February 8, 2017 by Polly Lynn

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 1

Mounta in Times Volume 46, Number 6

The best things in life are FREE! I flatter myself.

Feb. 8-14, 2017

From Stratton to Stowe, Burke and Jay, ski resort ownerships may change

RNeSU rejects Scott’s level funding mandate By Lee J. Kahrs

incumbent Selectman Ken Lee for a three-year term. There is a petition article to change tax collection payments from four times a year to three, and another to rescind the 1 percent local option sale tax.

BRANDON — The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union has no intention of retooling its school budgets or waiting until a May date to have voters weigh in, despite what Gov. Phil Scott outlined in his budget address. In it, Scott outlined a plan to take money out of the state education fund to put into preschool and higher education, while directing K-12 school boards across the state to go back and levelfund budgets that have already been approved for a vote on Town Meeting Day. Level funding means crafting a budget that contains no increase in spending over the previous budget. “I’m not asking school districts for anything more than what I’ve asked from state government,” Scott said. “We will be tightening our belts in Montpelier and rethinking every program and service at every level.” Scott also proposed a May 23 date for taxpayers to vote on the revised school budgets in their districts. The newly-elected Republican cited the continuous decline in student enrollment and the perceived inability of school boards to reduce per pupil spending despite having fewer students. Vermont’s property tax system is tied directly to education spending, so the higher the local cost of education, the more local property taxes rise. The

Town Meeting races, page 4

RNeSU, page 3

By Karen D. Lorentz

By Robin Alberti

Winter wonderland A skier enjoys a solo run through a tunnel of white trees at Killington Resort, Monday, Feb. 6.

Local “newly weds” compete The Paramount Theatre is hosting a local version of the “Newly Wed” game, Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at 7:30 p.m. Local couples will test their knowledge of one another and help raise money to support local charities. Page 16

living A.D.E.

Living A.D.E. What’s happening? Find local Arts, Dining & Entertainment Pages 15-24

Mounta in Times

is a community newspaper covering Central Vermont that aims to engage and inform as well as empower community members to have a voice.

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For two weeks now rumors have been flying that Vail Resorts might be buying Stowe Mountain Resort. Those rumors were based on reports of CEO Rob Katz being seen at the mountain two weekends ago. Stowe This past December, the Mountain Times reported that retired Steamboat President Chris Diamond (now a consultant) wrote in his memoir SKI INC. that “Vail Resorts will also certainly find a way to enter the Northeastern market, regardless of the weather vagaries and the challenges of providing the ‘Experience of a Lifetime’ under those conditions.” Diamond went on to say, “a property such Killington would be a very desirable acquisition,” citing its being the largest area in the East with possibly the “largest customer base.” Mentioning areas in other New England states as possibilities, too, he opined, “it’s just a matter of time” before Vail comes East. Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN) went public in Feb. 1997 with an IPO price of $22 a share. As of Feb. 7, 2017 it was trading at $177.26 . The stock climbed 27 percent in 2016 due to strong earnings growth and its major acquisition of Whistler Blackcomb, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. Since 2008, when the federal government bailed out Stowe’s owner — the insurance conglomerate American International Group, Inc. (AIG) has owned the ski area since 1970 — Stowe Resort was reported for sale, as AIG has divested assets to repay the $182 billion bailout (and lately reported to be selling assets to simplify its holdings and to buy back shares). An AIG official confirmed Stowe was for sale back in 2009, mentioning several unsolicited bids. However, it was noted that the resort was in the midst of a $400 million expansion project and that it would be worth more when that was complete, which makes today’s rumors of Vail Resorts interest in Stowe Mountain Resort plausible given the company’s acquisition spree of late (including three smaller areas in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota which serve as local learning hills and feeders to larger destination resorts). As a classic yet updated New Resort ownership, page 14

Courtesy of Tracey Fowler

Heath was a stray who was hit by a car and paralyzed before adopted.

Will you be my Valentine?

Mendon resident Tracey Fowler has started a Valentine’s Day card contest to support a rescue clinic for special needs animals in Idaho where she got “Heath,” a stray pup who had been hit by a car and paralyzed in Tijuana, Mexico. Fowler is asking folks to sent a Valentine’s Day card with $1 (or whatever they can afford) to Heath’s Haven Rescue. “It would mean the world to me if we made this epic… Let’s represent Heath’s new state and send them cards!” said Fowler. Heath’s Haven Rescue is located at 1869 E. Seltice Way, #314, in Post Falls, ID 83854.

A look at Town Meeting races around the region

By Stephen Seitz and Evan Johnson

Area voters seem happy with their town governments this year. Most races around the region remain uncontested, and there are few articles beyond the normal. In Killington, former Selectman Jim Haff is challenging

Refugees continue to resettle in Vermont under court reversal of Trump ban Rutland refugee resettlement future is uncertain By Adam Federman, VTDigger

A federal court ruling in Washington state on the refugee bureau was working closely with legal Friday, Feb. 3, rescinded nearly all of the proviadvisers as well as interagency and overseas partsions of the Trump administration’s executive ners to comply with the order. order on immigration, including the suspension Although 15 to 20 refugees from Bhutan and of refugee resettlement. Burma are scheduled to arrive in Chittenden Anyone with a valid unexpired visa can now County this week, according to VPR, the U.S. enter the country, and Committee for Refuagencies that work gees and Immigrants “AS IT HAPPENS WE DID NOT with refugees are said Rutland is not HAVE MORE ARRIVALS BOOKED scrambling to rebook expected to receive flights for those indiany additional Syrian FOR RUTLAND SO THERE ARE NOT viduals who had been refugees. PEOPLE TO REBOOK,” SAID BLAKE. scheduled to fly to Stacie Blake, directhe United States last tor of government week when the travel ban went into effect. and community relations at USCRI, said even Vermont is slated to resettle about 450 refugees before the executive order went into effect, there in the current fiscal year. Rutland was expecting to were no Syrian refugee families set to travel to take in up to 100 Syrians and Iraqis when the imRutland during this time. migration order went into effect Jan. 27. The first “As it happens we did not have more arrivals two families, one from Damascus and the other booked for Rutland so there are not people to refrom Aleppo, Syria, had arrived the week before. book,” said Blake. “What we know is that refugees A spokesperson for the State Department said who’ve been approved by the full system will be Resettlement, page 5

LOCAL NEWS

2 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

Louras kicks off reelection bid

By Evan Johnson

Citing his efforts to rejuvenate and grow the city he calls home, Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras formally kicked off his reelection bid on Monday evening with a call to Rutland residents to elect him for a sixth two-year term . Speaking to a packed audience in the The Bakery, Louras stood on a plastic milk carton while he recounted his work, starting in 2007. In 2014, when then-governor Peter Shumlin dedicated his entire state of the state address to the state’s opiate epidemic, Rutland found itself at the center of statewide efforts to combat drugs in Vermont and in the national spotlight. As a response, Louras indicated Project VISION as a community’s effort to redefine itself. “We rolled up our sleeves and we got the job done,” he said. In January, Project VISION was named a semifinalist in Harvard’s 2017 Innovations in American Government Awards competition. Louras said the project has been used as a model around the state and representatives from Project VISION have presented the project to the National League of Cities, the National Association of Chiefs of Police and the International City/County Management Association as a model for grassroots community policing. They also

Submitted

The Robo-Rattlers team pictured (r-l) back row: Scott McCalla (coach), Drew Frankenberg, Emelia McCalla, Alec Harding, Maxwell McCalla, Karen McCalla (coach). Front row: Kyle Frankenberg, Finnian Smathers, Jonas Harding, Callum Smathers, Samantha Merrill.

Local student robotics team to battle for world title RUTLAND—A Rutland area robotics team will be headed to St. Louis, Mo., in April to compete in the FIRST® World Championships. FIRST sponsors robotics and technical competitions for students at all levels. The Robo-Rattlers compete at the FLL level, where students aged 9 through 12 design, build and program a LEGO robot to complete missions autonomously on a 4-foot by 8-foot game field. Each year, the program has a new theme. This year’s theme is Animal Allies. Robot tasks this year include: gathering and moving food to feed animals, transporting a shark tank, operating a milking machine, and hanging the robot on a wall. Teams also investigate and create a solution for a real-world problem related to the theme. The Robo-Rattlers tackled the problem of pets left in hot cars and designed and manufactured a cooling system that closes into a car’s window and runs off the car battery.

The system texts regular temperature updates to owners and even sends warnings if the temperature is rising too high. The Robo-Rattlers are the first Vermont FLL team to attend the

other essential life skills. Scott McCalla, one of the Robo-Rattlers’ coaches, said that he’s excited to see the kids experience the global scientific community at the World Championships. “It will

THE ROBO-RATTLERS TACKLED THE PROBLEM OF PETS LEFT IN HOT CARS AND DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED A COOLING SYSTEM THAT CLOSES INTO A CAR’S WINDOW AND RUNS OFF THE CAR BATTERY. World Championships. The iBOTS, another Rutland team competing in FRC, the next level up, attended the World Championships last year. The Robo-Rattlers have appeared on WSYB on the Kenn Hayes show twice, and they have a show on PEGTV called “Robots on the Radar.” The Robo-Rattlers have competed at the FLL level for four years. Currently, there are nine kids on the team from all over the Rutland area. Through this program, they have learned computer programming, engineering design and construction, electronics, public speaking and presentation skills, leadership and teamwork, and

be so great for our kids to meet and learn from so many other teams from all over the globe.” Karen McCalla, another coach for the team, says that the experience will be priceless. “It’s so exciting,” she said. “There is an Innovation Faire at the Championships that features tech demonstrations and hands-on activities for the kids, so they’ll get to see cuttingedge new products, meet with real-life robotics engineers and scientists as well as learn about potential career paths. This is so much more than just a competition!” “The kids have worked really hard and it’s great so see them grow so much over the years that

HIKE HIKE&&SKI SKISHOP SHOP

they have participated. Public speaking, project planning, working with a group, what FLL calls ‘core values,’ are such great skills for all these kids moving forward no matter where their educational and work paths take them. These are the ‘soft skills’ that every employer and college looks for,” said Randal Smathers, a parent of two children on the team. “I love working on the project because creativity is a specialty, “ said team member Samantha Merrow, age 12. “It allows for hands-on fun while inventing and learning about various interesting topics. It makes your brain think in different ways and gives you opportunities to gain information on topics you might not have been exposed to before.” Currently, the RoboRattlers are working hard to get ready for the stepped-up competition at Worlds and also raising money to help offset their travel costs, including hotels, gas and food for the four-day competition. For more info visi, roborattlers.org or their GoFundMe page at gofundme.com/roborattlers.

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LOCAL NEWS

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 3

RNeSU: continued from page 1 problem is that because of the rising cost of health care, special education, utilities and other budget items out of a board’s control, the more cuts must be made in electives like languages, the arts and athletic programs. The steady decline in student numbers across the state over the last 15 years does not translate to an apples-to-apples reduction in costs because of the factors mentioned above. Rebuke of Scott’s directive from school districts and boards was swift. Opponents say that last year’s Act 46 school consolidation legislation hasn’t been in place long enough to effect real cost savings. The bill was passed during the 2015 leglislative session and directed school districts to reconfigure themselves in order to consolidate central office, special education, transportation, and some staffing in order to streamline the way education was delivered and to cut costs. The RNeSU’s newly-formed Otter Valley Unified Union School District was among the first wave of consolidated districts in Vermont under Act 46. In fact, the proposed OVUU budget approved by the board on Jan. 18, is the first budget for the new consolidated district. The new district includes Otter Valley Union High School, Neshobe School, Leicester, Whiting, Sudbury, and Lothrop Elementary Schools, and Barstow. The district member towns are Brandon, Goshen, Leicester, Whiting, Sudbury, Pittsford, and Mendon, which has high school choice. RNeSU response The RNeSU budget has been crafted, proposed and sent to the printers in the school report. The Town Meeting and School Meeting warnings have been approved and filed. “I think it needs to be understood that deadlines are in place for Town Meeting and they have passed,” said RNeSU Superintendent Jeanne Collins. “We have put our budgets to bed and our reports are being printed. In my estimation that’s between $500,000 and $1 million that the state has spent, and we can’t stop that train.” Collins added that she does not expect the Legislature to uphold changing the school budget vote date from Town Meeting Day to May 23. She also contends that the governor’s proposal is not only short-sighted and poorly thought-out, but that it will actually raise property taxes, not lower them. “The timing of this … If Gov. Scott wanted to look at this for the future year, this was not the appropriate time to do this. If school districts level-fund and he raids the education fund for higher education, teacher retirement and pre-k, property taxes will go up. Even at level-funded budgets, there will still be a $35 million shortfall and property taxes will go up.” She also questioned the legitimacy of funding higher education at the expense of K-12 education. “K-12 would be competing with higher education,” she said. “But, you can’t get to higher ed without quality K-12.” RNeSU Business Manager Brenda Fleming added that unlike higher education, K-12 education is mandated in the Vermont constitution. There is also the question of legality. Scott proposed that those communities that go above a level-funded school budget could raise local property assessments up to 5 percent with voter approval. But Collins contends that would violate the Brigham Decision, the result of a lawsuit brought by a family in Whiting that challenged educational inequity between poorer towns and wealthier towns that had more valuable property values. The 1997 Vermont Supreme Court decision found Vermont’s existing educational funding system unconstitutional, because it allowed students in towns with higher total property values to receive a higher level of education funding per pupil than students in towns with lower property values. “Allowing a 5 percent assessment to be raised in a community creates inequity in a community, and that violates Brigham,” Collins said of Scott’s mandate, “so, it just strikes me as not a well thought out proposal but a political stance.” OVUU budget The new proposed OVUU budget contains a net education spending amount of $19,088,683, a 1.34 percent increase over current spending or $251,000. The OVUU Board approved a proposed budget that included a reduction in staff of 4.8 full-time equivalent teachers and three paraeducators. They also approved a new structure for the distict’s smallest schools, Sudbury and Whiting, which will be considered one school with two campuses. Starting in September, preschool through second grade will be at the Whiting School and third through sixth will be in Sudbury. The consolidation allowed the board to cut one full-time teacher from Whiting. Also beginning in September, there will be a new principal

RNeSU, page 4

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Reelection Bid:

LOCAL NEWS

Louras cites experience, looks ahead

continued from page 2 presented to to Fulton County in Georgia. “They called Rutland,” he said. Louras attributed recent declines in local burglaries and theft to the success of Project VISION. “It’s a different place than it was three short years ago,” he said. “And it takes bold, resolute leadership in order to transform a community and that’s what I want to continue to do,” he said. Louras also highlighted his work balancing the city’s budget, improving roads and city plumbing - which dates back to the 19th century - and saving taxpayer money by renegotiating contracts with unions. Now in 2017, Louras said Rutland is in the national spotlight again, this time for humanitarian efforts as thousands of refugees from the Middle East seek to enter the United States. Rutland was approved as a host city in September to accept 25 Syrian families. The first two families arrived in early January before an executive order from the Trump administration closed the borders to seven majority Muslim countries and curtailed the nation’s refugee resettlement program. “Now is not the time to let up off the gas,” he said. “I am running because there is too much at stake for this community in 2017.” Louras is being challenged by alderman David Allaire and former alderman Michael Coppinger, the executive director of the Downtown Rutland partnership. Rutland voters will pick their mayor on March 7.

RNeSU: continued from page 3 for both schools (see accompanying story) as current principal Ed Barnwell is retiring in June. Despite the increase, property taxes will drop by 4 cents, to $1.46 under the Act 46 legislation, which has state-approved tax relief built in for districts that consolidated within a prescribed timeframe. The district got an 8-cent cut in property taxes over the current fiscal year. In the coming second year, the incentive is 4 cents, and the third year, it will be

2 cents. After that, the Act 46 property tax incentive ends. Moving forward Rutland Northeast has scheduled two budget forums, one was held Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. at the Brandon Town Hall with a screening of the film “Most Likely to Succeed” and the next is Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at Otter Valley Union High School. Superintendent Collins reiterated that she plans to stay the course with the current proposed budget. She cited the fact that

Vermont Sec. of State Jim Condos has advised school districts and town clerks to follow the current law with school budget warnings. “We have no plan to change course,” Collins said. “We are following the existing law. The governor has to understand that a significant number of days and hard work by staff went into these budgets. There were no easy decisions. The goal was fiscal responsibility and equal education opportunities, and I think we achieved that.”

Town Meeting races:

What to expect on the ballot this March

continued from page 1 In Rutland City, there are four candidates for mayor: David Allaire, Michael Coppinger, Kam Johnston and incumber Christopher Louras. Mayoral terms last two years. Johnston and Barry J. Keefe are also seeking to serve two years as city assessor. Some 17 candidates are running for six two-year seats on the Board of Aldermen. They are John Atwood, Daniel Austin, Craig L. Brozefksy, Timothy G. Cook, Thomas Depoy, Christopher J. Ettori, George Gides Jr., Melinda Humphrey, Gail Johnson, Kam Johnston, Charles Larose Jr., Rebecca Mattis, John Mattison, Lisa Ryan, Robert Schlachter, Matt Whitcomb and Dan White. Gides, Depoy, Ettori, and Humphrey are all incumbents. There is one petition article on the Rutland City ballot: “Shall the City of Rutland allocate $10,000 over and above Charter requirements for a one-year period commencing July 1, 2017 for the partial funding of BROC Community Action in Southwestern Vermont, upon condition that any cessation of business during the fiscal year shall cause funding to cease accordingly?” There are no contested races in Rutland Town, but incumbent selectman Chris Kiefer-Cioffi is running for a 2 year term and incumbent selectwoman Mary C. Ashcroft is running for a 3 year term. In Ludlow, longtime selectmen Bruce Schmidt, John Neal and Logan Nicoll are all running unopposed for their seats. Schmidt is seeking a three-year term, while Neal and Nicoll are asking for oneyear terms. Several positions are lacking candidates: town moderator, school moderator, school district clerk and school district treasurer, as well as one candidate for a three-year term on the

School Board. There are two contested races in Plymouth this year. Incumbent Selectman Larry Lynde is facing off against Justus Pingree for a three-year term. There are also two candidates to serve as a lister for three years: incumbent Richard North is being challenged by Carol Ackley. Over in Woodstock, there is but one contested race: Sonya Stover is challenging incumbent Selectman Preston Bristow for three years. Brandon voters will elect town officers including one three-year Select Board seat, two one-year Select Board seats, town clerk, town treasurer, library trustee, town moderator and trustee of public funds. Incumbents in all of these positions are running unopposed. It’s a similar case in Mendon, where residents will elect a Select Board member to a three-year term and a grand juror and a town agent each to one-year terms. Incumbents are running unopposed. Voters in Wallingford will select a constable for a one-year term. Incumbent Jerry Tift is being challenged by Ken Corey. In Castleton, four candidates are running for two Select Board positions, each with one-year terms. Zack Holzworth and Gary Munnett are running as challengers to incumbents Jim Leamey and William Potter. Because of the Act 46 vote on the same day, voting will open at 10 a.m. and stay open until 7 p.m. There are still a few communities which conduct business the old-fashioned way, gathering together to elect candidates and adopt articles from the floor on Town Meeting Day. Those are Barnard, Bridgewater, Rochester, and Stockbridge.

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The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 5

STATE NEWS

Bills seek to limit plastic bags

By Mike Polhamus, VTDiggger

By Roger Crowley, VTDigger

Rep. Jim Masland, D-Thetford

Bill seeks information on why Vermonters take their lives By Erin Mansfield, VTDigger

Ten members of the Vermont House have introduced a bill intended to get to the root of why people take their own lives. H.184 would require the Department of Mental Health to issue a report to the Legislature every year describing why suicides happen and recommending ways to prevent them. Under the bill, the Department of Health, which already has suicide data, would be required to submit detailed suicide information to the Department of Mental Health, which does not currently present the Legislature with detailed analyses of the causes of suicide. Rep. James Masland, D-Thetford, is the lead sponsor. Masland said he introduced the bill in response to a constituent who thought there should be an independent

MORE PEOPLE IN VERMONT DIE EVERY YEAR BY SUICIDE THAN IN MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS. commission to study suicide. Masland said he is considering introducing a bill that would create an independent commission. But because of ongoing issues with the budget, he said having the Department of Mental Health make recommendations was a cheaper idea. “There’s nothing in what [the department is] directed to do to actually come forth with policy recommendations or things that would specifically help reduce the incidence of suicide,” Masland said. Rep. Anne Donahue, R-Northfield, a prominent mental health advocate, said more people in Vermont die every year by suicide than in motor vehicle accidents, and the state has data on how people take their lives and their basic demographic information. But there is no data at the state level evaluating why people take their lives, Donahue said. “We need to get a handle on that if we’re going to make a difference,” she said. In 2013, according to vital statistics from the Vermont Department of Health, 113 people died by suicide in Vermont, compared with 72 who died in motor vehicle accidents. Donahue said she wants to know the following: “What was this individual’s life trajectory? Are there things we can learn from these deaths that would tell us ‘This intervention might’ve made a difference’?” “What are the causes?” she asked. “What are the stressors in people’s lives? Why is it that more people die by suicide [per capita] in Vermont than in most other states?” JoEllen Tarallo-Falk, the executive director of the Vermont Suicide Prevention Center, supports the concept behind the bill. She said determining the root causes of suicide is a growing field across the country. “Specifically we’re interested in the mental, emotional, social, physical and environmental factors” at play, she said, “and also understanding at what points people have interacted with the health care system and how we create a really consistent pathway to effective care.” Donahue said the information could help primary care physicians, who she said are often treating patients with psychiatric issues.

Plastic bags are sometimes said to last forever, but they might not last much longer in Vermont after legislators last week introduced a bill to ban single-use carryout bags. The bill, H.105, is one of two intended to curb the use of disposable plastic bags. Another, H.88, would impose a 10cent fee at the register on most disposable plastic bags. Both bills contain exemptions that their sponsors say are meant to insulate small-business owners from unwanted effects. The ban would not apply to compostable bags or recycled paper bags, for instance, and the 10-cent fee wouldn’t apply to retailers that use fewer than 20,000 plastic bags each year. Placing some sort of sanction on the use of plastic carryout bags is an easy way to meaningfully improve the environment, said legislators presenting the bills. “This bill would just ban plastic bags and make us think of another way,” said Rep. Michael Mrowicki, D-Putney, who sponsored the bill banning plastic bags. “If we want to give our children a cleaner planet, this is one of the easiest things we can do.” The fee bill’s sponsor said it’s about changing behavior. “The purpose of this bill is to cut down on … the consumption of materials used for disposable bags, and [to] encourage people to use reusable carryout bags,” said Rep. Michael Yantachka, D-Charlotte. “We all have the experience of going into the store and remembering that the bags are in the car. This will give one more incentive to bring the bags in.” Retailers say either bill will harm their business, even

Resettlement:

Rutland unknown

continued from page 1 starting to arrive across the country today.” If the Seattle judge’s order is upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, it is possible that Syrian refugee resettlement in Rutland will continue. According to Melanie Nezer, vice president of policy and advocacy at HIAS, more than 1,500 refugees were expected to arrive in the country last week. A provision in the executive order that allowed for exceptions on a case-bycase basis meant that about 875 refugees were allowed entry. Nezer said that while the court order was a welcome development, aid agencies were still dealing with the ramifications of the travel ban. “Mostly what we’ve been doing is dealing with the fallout, because there’s no way to reverse that,” Nezer said. Betsy Fisher, policy director at the International Refugee Assistance Project, said it is difficult and complicated to rebook flights for refugees. First they cannot make their own travel arrangements. Flights are booked through the International Organization for Migration in consultation with the U.S. Government. “Obviously it’s a pretty massive logistical process for the folks at [the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees] and the [International Organization on Migration] because they had just booked flights and then canceled them,” Fisher said. “Now they’re trying to get refugees back on.” Many refugee families that booked travel last week

had sold nearly all of their belongings and given up their apartments or homes to raise the money for plane tickets. “People had journeyed for days and given up everything,” said Nezer. According to Nezer, more than 100 refugees are expected to arrive in the country today. “It’s as if the ban is not in effect so refugees can continue to come from any country including the seven countries identified in the executive order,” Nezer said. However, the judge’s ruling did not reverse the Trump administration’s decision to reduce the

MANY REFUGEE FAMILIES THAT BOOKED TRAVEL LAST WEEK HAD SOLD NEARLY ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS. total number of refugees permitted to enter the country in the current federal fiscal year, which ends on Sept. 30. Under Obama the State Department had committed to resettling 110,000 refugees; Trump has cut that number down to 50,000. By the end of this week, the United States is expected to have resettled more than 32,000 refugees. The judge’s ruling has been appealed by the Justice Department and briefings are being filed Feb. 6. The case will be heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on an expedited basis.

though they would keep 2 cents of the 10-cent fee and would, under the bag ban, be relieved of the expense of providing them for free. “Retailers provide bags to consumers as a common courtesy,” said Erin Sigrist, president of the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association. “If I’m a tourist walking into a store in downtown Vermont, as a tourist, if I’m spending $100, a common courtesy would be to provide (me) with a bag.” “Banning bags would certainly force consumers to quickly rethink their shopping habits. However, we’re a state that hosts millions of tourists each year, and we need to take that into consideration,” Sigrist said. Consumers, rather than retailers and grocers, should bear the responsibility of altering their shopping behavior, and legislators should concentrate on educating them instead of imposing mandates on businesses, Sigrist said. Another fee, which businesses would have to collect and send to the state each month, Sigrist said, “is another line item retailers would need to manage.” “It doesn’t seem like it’s that demanding, but it is,” she said. “It’s a lot of administrative work to manage each line item.” At Beaudry’s Store in Huntington, customers can choose either plastic and paper bags, said Pat O’Brien, brother of the owner, but the store purchases only paper ones. The plastic bags come from customers who give their used bags to the store, he said. “It’s Beaudry’s. It’s a different world out here,” he said.

