M
MOU NTA I N TI M E S
Volume 49, Number 14 Your community free press — really, it’s FREE! April 1-7, 2020
Behind the jokes
Pranks, practical jokes
and various goofs are
Hallmarks of April 1st,
April Fools’ Day — a
tradition that dates
back several centuries.
Media has been a
prime vehicle for some
April tomfoolery over
the years, too. Here are
a few favorites:
In 1957, the BBC told
viewers there was a
great spaghetti crop in
Switzerland that year
due to the disappearance
of the spaghetti
weevil.
Goggles For Docs, a idea
that sparked a solution
By Lisa Lynn, VT Ski & Ride
On the night of March 10, Jon Schaefer read
an article about the spread of COVID-19. He
turned off the lights and went to sleep. “Five
minutes later, I woke up and knew what we had to
do,” he said.
Schaefer runs Berkshire East (the ski area in northwestern
Massachusetts that his family has owned or
operated since 1977) and Catamount, a neighboring
ski area. He shut them both down on March 12. They
were the first ski areas to close in the Northeast and,
possibly, the country, due to the pandemic.
Schaefer said, “I’d been talking with a friend of
mine who is the anesthesiologist who intubated the
first person to be diagnosed with coronavirus in Vermont. My
wife is a physician’s assistant at Berkshire East Medical Center.
I knew it was the right thing to do.”
This past Friday, March 27, another light bulb went off. “A
friend who is a physician in New York emailed me asking for ski
goggles for the health care workers there. That email went out
to six of us,” he said. “Within 20 minutes, I was getting that
Goggles > 27
$2 trillion coronavirus
relief package is passed,
Leahy secured $2 billion
for Vermont
Legislation includes small business
aid, direct payments to individuals and
increased unemployment compensation
Staff report
President Trump
signed a $2 trillion
economic stimulus bill
Friday afternoon, March
27, after the House passed
it earlier that day. The
package provides aid to
help individuals, families,
small businesses and
hospitals mitigate the
impact of the coronavirus
pandemic.
“This bill will quickly
provide much needed
assistance to families who
are struggling to make
ends meet, small businesses
trying to figure out
how to keep the lights on,
and our medical providers
who are caring for our
loved ones and neighbors,”
said U.S. Representative
Peter Welch. “We
have more work to do to
pull us out of this unprec-
Relief > 10
National Public Radio
did a piece on how
Richard Nixon was going
to run for president
in the 1992 race and
used a voice of a man
who sounded like him.
Many were outraged.
The popular dating app
Tinder a few years ago
announced they put
an end to men lying
about their height with
a “height verification
feature.”
In 2016 National Geographic
got in on the
fun by announcing “the
media group will no
longer degrade animals
by showing photos of
them without clothes.”
Those who clicked saw
“April Fools” and photos
of adorably dressed
puppies and kittens.
This April Fools’ Day
have some lighthearted
fun and make someone
laugh.
Scott strengthens executive order on travel
Calls for 14-day home-quarantine for anyone coming from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut
On Monday, March 30, Governor Phil Scott
ordered additional restrictions on travelers
arriving in Vermont and announced additional
guidance for the lodging industry to enhance
compliance with his “Stay Home, Stay Safe”
order.
The measures under the order, effective
March 25, were implemented in consultation
with the Commissioner of the Vermont Department
of Health to minimize all unnecessary
activities outside the home to slow the spread of
the COVID-19 virus and protect the public.
Monday, Governor Scott took additional
action to encourage compliance with newly
released CDC guidance around interstate travel
from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut,
which advised residents of those states to refrain
from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days.
K-12 and state colleges
will not resume this spring
Castleton University cancels graduation
Staff report
On Thursday afternoon, March 26, Governor Phil Scott directed schools to remain
dismissed through the end of the 2019-2020 school year. K-12 schools will stay closed for
in-person instruction and be required to implement continuity of learning plans for remote
learning. This extends the governor’s previous directive dismissing preK-12 schools from
March 18 to April 6.
This decision was made in consultation with the Vermont Department of Health and the
Agency of Education in the continued effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. To minimize
disruption to students’ learning, the governor’s order directs school districts to come up with
plans for distance learning by April 13.
“The education of our students and the bonding and learning experiences they have at
schools are tremendously important, so I fully appreciate the impact and difficulty of this
decision,” said Governor Phil Scott. “I also recognize it will be challenging for some schools to
implement remote learning through the end of the year. But I’m encouraged by the creativity
I’ve seen from administrators, educators and parents already, which is why I know, together,
they can rise to the occasion.”
Two days prior, Vermont State College System Chancellor Jeb Spaulding wrote a letter to
students, on March 24, stating that Castleton State University, Northern Vermont University
and Vermont Technical College will not resume on-site classes in April, as originally planned,
Schools close > 10
In light of the significant risk posed by the
further spread of this dangerous virus to Vermonters
and the viability of Vermont’s health
care system, this new order directs residents and
non-residents coming from outside the state
for anything other than an essential purpose
to home-quarantine for 14 days and strongly
discourages travel to Vermont by those located
in COVID-19 “hot spots.” Details and exemp-
Travel order > 5
Good
news?
While Vermont
continues to see
more coronavirus
cases each day, the exponential
growth is rate
is not as steep as some had
feared. Experts expect social
distancing will continue to
work and broader testing will
allow contact-tracing, which
will help identify those who
may be contagious.
For daily local news
about the pandemic
in Vermont visit
mountaintimes.info.
Courtesy of the Vermont Department of Health
2 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
thebus.com
802.773.3244
MVRTV
PRESS RELEASE - FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MARCH 23, 2020
Rutland, VT – Due to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic,
please see below for changes in service effective Tuesday,
March 24, 2020.
Commuter Routes
Fair Haven Route: 5:30am and 3:30pm running. Monday through Sunday. All
other runs suspended.
Fair Haven Expansion: 7:40pm running. No weekend service. All other runs
suspended.
Ludlow Route: 7:00am and 4:00pm running. No weekend service. All other
runs suspended.
Manchester Route: 6:30am and 3:00pm running. Monday through Saturday.
All other runs suspended.
Middlebury Connector: 5:30am and 4:15pm running. No weekend service. All
other runs suspended.
Proctor Route: 8:00am and 4:30pm running. Monday through Friday. All other
runs suspended.
City Fixed Routes
North Route: Beginning at 8:30am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
South Route: Beginning at 8:00am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:00pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
Hospital Route: Beginning at 8:00am and will run every half hour. The last run
of the day will leave Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting
down from 12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
West Route: Beginning at 8:30am and will run hourly. The last run of the day
will leave the Transit Center at 4:30pm. All city fixed will be shutting down from
12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
South Extension: Beginning at 8:00am and will run hourly. The last run of the
day will leave the Transit Center at 4:00pm. All city fixed will be shutting down
from 12:00pm to 1:00pm daily. Monday through Saturday.
Rutland Killington Commuter: 9:15am, 11:15am, 3:15pm and 5:15pm running.
All other runs suspended. Monday through Sunday.
Transit Center:
Due to being fare free and no
need to purchase passes, the
gate will be closed and there
will not be any staff available.
If you have any questions,
please call 773-3244 ext. 117.
GoFundMe launched to help
small businesses, employees
By Katy Savage
As soon as area businesses were shut
down due to coronavirus concerns, Pamela
Martin started asking the community for
help.
Martin, who moved to Killington from
New York three years ago, started a Go-
FundMe, called Killington Strong, to help
businesses that closed and laid off service
workers.
Martin created the GoFundMe on March
21. By Monday, March 30, about 50 people
had donated close to $4,000.
“I was beyond
surprised,” Martin
said. “The first
day we hit $1,000,
the third day we
hit $3,000.”
Martin said she was inspired after she
saw Killington Resort giving two tractor
trailers full of food on March 17 and 18 to
employees who had been laid off.
“In my mind’s eye, I can still see the
picture of [resort president] Mike Solimano,
surgical mask over his face, standing outside
on a raw day handing out that food,”
Martin said. “That provided the basis of my
idea and it definitely helped inspire me.”
Martin said people from all over the
valley and those who don’t live in the community
but consider Killington home have
donated.
People from several organizations,
including the Killington Pico Area Association,
Killington Rotary Club, Sherburne Memorial
Library and Church of Our Saviour
at Mission Farm met on a conference call
on Monday to come up with a distribution
plan for the funds.
Mike Coppinger, who is president of the
KPAA and the rotary club, said the group
decided to give the funds to the Rotary Club
to later distribute.
Coppinger estimated more than 400
people in the area have been laid off from
work. “This whole pandemic has totally
changed the landscape,” Coppinger said.
He said people who were never food insecure
in the past are now. Coppinger said
many people have come to him looking for
ways to help.
“What Pam has done is remarkable in,
honestly, a very short amount of time,” he
said.
Nate Freund, the owner of Sushi Yoshi,
immediately got involved in the GoFund-
Me.
“We’re going to use it for a few different
things—one will be a social media contest
to win gift cards to local businesses,”
Freund said.
“It’s going to help people in
Part of the
money will also
the community who got laid
go to local food
off get a meal,” Freund said. shelves so service
workers can get
meals. Freund said the details of the plans
were still being worked out.
“It’s going to help people in the community
who got laid off get a meal,” Freund
said.
Freund, who has three restaurant locations
in Killington, Stowe and New York,
said he’s been taking 5-20 take-out orders a
day in Killington, but that number of take
out-orders doesn’t come close to matching
his expenses. He said he’s lost about 90% of
the business he would usually see this time
of year, but his expenses haven’t changed.
“It’s a big building,” he said.
It’s unclear when businesses will be able
to reopen again. On Sunday, March 29,
President Donald Trump extended social
distancing guidelines, limiting groups to
10 people through the end of April and said
the guidelines could be extended further
through the end of May. Vermont Governor
Phil Scott ordered all non-essential businesses
in Vermont to close and everyone
was ordered to “stay home, stay safe,” on
March 25 until at least April 15. A similar
order is in effect in New Hampshire until
May 4.
Martin said all the money donated
through the GoFundMe will stay within the
Killington community.
G.E. Aviation in Rutland is
supporting two employees who
tested positive for COVID-19
By Ed Larson
In an update to employees, released March 26, General Electric stated it is supporting
two employees at Plant #1 who have tested positive for COVID-19. G.E. indicated
in the update that the company could not identify the employees involved or discuss
specifics of their conditions due to privacy laws.
The plant had been closed for cleaning but reopened on Thursday, March 26 — one
day later than originally planned.
G.E. indicated it was partnering with public health officials on contact tracing and
notification of “impacted people” at the site. G.E. added that it is contacting employees
who had close contact with these employees and are asking them to self-quarantine.
The action being taken in conjunction with public health officials and is consistent
with G.E. guidance.
Employees were advised that a deep cleaning and disinfection of the impacted areas
of the facility was completed using cleaning protocols defined by the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 3
How does Vermont’s COVID-19 response compare to other states?
By Erin Petenko and Xander Landen/VTDigger
Vermont Gov. Phil Scott issued a “stay home” order on
March 24 (effective March 25), then strengthened that order
on March 30 with 14-day self-quarantining measures
for those traveling in from outside the state. It’s the latest
in a series of closures, bans and restrictions intended to
keep people at home, away from the risk of spreading
COVID-19.
He’s not the only governor taking strong action to combat
the epidemic.
Every state in New England has imposed rules on the
size of gatherings and limited restaurant use. Deeper
analysis has found that on the whole, Vermont timed its
increasing closures at the same time or earlier than its
neighbors.
In many cases, Vermont announced changes on the
same day as New Hampshire.
Both declared a state of emergency on March 13, closed
public schools on March 15, and limited the size of gatherings
on March 16.
Then, the Green Mountain State’s stay-at-home order
came two days earlier than the Granite State. Compared
to the date of both states’ first cases, Vermont was ahead
in taking action — borrowing from the steps that states
further along in their outbreaks had taken.
Both Vermont and New Hampshire were faster in taking
action than Massachusetts, where cases had appeared
far earlier. It was one of the first states to report cases in
February.
“The beauty of our federal system is that each state can
take action without necessarily endangering the actions
of the other,” said Jared Carter, a Vermont Law School professor.
“And that doesn’t work perfectly in the context of a
pandemic because obviously a virus knows no border, but
it does allow us to learn from each other and improve.”
Dr. Tim Lahey, an infectious disease physician at UVM
Medical Center, said that the differences between many
states responding to the crisis including Vermont, New
York and Massachusetts are “generally subtle.”
But some states in the South stand out for reacting to
the virus more slowly, he said.
He commended Scott’s response to the virus in Vermont.
“I think he’s made a call to action and I think he’s
tried to base his recommendations on science,” Lahey
said. “So I think he’s been doing the best he can with the
resources he has.”
Lahey said that in general the United States did not act
fast enough to prevent the spread of COVID-19 when it
first learned of it in January.
He pointed to South Korea, which has done a better job
of slowing the spread. The government there has prioritized
aggressive testing and conducted contact tracing for
those who were infected earlier.
Ideally, “stay-in-place” orders would have come
down when governments initially detected community
spread. Lahey said that state governments are reaching
the limits of what they can do to combat the pandemic,
and that now the federal government — and the military
in particular — needs to step up to help hospitals build
surge capacity.
Last week, the Vermont National Guard set up medical
“surge” sites in Burlington, Barre and St. Albans and
this week added a pop-up testing location in Putney to
help hospitals manage an anticipated influx of patients.
However, Lahey said a bigger response is likely needed.
“It’s great to see the National Guard getting involved, but
I suspect without a huge wartime mobilization of the size
of World War II in Europe that bad things are going to happen
in cities around the country.”
4 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
Town of Killington
2706 River Road
Killington, Vermont 05701
802-422-3243
www.killingtontown.com
NOTICE FROM THE SELECTBOARD
RE: COVID-19 - REVISED March 16, 2020
The Town of Killington Selectboard is monitoring the development
of the COVID-19 outbreak. In response, Killington is reviewing
information from the Vermont Department of Health, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Vermont Emergency
Management (VEM).
Effective March 20, 2020 at 3:00pm, the Town of Killington will limit
activities and meetings at the Town Office to essential municipal
operations only. Public Access will be limited to the hours of 12:00 pm to
3:00 pm daily (BY APPOINTMENT ONLY). Employees will be working
remotely whenever possible. As a result, the best way to reach staff will
be via email. You can find all contact information on the website. We
will be monitoring voicemail regularly and ask for patience as we will
get back to you as soon as possible. Most Town records are available
electronically or can be emailed to you. All visitors will be required
to wash hands and limit contact with surfaces. The Selectboard,
Planning Commission, Recreation Commission, and Zoning Board of
Adjustment will postpone meetings for the rest of the month of March
and resume meetings in April as required. We are planning to make
future meetings accessible electronically, when applicable, and will
provide log-in information prior to each meeting. Non-essential Town
activities, events, and meetings will not be allowed until further notice.
If you have symptoms of COVID-19 i.e. fever, cough and/or difficulty
breathing, please DO NOT come into the Town Office. If you need
assistance check our website at killingtontown.com or if you are unable
to find what you need please contact the Town Office at 802-422-3243
or lucrecia@killingtontown.com to assist in transacting your town
business.
Dog licenses are due before April 1, 2020. Consider obtaining your license
by mail instead of coming into the Town Office. Rabies certificates can
be emailed by your veterinarian to lucrecia@killingtontown.com of
faxed to 802-422-3030.
Please monitor the town’s website www.killingtontown.com for the
most up to date information regarding the operations of municipal
government and events.
For the most up to date information about COVID-19 go to the State
of Vermont Department of Health websitewww.healthvermont.
gov/covid19 or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
websitewww.cdc.gov/covid19
If you cannot find the answers to your questions on these websites,
contact 211 or www.vermont211.org
EVERYDAY PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Person-to-person spread of the virus is thought to occur mainly via
respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or
sneezes. Much is still unknown about how the virus spreads. Take these
everyday preventive actions to help stop the spread of germs:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If
soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the
trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Police visit hotels to assess
compliance with “Stay Home,
Stay Safe” executive order
By Polly Mikula
After promoting a “Stay to Stay” pro gram
for the last two years and creating other
incentives to get people to come to Vermont
and relocate, Governor Phil Scott issued an
executive order — and then an amendment
strengthening that order —calling for visitors
to, essentially, not visit.
The Department of Tourism underscored
the fact that the only lodging rooms
that should be rented out right now are
those for people working on the front lines
of fighting the COVID-19 epidemic.
This directive includes private rentals
as well as licensed lodging establish ments.
“No new arrivals or reservations for immediate
extension of stay are permit ted
after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25
through April 15,” it stated.
Many hotels and other lodging
establishments had already shut
down, preemptively. “We closed the
Woodstock Inn in mid-March and
are not planning on opening until May 1,”
said Courtney Lowe, the marketing director
for the prestigious inn that was once a Rockefeller
property.
Vermont State Police and other lawenforcement
agencies were tasked with
visiting hotels, bnbs and motels to assess
compli ance with the order.
Law enforcement visited roughly 295
lodging establishments on Saturday, March
28, and then the remaining 20 sites on Sunday,
March 29. The purpose of the visits was
to evaluate compliance.
Of the more than 300 hotels, motels and
BnBs, 88 were found to be open, and 41
were non-compliant.
There were eight in Rutland and Wind sor
counties that received letters of non-compliance.
They include:
• Highlander Motel, Rutland
• Travel Inn, Rutland
• Rodeway Inn Rutland (North Main
Street), Rutland
• Rodeway Inn Rutland (Woodstock
Avenue), Rutland
• Quality Inn Rutland, Rutland
• Weathervane Motel, Manchester
• Econo Lodge Manchester, Manchester
Center
• Holiday Inn Express, Springfield
However, for many Airbnb hosts and
smaller establishments, the order came as
a surprise and compliance is
tougher to enforce.
“I wasn’t really aware of
this,” said one Stowe property
owner who asked not
to be identified. “We got an
inquiry from a couple from
New York wanting to rent
for two months. It’s come at
a time when we needed the
money as our business is
closed and the people who
clean ours and other rental
properties really need the income
now too — this is their
only way to make money.”
The New York couple had booked, paid
and had planned to spend the months of
April and May in Stowe. “Once we heard
about the executive order, we had to ask
them to cancel and refund their money,”
the homeowner said.
On March 31, Airbnb send out a notice
to all hosts supporting them with cancelations,
but not requiring them to do so.
“When a guest cancels an accommodation
reservation due to a COVID-19 related
circumstance, with a check-in between
March 14 and May 31, we will pay you
25% of what you would normally receive
through your cancellation policy. This applies
retroactively to all COVID-19 related
Fines of up to $10,000 and jail
time of up to six months could
be imposed on violators.
cancellations during this period. This cost
will be covered entirely by Airbnb.”
The state, however, will be able to see
who is in violation of the order retroactively,
based on tax returns that Airbnb or homeowners
are required to send directly to
them. It is unclear at this point if or how the
state will hold these violators accountable.
But the directive is clear: visitors from
anywhere — inside or outside the state —
are being asked to return home. The governor’s
order directs everyone to stay at home,
leaving only for essen tial reasons, critical to
health and safety.
At a press conference Monday, March 30,
Attorney General TJ Donovan noted that
if necessary, fines of up to $10,000 and jail
time of up to six months could be im posed
on violators who allow bookings during this
order.
The ban does not require Vermont
police to actively stop either Vemonters or
those entering Vermont from a “hot-spot”
state.
Gov. Scott stressed that strenuous
efforts to keep out-of-staters out of Vermont
should not be pursued with an “us
against them” mentality, say ing: “We’re
all in this together.”
Lisa Lynn contributed to this report
and a portion of this story was published
March 26, 2020, at vtskiandride.com.
