June 2016 NEWS ARCHIVE
Refugee plan draws praise, backlash in Rutland
When the word got out in late April that Rutland Mayor Christopher Louras had volunteered his city as the new home for 100 refugees from Syria, the reaction from his fellow elected officials was swift and skeptical. Over the past month, many local people have stepped forward to help welcome the refugees, who will begin arriving in October if all goes as planned. But reaction from some Rutlanders has bordered on hostile.
‘A ghost or an illusion?’
North Bennington celebrates centennial of writer Shirley Jackson
read
more
Busy downtown is a destination -- for panhandlers
As the growth of Saratoga Springs has brought bigger crowds of pedestrians downtown over the past decade, the city has had to grapple with an unexpected sign of its success: an influx of street performers and panhandlers who see the city’s sidewalks as fertile economic ground. Now city officials are debating ways to crack down on “aggressive panhandlers.”
Keeping a farm at the city’s edge
The freshly planted field at the western edge of Saratoga Springs is a developer’s dream: 100 acres within a short drive from downtown or Saratoga Spa State Park, and within walking distance of the city high school. But the Pitney family, which has owned the land since 1862, has a different vision: an active farm conserved in perpetuity, with facilities and programs for engaging the public in local food production and teaching the next generation of small-scale farmers.
read more
Oldcastle season spans musical comedy, worldly intrigue
Five years ago, the artistic director of Oldcastle Theatre Company wondered aloud whether a professional theater troupe would continue to exist in Bennington. But today, the theater is preparing for its fifth season at its new downtown home -- and working to build on a 25 percent spike in attendance last year
At Images Cinema, staying true to the best in film
When Doug Jones took over as director of Images Cinema two years ago, he began to look into the history of the nonprofit venue as a way to size up its future possibilities. The Williamstown theater’s history is getting special attention this year as it nears its centennial in November.