Table of contents Opinion...................................................................... 6 Calendar..................................................................... 8 Music Scene............................................................. 11 Just For Fun.............................................................. 12 Rockin’ the Region................................................... 13 Ski Shop Showcase.................................................. 14 Living A.D.E.............................................................. 15 Food Matters............................................................ 22 News Briefs.............................................................. 25 Pets........................................................................... 30 Mother of the Skye................................................... 31 Columns................................................................... 32 Service Directory..................................................... 34 Classifieds................................................................ 36 Real Estate................................................................ 38

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Evan Johnson----------------------- Assistant Editor & Reporter Siobhan Chase ---------------------------------- Graphic Designer Melinda Noel ----------------------------------- Graphic Designer

Lindsey Rogers ----------------------------- Sales Representative Patricia Harvey------------------------------ Sales Representative Curtis Harrington-------------------------- Distribution Manager Julia Purdy---------------------------------------------- Copy Editor Royal Barnard ------------------------------------ Editor Emeritus

- Contributing Writers/Photographers Julia Purdy Stephen Seitz Robin Alberti Karen D. Lorentz Cal Garrison Kyle Finneron Brett Yates Dom Cioffi Mary Ellen Shaw Brady Crain Lani Duke Paul Holmes Karrie Etzler Marguerite Jill Dye Dave Hoffenberg Lee Crawford Flag photo by Richard Podlesney

6 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

OPINION OP-ED

Attitude counts By Lyle Jepson

Vermonters can no longer ask their economic development organizations to work in isolation and still expect success for our communities and our businesses. Over the last year, the Rutland region has proved that a common vision and a common direction – forged through persistence and hard work – can rapidly transform a community. In my role as Executive Director of Rutland Economic Development Corporation (REDC), I have learned that collaboration and attitude are the two most important tools we have to encourage economic growth in our region. Working together helps foster trust, builds stronger relationships, helps us work faster and more efficiently, and gives us the confidence to set ambitious goals. Working together means sharing resources and supporting each other. It means opening ourselves up to unexpected partnerships. It means encouraging each other to risk trying something new. Most of all, it means seeking out and welcoming anyone who has a vision for how we can make our local economy stronger. Castleton University President Dave Wolk is one source of such vision. Under his leadership, Castleton University invested in the purchase and repurposing of Spartan Arena and in the construction of the first

THE ENTHUSIASM OF THE GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEERS WHO ARE BUILDING THE KILLINGTON VALLEY ADVENTURE BRAND, AND THE RECRUITING PROGRAM THAT RUTLAND YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OFFERS...BUILD MOMENTUM FOR CHANGE. student housing and three art galleries in downtown Rutland. The Castleton Polling Institute, Center for Schools, Center for Entrepreneurial Programs, and Center for Community Engagement – including internship programs and work-based learning that connects students directly with local businesses – share storefront office space on Merchants Row at the Castleton Downtown offices. These investments (and those planned for the future, such as the upcoming construction of the Spartan Dome) directly enhance our region’s ability to attract and retain the workforce we need for our continued economic recovery. They demonstrate that higher education can help drive a robust local and regional economy. Most of all, they demonstrate that Castleton University’s success is deeply tied to success of the Rutland region – and vice versa. Because of Castleton’s leadership in economic development, REDC created an innovative model for economic development by approaching Castleton University with an offer to collaborate by co-locating REDC and Castleton’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Castleton and REDC staff members now share Castleton’s storefront offices, blurring the lines between education and economic development. The partnership between REDC and Castleton is an example of philosophy of change in action, but it is only one example. Regional coordination among REDC and the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Rutland Partnership, Rutland Redevelopment Authority, and Rutland Regional Planning Commission is another cornerstone of our strategy. The leaders of all these organizations meet regularly to share information and work toward common goals. One such goal is to create a strong regional brand that celebrates the entire Rutland region as the most collaborative, friendly, and innovative place in Vermont to live, work, play and grow a business. The warm welcome that visitors receive when they visit the Chamber or Castleton Downtown on Merchants Row, the I Love Rutland campaign, the streamlined business permitting portal recently released by the Rutland Redevelopment Authority, the enthusiasm of the grassroots volunteers who are building the Killington Valley adventure brand, and the recruiting program that Rutland Young Professionals offers to new workers in town are all examples of how our actions build momentum for change. Because of this momentum and alignment, REDC and the Chamber launched Attitude counts, page 7

A speech everyone should read By Lee H. Hamilton

As a country, we make a habit of looking forward, not backward. But I’m going to ask you to turn your attention back a few weeks, to Barack Obama’s Jan. 10 farewell address to the American people. I’ve been reading presidential farewell speeches for many years. Most of them give good advice. This speech, however, was exceptional. It can be read with benefit by Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals — because it says a lot of things that we need to hear about our system and our country. I hope that for some time to come, this speech will be a topic of conversation in classrooms, at church socials, and around many tables. Why? To begin with, the speech is filled with confidence in ordinary people and respect for what workaday Americans can accomplish. This is a founding value of our country — both a promise and a call to civic arms. Our rights, the former president notes, “have never been self-executing.” Instead, our system is built around the belief “that we, the people, through the instrument of our democracy, can form a more perfect union.” The responsibility for making this a better country, in other words, lies with each of us. “Show up, dive in, stay at it,” he says. “And more often than not, your faith in America and in Americans will be confirmed.” At the same time, throughout the speech, Mr. Obama makes it clear that it’s challenging to make representative democracy work. As a nation, he argues, we have enormous potential — but we cannot take our success for granted. If we don’t “create opportunity for all people,” he warns, “the disaffection and division that has stalled our progress will only sharpen in years to come.” Indeed, our democracy is being severely tested right now, in part by a disintegrating sense of common ground among Americans of different racial, ethnic, and class background, and in part by the growing ease with which people can retreat into “bubbles” — geographic and ideological — in which we see only people we identify with and hear only news that already fits our preconceived notions. This makes the underpinnings of a successful representative democracy — the search for common ground, the willingness to negotiate, the freedom to compromise — difficult if not impossible to pursue.

Legislators called to increase nondegree grants funding The average nondegree grant is $1,800 By Scott Giles

Governor Phil Scott’s budget request to invest an additional $1 million in the nondegree grant program will pay off in real opportunities for Vermonters who need education and training for jobs that are waiting to be filled. In fact, over the next decade, seven out of 10 of the high-pay, high-demand jobs created in Vermont will require education or training after high school, according to Vermont’s Department of Labor. Education is the key to a better and more prosperous life and it’s the most powerful tool we have to end generational poverty and reverse social inequities. But too many Vermonters don’t have the education and training they need now and that will be required in the future for the new workplace. For Vermonters, continuing education or training after high school isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. Preparing Vermonters for the future Automation and technology are changing the face of the American workforce. Robots now milk cows on Vermont farms. Manufacturing jobs require advanced math and other academic skills that come with education after high school. The New York Times reports that “nearly nine in 10 jobs that disappeared since 2000 were lost to automation in the decades-long march to an information-driven economy, not to workers in other countries.” That’s the economic revolution we live in. That’s the reality we must prepare for. Vermont will need skilled workers who will create opportunity for themselves and for the state. In nearly all cases, that means continuing education and training after high school. This funding will be instrumental in helping more Vermonters have access to education and training right here in Vermont and making it more affordable. The nondegree grant is particularly powerful be

Speech, page 7

LETTERS

Do not Local shopper rescind the 1 unhappy percent local with TJ Maxx option sale carrying tax Trump brand

Dear Editor, Is the Select Board crazy? The 1 percent local option sale tax component of the options tax contributes approximately $400,000 to $500,000 to the annual General Fund budget. Who do you think is going to make that up if it is rescinded? You and me in our property taxes. As it is, we have an increase this year, with the full options tax a part of the budget. If the town is so flush, why were all of the departments asked to keep our budgets so lean this year? I can only assume the golf course debt is paid off. Is there is a magical source of money to cover this shortfall in the general fund budget that is not the taxpayers? The resort management seems to be under

Sale tax, page 7

Editors note: the following is an open letter to Ernie Herrman, CEO and president of TJMaxx Dear Mr. Herrman, I am writing to tell you that I have stopped shopping in TJMaxx stores since the election in November of 2016. That is when I became aware that you carry Ivanka accessories. I’m sure that you have not missed my 100 or so dollars a month that I would usually spend at your store. But I have missed shopping with you. This is probably hurting me more than it is you. But the real hurt is what is being delivered to our nation by Trump. Let me be very clear: The objective of boycotting is not to destroy your business or to cause job losses. The objective is to send a direct message TJMaxx, page 7

Nondegree grants, page 35

COMMENTARY

Is Vermont poor or paradise? Depends on the study By Jon Margolis, VTDigger

Vermont offers its citizens more opportunity to “access the American dream” than any other state. Vermont is one of the poorest states in the Union. Can both those judgements be correct? No. One of them must be wrong. Maybe both of them. But just look where they come from. They seem so … so believable. They are the conclusions of studies by organizations that have enough prestige to get news organizations to report their results. They come professionally packaged with full-color graphs and charts, backed up by data, much of it from official U.S. government agencies. The lesson here, then, is obvious: Not every professionally packaged research report from a prestigious organization should be taken seriously. If anything, this lesson may be especially true of all those studies that compare and evaluate the 50 states on the basis of their economic, social, or educational outcomes. Some of those state-comparison surveys are based on serious research by scholars interested in finding out what is going on and in explaining why people in some states are healthier, wealthier, better educated, or happier (if that’s measurable) than others. Such surveys can be useful for policy makers, researchers and journalists. But others have a blatant (and distorting) political agenda, none more blatant (or distorting) than “Rich States/Poor States” produced by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). In fairness, this report does not – strictly speaking – call Vermont one of the poorest states. But it finds that Vermont has the second worst “economic outlook” (better only than New York’s) and the 11th worst “economic performance.” Considering that the report’s title is “Rich States/Poor

Poor or paradise, page 37

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 7

CAPITOL QUOTES “Immigrants make many of the nation’s greatest discoveries, and create some of the country’s most innovative and iconic companies.” Wrote 97 companies filed an amicus brief in a case brought by Minnesota and Washington state opposing President Trump’s executive order on immigration, Feb. 5. During the Super Bowl that same night, a number of ads reflected a similar message. As culture critic Lili Loofbourow wrote for The Week “The fact that so many companies have taken this approach suggests a huge swath of corporate America has decided that the opposition is both more motivated and more profitable than the president … brands decided to curry favor with the protesting public over the pouting president.”

“There has never been a first lady of the United States who insinuated that she intended to make a lot of money because of the ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity of being first lady.” Said Richard Painter Monday, Feb. 6, a White House ethics counsel under President George W. Bush and a critic of President Trump’s decision to retain ownership of his real estate and branding empire while in office, and now troubled by the suggestion that Melania Trump intended to profit from her public role. Melania Trump’s lawsuit against Media Mail, Inc., argues that an article in the Daily Mail falsely alleged that she once worked for an escort service, which hurt her chance to establish “multimillion dollar business relationships” during the years in which she would be “one of the most photographed women in the world.” It caused Trump’s brand, Melania, to lose “significant value” as well as “major business opportunities that were otherwise available to her.” The suit said the article had damaged her “unique, once in a lifetime opportunity” to “launch a broadbased commercial brand.”

“One in four women will be affected by domestic violence in her lifetime. It’s a huge issue and, sadly, there just aren’t enough resources or programs today to help victims break free – and stay free – from abusive situations ... We need to stop the violence from happening in the first place. Our society needs to change. Domestic violence in any form – financial, physical or verbal—is not OK.” Said Vicky Dinges, Allstate Foundation senior vice president of corporate responsibility, after Allstate announced Feb. 7 that it would grant $1.2 million to 20 domestic violence programs around the country. In 2015, over 12,000 requests for services by domestic violence victims went unanswered, the foundation reported, and financial abuse occurred in 99 percent of domestic violence cases. The grants aim to help expand financial empowerment services for approximately 30,000 survivors. The Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence will receive $65,000.

Speech:

Obama farewell sounded note of hope

continued from page 6 Yet what may be most striking about the — especially if we learn to put ourselves in farewell address is that it is filled with hope, others’ shoes. and with a clear optimism that we can As one reads this speech, one gets a overcome division and temporary steps sense of the basic strength of our country. backward. Not that this will be easy, Mr. There’s a celebration of the peaceful transObama notes. Restoring a sense of comfer of power, a straightforward discussion mon purpose will require a change both in of race and ways to surmount the burdens hearts and in beliefs. that racial discord have imposed on our “We all have to start with the premise society, a magnanimity toward ideologithat each of our cal adversaries, an OUR RIGHTS, THE FORMER fellow citizens underlying sense of loves this country inclusiveness and PRESIDENT NOTES, “HAVE just as much as decency. These are NEVER BEEN SELFwe do; that they wise words from a value hard work mature politician EXECUTING.” and family just who clearly has like we do; that their children are just as confidence in the nation’s ability to forge curious and hopeful and worthy of love as ahead and meet its challenges. our own,” he says. I understand that a lot of people in this Furthermore, he recognizes that while country don’t agree with former President politics is a battle of ideas, “without some Obama on many things. But set aside the common baseline of facts, without a person who wrote it for a moment: this willingness to admit new information and speech is instructive for all of us on what concede that your opponent might be this country is all about and how we can making a fair point, and that science and make it better. reason matter, then we’re going to keep Lee Hamilton is a senior advisor for the talking past each other.” These are chalIndiana University. He was a member of the lenges, but they’re hardly insurmountable U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years.

TJMaxx: Ivanka Trump brand discontinue continued from page 6 to you, the CEO, to your Board of Directors, and your stockholders that your merchandising choice regarding Ivanka brand goods needs to change. I know that public pressure and consumer spending has a big effect on markets and policy. Just this week, the CEO of Uber resigned from Trump’s Economic Advisory Council. Uber profited from continuing service at JFK airport last weekend when all the NYC cabs boycotted the airport in a show of

Sale tax:

support for the protesters. Consequently, 200,000 customers deleted their Uber accounts. The CEO decided it wasn’t economically advantageous to be aligned with the Trump administration. Recently, the retailers: Shoes.com, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom’s all cancelled their Ivanka fashion and jewellery line because of public outcry and customer boycotts of their stores. In a consumer based economy, our money has power. So I am asking you to cancel your merchan-

dising of Ivanka accessories. Please let me know as soon as possible when you have done this, so that I can resume shopping at my favorite TJMaxx store. In the meantime, I am going to donate the $100.00 I would have spent at your establishment this month to the ACLU, so that green card holders, immigrants and refugees seeking to enter the US can have some legal representation. Sincerely and respectfully, Your Once Loyal Customer, Candy Jones, Rutland

Keep Killington local option sale tax

continued from page 6 a misconception about the purpose of the options tax though I have corrected them several times. Originally, it was voted in for economic development, but that was changed at a subsequent town meeting, when it was voted on

to go into the General Fund to pay off the golf course debt, use some some money for economic development and go to paying other town expenses. The other question I have is, why 2018? Is it possibly so that when

building the village, no sales tax will have to be paid on all the materials needed? Whose interests is our Select Board looking after? I don’t think they are looking after mine. Diane Scappaticci Rosenblum, Killington

Attitude counts: Bullish on Rutland continued from page 6 a comprehensive, well-funded, and completely unprecedented regional marketing strategy in just a few months. We credit this speedy response to the vision, commitment, and energy of our many partners, including the business owners and managers who shared with us their concerns about our region’s ability to attract and retain skilled workers. They helped us understand the urgency of our need to market our region, and let us know that they would support a significant investment in creating change. They said, “Yes, we will make our county – and all of our communities – economically strong.” Attitude counts. Forging a common direction demands a clear vision of how things might be different tomorrow, and it demands leadership, investment, and yes, some risk. I urge you to welcome opportunities that allow those working for Vermont’s future to align our work more closely. Governor Scott’s proposal to bring labor and commerce together under one agency, the Agency of Economic Opportunity, with common goals and shared leadership, is in the spirit of collaboration that has brought the Rutland region success. We applaud the Governor’s willingness to imagine how Vermont’s future might be brighter, and our economy stronger, if we consciously set out to unite our efforts. We believe that working together, with a can-do attitude, is the key to our future success. Lyle Jepson is dean of Entrepreneurial Programs at Castleton University and executive director for Rutland Economic Development Corporation, and is a former technical center director and high school principal.

CALENDAR

8 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

WHAT TO DO IN CENTRAL VERMONT Lego Club

3:15 p.m. Sherburne Memorial Library offers Lego Club every Wednesday during the school year, 3:15-4:15 p.m. Ages 6 and up welcome. 2998 River Road, Killington. Info, 802-422-9765.

Ice Skating

4 p.m. Ice skating at Summit Pond is open 4-10 p.m. Rentals available. Tickets available at Mad Hatter’s Scoops next door. 400 Summit Path, off Killington Road. Info, 802-4223335.

Rutland Wellness

5 p.m. Education and support for people who are struggling emotionally. Focus on tools and methods for improving our lives mentally and physically. Wednesdays, 5-7 p.m., Grace Congregational Church, 8 Court St., Rutland. 802-353-4365.

Gentle Yoga

FULL MOON SNOWSHOE HIKE IN CHESTER SATURDAY, FEB. 11 AT 7 P.M.

WEDNESDAY FEB. 8

Bikram Yoga **

6 a.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Wednesdays: 6 a.m. & 12 p.m. 1 hour Bikram hot; 4 p.m. hot power flow; 5:30 p.m. 1.5 hour Bikram hot. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Goal Setting Workshop

9:30 a.m. BROC-Community Action in SW VT presents business coach Hannah Abrams in free goal setting workshop. Learn why goal setting is so powerful and how to set yourself up for greater success. 9:30-11 a.m. at BROC, 45 Union St., Rutland. Register at 802-665-1744 or ahoyle@broc.org.

Story Time

10 a.m. Maclure Library offers two preschool story hours, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. Parents and care givers are encouraged to bring children from birth to 5 years old. This is a great chance for children to socialize and parents / care givers to make new friends, share concerns, joys, ideas, and experiences and to learn from other parents. Today, Christine Tate reads book, sings songs, then snack. Small, intimate group. Info, 802-483-2792. 840 Arch St., Pittsford.

Tyke Skate

10 a.m. Tyke Skate provides a times to introduce skating to kids ages 6 and under. Every Wednesday at Giorgetti Arena, 2 Oak St. Ext., Rutland. $6 per family; $1 skate rentals. Warming room, concessions, rentals/sharpening. Info, 802-775-7976; rutlandrec.com/giorgettiarena

5 p.m. Gentle yoga - all levels, everyone welcome! Call to sign-up or drop-in. Yoga Studio at Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Chittenden. 802-483-2311.

Wednesday Workout

5:30 p.m. Wednesday Night Workouts with Joani at Lothrop School Gym, 3447 US Route 7, Pittsford. 5:30-6:30 p.m. Incorporates aerobic conditioning, strength, legs training and abdominal work. The cardio-kickboxing portion is a dynamic, low/high impact aerobic workout combining boxing techniques that strengthen the upper and lower body, with punches, jabs, and kicks. Beginners and all residents welcome. $6 per class. Bring mat or towel. Info, 802-483-6500 x 17.

Rotary Meeting

6 p.m. The Killington-Pico Rotary club cordially invites visiting Rotarians, friends and guests to attend its weekly meeting. The club meets Wednesdays at the Summit Lodge 6-8 p.m. for a full dinner and fellowship. Call 802-7730600 to make a reservation. Dinner fee $19. KillingtonPicoRotary.org

Table Tennis

6 p.m. Green Mountain Table Tennis. Play twice as a guest for free. $30/ year membership. Knights of Columbus/Boys & Girls Club of Rutland County gym, 21 Merchants Row, Rutland. 7-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Info, 802-2475913.

Alzheimer’s Awareness Series

6 p.m. RRMC presents free Alzheimer’s Awareness Series Feb. 1, 8, 15, and 22, 6-7:30 p.m. in CVPS/Leahy Community Health Ed Ctr, 160 Allen St., Rutland. This week, “Know the 10 Signs: Early Detection Matters,” presented by Melissa Squires, Vermont Chapter Volunteer Community Educator. Know the signs, what to do, and getting a diagnosis. Registration required at rrmc.org or 802-770-2400.

Bingo

6:30 p.m. Bridgewater Grange Bingo, Wednesdays nights, doors open at 5:30 p.m. Games start 6:30 p.m. Route 100A, Bridgewater Corners. Just across bridge from Junction Country Store. All welcome. Refreshments available.

Pool League

7 p.m. Pool league at the Clear River Tavern, every Wednesday at 7 p.m. Open to the public. 2640 Rt 100 North, Pittsfield. clearrivertavern.com.

THURSDAY

Ski Bum Race Series

10 a.m. Dos Equis Ski Bum race series at Killington Resort, Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Local teams of skiers, snowboarders, and tele skiers race down Highline in pursuit of Ski Bum glory and bragging rights. Highline Trail at K1. Post race party at Summit Lodge open to registered racers only ($5 for a guest). Info, killington.com.

Learn to Knit **

10:30 a.m. Green Mountain Fibers holds Learn to Knit classes Wednesdays through Feb. 22, 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Learn basic knitting skills, cast on, knit and purl stitch, cast off. Free with purchase of yarn and needles; $10 to others. 259 Woodstock Ave., Rutland. Info, 802-775-7800.

Active Seniors Lunch

12 p.m. Killington Active Seniors meet for a meal Wednesdays at the Lookout Bar & Grille. Town sponsored. Come have lunch with this well-traveled group of men and women. $5/ person. Info, 802-422-2921. 2910 Killington Road, Killington.

Abstract Painting Workshop

12 p.m. Chaffee Art Center offers abstract painting workshop with Mareva Millarc, 12-5 p.m. All materials provided. $110/$115. RSVP to 802-775-0356. 16 S. Main St., Rutland. chaffeeartcenter.org.

Farmers Market

3 p.m. The Rutland Downtown Farmers Market is inside for the season, 3-6 p.m. at Vermont Farmers Food Center, 251 West Street, Rutland. Info and vendors, vtfarmersmarket.org.

Open Swim **

FEB. 9

8 a.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: 8-9 a.m.; 5-7 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187.

Smoking Cessation

9 a.m. Rutland’s stop smoking program, including patches, gum, and lozenges, at Rutland Regional Behavioral Health, 1 Commons St., Rutland, Thursdays, 9-10 a.m. Register at 747-3768 or rrmc.org. Free!

Bikram Yoga **

9 a.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Thursdays: 9 a.m. & 4:30 p.m. 1.5 hour Bikram hot; 6:15 p.m. 1 hour Bikram hot. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Intro to Starting a Microbusiness

9 a.m. Introduction to Starting a Microbusiness at BROC, 45 Union St., Rutland. 9 a.m.-12 noon. Free, for those looking to start a business or investigating self-employment. RSVP to 802-665-1744.

Story Hour

10 a.m. Promoting early literacy and socialization skills in a fun setting. Stories, songs, movement, craft. No registration. Ages 2+. Fox Room, Rutland Free Library, 10-10:45 a.m. 773-1860.

** denotes multiple times and/or locations.

Story Time

10 a.m. Maclure Library offers two preschool story hours, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. Parents and care givers are encouraged to bring children from birth to 5 years old. This is a great chance for children to socialize and parents / care givers to make new friends, share concerns, joys, ideas, and experiences and to learn from other parents. Today, Rutland Parent Child Center hosts. Snacks, crafts, stories, open playtime, dance, songs. Info, 802-483-2792. 840 Arch St., Pittsford.

Story Time

10 a.m. Story time at the West Rutland Public Library. Thursdays at 10 a.m. Bring your young children to enjoy stories, crafts, and playtime. Info, 802-4382964.

Killington Bone Builders

10 a.m. Bone builders meets at Sherburne Memorial Library, 2998 River Rd., Killington, 10-11 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Free, weights supplied. For info, 802-422-3271.

Drop In Art

10 a.m. Drop In Art Thursday and Friday, at Killington Art Garage, by appointment only. $25 gets 1.5 hours studio/project time. All ages welcome, kids and adults. RSVP to 802-422-8844. 2841 Killington Rd., Killington.

Bone Builders

10 a.m. Bone builders meets Thursdays at Mendon Methodist Church basement. Info, 802-773-2694.

Mendon Seniors Lunch

11:30 a.m. Mendon Senior Citizens have lunch gathering at Sugar and Spice, Route 4 Mendon, 2nd Thursday of each month. For info, 802-773-4187.

RAVNAH Clinic

12:30 p.m. RAVNAH blood pressure/foot care clinic at Castleton Meadows, Castleton. $10 foot clinic. Info, 802-775-0568.

Pico Ski Races

1 p.m. Pico Mountain welcomes return of weekly Thursday fun races. Teams or individuals race down giant slalom at Pico. Jan. 26-March 16, 1-3 p.m. picomountain.com for details. 73 Alpine Drive, Killington.

Ice Skating

4 p.m. Ice skating at Summit Pond is open 4-10 p.m. Rentals available. Tickets available at Mad Hatter’s Scoops next door. 400 Summit Path, off Killington Road. Info, 802-422-3335.

Author Presentation

5 p.m. Author Kim Spensley and Illustrator Heather Bellanca present: “The Making of a Children’s Book: A Hound’s Holiday” at Chittenden Public Library. Learn the steps involved in writing and illustrating a children’s book. For older children and adults. Free. Info, 802-773-3531. 223 Chittenden Road, Chittenden.

Level 2 Yoga

5:30 p.m. Level 2 Yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500.

Coaches vs Cancer

5:30 p.m. Fair Haven UHS sponsors Coaches vs Cancer games, JV begins 5:30 p.m.; Varsity begins 7 p.m. 33 Mechanic St, Fair Haven. Funds raised support American Cancer Society.

Date Night Childcare

5:30 p.m. Killington Rec Dept. has February date night childcare! Drop off your kids for fun, games, crafts, and movie at Killington Elementary School, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Ages 2-12. Just $5/ child tonight! In support of the KES KEEPERS Night Out at Foundry. Register at killingtonrec.com.

KEEPERS Winter Social

6 p.m. Adult-only Winter Social to benefit Killington Elem. School’s KEEPERS organization, 6-8 p.m. at The Foundry at Summit Pond. $20. Advance tickets at 917-902-1607. Include hors d’oeuvres, live music with Joey Leone, 50/50 raffle chances. Childcare offered at KES, $5/ child, 5:30-8:30 p.m. Register at killingtonrec.com. The Foundry, Summit Path off Killington Road, Killington.

Bridge Club

6:30 p.m. Marble Valley Duplicate Bridge Club meets at Godnick Center Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. Sanctioned duplicate bridge games. Info, 802-228-6276. 1 Deer St., Rutland. Please join.

Open Gym

7 p.m. Town of Killington Rec. Dept. holds open gym for ages 18+. Tonight, soccer game 7-9 p.m. at Killington Elementary School, through March 28. $2 per night. Schoolhouse Road, Killington. Info, 802-422-3932, killingtontown. com.

Mayoral Candidates Face-off

7 p.m. Rutland City mayoral candidates live forum on PEGTV channel 21. Candidates: Chris Louras, Dave Allaire, Mike Coppinger, Kam Johnston answer questions from moderator Tom Donahue. Submit questions to bwilliams@ pegtv.com.

N O S I ARR

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The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 9

X I M S U O T C M PUS CA

E B T I T LE THE BEATLES

0 | 7:0 6 1 EB S | F R U H T

Full season available at:

FRIDAY

paramountvt.org

SATURDAY FEB. 11

FEB. 10

N ATIO OF LEBR A CE E MUSIC H OF T SUN

NOV. 25-27

7:00 | 9 B1 | FE

30 CENTER ST, RUTLAND, VT • 802.775.0903

Ice Skating

2 p.m. Ice skating at Summit Pond is open 2-10 p.m. Rentals available. Tickets available at Mad Hatter’s Scoops next door. 400 Summit Path, off Killington Road. Info, 802-422-3335.

Woodstock Film Festival **

3 p.m. 7th annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series at Billings Farm & Museum continues with “Sherpa.” 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. showings. Documentary about sherpa life and Mount Everest, moral justification, and honest questions. Reservations recommended. Tickets $5-9 members; $6-11 non members. Info, billingsfarm.org/filmfest. 69 Old River Road (Rte 12N & Old River Road), Woodstock.

USABA Winter Ski Festival

Open Swim **

Bikram Yoga **

Level 1 Yoga

Mixed Level Yoga

8:30 a.m. Mixed level yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500.

4:30 p.m. Happy Hour Yoga at Base Camp Outfitters with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 2363 Route 4, Killington. Ski, then yoga! Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-4224500.

RAVNAH Clinic

2-Day Ski Camp with Dan Egan

Open Swim

10th anniversary of United States Association of Blind Athletes Winter Ski Festival with Vermont Adaptive, Feb. 10-13 at Pico Mountain. One of the largest gatherings in U.S. of skiers and snowboarders who are blind and visually impaired. Includes race clinics, biathlon, food, lodging, celebratory dinner with guest speaker, and more. Info, usaba.org. Alpine Drive, Killington. 8 a.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: 8-9 a.m.; 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187. 8:30 a.m. Level 1 Yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500. 8:30 a.m. RAVNAH blood pressure/foot care clinic at West Rupert Firehouse. $10 foot clinic. Info, 802-775-0568.

Bikram Yoga **

9 a.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Fridays: 9 a.m. 1.5 hr. Bikram hot; 12 p.m. 1 hour Bikram hot. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Drop In Art

Story Time

10:30 a.m. Sherburne Memorial Library holds story time Fridays, 10:30-11 a.m. Join for stories, songs, activities. Babies and toddlers welcome! Info, 802-4229765.