Submitted
All lodging establishments including short-term rentals
have been ordered to close.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 5
Vermont jobless claims spike,
surpassing record highs
By Art Woolf
The Vermont state labor department received 14,784
claims for unemployment for the week ending March 21.
The huge spike in claims came in the wake of coronavirus-related
layoffs.
Michael Harrington, interim commissioner, told
lawmakers Thursday, March 26, that the total number of
claims — processed and unprocessed — is an all-time
record.
In fact, the number of people applying for unemployment
insurance is three times higher than the previous
record.
Officially, the number of Vermonters who lost their
jobs and applied for unemployment insurance was
3,667, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But
that number is not the full picture, said Department of
Labor Commissioner Michael Harrington. He explained
that the department’s Unemployment Insurance Claims
Center was still processing as many as 11,000 additional
online claims when that number was reported.
“The numbers we publish today are preliminary numbers,”
Harrington said. “That’s only counting the people
who could get through and get into the system.”
There have been only three weeks where applications
exceeded those number, and they happened when retail
employees were laid off at the end of the holiday shopping
season.
To put last week’s applications in perspective, during
the week ending March 14, applications totaled 659,
less than the weekly average of the past 35 years. At the
peak of the Great Recession in 2008-2009 there were only
two weeks when just over 2,000 Vermonters applied for
unemployment insurance.
Vermont is not alone in seeing the steepest rise on
record. Nationally, 3.3 million people applied for unemployment
insurance. The previous week’s number was
282,000. That increase breaks all records.
Vermont’s increase, as reported by Harrington, was
22 times higher than last week’s claim rate. Nationally,
the increase was 11.5 times greater. However, many
states like California and New York were swamped like
Vermont and have not reported the actual number of
claims. Next week, the numbers will likely swell.
The week ending March 21 was just the beginning of
large numbers of layoffs. When this week’s number is
Travel order: Further restrictions in place to keep Vermonters safe
>
from page 1
tions are outlined in Addendum 7,
which can be read in full at governor.
vermont.gov.
“We all must do our part to slow
the spread of COVID-19 to minimize
infections — particularly for those
who are elderly or have underlying
chronic health conditions — and
prevent it from overwhelming our
healthcare facilities,” said Governor
Scott. “I understand there will
be some who need to travel from
other states to return to a home in
Vermont or support a vulnerable
family member. But we need anyone
entering Vermont to abide by this
14-day self-isolation directive, and
then follow Vermont’s “Stay Home,
Stay Safe” order while here. We must
work together to slow the spread of
this virus.”
The governor’s order also provides
additional guidance to lodging
providers to ensure compliance with
the order, which suspended lodging
operations.
The order makes clear that lodging
facilities – which includes hotels,
motels, bed and breakfasts, inns,
short term rentals (e.g. VRBO, Homeaway,
Airbnb, etc.), and all public
and private camping facilities and
RV parks – are to be closed except for
stated exemptions when supporting
the state’s COVID-19 response. Additionally,
the governor has suspended
online lodging reservations.
Under this order, the Vermont
State Police and local law enforcement
will monitor lodging providers
for compliance and work with
the Attorney General’s Office on
additional compliance measures if
needed.
Addendum 7 provides lodging
operations with additional details
on requirements, and state agencies
will also be reaching out to these
tabulated and released on Thursday, we’ll see thousands
more people applying for unemployment insurance and
that high number may continue for a third week.
The number of new applications is likely to be higher
for several reasons. First, more workers were laid off
this week due to Governor Scott’s announcement of
additional emergency closures. Second, the Vermont
Department of Labor has been swamped with electronic
applications for unemployment insurance, as has every
other state. They are still working through last week’s
backlog and that will no doubt continue through this
week and possibly next.
There are some bright spots—or maybe some lessdark
spots.
Many of the laid off workers are eligible for state
Claims > 7
Courtesy of Vermont Department of Labor
Unemployment claims have skyrocketed as COVID-19
takes hold. The Department of Labor officially reported
3,700 processed insurance claims for the week ending
March 21, but the total number of claims was far higher
—14,800.
businesses directly.
“These are incredibly difficult
times, but the more closely we can
follow all of the CDC and Health
Department guidance, the more
effectively we can slow the spread
and save lives,” said Governor Scott.
“I know we’re asking a lot of business
owners, workers, school employees,
parents, students and all Vermonters.
But your sacrifice is not for
nothing. If we do this now, we can
slow the spread of this deadly virus
and keep many of our neighbors and
loved ones alive and healthy.”
The “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order
and Monday’s updated travel and
lodging order are in effect until April
15, 2020, though may be extended or
shortened as needed.
For the latest information and
guidance relating to Vermont’s
COVID-19 response, visit healthvermont.gov/covid19.
Table of contents
Local News ................................................................ 2
State News ................................................................. 6
Opinion ..................................................................... 8
News Briefs ............................................................. 14
Puzzles..................................................................... 15
Silver Linings .......................................................... 16
Food Matters ........................................................... 18
Ski Shop Showcase ................................................. 20
Pets .......................................................................... 22
Mother of the Skye .................................................. 23
Columns .................................................................. 24
Rockin’ the Region .................................................. 26
Service Directory .................................................... 28
Classifieds ............................................................... 30
Real Estate ............................................................... 31
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6 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
E FROM THE SELECTBOARD RE: COVID-19
NOTICE FROM THE SELECTBOARD
RE: COVID-19
March 16, 2020
The Town of Chittenden Select Board
is monitoring the development of
the COVID-19 outbreak. In response,
Chittenden is reviewing information
from the Vermont Department of Health,
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and Vermont Emergency
Management (VEM).
Effective March 16, 2020, the Town of Chittenden will limit activities
and meetings at the Town Office to essential municipal operations only.
The Select Board will continue to meet as scheduled until further notice
or action is required. Non-essential activities and meetings will not be
allowed at the Town Office until further notice. Dog licenses are due by
State law by April 1, 2020. Consider obtaining your license by mail instead
of coming into the Town Office. Rabies certificates can be emailed by your
veterinarian, upon request, to chittendenvt@comcast.net. Dump stickers
are also due April 1, 2020. Please consider purchase of these by mail, also.
lect Board is monitoring the development of the COVID-19
tenden is reviewing information from the Vermont Department of
ase Control and Prevention (CDC) and Vermont Emergency
he Town of In Chittenden addition, the will Select limit Board activities has taken and the following meetings actions: at the Town
al operations • only. to extend The Select the late Board fee for will dog licenses continue until to May meet 1. as
ce or action is required. Non-essential activities and meetings will
Office until further notice.
• to waive the use of punch cards until May 1. There is to be no
te law by April 1,
loitering
2020.
at
Consider
the transfer
obtaining
station.
your license by mail
own Office. Rabies certificates can be emailed by your veterinarian,
vt@comcast.net.
April 1, 2020. Please consider purchase of these by mail, also.
• to extend the date for purchase of new dump stickers until May 1.
• to suspend public use of all town buildings until further notice,
except for the Chittenden Volunteer Fire Department and the Town
Office as necessary.
Group meetings for Meals for Seniors is cancelled. Home deliveries
will be made to those who reserve as usual with Marilyn at 773-6308 by
Wednesday evening to reserve your meal. If called, Meals on Wheels will
make home deliveries to elderly or medically compromised, even if the
individuals are not part of the Seniors group.
d has taken the following actions:
e for dog licenses until May 1.
r purchase of new dump stickers until May 1.
punch cards until May 1. There is to be no loitering at the transfer
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, i.e,. fever, cough and difficulty
breathing, please DO NOT come into the Town Office. Contact the Town
Office at 483-6647 or chittendenvt@comcast.net to assist in transacting
your town business. Recommendations to follow to lessen the chance of
getting and spreading Covid-19 may be found at www.healthvermont.gov/
covid19 .
e of all town buildings until further notice, except for the Chittenden
rtment and the Town Office as necessary.
Please monitor the town’s Facebook Page
(search on Facebook for townofchittenden) or
Emergency Management (search on Facebook for
chittendenvtemergencymanagement) websites or
www.chittendenvt.org for the most up to date
information regarding the operations of municipal
government and events.
or Seniors is cancelled. Home deliveries will be made to those who
yn at 773-6308 by Wednesday evening to reserve your meal. If called,
home deliveries to elderly or medically compromised, even if the
he Seniors group. @ChittendenVT
OVID-19, i.e,. fever, cough and difficulty breathing, please DO NOT
. Contact the Town Office at 483-6647 or chittendenvt@comcast.net
town business. Recommendations to follow to lessen the chance of
d-19 may be found at www.healthvermont.gov/covid19 .
For the most up to date information about COVID-19 go to the State of
Vermont Department of Health website www.healthvermont.gov/covid19
or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website www.cdc.gov/
covid19
If you cannot find the answers to your questions on these websites,
contact 211.
acebook Page (search on Facebook for townofchittenden) or
earch on Facebook for chittendenvtemergencymanagement) websites
r the most up to date information regarding the operations of
events.
Everyday Preventive Measures Person-to-person spread of the virus
is thought to occur mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an
infected person coughs or sneezes. Much is still unknown about how the
virus spreads. Take these everyday preventive actions to help stop the
spread of germs:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20
seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcoholbased
hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed
hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue
in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Writing the rules as we go
Over the past few weeks, we have seen
addendum after addendum to Governor
Phil Scott’s Emergency
Declaration
that was issued
on March 13.
What was allowed
yesterday may not
be true today. The
situation is changing
daily. Last week
saw the governor
By Rep. Jim
Harrison
This week the Vermont
Legislature passed three
significant
measures,
embodied in
two bills, H.742
and H.681, to
improve life
for Vermonters
in response to
the COVID-19
crisis. After a
week of working
remotely,
17 of the 30
Senators met
on Tuesday, March 24, in
the Statehouse, and with
plenty of social distancing,
passed these amended bills
back to the House. The next
day, the House, under more
dramatic circumstances,
passed the bills as well.
In H.742 we help Vermont
to deal with the CO-
VID-19 crisis by expanding:
1) the capabilities of our
health care system to respond
to our urgent needs,
and 2) the unemployment
insurance program to
issuing orders to
stay home, close
non-essential businesses,
including
lodging and short term rentals, and extend
the school closures. On Monday, March 30,
the governor’s order directs residents and
non-residents coming from outside the
state for anything other than an essential
purpose to home-quarantine for 14 days.
The COVID-19 pandemic is unlike anything
that we have lived through. And while
it is our hope that the measures put in place
will soon be unnecessary, the reality is that
we don’t know the timetable ahead of us.
The Legislature is also in uncharted
territory. Back on March 13, lawmakers adjourned
for 10 days. When it became clear
we couldn’t do business under the dome in
the normal sense, committees began meeting
via conference calls and now through
video platforms.
Discussions on bills dealing with the
Legislative update: Two bills pass in
response to COVID-19
By Sen. Alison
Clarkson
provide more benefits for
employees and experience
rating relief for
businesses.
The health
care provisions
create flexibility
in licensing
requirements
for nurses
and doctors,
expand
telemedicine
opportunities
for coronavirus
and other
health concerns, extend
prescriptions and create
more flexibility for what
pharmacists can prescribe
during this crisis. It also
provides for the creation
of emergency hospital facilities
for COVID-19 treatment
and relaxes provider
tax payment requirements
for hospitals and doctors.
This bill also expands
our unemployment insurance
program to allow
Vermonters who have been
temporarily laid off, or
pandemic that passed the House on the
13th, continued in the Senate remotely.
Senators returned to the State House with
barely a quorum to approve changes to the
House version. The House, with 150 members,
was a little more problematic with the
need for social distancing.
New rules were drawn up with leaders
of all parties and independents to allow for
remote voting during the emergency. A plan
to reconvene the House on Wednesday,
March 25, with a small number of members
present to adopt the rules backfired
when Rep. Cynthia Browning, D-Arlington,
questioned if a quorum was present (it was
not), which effectively stopped any business
from taking place. (Under our rules,
quorums are assumed unless questioned.)
Urgent calls for House members to return
to the State House were made and some
80-90 of us got in our cars immediately and
headed to Montpelier. The new rules and
emergency bills were passed in short order.
As part of a test group for remote voting,
I can tell you the technology certainly
works, but will take some time before it goes
smoothly for all. As for the video platform,
the good news is that committee meetings
can be streamed on YouTube, allowing
for more transparency. However, it also is
a bit more cumbersome to have an open
discussion about various bills, especially if
there is any controversy. Debating or asking
questions on bills with 150 House members
remotely could be challenging.
Harrison > 12
those who have voluntarily
left their jobs, to qualify for
unemployment benefits if
they leave: 1) to self-isolate
or quarantine at the recommendation
or directive
of a healthcare provider,
public health authority, or
the governor because the
person has been diagnosed
with, symptomatic for,
exposed to, or is in a high
risk category with respect
to, COVID-19; 2) due to
an unreasonable risk that
the individual could be
exposed to or become
infected with COVID-19
at work; 3) to care for a
family member who is
self-isolating or quarantining
for similar reasons; or,
4) to care for a child under
18 years of age because the
child’s school or child care
has been closed or the child
care provider is unavailable
due to COVID-19. Normal
work search requirements
will be waived during this
period and all layoffs and
resignations related to CO-
Clarkson > 12
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 7
Superintendent to leave
Windsor Central School District
Staff report
Mary Beth Banios, superintendent of
the Windsor Central Union School District,
announced that she will be leaving
the district in an email to school board
members, Wednesday, March 25.
Banios told the board that she had gotten
the job as superintendent at Hamilton-Wenham
Regional School District, in
Wenham, Massachusetts, and would be
starting there on July 1, 2020.
Banios has been superintendent of the
Windsor Central Supervisory Union in
Woodstock for the past three years. She
was among four finalists for the position
at Hamilton-Wenham. She found out she
had been selected for the job on Tuesday
night, March 24.
“I have deeply appreciated the opportunity
to serve this district over the past
three years, and have great respect for all
the invested and committed individuals
who are working so hard on behalf of
our students,” Banios wrote to the board.
“Please know that I will continue to focus
on my work here at WCSU and serving
our communities through the end of the
school year. There is also an amazing
leadership team in place in this district
which is well poised to help to successfully
navigate this transition.”
Banios’s contract would have ended
June 30, 2020, according board members,
but at one point a contract had been
floated for years longer.
>
Claims: Record unemployment numbers seen across the state, country
from page 5
unemployment benefits. And the federal
stimulus bill, passed in the wee hours
of last Thursday, March 26, added $600
per week in additional benefits—more
than doubling current UI payments in
Vermont, which are capped at $513 per
week. The bill also expands eligibility in
several ways, including making self-employed
workers eligible for benefits. That’s
a very big deal for many Vermonters.
The sharp employment decline comes
on top of an economy
that basically
has been becalmed
in the water for the
last four years, at
least when we look
at the employment
numbers.
Each year in
March all 50 state
labor departments
revise their estimates
of jobs and
unemployment for
the past few years
based on better and more complete data.
For Vermont, those revisions showed the
state had a record 316,100 jobs in 2019.
But that was up a scant 100 jobs from
2018. Moreover, the 2019 job count was
revised down by 900 jobs, not a huge
amount, but an indication that what we
thought was going on last year was better
The federal stimulus
bill...added $600 per
week in additional
benefits—more than
doubling current UI
payments in Vermont,
which are capped at
$513 per week.
Board elects new chair
After some internal gamesmanship, the
WCSD board successfully elected Bryce
Sammel as chair of the Windsor Central
Modified Unified Union School District
Board and Pamela Fraser as vice chair at
the Monday board meeting, March 23.
Both will serve until March 2021, when
their chairmanships end.
Sammel was elected unanimously by the
board. Fraser won the vice chair position
over Ben Ford, of Woodstock, in a 10-5 vote.
The board briefly considered, then
rejected, a motion to do away with the vice
chair position or to have two vice chairs.
Sammel and Fraser are both from
Barnard and are mid-way through serving
their three-year terms for that town. Sammel’s
term end in 2021; Fraser’s in 2022.
The election followed resignations from
two other board members: former chair
Patti Kuzmickas of Pomfret, who had been
elected chair March 9, and Malena Agin
of Woodstock. Their open seats will be
filled by the Select Board from each of their
towns.
Kuzmickas stepped down as chair the
day after being elected amid claims of a
flawed nomination process from a few
fellow board members. On March 11, she
resigned from the board altogether. Agin
gave her resignation from the board shortly
afterward as a result of Kuzmickas’ treatment
and a fair election that was foiled.
than the reality.
In 2016 Vermont’s total employment
was 313,300, which means Vermont
employers added 2,800 jobs in total in the
past three years. To put that in perspective,
the state’s job count increased by
more than 3,000 each year from 1993 to
2001.
So, the nearly 14,000 people who lost
their jobs and applied for unemployment
insurance during the week ending in
March 21 more than
eats up all those
gains.
However long
the current economic
shutdown
lasts, it is sure to
mean that the
U.S. and Vermont
economies are in a
recession. Even if
the shutdown ends
at the end of April, it
will take months for
economic activity
to recover.
Vermont’s total 2020 job count will be
less than the 2019 numbers. That will be
the first time that’s happened in a decade.
Art Woolf recently retired as an associate
professor of economics at the University
of Vermont. He is a columnist for
VTDigger.
Courtesy SVMC
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center clinicians are performing drive-up coronavirus
testing with an order from a primary care provider.
State expands COVID-19 testing
At a press conference on Friday, March
27, Governor Phil Scott and Health Commissioner
Mark Levine, M.D., announced
that aggressive procurement of supplies
has allowed the state to broaden the scope
of its testing efforts.
Until now, limited supplies required
restricting prioritized testing to high risk
patients. Dr. Levine said health care providers
are now able to include people with
mild to moderate symptoms in making
clinical referrals for priority testing.
Hospitals and federally qualified Health
Centers throughout Vermont have been
at the forefront of the state’s COVID-19
response and are receiving these newly
available supplies for specimen collection.
“Early and broad testing is a proven
strategy to limit the spread of this virus,”
said Dr. Levine. “Vermont is still early
enough on the curve of positive cases that
increased testing can have a large impact
on our ability to flatten that curve.”
The Vermont Department of Health,
in collaboration with the medical division
of the National Guard Civil Support
Team, announced they set up an additional
COVID-19 patient test site at Landmark
College in Putney. This site was established
to provide additional testing capacity
for people who have a referral from their
health care provider.
The Landmark College site is the latest
addition to the increasing number of temporary
pop-up, drive-through and other
facilities being established to help ensure
as many Vermonters as possible can be
tested.
The Landmark College testing site
began to see referred patients on Sunday,
March 29, and will operate from 8 a.m. to 3
p.m. throughout the week. The hours and
days open will depend on the availability of
testing supplies.
Health officials emphasized that people
cannot simply show up at a testing site or
drive-through location. Everyone must still
talk with their health care provider and be
formally referred for testing.
“Our overall strategy is to test, to counsel
and isolate those who test positive,
conduct contact tracing, and quarantine
as clinically appropriate,” said Dr. Levine.
“We are all counting on each other to do everything
we can to meet this public health
crisis head on.”
Opinion
8 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
OP-ED
Virus is hurting
the public’s right
to know
By John Flowers, Addison Independent
After 35 years in reporting, I thought I’d been through a
lot as a journalist:
Martial law in the Philippines; a couple of natural disasters
— the big ice storm and rampant flooding in Addison
County — in 1996; a double-murder/suicide; a visit by the
Dalai Lama; local soldiers deploying (and returning) from
wars in the Middle East; a major downtown renovation
project: the Middlebury rail bridges project that is still in
progress; a train derailment.
