For Pokemon Fans: 3.5 stars For non-fans: 1.5 stars  Sunday is Pokemon Day in my household. My wife and I go to the park and play Pokemon Go until our phones run out of battery. We hit Pokestops to load up on balls. We catch dozens of Pokemon. We give gifts to our friends around the world. We take over gyms together and fill the newly conquered gyms with our favorite high-powered Pokemon (go Team Valor!). We meet strangers and go on Raids with them. Then we use our curveball skills to try to catch the Legendary Pokemon that we defeated together. Pokemon Go brings my wife and I closer together. And it introduces us to fellow players who we would never otherwise meet. Poke…

The fourth annual Spring into Summer Festival will be presented by Barre Town Recreation Department on Saturday, June 1, 2019 from 10AM-2PM at the Recreational Fields located at 46 Websterville Rd in Barre Town. This free event continues to offer fun for families with children who want to run, jump, and play.  The event will include bounce house, face painting, the B-Recs Challenge (an Olympic style challenge where children can earn a medallion), games, and activities.  Boy Scout Troop #714 will be selling baked goods, beverages and hot dogs in their concession tent. Hands on Big Rigs, so popular with the younger set, is also back this year.  “We are pleased to be able to offer this ev…

Montpelier has been named the third best small town for shopping in a USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Travel ward Contest. The nomination was carefully made by an expert panel, and voters from across the country voted for Montpelier for this honor. “Being named the third best small town for shopping in the nation is a tremendous honor for Montpelier and a testament to our amazing merchants,” said Montpelier Alive Executive Director Dan Groberg. “Our charming streets are lined with independently-owned businesses where you can find everything you’re looking for while experiencing unmatched customer service.” Montpelier is home to more than 40 independently-owned specialty boutiques, sur…

US Senator Bernie Sanders will return to Vermont on May 25 for a rally at the State House in Montpelier. The event will highlight Sanders’ career in public service and celebrate the impact it has had on Vermont through the years.  Singer and songwriter Brandi Carlile will perform at the 2PM event on the State House Lawn. The rally is free an open to the public on a first-come-first-serve basis. Sanders is running for President of the United States in the 2020 election, and is currently competing for the Democratic Party Primary nomination against Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg and many others.  In 2016, Sanders ran unsuccessfully for the nomination against former Secret…

Families and staff congratulated recipients of the 18th annual Rose Black Nursing Excellence and seventh annual LNA Excellence in Clinical Practice awards during Nurses Week celebrations at The University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) on May 9. The awards were presented by Matthew Choate, Chief Nursing Officer, as well as leaders and colleagues who work alongside the recipients. “The Rose Black Nursing Excellence Award is given to a nurse who exemplifies the best aspects of nursing practice,” said Choate. “The LNA Excellence in Clinical Practice Award is given to an LNA or nursing support team member who demonstrates care, compassion, and clinical excel…

The 92nd annual Vermont All State Music Festival will take place May 8 through May 11, 2018, co-hosted this year by U-32 High School and Montpelier High School.   Sponsored by the Vermont Music Educators Association, the festival itself features 400 of Vermont’s finest high school musicians rehearsing and performing together in four All State honors ensembles: jazz ensemble, concert band, chorus, and orchestra. Students were selected to participate in the festival based on auditions held in January. Students who auditioned had to demonstrate their musical skills and perform an excerpt of a solo in front of adjudicators, who rated them. Over 1,000 students auditioned, and just over 400 of…

Waiting Periods Will Not Work By Chris Bradley, President, Vermont Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs As I understand it: The suggested need for a waiting period is as a way to help reduce impulsive acts done with firearms, specifically suicides or murders, with this being referred to as “reducing access to lethal means”. Regarding suicide by firearm: According to the Vermont Department of Mental Health, in 2016 there were 1,141 suicide attempts.  Of those, 1,070 or 94% were attempts using something other than a firearm. For those suicides where a firearm was used, the vast majority were done with a firearm that was already owned. It is actually a pretty rare event when a person wil…

Lucky babies born May 29 in Vermont will receive $100 deposit into a Vermont 529 college savings account opened by the Vermont Student Assistance Corp. Plus, one lucky Vermonter – baby or not – will be chosen to receive $529 in a college savings account in an online month-long drawing. To enter, visit vsac.org or vheip.org between May 1 and May 31. The Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems is joining VSAC, which administers Vermont’s 529 college savings plan, to help educate Vermont families about saving for college for their children. “Vermont hospitals believe that a healthy, vibrant Vermont is possible, and while excellent health care is an essential component, addr…