Sports of All Sorts

3 p.m. Killington Rec. Dept. offers Sports of All Sorts programs in Killington Elementary School gym: an intro to sports in a fun and instructional way. Open to any child from any school. This week, tennis. Fridays through Feb. 24. Pre k - 6th grade, 3-4:30 p.m. Aftercare available from 4:30-5 p.m. $35. Register at killintonrec.com.

9 a.m. Killington Resort holds 2-day camp, Explore the Beast with Dan Egan. For intermediate, advanced or expert 18+ skiers looking for a unique experience off the beaten path. Feb. 11-12, resort-wide. Registration required at killington.com. $399.

Working Woodlands Workshop

9 a.m. Working Woodlands Workshop, “Wilderness First Aid Training” at MarshBillings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. Partnership with SOLO, a 16-hour, two-day course in basics of backcountry medical care. Feb. 11-12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.Bring a bagged lunch. Pre-registration closed Feb. 6, Christine_frohloff@partner.nps.gov. Meet at Forest Center at MBRNHP. Free. Info, 802-457-3368 x222. 54 Elm St., Woodstock.

Killington Section GMC

9:30 a.m. Killington Section Green Mountain Club holds snowshoe in Jim Jeffords State Forest. Moderate, 5-miles. Meet 9:30 a.m. at Shrewsbury Town Office, Cold River Road, Shrewsbury. Bring water and a lunch. Wear sturdy shoes, and dress for the weather. For info, call leader Sandy Bragg, 802-492-2143.

Women’s Pickup Basketball

9:30 a.m. Adult women’s pickup basketball Saturday mornings, 9:30-11:30 a.m. at Vt. Police Academy, 317 Academy Rd, Pittsford, VT. Info, 802-483-6500 x 17.

Magic: the Gathering

Farmers Market

Kids’ Yoga

Gentle Yoga

Ice Skating

Drop In Art

We Are One Rutland Celebration

Sleigh Ride Week

3:15 p.m. Sherburne Memorial Library holds Magic: the Gathering after school Fridays, 3:15-4:30 p.m. Ages 8+, all levels welcome. 2998 River Rd., Killington. 422-9765. 3:30 p.m. Yoga Fridays for grades 2-6 at Sherburne Memorial Library, 3:30-4:30 p.m. Info, 802-422-3932. 2706 River Rd., Killington. 4 p.m. Ice skating at Summit Pond is open 4-10 p.m. Rentals available. Tickets available at Mad Hatter’s Scoops next door. 400 Summit Path, off Killington Road. Info, 802-422-3335. 5:30 p.m. Boys and Girls Club of Rutland holds celebration of youth who interviewed, photographed, and wrote stories for “We Are One Rutland” held 5:30-6 p.m. at Boys and Girls Club, Merchants Row, Rutland. Purchase books for $15.

Swing Dance

7 p.m. Valentine’s Swing Dance with Starline Rhythm Boys at Suicide Six Ski Area. Free lesson 7-8 p.m. Dance 8-10 p.m. $20 single, $35 double. Families of all ages invited. 2095 Pomfret Rd., S. Pomfret. Info, artistreetvt.org. Suicide Six Ski Area, 247 Stage Rd, South Pomfret.

Pink the Rink

7 p.m. Castleton University Lady Spartans women’s hockey team wear pink uniforms to raise awareness and funds for Breast Care Program at RRMC. Game begins 7 p.m. at Spartan Arena at the Diamond Run Mall, Route 7S, Rutland. Also, sale of blankets, hats, scarves, raffles, basket raffles and more during the game.

UU Coffeehouse Series

7:30 p.m. UU Coffeehouse Concert Series in Rutland continues with Bob Stannard at Unitarian Universalist Church. General admission tickets $20 advance at paramountvt.org; $25 day of show. 117 West St., Rutland.

10 a.m. The Rutland Downtown Farmers Market is inside for the season, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Vermont Farmers Food Center, 251 West Street, Rutland. Info and vendors, vtfarmersmarket.org. 10 a.m. Gentle yoga - all levels, everyone welcome! Call to sign-up or drop-in. Yoga Studio at Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Chittenden. 802-483-2311.

4 p.m. Pittsford Congregational Church has spaghetti and meatball dinner, 4-6 p.m. Adults $10, kids under 12 $5. Proceeds benefit mission work at the church. Info, 802-483-2373.

Happy Hour Yoga

5 p.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: Tues., Thurs., Saturday 5-7 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187.

Night Care, Parent’s Night Out

6 p.m. Killington Resort holds night care for parent’s night out at the Killington Grand Hotel, 6-11 p.m. Drop the kids off for an evening of arts and crafts, ski/snowboard related indoor activities and movies while the adults go out. $50 per child, must be at least 2 and potty trained. Limited space, registration required at killington.com.

KMS Garden Party

6 p.m. Killington Mountain School annual Scholarship Auction at Killington Grand Hotel Ballroom. Amazing selection of auction items including wine/gift baskets, spa packages, sports packages, theater/concert tickets, vacation homes and more. killingtonmountainschool.org. East Mountain Road, Killington

Full Moon Snowshoe Hike

7 p.m. Chester Conservation Committee holds guided full moon snowshoe hike on Green Mountain Union H.S. nature trail, off Route 103S, Chester. Snowshoes or boots with traction cleats appropriate for this hike, plus headlamp or flashlight if you have one. Free.

Snake Mountain Bluegrass

7:30 p.m. Modern and traditional bluegrass band Snake Mountain Bluegrass performs at Brandon Music, 62 Country Club Road, Brandon. $20 tickets. brandon-music.net.

The “Newly”wed Game Rutland

7:30 p.m. Local couples test their knowledge of one another and help raise money to support Rutland Community Cupboard, BROC Community Food Shelf, and Salvation Army - at Paramount Theatre, 30 Center St., Rutland. Tickets $20$25. Extra raffle to win diamond earrings for $25 tickets. paramountvt.org.

10 a.m. Drop In Art at Killington Art Garage. $25 gets 1.5 hours studio/project time. All ages welcome, kids and adults. RSVP to 802-422-8844. 2841 Killington Rd., Killington. 10 a.m. Billings Farm & Museum holds Sleigh Ride Weeks, Feb. 11-26, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring horse-drawn sleigh rides, tours of the dairy farm, family-centered activities, Pres. Day themed activities, programs, film showing, and more. Admission. 62 Old River Road, Woodstock, half mile north of Woodstock Village Green on Vt Rt 12. billingsfarm.org.

Weatherization Clinic

10 a.m. Weatherize Upper Valley informational session in meeting room of Cavendish Town Office, 37 High St., Cavendish. Connects homeowners with weatherization contractors to provide free, professional home energy assessments, proposals, and quotes with goal to double number of home energy projects completed in Upper Valley each year. Info, 802-226-7250

Book Launch Event

10 a.m. Phoenix Books Rutland hosts Alis Headlam, director of book project “We Are One Rutland” will be there 10 a.m.-6 p.m. signing copies and discussing the book. 2 Center St., Rutland. 802-855-8078.

Bridge Club

12 p.m. Marble Valley Duplicate Bridge Club meets at Godnick Center Saturdays, 12-4 p.m. Sanctioned duplicate bridge games. Info, 802-228-6276. 1 Deer St., Rutland. Please join.

Paint and Sip

1 p.m. Paint and Sip acrylics with Traci, at Killington Art Garage. $35 includes all instruction and materials. Light nosh served; BYOB. RSVP to 802-4228844. 2841 Killington Rd., Killington.

NOV. 26-27

Spaghetti Dinner

SUNDAY FEB. 12

USABA Winter Ski Festival

Special Day of Skiing

Upper Valley Haven presents a special day of skiing at Plymouth Notch, 255 Round Top Road, Plymouth, private ski club. $100/ adult, $70/ child. Sign up at uppervalleyhaven.org.

Bikram Yoga **

9 a.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Sundays: 9 a.m. & 4:30 p.m. 1.5 hr. Bikram hot. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Sundays with Maurie

10 a.m. Sundays with Maurie, drop in watercolor class, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. at Killington Art Garage. All ages, all abilities. $30 includes instruction and materials. Coffee/tea and sweet plate included. RSVP to 802-422-8844. 2841 Killington Rd., Killington.

Drop In Art

10 a.m. Drop In Art at Killington Art Garage. $25 gets 1.5 hours studio/project time. All ages welcome, kids and adults. RSVP to 802-422-8844. 2841 Killington Rd., Killington.

10 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

Sleigh Ride Week

10 a.m. Billings Farm & Museum holds Sleigh Ride Weeks, Feb. 11-26, daily, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring horse-drawn sleigh rides, tours of the dairy farm, family-centered activities, Pres. Day themed activities, programs, film showing, and more. Admission. 62 Old River Road, Woodstock, half mile north of Woodstock Village Green on Vt Rt 12. billingsfarm.org.

THURS FEB 9

Mad Hatter Tea Party

B OW THAYER TICKETS ON SALE NOW DOORS OPEN AT 8PM

11 a.m. Sherburne Memorial Library holds Mad Hatter Tea Party with seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. $30 per pair, $15 individuals. Light brunch, games with Alice and the Mad Hatter, tea, dessert, photo opps, and a gift to commemorate the occasion. 2998 River Road, Killington. Reservations at 802-4229765.

ARC Valentine’s Dance

1 p.m. ARC Rutland Area holds Valentine’s Day Dance at Elks Club, Pleasant St., Rutland, 1-4 p.m. For people with developmental disabilities, their families, and friends. Get out and socialize with others to gain best health! DJ & dancing, food & drink, socializing and fun! arcrutlandarea.org.

Ice Skating

2 p.m. Ice skating at Summit Pond is open 2-10 p.m. Rentals available. Tickets available at Mad Hatter’s Scoops next door. 400 Summit Path, off Killington Road. Info, 802-422-3335.

Open Gym

7 p.m. Town of Killington Rec. Dept. holds open gym for ages 18+. Tonight, volleyball game 7-9 p.m. at Killington Elementary School, through March 28. $2 per night. Schoolhouse Road, Killington. Info, 802-422-3932, killingtontown. com.

Garrison Keillor

7:30 p.m. American storyteller, writer, humorist, and host of “A Prairie Home Companion” as well as VPR’s “Writer’s Almanac,” Garrison Keillor captivates audiences at Paramount Theatre, 30 Center St., Rutland. Tickets $46, $56, $66 at paramountvt.org.

Drop In Basketball

7:45 p.m. Rutland Rec Dept offers co-ed drop in basketball, 7:15-9:15 p.m. at Rutland Intermediate School. Men and women age 18+. $5 fee. Self organized, self policed! Balls and pinnies provided. Info, 802-282-2054. 65 Library Ave, Rutland.

Citizenship Classes

Vermont Adult Learning will offers free citizenship classes. Call 802-7974045 and learn if you may qualify for citizenship at no cost. 16 Evelyn St., Rutland. Also, free classes in reading, writing, and speaking for English speakers of other languages. Ongoing. 16 Evelyn St., Rutland

Yoga Sampler

TUESDAY

2:30 p.m. Thrive Center sponsors/offers 8th annual Winter-Spring Sampler, yoga classes and workshops, held at Wallingford Elementary School Gym, 126 School St., Wallingford. Open to all levels, new to experienced. $10/ 60 minutes; $15/ 90 minutes; $20/ workshop. Dress warmly for movement. Register at 802-446-2499 or uthrive@vermontel.net.

FEB. 14

Open Gym

5 p.m. Town of Killington Rec. Dept. holds open gym for ages 18+. Tonight, pick up basketball games, 5-7 p.m. at Killington Elementary School, through March 27. $2 per night. Schoolhouse Road, Killington. Info, 802-422-3932, killingtontown.com.

THURS FEB 16

FRIDAYS IN THE CROW’S NEST

FRI FEB 10 & SAT FEB 11

JOEY LEONE TRIO

BRUCE

IN THE USA TICKETS ON SALE NOW DOORS OPEN AT 8PM

THURSDAYS FEB 23 MAR 9

RIPE

5 p.m. First Congregational Church of Fair Haven sponsors film series “One” plus dinner, six-week series. Dinner 5 p.m. followed by film and small group session. Free. Childcare available. Register at 1stcongchurchfairhaven@gmail. com or 802-265-8864. 2 North Park Place, Fair Haven.

Weekly Curling

7 p.m. Upper Valley Curling Club plays each Sunday at Union Arena, Woodstock. 7-9 p.m. $25 per person. All ability levels welcome to join the club. On the grounds of Woodstock UHS, Route 4, Woodstock. Info, uppervalleycurling. org. Games begin at 7 p.m.

MONDAY FEB. 13

USABA Winter Ski Festival

Bikram Yoga **

6 a.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Mondays: 6 a.m. 1 hour Bikram hot yoga; 9 a.m. 1.5 hour Bikram hot yoga; 4 p.m. hot power flow; 5:30 p.m. 1.5 hour Bikram hot yoga. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Level 1 & 2 Yoga

8:30 a.m. Level 1 & 2 Yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500.

Killington Bone Builders

10 a.m. Bone builders meets at Sherburne Memorial Library, 2998 River Rd., Killington, 10-11 a.m. Mondays and Thursdays. Free, weights supplied. For info, 802-422-3271.

Sleigh Ride Week

Rustic Overtones

MAR 16 The Machine MAR 30 Start Making Sense

FIREBALL HAPPY HOUR

LIVE MUSIC

SATURDAY

Religious Movie Series

4PM

Open Swim

11:30 a.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187.

Rutland Rotary

12:15 p.m. Rotary Club of Rutland meets Mondays for lunch at The Palms Restaurant. Learn more or become a member, journal@sover.net.

Dance Your Way to Health

4 p.m. Dance Your Way to Health at Castleton Community Center, 4-5 p.m. Aerobic dance components designed to burn calories and build heart strength. Work at your own pace. Info, 802-468-3093. 2108 Main St, Castleton.

Smoking Cessation

4:30 p.m. Rutland’s stop smoking program, including patches, gum, and lozenges, at RRMC Foley Cancer Center Conference Rm. on Mondays 4:30-5:30 p.m. Register at 747-3768 or rrmc.org. Free!

Smoking Cessation for Pregnant Moms

5 p.m. Rutland’s stop smoking program for pregnant mothers, including patches, gum, and lozenges, at Rutland Women’s Healthcare, 147 Allen St., Rutland. Mondays, 5-6 p.m. Register at 747-3768 or rrmc.org. Free!

Gentle Yoga 1741 Killington Road | 802-422-3035

PickleBarrelNightclub.com

5 p.m. Gentle yoga - all levels, everyone welcome! Call to sign-up or drop-in. Yoga Studio at Mountain Top Inn & Resort, Chittenden. 802-483-2311.

Valentine’s Day Open Swim **

8 a.m. Enjoy the warm water at Mitchell Therapy Pool at Vermont Achievement Center, 88 Park St., Rutland: 8-9 a.m.; 12-1 p.m.; 5-7 p.m. Call for more times & info, 802-773-7187.

Yin Yoga

8:30 a.m. Yin Yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500.

Art Workshop

10 a.m. Annie’s Art Workshop, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Tuesdays at Sherburne Memorial Library, Killington. Open art workshop - collaborative artist group welcomes all levels, interests, mediums. Free. In memory of Ann Wallen. Info, 2991777.

Family Playgroup

10 a.m. Rutland Co. Parent Child Center holds playgroup, at Mount Holly Town Library, Belmont. Tuesdays, 10-11:30 a.m. Informal gatherings for families who share a common thread of wanting a supportive experience for their child. For info, rcpcc.org.

Bone Builders

10 a.m. Bone builders meets Tuesdays at Mendon Methodist Church basement. Info, 802-773-2694.

Sleigh Ride Week

Preschool Story Time

10:30 a.m. Norman Williams Public Library holds 45-minute story time for kids ages 3-6 featuring three, thematically related books along with craft or activity reinforcing theme. 802-457-2295. 10 the Green, Woodstock.

Learn to Knit **

10:30 a.m. Green Mountain Fibers holds Learn to Knit classes Tuesdays through Feb. 21, 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Learn basic knitting skills, cast on, knit and purl stitch, cast off. Free with purchase of yarn and needles; $10 to others. 259 Woodstock Ave., Rutland. Info, 802-775-7800.

Smoking Cessation

11 a.m. Rutland’s stop smoking program, including patches, gum, and lozenges, at Rutland Heart Center, 12 Commons St., Rutland, Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. Register at 747-3768 or rrmc.org. Free!

Circuit Works

11 a.m. Circuit Works at Castleton Community Center, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Targets all major muscle groups with strength and flexibility exercises. Bands, tubing, weights, bike and treadmill, exercise ball and mats. Class size limited. Info, 802-468-3093. 2108 Main St, Castleton.

Bikram Yoga **

12 p.m. Bikram Yoga holds classes Tuesdays: 9 a.m. & 4:30 p.m. 1.5 hr. hot Bikram yoga; 12 p.m. hot yin; 6:15 p.m. 1 hour hot Bikram. 1360 US-4, Mendon. Info, 802-747-6300.

Ludlow Rotary Club Meets

12:15 p.m. Ludlow Rotary Club service area includes Ludlow, Mt. Holly, Cavendish, Plymouth with members from these communities. Meets for lunch & fellowship Tuesdays. Club activities fund scholarships for area students, support local not-for-profit organizations and contributes to other local & international humanitarian efforts. ludlowrotary.com

Level 1 Yoga

5:30 p.m. Level 1 Yoga at Killington Yoga with Karen Dalury, RYT 500. 3744 River Rd, Killington. Info, killingtonyoga.com, 802-422-4500.

Chess Club

7 p.m. Rutland Rec Dept. holds a chess club at Godnick Adult Center, providing a mind-enhancing skill not only to the youth but adults as well. The club will teach anyone who is willing to learn. All ages are welcome; open to the public. Tuesday evenings, 7 – 9 p.m. 1 Deer St., Rutland.

Broomball

7:45 p.m. Giorgetti Arena offers broomball Tuesdays, 7:45-9:15 p.m. Helmet and clean, rubber sole shoes needed. Sticks and balls provided. $4 Rutland residents; $5 non. 2 Oak St. Ext., Rutland. rutlandrec.com.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 11

[MUSIC Scene] KILLINGTON 2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge Daniel Brown

6 p.m. Liquid Art Open Mic w/ Ricky T

9 p.m. JAX Food & Games Jim Devlin

9 p.m Outback Pizza

Snowplow Comedy Competition

POULTNEY 6:30 p.m. Taps Tavern

2 p.m. Snowshed’s Long Trail Pub Joey Leone Duo

4:30 p.m. The Foundry Aaron Audet

5 p.m. Outback Pizza Guy Burlage

6 p.m. Wobbly Barn Jenny Porter

7 p.m. O’Dwyers Public House Daniel Brown

7:30 p.m. McGrath’s Irish Pub Brothers Flynn

8 p.m. The Foundry

2 p.m. Skyeship Base Lodge Guy Burlage

2 p.m. Snowshed’s Long Trail Pub Joey Leone Trio

4 p.m. The Foundry Duane Carleton

4:30 p.m. Pickle Barrel Nightclub Bloomer

5 p.m. Outback Pizza

DJ Dave’s Apres Ski Dance Party

6 p.m. Preston’s at the Grand Hotel Ryan Fuller

6 p.m. Wobbly Barn Tony Lee Thomas Trio

STOCKBRIDGE 11 a.m. Wild Fern

Cigar Box Brunch w/ Rick Redington

MONDAY FEB. 13

KILLINGTON 1 p.m. K1 Base Lodge Duane Carleton

7 p.m. Outback Pizza

Karaoke and Music Vid Nite w/ DJ Evan

7 p.m. The Foundry Joey Leone’s Blues Night

9 p.m. JAX Food and Games

8 p.m. Santa Fe Steakhouse

7:30 p.m. McGrath’s Irish Pub

LUDLOW

8:30 p.m. Outback Pizza

8 p.m. Pickle Barrel

9 p.m. JAX Food & Games

8 p.m. Santa Fe Steakhouse

2 p.m. Snowshed’s Long Trail Pub

9 p.m. Moguls Sports Pub

8 p.m. The Foundry

4 p.m. Liquid Art

10 p.m. Wobbly Barn

8 p.m. Outback Pizza

PITTSFIELD

THURSDAY FEB. 9

KILLINGTON 2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge Chris Pallutto

Tony Lee Thomas

Vinyl Revolution w/ DJ Drewcifer The Soulful Sounds of Pat & Clay

8 p.m. Pickle Barrel Nightclub Bow Thayer

8 p.m. Santa Fe Steakhouse Bob Kennedy

8 p.m. The Foundry Joey Leone Duo

10 p.m. Wobbly Barn Sonic Malfunktion

LUDLOW 9 p.m. Mangiamo Ristorante & Nightclub

Karaoke & Video Show w/ DJ Evan

MENDON 6 p.m. Red Clover Inn Jazz Trio

PITTSFIELD 7 p.m. Clear River Tavern Open Mic Jam

Bloomer

Aaron Audet & Jeff Poremski Dos Equis All Request Dance Party w/ DJ Dave Gypsy Wisdom

6 p.m. Clear River Tavern Fritz Gun

8 p.m. Clear River Tavern Cassels-Brown & Melvin

RUTLAND 7:30 p.m. Hop ‘n’ Moose Chris Pallutto

9:30 p.m. Downtown Tavern DJ Dance Party

SOUTH POMFRET 7:30 p.m. Suicide Six Base Lodge

Valentine’s Swing Dance w/ Starline Rhythm Boys

STOCKBRIDGE 7 p.m. Wild Fern

Greg Ryan And Casey Ryan

SATURDAY FEB. 11

RUTLAND

BOMOSEEN

9:30 p.m. Downtown Tavern

6 p.m. Iron Lantern

DJ Dance Party

STOCKBRIDGE 7 p.m Wild Fern Rick Redington

FRIDAY FEB. 10

BOMOSEEN 6 p.m. Iron Lantern Heart to Heart

KILLINGTON 1 p.m. Bear Mountain Base Lodge Duane Carleton

1:30 p.m. Pico Base Lodge Chris Pallutto

The Plumb Bobs

BRANDON 7:30 p.m. Brandon Music Snake Mountain Bluegrass

LUDLOW 3 p.m. The Chophouse Wayne Canney

9 p.m. Mangiamo Ristorante & Nightclub DJ Dance Party

KILLINGTON 1 p.m. Bear Mountain Base Lodge

Brothers Flynn Burnt Siena

David Soltz: Acoustic Soul Aaron Audet Band

7 p.m. Clear River Tavern Clay Canfield and Pat Navarre

RUTLAND

9 p.m. JAX Food & Games

9:30 p.m. Downtown Tavern

9 p.m. Moguls Sports Pub

WOODSTOCK

10 p.m. Wobbly Barn

8 p.m. Bentley’s Restaurant

Bloomer

Joey Leone Trio

Super Stash Bros Gypsy Wisdom

PITTSFIELD 7:30 p.m. Clear River Tavern Fritz Gun and Co.

RUTLAND 7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre

Rutland’s “Newly”wed Game

9:30 p.m. Downtown Tavern Karaoke w/ Tenacious T

SUNDAY FEB. 12

KILLINGTON

Garrison Keillor

Jenny Porter

Brian Warren

TUESDAY FEB. 14

KILLINGTON 2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge Daniel Brown

5 p.m. The Foundry Jazz Night w/ Oak Totem

Annie in the Water

3 p.m. The Chophouse POULTNEY 9 p.m. Taps Tavern

Bluegrass Jam w/ Poultney Bluegrass Society

STOCKBRIDGE

8:30 p.m. Outback Pizza

7 p.m. Wild Fern

9 p.m. JAX Food and Games

WOODSTOCK

Rick Redington and The Luv

Duane Carleton

LUDLOW

RUTLAND

Wayne Canney

9:30 p.m. The Venue Open Mic w/ Chris Pallutto

CARLETON

PRIMO & JOHNSON

Name That Tune Bingo w/ DJ Dave: Love Song Edition

Wayne Canney

Chris Pallutto

DUANE

8:30 p.m. Domenic’s Pizzeria

2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge 2 p.m. Snowshed’s Long Trail Pub

local's night with

Edwards, Abraham & Tolstoi – “EAT”

LUDLOW

Tony Lee Thomas

JOEY LEONE TRIO

8 p.m. The Foundry

1 p.m. Pico Base Lodge Duane Carleton

s at u r d a y 9 p m

Love Songs w/ Andy Lugo

9 p.m. JAX Food & Games

JD Tolstoi Brunch

AARON AND J E F F

8 p.m. Outback Pizza

11 a.m. The Foundry

1:30 p.m. Pico Base Lodge Kenny Mehler Trio

PITTSFIELD

7:30 p.m. Paramount Theatre

3 p.m. The Chophouse

2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge

Wayne Canney

8:30 p.m. Outback Pizza

Jenny Porter

Chris Pallutto

3 p.m. The Chophouse

MON

MB Padfield

David Soltz: Acoustic Soul

Primo & Johnson

9PM

9 p.m. JAX Food & Games

Burnt Siena

FRI

The County Down

9PM

8 p.m. Pickle Barrel

7 p.m. O’Dwyers Public House

Jazz Night

Duane Carleton

Jim Devlin t hur s 9pmMB PADFIELD

WED 9PM

FEB. 8

Tony Lee Thomas Duo

SUN 9PM

WEDNESDAY

2 p.m. K1 Base Lodge

THIS WEEK AT

Rhapsody in Red 2017: Valentine’s Evening of Food, Entertainment & Rick Redington and the Luv

5:30 p.m. Bentley’s Restaurant

James Mee: Music From The Heart

6 p.m. Little Theater

Underground Ministries w/ Speaker Nate Mispel & DJ Casey

K I L L I N G TO N ' S

BIGGEST

BURGER FREE WINGS SUN-FRI 3PM-5PM

12 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

• SUDOKU

just for fun

• MOVIE TIMES

• CROSSWORD

the MOVIE diary

SUDOKU

Hello! Hey, it’s been a while By Dom Cioffi

Each block is divided by its own matrix of nine cells. The rule for solving Sudoku puzzles are very simple. Each row, column and block, must contain one of the numbers from “1” to “9”. No number may appear more than once in any row, column, or block. When you’ve filled the entire grid the puzzle is solved.