I’m now adding a new one to the list: COVID-19. The
first, and hopefully last, worldwide pandemic I’ll ever have
to cover.
It is the biggest reporting challenge I’ve ever experienced.
The news changes by the hour; your latest update story
can become “old news” 10 minutes after you file it. I wince
every time I “refresh” the Vermont Department of Health
website, fearing the tally of Addison County coronavirus
cases will spike. And everyone hopes that neither they —
The coronavirus has
more angles than a
Picasso painting.
nor a loved one
— becomes one
of those statistics.
My wife’s a
nurse, my son’s an
advanced EMT
and my daughter is a social worker, all on the front lines. I’m
in constant fear that one or all of my family members will be
banished to self-quarantine at best, or a ventilator at worst.
The newspaper industry has been navigating challenging
financial waters for several years, and now there’s a
veritable storm brewing at a time when the public needs us
most.
There’s no shortage of stories to cover these days, just
fewer journalists to take them on. The coronavirus has
more angles than a Picasso painting. There are the health
impacts, the economic toll, the countless stories of generosity
and perseverance, and of course the effect on public
education. You file four stories and go to bed feeling like
you’ve left 16 more on the table.
As reporters, our currency is equal parts trust and access.
You earn trust over time, which gets you more sources to tell
Covering corona > 13
Vermont goes to war
against COVID-19
By Meg Hansen
Public health and the economy are two sides of the
same coin. Yet, as the number of COVID-19 cases escalates
and an economic implosion looms, crisis managers feel
compelled to pick either heads or tails. President Trump,
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Texas Lt. Governor
Dan Patrick are eager to reopen the economy. Vermont
Governor Phil Scott, in contrast, foresees a protracted shutdown
in response to the pandemic. On Tuesday, he issued
a “stay at home” order that lasts until April 15, and could be
extended.
We are told that the pandemic could overwhelm our
healthcare system, as it has in Italy, resulting in the rationing
of beds and ventilators. The UK’s National Health
Services decided that it would ration cancer services to
patients with the highest chance of survival, if the surge of
coronavirus patients becomes too high.
The state has a total of 961 hospital beds (of which 500
are available for COVID-19 patients), 99 intensive care unit
War on virus > 13
LETTERS
F-35s over ventilators
Dear Editor,
While Vermont communities
were watching
for signs the federal
government would help
them weather the current
public health issues,
130 federal legislators
had their sights set on
something else. These
members of Congress
had the audacity to jointly
petition the House
Armed Services Committee,
just four days
after the White House
declared a state of emergency,
asking to once
again use taxpayer dollars
to purchase 98 more
F-35 nuclear bomber
military jets, which will
cost a minimum of $78
million up to possibly
$100 million each.
In the 21st Century
the federal government
has chosen to invest
massive amounts of
money into preparing
for and waging endless
phoney wars for endless
military/industrial
corporation profits while
neglecting public health,
education, and other
domestic priorities.
In the regular budget
cycle for fiscal year
2020 the Pentagon got
an insane $738 billion
for their budget. Compare
that to Health And
Human Services department
which got $94
billion, while the Center
For Disease Control and
Prevention received $8
billion in program funding.
These misguided
budget priorities come
at a huge cost and we are
now seeing the effects
firsthand when government
misallocates
money into war.
It is criminal that so
many of our elected officials
would continue to
aggressively support the
corrupt military/industrial
machine especially
when larger investment
in the healthcare sector
would create twice the
number of jobs as the
same amount of investment
in the defense
industry.
Climate change, inadequate
infrastructure
and education, environmental
pollution, lack
of universal healthcare;
these are the real threats
to global well-being and
peace.
Ralph Corbo,
Wallingford
Bad Break by Steve Sack, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, MN
Mass logging must be
stopped in GMNF
Dear Editor,
Unless activists stop the
plan, thousands of acres of
Green Mountain National
Forest near Killington and
Mount Snow will be logged.
“They are coming hard
with the chainsaws to
Green Mountain National
Forest,” said Chris Matera,
a civil engineer and
founder of Massachusetts
Forest Watch, a citizens
group formed to protect
New England public
forests. “What a sorry sight
it will be to look down from
the top of Mount Snow and
see clear-cuts instead of
that beautiful intact forest
we see now.”
Matera was the main
subject of a New York Times
article about logging. To
get an idea of what this
logging will look like, see
“before and after” photos
that he took in 2017 in New
Hampshire at maforests.
org/WMNF.pdf.
Activists are focusing on
stopping logging on publicly
owned land. Banning
clear-cut logging, or all logging,
there would result in
logging companies buying
more land, which in turn
would keep that land from
being converted to vacation
houses, roads, parking
lots and strip malls.
Banning logging in
Green Mountain National
Forest would be one of the
best things Vermont could
do to stop climate change,
Michael Kellet said. According
to the Lowell Sun
daily newspaper, Kellett
was a “key player” in the
creation by President
Obama of the 87,400 acre
Katahdin Woods and Waters
National Monument in
Maine. Logging is banned
in national monuments.
Kellet runs a group that has
the website restore.org.
In recent years, the
group 350 Vermont has
used non-violent civil disobedience
to fight climate
change. In California in
1996 about 1,000 people
were arrested for nonviolent
civil disobedience
to stop logging in the privately-owned
Headwaters
forest. The protesters won
when the federal government
bought 7,000 acres
and permanently banned
logging there.
Eesha Williams,
Dummerston
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 OPINION • 9
CAPITOL QUOTES
On doing good in the face of
COVID-19...
“Throughout this incredibly
challenging time, two of our absolute
priorities have been, and will continue
to be, the health and wellbeing
of our employees and mountain
communities. What makes our resorts so
special is where they’re located and the
passionate people who live there.”
LETTERS
Killington Active Seniors thanks
community for support
Dear Editor,
On behalf of the Killington
Active Seniors, I would
like to thank the many people
who have reached out
to offer help and support to
us in these unusual times.
I would particularly
like to acknowledge the
Killington Locals Group on
Facebook who contacted
me early on. I remember
thinking that we should
be helping them as many
have young children and
are trying to work and hold
their families together.
A big thank you also
goes out to the Lookout
who prepared hot takeout
dinners for our entire
group. Not only did we all
have a great dinner that
night but because of the
social distancing in place
we had a chance to at least
wave to each other as we
drove by in our cars.
Our town employees,
Sherburne Library and
Search and Rescue Squad
have also stayed in touch
and we thank you.
As I speak to all of
the seniors, there is one
thing we all agree with:
We are so happy that we
live in Killington. Again, I
sincerely thank all of you
for keeping us in your
hearts and watching out
for us. It is very comforting
in these challenging times.
Sincerely,
Gerrie Russell,
Killington
Said Vail Resorts’ CEO, Rob Katz, March 30. Katz
donated $2.5 million to provide immediate support for
both Vail Resorts employees and the mountain towns
where the Company operates, including Okemo.
“As of this week, over a billion children are out
of school worldwide because of closures linked
to coronavirus. Many children depend on the
care and nutrition they receive during school
hours, including nearly 22 million children
in America who rely on food support. No Kid
Hungry is making resolute efforts to reach as
many of those children as possible,”
Said Angelina Jolie, who donated $1 million to No Kid
Hungry.
“I decided I’m gonna read to you and your
children or just you, depending on what you
prefer. I’m not gonna pass judgment right now
since the world is a little bit of a hot mess. I’ll
try to provide at least 10 minutes of daycare to
you and your families a night while we’re going
through this unprecedented global event. I love
you all.”
Said “Frozen” actor Josh Gad, pledging to livestream
himself reading children’s books through the
pandemic.
By Robin Alberti
A lunch recently delivered to two teenage students at their home in Killington.
Thank you WUMHS teachers, staff
Dear Editor,
Everyone is having to
deal with disruptions to
their daily lives in light of
the COVID-19 crisis. Many
of us are out of work, or
adjusting to working from
home.
Families of schoolaged
children especially
are going through major
changes right now. Parents
are having to be teachers
as well as moms and dads
— and employees, if they’re
lucky enough to still have
a job at all. It is stressful on
everyone.
I have two teenagers
at home, who attend
Woodstock Union Middle
and High School. I want to
recognize what an amazing
job the teachers, administrators
and support staff
of WUMHS are doing in
supporting students and
their families during this
trying time. I want our
community to know some
of the extraordinary things
that are happening to make
this transition to at-home
learning a little easier on
families. Not only have I
received email communication
from the school,
but individual teachers
and special educators have
also reached out via email
and personal phone calls
to check in and make sure
my kids have what they
need to continue learning
from home. The school has
made sure that every child
has access to the internet,
and if they do not have
computers at home the
school has made Chromebooks
available to students
so they can complete their
school work.
We have also been
receiving deliveries of food
from the school. Every
school day breakfast and
lunch is safely left on our
porch, and Friday’s delivery
came with some extras for
the weekend. I have been
impressed with the quality
of food, and the healthy
variety of fresh fruits and
vegetables that comes with
every meal. Wraps and rolls
have been whole wheat,
and milk has been included
every day. Everything has
been safely packaged.
It has taken the burden
of fixing extra meals on
school days away from me
so I have more time to help
my children stay on task
to get their school work
done, and be able to continue
working from home
myself. This is a wonderful
service the school is offering
to families during this
time.
We should all be proud
of our school and the staff
there. They are making sure
that no child is left hungry
or not able to continue
learning while the doors to
the building are closed. I
am very thankful to live in
a community with a school
that has so many caring
and dedicated individuals
that are doing their best
to support the physical,
mental and intellectual
well-being of their students
from a “socially distant”
standpoint. Thank you
Woodstock Union High
School and Middle School.
Keep up the great work.
From a grateful parent of
two students,
Robin Alberti,
Killington
10 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
>
Schools close: Students will not return to class this spring
from page 1
and will continue remote classes through
the end of the spring semester.
The letter noted that the Vermont
Department of Public Safety and Vermont
Emergency Management have made a
request of college officials that they prepare
for the possibility of using residence halls
and other facilities to accommodate overflow
relating to COVID-19.
“To the extent we are not using our residential
facilities, they can be of critical use
to our neighboring communities during
this crisis. They need us to help our neighboring
communities see the pandemic
through,” Spaulding wrote.
Spaulding said decisions were still being
made about graduation, commencement
ceremonies and the awarding of degrees.
However, Castleton has already decided
to cancel its graduation ceremony in the
spring. Others are likely to follow suit.
In a message to students on March 24,
Castleton University President Dr. Karen M.
Scolforo wrote: “In order to keep everyone
safe, we will not be holding Commencement
at Castleton University this year.
Seniors, your degrees will be conferred
pending completion of graduation requirements.
We want to celebrate your success,
and we do not want you to miss out completely
on this tradition. We plan to offer a
separate ceremony for 2020 graduates in
the spring of 2021. I am so sorry to share
this news, as I recognize how important
celebrating your significant accomplishment
is to you and your families. I hope
that you are able to find ways to mark this
moment until we are able to join together in
your honor.”
Scolforo letter also noted that for the
spring semester, students may convert up
to three undergraduate courses to a Pass/
No Pass option and that pro-rated adjustments
for room and board will be adjusted
back to March 16, when students were
asked to depart from residence halls.
Relief: Government stimulus aims to bring relief
>
from page 1
edented crisis, but this bill is an important
step to help us get there. Vermonters
know that we are all in this together.”
Highlights of the Coronavirus Aid,
Relief, and Economic Security (CARES)
Act (H.R. 748), include:
• Provides direct payments of
$1,200 to individuals making up
to $75,000 a year, or $2,400
for couples making up to
$150,000. Families would
receive $500 for each dependent
child.
• Increases unemployment
compensation benefits for
recipients by an extra $600 per
week. Eligibility is extended to
self-employed and independent
contractors.
• Provides $100 billion for hospitals
and health care providers on the
front lines of this crisis.
• Makes $367 billion worth of loans
and grants available to small businesses.
• Provides $9.5 billion to support
farmers.
• Creates a $150 billion state relief
fund to help states address this
pandemic. Vermont will receive
$1.25 billion.
• Stabilizes the SNAP program with
$15.8 billion.
Vermont U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy
announced that Vermont is poised
to receive nearly $2 billion in federal
resources from the emergency spending
package. Leahy, as the vice chairman of
the Senate Appropriations Committee,
is a lead negotiator of provisions in the
bill that will direct formula funding to the
state to combat the spread of COVID-19
and support those on the front lines caring
for the sick.
Chief among the federal resources
coming to the state will be $1.25 billion
through the Coronavirus Relief Fund,
established to support state and counties
that are addressing the economic devastation
brought about by the virus. Leahy
pushed for a small state minimum for the
$150 billion fund, ensuring that Vermont
would receive sufficient support.
Leahy said: “Vermont is already reeling
from the impacts of the spread of the
coronavirus. I have heard from hundreds
of small businesses and entities across
the state, struggling to
support their employees
and maintain their
businesses. Meanwhile,
our healthcare
workers and first
responders are dealing
with supply shortages
and management of care. Vermont had
a front seat in writing and negotiating
this bill. I am pleased that Vermont will
receive this critical assistance, and know
more will need to be done.”
Vermont’s $2 billion in federal
assistance will include:
• $5.4 million to support public
health preparedness and response
activities through the
Centers for Disease Control;
Unemployment eligibility is
extended to self-employed
and independent contractors.
• $4.7 million in Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG)
funding to support the expansion
of community health facilities,
child care centers, food banks,
and senior services;
• $5 million in Community Service
Block Grants to address the consequences
of increasing unemployed
and economic disruption;
• $4.3 million in Child Care Development
Block Grants to support
child care assistance to health
care sector employees, emergency
responders, sanitation workers
and other works deemed essential
during the corona virus response;
• $4.6 million for housing assistance
grants through the Department
of Housing and Urban
Development;
• $4.1 million in the Low Income
Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP);
• $20 million to support public
transportation emergency relief;
• $9.6 million to support the state’s
airports;
• $3 million in election assistance
grants;
• $2 million to support state and
local law enforcement and corrections
through the Byrne-Justice
Assistance Grant (JAG) program;
• $826,000 through the National
Endowment for the Arts and the
National Endowment for the
Humanities to support museums,
libraries and other organizations
that have been forced to shut their
doors due to the virus;
• $175,000 to support small- and
medium-sized manufacturers recover
from the economic impacts
of COVID-19 through the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership
program; and
• $862,000 in Emergency Preparedness
Grants through the Federal
Emergency Management Administration
(FEMA).
“Patrick Leahy did
what he has always
done, delivered real
results for Vermonters,”
said Terje
Anderson, chair of the
Vermont Democratic
Party. “With this funding,
those working on the front lines of this
outbreak, workers, and families impacted
by this crisis will get the much needed
resources they so urgently need.”
Individuals will begin to receive funds
within the next three weeks, legislators
claim. Those already enrolled in unemployment
will receive their additional $600
either by check or direct deposit. All qualified
individuals will receive the $1,200 plus
$500 for dependents automatically, too.
Provides direct
payments of $1,200
to individuals making
up to $75,000 a year.
STATE NEWS
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 11
12 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
>
Harrison: Senators are taking things day by day and sometimes writing the rules as they go
from page 6
Going forward during this emergency period may require
that bills not dealing with the COVID-19 crisis and the
various state budgets may have to take a backseat, especially
if they require new funding or new responsibilities from
various agencies. That didn’t stop the House Government
Operations Committee from advancing a bill on campaign
financing for the 2022 elections last week. So what is important
and timely may still be in the eyes of the beholder.
More controversial measures, like a bill imposing new
firearm restrictions, will be put on hold for now according
to House Speaker Johnson. What is less clear is the fate of
significant measures relating to climate change, amendments
to Vermont’s Act 250 law and the regulation of cannabis
among others.
The Legislature approved and sent to the Governor two
bills last week dealing with various COVID-19 related
measures:
H.742 – Allows certain health agencies to waive or
modify certain regulatory requirements for flexibility in
staffing; directs the state to consider measures to expand
health insurance coverage; allows pharmacies to extend
maintenance prescriptions; allows relicensing of retired
health care professionals; expands insurance coverage for
telemedicine; and allows the Commissioner for Children
and Families to use additional funds for child care assistance.
H.742 also contained changes to Vermont’s unemployment
program, including waiving of the one week delay
for COVID-19 UI claims; and alleviates employer experience
rating due to increases in certain situations where
employees were laid off or needed to leave their jobs due
to COVID-19.
H.681 — allows electronic and remote meetings during
the emergency for public bodies; allows changes to our
2020 elections, including potential for mail in balloting;
flexibility on municipal deadlines; and allows the Department
of Fish & Wildlife to conduct its area meetings
remotely while reducing the number of them.
Meanwhile, emergency federal legislation has been
enacted that promises help to individuals as well as businesses.
Several links are listed under my resource section
below and/or you can reach out to our Congressional
delegation (Rep. Welch, Senators Leahy and Sanders) for
more details.
We may have to continue to adjust some of the rules
as we proceed, but we will get through this and hopefully
soon! Stay safe and healthy. To quote President Lincoln,
“Let us hope that these times that we are now facing will
appeal to the better angels of our nature.”
For a touch of humor on our current stay home situation
enjoy this YouTube video.
youtube.com/watch?v=k0ci5EYb9qA&app=desktop
Congratulations are in order to David Fox, whom the
governor appointed to become Rutland County sheriff,
replacing retiring Sheriff Stephen Benard. Fox has been a
member of the sheriff’s office since graduating from the
Vermont Police Academy in 2004.
Additional Resources
Call 211 (the Vermont 211 database) for Covid-19 assistance
or visit: healthvermont.gov/covid19
Vermont Executive Orders: governor.vermont.gov/
document-types/executive-orders
Health Connect: Uninsured Vermonters can sign up
for Vermont Health Connect until April 17, no matter how
long you’ve been uninsured. Apply by calling 1-855-899-
9600. For free help, call 1-800-917-7787 or visit: vtlawhelp.
org/vhc-coronavirus
Unemployment information: labor.vermont.gov
New tax deadlines: tax.vermont.gov/coronavirus
Resources for businesses: accd.vermont.gov/covid-
19-guidance
Public Wi-Fi map and information on access in Vermont:
publicservice.vermont.gov/content/public-wifihotspots-vermont
>
Clarkson: COVID-19 bills passed
from page 6
VID-19 will not adversely
impact the employer’s
experience rating.
The second bill, H.681,
creates temporary provisions
addressing elections,
the open meeting
law, and deadlines for
municipal corporations.
The elections provisions
are designed to protect
Vermonters’ health and
safety while continuing
to ensure the integrity of
our democratic institutions.
It eliminates the
requirement to collect
voter signatures to run for
office in the primary or
general election, or a local
election, and shortens the
time period to file candidate
consent forms. Further,
it permits flexibility
in elections procedures
to protect people’s health
and welfare. And the bill
allows the Secretary of
State to authorize towns
that don’t currently use
Australian ballots to vote
to do so during this crisis.
It also creates flexibility
in our open meeting
laws to allow for electronic
meetings. During
the COVID-19 crisis
public bodies can meet
electronically without
designating a physical
location for the meeting
or requiring the presence
of members or staff at a
physical location. Ideally,
School Board and Select
Board meetings will be
recorded. It also permits
municipalities to extend
deadlines for licenses,
permits, programs and
plans and it prohibits
municipal corporations
from disconnecting water
or wastewater systems
(similar to the prohibition
for utilities).
This week also saw significant
federal legislation
enacted – the CARES Act.
The Vermont Legislature
is hard at work analyzing
its provisions and coordinating
our programs with
its framework. Stay tuned.
Sen. Clarkson can be
reached by email: aclarkson@leg.state.vt.us
or by
phone at 457-4627. To get
more information on the
Vermont Legislature, and
the bills which have been
proposed and passed,
visit: legislature.vermont.
gov.
