Tuesday, May 25, 6 p.m.—RUTLAND—Communities across the state have been facing the challenge of opiate addiction. Faith Stone, director of the West Ridge Center, will present an overview on this important issue Tuesday, May 25, 6- p.m. at the Holiday Inn, Rutland. Among the topics to be discussed are the dangers of substance abuse; how…

Thursday, May 18, 8 p.m.—RUTLAND—The Homeless Prevention Center is hosting a comedy fundraiser Thursday, May 18, 8 p.m. at the Franklin Conference Center located at 1 Scale Ave. in Rutland. The Homeless Prevention Center is a non-profit dedicated to ending homelessness in Rutland County. The organization provides direct client assistance to carry out its mission…

By Tom Scanlon Brian Regan was deep in the heart of Texas early in his career, on his way from one low-paying comedy show to another. He was standing next to a road, waiting to catch a Greyhound bus — but wait, it gets worse. “The bus pulls up, the door opens — and the bus driver…

Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m.—RUTLAND—Girls on the Run Vermont (GOTRVT) announces its Central Vermont 5k run/walk taking place at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 13 at the Vermont State Fairgrounds in Rutland. This celebratory event is the culmination of GOTRVT’s 10-week after school empowerment program for local girls in grades 3-8, and is open for the…

Monday, May 22, 6:30 p.m.—MANCHESTER—The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) is a national apprenticeship program that seeks to educate farm workers who are interested in becoming farmers in the future. CRAFT provides the structure for meaningful mentor relationships between committed farmers and focused apprentices by providing a diversity of on-farm educational experiences throughout…

Thursday May 11, 7:30 p.m.—WOODSTOCK—On Thursday, May 11, the Ottauquechee Health Foundation will host a concert to be held at the historic Woodstock Town Hall Theatre in cooperation with Pentangle Council on the Arts. The concert is being billed as “An Evening With Livingston Taylor,” and will begin at 7:30 p.m. Livingston Taylor picked up…

Monday, May 15, 10 a.m.—QUECHEE—The Vermont Institute of Natural Science is hosting an exciting research symposium Monday, May 15, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The science symposium is designed for students, peers, teachers, parents, and other community members as well as representatives from various local and state environmental agencies. Throughout the year, VINS science educators have worked…

Saturday, May 13, 1 p.m.—BRANDON—Foley Brothers Brewing and the Neshobe River Winery are excited to announce the first concert of the summer season at the Tasting Barn Saturday, May 13, at 1 p.m. They welcome the perfectly tuned tones of Middlebury College’s a cappella group, Dissipated Eight. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, so come on over…

Saturday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.—BRANDON—Following a busy 2016 which included his first tour of Europe, two performances with a full symphony orchestra, and roughly 39,000 miles of concert travel within the U.S. alone, acoustic double-neck guitarist and Candyrat recording artist Ian Ethan Case presents a new tour for 2017, previewing music from his upcoming album…

Wednesday, May 17, 7 p.m.—CASTLETON—Castleton author and Pulitzer Prizewinner Ron Powers will discuss and sign copies of his recent book, “No One Cares About Crazy People: The Chaos and Heartbreak of Mental Health in America.” The signing will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at the Castleton Community Center, 2018 Main Street, Castleton. The…

Saturday, May 13, 12 p.m.—WEST HAVEN—Devil’s Bowl Speedway is getting ready to make the ground shake with the inaugural Rutland County Rumble Saturday, May 13. The event will be a can’t-miss show, featuring the return of both the demolition derby and truck and tractor pulls to Devil’s Bowl Speedway after many years away. The event begins…

May 11, 13, 7 p.m.—RUTLAND—Pure Water for the World presents a two-part film series about water issues. On Thursday, May 11, 7 p.m., the documentary “What’s Your Watermark?” will be shown, about the rapidly declining water quality in Lake Champlain; and on Saturday, May 13, 7 p.m., “Elixir,” the sci-fi action thriller that imagines life…

Saturday, May 13, 10 a.m.—WALLINGFORD—On Saturday,  May 13, 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., the Wallingford Community Bike Safety Day will host its 19th annual event at the Wallingford Elementary School. This fun, interactive event always has something for all ages, from free helmet fitting to an obstacle course; from bike safety inspections to 911 rescue vehicle and…

Friday, May 12, 9 a.m.—CASTLETON—Castleton University, in partnership with Vermont PBS, will host the 22nd annual Castleton Videofest Friday, May 12, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Casella Theater. High school students from various schools throughout Vermont have submitted original work in the following categories: documentary, experimental/animation, narrative fiction, and public service announcements/advertisements. The…

Saturday, May 13, 4:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—Rutland will soon see a new Little Free Library opening to promote literacy, creativity and community. Join the grand opening event May 13, 4:30 p.m. in Baxter Street Park where cement will be poured for the installation of the library structure. Bring two books (if possible) and leave with a new…