This week’s solution is on page 31

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

CLUES ACROSS 1. Baseball team 5. Hymns 11. Actor Jared 12. Fragrance 16. __ Von Bismarck, Iron Chancellor 17. Nordic God 18. Weighed down 19. Coppola’s mob epic 24. Nanogram 25. Famed street artist 26. Identifier 27. 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet 28. In addition 29. Micturated 30. Shock 31. Accept 33. Allotment 34. Eras 38. Emerges 39. Cape Verde capital 40. __, United Arab Emirates capital 43. Small amount 44. Back of the foot 45. Pakrit language 49. Home of “60 Minutes” 50. Condemn 51. Ailed 53. Elevated railroad 54. Rebelliousness 56. Ancient Greek city 58. Clothing company (abbr.) 59. Member of the cabbage family 60. Softens or smooths 63. Mass of coagulated liquid 64. Problems 65. Irish Republic CLUES DOWN 1. Dress 2. Deadly 3. Says aloud 4. PT Anderson film “__ Nights”

5. Teacher (abbr.) 6. Anesthetized 7. Anno Domini (in the year of Our Lord) 8. __ and behold 9. French young women (abbr.) 10. Scorch 13. Notre Dame 14. Express disapproval 15. Cars need these 20. Not off 21. Unit of mass 22. You 23. Concealed 27. Parent-teacher organizations 29. Approximately 3.14159 30. Chinese conception of poetry 31. Satisfaction 32. College degree 33. Formerly Ceylon: __ Lanka 34. Effeminate 35. Something to solve 36. Horses like these 37. Intelligence organization 38. Blood type 40. Exhibition 41. Poisonous plant 42. Aluminum 44. Possesses 45. Penetrate with a sharp instrument 46. Ring-shaped objects 47. Speaks at church 48. Form in the mind 50. Selectors 51. Probability of default 52. 2001 Spielberg film 54. Where to get a sandwich 55. Newts 57. Modus operandi 61. Exists 62. Politico-economic union Solutions on page, 31

My last column was nearly four months ago. That was October and at the time, I could barely focus enough to write a single sentence. While the powerful drugs I was taking were alleviating the excruciating pain that was growing inside of me, they were also making reality a bit harder to navigate. I knew then that it was time to halt production of “The Movie Diary” until I was feeling better. But after a long, arduous battle, I’m finally ready to write again. The Stage 4 cancer (located in my throat) that I went to Florida to treat was not going to go away without a fight. I was informed by my doctors that of all cancer treatments, this was one of the worst to get through. It would also come with a number of side effects that would make life on the other side challenging. The more they talked, the more I felt like I won the reverse lottery. As such, I suffered through 35 radiation treatments and six sessions of chemotherapy between September and November. As the weeks during this time passed, I relied more and more on my mother and mother-inlaw (who abruptly halted their own lives to relocate to Florida to take care of me). My wife coordinated everything and traveled to and from Florida to lend assistance while holding down her job and caring for our son. I also received massive written and verbal support from my colleagues at work, my family, friends (both new and old), and readers of this column who took the time to write me some wonderful notes of encouragement. I remember very little once I hit the second half of my treatments. I returned home just prior to Thanksgiving but the drug-induced haze continued until Christmas. My doctors told me that my lack of memory was the brain’s way of dealing with immense pain. I do, however, remember small snippets like the despondent look on my mother’s face as she tried to comfort me from the pain, or the smell of the rug on the bathroom floor of our rental as I was crawling around at 3 a.m. trying to come to terms with my situation. Once back home, my mother was the one who finally got me out walking just prior to Christmas, insisting that it was time to start working at my recovery. The first day I barely made it to the end of my street. The beginning of my daily walks also marked my decision to start weaning myself off the pain medication. This would turn out to be a six-and-a-half-week process. However, unlike my radiation and chemo treatments, which remained a cloudy memory, I remember every moment of withdrawing from my medication. In a word, it was “hell.”

THE ARRIVAL

The human body, once accustomed to a powerful narcotic, does not take lightly to letting go. I have a newfound respect for anyone who has every fought and won a battle over addiction. Never have I been so sick in so many varied ways for so long. However, on Jan. 17 (the date will forever be marked in my brain) I woke up and wasn’t sick. I had put on the last pain patch a week earlier and now I was free, the last remaining bit of medication having finally exited my body. I went out for my walk later that day and literally teared up as the sun beamed down on my face. Every inch of my consciousness was aware that I didn’t feel sick anymore. I have done nothing but improve since that date. In the process of healing, I have had to relearn how to eat and swallow food. Initially everything tasted like cardboard. It didn’t matter what food I put into my mouth, the same flavor and sensation of paste overwhelmed my taste buds. Needless to say, eating food became a necessary chore. However, over time this has improved significantly, which thrills me since I was told some people never fully regain their sense of taste. But while I have improved in so many areas and am feeling better than I have in months, the real question remains: Am I now cancer-free? That question will be answered in two weeks when I travel back to Florida for two days of tests to confirm my status. Stay tuned for the big reveal… This past week was special in that it was the first time I returned to the theater in months. I wanted to see a positive, uplifting film so I chose “The Arrival,” starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner (I also thought the name was appropriate given my return). “The Arrival” was released several months ago, but saw slow sales at the box office. However, word of mouth and exceptional ratings from critics drove this film back into the theaters recently. The premise is very “Twilight Zone,” with the world dealing with a sudden alien presence in various locations around the globe. The question is whether the visitors are friend or foe. Check this one out if you love intelligent science fiction. It’s slow brewing as far as action is concerned but the underlying story is well worth the admission price. An out-there “B+” for “The Arrival.” Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email him at moviediary@att.net.

ROCKIN’ REGION

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 13

Courtesy of Dave Hoffenberg

Bow Thayer sits in his studio surrounded by instruments of all types, including drums, mics, keyboards and many amps.

Rockin’ the region with Bow Thayer If you live in the Killington region, you have probably heard of the awesome musician I interviewed this week. If you’re not, get to know him here. Either way, you should head to the Pickle Barrel this Thursday night, Feb. 9 and see Bow Thayer rock out with his modern mountain music band. It’s influenced by bluegrass and Americana. It’s mirky roots music but with a modern twist. playing different rockin’ They’re tunings and singing about the region socially conscious stuff, not by dj dave just going to the whiskey still hoffenberg with your sweetheart. There will be lots of improvisation. Thayer will be bringing his four piece band with him. He will be joined by Alex Abraham on bass, JD Tolstoi on keys and Jeff Berlin on drums. Berlin was out of commission for a while after suffering a stroke last summer, but Thayer is glad to have him back. “He basically had to relearn how to play the drums. He’s back in a big way.” Thayer said of the other two, “JD rips and Al is really starting to excel as a bass player. I found him a couple of years back and he was as green as they get. He’s just transformed into a monster of a bass player both upright and electric. The band is pretty rippin’. It’s funny because they’re half my age, they’re youngsters.” Thayer is 50 and said, “Fifty trips around the sun. A couple aches and pains but ... it feels pretty good.” When we talked, he was tinkering with some instruments, which he loves to do. His friend and fellow musician Jake Wildwood helps him with that. Wildwood owns Antebellum Instruments in Rochester. I had the pleasure of checking that place out last spring and it’s like a museum of old guitars and many other instruments. Thayer said, “He’s kind of a genius. I’m really into old instruments and he helps me out with some of my wacky ideas. He has so many crazy instruments in there. He gets instruments from all over the world and some date back to the 1800s. It’s insane.” Thayer has invented the “bojotar,” which is part resonator guitar, part electric guitar and part banjo. He created it because an instrument needed to make the sound he wanted just didn’t exist yet. Wildwood has helped him a lot with those. Joey Leone hooked him up with Eastwood Guitars and they really liked his idea, so much that they manufacture them now. You can buy one on their website. Thayer came up with the idea a couple of years ago. He said, “I was kind of a frustrated banjo player and also kind of a frustrated guitar player. I write songs on both and write parts for both. I would go to a gig and wouldn’t know what instrument to bring. I kind of mashed it all together and now this is the only thing I play. I’m finally starting to figure it out because there really is no instrument like it out there. I love it because it’s like a banjo with an extra bass string. You can play full chords on it, you can finish runs on it as with the whole low end register that wasn’t there before. You put it with a resonator cone and now you can adapt a slide to it. You can put an electric guitar body on it and a pickup and you can rock out to an amp. You can do it all and it’s really

cool. I got all different versions of it.” It really adds a lot to his show but also trips him up from time to time. “If I’m not really on it, I’ll be halfway through a song and realize I forgot to tune that other string. I’m in trouble now,” Thayer said laughing. “It has me definitely thinking out of the box more. As far as different melodies and different licks, it definitely has taken song writing to a new level. For playing, it has taken me a couple of years to get used to it. You can’t just go to YouTube and take a lesson on it or go buy a book or even listen to someone else who shreds on the thing. I’m in uncharted territory and making it up as I go along.” Thayer likes that he can go in a whole new direction now. He was running out of ideas before this and so were others in the Americana scene. Thayer grew up south of Boston in Hingham, Mass. where he went to high school, then went to college in Syracuse, N.Y., and then back to Boston to attend art school. After that he hit the road with a punk rock-type band called Seven League Boots. “It was more alternative rock than punk. This was back in the 90s. We toured all over the place, like ghetto-style touring.” They toured with Fugazi, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Bad Brains, and more. They went all over the country and to Canada. The band eventually broke up and Thayer moved to Vermont and has been here about 20 years. He always came up here to go skiing so he knew the area well. He bought a tiny camp in Gaysville and built a house and a studio there. He cut down a bunch of trees, timber framed it himself and used all salvaged parts. Thayer picked up the guitar when he was 12. “I was a kid that was listening to everything: Neil Young, the Dead, the Stones, the Beatles, all the obvious classic rock stuff. I just gravitated right to the guitar. My grandmother bought me my first guitar that I still have. From there I started a band almost instantly. I’ve been playing gigs pretty regularly since I was about 15 years old. When I was about 30, I picked up the banjo. I was getting more into the bluegrass thing.” It was then that Thayer started a bluegrass band called The Benders. Thayer said his songwriting went hand-in-hand with learning the guitar but he never really went far with it. “I have some early four-track recordings in the 80s. When I got with Seven League Boots, I was just the guitar player and I was writing with a group so I was just concentrating on guitar parts and not focusing on words and lyrics.” After that group broke up in Reno, Nev., Thayer went to hang with friends in Flagstaff, Ariz. His buddy had a 16-track studio and he started writing like crazy. That’s when he turned down the guitar and started doing more acoustic. Thayer moved back to Boston and formed a trio called Still Home. That was during the big grunge scene and they were touring with Iggy Pop. One of their first gigs was playing with Pearl Jam back before their big record “Ten” came out. They played this song “Red Hot Mama” and Eddie Vedder came out and played it with them. Thayer remembered, “We didn’t even know who they were, nobody knew who they were.” They thought Still Home was going to go somewhere but it eventually

fizzled out when their bass player flaked out. After that, Thayer got into the slide stuff. He started a band that was very similar to how the Black Keys are now. It was a duo with Thayer on guitar and a drummer. That’s when his band Elbow started. “We were mostly based out of New York City because that’s where the drummer lived. I was living in Boston but would go to N.Y. every weekend.” His uncle owned some land in Killington and Mike (the drummer) and Thayer opened up Toad Stool Harry’s on Route 4 down by the Pasta Pot. That was a legendary after-hours club. Back in the good old K-town days, you could go there and hang out till 5 a.m. listening to great music. Old schoolers will know what I’m talking about. It was a treasure that could never happen today. After that, Thayer had the band The Perfect Trainwreck. That was around for years and they released an album titled “Eden.” Thayer just released an album called “The Source and the Servant, a Tribute to Doc Boggs and Mississippi Fred McDowel.” He did all the engineering and producing himself. Thayer has always loved their music but the real kicker was he was blending banjo and slide with the bojotar. “I could play both styles of old time and delta style blues on this instrument. It was a tribute to both these characters but also, I could showcase this instrument. It’s a weird record. It’s not straight up blues at all. Some of it is down right psychedelic. I use some weird instruments. I use a saw, a drum machine as well as marimba and some instruments I made. I made a giant bass banjo out of a kick drum. It’s kind of like a psychedelic jug band but it’s kind of modern, too. It was really fun to make. I put some originals tunes on there, too.” Thayer said it’s harder and harder doing live shows now. “I remember when live music was way more attended. People here complain it’s not what it used to be. There’s a whole slew of reasons, like people have music on their phones, people not wanting to get pulled over, it’s just harder and harder. The shows I used to play were better attended and I made way more money. I could never take a band on the road today. If I go on the road now, it’s duo or solo. But I love playing with the band and it’s my first choice. It makes it that much more special.” Thayer loves doing what he does. He said, “I’ve been doing it so long that I wouldn’t know how not to do it. I guess the question is why am I still doing it? It’s the spontaneity of it. Playing live and being present with the language. It’s like having a conversation with four dudes in your band and make that carry over to an audience. I really dig it, making people dance and making people think. What I love most about it is creating a spontaneous event that you’re a part of. We are presenting and creating an opportunity to be involved. It’s the best tool for finding the truth you’ll ever get. You can write speeches and do articles but the power of music is limitless. You can really make people listen in a way that they normally wouldn’t. You can get an abstract idea across that would really change someone’s life in a way. First concert I ever went to was a Grateful Dead show at the Boston Garden and I came away thinking that is going to be my job but I’m just on the wrong side of the stage now.”

14 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

Ski Shop Showcase Resort ownership:

Vail Resorts eyes Stowe Mountain for purchase

continued from page 1 England area, Stowe is also one of the oldest continually operating areas in Vermont. Thanks to the snow trains, skiers were climbing up on skins in the early 1930s long before the first rope tow began operating at the Toll House Slopes on Feb. 7, 1937. With the Village of Stowe and the mountain a popular summer mecca since the 1850s, Stowe Mountain Resort has the panache and potential that would fit the upscale Vail Resorts’ interest in yearround resorts and first foray into the East. The ramifications of a Stowe sale to Vail would be significant for the increased visitation and revenues it could bring to the town. Those who purchase Stowe season passes would see a huge drop in their cash outlays because the Epic pass sells for half of what a Stowe pass goes for. Additionally, giving access to Vail Resorts’ stable of areas in Colorado, Utah, Lake Tahoe, and Canada might mean more passes sold and greater competition for other Vermont areas. The Epic pass is widely regarded as the impetus for other ski resort owners to form partnerships and offer their own conglomeration of ski areas on one season pass like the M.A.X. pass which has seen 39 mountains join together to compete with the Epic pass. So while the competition would heat up for some Northeastern ski areas, the end result could see more value for skiers in competi-

tive and value laden passes. However, one industry source for limited ski days at each for its Epic Pass holders. noted a down side to the less expensive Epic Pass, stating Jay Peak and Burke Mountain that Vail raises the prices on food, rentals, and lodgings The sales of Stratton (via Intrawest ownership) and when adding areas to its pass. Stowe are not the only ones likely. When the Jay Peak case Stratton gets settled, it is possible we’ll see new owners for Jay and But Stowe is not the only ski area that may be changing sister area Burke Mountain. Whether an independent hands. According to a Jan. 13, 2016, Reuters article, Stratowner or one of the major players will do that remains anyton’s owner, Intrawest Resorts Holdings, Inc., “is working one’s guess, but the consolidation trend has been around with investment banks on a possible sale” (the specific and growing since the 1990s. source remained unidentified, however). Still the last three Vermont ski-area purchases have Intrawest was once the largest owner of ski resorts in been by individuals and local groups. Local volunteers North America and topped Vail Resorts in annual skier vis- worked to revive the former Ascutney resort into a small its in 2009 with its five areas in the U.S. plus one it operated non-profit hill (with plans to grow) while others have for the city of Denver (Winrescued good mountains as ter Park). That was prior to private areas. In the case of IF VAIL RESORTS SEES POTENTIAL selling Copper Mountain to the former Bear Creek (Round AT STOWE THAT MEETS ITS Powdr Corp in Dec. 2009 and Top Mountain), it is now then selling Whistler BlackPlymouth Notch Ski Area, a BUSINESS MODEL, THAT EASTERN comb to Vail Resorts in Dec. private winter club in its third ACQUISITION COULD BECOME 2016. Intrawest still owns season, and Haystack MounSteamboat (Colo.), Strattain is in its fifth season as the BREAKING NEWS ANY DAY. ton (Vt.), Snowshoe (W.V.), Hermitage at Haystack Club. Mountain Creek (N.J.), and Mont Tremblant in Quebec It is not known if any other areas might be for sale at this along with other holdings like CMH, a Canadian Rockies time, but one thing industry experts agree on is that “any heli-operation. area can be bought for the right price.” Intrawest is reported to be “in the initial stages of Jim Barnes, the owner of the Hermitage Inn in southern reaching out to potential buyers, including buyout firms,” Vermont, wasn’t looking to buy a mountain resort in 2011 Reuters reported. It could be years or just a matter of time but he did, chalking up the rescue of Haystack to “a combefore more Intrawest areas are sold. pelling price and an offer that you can’t refuse.” The private equity firm Fortress Investment Group, With a belief that the private club model could work, LLC, is the majority-owner of Intrawest. Fortress took millions have been invested at the area, which has grown to Intrawest private in 2006 for $2.8 billion and in 2014 took 900 members, making the Hermitage Inn Real Estate Holdit public again. Now the former ski resort giant appears to ing Company, LLC, the fastest growing privately-owned be getting out of the ski business, and with great snow sea- company in the state for the last three years and landing it sons at some of its resorts that could be fortuitous timing at no. 133 on INC. magazine’s top 5,000 list in 2016. as far as sales prices go. If Vail Resorts sees potential at Stowe that meets its Intrawest’s recent sale of Whistler Blackcomb to Vail business model, that Eastern acquisition could become Resorts for over $1 billion was the largest price ever paid breaking news any day. Burke and Jay will likely take longer for a ski resort and along with Vail Resorts’ 2015 acquisidue to the legal situation and receivership. Stratton has tion of Perisher in Australia for $136 million, it’s a sign that been looked at by other companies in the past so if there is Vail Resorts is making a serious foray as a global ski resort validity to Intrawest Resort Holdings looking to sell, Stratcompany. Vail also partners with several European resorts ton also could eventually see a new owner.

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LOCAL NEWS

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 15

Green Mountain National Forest may acquire large parcel on Blue Ridge Seeks public approval By Julia Purdy

CHITTENDEN—On Jan. 18, 2017, the Chittenden Select Board held a special meeting to discuss the potential purchase of a sizeable piece of Chittenden by the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). About 17 people attended, in addition to the entire Select Board, three planning commissioners and representatives of the Green Mountain National Forest and the New Hampshire-Vermont Trust for Public Land. The outlines of the proposition were presented by Realty Specialist Pat D’Andrea of the Green Mountain National Forest Middlebury office, and Kate Wanner, representing the Trust for Public Land (TPL), which would purchase and own the land until the transfer to the GMNF. The presentation was the first step toward putting the issue to a vote in Chittenden later this spring. The seller is Blue Ridge Properties, LLC, of Chittenden. Chittenden residents’ eyebrows were raised when they learned that a major investor had acquired a swath of forest land in Chittenden with the aim of developing a massive sugaring operation for the bulk market. Smaller local producers feared being squeezed out of markets. The company also bulldozed the unused portion of Elbow Road into the property from North Sherburne on the east and the end of Wildcat Road in Chittenden on the west. The land was posted and the quiet backcountry was disrupted by new roads, people complained. But the sugarhouse was never built, although 60,000 taps were set on 400 acres. The developers, Patrick Dupuis and Patrick Malone, quit the project for personal reasons and decided to sell the entire property. The total purchase would consist of 2,792 acres with 2,522, or 90 percent of that acreage, located in Chittenden, a maximum of 509 acres in Mendon and a maximum of 231 acres in Killington. GMNF refers to the parcel as Rolston Rest, after the name of the Long Trail shelter there. A color-coded map of Rolston Rest provided by TPL to the Chittenden Select Board shows a multi-parcel inholding on the ridge between Wildcat Road and Elbow Road, nearly surrounded by national forest, with the Long Trail passing through it. Rolston Rest contains about 11 miles of headwater streams, which eventually find their way into Lake Champlain and which GMNF manages for water quality. The watershed includes the Rutland Town Forest drinking water protection area, about 82 acres. GMNF acquisition of Rolston Rest would occur in two phases, Wanner explained to the Mountain Times. Since the federal acquisition process can take over two years and the seller is not able to wait that long, Wanner said, the Trust for Public Land is buying the property outright and has a signed purchase and sale agreement in hand. In the second phase of the plan, GMNF would purchase Rolston Rest from TPL. Wanner explained that TPL does not use any public funds and does not contract with the federal

government for the work. To cover the other costs associated with the purchase, TPL must raise private funds privately, including winning a grant from the Lintilhac Foundation for this project. Funds for GMNF’s acquisition would come from the federal Bureau of Land Management’s Land & Water Conservation Fund for FY18. TPL has partnered successfully with public lands in the past, most recently the Jim Jeffords State Forest in Mendon and Shrewsbury. In addition to the sugaring operation and the new roads, there are five camps on leased land and a year-round cabin high on the mountainside, where Dupuis resided. It was explained at the Chittenden meeting that since GMNF is not interested in being a landlord, the leased lots would be offered to the camp owners at fair market value as determined by an independent appraiser. Wanner said she had met with all the camp owners to discuss their options going forward. Although all had signed leases with the previous owner, the timber company A. Johnson, none have signed leases with Blue Ridge and so they have no control over their fate. “They were all thrilled to have the ability to buy the land under them and secure their camps,” Wanner said. As for the sugaring operation, the national forest has a current moratorium on sugaring leases, according to District Ranger Chris Mattrick of the Rochester ranger station. Since the tubing is already there, sugaring may be allowed under special use and forest products permits. People interested in this opportunity can contact Chris Mattrick in the Rochester District, keeping in mind that the policy would not apply until and if the GMNF takes ownership of the property. Otherwise, tubing and taps will be removed by volunteer labor, said Wanner. When asked why this purchase is important— since the “North Half” of the Green Mountain National Forest already contains approx. 170,000 acres—Mattrick said that the plan for the Forest sets a priority on acquiring inholdings and areas with high-quality natural and recreational resources. Rolston Rest is “smack-dab in the viewshed” overlooking Chittenden Reservoir and is especially important for conservation for a number of reasons. In addition, he noted that new private landowner(s) could close off the use of both the Long and Catamount trails, unless protected by easement, forcing them to be moved. While not wilderness, Rolston Rest qualifies for “diverse back-country” management, meaning an effort to preserve the sights, sounds and feel of remote back country, with the natural mix of tree species and wildlife habitat, allowing natural forces to operate, and an unobtrusive human presence, including a prohibition on towers of any kind. Associated with that, “diverse forest use” would manage for more general recreation, including campsites and bike or snowmobile trails, with care to enhance enjoyment of the forest through preserving

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LIVING A.D.E.

16 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

Paramount to host latest “fun”draiser, Newly Wed Game Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—The Paramount Theatre is host to many a fun evening, and are following suit in that category with a fun new benefit— the Newly Wed Game Rutland. Local couples test their knowledge of one another and help raise money to support the Rutland Community Cupboard, BROC Community Food Shelf and The Salvation Army. The evening will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.

The couples include Gwen and Joel Flewelling, Tom and Tricia Huebner, Ed and Fran Kelly, Peg and Joe Kraus, Brent and Amanda Godnick, Ryan and Rebecca Buonadonna, Rich and Jess Cowden, and Angelo and Bessie Centini. The event will be emceed by Tom Joyce. Tickets to the event are $20-$25, available at paramountvt.org. The Paramount Theatre is located at 30 Center St., Rutland.

FEB.

Fair Haven sponsors coaches vs. cancer games Thursday, Feb. 9, 5:30 p.m.—FAIR HAVEN—Fair Haven Union High School will once again be joining in the fight against cancer by sponsoring coaches vs. cancer games. This year, they will be competitors on the court with Otter Valley, but they are working together off the court to beat cancer. The public is invited to attend the Coaches vs. Cancer night to cheer on the Slaters and support cancer awareness and research funding that helps save lives. The games, which take place at Fair Haven Union High School gymnasium, will be held Thursday, Feb. 9 for the boy’s team and Tuesday, Feb. 21 for the girl’s team. Games begin at 5:30 for JV and 7 p.m. for Varsity. Fans are encouraged to wear teal, the color representing both teams, to show support for the Coaches vs. Cancer initiative. All proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society, the official sponsor of more birthdays. The game will raise funds to help support efforts to help people stay well, get well, find cures and fight back. The Slaters are taking pre-orders for specialized event teal colored t-shirts and will have a few available for purchase the night of the event. In 2015, the Fair Haven Union High School girls’ basketball teams supported a Coaches vs. Cancer game with Poultney High, raising $1,500. In 2016, the team raised $5,000 for the cause.

“We at Fair Haven Union lost a much-loved music teacher, Fran LaPlaca, to the disease,” said Coach Kyle Wilson. “It’s a cause we all connect with, and a fight we can win. Team members and the Fair Haven community are going the extra mile to raise funds and awareness, and we’ll be showing off our success during the Slaters vs. Otters game.” “The Fair Haven game will help create cancer awareness and raise funds to find cancer’s causes and cures and provide programs that ease the burden of the disease for people in need,” said Brian Casalinova, American Cancer Society community manager of special events. “Our hope is that one day, students will never have to worry about the threat of cancer. This is an opponent we can—and will—beat.” Coaches vs. Cancer is a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) that empowers basketball coaches, their teams, and local communities to make a difference in the fight against cancer. The program leverages the personal experiences, community leadership, and professional excellence of basketball coaches nationwide to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living through year-round awareness efforts, fundraising activities, and advocacy programs.

Ready, set, goal

Affordable weatherization program debuts in Cavendish

FEB.

Wednesday, Feb. 8, 9:30 a.m.—RUTLAND— BROC-Community Action in Southwestern

“Goal setting is vital to success in life ... Imagine packing for a trip if you don’t know where your

“GOAL SETTING IS VITAL TO SUCCESS IN LIFE ... IMAGINE PACKING FOR A TRIP IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR DESTINATION IS,” Vermont is pleased to partner with business coach Hannah Abrams to offer a free goal setting workshop. Participants will learn the difference between a dream and a goal, why goalsetting is so powerful and how to set up for greater success starting now.

destination is,” Hannah stated. This informative workshop is being held Wednesday, Feb. 8, 9:30-11 a.m. at BROCCommunity Action, 45 Union Street, Rutland. To register, call 802-6651744 or email ahoyle@ broc.org.

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Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m.—CAVENDISH— Weatherize Upper Valley, a pilot program encouraging homeowners in Cavendish and Proctorsville to invest in energy efficiency projects, kicked off this January and an informational session will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 10 a.m. in the meeting room of the Cavendish town office. Weatherize Upper Valley connects homeowners with community volunteers and certified weatherization contractors to provide free, professional home energy assessments, proposals, and quotes with a goal to double the number of home energy projects completed in the Upper Valley each year. One of the cheapest ways to save energy and money is an energy efficiency project, focused on air sealing and insulation. It is the best-kept secret in home improvement. The average cost for these projects in our region is $7,800, resulting in average energy savings of 26 percent annually. With generous rebates from Efficiency Vermont, plus the benefit of increased comfort, it’s an easy decision for many homeowners to make. At the Feb. 11 session, interested residents can learn more about the Weatherize process and home energy efficiency and can talk to certified weatherization contractors. For more information,visit vitalcommunities.org/ weatherize, or call Peter LaBelle at 802-226-7250.

Monday: Clay Canfield & Pat Navarre Tuesday: Mexican Night Wednesday: Pool League Thursday: Open Mic Jam Join Us for Great Tavern Food Daily Open at Noon on Weekends, 3 p.m. Weekdays

(802) 746-8999 • 2640 ROUTE 100 • PITTSFIELD

From romantic roses to impressive modern bouquets, say

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INGREDIENTS Gluten Free Goodies Available SERVING

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(802) 775-2626 • parkplaceflorist.net 72 Park Street, Rutland VT Mon. - Fri. 8am-5pm | Sat. 8am-4pm | Sun. 9am-3pm Special Hours: 2/13 & 2/14 7:30am-6pm Proud member of the teleflora.network

Enjoy fresh baked bread & rolls. Daily soup specials! Open daily at 6:30 AM Killington Road • Killington

Take-out 802.422.3865

sunupbakery.com

LIVING A.D.E.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 17

Castleton University’s Lady Spartans to “pink the rink”

FEB.

Courtesy of Castleton University

Castleton University’s Lady Spartans hockey team takes to the ice in pink uniforms in support of the Breast Care Program at RRMC.

Friday, Feb. 10—RUTLAND—On Friday, Feb. 10, the Castleton women’s ice hockey team and its fans will trade traditional Spartan green apparel for pink to raise awareness and funds for the creast care program at Rutland Regional Medical Center. The game begins at 7 p.m. “The Castleton University women’s ice hockey team is pleased to help in the fight against breast cancer, right here in our local region,” said DJ Fimiani, head coach of the team. “We are grateful to our players and fans for their generous support annually for Pink in the Rink.” All ticket sales for the Pink in the Rink game against the University of Southern Maine at the Spartan Arena will be donated to the Breast Care Program at Rutland Regional, along with proceeds from the online auction of collector’s edition pink jerseys worn by the players during the game. To view the online auction, or place a bid, visit castletonsports.com. Additional proceeds will be raised through the sale of fleece blankets, hats, scarves, quilts and other hand-crafted items, raffle sales and a varied basket auction. Since the inception of the annual Pink in the Rink event, more than $50,000 has been raised in support of the program. “We are so appreciative of this continued partnership with Castleton University and the Women’s Hockey program in support of the Breast Care Program,” said Linda McKenna, director of oncology at Rutland Regional’s Foley Cancer Center. “We look forward to cheering the Lady Spartans on, Feb. 10.”