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The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 13
>
War on virus: Changes are needed to ensure healthcare for all who need it, we must be watchdogs of how our tax dollars are spent and the results they get
from page 8
beds, and 210 ventilators.
Vermont officials have committed to aggressive mitigation,
but we begin this battle with two serious handicaps.
First, administrators impose a slew of draconian regulations
that have restricted the supply of health resources for
years. Second, healthcare rationing has been taking place
since the creation of Vermont’s All- Payer Accountable Care
Organization (ACO) model in 2016.
Regulating healthcare capacity
Thirty-five states including Vermont enact Certificate
of Need (CON) laws that are designed to curtail costs by
artificially limiting the supply of health resources.
In practice, CON laws lead to rationing. The government
often denies requests for new facilities to stifle
economic competition and protect the monopoly held
by the politically powerful UVM Health Network.
Vermont imposes the highest number of CON laws
(more than double the national average). A 2017 study by
the Mercatus Center showed that it could have had six more
hospitals without these regulations. The crony laws also
prevent nonhospital settings from offering medical imaging
technologies, which has led to lower utilization rates of
CT scans and MRIs.
Fewer hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers, especially
in rural areas, coupled with reduced access to medical
imaging will thwart Vermont’s ability to take care of all
COVID-19 patients requiring medical attention, hospitalization,
and respiratory support. Recently, North Carolina
allowed hospitals to add beds without state permission.
Vermont should likewise suspend its counterproductive
CON program.
CON laws are but one part of the state’s regulatory labyrinth.
A 2020 Mercatus Center report ranks Vermont 43rd
in overall healthcare openness and access. We place 47th
in the nation because of our restrictions related to health
insurance, and 45th for imposing operational constraints
on hospitals, payers, and pharmacies. The latter distinction
can be attributed to the All-Payer ACO model – the first of its
kind in the nation.
Managed by a private organization called OneCare Vermont,
this model aims to reduce costs using a two-pronged
strategy: 1) Transition all payers (Medicare, Medicaid, and
The government often denies requests for
new facilities to stifle economic competition
and protect the monopoly held by the
politically powerful.
commercial insurers) from fee-for-service to value-based
reimbursement; and 2) Promote a population health
approach in place of the traditional biomedical model. A
population-based approach targets the local health needs
of a population to improve overall health outcomes.
To this end, OneCare has spent hundreds of millions of
dollars in developing health information technology and
complex care coordination programs.
My prior investigations, while leading Vermonters
for Healthcare Freedom, demonstrated that the clinical
database used for OneCare’s analytics is inaccurate and
incomplete. During the most recent budget deliberations,
OneCare admitted that they still lack access to reliable records.
Moreover, the state auditor and health care advocate
reported that OneCare could not prove it had conducted
community programs for which it received funds. Nonetheless,
health administrators approved the organization’s
2020 budget of $1.42 billion.
Rationing underway
In 2014, then Governor Peter Shumlin announced that
his plan to implement a single payer system had failed.
The model’s cost growth exceeded Vermont’s annual GDP
growth, which broke the model. With the ACO All-Payer
project, state authorities have been trying to create a new
cost containment mechanism that will achieve what the
Shumlin Administration could not. As a result, they have
insisted on capping the growth of healthcare costs at
3.5%. This stringency comes at the cost of Vermonters’
health. Data from the Department of Vermont Health
Access shows a decline in the usage rates of primary care
physicians and specialists, as well as the overall healthy
rate across the state between 2013 and 2016.
Additionally, analyst Susan Aranoff writes that OneCare
scored worse on seven out of 10 Medicaid quality measures
in 2018 as compared to 2017. Worsening healthcare
quality indicators, reduced visits to doctors, and growing
evidence of long waiting lines to receive treatment indicate
that rationing has been occurring, under the aegis of the
All-Payer ACO model, to limit healthcare costs.
We thus confront our invisible enemy at a significant disadvantage.
The answer then to mounting the most effective
response is straightforward – increase the state’s healthcare
capacity. This strategy requires the political will to let go of
regulations and ideological experiments. A pandemic without
precedent in living memory demands the impossible.
Meg Hansen trained as an MBBS and is the former executive
director of Vermonters for Health Care Freedom, a health
policy think tank. She is also a 2020 Lt. Governor candidate
in Vermont.
Covering corona: A new challenge
>
from page 8
your story. But we’ve all been able to depend on Vermont’s
Open Meeting Law to provide basic guarantees to public
information at the state and municipal levels.
But it looks like COVID-19 is about to make that tougher.
The Senate Committee on Government Operations
earlier this week met to finalize “emergency legislation”
to relax open meeting law procedures in response to
COVID-19.
The Senate panel, among other things, has been debating
a requirement that all public municipal/school meetings
have a phone number available for the public to dial
into. The Vermont League of Cities and Towns has objected
to that requirement, contending small towns would struggle
with that technology requirement. So the committee
settled on requiring a call-in number “whenever feasible”
to allow the public access, or other electronic means.
Committee members also jousted about whether Select
Boards and School Boards should have to record their
meetings. They ultimately decided in favor of such a mandate
“except in extraordinary situations that would make it
impossible.”
Sounds pretty subjective to me and to other members of
the Vermont Press Association (VPA) board.
The panel also recommended relaxing the current timeframe
for boards to release meeting minutes. The current
limit is five business days; the revised policy is 10 days.
What’s the big deal about that, you ask? If a board pitches
a major zoning change or tax hike, how long do you want
to wait for that news? Reporters can’t cover every meeting,
so in many cases we have to depend on board minutes in
learn about actions that lead to news stories.
The VPA has worked hard over the year to win these concessions
— not only for journalists, but also for the public’s
right to know.
Open government isn’t always easy. But it’s essential to
our way of life.
John Flowers is a past president of the Vermont Press
Association and a reporter for the Addison Independent, a
sister paper to the Mountain Times.
14 • NEWS BRIEFS
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
Health officials caution against using
non-approved drugs for COVID-19
April 1-7 is Medication
Safety Week and as reports
appear in the news of
certain drugs being potentially
used for treatment or
prevention of COVID-19,
the Vermont Department of
Health urges caution.
At this time, the U.S.
Drug Administration has
not approved any drugs
specifically for the treatment
of patients with
COVID-19, the state said in
a news release March 26.
Though the anti-malarial
drugs chloroquine
and hydroxychloroquine,
among others, have been
widely discussed as potential
treatments, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
has said there are
no data currently available
from randomized clinical
trials that would inform
how these drugs could be
used to treat COVID-19.
In fact, there are significant
potential risks to
taking such drugs, including
death.
Health officials remind
Vermonters that most
people who get COVID-19
can manage their symptoms
at home with rest,
drinking fluids and taking
fever-reducing medication.
Providers should only
prescribe drugs for diagnosed
conditions, not prevention,
to help maintain
the supply for Vermonters
who need them.
Prohibition on utility disconnects now includes water
On Friday, March 27, the Vermont Public
Utility Commission (PUC) expanded the
moratorium on utility disconnections to
include non-residential ratepayers and regulated
water companies. A previous order,
issued on March 18, had directed utilities to
stop any disconnection of residential utility
service due to nonpayment of electricity,
natural gas, and telecommunication bills.
In Friday’s order, the commission expands
the same protection to non-residential
ratepayers (commercial and industrial
customers) and to certain water companies
under the commission’s jurisdiction. This
expanded moratorium will last until at least
April 30. It applies to the 21 regulated water
companies in Vermont. Not all water companies
(for example, fire districts) are under
the commission’s jurisdiction.
Governor Phil Scott urged anyone with a
disconnect notice to call the state’s hotline
at 2-1-1.
With this second order, the commission
recognizes that commercial and
industrial customers and the customers of
water companies will also endure financial
constraints, and that involuntary disconnections
due to nonpayment of bills would
put them at risk.
The proceeding was opened in response
to a March 16, petition from Vermont Legal
Aid “on behalf of the low-income, disabled,
and elderly residents of the state.”
For more info visit epuc.vermont.gov.
Courtesy Killington Elementary School
Lia Gugliotta, age 12, won the most creative poster award from the NSAA.
Killington student wins
poster contest for creativity
KILLINGTON—On March 25, Mary Guggenberger, principal of Killington Elementary
School, shared the following good news with the KES community via their
newsletter. She reported that she had heard from John Duke at Killington Resort who
said “I’m happy to let you know that Lia Gugliotta won the most creative poster award
for the NSAA (National Ski Area Association) Safety Poster Contest. In addition to the
$200 gift certificate from Killington, she will receive a new helmet from the NSAA. The
poster will be published in the NSAA Journal.”
Congratulations, Lia.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 PUZZLES • 15
WORDPLAY
‘Customer’ Word Search: Find the words hidden vertically, horizontally, diagonally and backwards.
AGENT
ATTENTION
BUSINESS
CONSISTENCY
CUSTOMER
ESCALATION
ETIQUETTE
EXPERIENCE
FOLLOW-UP
IMPACT
IMPROVE
LOYALTY
MANAGEMENT
METRICS
PERCEPTION
PERFORMANCE
PRIORITY
QUALITY
REPEAT
RESOLUTION
SATISFACTION
SERVICE
SHOPPING
SUPPORT
Guess Who?
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Solutions > 29
SUDOKU
Solutions > 29
CLUES ACROSS
1. Bond villain
Mikkelsen
5. A team’s best
pitcher
8. French river
12. Mountain
nymph (Greek)
14. City of Angels
airport
15. Military force
16. Scrawny
18. Value
19. One billionth of
a second (abbr.)
20. Highly
seasoned sausage
21. Trouble
22. Prong
23. Showing
varying colors
26. Cloaked
30. Renters sign
one
31. Acquires
32. Type of
language (abbr.)
33. Partner to pains
34. Third portion of
the small intestine
39. Excessively
theatrical actor
42. Infraction
44. Classical music
for the stage
46. Slogged
47. One who
terminates
49. Breakfast is an
important one
50. Moved earth
51. Medical
procedures
56. Genus of clams
57. Not well
58. Comparative
figure of speech
59. Covered thinly
with gold
60. Principle
underlying the
universe
61. A parent’s
sisters
62. Professional
engineering group
63. Coniferous tree
64. Impudence
CLUES DOWN
1. Female parents
2. Region
3. Transaction
4. Heroic tale
5. Of algae
6. Luminous
intensity unit
7. Uncovers
8. French
commune name
9. Poisonous gas
10. Pearl Jam’s
bassist
11. Horse groom in
India
13. Destroyed
17. A way to alter
24. Promotional
materials
25. American state
26. Extinct flightless
bird of New
Zealand
27. “Modern
Family” network
28. Last or greatest
in an indefinitely
large series
29. Exercise
system __-bo
35. Type of bulb
36. Opposite of
beginning
37. Utilize
38. Type of student
40. Deficiency of
moisture
41. Areas of the
eye
42. Select
43. Sheets of
floating ice
44. Priests who act
as mediums
45. Roof of the
mouth
47. Unnatural
48. Illuminated
49. There are three
famous ones
52. Large, fast
Australian birds
53. “Dracula”
heroine Harker
54. Subsititutes
(abbr.)
55. Tax
How to Play
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.
made you look.
imagine what space
can do for you.
Mounta in Times
802.422.2399 • mountaintimes.info
theSilverLining
16 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
This week’s infusion of hope and positivity.
By Carol Geery
Sprouts rise tall aided by artificial light indoors. Most can be easily transplanted in May.
By Carol Geery
Tiny green lettuce sprouts begin to appear scattered in the soil of a warm greenhouse.
By Carol Geery
Start your seeds indoors with grow lights to help them properly germinate.
Get your garden started early this spring
By Brooke Geery
The old idiom about waiting until after Memorial Day
to plant a garden here in Vermont, doesn’t have to apply
if you start your garden indoors!
In this uncertain world, there has never been a better
time to get your hands dirty and plant a vegetable
garden. Even minimal success will provide you with
some joy (and additional food security) over the coming
summer, and homegrown veggies just taste better. In
addition to the obvious benefit of edibles, gardening is a
great activity for your mental and physical health. It gets
you outside and in touch with the natural world in a way
you may otherwise miss.
All you really need to garden is some soil, water and a
sunny spot. Don’t have a yard? No problem! Vegetables
such as tomatoes, peppers and even potatoes can be
grown with great success in pots. In this region, it is still
too early to plant most things in the ground. However,
it’s not too soon to get started and set yourself up for
success.
Starting seeds indoors.
Certain vegetables have a long maturity cycle, so to
fully take advantage of Vermont’s summer months, it’s
important to get them started now. This includes things
such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and squash. You
will need a light source— seedlings require 16-18 hours
of light to properly germinate and grow. This can be
By Carol Geery
Two types of spinach sprout in a greenhouse. The new green is a sure sign of spring.
accomplished using official grow lights or any full-spectrum
bulb, even the one in your fishtank! Use a nutrientrich
potting mixture and small pots to start. You’ll want
to establish a decent root system before moving things
to the ground in a month or two (depending on your
location). Another option is to purchase starters from a
nursery, although this can quickly get expensive.
Preparing your soil
Again, you will want to wait to plant things until the
ground has warmed up some. However, it is not too early
to till the soil and add fertilizers to get it ready. Step one
is to clear the area. If there hasn’t been a garden before,
clearing involves digging out all the grass and “native”
plants (weeds). You can hire someone to come and till
the garden and get deliveries of top soil. For a small area,
a spade will work and you can buy bags of garden soil
and compost at the local garden supply store. Before tilling,
pick up any brush, twigs, branches, rocks, or other
debris and get them all out of the way.
For a garden that’s been established, it’s just clearing,
turning the soil and raking, then add soil amendments
or plant foods. If you live near a farm (especially a horse
farm), you may be able to get a a load of manure, but it
should be dried for at least a year. Otherwise, just add
bags of manure (Moo Doo is a great local brand from
Middlebury). Use all purpose organic fertilizer according
to planting directions.
Things you can plant directly in the ground
Many plants do not like to be transplanted, or sprout
and mature quickly, so starting them indoors is unnecessary.
This includes peas, lettuce, radishes and other
root vegetables. Radishes are a personal favorite of mine
as they can handle colder temperatures and mature
quickly— time from planting to harvest can be under
a month. You can use the bitter greens in salads or as a
quick cooked side, and the peppery radishes are a great
addition to salads or even guacamole!
When you can plant really depends on the location of
the garden, drainage and exposure to the sun. Plan on
mid-April for colder-season plants, and you can plant
earlier if you’re using plastic coverings (I have lettuce
coming up, peas, carrots and beets planted). You can also
plant onions, potatoes and cabbage out in the beginning
to middle of May if the days are sunny. For tomatoes,
squash, and other heat-loving plants, wait until the end
of May. If you’re in a cold location, such as Killington, you
should probably wait until the first week in June.
Gardening is as much as art as a science, so don’t
blame yourself entirely for lack of success. Trial and error
is a great method, and over time, you’ll learn what likes
it where and what you have the most luck with! Happy
gardening.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 THE SILVER LINING • 17
Courtesy of Vermont Fish and Wildlife
A wild brook trout with its brilliant spots is many anglers’ quest this spring.
Go fishing! Angling is a great
form of social distancing
Vemont is full of lakes, ponds and
streams teeming with fish, and fishing
is a great form of social distancing. Now
that spring is here, the opportunities are
abundant and varied, and conditions
will only improve in the coming weeks.
Fish species that are open to year-round
angling include pike, pickerel, bullhead,
catfish, and panfish species like perch,
bluegill, pumpkinseed, and crappie.
Bullhead is a favorite springtime
species of many anglers, and can be
readily caught with a simple hook, worm
and bobber around culverts and the
mouths of streams where they flow into
lakes. With the same setup, you can catch
catfish, perch, crappie and sunfish while
casting from the bank to areas near vegetation
like bulrushes and cattails.
There’s nothing better than a fresh
meal of perch, crappie, bullhead or
Friday, April 3 at 12:30 p.m.—
QUECHEE— Just because we are
spending more time at home and distancing
ourselves from others doesn’t
mean the learning has to stop. Check
out this virtual engagement opportunity
from VINS to reinvigorate your
at-home learner.
On Friday, April 3, join VINS for a
reptile encounter. It’s an important time
catfish caught in our local waters. They
make for an excellent, healthy, locallysourced
meal for your family. You can
even make a biology home-school lesson
out of your adventure.
Vermont also offers year-round trout
fishing. You don’t have to wait for the
open season for trout (April 11 – Oct. 31),
there are several stream sections open
year-round for catch and release trout
fishing.
Lake Champlain is consistently recognized
as a top bass destination in the
country and while bass fishing is great
during the whole season, truly exceptional
Champlain bass fishing occurs in the
early spring. Bass Catch & Release in other
lakes and ponds around the state open
on April 11, 2020. For more information
and to purchase your fishing license ($28
per year) visit vtfishandwildlife.com.
Courtesy of VINS
Visit VINS reptiles on Facebook live
of year for herps (reptiles and amphibians).
Join in for a close encounter to
learn more about their life history, what
makes each species unique, and more
specialties of the reptiles that live at
VINS during this Facebook Live, where
they will answer all your questions in
real-time. Visit Facebook to vote for the
reptile you want to see up close, facebook.com/events/3060555233956504.
Vermont Dance Alliance
offers online dance classes
As everything moves
into online communication
and connection,
Vermont Dance Alliance
(VDA) is pleased to offer a
new online dance series,
every Saturday in April.
These classes are free for the
public (donations to VDA
graciously accepted) and
led by VDA members.
There are many wonderful
online offerings, ranging
from ballet to zumba to
general movement, posted
by VDA members on vermontdance.org.
The Vermont Dance
Alliance is a foundation
for Vermont dancers and a
public platform for dance in
Vermont. The alliance cultivates
deeper relationships
between its members, and
helps to foster a thriving artistic
community throughout
the state.
The project began in
June, 2016 as a volunteerrun
effort to gain insight
When the snow starts melting and the
temperatures get warmer, most of us
want to get outside and hike! But, mud
season is not a good time for hiking in
certain areas. Rain and melting snow at
higher elevations are keeping many of
Vermont’s hiking trails wet and muddy.
When hikers tramp on saturated soils,
they cause soil compaction and erosion
as well as damage to the trail and
surrounding vegetation. Please help
protect the fragile trails this time of year
by staying off muddy trails.
Higher elevation soils take longer to
dry out. And after heavy snowfall this
winter and following spring rains, the
trails will take longer than normal to dry
out. A trail may be dry at the trailhead,
but is muddy at a higher elevation this
time of year. If you notice this happening,
please turn around! Trails at lower
elevations, dirt roads, and recreation
paths provide excellent places for early
spring walking.
Along with the warmer weather, there
are many aspects of nature beginning
into what was happening
in dance in Vermont. Because
of the interests of the
participating volunteers,
the focus was primarily
on contemporary dance.
After a year of successful
Courtesy of Vermont Dance Alliance
networking, gathering, and
producing as a team, the
vision expanded to include
all dance forms that are
represented here in the
state. For more info visit
vermontdance.org.
Hiking tips for mud season survival
to emerge for us to enjoy. Thank you for
helping to preserve our beautiful natural
resources!
Guidelines to follow when
hiking this time of year
If a trail is so muddy that you need to
walk on the vegetation beside it, turn
back and seek another place to hike.
Plan spring hikes in hardwood forests
at lower elevations.
Avoid spruce-fir (conifer) forest at
higher elevations and on north slopes
before late May and from the end of
October until frozen or snow covered.
Camels Hump and Mt Mansfield
trails are closed from April 15 through
the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend.
Please do not hike here. Stay below
3,000 feet during these times of year.
