All Vermont fourth graders can get a free Christmas tree cut from national forest land RUTLAND – Gov. Peter Shumlin announced Monday, Nov. 23, that for the first time in Vermont history, the State House Christmas tree will come from federally managed land within the 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The 32-foot balsam fir…

RANDOLPH — PoemTown Randolph organizers are excited to announce the third annual celebration of poetry in Randolph throughout April, National Poetry month, and are seeking submissions from Vermont poets as the centerpiece of the month-long event. PoemTown Randolph 2016 presents a public opportunity for Vermont poets to share their work. Throughout the month of April, posters…

By Robin Alberti The Clear River Tavern staff this season is made up of Buffy Stevens, Taylor Stugart (Head Chef), Jesse Stugart, Asia Hickory, Paul Grindel,Whalen Layne and Doug and Kathianne Mianulli. PITTSFIELD—The Clear River Tavern is under “new” management. Doug Mianulli has been an institution and bartender at The Clear for 16 years, and now…

By Karen D. Lorentz Bright colors, bold color blocking, plaids, and prints are all part of the ski and ride fashion scene this year, along with some longer and fitted jacket styles and the retro look of quilting. The emphasis on snow wear that provides warmth (staying dry) and comfort (think lightweight, functional) is not…

Submitted Alayna Westcom, Miss Vermont, and Sophia Parker, Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen 2015. Do you know someone who has what it takes to be the next Miss Vermont or Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen? This spring, Miss Vermont 2015, Alayna Westcom of Bakersfield, and Miss Vermont’s Outstanding Teen 2015, Sophia Parker of Addison, will be ready…

Chart courtesy of REMAX New England REMAX reports on October residential housing sales The residential market in New England remained steady through October 2015, with a modest 3.8 percent increase in sales over October 2014. Across the region, pending sales were up 12.3 percent while average days on market decreased by nearly 11 percent. Month-over-month,…

Submitted One of the old street signs being auctioned off after West Rutland replaced them with larger and more reflective ones. (No more need to swipe them!) WEST RUTLAND—Need a one-of-a-kind holiday gift? The town of West Rutland is auctioning off their inventory of old road signs. Due to new federal regulations, all town road…

Submitted Mrs. Mee’s third grade class at Rutland Intermediate School with their dictionaries RUTLAND—Call it a Rotary lesson in literacy. For the past 14 years, Rutland South Rotary Club has donated brand new dictionaries to all third-graders in eight schools within the Rutland region. These are personal dictionaries they can use in school or at…

Vermont’s emoji highlights a relatively new trend Just in time for the holidays, Hotwire has announced the top travel and leisure emoji used state by state. From the ever popular “tent” in Wyoming to “snowflakes” in Montana and Alaska and “tropical drink” in Hawaii, the data offers a fun, industry-wide read that shows that consumers…

By Robin Alberi Students at Killington Elementary School enjoy a Thanksgiving Day feast at lunch last week. All helped out with the meal, serving students and adults (including parents) the holiday meal. Students were encouraged to sample a variety of foods and to learn abou the history of the Thanksgiving Day meal, including why many…

LUDLOW — The staff of Black River Good Neighbor Services (BRGNS) has announced that they are accepting applications for the 2015 holiday food basket program. They ask that completed applications be submitted by Dec. 1, 2015. Executive Director Audrey Bridge and her staff are eager to see that no person or family goes without food, and…

Courtesy of Rutland Regional Medical Center Gerianne M. Smart RUTLAND—Rutland Regional Medical Center, the second-largest healthcare facility in Vermont, announced Friday, Nov. 20, that Gerianne Smart has been named the manager of marketing and public relations. Smart brings extensive experience and expertise in marketing and public relations, as well as strategic planning, process improvement and…

In response to requests from certified organic producers to help increase demand for organic products in the marketplace, Vermont Organic Farmers (VOF) has developed a collection of outreach materials that explain and support the organic certification process and promote organic products. The materials include a series of short videos for consumers that convey the benefits…

By Lani Duke Youth, alcohol, college and sports collide Castleton police officers arrested an 18-year-old Castleton University football player in the early morning of November 8. Doing so required more effort than the usual amount of force: three Taser shots, pepper spray, intervention by a civilian bystander and backup from two other agencies. Charbonnier and…

By Lani Duke Hundreds hired for the holidays The week after Thanksgiving and the remainder leading up to Christmas are the busiest time of year for the Vermont Country Store in Clarendon. To fill all those holiday orders the store hires more than 500 additional employees, split about evenly between the distribution center and the call…