Dear editor, In this past week’s edition Rob Roper, president of the Ethan Allen Institute, wrote an opinion telling us that in order to improve the job market in Vermont we need to become a "right-to-work" state and that all workers should become "independent contractors" instead of employees. If employees became contractors, business owners would…

The end of summer and the beginning of another school year is an important milestone in the life of each child. For many Vermont kids, this summer was likely a time of rich experience and opportunity, with travel to a new place, quality time with family and friends, camp, and days packed with learning, excitement,…

By Mayor Christopher Louras On Aug. 26 I co-hosted (with the Vermont Council on Rural Development) a regional public forum at the Paramount Theatre on Advancing Vermont’s Climate Change Economy. The City of Rutland has garnered statewide and, in numerous instances, national recognition for embracing solar development as a tool to promote itself as a…

By Lisa Chalidze Pregnant women: hardly the stereotypical political image. Yet birth stirs up intense political, moral and even legal controversy. Why? Maybe it’s really a question of power? In our society, there is a trade-off between individual liberty, on the one hand, and compliance with social rules, on the other hand. To protect itself…

Courtesy of Gerrie Russell Steve Wood portrays the sixteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. By Gerrie Russell Friday, Sept. 4 at 1:30 p.m. — RUTLAND — Bernard Osher, a native of Biddeford, Maine is an extremely successful business man and community leader whose continuing philanthropy has touched many lives. The Bernard Osher Foundation, established in…

RUTLAND — The Vermont State Fair runs Friday, Sept. 4 through Saturday, Sept. 12. The agricultural area is open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Daily Free Entertainment includes Circus Hollywood, racing pigs, petting zoo, Friesian horses, pony rides, The White Shadow, Al the Artist and more. Get all the info at vermontstatefair.org or call 802-775-5200.…

By Dom Cioffi I am a self-admitted news junkie. I’m not sure why. It could be due to over two decades of work in the newspaper and television industries. Or it could be just an innate desire to be knowledgeable on as many subjects as possible. Whatever the case, I like the news. And I…

Jazz legend Mose Allison once said, "The essentials of jazz are: melodic improvisation, melodic invention, swing and instrumental personality." With that in mind, make sure you don't miss Oak Totem Trio do their take on jazz at Choices Restaurant this coming Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. It is also the first of what might…

By Tony Accurso War Man is a fun trail in the Green Mountain Trails system in Pittsfield.  This trail consists of 20 switchbacks in less than half a mile, and was improved by trail builders Sinuosity in 2010. Volunteers organized by Jason Hayden worked with Sinuosity to move large amounts of dirt and rock to…

By Polly Lynn Mountain biking at the Beast offers a different experience this year, and riders of all abilities have taken notev with rider numbers doubling over last year on many weekends. No longer does learning to ride mean embarking on a (sometimes frightful) descent from the top of Vermont’s second highest mountain. With the…

Photo courtesy of Woodstock Terrace Anne Herz of Woodstock doing what she loves best WOODSTOCK — At 79, local resident Anne Herz shows no signs of slowing down. Well into her retirement, Herz has been donating a large portion of her time volunteering for The Thompson Senior Center, which acts as a resource and advocate…

A two-day tax “school” is planned for two locations in November to update tax practitioners, accountants and other tax professionals on new tax legislation, regulations and rulings. The dates for the 2015 University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Income Tax Schools are Nov. 10-11 at the Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction, and Nov. 17-18 at the…

Eight elementary schools throughout New Hampshire and Vermont are celebrating, because each has been awarded a special literacy sponsorship valued at $25,000 for the 2015/2016 school year from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF), an independent nonprofit based in Waterbury Center, Vt. Each school given a special CLiF Year of the Book sponsorship will receive a…

By Stephen Seitz The Vermont Farmers Food Center has teamed with medical care providers to target patients whose chronic conditions could be improved by bettering their diets. The 12-week program is called Health Care Share and continues through Sept. 23. Health Care Share was the topic of a recent “Insight” program on PEGTV, aired throughout…

Rutland City New bank branch opens The Bank of Bennington recently opened a commercial loan production office at 110 Merchants Row, staffed primarily by Tim Collins, regional vice president and senior commercial lender. It joins branches in Arlington, Bennington, and Manchester. The 45-year-old bank has $400 million in assets, with aims to expand its Rutland…