By Daris Howard I was a junior in high school when the first calculators came out, and they did little more than add, subtract, multiply, and divide. By the time I graduated from college, Hewlett Packard had advanced calculator technology a lot. The testing center at the university I was attending was given some calculators…

One amazing bonus of living year-round in Killington is experiencing the incredible juxtapositions that the mountain and valley provide. We can ski for part of the day, leave the mountain, come down to the valley and resume quiet life on the Sherburne Flats. Mother’s Day and the following Sunday offered such a choice. The crowd…

By Michael J. Caduto In the early 1960s, Euell Gibbons wrote “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” and introduced millions of North Americans to the virtues of harvesting wild foods. Since that time, gathering wild edibles has become increasingly popular, and in our region, woods-grown delicacies such as ramps and fiddlehead ferns appear in grocery stores each…

The conveniences and safety factors in today’s cars were not in effect when I was growing up back in the 1950s. A friend and I were reminiscing about car trips when we were kids. There were no seat belts and the cars I rode in did not have air conditioning. When you wanted air flow…

Have you noticed that, in national news articles, reporters increasingly tend to quote statements that emerge from the Twitter pages—rather than the actual mouths—of public figures? I’m not writing to complain about this. Twitter is a popular medium for trivial and nontrivial communication alike. Most politicians and celebrities use it. Tweets can be important; they…

Video courtesy of Bobby Lanctot

Courtesy of CSJ Peter Edens, left, and Nolan Emory, right smile in their graduation caps. RUTLAND — College of St. Joseph was honored to grant degrees to 72 graduates at the College’s 56th commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 17. CSJ President Dr. Richard Lloyd conferred degrees upon the graduates. Academic Dean Dr. David Balfour led the…

Photo by Julia Purdy Retired Vermont Marble Co. carver Renzo Palmerini and his portrait in local marble of a Huron warrior. Proctor plans town gala Saturday, May 23 — PROCTOR — This Saturday the town of Proctor will host a gala celebration from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to celebrate the reopening of the Vermont Marble…

By Kevin Coburn, courtesy of Green Mountain College Photo One: Green Mountain College Graduation Speaker Mindy Lubber Photo Two: Bagpiper Ian MacDonald leads the procession down Main Street in Poultney. He was followed by international students carrying flags from their native country.  POULTNEY— Green Mountain College awarded diplomas to 151 students during its 178th commencement…

By Robin Alberti A slim-fitting tuxedo with a patterned vest is on display at Penguin Jack's. Purple dresses hang together at Camille's Tuxedos come in different fits, ranging from loosest to tightest, boys can choose “relaxed,” “standard,” “fashion,” or “skinny” styles, explained Mary Godrick Sherowski of Body Gears/Penguin Jack's. Camouflage/redneck patterns are also in, she…

The Vermont Department of Human Resources (DHR) is warning members of the State Employees’ Health Plan about a telemarketing practice promoting compound prescription drugs that can cost thousands of dollars. The telemarketing calls, apparently similar to those received by consumers in neighboring states, market a compounded pain gel or cream. The caller asks whether the…

RUTLAND COUNTY—Beginning May 18, 2015, law enforcement officials will be out in force, taking part in the 2015 national Click It or Ticket (CIOT) seat belt enforcement mobilization. "As we kick off the busy summer driving season, it is critical that everyone buckles up every time they go out, day and night—no excuses. Our officers…

By Morgan True, VTDigger.org The House vote to eliminate a philosophical exemption to childhood vaccines at the time of school entry left a bad taste in the mouths of some lawmakers, but efforts to reconsider that decision failed Wednesday, May 13. The legislation passed by the House on Tuesday would eliminate the philosophical exemption on…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger.org Lawmakers gave their final stamp of approval this week to a bill that provides a quicker path to scrubbing certain convictions from a person’s criminal record. Under the new law, individuals convicted of certain crimes they committed before they turned 25 will have an expedited process to expunge their records if…

On May 17, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to provide tuition-free higher education for students at 4-year colleges and universities in the United States. “We live in a highly competitive global economy and, if our economy is to be strong, we need the best-educated work force in the world. That will not happen if,…