Swing into Valentine’s Day with Starline Rhythm Boys Friday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m.—SOUTH POMFRET—Celebrate Valentine’s Day in swinging style with the beats of the Starline Rhythm Boys at Suicide Six ski area. The resort will be home to a Valentine’s swing dance held Friday, Feb. 10 at the Suicide Six base lodge in South Pomfret. The evening begins with a lesson with Patricia Lefler, 7-8 p.m., then continues with the swing dance 8-10 p.m. Tickets are $20 for a single, $35 for double, and are available at artistreevt.org. Suicide Six Ski Area is located at 247 Stage Road, South Pomfret. The event is sponsored by ArtisTree Community Arts Center.

FEB.

10 Courtesy of ArtisTree Community Arts Center

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LIVING A.D.E.

18 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

CARPET WAREHOUSE Over 21 Years of Experience! CARPET • VINYL • HARDWOOD LAMINATE • REMNANTS 10,000 SQUARE FOOT SHOWROOM

Prompt, Professional Installation

ili ng St to ea n’s kh P ou re se mi er

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 164 U.S. Route 4 East • Rutland, VT (802) 747-3314

Courtesy of BFM staff

Guests take a horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy fields at Billing Farm & Museum. Steaks-Seafood-Pasta-Caesar Salad Bar

Join us for Valentine’s Day!

Ladies Entrees 25% Off Plus Enjoy a Free Gift Bag Valued at $30!

50 cent Wings Daily from 4 - 6 pm, $3 PBR all day

Upcoming Entertainment Thursday - Sunday with DAVID SOLTZ BOB KENEDY & FRIENDS

Fireplace Lounge

Reservation and Take out call (802) 422-2124 Walk ins welcome located in the Mountain Inn at the Top of the Killington Road

43rd ANNIVERSARY PARTY Feb 14 ♥ Valentine’s Day 43 Years $43/per person 43 people Help Pasta Pete celebrate 43 years with a private dinner at The Pasta Pot beginning at 6:30 pm with cocktails in the front dining room Several courses served in the back room with wines to complement the courses beginning with Pete’s famous PEI mussels & antipasto

Call for reservations: 422-3004

Sleigh Ride Weeks featured at Billings Farm & Museum through February Feb. 11-26—WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum’s Sleigh Ride Weeks are scheduled for Feb. 11-26, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily and will feature horse-drawn sleigh rides, tours of the dairy farm and farmhouse, and a variety of family-centered activities each day. Climb aboard the Billings Farm sleigh for a ride through the frosty farm fields. In commemoration of Presidents’ Day, sample favorite cookies of the presidents, including James Buchanan’s apees, Teddy Roosevelt’s sand tarts, and Abraham Lincoln’s fruit cookies. Hands–on activities will include making presidential silhouettes and presidential trivia and snowflakes. In the barns, discover Vermont dairying—past and present—and learn about the development of the Billings Farm, still considered one of the best Jersey farms

in America. The horse barn, calf nursery, milk room, cow barn, and sheep barn are stops along the selfguided tour. Up-close programs with the livestock will be offered including An Introduction to Milking and “Milking the Herd” programs at 3:15 p.m. each day. The restored and furnished 1890 farm house will be open for touring, featuring the farm office, family living quarters, creamery, and ice house. Admission includes sleigh or wagon rides, (weatherpermitting), the farm, farm house, and activities, plus “A Place in the Land,” an Academy Award nominee film. The Billings Farm & Museum is located one-half mile north of the Woodstock Village Green on Vt. Route 12. For more information call 802-457-2355 or visit billingsfarm.org.

Valentine’s dance gives those with developmental disabilities a sense of community Sunday, Feb. 12, 1 p.m.—RUTLAND—ARC Rutland Area, an organization for people with developmental disabilities and their families, and the Elks Club will be sponsoring a Valentine’s Day dance Sunday, Feb. 12, 1-4 p.m. Along with members, families and friends, the community is invited to share the afternoon of dancing. This is one of five dances ARC Rutland Area will be offering this year. After hearing of the dances, members look forward to the opportunity to get out and see their friends

to have some fun. It is being proven that without recreation or socializing, people are not at their best health. These dances create a better life style for citizens by providing the hall, deejay, food and atmosphere for positive connections. The Elks work the kitchen, serving and provide the hall; ARC provides the invite, notices, deejay, beverages and the crowd. Together they are making an accessible event for people with developmental disabilities, their family and friends, to network, relax

and enjoy some time. ARC Rutland Area is an organization that advocates for the rights of citizens with developmental disabilities and their families to be regarded as valued citizens with the same entitlements as non-disabled individual, including the right to lifelong opportunities for personal growth and full participation in the community. Elks Club is located on Pleasant Street, Rutland. For more info, call 802-775-1370 or email info@arcrutlandarea.org.

Pasta Pot will be CLOSED to regular business and open only for this Anniversary Party on Feb.14. 5501 Rt 4 Killington 802-422-3004 www.pastapotvt.com

Open Daily In The Beautiful Village Of Woodstock, Vermont!

DINE

DRINK | DANCE

Lunch • Dinner • Cocktails • VT Craft Brews Tasty Fare • Live Music • Dancing To Our DJ Private Parties • 10-foot Wide HDTV Projectiion

Tuesday, February 14th Romantic Valentine’s Day Dinner Specials Plus Live Music w/ James Mee, 5:30pm 802.457.3232 | WWW.BENTLEYSRESTAURANT.COM

EST. 1976 | CENTRAL & ELM | WOODSTOCK, VT A FEW MILES EAST ON ROUTE 4

MT_FoodMatters_Jan04.indd 1

2/6/17 11:54 AM

LIVING A.D.E.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 19

Wilderness first aid training workshop offered in Woodstock

Feb. 11-12—WOODSTOCK—A part of the Working Woodlands Workshop series, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park will host wilderness first aid training in partnership with SOLO (Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities), Feb. 11-12. wilderness first Aid (WFA) is a 16hour course that creates a solid foundation in the basics of backcountry medical care. Started as the Mountain/Woods First Aid course in 1975, this was the first course of its kind in the United States, and it is the curriculum upon which other backcountry medicine courses are based. Some topics include patient assessment system, SOAP note documentation, patient lifting and moving, musculoskeletal anatomy and injuries, principles of fracture care and splinting, cold and heat related injuries, trauma, soft tissue injuries and medical emergencies, sprains and strains, spinal cord injury management, use of epinephrine, environmental emergencies, safety preparedness, treatment of common problems and rescue planning. Workshop will be both inside and outdoors, so participants should dress appropriately for all conditions, and bring a bagged lunch. Additional material list will be provided upon registra-

tion. The workshop will run Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 11-12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each day, with an hour lunch. The location will be the Forest Center, Marsh-BillingsRockefeller National Historical Park, Woodstock. Parking is available in the Billings Farm & Museum overflow lot, located on Old River Road. Pre-registration is required by Feb. 6, with a limit of 30 participants, by visiting nps.gov/ mabi/learn/nature/ upload/Winter-Wilderness-First-Aid-Registration-2017.pdf For registration questions call 802-291-1904 or email Christine_ frohloff@partner.nps. gov. $160 registration is due Feb. 11. SOLO was founded in 1976 as a school dedicated to teaching wilderness and emergency medicine. SOLO is bestknown as the first organization to recognize the legitimacy of this type of training and make a commitment to being the only full-time training center of its kind in the world. Combining the theoretical with the experiential,

FEB.

11-12

Submitted

Warm up with a sample of yoga classes at Thrive Center of the Green Mountains from winter into spring.

Yoga class sampling on tap in Wallingford Sunday, Feb. 12, 2:30 p.m.—WALLINGFORD—Experience the region’s dim sum of yoga, Thrive Center of the Green Mountains, in its eighth annual Winter Spring Sampler yoga classes and workshops series. Experience the joy of restoring movement to all areas of your body while learning how to unravel the restrictions produced from daily life with different yoga instructors. The series begins Feb. 12 and continues March 5, 9, and April 2. Each class has a run time from 2:30-4:30 p.m. (Ending times will vary). The classes and workshops of the sampler are open to those who are new to yoga, as well as those who are looking to grow an experienced practice. There may be a field trip, as well, during

the April 9 session. All details are to be announced. The yoga sessions will be held at the Wallingford Elementary School Gymnasium, 126 School Street/Route 140 East, Wallingford. The fee is $10 per 60 minute class, $15 per 90 minute class and $20 per workshop. Pricing is subject to change. A portion of the proceeds will directly benefit Wallingford Elementary School General Scholarship Fund, Green Hill Cemetery, and Wallingford Bike Safety Day. Dress warmly for movement. The Thrive Center is located at 68 South Main Street, Wallingford. Find out more by visiting thriveinvermont.com. For more information or to register for the sampler, call 802-4462499 or email uthrive@ vermontel.net.

FEB.

Black Bear Pub at

506 506 Bistro and Bar

Serving a seasonal menu featuring VT highlights 802.475.5000 | ontheriverwoodstock.com Located in On The River Inn, Woodstock VT A short scenic drive from Killington

MAKE HER THE ENVY OF THE OFFICE with an arrangement from Hawley’s Florist

for Valentine’s Day - Tuesday February 14th

29 Center St. Downtown Rutland hawleysflorist.com | 802-775-2573 • 802-841-4601

Humidified Premium Cigars Hand Blown Glass Pipes Hookahs & Shisha Roll Your Own Tobacco & Supplies 131 Strongs Avenue Rutland, VT

(802) 775-2552

Vaporizers & Concentrates Smoking Accessories eCigs, vapes & e-liquids

Em por ium VT. com

Give a Unique Valentines Day Experience Visit our Wellness Marketplace for other Valentine Gift ideas!

SOLO Wilderness and Emergency Medicine courses are designed to teach the skills and knowledge for a safe, successful rescue operation or casual outdoor venture, with an emphasis always on awareness, prevention, and the environment with lots of hands-on practice.

Family Friendly - Warm Atmosphere - Great Shows

Fridays

Comedy Night

Saturday Pasta Night Live Music

Serving Pub Style Menu 7 Days a Week 6-10 p.m. (802) 772-7118 103 Route 4 Killington, VT

A 45 min Swedish Couples Massage in the relaxing environment of our Salt Cave Special price of $185.00 between February 11-14 Call with your credit card to reserve your spot 120 Merchants Row Rutland, VT 05701 (802) 775-8080 pyramidvt.com

Courtesy of Brandon Music

Brandon Music brings song and humor of Snake Mountain Bluegrass Saturday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.—BRANDON—Snake Mountain Bluegrass returns to Brandon Music Saturday Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. Whenever they play at Brandon Music it is to a sold out crowd.The group is known for their vocal, instrumental, and original songwriting talents, plus a great sense of humor and onstage banter. Founding members Gregg Humphrey (guitar and vocals) and Mike Connor (banjo and vocals) are joined by Earle Provin (mandolin and resophonic guitar), Mike Boise (bass), and Milo Stanley (fiddle). Hear songs like “Fire on the Mountain” and “Mr. Spaceman,” some more traditional tunes such as “Fox on the Run” and “Head Over Heels in Love with You,” as well as new songs they are recording for their upcoming album. Retired Middlebury College professor

Humphrey and Middlebury construction company owner Connor formed Snake Mountain Bluegrass about 30 years ago. At the time, they were both living near Snake Mountain and someone asked them what style of bluegrass they played. “Snake Mountain Bluegrass” was their immediate response and the name has been theirs ever since. This event is a part of Vermont Arts 2017, celebrating arts in Vermont. Concert tickets are $20. A pre-concert dinner is available for $25. Reservations are required for dinner and recommended for the show. Venue is BYOB. Call 802-247-4295 or email info@ brandon-music.net for reservations or for more information. Brandon Music is located at 62 Country Club Road, Brandon.

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The documentary “Sherpa” will be shown this Saturday at Billings Farm & Museum, as part o

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Route 4 between Killington & Pico • The McGrath Family Innkeepers Since 1977

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802-775-7181

Irish Pub

DELICIOUS PUB MENU WITH AN IRISH FLAVOR

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Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s & Long Trail

NEW CHEF, NEW FINE Live Music Fri & Sat DINING Night @ 6MENU PM

George and Lisa, then Josh and Vinnie

NEW CHEF • NEW FINE DINING MENU

Open every night 6-9p.m. Thursday - Sunday

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Friday & Saturday, Feb. 10th & 11th at 7:30 p.m. McGraths

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LIVING A.D.E.

SNAKE MOUNTAIN BLUEGRASS

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20 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

Serving Dinner 5:30 - 9:30 PM Fine Dining Thurs, Fri & Sat Nights

OPEN WEDNESDAY THRU THE WEEKEND 4 PM CALL FOR RESERVATIONS: 802.315.0034 5:30 - 9:30 PM

802.315.0034

96 West Park Rd. Killinton, VT (across from Moguls) highlinelodge.com | 802.315.0034 | marblebarvt.com

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 21

LIVING A.D.E.

Chester showcases local high school trails in moonlit snowshoe hike

“Sherpa” questions moral justification; showing in Woodstock, Saturday Saturday, Feb. 11, 3 p.m.—WOODSTOCK—The 7th annual Woodstock Vermont Film Series at the Billings Farm & Museum will feature the award-winning documentary “Sherpa” Saturday, Feb. 11, at 3 and 5 p.m. in HD projection and surround sound, with complimentary refreshments. All films are open to the public and accessible to people with disabilities. Reservations are strongly recommended. “Sherpa” questions what is the moral justification” for you to play what is essentially a game of Russian roulette” with someone’s life? It’s a brutal question posed by a journalist against the breathtaking backdrop of Mount Everest. It’s also one that nags at viewers throughout “Sherpa,” an exceptionally absorbing documentary. The film features some subtitles. BAFTA film fest gave it a Best Documentary nomination, and it garnered an additional three wins and nine nominations. Ticket prices are $5-$11. For additional information, visit billingsfarm.org/filmfest or call 802-457-2355. Billings Farm & Museum is located one-half mile north of the Woodstock village green on Vermont Route 12. It is owned and operated by The Woodstock Foundation, Inc., a charitable non-profit institution.

Saturday, Feb. 11, 7 p.m.—CHESTER— The public is invited to join members of the Chester Conservation Committee (CCC) Saturday, Feb. 11 for a guided fullmoon snowshoe hike. The CCC is sponsoring this event to introduce hikers to the organization and to share the beauty of the Green Mountain Union High School nature trail. Last spring they sponsored a guided hike on this town treasure and now it’s time to break out the snowshoes for a full moon, showshoe hiking experience. Whether new to snowshoes or an experienced hiker, this guided hike experience is sure to be interesting and fun. The GMUHS nature trail is located behind the high school. From the town Green, head southeast on Main Street.

Main Street turns into Route 103S. Continue for 0.7 miles. The high school will be on the right. Bear left to reach the rear of the school. The trail head is accessed by crossing a narrow, wooden footbridge near the lower soccer field looking left into the woods and is clearly marked. Trail length is 1.8 miles, of moderate difficulty, and depending on conditions, will take about one hour to hike. Depending upon the snow conditions, snowshoes or boots with traction cleats may be needed. A headlamp or flashlight is also recommended but not required. The CCC is proud to sponsor this free community event to showcase trails in Chester. For more information, email dnanfeldt@gmail.com.

Courtesy of Footprint Films

of the Woodstock Vermont Film Series.

• 1 Hour Mountain Tours • Kids Tours on Mini Snowmobiles, Ages 4-11 • 2 Hour Backcountry Tour Through the Beautiful Calvin Coolidge State Forest

February 3rd: Willamette Valley Wine Dinner

Join us in February for our monthly wine dinner, featuring wines from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. $80 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Please call for reservations.

Open for Valentine’s Day!

Join us for a candlelit, four-course, prix-fixe menu on Tuesday, February 14 with our live Jazz Trio. Make it an overnight with our romantic Vermont Valentine package!

Thursdays: Red Clover Jazz Trio Live

Stop by from 6:00-9:00p.m. for $5 beer and 50% off select bottles of wine, plus live jazz by the Red Clover Trio: Glendon Ingalls, Steve MacLauchlan, & Chuck Miller!

Restaurant open Thursday-Tuesday, 5:30-9:00 p.m. Please call 802-775-2290 for reservations. Just off Route 4 in the heart of the Killington Valley, Vermont www.redcloverinn.com | 802-775-2290 | innkeepers@redcloverinn.com

22 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

FOOD

CITRUS SEASON IS HERE

ORGANIC NAVEL ORANGE SALE

The Back Country Café

The Back Country Café is a hot spot for delicious breakfast foods. Choose from farm fresh eggs, multiple kinds of pancakes and waffles, omelet’s or daily specials to make your breakfast one of a kind. Check our Facebook for hours and daily specials. (802) 422-4411

Bentleys

Located a few miles east in the beautiful village of Woodstock, Bentleys Restaurant has been a favorite of locals and travelers alike for over 40 years. Lunch and dinner daily. Tasty fare, live music, cocktails & craft brews — something for everyone! Central and Elm | Woodstock, VT | (802) 457-3232 www.bentleysrestaurant.com

Birch Ridge

Serving locals and visitors alike since 1998, dinner at the Birch Ridge Inn is a delicious way to complete your day in Killington. Featuring Vermont inspired New American cuisine in the inns dining room and Great Room Lounge, you will also find a nicely stocked bar, hand crafted cocktails, fine wines, seafood and vegetarian options, and wonderful house made desserts. www.birchridge.com. (802) 422-4293.

Bridgewater Corners

Pop on in to the Bridgewater Corners Country Store for a quick and delicious breakfast on the go. Local favorites include the breakfast burrito or wrap and freshly baked doughnuts, muffins, bagels and English muffins. Or try one of their signature sandwiches. You can also call ahead to avoid the wait. www.bridgewatercornerstore.com (802) 672-6241

Bridge’s Country Store

A quintessential Vermont country store, stop by for home-baked specialties and hand-carved sandwiches. Get your day started right with our famous Breakfast Sandwiches and some Green Mountain Coffee and other Vermont products. Call for deli specialties! (802) 772-7337

Choices Restaurant and Rotisserie

Chef-owned, Choices Restaurant and Rotisserie was named 2012 ski magazines favorite restaurant. Choices may be the name of the restaurant but it is also what you get. Soup of the day, shrimp cockatil, steak, hamburgers, pan seared chicken, a variety of salads and pastas, scallops, sole, lamb and more await you. An extensive wine list and in house made desserts are also available. Now serving Brunch on Sundays. www.choicesrestaurantkillington.com (802) 422-4030

Clear River Tavern

Great burgers, pizza, steak, salads and other tavern fare are waiting for you at this hidden gem tucked behind the Clear River Inn in Pittsfield, right on scenic Route 100. Friendly bartenders and servers will greet you when you come in to enjoy a meal, our rotating draft beer list and full bar. We’re accessible from the VAST snowmobile trails all winter. When you’re here, you’re in The Clear! (802) 746-8999.

Cortina Inn

Black Bear Pub at Cortina Inn

Black Bear Pub’s family friendly atmosphere invites warm conversation and great shows. Our pub style menu also features local craft brews, bottled beers and a great selection of wines. Join us for All You Can Eat Pasta on Saturdays! (802) 772-7118

The Foundry at Summit Pond

Enjoy an intimate dining menu or tavern specials at Killington’s only waterside dining that also has live entertainment every Friday and Saturday. Appetizers include crab cakes, buffalo drumsticks and a cheese plate while the entrees include chicken Marsala, meat loaf, steamed lobster and more. The tavern menu features nachos, fried fish sandwich, teriyaki steak sandwich and others. www.foundrykillington.com (802) 422-5335

Fuzzy’s Diner & Cafe

Now open under new ownership and management, Fuzzy’s Diner & Cafe offers fresh baked goods daily, breakfast, brunch and dinner. Also featuring a full service bar with local and craft microbrews. Farm-to-table daily specials. 2841 Killington Road, Killington. (802) 422-3177.

Marble Bar & Restaurant (At Highline Lodge)

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Culinary Institute of America Alum

Irish Pub

Chef Gregory Bergeron joins us at the Highline Lodge this season. Having grown up in the region, Greg brings with him an intimate knowledge of local farms and purveyors, as well as a passion to cook with only the freshest ingredients that reflect the changing of the seasons. (802) 315-0034

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Looking for something a little different? Hit up McGrath’s Irish Pub for a perfectly poured pint of Guinness, live music on the weekends and delicious food. Guinness not your favorite? They also have Vermont’s largest Irish Whiskey selection. Rosemary’s Restaurant is now open, serving dinner. Reservations are appreciated. http://innatlongtrail.com/Home.html (802) 775-7181

Jones’ Donuts

Offering donuts and a bakery, with a community reputation as being the best! Closed Monday and Tuesday. 23 West Street, Rutland. See what’s on special at Facebook.com/JonesDonuts/ Call (802) 773-7810.

“

“The locally favored spot for consistently good, unpretentious fare.” -N.Y. Times, 2008

• A Farm to Table Restaurant • Handcut Steaks, Filets & Fish • All Baking Done on Premises

• Over 20 wines by the glass • Great Bar Dining • Freshly made pasta

JAX Food & Games

At Killington’s hometown bar, you’re bound to have a good time with good food. Starters, burgers, sandwiches, wraps and salads are all available. With live entertainment seven days a week, they’re always serving food until last call. www.supportinglocalmusic.com (802) 422-5334

Killington Market

Take breakfast, lunch or dinner on the go at Killington Market, Killington’s on-mountain grocery store for the last 30 years. Choose from breakfast sandwiches, hand carved dinners, daily fresh hot panini, roast chicken, salads and specialty sandwiches. Vermont products, maple syrup, fresh meat and produce along with wine and beer are also for sale. www.killingtonmarket.com (802) 422-7736 or (802) 422-7594 .

Lookout Tavern

With a free shuttle, take away and call ahead seating, Lookout Tavern is a solid choice. Nachos, quesadillas, sweet potato fries, salads, soups, sandwiches and dinner options are always a good selection. www.lookoutvt.com (802) 422-5665

Dinner: Open nightly All entrées include two sides and soup or salad 5-9 p.m. Sun-Wed, 5-10p.m. Thurs, & 5-11 p.m. Fri-Sat Sunday Brunch 11a.m. - 2:30p.m.

Vermont Inspired New-American Cuisine served from 6:00 PM Tuesday thru Saturday Reservations Welcomed

“

1/2 price wines by the glass on Sunday’s

“

“You are about to have the best food you’ve eaten, no ifs, ands, or buts.” -The Rutland Herald

422-4030 • 2820 KILLINGTON RD. WWW.CHOICES-RESTAURANT.COM

At the Covered Carriageway 37 Butler Road, Killington birchridge.com • 802.422.4293

Celebrate Valentine’s Day at the Birch Ridge Inn

The Mountain Times â&#x20AC;˘ Feb. 8-14, 2017 â&#x20AC;˘ 23

MATTERS Liquid Art

Forget about the polar vortex for a little while at Liquid Art where they service Vermont artisan coffee, tea, espresso and lattes. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for something a little stronger, they also offer signature cocktails. Light bites are offered for breakfast, lunch or happy hour if you get hungry. http://liquidartvt.com/menu/ (802) 422-2787

Moguls

Voted the best ribs and burger in Killington, Moguls is a great place for the whole family. Soups, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, buckets of chicken wings, salads, subs and pasta are just some of the food thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the menu. Free shuttle and take away and delivery options are available. (802) 422-4777

Mountain Top Inn

HAPPY HOUR 3:00-6:00 P.M.

506 Bistro

BURGERSâ&#x20AC;˘PASTA

With The Highlands Dining Room & Mountain Top Tavern, breakfast, lunch or dinner are all options whether staying overnight or visiting for the day.Â A mix of locally inspired and International cuisine from seasonal salads, local artisan cheeseboards and chicken & biscuits to filet mignon, the menu is sure to tempt your taste buds. Choose from 12 Vermont craft beers on tap.Â Warm up by the terrace fire pit after dinner. Wednesday nights, Burger & Brew.Â www.mountaintopinn.comÂ (802) 483-2311 The 506 Bistro serves a simple, seasonal menu featuring Vermont highlights. Set in the open bar and lounge, the atmosphere is casual and warm. You are likely to be served a Yankee Pot roast, a great organic burger from a nearby farm or a fresh strawberry shortcake with Vermont berries. Local, simple, home cooked is what we are all about. (802) 457-5000

506

Outback Pizza & More

Look for the bears! Outback Pizza has new ownership, and is completely renovated with a firehouse bar and zebra room. Still enjoy the wood fired brick oven pizza, plus soups, burgers, pasta, salads, wings, chili, and more, plus a N I G H T C 506 L U B Bistro kidsand menu.Bar Daily specials, 16 microbrews available; with a free shuttle van. 2841 Killington Road, Killington. (802) Serving a seasonal menu featuring VT highlights 422-9885.

Pasta Pot

802.475.5000 | ontheriverwoodstock.com Chef owned, the Pasta Pot has 40 years of authentic Italian cuisine under its belt. Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in the mood for Located in On The River Woodstock VT or homemade entrees, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be satisfied. All menu entrees and pasta are available in half anteInn, pasta, pasta, pizza N I G H T CA short L U scenic B drive from Killington orders and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to ask about seasonal dishes. (802) 422-3004

& N I G H T C L U B

Peppinosâ&#x20AC;¨

Chef-owned since 1992, Peppinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s offers Neapolitan cuisine at its finest: pasta, veal, chicken, seafood, steak, and flatbreads. If you want it, Peppinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s has it! AprĂŠs-hour daily features half price appetizers and flatbreads. For reservations, call (802) 422-3293. www.peppinosvt.com.

Pickle Barrel

Being Killingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and most exciting venue, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re bound to have a good time in here. Party the night away and feed yourself on delicious food such as chicken wings, onion rings, French fries or even a bowl of bacon. If that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t interest you, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to make your own pizza, by the slice or the whole pie. www.picklebarrelnightclub.com (802) 422-3035

Red Clover Inn

Farm to Table Vermont Food and Drinks. Thursday night Live Jazz. Monday night Chef Specials. Open Thursday to Monday, 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. 7 Woodward Road, Mendon, VT. (802) 775-2290, redcloverinn.com

OPEN ALL WEEK

SOUPSâ&#x20AC;˘SALADS

SEAFOODâ&#x20AC;˘BURRITOS

LUNCH DAILY SPORTS

HEADQUARTERS â&#x20AC;˘ All Games in HD â&#x20AC;˘

BEST WINGS

HAPPY HOUR

3-6PM KIDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S MENU AVAILABLE

Open Daily 422â&#x20AC;˘LOOK

2910 Killington Road

FREE SHUTTLE

Sewardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dairy

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for something truly unique and Vermont, check out Seward Dairy Bar. Serving classic homemade food including hamburgers, steaks, chicken, sandwiches and seafood. Craving something a little sweeter? Check out their own homemade 39 flavors of ice cream. Vermont products also sold. (802) 773-2738

Stony Brook Tavern

Stony Brook Tavern is a Vermont eatery on the banks of the White River in beautiful Stockbridge Vermont. Formerly known as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peavine Restaurantâ&#x20AC;?, the property retains itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beautiful rustic environment inside and out. Many things have stayed the same and many things have changed. The outcome is a wonderful local restaurant we wish to welcome you to. (802) 234-9922.