Staying away from certain places during
mud season makes them ready to
enjoy this summer.
For more information, and other
mud season hiking options, check out
greenmountainclub.org/mud-seasonarrived.
Food Matters
18 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
Vermont
Gift Shop
Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner
LARGEST SELECTION OF ICE CREAM TREATS!
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE!
Mid-way up
Killington Access Rd.
vermontsushi.com
802.422.4241
(802) 773-2738
Open Daily 6:30 a.m.
MEALS TO GO-GO
TAKE OUT
& DELIVERY
11AM - 10PM DAILY
GROCERY
MEATS AND SEAFOOD
beer and wine
DELICATESSEN
BAKERY PIZZA CATERING
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner To Go
Hours: OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK
6:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
2023 KILLINGTON ROAD
802-422-7736 • Deli 422-7594 • ATM
Please check our FB page @KillingtonMarket
& Website for our daily specials.
www.killingtonmarket.com
Specials
Daily
KILLINGTON, Celebrating VT our 74th year! KILLINGTON, VT
GROCERY
@
(on the access road)
GAS BEER CAVE
For Convenience Store purchases, use our on-line
ordering system for a convenient pickup option. Sorry,
OPEN 7 DAYS no deli or pizza orders at this OPEN time. 7 DAYS
2384 Killington Rd • mountainmerchantvt.com 2384 Killington Rd • mountainmerchantvt.com
mountainmerchantvt.com
802.422.CAVE
@
(on the access road)
OPEN 7 DAYS
802.422.CAVE (2283)
Market & Gas Station Everyday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.
802.422.CAVE
Conveniently located on the Killington Access Road
2384 Killington Road, Killington
WE’RE HERE
TO HELP!
ALL
STOCKED
UP!
Chef Claude’s (not-so) secret recipes
At Chef Claude’s Choices Restaurant in Killington,
Chef Claude is a master of fine cuisine. Visitors to his
restaurant enjoy a variety of items including rotisserie
meats and handmade pastas. Unfortunately, the
restaurant is closed due to COVID-19, but never fear!
Chef Claude has been sharing a few of his recipes on
Facebook, complete with hacks for making due with
low supplies. One of the best examples of this, an easy
flat bread.
Easy Flat Bread
Combine 1 cup flour, dash salt, 2 tablespoon oil,
100ml warm milk, cover and rest 15 minutes.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil, mix, cover with wet cloth,
rest 20 min.
Form balls, roll out with flour, heat pan with salt and
water, cook a couple of minutes each side.
I was able to fit two in pan at a time. Makes 8.
Sauces
Any well-cooked meat or veggie can be a meal, but if
you really want to take your quarantine cooking to the
next level, it’s all about the sauces. Chef Claude offers a
couple of choices of varying complexity.
Red Curry Coconut Sauce
“This Red Curry Coconut sauce is an easy versatile
recipe. Works great for chicken, seafood, fish, or vegetarian,”
Chef Claude said.
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1/4 cup loosely packed brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp Red Curry paste
• zest and juice of one lime
• 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp fresh-grated ginger
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel pot and
simmer for about 5 minutes. Add 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
when cooled.
Easy Balsamic Reduction Glaze
• 1 pint quality balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup, or 1/3 cup sugar
In heavy-bottomed pot bring vinegar to boil, reduce
to simmer for 15 min or until syrupy. Use wooden
spoon and reduce ‘til it coats spoon. Sauce will
thicken as it cools.
RUTLAND
CO-OP
grocery
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household goods
77 Wales St
Full Service Vape Shop
Humidified Premium Cigars • Hand Blown Glass Pipes
Hookahs & Shisha Roll Your Own Tobacco & Supplies
CBD Products • Smoking Accessories
131 Strongs Avenue Rutland, VT
(802) 775-2552
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health and beauty
Like us on
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By Chef Claude
Chef Claude’s easy flat bread browning on the skillet.
Creole Chicken
By popular demand, here is the recipe for Creole
Chicken. This dish is a favorite at Choices. Chef Claude
offers the recipe with this advice, “Be creative using
what you have on hand. I’m going to try to make my own
blackening seasoning and sub vegetables for shrimp/
andouille.”
• 60 oz skin on, boneless chicken breast
• sliced onion and bell peppers
• Andouille sausage
• Two jumbo shrimp
• Blackening seasoning
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• Salad oil to cover the bottom of the pan
• chopped garlic
• a couple pinches of flour
Heat your skillet ‘til hot with just enough oil so the
breast doesn’t stick. Have your exhaust fan on high!
Add pre-seasoned breast, skin side down and turn heat
down to a slow sizzle. When halfway done, add onions,
bell pepper, three slices of andouille and brown.
Add a couple of pinches of flour and stir slowly on low
heat. After a couple minutes, slowly add 1/4 cup broth.
Simmer, covered, keeping an eye on the amount and
Recipes > 25
Food Matters
EVERY
SATURDAY
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 19
THRU MAY 2nd
251 West St
10am-2pm
Rutland
vtfarmersmarket.org
Summer
Market
STARTS
May 9!
Due to the “Stay Home. Stay Safe” order, the Winter Market is closed. Stay
in touch via social media & our website for regular updates. Until we are
allowed to re-open please visit our vendors at their farms or online!
BAKED GOODS:
3 BEARS BAKERY
Bearly-sane@hotmail.com
BOMOSEEN BREAD BASKET
Facebook.com/bomoseenbreadbasket
MENDON MTN ORCHARDS
1894 Route 4, Mendon
802-775-5477
RAYS OF SUNSHINE
802-779-7578
STORYTIME FOODS
storytimevermont@aol.com
DAIRY & EGGS:
BRIDPORT CREAMERY
802-758-6800
bridportcreamery.com
ICEHOUSE FARM
Icehousefarmvt.com
LARSON FARM
661 South Street, Wells
802-645-0865
NORTH MEADOW FARM
726 North Rd, Manchester
northmeadowfarms.com
WINDY MEADOWS
12362 NY22, Whitehall, NY
Porkandeggs.com
SPECIALTY FOODS:
BROWNS’ FAMILY FARM
240 Hulett Hill Rd, Benson
802-537-4474 (call first)
CHAGA MOON
Chagamoon.com
ELNICKI PICKLE CO.
Elnickipickles.com
GRANDPA JIMS HOT SAUCE
vermonthotsauce.com
K RUANE MAPLE FARM
802-353-0873
MORRILL MOUNTAIN FRUIT FARM
mmffvt.com
STEWART MAPLE
5444 VT Route 103, Cuttingsville
stewartmaple.com
VERMONT BARREL AGED
vermontbarrelaged.com
PRODUCE etc:
BOARDMAN HILL FARM
802-683-5791
BROWN’S ORCHARD & FARMSTAND
1083 Route 30 South, Castleton
802-468-2297
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY MUSHROOMS
193 Young Rd, Orwell
champlainvalleymushrooms.com
DUTCHESS FARM
87 North Rd, Castleton
dutchessfarmvt.com
EVENING SONG FARM
680 Shunpike Rd, Shrewsbury
FLOWERBROOK MEADOWS
Jorobinson1007@gmail.com
PLEW FARM
1966 Healdville Rd, Mount Holly
plewfarm.com
RADICAL ROOTS FARM
Farm stand off Creek Rd, Rutland Town
radicalrootsvt.com
SQUIER FAMILY FARM
12 McNamara Rd, Tinmouth
YODER FARMS
426 Danby Mountain Rd, Danby
MEAT:
BROOKSIDE STOCK FARM
Brooksideestate.com
BUR-GER FARM
1077 Stage Rd, Benson
burgerfarmvt.com
DAVIS FARM
231 Gorham Rd, West Rutland
802-779-5625
MTN VIEW BISON
234 Stratton Rd, Rutland
802-342-0429
MOSE FARM
Mosefarmvt.com
CBD PRODUCTS:
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY ORGANICS
Vermontpurecbd.com
DANCING BAREFOOT FARMS
dancingbarefootfarms.com
GRATEFUL MTN RELIEF
Gratefulmountainrelief.com
WINE & SPIRITS:
SPRING BROOK HOLLOW FARM
Springbrookhollow.com
WHISTLEPIG RYE
whistlepigwhiskey.com
WHALEBACK VINEYARD
Whalebackvinyard.com
ARTISAN CRAFTS:
DESTINY DARLINGS
etsy.com/shop/destinydarlings
ESSENTIAL SUDS
essentialsuds.com
FELTED FOREST
feltedforestvt.com
FILTHY FARM GIRL
filthyfarmgirl.com
MOMMA MARIE DOG TREATS
dogsjustlovethem@gmail.com
SUSAN LEADER POTTERY
susanleader@vermontel.net
THE POTTER STONE
thepotterstone.com
THE QUILTED JARDIN
thequiltedjardin.com
SCRUMPH
cydw@aol.com
SIMPLY ANN CRAFTS
simplyanncrafts.net
20 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
By Lisa Lynn, VT Ski & Ride
On March 24, Governor Phil Scott issued
an executive order directing Vermonters
to stay at home or in their place
of residence, leaving only for essential
reasons such as: personal safety; groceries
or medicine; curbside pick-up of goods,
meals or beverages; medical care; exercise;
care of others; and work, as set forth
further.
So the question that everyone was asking
was: does this mean we can still skin
and ski?
At a press conference, Gov. Scott said:
“Outdoor activities like dog walking or
cross-country skiing are fine, but it is
critical people keep a social distancing of
six-feet apart, minimum.”
What that means has been a topic that’s
lit up the internet, pitted locals against
out-of-towners and caused some areas to
put up concrete barriers to keep skiers out
of the access roads or parking lots.
“I skin every day,” said Michael Christopher
Owens, director of alpine touring
at Magic Mountain in the winter and a regular
competitor of the Northeast Rando
circuit. “But I stay within 30 miles of my
home. I don’t ski on trails or in conditions
where I think I might get hurt and I practice
social distancing.”
When we caught up with Owens
he had just returned from a skin at a
nearby ski area. “However, it’s crazy
there — there were cars parked all over
the place — probably 60% of them with
out-of-state plates. There were people
hiking up in regular ski boots — and it’s
really icy now. People come
to these ski areas expecting
the trails to be like they
were during the winter and
groomed and that’s not the
case now. And when they
are heading up the mountain,
they are not practicing
social distancing. I had a
guy skin right up to me on
a skin track and start chatting. He looked
stunned when I asked him to move
away.”
Owens has also had to deal with
people from out of state asking where
Yes, but can we still ski?
Not at resorts, not if you have to travel to ski or ride
they could rent AT gear. “I told this one
dude from Connecticut who reached out
to me on a Facebook group, ‘No, you can’t
rent gear here and you should stay home.’
He just didn’t get it. Then he said “Well,
I’ll just come up and ride my mountain
bike.” I know people have second homes
up here but the whole point is not to
move around, not to drive across three
states or to have to stop at a gas station.
Honestly, it’s gotten so bad I’m leaving a
lot of these Facebook groups that focus
on skiing. ”
At Pico Mountain, a group of skiers
from the Boston area had to be rescued
Saturday, March 21, after one of the guys
fell about 700 feet after slipping on the
icy snow. They were also walking up in ski
boots and the conditions were extremely
firm, according to sources at Killington
Search and Rescue who lead the rescue effort.
The man that fell reportedly severely
hurt his hand trying to self-arrest on the
ice, but was otherwise ok.
Killington Resort and Pico Mountain
officially closed the uphill travel season,
Tuesday, March 24.
“I’m not surprised,” said Murray
McGrath, KSAR member and owner of
Inn at the Long Trail. “They have to worry
about the liability associated with being
an attractive nuisance.” But he added
that he was personally upset by the closure
as he enjoyed skinning up the trails
regularly, as did many responsible locals.
Jay Peak and others have faced a similar
appeal. Shortly after Jay closed on March
area, the Middlebury College Snow Bowl
this week.
“It wasn’t so much that people were
not obeying the social distancing measure,
but more that we wanted to avoid
them simply getting in their car and driving
up here. That takes gas and at some
point, they’ll have to go to a gas station,”
said the Snow Bowl’s general manager
Mike Hussey. “Also, there’s no ski patrol
here, no chance of an immediate rescue
and even if there was, we would be
exposing others. The added load on the
emergency services is an unnecessary
burden on a group of folks that are working
really hard to get ahead of this virus.”
Sugarbush Resort’s president
Win Smith has been posting
about skinning and wrote this
on his blog: “We are still permitting
uphill travel as has been our
policy, but we ask everyone to do
it in a responsible fashion. If we
find this is not the case, we will
be forced to stop uphill travel. ”
Craftsbury Outdoor Center
13, it erected barriers across its access
had closed its facilities but continued
road.
to groom its trails and allow skiers to
Middlebury College,
the first college in use them last week. “We’re not open,
Vermont to send students home in early but we’re grooming the core trails and
March, shut down the parking lot to its ski Ruthie’s and Sam’s,” said Sheldon Miller
“ We appear to be attracting folks from
outside our VT community and this does
not seem like a good idea at this time... We
do this in the best interest of the health of
the COC community. Stay healthy!”
By Polly Mikula
Out-of-state cars parked at the base of Superstar at Killington Resort, Saturday, March 28.
of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, on
Friday, March 20. “We sealed up the 2021
manmade pile for November the other
day too,” he noted, referring to the novel
way Craftsbury has developed to keep
piles of snow frozen over the summer by
covering them with wood chips and then
using that snow as an early season base.”
Yet, by the next day, things had
changed. A new notice appeared on the
Craftsbury web site, effective Sunday,
March 22:
We had hoped to keep some trails
groomed as long as the snow allowed,
but we now feel forced to close for the
following reasons: Skiers are not keeping
‘social distancing’ (6 feet) from each other.
This is critical behavior for all of us to
follow at all times. Skiers are gathering in
groups to socialize. Even a group smaller
than 10 people is at increased risk of
sharing germs. We appear to be attracting
folks from outside our VT community
and this does not seem like a good idea at
this time. So, effective Sunday, March 22,
we will no longer groom our trails and we
ask you not to come to ski. We do this in
the best interest of the health of the COC
community. Stay healthy!”
This story was originally published
March 26, 2020, at vtskiandride.com.
Mountain View Bison
SALE!
20-50% OFF
ALPINE TOURING BOOTS
Main St. Ludlow, VT (802)
228-3344
2089 Killington Road, Killington, VT 05751 (802) 422-9675
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238 Stratton Road
No. Clarendon, VT 05759
Tom Hubbard, owner
PH: 802.342.0429
Email: thubb12@gmail.com
RAISED AND HARVESTED IN RUTLAND, VERMONT
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 SKI SHOP SHOWCASE • 21
Without getting in a car, we
made a gazillion memories
climbing the mountains in our
backyard and playing in the
streams that ran off of them.
Solid Waste Transfer Station
Location: 2981 River Road (Behind Town Garage)
Phone Number: (802) 422-4499
Winter (Nov. 2, 2019 to March 30, 2020)
SAT.& MON. (8 A.M.- 4 P.M.) & SUN. (8 A.M.-12 P.M.)
Collection & transfer of solid waste deposited by residents and property owners of
the Town. (Windshield sticker & punch card needed) Recycling Center for residents
and property owners of the Town. (Free with windshield sticker) If you need to
dispose of solid waste outside the normal operating hours of the Transfer Station
or have construction & demolition debris or other non-acceptable waste, residents
and property owners of Killington can go to the Rutland County Solid Waste District
Transfer Station & Drop-off Center located on Gleason Road in Rutland.
Summer hours begin Sat., April 4, 2020. (Sat. & Mon. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.)
Exploring with youthful eyes
When I was young, my mom used to feed
us breakfast and send us out the door with
instructions not to return home until 5 p.m.
to get ready for dinner. I didn’t
have a backpack or money or
anything except the complete
and utter feeling of freedom
to create and imagine and
dream. I would have a bathing
suit on underneath my clothes
and a beach towel draped
over my right shoulder and a
chapter book hidden in my
armpit. Opening that rickety
screen door and stepping onto
the crushed rock patio was like
stepping out into a world like
none other. A world where I
could do anything as long as my little thick
legs could carry me there. I was free to
explore the world available to me or just sit
on the beach and read for hours.
It was an amazing time, full of crayfish
hunts, sandcastle building and “expositions,”
all in the same day. There was a
beach within walking distance, but you
could never just walk straight there — every
day you had to follow a different journey,
perhaps get your heart racing by taking the
hidden Snake Path or choosing the long
way through Mrs. Kiss’s blueberry bushes,
around the Split Rock behind the outhouse
and then over the rickety wooden bridge
built before the Second World War.
I spent so many hours on that bridge,
hidden from the sun by the thick canopy,
and dangling my legs over the side as I met
friends both real and imaginary.
Without getting in a car, we made a gazillion
memories climbing the mountains in
our backyard and playing in the streams
that ran off of them. We would cut through
the woods until we thought we might be far
enough to get into trouble and then turn
around. We would walk south one day and
then west the other, never having a real goal
in mind. Usually, we just thought about
Livin’ the
Dream
By Merisa
Sherman
By Merisa Sherman
what kind of trouble we could get into that
our parents would never know about. But
then somehow, they always seemed to
know everything by dinner.
How did they do that?
The moment uphill travel
was shut down, we were sitting
in the car getting ready to head
up to the mountain. I literally
burst into tears and felt my
whole world slipping away. The
snow was melting quickly
around our house and unless
I wanted to cross-country ski
on the fast grass, it was time to
move on.
But then we heard from the
Green Mountain Club, who
recommended walking out your door and
exploring your neighborhood. So, every
afternoon this week, after finishing our
chores, the BF and I would pull on our
muck boots and walk out the back door of
our house to see what our beautiful neighborhood
has in store for us. And I quickly
realized that I haven’t changed that much
since my childhood.
With no destination in mind, we would
promise ourselves we wouldn’t come
home until the light began to fade and our
tummies started to rumble. Instead of just
a towel and a book, we’ve got a backpack
full of hiking tools and emergency supplies,
but the mission remains the same. We just
let our childhood selves guide us. There
is so much hidden in our little world. Just
this week, we “discovered” a dangerously
steep ravine, several waterfalls, a swamp
that could be very scary at dusk, a waterway
that we just might be able to paddle, and of
course, all the hidden beauty of our Green
Mountains. All just by walking out our back
door and exploring.
We even found the perfect super secret
location for the massively awesome fort
that we’re gonna build.
It’s, like, gonna be the coolest thing ever!
To our valued healthcare partners, patients, friends and employees:
To our valued healthcare partners, patients, friends and employees:
Regional Ambulance Service, Inc.’s mission for the past 38 years has been
Regional dedicated Ambulance to saving and Service, protecting Inc.’s lives. mission At this time for the when past the 38 news years is has been dedic
to saving dominated and by protecting Coronavirus, lives. I wanted At this to personally time when reach the out news and is let dominated you by
Coronavirus,
know that we
I wanted
are vigilantly
to personally
and continuously
reach
implementing
out and let you
enhanced
know that we are vigila
protocols to ensure your safety.
and continuously implementing enhanced protocols to ensure your safety.
We are participating in daily calls and meetings internally and externally
We to are remain participating informed and in daily prepared calls based and on meetings the most internally current information and externally to remai
informed and guidance and prepared provided by based state and on the federal most officials current as well information as the World and guidance pro
by Health state and Organization federal officials and the Centers as well for as Disease the World Control. Health Our Organization main and the Ce
for focus Disease to Control. ensure we Our meet main customer focus needs is to while ensure doing we our meet part customer keep needs while
our you, part our to employees, keep you, and our our employees, communities and safe. our communities safe.
Here’s what we’re doing:
Here’s
•
what
We are
we’re
implementing
doing:
enhanced dispatch protocols to prescreen
for suspected exposure or viral epidemiology.
