By Jack Hoffman Thousands of Vermonters work at jobs that don’t pay enough to meet their families’ basic needs. That leaves Vermont taxpayers paying tens of millions of dollars to pick up the slack left by employers who pay so little that hard working men and women have to turn to public assistance. So, before…

Dear Editor, On May 6, we recognize our school nurses by celebrating National School Nurse Day as a way to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. This year’s theme is: School Nurses: Caring for Others. Caring for Ourselves. Parents should be able to send their children to…

Dear Editor, On April 2, 2015 at 11 p.m., after a five hour drive, I was pulled over for “speeding” in Rutland. I wasn’t the only victim. There seemed to be at least two other out of state vehicles getting tickets by other officers. So, the Vermont State Police have nothing better to do than…

Dear Editor, After several decades in business and more than 20 years in retail bookselling, it’s fair to say I have never been more surprised than I have been by the City of Rutland. I’ve been familiar with Rutland for years, having married in Middletown Springs more than two decades ago. As an independent bookstore…

By Governor Peter Shumlin It’s no secret that the economic recovery across America has been felt most by those with higher incomes. For working families in America, the recovery has been slow to take root. And for those fighting to get into the middle class, the recovery has been almost nonexistent, with many still struggling.…

Dear Editor, This is the story of my experience with Vermont Health Connect. I retired in the beginning of 2014. At that time our family was covered under my husband’s policy through his employer. My husband died in March of that year and the coverage ended. I had the option of being covered as a…

By Rob Roper It is safe to say that all or at least most of us believe that Vermont is a very special place, and we all want to do what’s necessary to preserve and pass on this unique treasure that both draws and keeps us here–majestic mountains, pristine waters, and wild, open spaces. The…

Editor’s note: The Mountain Times receives many questions from readers every week about Killington Resort and Pico Mountain operations. In order to best answer some of the most common questions we will pose them directly to Mike Solimano, president and general manager for Killington Resort and Pico Mountain, who has agreed to respond in an…

On April 9, Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Senate Budget Committee ranking member, issued the following statement on new data showing the extent to which some American companies are avoiding taxes: “I applaud Citizens for Tax Justice for releasing new data today revealing the unfairness of our tax system and the fact that a number of the…

By Governor Peter Shumlin A young woman suffering from an opiate overdose was recently brought to the Howard Center, an addiction recovery center in Chittenden County. The young woman had blue lips, was unresponsive, and was not breathing. Luckily, an opiate overdose reversal drug called naloxone was on hand. After receiving three doses of the…

By Debby Haskins Scientifically speaking, why does one feel “high” from marijuana? As Vermont contemplates legalizing marijuana and increasing the access to it and acceptance of it, it’s worth learning about what marijuana does to the brain. Arguably there is still much scientific study to do on the subject, but research on pot and its effects…

H.361 tries to address the school conundrum By Dave Sharpe Do we have small schools and small school districts or tiny schools and tiny school districts? Will expanding the size of school districts and getting rid of supervisory unions increase or decrease democracy? Can we embrace a new sense of our local community? Does H.361…

Dear Editor, I read something in a local paper a few weeks ago about the struggle of nonprofits to accommodate sporadic droves of corporate volunteers. The story said that while well intended, volunteers often show up to perform a photo-op-worthy task that’s already well-covered and not necessarily what truly needs to be done. Nonprofits rarely…

Dear friends, family and neighbors: At 6:15 p.m. on Friday March 28, the Vermont House of Representatives voted to pass the budget. It will now go to the Senate and be debated further before coming back to the House for final passage. While this year's budget is the result of a lot of hard work—and…

Dear Editor, I am writing to express my support for the Healthy Workplaces bill H.187, which is being debated in Montpelier. The bill establishes a minimum standard of earned leave which an employee can use to manage their health and the health of their families. Currently, almost 60,000 Vermonters don’t have access to any paid…