One of the cultural markers of our state is that we keep debating, fretting and sometimes snarling over who is a "real Vermonter." It's strange when you think about it -- people in Massachusetts never worry over who is a real Bay Stater, and as far as I know there are no admission requirements for New Hampshire or Rhode Island. But the real-Vermonter debate seems to get reactivated each time some difficult or divisive issue is on the table -- civil unions, the Australian ballot, Act 250. Even the mock 1998 senatorial candidacy of Fred Tuttle came down to a legitimacy claim.... Read more

Cabin Fever, Anyone? Everybody has to be good at something, however useless, and Putney native Bill Kathan, Jr. performed 5365 nonstop jumping jacks on January 1, 2000. His goal was to beat the previous record of 5103 held by West Coast jumping jack champion Steve Sokol.... Read more

Pros and Constable... Read more

A piece of land south of Montgomery Center has sprouted a school bus, a teepee, trailers and a couple of automobiles, and this temporary village is the home to five hopeful, chilly people who want to create a self-sufficient farm on the property.

“We are living in buses because there is no house on the property,” says the owner, Tammy Welch, whose optimism has apparently not interfered with her grasp of the obvious. Still, the encampment is in violation of local zoning regulations and the group was recently warned that they must bring it into compliance.... Read more

Angels in America Students at the Breathing Lotus School in Bradford normally usher in the New Year with a dip in the Waits River, but this year the ice was too thick for swimming. Undaunted, students trekked barefoot to the golf course and made snow angels. Leslie Grove, co-owner of Breathing Lotus, explained that the purpose of the event was for students to “affirm their resolutions” for the New Year. “We taught something new to all the students that participated,” she said, referring to the ring of body prints around the ninth hole.... Read more

Angels in America Students at the Breathing Lotus School in Bradford normally usher in the New Year with a dip in the Waits River, but this year the ice was too thick for swimming. Undaunted, students trekked barefoot to the golf course and made snow angels. Leslie Grove, co-owner of Breathing Lotus, explained that the purpose of the event was for students to “affirm their resolutions” for the New Year. “We taught something new to all the students that participated,” she said, referring to the ring of body prints around the ninth hole.... Read more