● • We We are continue implementing to follow CDC enhanced guidelines dispatch and sanitize protocols our vehicles to prescreen for suspe
exposure after each or transport. viral epidemiology.
● • We We continue are ensuring to follow that our CDC employees guidelines have access and sanitize to the proper our personal
protective equipment to minimize their risk of exposure.
vehicles after each
transport.
● • We We are are ensuring cleaning our that facilities our employees frequently with have recommended access to the sanitizing
products.
proper personal
protective equipment to minimize their risk of exposure.
• In addition, we are taking steps to ensure the welfare of our employees.
● We are cleaning
This includes
our facilities
instructing
frequently
employees
with
who
recommended
feel ill to stay
sanitizing pro
● In home addition, and consult we are their taking healthcare steps providers. to ensure We the are welfare also urging of our employees. T
includes all employees instructing to be vigilant employees about frequent who feel hand ill to washing. stay home and consult their
We want healthcare to reassure providers. you that we We are are doing also everything urging all we employees can to promote to be vigilant abo
a safe frequent and secure hand environment washing. for your needs. We are very grateful for
our dedicated employees. They will be there to meet the community
We
needs
want
during
to reassure
this time.
you that we are doing everything we can to promote a safe
secure Your environment health and safety, for and your that needs. of our patients We are is very our grateful highest priority for our and dedicated emplo
They we will truly be appreciate there to the meet trust the that community you place in needs our team during and our this company. time.
Your
Best
health
regards,
and safety, and that of our patients is our highest priority and we tru
appreciate Paul Kulig, the trust that you place in our team and our company.
President
Best regards,
Paul Kulig,
22 • PETS
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
Rutland County Humane Society
KEANU
Handsome husky waiting to love you!! Keanu is 2
yrs old. He is looking for someone that loves the great
outdoors as much as he does! Walks, hikes, or just laying
in the sunshine all make him a very happy boy! He needs
a fenced in yard and a home as an only pet.
This pet is available for adoption at
Springfield Humane Society
401 Skitchewaug Trail, Springfield, VT• (802) 885-3997
*Adoptions will be handled online until further notice.
spfldhumane.org
AZREAL - 3-year-old.
Neutered male. Domestic
Short Hair. Gray. I’m a mellow
man, who will liven up
for some affection.
ALLAY - 10-year-old.
Spayed female. Husky
mix. Grey/White. At my
age I think I would like to
be the only pet in the home
then I can get all your attention.
PJ - 1-year-old. Neutered
male. Domestic Short
Hair. Orange Tabby. My
new family will want to be
patient with me while I am
adjusting to my new home.
BLAZE - 2-year-old. Neutered
male. Bullmastiff
mix. Red. I am one big guy
but a little on the shy side
when meeting new people.
LUCIUS
MIMI - 1-year-old. Spayed
female. Domestic Short
Hair. Calico. If you’re looking
for a sweet southern
lady to cuddle up with and
time to listen to a story—
I’m your gal.
PRIMETIME
9-month-old. Spayed female. Pit Mix. Brindle. I
have a bubbly personality with a ton of energy.
WHISKERS - 5-year-old.
Spayed female. Domestic
Short Hair. Dilute Tortie.I
am a very calm cat. I will
make any place in the
house that is warm my
place to take a nap.
Hi! I’m a 3-year-old neutered male. My last home didn’t
quite work out for me, so now I’m here at the shelter looking
to find my new home. I’m a pretty confident guy, and I really,
really like to play, especially when catnip is involved, as
it is one of favorite things in the whole, wide world! I can get
a little over-excited at times, so I do also like the quiet. I find
it quite calming, or “quiet/calming” as I like to say! I think it
brings a good balance in life, let’s say. Speaking of balance,
I’d prefer to be an “only cat”– so no other cats in the home
(or children for that matter!), but I do like the company of
some dogs. Anyway, that is me. A confident and fun-loving
kitty! If you’d like to meet me, make an appointment and
come say hello. Who knows, I may just be your perfect pet!
This pet is available for adoption at
Lucy Mackenzie Humane Society
4832 VT-44, Windsor, VT • (802) 484-5829
*(By appointment only at this time.) Tues. - Sat. 12-4p.m.
& Thurs. 12-7p.m. • lucymac.org
ABEL - 1-year-old. Neutered
male. Domestic
Short Hair. Black. It takes
me a little bit to warm up to
other cats since I enjoy being
the center of attention.
All of these pets are available for adoption at
Rutland County Humane Society
765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700
Tues. - Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org
RCHS and COVID-19: In light of the recent and ongoing
concerns about COVID-19, the Rutland County Humane
Society (RCHS) will implement new procedures to ensure
the safety and well-being of our staff, volunteers, adopters,
supporters and the public. Beginning immediately new
policies are in place. Appointments will need to be made to
adopt or visit an animal or to surrender an owned animal.
Please call if you are bringing in a stray animal. We are currently
not accepting donations of items to the shelter. We
have been, and will continue to, use the appropriate cleaning
guidelines so our staff can safely care for the animals
at RCHS and themselves. Please call us or email with any
questions. We appreciate your support and understanding.
KAYLA - 8-year-old.
Spayed female. Siamese.
Torti Point. If you have a
problem with rodents, I am
the one for you.
BROOKLYN - 6-year-old.
Spayed female. Pit mix.
Brindle. I love to go on nice
slow walks and enjoy the
fresh air and scenery.
RIZZA - 8-year-old. Neutered
male. Domestic Short
Hair. Black and White.I am
a very low-key cat. I enjoy
spending my time at the
highest point in the room.
ROVER - 3-year-old. Neutered
male. Pitbull. Tan &
White. I am a gentle giant,
and I just love being with
people.
CHLOE - 7-year-old.
Spayed female. Domestic
Short Hair. Black. I am currently
making friends with
the visitors who have been
coming in to see me.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 MOTHER OF THE SKYE • 23
Aries
March 21 - April 20
You’re holding steady under a raft of
considerations that keep you awake at
night. On the one hand you’re pretty strong
but when you look at what’s right in front
of your nose, it’s a good thing that part of
your being knows enough to soft-peddle
the truth when it’s too much to take. On
some level it’s time to get your act together
and focus on what taking care of yourself
really means. You pride yourself on being
self-sufficient; to what extent is this true?
What I see is that you would be a hell of
a lot happier if you could figure out what
it will take to handle things on your own.
Taurus
April 21 - May 20
You have all the patience in the world.
Most of the time it stands you in good
stead, but right now, you’ve had it up to
here with a person or a situation that is
making you nuts. If it’s a person, you have
no choice but to love them through their
madness and let them figure it out for themselves.
If it’s a situation, you can change it,
any time you want. Don’t be afraid to cut
the cord and go your own way. Any attachment
you have to things that aren’t working
for you anymore, needs to be examined
in light of the fact that it’s either bring you
down or holding you back.
Gemini
May 21 - June 20
keep thinking of that song from The
I Wizard of Oz; “You’re out of the woods,
you’re out of the dark, you’re out of the
night…” From what I can see it’s been a
long haul. Part of you is still reeling from
what it feels like to be wielding a doubleedged
sword, always waiting for the other
shoe to drop. As the next few weeks unfold
everything will come full circle, and whatever
this has cost you will finally be worth
it. What’s next will probably include more
time for yourself, and more time for the
ones you love, along with enlightening opportunities
and new projects.
Leo
July 21 - August 20
You are up in the air, wondering which
way things will go. Getting squared
away has tested all of your reserves. At an
impasse, it’s always hard to take action, one
way or another. There is more to this than
you can see, so give it time to work its way
to the surface and do whatever it takes to reclaim
yourself. The truth about what’s happening
will reveal itself soon. Even though
resistance is natural in situations like this,
keep a close eye on what it does to you.
Lose your strategies and let your control issues
surrender to the part of you that came
here for this lesson.
Virgo
August 21 - September 20
How to proceed is the issue. If you
thought having all your ducks in a
row would get this to fly, you “have another
think coming.” Neatly arranging
one’s future interferes with any input from
the universe, which in turn, buttons up the
realm of possibilities. Yes my dear, it’s time
to color outside the lines and wing it for a
change. What happens from here on out
will work best if you figure out how to birth
what’s next from your guts. As this happens
clearing the decks will call you to reckon
with mountains of grief and a willingness
to release the unspoken sorrows of the past.
Libra
September 21 - October 20
You’ve got a bunch of “stuff” coming
up for review. The rest of your life
hinges on the choices you are making right
now. If you’re in a relationship it’s time to
lighten up enough to talk about what you
really want your lives to look like; it can
be whatever you want it to be. If you’re
single, the same holds true. Your openness
to change is all important, and so is the desire
to live a real kind of life. Your blind
spots are the only thing that stands between
you and fulfillment. The old stories and the
developmental issues keep ringing in your
ears. Don’t let the past stand in your way.
Copyright - Cal Garrison: 2019: ©
Sagittarius
November 21 - December 20
Grace under pressure is where it’s at,
right now. You are an expert when it
comes to dispensing unconditional love.
In your current situation, there are needs to
be 100% there for someone or something.
This has got you wondering why you put
yourself through it. Many of you are in a
state of suspended animation, waiting for
things to rise or fall, with no clue how they
will unfold. What can I say? All of us are
here to bear witness to our circumstances
and accept “what is.” Yes this moment is
huge. There are no words, and any prescription
you find must be written from
within.
Capricorn
December 21 - January 20
Getting down to the heart of the matter
is the best, and perhaps the only way
to rectify what until now has been shoved
under the rug. If you’ve finally figured this
out, you’re a lot better off than those of you
who have chosen to look the other way.
Waking up to the things that matter, or to
the issues that are at stake, will allow you to
eliminate every ounce of fear; this, in turn
will open the way to another reason for living.
If you’re still struggling with the fact
that you don’t want to see what you don’t
want to see, life will probably shake you up
a few more times until you get it.
Aquarius
January 21 - February 20
You’ve always been operating outside
the lines. At this point in time it looks
like you’re ready to find the gift in what
marching to the beat of a different drum
yields at the end of the day. Hard pressed
to know if showing your true colors will
get you into trouble or add meaning to your
life, do your best to keep your ego in check.
What lies up on the road ahead is a test.
It’s one of those free will moments where
what you choose to do matters more than
usual. Keep things simple, stay humble, but
remain strong enough to recognize yourself
and let whatever the gift is, come to light.
Have you lived up to
your revolutionary
potential?
By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye
This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light
of a Gemini Moon, that will turn Void-of-Course on March
30, and remain in that mode until it crosses the Cancer
Cusp on the last day of the month. We could talk about the
virus and the world-wide lockdown, but let’s skip it; I don’t
know about you but I’ve had enough, and heard enough; it
would be great if we could find something else to discuss.
Looking at the movements of the moon, I notice that it
will be conjuncting my natal Uranus and hitting my Cancer
Horoscopes > 29
Karen Dalury
3744 River Rd. Killington, VT
802-770-4101
KillingtonYoga.com
@KillingtonYoga
Live classes via Zoom.
Online Schedule for next
week, starting April 6.
Monday 8:15 - 9:15 am Vinyasa
Tuesday 5:30 - 6:30 pm Basics
Thursday 5:00 - 6:00 pm Vinyasa
Friday 10:00 - 11:00 am Basics
Healing at Heart
Programs & Services:
• Habit Change Coaching
• Individual and Group
• Clear the Kitchen
• On Your Trail
Susan Mandel • Certified Health Coach • 802.353.9609
healingatheart.com • fab50healthcoach@gmail.com
Cancer
June 21 - July 20
The last few weeks have pumped a lot
of wind in your sails. You’re flying
higher than ever. As life opens up and leads
you forward, a whole new set of variables
will present you with situations that cause
you to rethink everything. When one thing
changes, everything changes: keep that in
mind. Feeling better than ever will continue
for a while. Sooner or later the “pink
cloud” will disperse and give way to considerations
that attend any growth process.
Make hay while the sun shines, but keep
your umbrella handy, because your real
growth will begin when it starts to rain.
Scorpio
October 21 - November 20
God knows how long this will take? You
could speed things up but it would be
better if you let everything run its course.
There could be many reasons why you’re
being called to wait it out, so the question
is; what will you do in the mean time? You
need to understand that this is a golden
opportunity to wrap up, or clean up, what
high levels of interference have brought to
a head. You know better than anyone what
I am getting at. Between the people that still
have a problem with you and your up and
down financial affairs, you’ve got plenty to
distract you until all of this gets resolved.
Pisces
February 21 - March 20
am here to tell you that it’s safe to get on
I with the show. This could include, letting
go, starting all over again, and/or taking the
bull by the horns and going for it. Don’t let
fear and money considerations stand in the
way. If there appear to be blocks, know that
they are there to test your ability to trust the
guidance that you are receiving from within.
Joy is the operative word these days.
The sense that you need any further proof
before you let go and let God, is insane. It’s
definitely time to ’86 every ounce of negativity
and make room for your truer visions
to take off.
133 East Mountain Road, Killington, VT • trailswithinpilates.com
RUTLAND’S PREMIERE
YOGA & PILATES STUDIO
Mother of the Skye
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
22 WALES STREET, RUTLAND, VERMONT
Go online to see our full schedule:
@trueyogavt
trueyogavermont.com
Columns
24 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
What to see, hear, and do outdoors:
A treasure hunt for early spring
This is such a disorienting time,
when all our lives have been turned
upside down and shaken. One of
the ways my
own family
is coping is
by spending
time outside
every day. We
stage nature
treasure
The Outside
Story
By Elise Tillinghast
hunts in
the woods
behind our
house. The
kids work as
a team, with
points awarded for number of species
identified, and chocolate doled
out after every 10 points. It’s fun for
the kids. For my husband and me,
it’s a chance to escape a swarm of
worries and enjoy such basics as
spring light and birdsong.
You don’t need specialized
knowledge to get outside and have a
treasure hunt of your own. Below is a
simple list of common sights in early
spring, and suggestions for handson
activities. For those who have the
time and interest to go deeper, the
online version of this essay that’s
posted at the Northern Woodlands
website (northernwoodlands.org)
has links to related articles.
And here’s a great outdoor
learning resource: the Upper Valley
Teaching Place Collaborative
(uvtpc.org), supported by the New
Hampshire Charitable Foundation’s
Wellborn Ecology Fund, is serving
as a hub for outdoor learning
opportunities, bringing together
online resources from environmental
education groups around the
region. Bookmark their site! Then
get outside.
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
holes:
Look for lines of tiny
holes in old apple trees
and other common tree
species. The birds drill
these, then used their
bristle tipped tongues to
lap sap. Fun fact: as spring progresses,
hummingbirds will follow
sapsuckers around, taking advantage
of the freshly-drilled feeding
stations.
Red maple bud bouquets:
Red maples are a common, earlyblooming
tree with easy-to-identify
raspberry-shaped buds. Cut a stem
with a couple of buds and stick this
in a jar of water on a sunny windowsill
to force an early bloom. Try other
early-blooming stems as well.
Insect galleries:
Pull the bark off a log or dead tree,
and you’re likely to find intricate
patterns chiseled underneath.
These are made by tunneling
insects, probably beetle larvae. See
if you can find different patterns underneath
the bark of different logs.
Moon close encounter:
On April 7, the moon will make
its closest approach to Earth for the
entire year: a mere 221,773 miles
away. And lucky us, this occurs on a
full moon night. Get the binoculars!
Chickadees:
Listen for their dee dee dee alarm
call, as well as their love song, fee bee.
Ditch your dignity, and try making
a loud, repeated “pshpshpshhhh”
sound. This is likely to lure them to
fly closer to investigate. This trick
works on many other songbirds, as
well.
Chipmunk burrows:
See if you can identify one or
more burrow entrances. Leave a
seed offering and wait to see if it’s
gathered. Yes, I know – it’s inadvisable
to feed wildlife. I’m willing to
corrupt a few chippies.
Spring ephemerals:
It’s still early for wildflowers,
but under
the ground, they’re
already racing to
sprout, bloom,
and set seeds
before the
tree canopy
closes in.
Keep
an eye
out for their emergence, and in the
meantime, look for early nonnatives
coming out of the ground
now, including snowdrops, daffodils
and crocuses. If you have access to
wetlands, look for the bizarre seacreature-from-outer
space purple
spathes of skunk cabbage – a plant
that gets a jump on spring by generating
its own heat.
Pileated woodpecker feeding holes:
These are large, shallow gouges,
with wood chips piled at the bottom
of the tree. Sometimes you can find
the bird’s scat there. A fun project for
the non-squeamish: use your phone
or a hand lens to magnify this, and
inspect all the undigested carpenter
ant bits.
Woolly bears:
Those fuzzy, brown-and-black
banded caterpillars are active again.
Their markings show past, not
future, weather; as a rule, the milder
the past autumn, the broader the
middle brown band. See if you can
find a woolly and “read” its past.
Vernal pools:
They’re still icy now, but repeated
trips to these small, seasonal pools
in the woods will reveal constant
change over the next month, as amphibians
arrive for mating season.
Peepers and wood frogs start off the
spring chorus. One peeps, the other
chuckles. Can you hear them both?
Jelly fungus and other fungi:
Look for these globby fungal
forms on logs and dead trees. Bright
yellow-to-orange witch’s butter is
easy to spot. You can also find turkey
tail and other shelf mushrooms, and
old puffball mushrooms (some can
still be stomped to create a modest
puff).
Elise Tillinghast is the executive
director of the Center for Northern
Woodlands Education. The illustration
for this column was drawn by
Adelaide Tyrol. The Outside Story
is assigned and edited by Northern
Woodlands magazine and sponsored
by the Wellborn Ecology Fund of New
Hampshire Charitable Foundation:
wellborn@nhcf.org.
Important birthdays over 50
Most children stop being “and-a-half” somewhere
around age 12. Kids add “and-a-half“ to make sure everyone
knows they’re closer to the
next age than the last. When you
are older, “and-a-half” birthdays
start making a comeback. In fact,
starting at age 50, several birthdays
and “half-birthdays” are
critical to understand because
they have implications regarding
Money
Matters
By Kevin Theissen
your retirement income.
Age 50
At age 50, workers in certain
qualified retirement plans are
able to begin making annual
catch-up contributions in addition
to their normal contributions. Those who participate
in 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans can contribute an
additional $6,000 per year in 2019. Those who participate
in Simple IRA or Simple 401(k) plans can make a
catch-up contribution of up to $3,000 in 2019. And those
who participate in traditional IRAs can set aside an additional
$1,000 a year.
Age 59½
At age 59½, workers are able to start making withdrawals
from qualified retirement plans without incurring
a 10% federal income-tax penalty. This applies to
workers who have contributed to IRAs and employersponsored
plans, such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans (457
plans are never subject to the 10% penalty). Keep in
mind that distributions from traditional IRAs, 401(k)
plans, and other employer-sponsored retirement plans
are taxed as ordinary income.
When you are older, “and-a-half”
birthdays start making a comeback.
Age 62
At age 62 workers are first able to draw Social Security
retirement benefits. However, if a person continues to
work, those benefits will be reduced. The Social Security
Administration will deduct $1 in benefits for each $2
an individual earns above an annual limit. In 2019, the
income limit is $17,640.
Age 65
At age 65, individuals can qualify for Medicare. The
Social Security Administration recommends applying
three months before reaching age 65. It’s important to
note that if you are already receiving Social Security
benefits, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare
Part A (hospitalization) and Part B (medical insurance)
without an additional application.
Age 65 to 67
Between ages 65 and 67, individuals become eligible
to receive 100% of their Social Security benefit. The
age varies, depending on birth year. Individuals born
in 1955, for example, become eligible to receive 100%
of their benefits when they reach age 66 years and 2
months. Those born in 1960 or later need to reach age 67
before they’ll become eligible to receive full benefits.
