By Stephen Seitz WOODSTOCK—There are smiles all around the business community for the summer tourist season this year. Beth Finlayson, director of the Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce, said she was seeing a banner year. “Things are going really well,” she said. “A new restaurant, Ruth’s, has opened, and another restaurant has changed hands.” Finlayson…

By Anne Galloway, VTDigger.org House Speaker Shap Smith and Matt Dunne, a Google executive, have both registered paperwork as candidates for governor with the Secretary of State’s office. Smith has served seven terms as a lawmaker, and became speaker in 2009. Smith has only said he didn’t see himself “running for the House again.” The…

Dear Editor, Vito Rasenas’ letter in the Aug. 13-19 edition of The Mountain Times is right on the money. The Killington Selectboard and town manager have been slowly and methodically trying to eliminate the “Slip Road.” This started well over a year ago with a suggestion by one of the selectmen to create a park…

Dear Editor, I’ve asked two simple questions. Killington Selectboard Chair Patty McGrath believes she’s answered them. As a voter, I do not. To summarize my point: page 7 of our town report lists a Town of Killington Debt Summary, which does not include FEMA/flood debt. Since my questions regarding this, Patty, the Selectboard and management…

Dear Editor, We are a small group of people that live on Barrows Towne Road. Even smaller if you only count those of us that live on the stretch between Route 4 and Green Mountain National Golf Course. It is this stretch of road that is increasingly becoming more dangerous due to speeding traffic. Though…

By Scott A. Giles Nobody likes to take tests, myself included. So it was with a fair amount of trepidation that I accepted Secretary Holcombe’s invitation to take the new Smarter Balanced Assessments in April. My anxiety increased when I entered Montpelier High to discover we would be taking the 11th grade math assessments. Three…

Dr. Stephen Pitmon Vermont’s secretary of human services recently saluted the 50th anniversary of Medicaid. As the secretary pointed out, there’s much to celebrate. There are also many elements of the program that must be reformed if Vermont is to succeed in making health and dental care affordable for everyone. First, state government must acknowledge…

By Dom Cioffi Every now and then you run across a life story that seems too incredible, too improbable, and too inconceivable to actually be true. The story of Arnel Pineda is a perfect example. Born in the lower class sections of Manila in the Philippines, Arnel’s childhood was disrupted when his mother became terminally…

Submitted ENTRAIN Saturday, Aug. 22 at 3:30 p.m. — KILLINGTON — Entrain will perform a free concert at Killington Resort’s Snowshed Adventure Center on Saturday, Aug. 22 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. The concert is part of the Town of Killington’s Cooler in the Mountains summer series. Since the group’s inception in 1993, Entrain has been thrilling…

PIAZZOLLA PROJECT Saturday, Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m. — BRANDON — The Piazzolla Project brings together the talents of four unique musicians to explore the diverse sounds of Argentinean composer Astor Piazzolla’s “Nuevo Tango.” At Brandon Music on Aug. 22 at 7:30 p.m., tango fans will recognize the famous milonga “Oblivion” and the haunting song “Los Pajaros…

Submitted A girl plays animal Olympics at the community open house and picnic held at Vermont’s only national park. Saturday, Aug. 22 at 12 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — Celebrate summer by enjoying a special afternoon of discovery and fun at the national park in Woodstock. Taking a cue from previous occupants of the park’s historic Mansion —…

Submitted Buster Keaton stars in “The General,” a silent film garnering 18th rank on the American Film Institute’s 100 best American movies of all time. Saturday, Aug. 22 at 7 p.m. — LUDLOW — FOLA (The Friends of Ludlow Auditorium) will present its annual silent movie festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m., in the Ludlow…

Saturday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. — RUTLAND — Let your favorite pooch enjoy the end of summer with a dip in the pool at the Dog Days of Summer pool party. The cool-pool event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 6-8 p.m. at Northwood Pool on Post Road, Rutland Town. There will be a free swim…

Courtesy of Pentangle Arts Violinist David Cerutti is one of six internationally acclaimed instrumentalists performing in the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival. Sunday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. — WOODSTOCK — Pentangle Arts is thrilled to once again welcome the Central Vermont Chamber Music Festival to Woodstock for an encore performance, Sunday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m.…

Thursday, Aug. 20 at 5 p.m. — WEST PAWLET — The West Pawlet Volunteer Fire Department auction will be held Thursday, Aug. 20 at the West Pawlet Firehouse, Route 153, West Pawlet. The auction event begins at 6 p.m. and it does not end until all items are gone. Auctioneer for the event will be Chriss Mars, son…