergic to this plant, because the only places it broke out was on my legs, which were covered with fresh bleeding scratches from scrabbling through raspberry and blackberry, not to…

Mountain Meditation By Marguerite Jill Dye Mom always said, “Vermont is heaven on earth,” and I feel as if I’m between heaven and earth in Vermont. I was pulling wilted wave petunias off flower box bouquets when a red-spotted purple butterfly fluttered my way, dancing around me with jet black wings with intricate blue designs…