Sugar and Spice

Stop on by to Sugar and Spice for a home style breakfast or lunch served up right. Try six different kinds of pancakes and/or waffles or order up some eggs and home fries. For lunch they offer a Filmore salad, grilled roast beef, burgers and sandwiches. Take away and deck dining available. www.vtsugarandspice.com (802) 773-7832

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dwyers Public House

Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Dwyers Public House at the Summit Lodge welcomes you to enjoy traditional Irish fare including Guinness Stew, Seafood Pie and Bangers and Mash, in a warm and inviting atmosphere. Irish and local brews are on tap, and we have live music every weekend! (802) 422-3535.

Sunup Bakery

Killingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favorite bakery and sandwich shop offers a variety of breakfast sandwiches served on fresh English muffins, bagels croissant and even gluten free bread is available. A variety of sandwiches are freshly made with all organic products. If coffee is something youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re craving, they have an espresso bar. www.sunupbakery.com (802) 422-3865

Sushi Yoshi

Sushi Yoshi is Killingtonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s true culinary adventure. With Hibachi, Sushi, Chinese and Japanese, we have something for every age and palate. Private Tatame rooms and large party seating available. We boast a full bar with 20 craft beers on draft. Lunch and dinner available seven days a week. We are chef-owned and operated. Delivery or take away option available.Â www.vermontsushi.comÂ (802) 422-4241

Classic Italian Cuisine Old World Tradition

fresh. simple. delicious! 1/2 price appetizers & flaTbreads DAILY from 4-5 p.m. OPEN DAILY AT 4 P.M.

F R E S H F O OD LO C A L B E E R R I VE R V I E W S

NEVER TOO LATE FOR A SUSHI DATE!

SUNDAY DINNERS Choose any Entree from sunday dinner menu plus soup or salad and includes 2 meatballs per person 4-6 p.m. only $20 each adult; $10 each child

802.234.9922

pasta | veal | Chicken

Open Thurs-Sun at 4 p.m. 3657 RT. 107 Stockbridge, VT

Mid-way up Killington Access Rd. 3UN 4HURS A M P M s &RI 3AT A M P M VERMONTSUSHI COM s

stonybrooktavern.com

HIBACHI | SUSHI | ASIAN

(formerly the Peavine Restaurant)

seafood | steak | flatbreads

422-3293 First on the Killington RoaD

24 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

LIVING A.D.E.

Sherburne library has gone mad Sunday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.—KILLINGTON—The Sherburne Memorial Library is hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party, a la “Alice in Wonderland,” Sunday, Feb. 12, with two seatings —11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The event consists of light brunch, games and silliness with Alice and the Mad Hatter himself, tea and dessert, photo opportunities, plus each person receives a gift to take home to commemorate the

occasion. Ticket prices are $30 for couples (parent and child or two adults); or singles at $15 each. Seating is limited; seating in pairs is preferred. For more information, visit sherburnelibrary. org or call 802-422-9765. All proceeds go to provide other family friendly library programming. Sherburne Memorial Library is located at 2998 River Road, Killington.

15th Annual • February 17-25, 2017 Friday 2/17 6:30 – 9:30 PM

Tuesday 2/21 7:00 – 9:00 PM

FridayNight CommunitySkate

NightSledding

GIORGETTIARENA

Ice skating, activities, snacks, and hot cocoa. Sponsored by: Rutland City Church FREE

Saturday 2/18 10:00 – 2:00 PM

MAINSTREETPARK

SnowSculpture Contest

Large sculpture contest, Skating, Marshmallow toasting (B&G Club) hot dogs (Shriner’s), Small sculptures for kids with sculpting, colors, materials, etc. Hosted by: Carpenter and Costin & Come Alive Outside REEforspectators| F $Competitors(PRE-REG)

Sunday 2/19 10:00 – 2:00 PM

GIORGETTIARENA

GoPlayDay

Snow shoeing, skating, Teddy Bear Carry, ColCyle Fatbike demos and other. Hosted by: Rutland Rec & Parks FREE

Monday 2/20 11:00 AM

RUTLANDCOUNTRY CLUB

FrostyFeet5KRun/ WalkforAutism Awareness Hosted by: Rutland Rec & Parks

CENTERST.IN DOWNTOWNRUTLAND

Cardboard Sledding Challenge, sledding down Center Street, music. Hosted by: Downtown Rutland Partnership. FREE

Wednesday 2/22 6:30 – 8:30 PM MERCHANTSHALL

FreezeFrameYouth FilmContest Grades K-12 enter a creative 5 minute film by Feb 8th. Top entries to be premiered for a chance to win on Feb 22. Hosted by: Rutland Rec and Parks and PEGTV FREE(PRE-REG)

7:00 PM

THEPARAMOUNT THEATRE

"HereThereand Everywhere" aWarrenMillerFilm $20TICKETS

Thursday 2/23 1:00 – 3:00 PM

Friday 2/24 4:30 – 8:00 PM

RUTLANDREGIONAL MEDICALCENTER Allen St. Entrance

802GO!Winter

Snow Sculptures, Horse Drawn Carriage Rides, Sledding, Snowshoeing, *Snowboarding, *Cross Country Skiing, *Ice Skating, Kid’s Snow Activities by Wonderfeet, Warming Fire and Hot Cocoa. *Bring your own equipment. Some events will be weather permitting.

FREE

Saturday 2/25 5:30PM THEPALMS

Wonderfeet WinterDance

The Winterfest Dance for Loved Ones and Little Ones. Kids will dress up and dance the evening away with their favorite adult. All proceeds benefit Wonderfeet Kids Museum. To purchase tickets or for more details visit www. wonderfeetkidsmuseum. org/winterdance $15PERCOUPLE

THEPARAMOUNT THEATRE

VacationMovie: FindingDory

Must pick up tickets in advance at local HFCU branch. Tickets available starting February 8th. Hosted by: Heritage Family Credit Union FREE

$5PRE-REG, $10ONSITEREG

FORMOREINFO,CALL802-773-1822ORVISIT

winterfestvt.com

SPONSORED BY:

Courtesy of Chandler Center for the Arts

Chandler’s Mini Mud talent show puts local youth in the spotlight, uncovering amazing talent of all genres.

Chandler announces 10th annual Mini Mud auditions Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m.— RANDOLPH—Although mud season seems impossible to contemplate with all this seesaw of sleet, wind, and snow, Chandler’s popular Mini Mud Variety Show is coming right up. This is Mini Mud’s 10th annual season and will take to the stage on Saturday, March 25, 7:30 p.m. Organizers are urging youngsters of any age between 6 and 18 to sign up for the auditions being held on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 22. Prospective performers are invited to bring a vocal or instrumental musical offering, a dance, skit or magic trick, juggling, special drama piece, or any another special talent to share, and are encouraged to get together in groups or ensembles, even with original music or choreography. Acts should be well-rehearsed and no more than three minutes in length. Auditions will be held in Chandler’s main hall. Contact Janet Watton at president@chandler-arts.org or 802-728-9402 to sign up for an audition time.

Rutland Heart Center presents Affair of the Heart Thursday, Feb. 16, 3 p.m.—RUTLAND—Cardiology experts from the Rutland Heart Center present Affair of the Heart: a Heart Fair and Showcase,Thursday, Feb. 16, 3-7 p.m. in the CVPS/ Leahy Community Education Center at Rutland Regional. Affair of the Heart brings together Rutland Heart Center cardiology experts as well as other services from Rutland Regional relating to overall heart health and wellbeing. This event is free and open to the public. Rutland Regional’s Community Education Coordinator, Elizabeth Dulli, RN, said, “I’m very excited to offer this public event in recognition of American Heart Month. We have an outstanding group of professionals and resources here ... and this is a wonderful opportunity to let our community know what is available to them for heart health.” Visitors have the opportunity to learn about the services that benefit patients with heart issues,

including insight in diagnostic tests and procedures. Attendees can talk with professionals about the latest treatments for and ways to support heart health. Presenters include cardiac rehabilitation, anticoagulation clinic, echocardiography, stress testing, transitional care coordination, and dietary and nutrition. Nurses will be on hand to take blood pressures. Educational talks are as follows: 3:30 p.m., “Life’s Simple 7: The New American Heart Association Definition related to Ideal Cardiovascular Health and Quality of Life” presented by Laura Cohen, ACNP, ANP-BC, DNP; 4:45 p.m., “Hypertension: The evolving Landscape of What We Know and What We Don’t Know,” presented by Adam Coleman, M.D.; 6 p.m., a lively and relaxed question and answer session about Heart Health presented by one of the cardiology experts. Registration is requested but not required, at rrmc. org or 802-772-2400.

NEWS BRIEFS

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 25

By Lani Duke

Lakes Region benefiting from improved broadband FairPoint Communications recently announced the completion of broadband expansion projects in Poultney, Wells, and West Pawlet, plus 17 other Vermont towns. To Beth Fastiggi, state president for Vermont at FairPoint, the project completion brings greater productivity, business competition “past the storefront, and … learning beyond the confines of a classroom.” Higher internet speeds “fuel Vermont’s economic engine,” she said in her announcement. They bring “full advantage of the digital age” to unserved and underserved areas. Partially financed by Federal Communication Commission’s Connect America Fund, the expansion brings download speeds in certain areas as high as 25 mbps2, fast enough to smoothly stream high-definition video, web browsing and online gaming. Actual customer speeds vary, depending on numerous factors including site traffic and congestion, individual computer components, memory and hardware and software configuration, and customer device capabilities.

Hunger no reason not to vote MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS—Middletown Springs voters need not choose between filling their stomachs and casting their ballots at Town Meeting, March 6. Local sixth-graders are serving homemade soups, salad, bread, and desserts at the elementary school, beginning at 6:15 p.m., to benefit the class trip to Washington, D.C. The town historical society dining room is open 7 a.m.7 p.m., too. The society’s building committee will host its fifth annual food sale, benefitting the society.

Lakes Region seeks new bank POULTNEY—In addition to closing its branch bank in Castleton, Citizens Bank plans to close its branch at 177 Main St., Poultney, as well, the multi-state institution announced in January. Both branches will close their doors April 14. Citing growing use of online and mobile banking, Citizens plans to close its White River Junction branches even earlier, Feb. 17. Citizens intends to retain branches in both Rutland and West Pawlet. A thriving small town needs a bank, Bob Williams, owner of Williams Hardware in Poultney, believes. He is launching an informal petition drive to ensure a banking institution in the 3,432-citizen community, which also provides a temporary home to about 600 students at Green Mountain College September through May and a recurring onslaught of summer visitors on nearby Lake St. Catherine, June through August. Williams views his participation in a campaign to keep the current bank in Poultney or attract another one as important to his town. “I’m just a plain old person,” he said. But he is a person who put up a sheet of paper asking people to sign up if they want to have a bank in Poultney. He’s a “walking person,” who wants to not have to start a car and drive nine miles to West Pawlet or more to go to Rutland, to make his daily bank deposit or get change to supply his cash drawer. Senior citizens who have limited transportation options are a group in the Poultney community who are likely to be hard hit by the bank branch’s closing, said Paul Donaldson, Poultney town manager. He and other community members project that individuals who must drive to another town to do their banking will then shop in those other communities, leading to loss of trade for Poultney’s assortment of small stores and restaurants. Up to now, Poultney has taken pride in its viability, recognizing that individuals may meet most of their everyday needs from Poultney merchants, from groceries to hammer, nails, and paint.

Submitted

The Norwich University EMIT team poses for the camera with their faculty advisor (left), Prof. William “Travis” Morris, the director of Norwich’s Peace and War Center.

Multinational student team develops tool to counter extremism; wins contest NORTHFIELD—Norwich University students have won the national P2P (Peer to Peer): Challenging Extremism competition with their tool, EMIT, which stands for Extremist Mimicry Interception Tool. The Norwich EMIT team competed Wednesday, Feb. 1, in Washington, D.C. Three other finalist teams presented their work. Judges comprised a panel of government officials, a Facebook representative and leaders within the counter-violent extremism realm. Winners, who take home $5,000 to continue their work countering violent extremism, were announced at the end of the day. The four finalists were chosen from 44 teams competing nationwide. P2P: Challenging Extremism is a global competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of State along with support from Facebook and facilitated by EdVenture Partners. The students’ work was done outside their normal classwork. Norwich EMIT is made up of five students: Emran Babak, of Kabul, Afghanistan, a first year student majoring in international studies and international

security; Akshay Awasthi, of New Delhi, India, a senior in computer security and information assurance; Yushan Xireli, of Ürümqi, China, a junior in international studies; Naomi Rinaldo, of Middlefield, Conn., a sophomore political science major; and Jacob Freeman, of Wake Forest, N.C., a senior in studies in war and peace. The team was chosen through the Peace and War Center to take on the challenge of building a tool to counter violent extremism. The Norwich team created a tool, EMIT, which can be used as a template to target any violent extremist group. They constructed a campaign online that mimics the style and tactics of the target group’s recruiting efforts to attract 18-35-year-olds to a site, where former members tell their stories of getting out of violence. They call their strategy “flipping the script” on potential converts. Students considered their site a success when, in the first month it was live, it attracted (and survived) a record 4,800 attempted attacks against it.

School chatter

The Tinmouth Scholarship Fund received major support in 2016. A portion of the school’s tax stabilization fund, of more than $75,000, was added to the scholarship fund balance, plus $18,767 from individual and anonymous donors and a sizeable donation garnered during the annual plant sale. The Scholarship Fund provides $6,000 in annual scholarship awards to Tinmouth students of all ages. Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union is setting up a superintendent search committee in light of Ron Ryan’s coming retirement. The committee consists of one ARSU board member from each of the six towns, one board member from the high school, and one representative for the central office, principals, and teachers. Although ARSU total student enrollment has dropped 17 percent from 2006 to 2016, special education needs have risen 0.5 percent, encompassing 22 students. Nearly all those needs are being successfully met within the district, Special Services Director Kris Benway told the School Board Jan. 25. The Castleton Elementary Community School Organization recently received a $493.80 check from the General Mills Box Tops for Education program. That brings the year’s total to $675.

Future town office site now has well MIDDLETOWN SPRINGS—The town of Middletown Springs is moving rapidly toward completion of its town office project. Parker Water Wells owner Jerry Parker donated worker time and use of his equipment to drill a well for the town on the site. Fred Bradley and Marilynn Trapeni donated toward the materials and associated costs. The well is now in, drilled Jan. 17, to a depth of 700 feet, and producing 2 ½ gallons per minute. After testing is complete, the temporary power pole will be removed, and the well will be officially ready for connection to the eagerly anticipated building.

FEEL GOOD FRIDAYS $ FOR 49 Ski or ride at Pico Mountain Feb. 3rd, 10th, Mar. 10th and 24th to support two nationally recognized organizations. Vermont Adaptive and High Fives Foundation will each receive a $5 donation to their organization with every lift ticket sold.

VERMONT ADAPTIVE

Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports is a nationally recognized organization that empowers people of all physical and cognitive abilities through inclusive sports, offering a variety of programs and unique, specialized equipment.

HIGH FIVES FOUNDATION

High Fives Non-Profit Foundation supports the dreams of mountain action sports athletes by raising injury prevention awareness while providing resources and inspiration to those who suffer life altering injuries.

[VIVID] Local color.

(866) 667 PICO

26 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

NEWS BRIEFS By Lani Duke

Rutland city voters face a jampacked ballot Voters at Rutland polling places will view a broad range of city government candidates, four for mayor and 17 for alderman, as well as other positions. Running for a sixth two-year term as mayor is incumbent Christopher Louras, competing against both Alderman David Allaire and Downtown Rutland Partnership Executive Director Michael Coppinger, also a former alderman. Likewise on the mayoral ballot is Kam Johnston, who has additionally submitted petitions for city assessor, Rutland City school board, and City board of aldermen. The only candidate opposing incumbent City Assessor Barry J. Keefe, Johnston ran for alderman, assessor, and mayor in 2015. Incumbents Thomas Depoy, Christopher J. Ettori, George Gides, Jr., and Melinda Humphrey have petitioned for re-election to their two-year seats. Others hoping to join the board are John Atwood, Daniel Austin, Craig L. Brozefsky, Timothy G. Cook, Gail Johnson, Kam Johnston, Charles Larose Jr., Rebecca Mattis, John Mattison, Lisa Ryan, Robert Schlachter, Matt Whitcomb, and Dan White. Only six of them will be successful. Candidates are elected “at large,” regardless of where they live in the city. Candidates running for a three-year city school board seat are Michael Blow and Kam Johnston and incumbents Alison Notte and Matthew Olewnik.

Rutland derailment investigated The four-car derailment in the Rutland yard Jan. 29 is being investigated but is not a cause for alarm, said Vermont Rail System Vice President Selden Houghton. A 20-car string of cars was being switched to another track at the time; one car, containing non-hazardous material, was tilted on its side. No cars were breached, and tracks were cleared by the following evening. The derailment is not the sign of neglect. Vermont Rail inspects the yard on a weekly basis. The tracks themselves are the property of the state since the early 1960s; Vermont Rail leases them, however, and is responsible for track maintenance and upkeep. Rutland City Fire Chief Brad LaFaso said the railroads provide information at the start of each calendar year about hazardous materials expected to be moved through the area. That list, however, does not include reportable quantities and may not contain information on occasional transports of special products. Neighboring response teams and the state hazmat team would assist for a large spill or fire.

The Coffee Exchange leaves downtown The Coffee Exchange has closed its doors at the corner of Center Street and Merchants Row, with plans to reopen, co-located with Dellveneris Bakery, 14 Terrill St., on Feb. 13. Don Fleck owns both businesses. A sign on the door of the business read: “In anticipation of the arrival of our coffee roaster, The Coffee Exchange is moving. We will be closed from Jan. 29 to Feb. 12. Beginning Feb. 13, come find us at our sister business, Dellveneris Bakery.” Other than mentioning that the new location would provide better parking, no explanation was giving nor was Mike Coppinger, executive director of the Downtown Rutland Partnership, informed that the coffee shop was moving out.

Budget ballot in compliance At the Board of Aldermen’s special meeting Jan. 31, the aldermen voted 9-1 on a series of three resolutions that will remedy the seeming gulf of differences between the mayor and aldermen over the 2017 Town Meeting budget ballot. The aldermen decided to pass the fire department budget as presented to them, slightly less than $3.56 million, and also designated up to $200,000 from the unassigned General Fund balance to provide a level of staffing consistent with current practice. The new budget plus its added boost will enable scheduling around-theclock coverage of “seven boots” per shift, combining both union firefighters and trained part-timers as well as filling the two new administrative positions of assistant chief and fire prevention officer proposed by Fire Chief Michael Jones. Whether the conflict underlying the seemingly insurmountable standoff will find peaceful resolution looks doubtful. At issue apparently is the value of “preplanning” vs. rapid response training and experience as well as the fighters’ “lack of confidence” in the fire chief. In a three-page letter to the Board of Aldermen, Mayor Louras drew on a national model calling for identifying community fire hazards and minimizing risks if a fire were to break out there. “Knowing how a building is constructed, what is inside, and how it is used” would help the fire ground commander “predict the movement, speed and potential intensity of a fire.” The new hires in administration would answer firefighter complaints during the previous year that the department “lacked standards, accountability, and continuity across all shifts,” Louras had explained. But hiring an assistant chief and a fire prevention officer would come at the expense of three everyday firefighters, a move opposed by the union. The Rutland Region, page 35

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 27

NEWS BRIEFS

Investigators seek info on Fair Haven fire

Rutland man cited for trespassing at Pico KILLINGTON—A Rutland man has been charged for trespassing at the Pico Sports Center on Wednesday, Feb. 1. State police from the Rutland Barracks responded to a reported trespassing complaint. Troopers identified Ivo Skoric, age 52 of Rutland, who had previously been issued a trespass notice. Skoric was cited for illegal trespass and is scheduled to appear in Vermont Superior Court in March.

FAIR HAVEN—Investigators are looking into a fire that occurred at an unoccupied building in Fair Haven early Sunday morning, Feb. 5. Firefighters with the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Department were notified at approximately 1:15 a.m. of a structure fire at 8 Union Street in Fair Haven, Vt.. Upon arrival, the fire department discovered the unoccupied residence had heavy fire throughout the second floor. The fire department successfully kept the fire from spreading to neighboring structures. No injuries were reported in relation to this incident. The roof and second floor subsequently fell into the first floor and the structure is considered a total loss. The building did not have power and the fire department subsequently contacted the state police fire and explosion Investigation Unit to investigate. A member of the unit in conjunction with the Division of Fire Safety later responded to the scene to perform an origin and cause investigation. The cause of this fire is under investigation. Anyone with information about this matter is asked to contact the Vermont State Police at 802-524-5993.

Three skiers safely found KILLINGTON — Three skiers who went off trail and were reported lost were safely found on Friday. State police were called at 5:18 p.m. after Cameron Goulet, 18, and Alec Goulet, 20, both of Winsted, Conn.; and Todd Bertulis, 20, of Thomaston, Conn., went missing after skiing out of bounds near the Juggernaut Trail. A search was launched and the Killington Ski Patrol located a set of three tracks off the trail. They found the missing skiers at 7/10 of a mile off the trail, and transported them back to the Killington Medical Clinic. No injuries were reported. Killington Fire Department and Killington Search and Rescue also took part in the search.

Police arrest fugitive in Wallingford WALLINGFORD—State Police arrested a local man wanted on an outstanding warrant in Wallingford on Tuesday, Jan. 31. That afternoon, state troopers at the Rutland Barracks were informed about a fugitive from justice living on Church Street in Wallingford. Through investigation it was determined that James Perron had an outstanding warrant in the state of New York. Perron was lodged at the Marble Valley Regional Correctional Center for lack of $50,000 bail. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Superior Court on Feb. 1.

By Karrie Etzler

For many people around the world, Feb. 9 is just another ordinary day. But for Vermonters, it’s a day etched in immense state pride. Thanks to the innovative Wilson “Snowflake” Bentley, whose discoveries in photomicrography, gave the world its first view of snowflakes in all their intricate beauty. Bentley was born in Jericho, Vt., in 1865. He grew up on a farm with his parents. His father was a farmer and his mother, a school teacher. From a very early age, Bentley discovered his love for snow, where as his neighbors dreaded the harsh winters that prevailed in those days. Bentley welcomed them, for it was during winter storms that he got to view the beautiful works of arts, that were snowflakes. In fact, Bentley spent many of these storms, alone in his family’s barn. His goal was to catch as many snowflakes as he could and, using his mother’s old microscope, would view them in more detail. Bentley later famously stated that “no two snowflakes were the same.” Seeing this beauty ignited another desire in Bentley, he longed desperately to share the wondrous symmetry of snowflakes with his mother and community members. To achieve this, Bentley tried drawing the snowflakes, but they frequently melted away before he could finish capturing their symmetric profiles. Additionally, Bentley felt his attempts at drawing the snowflakes were rather inadequate, compared to their true beauty. Snowfleke Bently, page 35

Break-in lands pair in jail KILLINGTON—Two men spent the night in jail after trying to steal food and drink from a ski lodge at Killington Resort on Wednesday night, Feb. 1. Michael Parie, 20, of Rutland, and James Cornell, 26, listed as transient, were charged with burglary when security found them inside the Bear Mountain Lodge after hours on Wednesday night, according to a statement from state police. Parie was also charged with violating conditions of his release, police said.

Police investigate Wallingford robbery WALLINGFORD—Police are looking for an unidentified suspect wanted for a robbery that occurred at the Citgo Station in Wallingford, on Feb. 4. Troopers from the State Police Rutland barracks responded to the Citgo station located at 172 N.

Remembering Snowflake Bentley

Main St. for a report of a robbery on Saturday evening. Police said a man entered the store and demanded the cash drawer. The man then took the cash and left the area on foot. He was described as approximately six feet tall, wearing a black ski mask, jean jacket with a gray hoodie

underneath and jeans. The suspect also wore multicolor gloves. No weapons were displayed. An investigation is ongoing. Those with any information pertaining to this case are asked to call the Vermont State Police at 802-4425421.

NOTICE – INFORMATIONAL HEARINGS The legal voters and residents of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Reading, Pomfret, and Woodstock are warned that public informational hearings will be held per the following schedule, for the purpose of explaining all Australian ballot Articles pertaining to the formation of the Windsor Central Unified Union School District. Barnard: Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 7 p.m. at the Barnard Town Hall Bridgewater: Tuesday, February 28, 2017, 7 p.m. at the Bridgewater Grange Killington: Monday, February 27, 2017, 7 p.m. at the Killington Town Hall Reading: Wednesday, March 1, 2017, 6:30 p.m. at the Reading Elementary School Pomfret: Thursday, March 2, 2017, 7 p.m. at the Pomfret Town Hall Woodstock: Saturday, March 4, 2017, 10 a.m. during the Woodstock Town Meeting at the Woodstock Town Hall The legal voters of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Reading, Pomfret, and Woodstock are further notified that voter qualification, registration, and absentee voting relative to the referenced Articles shall be as provided in Chapters 43, 51, and 55 of Title 17, Vermont Statutes Annotated. Please contact your Town Clerk.

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28 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

NEWS BRIEFS

By Karrie Etzler

Green Mountain District Music Festival brought together the brightest and best musicians to the College of St. Joseph, Friday, Feb. 3.

Submitted

Tom Donahue will be moderating the live Rutland City mayoral forum on PEGTV Channel 21, airing Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

Rutland City mayoral candidates to face off RUTLAND—Educate yourself about your Rutland City mayoral candidates by watching PEGTV’s live mayoral forum on Thursday, Feb. 9, on Channel 21 starting at 7 p.m. All four mayoral candidates were invited to attend, who include Dave Allaire, Chris Louras, Mike Coppinger and Kam Johnston. Candidates will answer questions from moderator Tom Donahue and those that were submitted by the public. If you have a question you would like to ask the candidates please email it to bwilliams@pegtv. com. “Providing area residents with important political information is a

huge part of the PEGTV mission,” said Tom Leypoldt, executive director for the station. “By airing these forums, PEGTV further promotes the idea of connecting the community.” This forum is open to the public and held at the PEGTV studio on 1 Scale Avenue in the Howe Center. If you are unable to watch the debate on cable you can access a live stream video on pegtv.com. PEGTV is Rutland County’s public access television station comprised of Comcast Channels 15, 20 and 21 and VTel channels 163, 164, and 165 and is available throughout Rutland County to all cable subscribers.

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Green Mountain district music festival delivers By Karrie Etzler

There was no better place to be last Friday night, Feb. 3, than College of St.Joseph, where the opening of this year’s Green Mountain District Music Festival brought together the brightest and best musicians for a night filled with spectacular performances. A total of 64 schools, elementary through the high school, participated in this year’s festival, which featured performances in both band and chorus. The College’s gymnasium served as the concert hall and catered to an over-flow audience. The large turn-out, bore every indicator that the presentations would be memorable, and the young and up-coming musicians delivered on that promise. All neatly attired in black and white, the students showcased their musical dexterity on a wide range of instruments, while under the expert guidance of renowned conductors, including South Dakota native, John Peskey, whose High School String Ensemble opened the concert with compositions from Franz Schubert, Antonin Dvorak and Richard Meyer. Multi-award winning conductor, Leland Hauslein followed with the Middle School Jazz Ensemble.

They performed noted pieces such as Horace Silver’s “Sister Sadie,” Freddie Hubbard’s “Little Sunflower,” and Jerome Richardson’s “Groove Merchant.” This segment also featured several accomplished soloists, who individually and collectively earned huge applause from the audience. With a performance seemingly declaring a friendly rivalry with the middle schoolers, the High School Symphonic Band, led by Professor Paul Kafer, kept the excitement going for audience members. They performed works by noted composers Richard Saucedo and Jan Van der Roost. The Middle School chorus, led by Conductor Billy Ray Poli, ensured the evening ended on a high note, with near perfect renditions of songs such as Mary Lynn Lightfoot’s ”Cantate” and Amy F. Bernon’s ”She Sings.” Once the concert officially ended, parents, friends and other wellwishers greeted the performers with hugs and congratulatory sentiments. Judging by their beaming looks of pride, Vermont will continue to be a state highly supporting of music education.