Age 70½
Under the SECURE Act, in most circumstances, once
you reach age 72, you must begin taking required minimum
distributions from a Traditional Individual Retirement
Account (IRA) and other defined contribution
plans. You may continue to contribute to a Traditional
IRA past age 70½ under the SECURE Act as long as you
meet the earned-income requirement.
Understanding key birthdays may help you better
prepare for certain retirement income and benefits. But
perhaps more importantly, knowing key birthdays can
help you avoid penalties that may be imposed if you
miss the date.
Kevin Theissen is the owner of HWC Financial in
Ludlow.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 COLUMNS • 25
The “Greatest Show on Earth”
When I was a very young child, my mother
took me to see the Ringling Bros. Barnum
& Bailey Circus. It was an event
that had a profound influence on me
for many years.
My mother used to vacation with
her parents in Florida each February,
and for
several years I
accompanied
her. We stayed
in a small villa
located adjacent
to the ocean,
spending most
days swimming,
The Movie
Diary
By Dom Cioffi
building sandcastles,
searching
for seashells and
shark teeth, and
eating out at the
multitude of restaurants.
On occasion, we would also make a day
trip somewhere. We went to Disney World
one year and periodically visited orange
groves and other beaches. But my all-time
favorite excursion was the year we went to
the circus.
In the early 1970s, Ringling Bros. was
still a profitable venture. Started in 1871,
the organization ran shows continuously
until 2017 when their tents finally came
down due to weakening attendance, pressure
from animal rights activists, and high
operating costs.
I remember the circus being a grand affair. The
clowns were strange and funny, the trapeze artists and
stunt shows were mesmerizing, and the animal acts
were a world of wonder with their constant flow of
exotic beasts.
I was a huge fan of all the animal acts, but nothing
captured my attention quite like the tigers. I vividly
remember watching these enormous beasts with a
combination of love and terror. Deep down, I wanted
nothing more than to walk up and pet one.
I took my love of tigers home with me after that experience.
I began to draw tigers incessantly, even winning
a school art contest with one of my tiger depictions. I
also decided that the Detroit Tigers were my favorite
baseball team (much to the chagrin of a family of Red
Sox fans).
I even went so far as to ask for tiger apparel. I remember
owning one shirt that had a
giant tiger screen printed on the front.
I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing that
shirt today, but at 10 years old, I thought
it was the coolest thing on earth.
But the one thing I always wanted to
do was pet a tiger. I envied the trainers
who were inside the cages running the
animals through their acrobat routines.
I wanted that experience, but living in
the northeast climate, my opportunities
were nonexistent.
Unfortunately, it never happened. To
this day, given the chance (and knowing
I would be completely safe), I would
love to nuzzle up to a big cat.
I suppose I appeased this desire by getting a house cat
when I got my first apartment. When everyone else was
buying or adopting a dog, I went for a feline pet. I’m sure
part of it was my affinity for tigers, but another part had
to do with how much easier cats are to care for.
I named that cat Sam and treated her like the queen
she believed she was. She was a part of my life for 18
“Tiger King”
is the talk of
the world right
now and the
most watched
streaming
program in the
United States.
years, bringing me immense love and joy until the day
she passed away.
I would have another cat today if it weren’t for my
son’s allergies. We’ve even tried to get a hypo-allergenic
dog and it never works. The kid breaks out in rashes and
his eyes and nose swell up horribly. But as soon as he
moves out, my first stop is the pet store or rescue farm to
get another feline to have around.
So, it’s probably not surprising that when I was sniffing
around Netflix this past weekend looking for something
to watch, that my eyes caught the title of a new
docu-series called, “Tiger King.” And like everyone else
on the planet, it took all of 10 minutes of the first episode
to get me hooked.
Since the movie theaters are closed and the studios
are not releasing many films online, I’ve opted for a different
form of entertainment for this week’s review. And
it does not disappoint!
“Tiger King” is the talk of the world
right now and the most watched
streaming program in the United
States. And for good reason. It’s got
everything you could ask for: unbelievable
characters, an all-consuming
storyline, and more twist and turns
than you can imagine. In fact, if this
were a fictitious movie, you might pass
it by because it’s too unrealistic.
Strange times call for strange
entertainment choices. While the
subject matter may not be of interest to
everyone, I’m confident anyone who
watches this will be intrigued by the
over-the-top span of events. It’s “Making
a Murderer” meets “Duck Dynasty” times 2.
Give one episode a try and I’m confident you’ll finish
the series. Plus, you don’t want to feel left out when you
have your next Facetime group chat over the weekend.
A ferocious “A-” for “Tiger King.”
Got a question or comment for Dom? You can email
him at moviediary@att.net.
>
Recipes: Making do with what you have
from page 18
thickness of the sauce. You may need to add more broth.
Remove chicken, keep warm. Add shrimp to the pan
and simmer in the sauce adding more stock as necessary.
Check for doneness and serve over rice.
Dessert
And of course, no meal is complete without something
sweet. Pot de Creme is a loose French dessert custard,
which is made easily with just a few ingredients. As
supplies may be dwindling, Chef Claude’s latest version
used a little creativity. “I’m going to sub milk for half &
half, honey for sugar, and skip caramelizing cups. I’m
using only items I have already.”
Chef Claude’s Pot de Creme
• 2 cups half & half
• 3 oz sugar
• 1/2 cap vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 yolks
• 1 tsp nutmeg
1. Caramelize cups (Claude recommends skipping
this step as there is a high chance of burning yourself in
the process!)
2. Heat half & half; mix with eggs and sugar over a
double boiler
3. Pour in cups in water bath heated to 325 degrees
Bon appetite!
For more information visit Chef-Claudes-Choices-
Restaurant on Facebook.
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26 • ROCKIN’ THE REGION
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
Submitted
A Sound Space is a do-it-yourself rehearsal and studio in Rutland owned and operated by George Nostrand who has welcomed many musicians in to continue to create music.
Rockin’ the Region with Ben Fuller at A Sound Space
In Don McLean’s “American Pie” he sang
about “The day the music died.” When
Governor Phil Scott ordered all bars and
restaurants to close, the music around here
kind of did. This region has such a great variety
of live music you can go see, well could
go. Musicians now are doing Facebook live
shows from their living rooms.
Local musician George Nostrand is taking
that many steps further and has put together
a series of online concerts that were
produced at A Sound Space, his rehearsal
space and DIY studio in Rutland. With the
YES, WE’RE OPEN!
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current state of affairs they have started a
weekly series enabling bands to perform,
get their music out and try to recoup a small
portion of the monies lost due to cancellations.
If you can, sign up to become a
member at patreon.com/asoundspace.
Membership levels start at $5.
“We’re just trying to all help each other.
We’re in this as a family and a community,”
Nostrand said. He and some music industry
friends were at his space when they heard
Gov. Scott’s message and they realized they
were all out of work. Nostrand said, “We
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have this space, this talent and professional
sound, light and video guys. Let’s put on a
concert and make an event out of it.”
It turned into a huge project. They
started on Thursday, March
19, filmed bands right through
Saturday and have been in
production ever since.
The first concert, released
this past Saturday, March 28,
was with the Krishna Guthrie
Band. They are a hard rockin’,
folk-and-blues band comprised
of Krishna Guthrie and
Bobby Maguire, Nicky Fitz, Josh
LaFave and Josh Cote. Each of
their individual styles blends
together to give you something
truly unique.
Guthrie said, “People are starved for
music. Maybe there’s not much money
in it now but you as an artist need to play
music, there’s something in you that dies a
little if you’re not.”
Cote said, “The more music we make,
the more we can bring people together and
as long as we’re bringing people together,
we’ll get through whatever gets thrown
at us. Now more than ever, play music.
Whether you’re sitting at home live streaming
with the ukulele or you’re able to come
do things like this, whatever you can do, do
it. Contribute and keep the art alive.”
A Sound Space has everything a band
could want. Instead of just recording on
your cell phone, you get a fully produced
concert. The patron gets to watch a concert
while sitting in their living room.
Nostrand’s production team consists of
himself, Jared Johnson and Cote, Magnum
PA audio; Jason Bayne, Chrome Yellow
Audio; Mike Mitrano, Dark Shadows Entertainment
and Guthrie.
Nostrand said, “None of this would be
possible without Jared and Krishna has
definitely been more than ‘The Talent.’
Mike is an amazing lighting guy that travels
the country. One night he may be doing
a Michael Franti show and then The Ice
Capades.”
This coming Saturday’s concert, April
4, is with Ben Fuller, a country singer from
Perkinsville,Vermont, who recently moved
Rockin’ the
Region
By DJ Dave
Hoffenberg
to Nashville. I saw him last summer at the
Brandon Carnival and, although I’m not
a big country music fan, I thoroughly enjoyed
his show. His music is powerful and
there’s a message in every song.
Fuller said he has set out to
tell the truth and does that with
his music: “I’ve set this bar for
myself to be completely real
and completely transparent.”
He speaks openly about his
sobriety and his faith in God.
“I’ve been able to reach people
through honesty. It’s amazing
how relatable you can be telling
such a selfish story of the stuff
I’ve been through.”
Fuller enjoyed his experience
at A Sound Space. He said,
“It was laid back, simple. It’s all ready to go.
It was easy. It’s really catered to the artist.
They were super kind. I really love what
they’re doing with this kind of thanksgiving
approach to music now. They clearly have
a huge passion to music. They’re making it
easier for all of us to get a little something
in our pockets so we can all eat.”
Fuller was home to play some CD
release shows as he just released his first,
“Witness,” which he’s been working on for
11 months. Nostrand said, “He’s amazing.
He came in and kind of blew our doors off.
We shot him right before they announced
the Stay at Home thing.”
The following two weeks will be with
Discavus and Nostrand. Somewhere between
the virtuosity of the likes of George
Duke and Billy Cobham and the groove
based funk of Vulfpeck lies Discavus.
“We don’t need producers and million
dollar ad campaigns to make you dance.
We provide our audiences with a truly
unique musical journey from the first
downbeat to the last,” said members Josh
Cote on guitar, Nicky Fitz on drums and
Josh Rodgers on bass.
Nostrand is a singer-songwriter
through and through. Sit back on your
porch and have a beer. He will be right
there with you. His colloquial, storytelling
style is relatable and popular across
genres of folk, bluegrass, country and rock
listeners.
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 • 27
Submitted
The Rutland Office of SVCOA is coordinating meal drop-offs for seniors in need.
Rutland County Meals on Wheels is in
need of volunteer delivery drivers
RUTLAND — Southwestern Vermont
Council on Aging (SVCOA), administrators
of the Rutland County Meals on Wheels
program, issued an urgent call for volunteer
support on March 25 to assist with Meals
on Wheels deliveries to homebound older
Vermonters throughout the area.
“We’ve seen a drastic decline in the
number of volunteer deliver drivers as the
COVID-19 issue has progressed, coupled
with a significant rise in demand for meals,”
said Courtney Anderson, Nutrition Director
with SVCOA. “As a result, we’ve had to alter
delivery schedules and maximize staffing
resources as best as possible. We are in great
need of new drivers and hope that anyone
who is interested or able will join the effort.”
Anyone who is interested in volunteering
as a Meals on Wheels delivery driver
should contact Penny Jones at 802-775-
0133 as soon as possible.
SVCOA and Rutland County Meals on
Wheels have implemented a number of
thorough and stringent precautionary
protocols for delivery drivers as directed by
the Vermont Department of Health (VDH)
and Vermont Department of Disabilities,
Aging and Independent Living (DAIL). “We
want to make it very clear to folks that there
are significant protective measures in place
that remove all in-person contact and that
ensure the health and safety of delivery
drivers, as well as meal recipients,” said Anderson.
“This is a critical service for so many
homebound individuals in our region, and
we ask for your help.”
For more information about SVCOA,
visit svcoa.org.
>
Goggles: Middlebury College alumni find healthful solution with goggles
from page 1
same email forwarded to me from
other friends. All I could think of is,
jeez, this doctor is going to get 10,000
pairs of Smith goggles sent to his house
and that’s not a very efficient use of
resources.”
That’s how Goggles for Docs was
born.
Schaefer started a Google sheet and
a contact list. Pretty soon, the list of
hospitals signing up went from one
to six. The next day he woke up to 500
emails.
Schaefer, a former Middlebury
College Div. 1 ski racer, reached out to
Greg Blanchard who works at Inntopia,
a Stowe-based ski resort software
Submitted
company run by another Middlebury Jon Schaefer, general manager of Berkshire
College grad, Trevor Crist. Earlier this East and Catamount Ski Areas and founder of
month, Inntopia modified its resort Goggles for Docs — pictured with sunglasses.
booking software so it could be used to
book COVID-19 tests.
can be transmitted with, say a direct
“Greg and I started fleshing out a cough to the eyeball, and second, that
website on a phone call. The site went they can take care of disinfecting and
online at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Even as we distributing them.”
were on the phone building this, three While Schaefer’s wife is not currently
more hospitals signed up.”
wearing goggles, Schaefer said that
As of Monday morning, more than Berkshire Medical Center has put in an
7,000 pairs of ski goggles –used and order for 400 and will be receiving 60 on
new—were being promised to hospitals Monday, March 30.
in seven states and requests have come “I didn’t wake up this week thinking
in from hospitals as far away as New I was going to be the COVID Goggle
Zealand and Spain.
Guy — we have a lot to take care of at
“I’m not sure how it works on their our businesses now, too,” said Schaefer.
end, but doctors have told me two things: “It was just one thing that we as a ski
first, that they need goggles as COVID-19 industry could do to help.”
COVID-19: Your Drinking Water is Safe.
The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation wants residents
to know that their public water supply is safe. Generally, you are served by a
public water system if you receive a water bill. You can continue to use and
drink water from your tap as usual.
• Vermont’s public drinking water systems are designed to deliver
safe drinking water, especially during times of crisis like the one
we’re in.
• Drinking water operations are an essential function during this
declared state of emergency. Drinking water operators continue to
do all the required testing to ensure public water remains safe.
• In the face of COVID-19, DEC is taking extra steps to ensure
drinking water is safe and free of pathogens by working with
drinking water operators to disinfect the water out of an
abundance of caution. Water is disinfected through a process called
chlorination were chlorine is added to the water in low doses to
kill pathogens that can affect human health. This process can also
occur using ultraviolet disinfection.
• While COVID-19 is not transmitted through drinking water, it is
important to make sure drinking water is free of other pathogens
that can make you sick. Disinfecting systems now will safeguard
drinking water and provide additional protections for people with
compromised immune systems.
• Disinfecting the water could reduce the potential for follow-up
sampling needed to be performed, which will allow the water
system personnel to focus on core job duties. Disinfection will
also keep operators from needing to go into additional locations to
collect extra samples, keeping the community protected.
For more information, please see the Drinking Water and Groundwater
Protection Division’s COVID-19 response page at:
https://dec.vermont.gov/water/COVID-19-Response-and-Resources
SERVICE DIRECTORY
Service Directory
28 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
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• Structural
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• Siding
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Meeting in the time
of Coronavirus
Zoom video conferencing becomes
the new normal
By Curt Peterson
Municipal and School Boards are adapting to social
distancing regulations that are evolving at a steady rate.
In a March 30 press release Secretary of State Jim
Condos announced “temporary changes to Vermont’s
Open Meeting Law…in response to the COVID-19 global
pandemic.”
H.681 eliminates requirement that public meetings be
in a physical location. Instead, official bodies may execute
meetings “remotely” using technologies, telephones and
video recordings to give Vermont residents access to their
proceedings.
The Windsor Central Unified School District Board held
its first remote meeting on March 23 using Zoom, a system
allowing board members and public to interface from
individual locations, centrally moderated at the Administration
offices. Five attendees actually met in the conference
room, and approximately 40 people, including board
members, appeared as thumbnails on a large screen.
When each added input his/her face would fill the screen.
Complicated, but for a first-run it went very smoothly.
Two meetings this week, Buildings and Grounds on
Wednesday, April 1, and Hiring Committee on Friday, April
Zoom > 30
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The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 SERVICE DIRECTORY • 29
>
Horoscopes: Understanding Cancer and Uranus, new paradigms lead us back to the “tribe”
from page 23
Ascendant first thing on Tuesday morning. I would like to
talk about that from my own personal perspective.
The Moon enters Cancer once a month. She feels right
at home in this sign because she rules this stretch of the
zodiac. Most astrologers will tell you that people with
prominent Cancer placements, whether it’s the Sun, Moon,
or Rising Sign, will display strong domestic, nurturing,
home-body, security oriented tendencies. It’s never a good
idea to layer rigid stereotypes over any of the astrological
archetypes. Up to a point the motherly, home-body imagery
holds true with Cancer, but not all the time: those traits
are by no means all there is to it. If you study astrology for
any length of time, you discover that the deeper meaning
of any sign is way more interesting than what’s written in
the textbooks.
On the most mundane level Cancer expresses itself according
to the description above. What we term “maternal
characteristics” are sometimes part of her deal. Dissecting
the sign from a more esoteric perspective we soon find out
that the Cancerian archetype goes way back in time. At its
core, all the “Mommy” stuff derives its essence from the
great matriarchal cultures that thrived on this planet in
times past. Remnants of those traditions still exist. What is
intrinsic to all of them is that they were tribal in nature.
So, what do we mean by tribal? We have lost the thread
to this concept. To a certain extent it is still alive and well
among the indigenous people – but the powers that be have
been hard at work trying to exterminate the indigenous
ones for so long, our tribal memories might as well be on
life support, at this point. If nuclear family constructs have
pre-empted our connection to the human tribe, in the act
of isolating ourselves in tiny boxes that contain Mom, Dad,
and 2.5 kids, we have lost sight of the fact that we are all
connected. The great matriarchal cultures embodied the
idea that we are mother, father, sister, brother, daughter,
and son to all of our relations – including our four legged
friends, the creatures that swim in the sea, all of the winged
ones, as well as the five elements.
We diminish the Cancer archetype by keeping her down
on the farm, barefoot and pregnant. At rock bottom, in its
highest expression, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the
world because Cancer is the matriarch. Anyone with heavy
doses of this sign in their chart, whether they be male or
female, has incarnated at this point in the Earth’s evolution
to remind all of their relations how to return to the ways of
The Tribe. This becomes super important at this moment
in time because yes, indeed, we are about to “find our way
back to the Garden.”
Now that we have beamed in on Cancer, what does
Uranus have to do with it? I was born with Uranus in Cancer
on my Ascendant, so for me, it has a lot to do with it. Once a
month I am reminded of how much it has to do with it. I can
hear you say, “Well she must be quite a motherly gal’”– yes
and no – not in the traditional sense. Why? Because all of
my Cancer energy is pouring through a Uranian filter – and
Uranus is eccentric. Unlike every other planet in the solar
system, it rotates on a horizontal, as opposed to a vertical
axis. Needless to say, my maternal nature is definitely there
– but it has always been off the wall.
Uranus is also the ruler of astrology. Part of the reason I
got to be Charles Jayne’s apprentice is because on the day
that I took my first class with him, he looked at my chart
and said, “You came to this planet to be an astrologer.” It
was my Uranus-Ascendant conjunction that prompted
those words, and it was my time with him that started me
off on this path. When my work in the field got walking and
talking, I became known as “Mother of the Skye.” In my
case, layering the Cancer piece over the Uranian piece, my
purpose has always involved using my astrological gifts to
remind people how to return to the ways of the tribe.
