Dear Editor, Rachael Ray, alumna of Lake George, N.Y., cooked, entertained and gave back to over 400 admiring fans, mentors, lifelong friends and family in her high school auditorium on April 29 for her 14th annual cooking show to raise money for the school and town she calls home. At the start of the show,…

By Lee H. Hamilton I had the good fortune last week to spend some time in Washington, D.C., with about a dozen former members of Congress. As you’d expect, we got to talking about the current Congress. Very quickly it turned out that the same question was troubling all of us: Why is it held…

By Douglas R. Hoffer, Vermont State Auditor The unfortunate situation with the EB-5 program presents an opportunity to reflect on the state’s approach to economic development. Among other responsibilities, the state auditor’s office examines various programs to determine whether they achieve the goals established by the legislature. That is, are we getting our money’s worth? To…

By Maxine Grad and Willem Jewett It may be accurate to observe that Governor Shumlin’s accomplishments during his final legislative session have been modest but it goes a bit too far to cast off the work of the General Assembly as “an uninspired, housekeeping session that was remarkable for how few initiatives lawmakers tackled,” as…

Courtesy of Lindsay Hunn Lindsay Hunn introduces Sen. Sanders at a rally in Claremont, N.H. ,in January. By Elaine Ezerins, St. Albans Messenger Two years ago, Lindsay Hunn walked into an office building on South Main Street in St. Albans, Vt., looking for a job in the legal world. As fate would have it, she…

By Mark Johnson, VTDigger.org The Republican candidates for governor differed in their support for their party’s presumptive presidential nominee, Donald Trump, while the three Democratic candidates were unified behind Bernie Sanders. Lt. Gov. Phil Scott rejected any idea of voting for Trump, while businessman Bruce Lisman said he would wait and see how Trump conducted…

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders recently announced that Vermont will receive $3 million from the National Housing Trust Fund. The funds are part of $174 million that is being dispersed nationally to build, preserve, and rehabilitate affordable rental housing. Sanders helped lead a 15-year effort to pass and fund the National Housing Trust Fund. “Since my…

On May 10, 2016, the state announced that its Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) are thriving. In its recently released annual report, the state claimed that 4,156 acres of habitat were improved over the course of 2015. WMAs are increasingly important in providing a place for people to enjoy wildlife-associated recreation as more of the state…

By Dom Cioffi Like so many other people, I arrived at work on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, thinking my day would be fairly routine. Within a few hours, however, the world as we knew would be permanently changed. I worked for a military veteran at the time so when the magnitude of the…

Courtesy of BRGNS Thrifty shoppers peruse the well-organized clothing tables at a past rummage sale in Ludlow. May 20-22 — LUDLOW — Black River Good Neighbor Services will hold its annual spring rummage sale at Fletcher Farms, 611 Route 103 South in Ludlow on Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.…

Courtesy of Hands-On Music Rob Zollman, owner of Hands-On Music in Brandon, leads a drum circle outside of the shop on Center Street. Saturday, May 21 at 12 p.m. — BRANDON — Be part of something big!  Join Hands-On Music, 27 Center Street in Brandon on Saturday, May 21 for the 3rd annual Drumstrong Vermont, a five-hour drum-a-thon…

Courtesy of Book Nook MAXINE GAUTIER Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m. — LUDLOW — The Friends of the Fletcher Memorial Library will host Maxine Gautier for an organizing workshop on Thursday, May 19 at 7 p.m. at the Fletcher Memorial Library. The event, entitled “Wouldn’t you like to Lighten Your Load?” organizing workshop will take place in…

Courtesy of RYT

Courtesy of Paramount Theatre NEIL GIRALDO, PAT BENATAR Sunday, May 22 at 8 p.m. — RUTLAND — Local radio station 94.5 The Drive presents an intimate evening acoustic evening with Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo on Sunday, May 22 at 8 p.m. at the Paramount Theatre. As their 35-year anniversary approaches, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo still…

Courtesy of Pentangle Arts Council MALEK JANDALI Saturday, May 21 at 4 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — Pentangle Arts is pleased to present the Malek Jandali Trio on Saturday, May 21 at 4 p.m. at the North Universalist Chapel in Woodstock. Jandali will be performing for the first time at Pentangle with Abdulrahim Alsiadi on oud, and Montreal…