Ludlow Rotary increases scholarship funding LUDLOW—The Ludlow Rotary has been providing scholarships to area students for more than 35 years. For 2017, the Ludlow Rotary has increased its scholarship funding from internal sources by 50 percent, or $3,000. At a minimum, the Ludlow Rotary expects to award the following scholarships in 2017 to students pursuing further education: • $2,000 Daniel E. Kesman Memorial Scholarship • $2,000 Robert W. Kirkbride Rotary Scholarship (places emphasis on community service) • $2,000 Ralph D. Hogencamp Vocational Education Scholarship (places emphasis on work experience and a realistic career plan) • Three $1,000 traditional scholarships To be eligible, the student must be a graduating high school senior who lives in Ludlow, Cavendish, Plymouth or Mt. Holly. Ludlow Rotary will determine who receives these scholarships based on a 25-point scale, allocating five points for each of the following categories:

• Scholastic achievement • Financial need • Realistic goals • Sports, extracurricular activities and work experience • Community service If you would like to help Ludlow Rotary provide additional scholarships, you can contribute checks made payable to the Ludlow Area Rotary Charitable Fund, Inc., which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. These tax-deductible checks should be mailed to P.O. Box 216, Ludlow, VT 05149. The Ludlow Rotary will provide tax deduction documentation for each donation. With your help, more of our young people can be assisted in preparing for the challenging times ahead of them. For more information, contact David Almond, Ludlow Rotary Scholarship chair, at P.O. Box 216, Ludlow, VT 05149 or at bethalmond@tds.net. Visit ludlowrotary. com for information about the Ludlow Rotary and its projects.

PEGTV offers scholarships for visual arts majors RUTLAND—High school seniors planning to attend college in visual arts can lower college tuition costs by applying for a 2017 Courcelle Scholarship offered by PEGTV. Two Rutland County high school seniors who exhibit a high level of proficiency and interest in visual arts and intend to pursue postsecondary education have the opportunity to win a $2,000 scholarship. The 19th annual PEGTV Courcelle Scholarship honors the memory of Joe Courcelle for his

pioneering work in public access television in Rutland. Courcelle was an active member of the original board of directors, a dedicated independent producer and an integral part of the establishment of Rutland’s PEGTV. A special selection committee will review the applications and interview potential candidates. Applications have been sent to Rutland County high schools for distribution to interested candidates and are due by May 1, 2017, with personal interviews to be

conducted in mid-May. Anyone interested in receiving an application may contact his or her high school guidance office or call Bryn Williams, Channel 20 program coordinator, at PEGTV, 802-747-0151. PEGTV is Rutland County’s public access television station comprised of Comcast channels 15, 20 and 21 and VTel channels 163, 164, and 165, and is available throughout Rutland County to all cable subscribers. Visit pegtv.com for info.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 29

PETPersonals

30 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

CLAIRENCE - Adult neutered male. American FuzzyLop Rabbit. Brown. I am very independent, but very sweet. My favorite treats are apple sticks. As you can see I have the cutest ears! I hope to see you soon for a visit and maybe you can take me home.

TYSON - 8-month-old neutered male. Westie/Rottweiler mix.I’m an energetic, on the go fella who is fun to be around. I’m friendly and outgoing and I enjoy hanging out with my favorite people. I’m a great size for going along on family outings and adventures. MOMMA - Female. Standard black rat. I’m about a year old and I like other female rats. My previous owner said I’m friendly, curious, and very fast. I love to burrow under a soft fleece blanket or hide in my hut.

TIKE - Male. Standard black and white rat. I love to jump and play. I’m social, smart, and friendly. I like a place that’s not too noisy or drafty and maybe a nice little hiding place (like a tissue box) which makes me feel secure.

RUTLAND COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY LUCY MACKENZIE HUMANE SOCIETY SPRINGFIELD HUMANE SOCIETY

Springfield Humane Society

DUKE - 3-year-old neutered male. Rottweiler mix. I’m an outgoing, goofy fella and I can be a bit of a rascal! I’m playful, too, and I love squeaky toys and tennis balls. I’m pretty cute when I’m chasing after tennis balls because I kind of pounce on them as they’re rolling along. FLOYD - 2-year-old neutered male. Domestic Short Hair. Orange tiger. I was born on a farm here in Vermont. I lived in the barn but my owners couldn’t keep me and thought it would be better for me to have a real forever home.

KEVIN - 2-year-old neutered male. Domestic Short Hair. Brown tabby with white. I’m a big guy, and I have TONS of energy. I love to play, and I’m super-duper vocal! I’ll be the first one to greet you and rub up against your legs.

CHIP - 1-year-old neutered male. Retriever/Labrador mix. It’s a new year and if you’re looking for a project I may be your guy! You see, I’ve been adopted and returned a few times. I think an experienced dog owner who will continue to work with me will be important.

TIPPY - 9-month-old neutered male. Labrador Retriever mix. Oh I’m a funny, goofy fella! I’m a young and energetic young dog and I’ll need a lot of exercise and play time to keep me happy and out of trouble.

LEE LEE - 4-year-old neutered male. Domestic Short Hair. Brown Tabby and White. I am enjoying myself but I would really like to get my life started. I don’t do well with other cats so I need to be the only cat in my new home. Stop in and visit me soon!

MALCOLM - 3-year-old neutered male. Domestic short hair. Black. I’m a friendly guy who just loves attention. I’m currently residing in a community cat room here at the shelter and I’m really enjoying making new kitty friends.

Featuring pets from:

FRITZIE Sweet petite female seeks person/family to love furever! My name is Fritzie and I am a 3-year-old small mixed breed. I enjoy food, people and squeaky toys. I need to be the only pet in the home. I am an energetic girl and would do best in a home with children 10 and up. If I sound like the girl for you stop by Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4:30 or call 802-885-3997. Don’t forget to shop Wag Sales Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 3.

Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society

PEANUT - Adult neutered male. Rex Rabbit. Brown/ silver. I like to snuggle and chase my friend around and around our playpen. My favorite treats are apple sticks. I hope to see you soon for a visit and maybe you can take me home.

All of these pets are available for adoption at

Rutland County Humane Society

ELLIE

765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 Tues. - Sat. 12-5p.m., Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org

MOUNTA IN TIMES mountaintimes.info

Hi! My name is Ellie and I’m a 7-year-old spayed female mixed breed. I was adopted years ago from Lucy Mackenzie and recently returned, because I wasn’t getting along well with the other dogs in the house. It was so sad, because my people really loved me and I really loved them, but we all agreed it was for the best. The good news is that I like just about every person I meet! I have no problem with people of all ages, and can live with dog-savvy children. I have lived with cats most of my life. I walk very well on a leash and am an incredibly well-behaved dog. I’m the type of gal that promises to bring a smile to just about anybody’s face. You’ll find it hard to believe that I’m 7 years old when you meet me-not only do I look incredibly young, I also act incredibly young! I’m a playful, endearing, sweet dog that needs to be the only dog in the house. Stop in and meet me today! Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society is located at 4832 Route 44, West Windsor. We’re open to the public Tuesday through Saturday, 12-4 p.m. Reach us daily at 802-484-LUCY or visit lucymac.org.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 31

Opposite week

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye

This week's Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Gemini Moon with the Sun stationed at the 18th Degree of Aquarius. This is what they call the “Dead of Winter.” But in this dimension everything is the opposite of what it appears to be—so what seems to be in a dormant state is in reality more alive than ever. As Mother Nature's energies begin to stir in the darkness, the creative force that lives inside each one of us is being activated by the power of love. By the time this month comes to an end that creative potential will flow out from within and prepare to give birth to whatever our visions contain. This is probably the most magical time of the year; I wish I had more time to talk about it in detail, but I am running a book deadline and need to keep my vision trained on wrapping that up for a few more weeks. Keep the fire lit on the hearth of your heart's desire. I hope you enjoy this week's 'scopes.

Blue Ridge:

GMNF purchase

continued from page 15 sources.” larger trees, viewpoints and “forest communities.” While TPL owns the property, it will not be bound by GMNF policies and management plans, Mattrick said. However, a joint statement by TPL and GMNF describes TPL’s mission as “protecting strategic and important forestland that protects recreational access, connected wildlife habitat, working lands, and drinking water. The all-important question now is: will the funds be there for the GMNF purchase? In an email to the Mountain Times, Wanner wrote: “Our agreement is contingent upon the project being included in the list of projects proposed to be funded by the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund for FY18. If TPL takes the risk of buying the property because we are on the LWCF list but then Congress doesn’t appropriate the funds as expected, we will apply again next year, or find a conservation buyer.” The Trust for Public Land is asking for approval from all three towns. The proposal is contingent upon the approval of the town of Chittenden as having the largest land area in Rolston Rest. If Chittenden agrees but the other towns do not, the Chittenden acreage will be sold to GMNF separately, Wanner’s email continued. Other solutions will be sought for the excluded parcels: “potentially state ownership, or a conservation easement with a private forestland buyer. Or, we’ll put those parcels back on the market, unconserved. If Chittenden says no, the whole deal is dead,” she wrote. Conversely, Chittenden’s acceptance does not guarantee the purchase. “The deal can definitely fail even if the town supports it,” Wanner wrote. As might be expected, the pros and cons are being debated within the town. The questions at the Select Board special meeting reflected townspeople’s fundamental concerns. Attendees raised concerns about why the national forest is interested and how it would manage the land, specifically what uses would be permitted, how the plan would dovetail with existing features such as town-owned roads and the town emergency plan, the potential cost to the town and taxpayers versus the benefits, and how economic growth would be affected by the purchase. Gary Congdon, chair of the Chittenden Select Board, told the Mountain Times that the Select Board is keeping an open mind and has deferred any decision to a town vote in April, following another informational meeting which will take place in March, which Chris Mattrick said he plans to attend. Non-voters have a right to offer input as well. The proposal was presented to the Killington Select Board on Feb. 7 and will be presented to the Mendon Select Board Feb. 13.

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Aries

Cancer

Libra

Capricorn

March 21 - April 20

June 21 - July 20

September 21 - October 20

December 21 - January 20

he last few weeks have rinsed out your brain. Sitting here, contemplating what lies ahead, you are acutely aware of how the politics of living gets more complex as we age. As you approach a situation that is bound to resemble scenarios that took place 7 years ago, you will see that there is a huge need to forgive and forget. If you are less open to letting go of all the blood on the tracks, your sense of injustice and/or rage will keep you stuck in a place that increases your sense of alienation. There are only two choices here. With everything riding on this, let’s hope you choose love.

ou finally got over yourself enough to see beyond the limits that were there before. It’s blowing your mind to realize that life isn’t about having all your ducks in a row. These new parameters have opened up so many options. Before you chalk it all up to Luck, you need to stop and realize that something in you had to change in order to draw all of this goodness to you. As life opens up, and you learn more about what gives you joy, give yourself all the time in the world to connect with the voice that speaks to you from within; let it be the master of all of your choices.

here’s not much you can do about other people and their issues. If someone seems to need a little more than you have to give, they will keep expecting you to come through until they understand that their life is their business. If you really care about them, don’t keep trying to reform them and stop pretending that you have no investment in what they choose to do with themselves. Time and experience will teach them what they need to know. Stay true to yourself, and love them for who they are until they figure out what it will take to make their life work.

ou guys are up and down. It’s tough to predict for a wide range of issues when it comes to your sign. You’re getting hit with the good, the bad, and the gnarly. It seems like there’s a reprieve that is about to arrive hand in hand with an opportunity to heal old wounds, or ailments that have been hanging you up longer than usual. There could be good work opportunities that arrive with a benefit package of one sort or another. The right people appear to be there for you - and everything hinges on your willingness to stay joyful, and move or change at the drop of a hat.

Taurus

Leo

Scorpio

Aquarius

April 21 - May 20

July 21 - August 20

October 21 - November 20

January 21 - February 20

f it’s hard to figure out why you can’t pull it together is because you’re in the middle of a huge transformation. What good would it do to think you know what’s going on, at a time like this? If there’s a lull, consider it a sign, sort of like the calm before the storm. And don’t get too wound up by what others have to say about it. Conversations with those who see right through you have rattled you up enough to make you want to break out and go your own way. Shedding your skin will require to lose the idea that your security relies upon having anything stay the same.

Gemini

May 21 - June 20

he idea that you’re right about all of this competes with the feeling that you could easily be wrong. When your own sense of authority fails you, the need to seek guidance outside of yourself can lead you into situations that take you too far away from your core to know what is true for you. Lately, everyone has something to say about what you get to do and who you get to be. Reclaiming your sense of sovereignty will be a big part of the deal for the next few months. Don’t take any wooden nickels and whatever you do, respect your right to do things your way.

iming difficulties have turned your life into a bit of a circus. It seems as if you can’t start something until other things are finished up and those things are reliant on the actions of other people. Other people happen to be elsewhere, or in no mood to focus on you and your needs. Instead of trying to micromanage things that aren’t beholden to your schedule, give yourself a break and wait for this to fall into place by itself. Soon enough there will be news that will alter things enough for you to see that life always has a better plan than the one we had in mind.

ou have all kinds of good stuff coming together. If this is hard to appreciate it’s because you don’t take enough time to look at what’s going on. Every now and then it helps to congratulate yourself for getting things to work. As much as you still have to make ends meet you are at a point where at least everything is on your terms. The next thing to pop up will probably take the form of a relationship situation that makes you wish there was some kind of map to tell you where to go with things. Between love and money you’ll be on your toes for the next few weeks.

ou aren’t as sure about your situation as you were a few months ago. All of a sudden there are doubts about whether or not your best laid plans are going to work out. It’s always hard to admit that we might have missed the boat – and even harder to admit that we invested everything into something that didn’t pan out. You’ve got your hands full. In the midst of not knowing what’s going to happen you are being called to ‘perform’ and/or work harder than usual. Keep your attitude positive and be sharp enough to outwit anyone who tries to mess with your sense of self.

Virgo

Sagittarius

Pisces

August 21 - September 20

November 21 - December 20

February 21 - March 20

ou wish you could make it all work the way you want it to. In the course of pushing that envelope, sometimes you push people away. Reckoning with this, you’re beginning to see how self limiting it is to be, such a perfectionist - or so obsessed with your vision of reality that your comfort zone shrinks down to nothing. As much as it’s time to lighten up, your schedule won’t allow for that for another few weeks. Maintaining yourself between now and then will require you to soften your gaze, and be as gentle as you can with yourself and with those close to you.

igh levels of third party interference along with a lot of Pie-in-the-Sky deals that never seem to turn into anything concrete are making you wonder why you are even involved in this situation. What made so much sense, and seemed so clear is now looking like it could turn into a train wreck, and you have no clue where to go with it. At times like this there’s no way to rely upon anything but the signals that come from within and get as real as you can about what’s going on with the rest of it. Stay in the moment and be mindful where you place the benefit of the doubt.

Mother of the Skye

etting others to see it your way is tricky business. This is one of those situations where you just might learn something if you can find a way to stop putting the pressure on. Did it ever occur to you that there is more than one way to do things? Whoever you’re trying to reform has a right to approach their life any way they wish to. If what they’re about to do doesn’t fly with you, lighten up; hair shirts and hard knocks aren’t the only way to go – and the one who appears to need so much correction is about to teach you that life works better when joy is the operative word.

Mother of the Skye has 40 years of experience as an astrologer and tarot consultant. She may be reached by email to cal.garrison@gmail.com

32 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

You might just make it after all Following the death of the actress Mary Tyler Moore last month at the age of 80, many journalists and critics reexamined the second-wave feminist legacy of her eponymous sitcom, “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” which, in the 1970s, normalized the lifestyle of the single working woman in an American city, presenting it as a full and lively end unto generation y itself rather than a quest or prelude to an inevitable by brett yates marriage—and, through its Minneapolis setting, extending such a possibility beyond its usual New York City boundaries, where, even today, nearly all of our plucky TV heroines, descended from Moore’s archetype, carry out their spouseless antics. Far less remarked upon, in Moore’s obituaries, was her other career high-water mark: her Oscar-nominated role in “Ordinary People,” the Best Picture of 1980 that today is most often invoked as a representative example of the injustices regularly perpetrated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The relative absence of “Ordinary People” in the recent Moore retrospectives may owe to the subsumption of the film’s reputation within the notion of its undeserved Oscar victory over Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull,” which, in the violence and intensity of both its subject matter and its cinematic presentation, achieved an almost perfect contrast from its award-season competitor, exposing the polite timidity of the Academy’s “good taste.” Moore’s excellent performance in the drama—in which neophyte director Robert Redford cast her against type as the matriarch of a fractured family in a tony Chicago suburb, where the cherished older son has died in a boating accident, and the comparatively neglected younger son (Timothy Hutton) suffers from survivor’s guilt and accompanying suicidal tendencies—also contradicts the warm and humorous image of the comedienne formed by her long-lasting TV show: her cold, status-oriented Mrs. Jarrett—the country club matron who, when her troubled child slits his wrists in the bathroom of her home, worries primarily about how

THEIR SUBURB, SKETCHED WITHOUT SATIRICAL EDGE, IS NOT INHERENTLY PROBLEMATIC, AND HUTTON AND SUTHERLAND NEED HELP ONLY SO THAT THEY MIGHT INHABIT ITS DULL SPLENDOR MORE CORRECTLY AND HEALTHFULLY. his blood might stain the grouting—is not how we want to remember Mary Tyler Moore. Still, “Ordinary People” is worth remembering, in part for how it influenced later works about familial dysfunction, including 2004’s “Garden State,” 2005’s “The Squid and the Whale,” the 2008 Pulitzer-winning stage musical “Next to Normal,” and the Best Picture of 1999, “American Beauty.” Redford’s directorial debut is, itself, a sort of “East of Eden” filtered through the formalism of Ingmar Bergman’s 1970s work. “Ordinary People” takes place in an upper-middleclass world of handsome furniture, stiltedly polite conversations, and silent mealtimes. Primarily, it concerns the healing process of a wounded teenage boy, operating under the excessive delicacy of his kindly, ineffectual father (Donald Sutherland) and the evasions of his propriety-obsessed mother (Moore). Like 1979’s “Kramer vs. Kramer,” it displays an earnest concern for the state of the American family, locating its conceptual center, in this case, in an all-white lakeside town in the Midwest. On a certain level, Redford, the glamorous longhaired Californian, treats these Illinoisans like alien beings, inhabiting an alien planet: their repressed traumas conspire to create a chilly, decorous version of daily life that, the movie’s title notwithstanding, will surely strike no ordinary person as familiar. The film is well-acted and staidly attractive; its main problem is that it’s somewhat boring, as Redford fails, more or less, to find a working dramatic form for the sublimated drama of his character’s lives. At times, it feels as though the film’s prim narrative universe might slip fully into Luis Bunuel’s realm of the absurd, but Redford instead pays a more respectful form of attention—which, ultimately, is the movie’s saving grace, if it has one: the mostly static time it spends Gen Y, page 34

COLUMNS

To retire with confidence, have a plan

By Kevin Theissen

If you want to retire with confidence, you need a good plan. As you near retirement age or better yet, decades before retirement age, it is time to start doing some serious financial planning. Retiring with confidence means you developed a logical plan, are executing it, and review it regularly to make sure you stay on track. When developing your retirement plan there are a number of risks to consider – those we know and those we don’t know. This includes increased longevity, inflation, family responsibilities (such as caring for parents), health care, and interest rates. All could have a major effect on finances and lifestyles. Consider this: couples who are both 65 years old today statistically have a 50 percent chance that one of them will live past 92, and a 25 percent chance that one will live to 97. So, unless you have serious health risks or unfortunate heredity, basing your financial planning on a 95-year lifespan makes sense. Fundamental financial planning can be built on a single premise that is incredibly simple and has been time-tested through the Great Depression, two World Wars, and multiple other major events. Stock prices rise over time. When selecting and man-

aging stocks, consider these key points: Set return goals that make sense for your personal situation. The only benchmark that would make sense is to achieve your personal goals over a time horizon that fits your specific situation. Your performance goals should be the rate of return you need to live comfortably through retirement. The true measure of investment performance is your return through a full mar-

Retirement investing can seem pretty mysterious. Put money into an investment. Wait. Take money out. But what happened in between? To put it simply, your money grew because of time. Capital appreciation (a rising stock price) and dividend payments equal total return. The only reason people buy and hold stocks is because historically, the total return for stock ownership has been higher than straight

COUPLES WHO ARE BOTH 65 YEARS OLD TODAY STATISTICALLY HAVE A 50 PERCENT CHANCE THAT ONE OF THEM WILL LIVE PAST 92, AND A 25 PERCENT CHANCE THAT ONE WILL LIVE TO 97. ket cycle, up and down. Beating the S&P 500 or any other such nonsense is pure noise and distraction. Manage risk through asset allocation and rebalancing. Trim risk during euphoria and overvaluation; buy during times of fear and undervaluation. Retirees and preretirees must manage risk vigilantly. Withdrawals from a portfolio that sustains significant declines can accelerate the loss in value. Risk management is imperative. Time is money!

lending (such as through a bond). When it comes to retirement investments, you’re going to be at it long term, so you need to make sure your risk levels are appropriate for your goals, and that your return is both reasonably high and reasonably steady. The steadiness comes from a proper asset allocation (a mix of stocks, bonds, and other asset classes, together in the form of a portfolio). Rebalancing — selling investments that have gained and using the

proceeds to buy the ones that are “on sale” in comparison — is a nifty way to pick up extra return you otherwise miss. Magnifying money The longer you invest, the more money you will have. Why? Because all of your incoming cash— rebalanced gains, interest payments and dividends — magnifies your portfolio through compounding. If you double your money from $1 to $2, the next double the total jumps to $4, then $8. Compounding is how retirements happen, and time is the motor that drives the whole thing. Time literally is money. But how can you take advantage of time? Save enough. Invest it appropriately. Wait. Compounding is a powerful force. It’s the way you can be assured of reaching your retirement with more. Please seek the advice of your financial advisor regarding your personal situation. If you don’t have an independent, fiduciary financial advisor, consider getting one. If you don’t have a rock-solid financial plan–make it a priority and start putting time on your side. Kevin Theissen is principal and financial advisor at Skygate Financial Group, LLC., located on Main Street in Ludlow, Vt.

Choosing authenticity and love over hate Vermonters have an advantage. Many Vermonters have built their lives from the ground up evaluating and cherishing what matters

Mountain on Meditation By Marguerite te Jill Dye

most along the way. Those who have chosen to move to Vermont see it as a beacon of freedom and authenticity. “You are not alone.” “We are stronger together” signs at the Women’s March stated. I’ve been so riled up and activated since the inauguration that it’s hard to know what to do next. HGTV is my escape from the chilling news and the craziness in our country right now. I am heartened by “Tiny House Nation,” “Tiny House Hunters,” and “Tiny House, Big Living”

By Marguerite Jill Dye

television programs where young professionals, creative individuals and couples, and even families choose to return to real values by living together in 500 square feet or less. They seek simplicity, often mobility on wheels, and freedom from mortgages, debt, and fluctuating real estate, a great concern among many who suffered plunging values in our mortgage debacle. “Love trumps hate.” “I march against hate.” “Hate won’t make America great!” other signs said. Tiny houses are all about love. People in search of a tiny house want to spend more time with family and friends and be free to focus on their life passions. Some tiny house converts invest their life savings along with support from their families in building or having their tiny dream house built by a team of professionals. Some daring, skilled visionaries design and build their own tiny homes on a tight budget using repurposed materials and salvaged wood. “Science is real.” “Reverse climate change.” “Living simply saves our earth.” Signs seem to portray similar messages. Tiny houses are eco-friendly and a way to demonstrate concern for our earth. Driving over mountains, around lakes, and through the back woods of Vermont, tiny, rustic hunting and lake cabins Mountain Meditation, page 34

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 33

COLUMNS

A chance at paternity I have have always wanted children. This might seem counterintuitive, given my life of fairly wild irresponsibility, travel, and transience, but it is true. I have, however, been very careful to wait to have children until I found a proper host candidate for my offspring. I have been repeatedly unsuccessful at choosing domestic partners, my romantic past being a rogues gallery of crazy codependent addicted women (takes one to know Altitude one, right?). I have worked very hard at changing my expecAltit Sick Sickness tations of a partner, and my expectations of a relationship. I have learned, over the years, that the thing that most people By br brady crain call love is not in fact love, but rather infatuation. Love … true love (to quote “The Princess Bride”) between domestic partners, for me, should be more like mutual nurture than anything else. I have been working for that for a long time, and every time I come out of a relationship, I spend a great deal of time looking at myself, my actions, and staying single to process my experience, and learn from my mistakes. This has led to a fairly long learning curve, and the threat of geriatric fatherhood. It has been suggested to me that one mistake that I might be making is referring to my future co-parent as a “host candidate” as though we were in an “Alien” sequel. I remain unconvinced. In any case, I was approached recently by an old friend of mine with whom I was involved about 11 years ago. We cordially disembarked from our relationship, she moved on to another man rather quickly, got pregnant, and proceeded to raise the child herself until she had another child and met the love of her life with whom she has been living for almost eight years. When she first got pregnant, we looked at a calendar, wondering if the child could be mine, and we both said “No, not possible.” The timing was close, but wrong. We looked back at it again when her child was born (he was a massive baby, almost 10 pounds). He looked nothing like anyone from my family, but we are given to large, late babies. Even if you took it to an extreme, we still decided that it was impossible that the child was mine. Fast forward 10 years. My friend approaches me and says that she thinks we should do a DNA test. The child is 10, growing quite tall, becoming very musically adept, and is uncommonly good at mathematics. These are traits that are not shared by anyone on either side of his assumed family, and they are traits that my family has in spades (I am terrible with abstract mathematics, but everyone else in my family is aces with it; I’m tall as a Viking; and we are known for our musical skills). Furthermore, doctors are now saying that the first month after conception “doesn’t count” (or some other B.S.), and so it can take a proverbial bun well over nine months to cook once it is in the proverbial oven. In other words, the conception date for this child could be well within our margin of error. I agreed that we absolutely should test. In the meantime, I research DNA tests (you can get them at Wal-Mart, no big surprise there), and it doesn’t cost much to do. I also met the boy (my friend told her son what we were doing; he was smart enough to know that something was up when she swabbed his cheek three times), and he is a really smart, good kid; respectful, well behaved, intelligent. I started to get excited about this possibility. I mean, I’ve always wanted children, and just haven’t been smart enough to get the job done. Maybe this would be real and some of the pressure would be off my relationship forming. So we did the test and I mailed it off. It took two weeks for the samples to be admitted to the lab, and two more days for the test to yield results. The results came by email, and I got them while driving from one sales appointment to another. I was so nervous and excited about the test results I had to pull over and check the results right then. The test results were conclusive, with zero percent chance of paternity. We were all surprised by this, and we were all a bit saddened by it (I never talked to the boy about it, but I talked to his mom). We were all engaged in a bit of wishful thinking, I guess. My life isn’t the most stable, but I have always felt that I would make a good father. Maybe not, maybe I’m too self-centered, but maybe fatherhood would fix that? It did to a great extent with my parents, and I feel like I have a good example in that regard. I’m not going to lie. I shed a bit of a tear over this one. But I picked myself up, dusted myself off, and moved on quickly (I was of course prepared for the possibility), but truth be told I was hoping that he would turn out to be my child. Back to the drawing board.