So, enough about me. Uranus was transiting Cancer
from 1948 to 1956. During that eight-year time frame, everyone
on the planet was born with this placement. We are
the ones who came to be known as the Baby Boomers. With
this in mind, how about we play “astrologer” and put
2 + 2 together?
It is well known that Uranus revolutionizes whatever
it touches. The Baby Boomers were raised during the late
40s and the first half of the 50s. We were born and bred on
the post-war American Dream, of God, Mom, and Apple
Pie. Ironically, whatever we were supposed to cull from our
early childhood programming gave birth to what evolved
into the dysfunctional family. Little did we know that
Uranus’s passage through Cancer was meant to throw a
Molotov cocktail into our nuclear family constructs, so that
by the time our own children came of age they would be
well prepared to return to the ways of the tribe.
Now Baby Boomers are in their 70s, or pushing 70, and
have just about come full circle. In the time that has passed
since we were born, Uranus has moved into Taurus and is
currently forming a 60-degree angle to the position it held
at the end of WWII. This is what is known as a sextile; it is a
positive, constructive aspect.
This means that the Baby Boomers have either lived up
to our revolutionary potential, or not. Many of us have sold
out along the way, but just as many have not. Those of us
who are still walking our talk in the face of all the external
pressure to turn into a shopaholic, or just another “Muggle,”
are beginning to see that the dysfunctional energy we
stirred up along the way, and the bombs that we dropped
on all of those nuclear family constructs, had a purpose.
That purpose is unfolding as we speak.
The ones who are being born into the current generation
have incarnated with Uranus in Taurus. On the surface,
Taurus has a strong materialistic flavor. Many astrologers
say it is about money, things, and all of the physical delights.
With the latest wave of souls under the influence of Uranus
in Taurus, we can assume that they are here to toss lightning
bolts into every single one of those thought forms. Now that
the Federal Reserve has been shut down, who knows? We
could already be right over the target.
Digging deeper into the mystery, I have come to realize
that Taurus is about what we value, or what is lasting and
permanent. It has to do with that which is intrinsic to the
Earth, that which is authentic and real, that which is eternal
and everlasting and that will be here at the end of the day,
long after the banks and the machines and the technoculture
have gone up in smoke.
The little ones who are learning to walk and talk at this
moment in time, are “The Ones We Have Been Waiting For,”
the ones who have come to help us remember who we are
and what really matters when it’s all said and done. Are we
ready to go there? I don’t know about you, but I sure am. Let
me leave you with that and invite you to take what you can
from this week’s ‘scopes.
PUZZLES on page 15
>
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30 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
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condominium, 3 large rooms
plus storage room (1396
sq. ft.); Including office furniture,
furnishings, Law Library
(personal items not
included); Used as a law
office over 44 years, suitable
for any office; Configuration
may be changed; Parking;
Located in Rutland City
on busiest highway in the
County. Enjoy the benefits
of Vermont living: skiing,
hiking, camping, lakes for
sailing, fishing, boating.
$75,000. Call 941-473-7846
ERA MOUNTAIN Real Estate,
1913 US Rt. 4, Killington—killingtonvermontrealestate.com
or call one
of our real estate experts for
all of your real estate needs
including Short Term & Long
Term Rentals & Sales. 802-
775-0340.
KILLINGTON PICO RE-
ALTY Our Realtors have
special training in buyer
representation to ensure a
positive buying experience.
Looking to sell? Our unique
marketing plan features your
very own website. 802-422-
3600, KillingtonPicoRealty.
com 2814 Killington Rd., Killington.
(next to Choices
Restaurant).
KILLINGTON VALLEY
REAL ESTATE Specializing
in the Killington region
for Sales and Listings for
Homes, Condos & Land
as well as Winter seasonal
rentals. Call, email or stop
in. We are the red farm
house located next to the
Wobbly Barn. PO Box 236,
2281 Killington Rd., Killington.
802-422-3610, bret@
killingtonvalleyrealestate.
com.
PEAK PROPERTY GROUP
at KW Vermont. VTproperties.net.
802-353-1604. Marni@peakpropertyrealestate.
com. Specializing in homes/
condos/land/commercial/
investments. Representing
sellers & buyers all over
Central Vt.
THE PERFORMANCE
GROUP real estate 1810
Killington Rd., Killington.
802-422-3244 or 800-338-
3735, vthomes.com, email
info@vthomes.com. As the
name implies “We perform
for you!”
PRESTIGE REAL ESTATE
of Killington, 2922 Killington
Rd., Killington. Specializing
in the listing & sales of Killington
Condos, Homes, &
Land. Call 802-422-3923.
prestigekillington.com.
SKI COUNTRY REAL ES-
TATE, 335 Killington Rd., Killington.
802-775-5111. Ski-
CountryRealEstate.com – 8
agents servicing: Killington,
Bridgewater, Mendon, Pittsfield,
Plymouth, Stockbridge,
Woodstock areas.Sales &
Winter Seasonal Rentals.
Open Monday-Saturday: 10
am – 4 pm. Sunday by appointment.
WHITE CAP REALTY Sole
proprietor serving buyers
and sellers throughout the
Killington Valley. Contact
Jake Pluta at 802-345-5187
or jake@realwhitecap.com
FOR SALE
CARGO TRAILER- 7x16,
7000lb cargo capacity white
trailer. Great condition, no
rust. $4000 obo. 503-708-
8922
2017 TOYOTA HIGHLAND-
ER Hybrid for sale. Great
condition! $28,000 or best
offer. Call Brooke 971-801-
5788
MOVING SALE- 142 Old
Coach Road, Killington.
Furniture, numerous power
tools, chainsaw. 40” TV,
DVD and stand. For info call
802-772-7326
FARM MACHINERY- over
20 years old harrowers,
rakes, tenders $20 each,
2004 Kaufman utility trailer
$150. 802-457-2613
FREE
FREE REMOVAL of scrap
metal & car batteries. Matty,
802-353-5617.
FREE PLANTS with Services.
jeff@hgvtpro.com 802-
882-7077
FREE – FIRST COME, first
serve. Call 802-422-5499.
2 – Dog quality dog runs w/
hardware, Triangle fabric
dog sun protector, 2- Ceiling
speakers (NIB) 6 ½”
woofer, 40 watts (never
used), Several electrical
(12/14 gauge) ext. chords,
drop light, Elec. Splitter box,
2- New Kwikset Deadbolts
w/keys (brand new), 2- Pressure
washer nozzles (rated
up to 2500 PSI), 2 Gals.
Muriatic Acid (concrete etching),
Liquid pressure washer
concrete cleaner, Numerous
lengths of airplane cable and
chains, Set of snow blower
tire chains, 10 paint trays
(metal & plastic liners) &
paint tarps.
WANTED
HIGHEST PRICES PAID
- Back home in Vermont
and hope to see new and
returning customers for the
purchase, sale and qualified
appraisal of coins, currency,
stamps, precious metals in
any form, old and high quality
watches and time pieces,
sports and historical items.
Free estimates. No obligation.
Member ANA, APS,
NAWCC, New England Appraisers
Association. Royal
Barnard 802-775-0085.
EMPLOYMENT
KILLINGTON RESORT
Banquet Captain- Oversee
daily operations of banquet
events and setups executed
by Hotel Food & Beverage
Department. Visit Killington.com/jobs
to view the
complete job listing or our
Welcome Center at 4763
Killington Rd.(800)300-9095
EOE
KILLINGTON RESORT
Banquet Servers- Perform
service and setup of banquet
events executed by Hotel
Food & Beverage Department.
Visit Killington.com/
jobs to view the complete
job listing or our Welcome
Center at 4763 Killington
HEAD HOUSEKEEPER:
Seeking an energetic, responsible,
take charge individual
to join our team.
Candidate must be a team
player while overseeing all
our housekeeping needs to
ensure guests’ comfort. Reliable
transportation required.
Position is year-round Basic
housing option available.
This is a key position at our
popular Killington Inn. Call for
details: 802 422 3407 Email:
snowedinn@vermontel.net
ALPINE BIKE WORKS in
Killington Vermont is seeking
full and part time bicycle technicians.
We are a full service
bicycle shop at the base of
Killington Bike Park specializing
in mountain and gravel
bikes and stock a large inventory
of bikes, parts and
accessories. We offer a great
working environment with a
friendly atmosphere. Work
includes all types of services,
including bicycle suspension,
drive train, wheels, tires
and brakes. Compensation
relative to experience.
Thinking of relocating? We
can help! Please send resume
to info@alpinebikeworks.com
for consideration.
SERVICES
BEAUREGARD PAINTING,
30 years experience, 802-
436-1337.
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.
For more info call HUD toll-free
at 1-800-669-9777.
Submit a
classifi ed
Email classifieds@
mountaintimes.info or call
802-422-2399. Rates are 50
cents per word, per week;
free ads are free.
Courtesy of Zoom
Video conferences are being held to conduct official business
in towns and school districts across the region.
Zoom: Local meetings go digital
>
from page 28
3, have been cancelled, according to WCUSD Board chair
Bryce Sammel.
“There will be a new Zoom link for the April 6 [Board]
meeting which will be included in the [agenda and attachments],”
Superintendent Mary Beth Banios said.
Brooke Olsen-Farrell, superintendent of the Slate Valley
Unified School District, told the Mt. Times their March 23
board meeting also utilized Zoom.
“It was a pretty efficient meeting,” Olsen-Farrell wrote.
“We did have some members of the public join the meeting
virtually, which seemed to go fine.”
“Each [future] meeting will have its own link on the top
of the warned agenda,” Olsen-Farrell added. “It is certainly
a learning experience but so far we are not having too
much trouble instituting virtual meetings.”
Select Boards are also adapting.
Hartland Town Manager David Ormiston has a Microsoft
Teams networked meeting scheduled for April 6.
“I’ve been using
[Teams] the last week
in preparation for the
meeting,” Ormiston
said. “I’ve now used
Teams, Zoom and
GoToMeeting. I find
them all to be pretty
similar.”
The Hartland
“The public will be
asked not to come
in person but ... by
video conference,”
Bristow said.
meeting agenda will include a phone number and a link for
participating.
Barnard Select Board’s April 1 meeting will be held in
person, according to Select Board Assistant Rob Ramrath.
The meeting “will have the members plus me in person
at the town hall (of course, no one sick and at a social
distance) with the public dialing into a conference call,”
Ramrath wrote. Instructions are included in the posted
agenda.
Preston Bristow, Killington Select Board administrator,
said the board will hold its first virtual meeting April 7 using
Zoom moderated from the Sherburne Memorial Library.
“Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth will be at the Library,
and it will be up to each individual Select Board member
whether he will attend in person or by video conference,”
Bristow said. “The public will be asked not to come in person
but to participate only by video conference.”
A short-term rental regulation hearing on April 21 will
also be conducted remotely.
Plymouth is bucking the technology tide – Town Clerk
Sandie Small wrote, “There is a [Select Board] meeting
scheduled for April 6, which will be held in the usual manner
in our Town Hall. Frankly, we rarely have visitors, and
since no one is on the Agenda, I doubt there will be [any
public] attending.”
“If we were to use some tech in the future,” Small added,
“Zoom seems like the likely winner.”
The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020 REAL ESTATE • 31
Grow Your Life in Killington
KILLINGTON VALLEY REAL ESTATE
Bret Williamson, Broker, Owner
Celebrating
30 years!
802.775.5111 • 335 Killington Rd. • Killington, VT 05751
FALL LINE CONDO - SKI HOME & SHUTTLE OUT
• 3BR/3BA beautifully renovated
• End Unit. Panoramic Views!
• New granite, stainless appliances
• Cherry cabinets. Gas fireplace
• On-site: indoor pool
• Furnished & equipped: $299K
MTN GREEN - BLDG 1
THE LODGES - SKI IN & OUT
• 1-LVL 3BR/3BA, Furnished &
equipped, Wash/Dryer, patio
• Gas fplc, gas range, gas heat
• Mud-entry w/ cubbies+bench
• Double vanity, jet tub,
• Common: Indr pool
• End unit, $439K
KILLINGTON CTR INN & SUITES
72 658 Windrift Tanglewood Ridge Road, Drive, Killington Killington $ 575,000 $459,000
This Great unique, private Killington 3 bdrm , location, 3 bath, custom modern stone home, work situated throughout
on the a exterior, wooded heated lot garage, overlooking VT castings nearby wood Pico stove, Mountain hot tub,
Ski open area, floor offers plan and unexpected a large living privacy room with and valley stunning views from the
mountain wall of windows. views.
4552 Prior VT Drive, Route Killington 107, Stockbridge $1,200,000$129,000
Many Exquisitely opportunities detailed Tudor for this style home located in a private minutes 20 acre to I-89
and Killington 20 min location. drive to Spacious Killington. gourmet Excellent kitchen, rental arched history, doorways,
recently high end fixtures, renovated carefully improvements crafted trim and including moldings a new throughout.
standing Truly unique seam property. metal roof, windows, doors, and more.
Mountain 298 Prior Drive, Green, Killington Killington $ 1,2000,000 $149,500
2-bedroom, This 4934 square 2-bath foot, corner exquisitely unit Mtn Green detailed building Tudor 1. Sold style furnished,
home updated is in a class appliances, by itself. outdoor A five pool bedroom views, shuttle home, route &
wood surrounded burning by fireplace. the grandeur Cable, internet, of the plowing, green mountains. refuse removal
and shuttle service included in quarterly fee.
Cricket Hill, $
Lodges, Killington $459,000 555,000
Ski-in, This 4-bedroom, ski-out from this 4-bath 3-bedroom, home with 3-bath inground furnished pool top floor is a
Lodges ten minute unit with drive trail from views Killington of Bear Mountain. Resort with Owners stunning enjoy all
the views Sunrise of Pico amenities Mountain. including The spa, competitively pool, hot tub priced and gym. home,
is being sold furnished.
View all properties @killingtonvalleyrealestate.com
Office 802-422-3610 ext 206 Cell 802-236-1092 bret@killingtonvalleyrealestate.com
NOTE TO READERS:
The Mountain Times is closing its office to the public as of March 18, 2020.
We will continue to cover local news in print as well as online, through
social media and via our newsletter (sign up at mountaintimes.info).
You can also reach us at 422-2399 or editor@mountaintimes.info.
• Shuttle Service
• Furnished & equipped
• OnSite: In&Outdr Pools,
• Whirlpl, Laundry area
• 1BR @ $129K
MTN GREEN – MAIN BLDG (#3)
• 2BR/2BA w/lockout $162K
• STUDIO: $95K
• 1BR Bldg 3! $126K - 150K
• Onsite: Indoor & Outdoor Pools,
Whirlpl, Restaurant, Ski & Gift
Shops, Pilate Studio, Racquetball/basketball;
Shuttle Bus
KILLINGTON GATEWAY- TOP/END UNIT
• furnished & equipped
• gas heat & fplc, tiled kitch &BA flrs
• Cath ceiling w/ sky lt, open flr plan
• Cherry kitchen cabinets, AC
• Covered deck, private ski locker
• 1 BR/1BA: $81K; 2BR/1BA, $125K
JUST OFF KILLINGTON RD
• 4 Oversized BR’s, 2.5BA,
4,227 sq.ft.
• 10 person hot tub, laundry room
• Llarge deck & bar room
• Furnished & equipped $599K
• Completely Renovated 2BR/3BA
w/one LOCK-OFF unit
• Stone-faced gas f/plc, W/Dryer
• Tiled floor to ceiling shower
• Outdr Pool. Short walk to shuttle &
to restaurant. Furnished $222K
KILLINGTON TRAIL VIEWS
• 6BR/3BA , 2 acres,
2,600 sq.ft.
• Walk-out lower level
• Detached storage garage
• New septic system
• Furnished & equipped
• $379K
MOUNTAINSIDE DEVELOPMT HOME
• 3 en-suite bedrooms + 4 ½-baths
• Living Rm floor to ceiling stone fplace
• Family gameroom w/ fireplace
• Chef’s kitchen,sauna, whirlpl tub
• 3 extra separately deeded lots incl.
• www.109mountainsidedrive.org
• $1,195,000
WINTER VIEWS OF SUPERSTAR!
• On cul-de-sac, great LOCATION!
• 4BR, 2.5BA 3,470 sf, a/conditioning
• Ctl vac, chef’s kitch, butler’s pantry
• Cedar closet, office, master suite
• 3 car garage, storage, screened porch
• Deck, unfinished basemt,++
$789,500
We sincerely thank local businesses, towns, organizations and individuals for helping
us to cover the news as well as support those efforts financially. As more businesses
close and people are laid off, community support will be more important than ever
for the health of our organization and for all of our neighbors.
To support local journalism, visit mountaintimes.info
Lenore
Bianchi
‘tricia
Carter
Meghan
Charlebois
Merisa
Sherman
Pat
Linnemayr
Chris
Bianchi
Katie
McFadden
Over 140 Years Experience in the Killington Region REALTOR
Michelle
Lord
Kerry
Dismuke
MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE
MLS
®
PEAK
PROPERTY
G R O U P
AT
802.353.1604
VTPROPERTIES.NET
IDEAL PROPERTIES CLOSE TO
KILLINGTON, OKEMO OR WOODSTOCK!
HOMES | CONDOS | LAND
COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT
PRIME DEVELOPMENT OPP
W/7 LOTS FOR HOME SITES
OR TOWNHOMES OF 8 UNITS!
BASE OF THE KILLINGTON RD!
ONE OF THE BEST SPOTS
IN KILLINGTON!
Retail Property 17 acres consists of a
main building w/11,440 sq. ft. on 3 levels
w/elevator. Direct to xcountry trails.
Immediate access to 20 miles of MTN
bike trails on Base Camp
& Sherburne Trails! $1,350,000
RARE OPPORTUNITY! ULTIMATE RETREAT! Ideal Short Term Rental
Property! 27+ acres w/amazing views abutting National Forest Land,
2 spring fed swimming ponds, gazebo w/power & end of road location.
Special property has a main farmhouse, 3 level barn, guest house, an
enchanting seasonal cottage, 3 car detached garage & so much more!
$699K
Marni Rieger
802.353.1604
Tucker A. Lange
303.818.8068
Marni@PeakPropertyRealEstate.com
59 Central Street, Woodstock VT
505 Killington Road, Killington VT
STRONG RENTAL INVESTMENT & BUSINESS
OPP CLOSE TO KILLINGTON, SUGARBUSH
& MIDDLEBURY SNOWBOWL! 7 unit property
located in the center of the village in Rochester.
Building is 7,216 sq ft. Main level is a local landmark
& home to the Rochester Café (45 person licensed
restaurant) & Country Store. 3 rental apts onsite,
one which is used as Airbnb. 2 rentable open studio
units. Last unit is rented cold storage space. All the
real estate & business $549,900
ONE OF A KIND PROPERTY MINUTES TO PICO
OR KILLINGTON. Post & Beam home 4bed/ 4 bath
w/ 2 car garage. 2 bed/1 bath apt to rent out for extra
income. 3 level barn, outbuilding w/ heat. Inground
pool & cabana to enjoy in summer months. So close
to skiing & Rutland. Come see. $389,900
DIRECT ACCESS TO SNOWMOBILING &
HIKING TRAILS! Minutes to Killington, Okemo or
Woodstock. Soak in the amazing mountain views
from this totally renovated & turn key 5 bed/2 bath
Chalet. Great open floor plan w/gorgeous pine
floors & wall of glass to enjoy the views! New
roof. Strong rental potential. Must see this gem!
$319,900
32 • The Mountain Times • April 1-7, 2020
MORE CARING
The quicker we flatten the curve, the quicker
we can get back to playing on the mountain.
• Stay home
• Keep a safe distance
• Wash your hands
• Take care of one another
Looking forward to seeing you soon.
For the latest updates, please visit killington.com.
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