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The nominations for the 2025 Academy Awards came out on Thursday, Jan. 23, and any year where four of my top film picks get nominated for Best Picture and Director, I can’t complain. Out of the 10 nominees for Best Picture, I’ve seen eight, and seven of those I’ve reviewed for The Mountain Times since…

The state of Vermont is in charge of transportation restrictions, with one big exception. The state has empowered local municipalities to regulate parking within their areas of jurisdiction, provided the restrictions are posted. Brattleboro does not have overnight street parking anywhere in the city, and the streets are littered with signs declaring the restriction. West…

Some words, once spoken, can’t be taken back. When a piece of information is shared or revealed, it’s very difficult to hide it again. Collectively, we are on a timeline where, for some, the truth is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish. Meanwhile, for others, there’s never been any question about the difference between a lie…

There are three things that can never be hidden – the Sun, the Moon, and the truth. Some truths can be buried for a long time, seemingly forever banished. A hidden truth is akin to a lie. It torments. It infects. It taints. It grows until it becomes a beast that consumes you. Every lie…

The State of Vermont is one of the biggest housing developers in the state. Seven state departments qualify as housing developers, and the University of Vermont is a housing developer. Seven public housing authorities also qualify as housing developers. Add to the list the seven homeownership organizations that are housing developers, and then there are…

When snow arrives and I see cars with skis passing through Rutland, I can’t help but think about my ski days, which began on some small slopes. The areas where I skied in the ‘50s and ‘60s no longer exist. But the memories remain! Like many kids who grew up in the Rutland area the…

There are filmmakers who redefine the movie-going experience and those who reshape it. David Lynch did both. He remains one of the most important filmmakers and certainly one of the most unique, risk-taking, and singular visionaries to ever pick up a movie camera. When critics discuss films that push the boundaries of the medium, Lynch’s…

As the winter sun set on Feb. 3, 2023, the Caribou, Maine branch of the National Weather Service (NWS) was flooded with reports of seismic activity. James Sinko, the office’s hydrology program manager, recounted Mainers calling in from across the state’s Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Washington counties to describe homes and buildings trembling and deep…

 I recently had to go on a business trip and decided, since my son was available, that I would drag him along for company. The trip involved my own vehicle, so we packed up the night prior and got on the road at 6 a.m. the following morning. If I’m going on a long road…

I pull my hood over my pompom and duck my head down as low as I can. My body is in the lowest squat I can manage with my ski boots on, and I can feel my tips rising off the snow as my weight drops back. Extending my pole grips out in front of…

This Thursday, Jan 23. at 8 p.m., the Pickle Barrel hosts one of my top shows from last year, New Hampshire’s own Roots of Creation (original reggae), which will be opening up for themselves, so to speak. Their other band, Grateful Dub, is the headliner of the evening, and if you can’t guess, they do…

History tends to demonstrate that humans aren’t too fond of change. Sure, we progress and adapt over time and with technology, but do we fundamentally change? Not much. Rather than change and actively work towards a better future, we tend to dwell on the past. Make sure things are great again. The good ol’ days,…

With home viewing becoming the preferred way to watch movies, it’s a rare delight to encounter a film that demands to be seen in a theater. Brady Corbet’s "The Brutalist" is one such film. This 215-minute epic, shot in stunning VistaVision and presented in 70mm, is a cinematic experience that makes the journey to the…

“How much longer until we get to where you are taking me?” I hear the voice reach out from behind me. We’d been skinning (or climbing uphill with our skis on) for about an hour when my ski sister finally decided to ask where we were going. We had started with some work road and…

In September of last year, I put my son on a flight to Australia, where he would spend the next month backpacking throughout t that country’s eastern coast. He then flew to Bangkok, Thailand, for another month, this time enjoying the jungles and beaches in the surrounding regions. Finally, he concluded his Pacific trek with…