The road to a natural physique

Preparing for the men’s physique category in a bodybuilding competition I have found that I always work better in the gym when I have a date on the calendar to work towards. Late last year it was the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) North East championships in

RAISING THE BAR By Kyle finneron

Rhode Island that I wrote about previously. However, since then I haven’t had a goal on the horizon to work towards. Next year’s Spartan Races were a ways away and prior to that is a triathlon, but it’s still in the summer. Luckily, the perfect opportunity presented itself. A few weeks ago I decided I would join a

colleague of mine in a bodybuilding competition. She is competing in the women’s figure competition and I decided I would compete in the men’s physique category. I know what you’re thinking and, no, I won’t be wearing a Speedo on stage. For some time now I have considered competing in a show like this but could never put a date on the calendar. Now I have one: I will be competing April 1. I’ve done a lot of research into these competitions previously but never thought I would be able to hold my own on stage. Luckily, a lot of the natural physique competitions have loosened their restrictions on how “natural” people have to be to compete. Most of the men’s natural shows are comprised of three categories: men’s bodybuilding, classic physique and men’s physique. I will be competing in the men’s physique category. The judging criteria for this category is “based on good leanness Raising the Bar, page 35

All about antlers By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul

A few autumns ago, one of the frequent visitors to our gone-wild apple orchard was a lopsided, one-point buck. We often see does and young, antlerless deer in the field, and by the end of each fall we’re able to idenTHE OUTSIDE tify many STORY of them by size, appearance, and the company they keep. Bucks, however, are a rare sighting. This one came to the apples often, and I wondered how he’d come to have a single antler. I also wondered how bucks manage to grow new antlers every year, a process that strikes me as exhausting, never mind carrying those heavy-looking protuberances around for months. Antlers, it turns out, are for more than show. They are used to communicate dominance and health and to secure breeding. When they’re dropped in the winter, antlers become useful as food for other animals. Squirrels, mice, porcupines, and even coyotes nosh on dropped antlers, which are a source of essential nutrients like calcium and phosphorus. The fastest growing bones of any mammal — they reach full size in a matter of a months — antlers’ annual growth is triggered by hormone changes, which are in turn triggered by seasonal changes in daylight. The lengthening days of springtime prompt antlers to emerge and grow by as much as a half inch per day. While they are growing, antlers are covered by a soft skin, or “velvet,” which supplies the bone with nutrients, blood, and oxygen. Antlers stop growing in late summer, when testosterone levels increase prior to the rut, or mating season That hormone change leads to the hardening of antlers, as the blood supply is terminated. The bone dries and the velvet dries up and either falls off or is rubbed off. After the rut, bucks drop their antlers and the process begins all over again. In their first summer, buck fawns develop pedicles, the attachment points on their skulls from which antlers will emerge each year. How large their antlers grow in subsequent years depends on a few factors: age, genetics, and nutrition. While young deer are still growing to full size, the nutrients they consume are used primarily for body development rather than antler growth. “Typically, if a deer is in good health, his antlers will be bigger each sequential year,” said Dan Bergeron, deer project leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “When deer reach a certain age, the size of their antlers can start to drop off. However, most male deer don’t live long enough to reach this point.” While antler size for fully-grown bucks is typically about eight points, the point count can be much higher, as evidenced by the 24-point non-typical buck shot in New Hampshire last year. Antler size is one feature bucks use to demonstrate dominance. And more

dominant bucks tend to have greater access to does. Bucks will lock antlers to fight for breeding rights during the rut. Beyond visually and physically demonstrating dominance, antlers can also assist in scent communication. When bucks rub their antlers on saplings, they’re not just removing velvet, they are also marking their territory. They mark the scored wood with scent glands located on their foreheads and around their eyes. Rutting bucks will also sometimes urinate on or around their antler rubs. The scent is carried on the breeze, relaying their presence and vitality to both does in estrus and rivals. As for our one-point buck, there could be a variety of reasons for his lopsided appearance, Bergeron explained. He could have dropped the other spike early, or an injury to his pedicle could have resulted in no antler growth on that side. One of the more intriguing suggestions is that an injury to the buck’s hind leg resulted in abnormal growth to the antler on the opposite side. That correlation is likely because nerve pathways cross in the brain, Bergeron said. “It is believed that injury to a limb stimulates a portion of the brain that controls antler growth and causes them to become deformed,” he said. “Hind limbs have more nerve fibers than front limbs, so [injuries to them] are more likely to result in deformed antlers. If the leg injury heals, the brain may retain a ‘phantom memory’ of it, and the antler could grow deformed for several years.” A large buck who passed through our apple orchard that fall didn’t seem to have such issues. On the day after the close of hunting season, this 8-pointer, whom we’d not seen before, strolled casually through the field. It was as if he knew he was safe now, having survived the fall, antlers and life intact. Meghan McCarthy McPhaul is an author and freelance writer. She lives in Franconia, N. H. The illustration for this column was drawn by Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story is assigned and edited by Northern Woodlands magazine: northernwoodlands.org, and sponsored by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: wellborn@nhcf.org

34 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

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Rutland dancers perform at Beauty in Diversity benefit This past weekend, Feb. 4-5, seven dancers from Cobra Gymnastics & Dance Center performed in the seventh annual Dance Showcase-Beauty in Diversity, to benefit Puppets in Education at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theatre in Burlington. Cobra Gymnastics & Dance Center was invited to participate in the fundraising dance event after a local past performance was viewed by Operations Director Sarah VogelsandCard. The dance piece represented the personal struggle of carrying judgement and past mistakes. Throughout the dance, the dancers released these burdens and illuminated the stage with seven glowing orbs that represented the seven chakra centers. Led by their teacher, Shelby Collett, the girls founds strength and beauty inside of the powerful dance. Coupling acts of athletic gymnastics and delicate dance

moves, the piece was well received. The young Rutland area dancers included Maleah Jones, Karena Kuehl, Mia Marsh, Lili Zens, Ella Tashjian and MaKenna Greene. Puppets in Education (PiE) is in their 35th year; 100 percent of proceeds from the event went to support their programs, which teaches children how to keep themselves safe and healthy and to appreciate each others differences. With lifesized puppets, PiE reaches over 10,000 children each year throughout Vermont, New Hampshire and New York with their 22 programs, including: disability awareness, abuse prevention, bullies and school safety, cultural diversity, healthy bodies, children’s mental health, alcohol/tobacco/drug prevention, Blue (keeping Lake Champlain clean and blue) and demystifying autism. For more information visit PuppetsInEducation. org.

Submitted

Cobra Gymnastics and Dance athletes pose with illuminated globes after performing at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theatre in Burlington by request. The event, titled “Beauty in Diversity,” was a benefit for Puppets in Education, which supports programs for kids that cover a wide variety of topics from bullying to disability awareness to healthy bodies and mental health and substance abuse prevention.

Mountain Meditation:

Gen Y:

continued from page 32

built recently or long ago dot the landscape. Some are off the grid and others are summer get aways. Many are fully lived in and enjoyed. They are simple. They are real. To many Vermonters, they are home. Sometimes I dream of living in a tiny house, away from clutter and distraction. I would take only bare necessities, and use soothing, healing colors and textures. Turquoise and periwinkle would prevail with touches of pink and purple. It would be filled with sunlight and warmth streaming through dotted Swiss curtains, tied back. My tiny house might resemble a Victorian “folly” where women retreated for peace and creativity. I would serve tea to friends, then close the door to paint, write, and dream. I’d meditate on a plush, cozy couch, and practice qigong, music filling the space. I’d watch the stars twinkle and fall from the sky as we’d talk of our future, my husband and I. But alas, we’ve accumulated so darn much stuff that from the downsizing required, I’d be beside myself! “Think of the starving Armenians,” my dad recalled that his parents used to say. “Think of the suffering Syrian refugees,” many Vermonters say today. It is utterly heart breaking that after two years of vetting and years spent in camps that they are being denied godspeed and a chance to heal in communities eager for their arrival. If only we could beam the Syrian refugee families up to their host families that stand with arms wide open, ready to offer friendship and warmth, compassion and peace to lives in need of healing. We pray that once they arrive, and for the rest of their lives, they’ll be safe and secure and thrive in this beautiful place where neighbors reach out to help one another. For that is what Vermont’s all about. Marguerite Jill Dye is an author and artist who lives in the Green Mountains of Vermont and on Florida’s Gulf Coast with her husband, Duane. She wrote and illustrated a book on the Camino and illustrated (with paper cut collage) “Where is Sam?”

with its half-frozen characters, listening to and caring for them. As a thawing measure, it also injects the modestly galvanizing presence of a candid and verbose Jewish psychiatrist, the only non-WASP in the story, who helps the boy open up. In this character, the role of the Hollywood scriptwriter is literalized as a presence in the film itself, coaxing out the drama from the bizarre Middle American bourgeoisie that seemingly can’t otherwise engage with its own problems. Dr. Berger is, transparently, an emissary from the world in which the movie was created, not a resident of the town where it takes place. Ultimately, he teaches the boy played by Hutton that it’s OK to have feelings—a lesson learned, again, but in opposite fashion, by the similarly guilt-ridden protagonist of “Garden State,” who finally abandons psychiatry (reflecting, perhaps, a 21st-century downturn in its popular reputation). From a contemporary perspective, the absence of social critique in “Ordinary People” is striking. The characters themselves have issues; their suburb, sketched without satirical edge, is not inherently problematic, and Hutton and Sutherland need help only so that they might inhabit its dull splendor more correctly and healthfully. To some degree, the two of them are cured of their ills, but Mary Tyler Moore’s character is not. In the end, Mrs. Jarrett is unreachable and therefore cast aside. The married couple separates, and the wife moves out: with Judd Hirsch on his side, Hutton now has two eminently decent father figures and, apparently, no need of a mother. What happens to Moore here? It’s never revealed, but the most optimistic interpretation, to my mind, involves imagining “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” created 10 years earlier, as a kind of sequel: Mrs. Jarrett is on her own now, a single gal again, eager to reinvent herself. She might loosen up just enough to toss her beret in the air; she might just make it after all.

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The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 35

Snowflake Bentley:

Rutland Region:

continued from page 27

continued from page 26 response taken by the aldermen — no firefighter reduction plus the addition of the two coordinating positions — appears to solve the temporary problem, but does not heal the rift between aldermen and mayor, nor between firefighters and their chief. One of the aldermen’s resolutions describes the plan as “ill-conceived and based on a lack of experience.” Alderman Chris Ettori drafted the wording to give the board something it could support but also to express “disdain for the budget as presented,” he said. The sole dissenting vote was from Alderman Scott Tommola, who explained he would not support a budget calling for the department’s restructuring. Both sides seem to feel that their opposition failed to compromise. Alderman Ed Larson, who has declined to run for re-election, openly called for Jones’ resignation. The firefighters’ union has indicated it may be willing to endorse a mayoral candidate opposing Louras. Jones, whose appointment expires in November, has announced he has no intention of resigning

One day, while reading an encyclopedia given to him by his mother, Bentley learned about a new innovation in photography, called a bellows camera. At first, when Bentley asked his parents to get him this camera, his father refused, thinking the idea of capturing snowflakes was all nonsense and encouraged his son to focus on farming. But Bentley persuaded his mother, and she subsequently persuaded his father. Bentley began using the camera along with his mother’s microscope to capture the imagery of snowflakes. For two long years, his efforts were all unsuccessful. But failure only ignited his desire to succeed and finally, he did. Today, the world is able to bask in the intricacies of snowflakes and other microscopic things, thanks to his perseverance. The techniques used by Bentley to photograph snowflakes are essentially the same as used today, and that whilst the quality of his photographs reflect the technical limitations of the equipment of the era, “he did it so well that hardly anybody bothered to photograph snowflakes for almost 100 years” noted the BBC. So, it is with pride that on his birthday, we remember Snowflake Bentley and the gift he gave to the world.

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Calling for expansion of workforce education

continued from page 6 cause it opens doors and transforms lives through eduafter high school an opportunity for all Vermonters - and cation and training. At VSAC, we get to work with adult we need help. We spend more on K-12 education than alstudents and see what happens when they believe in most every other state and our graduation rates are among themselves and make the leap. It is inspiring. the highest in the country. Today the average nondegree recipient is 33 years old, But Vermont also ranks at the bottom of the nation female, lives in a household of two with an annual income when it comes to funding postsecondary education. This of $20,444. puts education and training out of reach for too many Vermont was the first state to create a nondegree grant Vermonters. program in 1982 and 35 years later, we’ve helped over We need to get better at helping Vermont businesses 35,000 Vermonters get the too. Employers can’t education and training they function – they can’t grow THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTS need to further their careers. opportunities — without THAT “NEARLY NINE IN 10 JOBS THAT In fact, demand for the nona workforce that is skilled degree grant program has for the jobs of today and DISAPPEARED SINCE 2000 WERE LOST doubled in the last decade as the ones to be created TO AUTOMATION... NOT TO WORKERS Vermonters seek education down the road. and training to obtain a job We have a responsibilIN OTHER COUNTRIES.” or further their careers. Last ity — now — to rewrite the year, the program served future for Vermont. Let’s over 1,700 Vermonters before funding ran out. make opportunity together with education and training This program has stayed focused on and committed to for a new workforce, a new economy, new business and unemployed and underemployed Vermont families. It em- innovation. powers Vermonters to choose the training and education VSAC has been in the business of making opportupath best suited for them. nities for more than 50 years. Our mission is to create This is an incredibly successful program: 6 in 10 unemopportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly ployed Vermonters who got a nondegree grant last year for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to found jobs, both part-time and full time. An additional 10 education and training after high school are closed to percent were in longer-term education or training prothem. grams. Those who were employed reported more hours Support working-age adult Vermonters’ pursuit of and higher wages. education and training needed for workforce developThese results are immediate. Most of the education and ment by increasing appropriations to the nondegree training courses are completed within several months grant program. as compared to several years. We are seeing VermontWe know it works. ers getting a head start in their jobs and in their future in Scott Giles Vermont. Scott Giles is president and CEO of Vermont Student We have to get better at making education and training Assistance Corp.

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Building a natural physique

continued from page 33 and definition with full muscularity, and good balance, proportion, symmetry of both muscularity and conditioning, and presentation. Extreme size and leanness like with the bodybuilding category should be avoided.” This sounded right up my alley. Luckily, I walk around pretty lean based on my diet, genetics, and the fact that I’m in a gym either working or training almost every day. The way I have been training has mostly been to develop strength and general physical preparedness (GPP), which involved a lot of squatting, deadlifts, pull ups and movements of that nature. I have also been following a intermittent fasting diet which has worked out well for me and definitely was a benefit in preparation for Spartan races. Now I will be switching gears to a more traditional “bodybuilding” diet and training for the next few weeks. After doing a good deal of research I decided to go with a plan that was higher in carbs than I’m used to. My previous eating habit consisted of minimal carbs and even at one point I was eating almost no carbs (ketogenic diet), and I am pretty lean. But I wanted to try out the new diet to see what results I would be able to achieve. After all, I could always go back to my other diet to lean out if I felt myself putting on too much fat before the show. The most important aspects of this new diet plan involve quality of food, macronutrients and nutrient timing (mostly based around when I will

train). The biggest and most difficult transition for me was tracking everything I ate and trying to hit my macronutrient “macros” goals each day. Food is broken down into three macronutrients: carbohydrates (fiber, sugar, etc.), fat (saturated, unsaturated, transfats) and protein. “Hitting your macros,” as some people refer to it, means that your food for that day was in the correct percentages for each category. For example, some days my macros might be 50 percent protein, 25 percent fat and 25 percent carbs; other days they might be 40 percent carbs, 40 percent protein and 20 percent fat. To hit these numbers you have to be very accurate with counting what you are eating and how much. This was difficult for me and I already paid pretty close attention to what I ate. (I’ve even been laughed at for counting out my almonds, and that was before I started this new plan!) I purchased an electric scale, downloaded a food tracking app, and started on my macro counting journey. As I progress towards the show date on April 1, I will share the maddening complexity that nutrition and supplementation sometimes has and the joys of actually hitting your numbers for the first time, and I’ll let you know how my body responds to a completely different training and eating program as I travel the road to perfecting my natural physique.

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36 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

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SKI COUNTRY Real Estate, 335 Killington Rd, Killington, VT 05751 802-775-5111, 800877-5111. SkiCountryRealEstate.com - 8 agents to service: Killington, Bridgewater, Mendon, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Rochester, Stockbridge & Woodstock areas. Sales & Winter Seasonal Rentals. Open 7 days/wk, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES COMMERCIAL BUILDING for lease on Route 4, Killington across from Post Office. 4,500 s.f. of retail or office space. Currently divided in 2 spaces of 3,000 & 1,500 s.f. Ample parking, great visibility. Can be rented separately. 1-802773-8800. BUY MULTI-FAMILY house, live rent free, pay mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance plus earn $12-16K per year with rental income. Low interest mortgage available. leorentfree@aol.com. C O M M E R C I A L S PA C E AVAILABLE with another well established business. Small or large square footage. Close to ski shop, restaurant and lodging. Great location for any business. Call 802-345-5867. K I L L I N G TO N M A L L f o r sale, 4-apartments, 2-stores, 1-nightclub/restaurant, 1-50s diner restaurant. 4 acres plus building. Call office 800-6942250 or cell 914-217-4390. Ron Viccari. KILLINGTON RESTAURANT FOR SALE. Corner lot, high visibility, operating since the 1960s! Killington is going year round be a part of the renaissance! 98 seats plus 4 apartments offer unique opportunity to help cover expenses or build a great staff. After 30 years its time to hang up my tongs! Offered for sale by owner as realtors want 10% and have never even served a salad! If you cant appreciate a 10% savings? The restaurant business is not for you! Save 15% on assessed value, offered at $509,500. Contact killingtonrestaurant@gmail.com.

SERVICES SNOW SHOVELING Roofs, walkways, etc. 802-558-6172. ADVANCED PRO PAINTING. Interior/Exterior. Exc Quality, Best Prices. References. 802989-5803 Schedule Now! BEAUREGARD PAINTING, 25 years experience. 802436-1337. PRIOR FOR HIRE - Handyman services, carpentry and yard. Call Jeremy Prior, 802353-1806.

RENTALS RUTLAND-EP MANAGEMENT Corp is accepting applications for efficiency and one-bedroom units at The Bardwell House. Wheelchair accessible building. Wheelchair accessible laundry on site. Meals on Wheels congregate meal site Monday-Friday. Services Coordinator on staff. 24-Hour emergency maintenance. Downtown location. Income limits apply. Tenant pays approximately 30% of monthly income toward rentutilities included. Must be 62 years of age or older or disabled. Verification of eligibility required. For application call 802-775-1100 ext 2 or e-mail lisa@epmanagement.com. EHO. KILLINGTON ROYAL FLUSH Rentals/Property management. Specializing in condos/ winter & summer rentals. Andrea Weymouth, Owner. www.killingtonroyalflush.com, 802-746-4040. WOODSTOCK VILLAGE Awesome Location—200 yards from Woodstock Green! Walk to shopping, restaurants, etc. Brand new totally renovated studio available for rent! Beautiful kitchen w/granite counters & stainless appliances. New Murphy bed. New bath w/jetted tub. Off street parking! Sleeps 2. No pets or smoking. 6-month or 12-month lease. $850 per month. Call Marni 802-353-1604. RUTLAND 1 and 2 bdrm units. Unfurnished, pet considered. $825 + utilities. LouiseHarrison.com, 802-747-8444. CHITTENDEN RETREAT available by the week or weekend. 6 bdrm, 3.5 baths, HOT TUB, screened porch on six acres. Close to Chittenden reservoir for swimming, hiking, and kayaking (kayaks provided). Scenic Mountain Top Inn nearby via water entry or short drive. LouiseHarrison. com, 802-775-9999.

FOR SALE ESTATE COLLECTION OF MG CARS Many makes, many models. Buy one, buy ‘em all. Clem, 518-798-5034.

EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY All real estate and rentals advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 as amended which makes it illegal to advertise “any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, family status, national origin, sexual orientation, or persons receiving public assistance, or an intention to make such preferences, limitation or discrimination.” This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertisement which is in violation of the law. Our readers are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised in this newspaper are available on an equal opportunity basis. If you feel you’ve been discrimination against, call HUD toll-free at 1-800-669-9777.

FREE FREE REMOVAL of scrap metal & car batteries. Matty, 802-353-5617.

WANTED NOW BUYING High quality watches, precious metals, coins & paper money, stamps and historic paper, objects of art and virtue. If it’s rare, fun and beautiful I can help. Member NAWCC, ANA, APS, NEAA and Vermont’s first legally licensed precious metals dealer. Trading worldwide in the very best personal property, since 1972. Legitimate sellers ONLY and by appointment only. Royal Barnard 802-775-0085 or email rbarn64850@aol.com.

PARKING ATTENDANTS needed at Killington/Pico Ski Resort. Direct traffic, guide guests to park in a smooth and efficient manner. Must have excellent customer service skills. Weekends/holidays required. Full time-seasonal. Apply online at www.killington.com/jobs or in person at Killington Human Resources. 4763 Killington Rd. Killington, VT 05751. 800-300-9095. EOE. DISHWASHER and bus person needed. Apply in person or call Pasta Pot, 802-4223004. 50/TFN CHOICES RESTAURANT (Killington) looking for experienced line cook, 3-5 days a week. Send resume to claudeschoices@yahoo.com, leave message at 802-422-3493, or just stop by. INN AT LONG TRAIL is looking for year round help. Breakfast waitstaff/ housekeepers and experienced line cook (scratch made kitchen). Pay commensurate with experience. Email Resume or brief work history, to set up interview appointment to patty@ innatlongtrail.com. LIQUID ART is hiring cooks. Must be available early mornings, holidays and weekends. Must have 2 years experience cooking in a restaurant environment. E-mail resume to beth@liquidartvt.com or drop off in person. PART-TIME/ FULL-TIME: Bartenders, waitstaff, dishwashers, and line cooks; and door person at Moguls in Killington. Apply Thursday through Sunday in person or call the restaurant at 802422-4777. Calling all Foodies: FT DELI POSITION: 40 hours/ wk.Excellent Pay. Nights 12pm-8pm. Food service experience preferred. PT DELI: 32 +hours/wk. PT CASHIER: 24+hours/wk. Weekends. Apply in person. 5680 US ROUTE 4, Bridgewater Corners Country Store.

EMPLOYMENT

DRY, WELL SEASONED cord wood. $250/ cord delivered. 802-770-8074. DREWSKI’S On The River is hiring a F/T or P/T waitress. Call or email for an interview 802-422-3816 or info.drewskis@gmail.com.

Want to submit a classified?

Email classifieds@mountaintimes.info or call 802-422-2399. Rates are 50 cents per word, per week; free ads are free.

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 37

Poor or paradise:

It depends who ordered the study

continued from page 6 States,” those findings certainly suggest that Vermont is one of the poorest states. By both common sense and scholarly consensus, the standard for judging a state’s relative wealth is its median household income. At last count, Vermont’s was $56,990 a year, some $1,200 higher than the national median and the 20th highest among the states. Conventional arithmetic indicates that “20th of 50” is in the top half. Vermont also has the fourth lowest poverty rate in the country. That would make it (arithmetic again) the 46th least poor state. “Least poor” could be considered another way of saying “richest.” Beating up on this report – indeed, beating up on ALEC – is too easy. ALEC is an ultra-conservative outfit largely funded by the tobacco, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries. Two of the three authors of this report, Arthur Laffer and Stephen Moore, are well-known far-right polemicists with factual accuracy records which are – to be charitable – shaky. Still, it’s surprising that no one at the ALEC headquarters wondered whether publishing a report suggesting that rich states were “poor states” might render the organization a laughingstock. But what else is new? ALEC has been putting out these reports since 2007, always claiming that its “economic outlook” rankings would accurately predict a state’s future economic performance. They have not. The “Opportunity Index” study concluding that Vermont is the best place to pursue “the American dream” is neither as blatantly political nor as pointless. In fact,

it contains some valuable information, which persuasively counters some of the doom-and-gloom assessments of many Vermonters. For instance, the study shows that Vermont has more banks and grocery stores per person than do most other states. Those factors are rarely included in measurements of well being, but they are important to everybody’s daily life. The less time one has to spend schlepping to the bank or the store (or standing in line at either), the better life is. The study also found that Vermont has more physicians per person than most states, much less violent crime, a smaller percentage of teens and young adults who are neither in school nor working, a higher percentage of households with access to high-speed internet, and a higher rate of high school and college graduation than most other states. The study is associated with the Measure of America project of the Social Science Research Council, a mainstream academic institution which, like most of mainstream academia embraces (or perhaps just accepts as natural) a political outlook that might best be described as respectable, moderate, center-left. So it should be no surprise that this study emphasized many of the benefits that Vermont’s relatively high taxes provide but ignores those relatively high taxes. Vermont is expensive, the study notes, which could complicate pursuit of the “American Dream” whatever that may be. Unlike “Rich States/Poor States,” the “Opportunity Index” report is useful, but more useful to those aware of its political tilt, even if slight comparatively.

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38 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

LouiseHarrison.com Real Estate

FOR SALE

2345 East Mountain Road Turn Key $299K WEEKEND RENTAL $550 per night

Louise Harrison 747-8444

Lynn Acker 345-0264

Buyer and Seller Representation

802-775-9999 | 8 Mountain Top Rd, Chittenden, Vt.

real estate

The Mountain Times • Feb. 8-14, 2017 • 39

Prestige Real Estate of Killington Exclusively Killington!

Condos

Featured Properties

SKI IN SKI OUT Topridge: 3‐bedroom 4‐bath starting $645K Sunrise: 1‐bedroom 1.5 bath $115K 2‐bedroom 2 bath starting $159K 4‐bedroom townhome $225.9K Pico Village: 1‐bedroom+loft 2‐bath $132.5K Pico Slopeside: 3‐bedrom 2‐bath $159K

Alpine Court

Barrows Towne

Ski in ski out at Pico 4BR/3BA 2500 sqft $425K

Large contemporary near golf on pond $499K

Spruce Glen

Gina Drive

(4) 2‐bed units ON ski trail $775K

NEW CONSTRUCTION 4BR/4.5BA $895K

Bear Mt Road

Topridge

Land

Ski Home Shuttle Out Highridge: 1‐bedroom+loft 2‐bath $139K 2‐bedroom 2.5‐bath $239K Whiffletree: 1‐bedroom 1‐bath $55,000 Shuttle to/from Mountain Pinnacle: 2‐bedroom 2‐bath starting $139K Killington Basin The Woods: 2‐bed 2‐bath starting $110K 3‐bedroom 3.5 bath townhome $215K

Family retreat in ski in ski out community $1.15 mil

The Vistas

Million $ views Ski on/off townhomes Start at $649K

Tanglewood Dr

Off Mountain Winterberry: 3‐bedroom 4‐bath $469K

NEW LUXURY Ski on Ski off ‐ $1.295 mil www.vistasatsunrise.com

Million $ view on 10+ acres $1.25 mil

Great Eastern trailside: (3) ski in ski out 1/3rd acre lots w/septic design ‐ $500K each Mini Drive: (2) ski in ski out ½ acre lots w/septic design ‐ $425K each Pico West: 14 acres trailside at Pico can support up to 9 lots ‐ $399K ‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐‐

Trailview Drive: ½ acre lot w/septic design ‐ $299K Tanglewood: Stunning 10+ acres with driveway and septic field ‐ $249K

Located at the Basin Sports complex, upstairs from The Lookout Tavern 2922 Killington Road 802-422-3923 www.prestigekillington.com/mtn

40 • The Mountain Times •Feb. 8-14, 2017

MORE Skills. Our specialty weekend clinics can help you reach your goals and explore Killington’s varied terrain.

Chelsea Marshall, 2-day Youth Race Camp, Feb. 25-26 Donna Weinbrecht, 2-day Women's Camp, Feb. 25-26 Dan Egan, 2-day Explore the Beast, Feb. 11-12 Camps include 2-day lift ticket, video analysis and lunch each day. killington.com/lessons

800-923-9444