By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org Some 272 state employees are on track to retire under an incentive program designed to reduce the state’s labor costs, Treasurer Beth Pearce told lawmakers Tuesday, Sept. 15. As part of the budget for fiscal year 2016, the Legislature approved a retirement incentive for up to 300 employees. Under the plan,…

By Gov. Peter Shumlin It is all too easy for those of us who care about protecting our environment, combating climate change, and preserving a sustainable planet for our kids and grandkids to lose hope that we can win the fight. At the national level, powerful fossil fuel interests and their climate-denier allies in Congress…

Dear Editor, I may not wear the cute little shorts and tank tops that the younger women wear, but I am at the Fair Haven Fitness Center working out three mornings a week and I am 78 years old. I am proud to say that I have been working out, with Jamie Matta as my…

Dear Editor, We are all experiencing higher disposal costs at transfer stations because of state law changes.  Black River Good Neighbor Services is not immune. To generate funds necessary to fulfill our mission of providing food and assistance, we need to receive donated goods to sell in our thrift and furniture stores. During summer, yard…

Dear Editor, Last week, Paul Dame, a first-year Republican Representative from Essex Junction penned an op-ed praising Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s recent visit. Dame touts Senator Paul as the “first candidate to prove how we can build a bigger, better, and bolder party right here in Vermont.” The Republican Party may well be in need…

By Dom Cioffi He was always going to be an athlete . . . Since the day my son was born, I’ve made sure that he was involved in sports. I didn’t do this because of my ego or because I have a secret fantasy that he will one day make millions as a professional athlete. I did it because…

Nausea. Twitchiness. Abject nervousness. Hot skin. Fear. Loathing. Frothing at the mouth. So the Thursday before the Spartan, I finally registered for the Ultra Beast. I waited, because as a nascent real estate agent I have very little money, and I had the sincerest hopes that the Spartan organization—with dozens of open spots in the…

Undeniably one of the best times of year for our taste buds is fall. From the abundance of squash choices to the crisp crunch of a Macintosh apple, the air is filled with the lingering scent of cinnamon-spiked treats that are not only tasty, but healthy to boot (pun intended—‘tis indeed the time of year…

Every year at this time I have a twinge of envy for students who go back to school. Fortunately for my parents, I loved school from day one. In fact, I loved it so much that I would have been a “professional student” after college if I could have earned a paycheck for learning! My…

By Barbara Mackay Eight or so years ago I collected milkweed seeds and painstakingly buried them one at a time under leaf debris at the back edge of my yard, hoping they would mature and attract more monarch butterflies to my home. The project has been wildly successful, but recently the monarch population has declined.…

Earlier this month, the California-based craft beer powerhouse Lagunitas Brewing Company announced that it was entering into a “joint venture” and/or “powerful new partnership” with Heineken International, a Dutch corporation that, in addition to putting skunky pale lagers into transparent green bottles under its own name, owns “over 170 beer brands” in “more than 70…

Courtesy of CSJ Dominick Simpson, a student athlete at the College of St. Joseph’s,  kicks a ball at a recent game this fall season. RUTLAND—It was a busy week in sports for College of St. Joseph, led by the men’s soccer team who went 3-0, scoring a season-high ten goals against Hampshire College on Sept.…

Submitted Lucas Livingston, age 15, and Tina Robinson will compete as a team in Minnesota. Photos In Order: Andy Robinson, Andrew Robinson, Tina Robinson, Lucas Livingston CASTLETON—Tina and Andrew Robinson are pairing up with Andy Robinson and Lucas Livingston, ages 14 and 15 respectively, to go to Minnesota to compete in the NAIFC Championship on Dec. 19 and…

Submitted KILLINGTON — Congratulations to local golfer Ray Rice for his first hole-in-one on Monday, Sept. 21, at Green Mountain National Golf Course. Rice used his 7 iron, from 155 yards, to score a tricky pin on hole #17; the ball found its way home on one bounce. Ray's "ace" was witnessed by his playing partners…

Submitted Chris Adams Shrewsbury angler earns $5,000 for win, leads series points race Vermont tournament bass angler Chris Adams recently won the third stop of the 2015 Champlain Bass Series, the Empire Challenge, weighing an 18.22-pound five-fish limit of bass that bested 26 other top tournament anglers from the Vermont, New York and New Hampshire…