The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) released an independent analysis of Vermont’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program Tuesday, April 19, that concluded that TIF helps Vermont meet its smart growth goals, promotes long-term planning, and contributes to net-growth in the Education Fund. The report comes as the Vermont Legislature considers expanding TIF to…

By Rep. Jim Harrison While the 2022 session was scheduled and budgeted for a normal 18 weeks (May 13), House and Senate leaders are pushing for an adjournment on May 6. There is plenty of motivation to get done early with campaigning to do by several key Senators and House members that are running for…

By Karen D. Lorentz It’s not every day that one meets a woman working in a “non-traditional” job at a ski area. But Halley Riley-Elliott is not only comfortable in the work clothes of a mechanic fixing machines, she’s also at home in make-up and gowns competing in beauty pageants. And she loves doing both!…

Tucked in the corner of historic downtown Fair Haven is a new brewery called Scotch Hill Brewing Company. Owners Jon and Rachel Meigs recently partnered with local musician and owner of A Sound Space George Nostrand, to put on a new music series that will spotlight local musicians looking for an opportunity to feature some…

Staff report The Mountain Times won five awards for excellence in journalism, marketing, design and multimedia storytelling at the New England Better Newspaper Competition, which took place April 29-30, in Boston. The Mountain Times competes in the largest class of weekly newspaper (those with circulations over 5,000/week) making the competition very steep. For journalism, the…

By Katy Savage About 20 people attended an Act 250 prehearing conference at the Killington Public Safety Building April 29 for a 104-unit residential housing development at Bear Mountain, called Base Camp at Bear Mountain. If approved, the development will be the first true ski on-ski off housing units at Killington Resort, according to the…

First Stop Board Barn in Killington has been granted the 2021 Bicycle Retailer Excellence Award by the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA). The National Bicycle Dealers Association is a non-profit organization established in 1946 which promotes the interests of cycling and specialty bicycle retail across North America. The NBDA has certified First Stop Board Barn…

The Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) would like pet owners to be aware of the risks of marijuana use. While marijuana may produce pleasurable affects in people, for pets, the substance can be dangerous and even lethal. Though marijuana use is not new, its use for recreational purposes is more recent, and the increased accessibility…

By Mary Ellen Shaw If you have been waiting for color in your gardens that time is here! It will only get better as the weeks move forward. The first blossoms we see are from bulb flowers. They offer wonderful and varied colors. They begin to pop up and bloom in April and continue into…

By Kevin Theissen It may turn out that 2022 ends as one of the most volatile years for bonds in many years. The Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index has been down nearly 10% this year. The downturn in the bond market has challenged conservative investors and a widely held belief that bonds are “safe” investments.…

By Merissa Sherman I was at a bonfire party, staring at the beautiful clear sky. The stars were starting to come out, just a little twinkling and the wind had noticeably evaporated. It was weird, and almost unnoticeable except for the fact that the wind hadn’t stopped roaring for the entire month of April. And…

Inaccurate data reduced ranking from No. 3 to No. 30 in the past two year By Curt Peterson U. S. News and World Report magazine is well-known for its annual ratings of colleges and high schools. Windsor Central Unified Union School District (WCSU) enjoyed Woodstock Union’s 2020 No. 3 ranking among 56 Vermont schools as…

May 6 - July 9 — BRANDON — The small town of Brandon, Vermont, takes the spotlight again, with a multifaceted art exhibit showcasing its best known octogenarian. Warren Kimble, at age 87, remembered everywhere as “the contemporary folk artist,” selects a venue dear to his heart to stage what he calls his “last hurrah”…

Tuesday, May 10 at 7 p.m. — CHITTENDEN — The Chittenden Historical Society will present a taped interview with Leland Clark by Marko Svoren about Lee’s father Kip Clark and his experiences as a prisoner of war (POW) in Germany during World War II at the Chittenden Grange Hall at 3 Lower Middle Road in…

By Rob Roper Editor's note: Rob Roper is on the board of directors of the Ethan Allen Institute. On the morning of April 15, after weeks of discussion and just hours before they voted 4-1 to advance legislation that would saddle Vermonters with a radical, economy transforming “clean heat standard” for home heating fuels, senators…