Rizzoli International Publications, the New York City-based subsidiary of Italian publishing house Mondadori Group, will acquire Chelsea Green Publishing, the 40-year-old White River Junction company known for its titles on the politics and practice of sustainable living. Mondadori announced on April 15 that Rizzoli will pay $5 million for the Vermont company and its London subsidiary, Chelsea Green Publishing UK Ltd. The deal is expected to close by June 30. "This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision of promoting meaningful content that resonates with global audiences while addressin ..read more

A bill meant to limit property tax increases next year is advancing in the Vermont House over the objections of minority Republicans who are highly critical that it doesn’t rein in spending. What is known as the “yield bill” aims to keep predicted property tax increases to around 15 percent for most homeowners. That’s less than the 20 percent increase that was predicted late last year. Taxes on commercial properties and second homes would increase an average of 18 percent. The increases are lower partly because of a previous bill enabling school districts to revise and reduce their budgets, a ..read more

The Town of Roxbury is suing Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools in an attempt to prevent a budget revote on April 30 that could close the Roxbury Village School as a cost-saving measure. The lawsuit, filed on Tuesday in Washington County Superior Court, alleges that the school district failed to hold a state-mandated informational budget meeting 10 days prior to the first budget vote on Town Meeting Day. Instead, the suit alleges, the informational meeting was held online the morning of March 5, once voters had already begun casting ballots. The suit says the timing of the informational meetin ..read more

April is National Poetry Month, when Montpelier transforms into PoemCity. The Kellogg-Hubbard Library organizes this event, during which 450 poems are displayed in the windows of 50 local businesses. Seven Days senior multimedia producer Eva Sollberger visited the Capital City in early April for a downtown poetry tour. April is National Poetry Month, and it is the perfect time to visit Montpelier, which transforms into PoemCity for the entire month. Organized by the Kellogg-Hubbard Library, this year the event displays 450 poems in the windows of 50 downtown businesses. The poets range in age ..read more

Longtime nurse deeply respected the natural world and excelled at arranging beauty in small spaces Sylvia A. Weinhagen of Burlington, Vt., died on April 16, 2024, with family by her side. She was 88, so what she died from is immaterial. What is important is that it was a long, full life. Long and full does not mean easy. Sylvia was tough, resilient and feisty until the very end. She had a real wisdom that came from life experience. She started life in Essex Junction, Vt., as Sylvia A. Stanton, the first child of Thomas and Genevieve (Neill) Stanton. She spent her youth on River Street, pickin ..read more

Westford man had many interests, including music, science, astronomy and the N.Y. Giants After a long illness, Jim Pittala died at his home in Westford, Vt., on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Jim was born on March 19, 1949, in Brooklyn to Edward and Ann Pittala. He was christened Vincent Richard Pittala, after an uncle who died in World War II, but he was always known as “Jim” to his family and friends. After Brooklyn, his family moved to Wyckoff, N.J., where Jim completed his education and went on to serve in the U.S. Army. Immediately after his marriage to Maryann Martin in 1973, Jim and Maryann ..read more

The Bennington Museum has various permanent and traveling displays of artwork and historical memorabilia, from its "Gilded Age Vermont" exhibit to the world's largest public collection of paintings by Grandma Moses. Most days, the bodies of work don't talk to the visitors or walk out the door when the museum closes. But on Friday, April 19, the Bennington Museum will host an exhibit titled "Tattoo Living" that celebrates bodily adornment. The one-night-only event, featuring as many as 16 live models, will delve into the art and imagery that Vermonters wear on their bodies. "We're asking peopl ..read more

(Self-released, digital) Ever wander around a city at 3 a.m.? Alone under the neon lights, on streets usually thronged with people, you experience a stillness that is at once soothing and concerning. You've found peace and quiet in a place where they don't belong, and there's this palpable absence you can't quite shake. From the moment I hit play on Community Garden's new EP, Me vs Me, I was overcome with that feeling of walking aimlessly on late-night boulevards. The title track washed in with all the Burlington band's trademark post-punk, glacial indie-rock tones: guitarist Alex Raine's ech ..read more

Application 4C0971R-6 from Allen Brook School, Attn: Chris Giard, 497 Talcott Rd, Williston, VT 05495 and Town of Williston School District, 7900 Williston Road, Williston, VT 05495 was received on April 5, 2024 and deemed complete on April 8, 2024. The project is generally described as construction of a gravel wetland with two pretreatment practices on Allen Brook School's property to improve stormwater runoff water quality. The project is located at 497 Talcott Road in Williston, Vermont. This application can be viewed online by visiting the Act 250 Database: (https://anrweb.vt.gov/ANR/Act25 ..read more

Cheryl Rose was ready to retire after 15 years as a care coordinator for Cathedral Square, a nonprofit that provides affordable housing for older adults. An avid crafter, she was eager to spend more time knitting and painting. In 2021, Rose, then 64, stopped working and started living off her savings and her Social Security payments — roughly $1,900 a month. Soon, though, money became tight. After her $950 monthly apartment rent, a car payment and other expenses, almost nothing remained. Rose couldn't afford to eat out with friends, go to the movies or travel. Even her hobbies took a hit. "I ..read more