So many of us feel stressed this time of year.  Life can reach a fever pitch during the holidays and expectations can run particularly high for New Year’s Eve.  This might be the perfect year for a more low-key celebration.  A casual potluck gathering with close friends can take the pressure off everyone and is gentler on the wallet.  That’s why Cabot Creamery Cooperative, best known as “Makers of the World’s Best Cheddar,” is providing two delicious and innovative recipes that are perfect for any New Year’s Eve get-together.

“New Year’s Eve is such a versatile Holiday because there are so many ways to celebrate,” says Candace Karu, Cabot Creamery’s Lifestyle Commentator and Favorite Foodie.  ”Here are a few ideas to help you have a happy, healthy New Year’s Eve:

• If you’re entertaining and are strapped for time to prepare hors d’oeuvres, a beautifully constructed cheese tray is easy and elegant.  You can offer your guests a variety of cheeses, along with tasty accompaniments: fresh fruit like apples, pears, or grapes and dried fruits like apricots or cranberries pair beautifully with many kinds of cheese, as do nuts like almonds or hazelnuts.  Add a crusty sliced baguette or an assortment of crackers and your ready for the countdown.

• No matter where you plan to party, it’s always fun to play “Guess the Resolution.”  Have each guest write down his or her resolution and put it in a bowl.  Read each resolution aloud and have everyone guess who might have made it.

• Will children be part of your New Year’s Eve festivities?  How about planning a special meal that everyone can help prepare?  There are lots of great family-friendly recipes at http://www.cabotcheese.coop/recipes.  Afterward, games like Scrabble or Pictionary or motion-control games like Wii or Kinect can help make it a party everyone will love.

• Make a playlist for your party and dance the night away or sing along to oldies or Broadway show tunes.

• If you do decide to go out, celebrate responsibly.  Try to drink a glass of water between each cocktail. You’ll feel better all night and wake up happier, too.  Don’t forget to designate a driver before the party starts.

• Not everyone’s a night owl.  Don’t feel bad if you want to head off to bed early.  Why not begin the New Year by taking the family for a run, walk or hike?  Gathering at home for a celebratory brunch will add a festive air to the start of 2011.

“If you plan to pot-luck this year, Cabot has you covered with two unique and tasty recipes,” continues Candace.  ”For a new take on a perennial favorite, treat your guests to our savory, sweet and spicy Butternut Squash, Cranberry and Cabot Habanero Cheddar Wontons.   Or, for a more traditional – and extremely delicious – finger food, try our Asparagus-Prosciutto Rolls with Cabot Tomato Basil Cheddar Cheese.  But most important, as you look around the room and see your family and friends enjoying the great food and holiday celebration, remember to count your blessings on the countdown to the New Year.”

For loads of awesome recipes, visit http://www.cabotcheese.coop/recipes.

Popularity: 40% [?]

A bus accident on I-91 Friday was swiftly responded to and the work of emergency crews allowed all involved to be returned home from hospitals by weekend’s end. For this, the responders are being praised.

The accident happened around highway marker 23 between the exits to Putney and Westminster just after 4 p.m. The bus was carrying a number of UMass students to a skiing lodge in Quebec for the weekend when it skidded and flipped over. The driver pulled over after feeling sick, and says the next thing he knew, the bus was in a ditch. Police say that judging by the lack of skidmarks on the road and in the grass, he didn’t hit the brakes while pulling over and fell into the ditch on the opposite side of the highway.

Putney Fire, Vermont State Police, Rescue Inc. and the Vermont Agency of Transportation all responded quickly and began getting the injured to local hospitals. There were no critical injuries as feared at first, and the only one remaining in the hospital after Friday was the driver, who is being checked to find out how he passed out. Edward Blaguszewski, a spokesman for UMass, is commending the responders on their calm and intricate handling of the situation, telling the Brattleboro Reformer “”This was a situation that was disconcerting and time sensitive. We thought the responses of the Vermont State Police and the regional hospitals were outstanding.”

Putney Fire Chief Tom Goddard, who as one of the leaders of the rescue effort, also praised the responders, saying “Everyone worked together. It was a tremendous effort by everyone who reported to the scene. At first we did not have a clear picture of what was going on and everyone worked together to make sure the victims received the care they needed.”

More information will be released as it becomes available from Vermont State Police.

Popularity: 50% [?]

Protesters gathered in front of Mike’s Barber Shop in Bellows Falls on Saturday to show their disdain for an alleged racial refusal of service.

Those that protested said they read a letter in the November 3 Brattleboro Reformer by a man who claimed he was denied a haircut because he is black. In the letter, Darryl Fischer, a physician from Silver City, New Mexico, walked into Mike’s and asked for a haircut. He witnessed two men sitting down playing cards, and they said the barber wasn’t in. When he came back, the same man that said the barber wasn’t in was cutting a white man’s hair. For this incident, Fischer says he will not be relocating to the city.

The town is trying to beat back claims that as a whole they are racist based on one man’s actions. The barber, Mike Aldrich, is not denying that he was inconsistent with the man, but denies that it was a racially charged decision. The Brattleboro Reformer reports the man as saying “I was trying to avoid cutting his hair without embarrassing him or myself. For five years I tried (to cut African American hair). I ordered special equipment and everything; their hair is entirely different.”

He says he has had instances where African Americans have came in and understood why he couldn’t cut their hair, and that this is being blown out of proportion. So far, his business hasn’t taken a hit, and many customers joke about the outcome of the letter for the misunderstanding.

Still, the dozen or so protesters outside of the 50 year old barbershop are determined to prevent this from happening again. Aldrich acknowledges his mistake, and the town is now intent on proving they are not a reflection on his actions.

Popularity: 51% [?]

A school board in Vermont is supporting the decision made by Brattleboro Area Middle School principal Ingrid Chrisco to ban breast cancer awareness bracelets. Why, you may ask? The students showed their support for the disease by wearing bracelets that read “I love boobies.”

Some students and staff were offended by the clever bracelets and got them banned. The principal has since vowed to host “appropriate” events to raise awareness.

However, one parent from the area says she plans to ask the American Civil Liberties Union whether or not she should challenge the ban on the boobie bracelets in court.

Popularity: 59% [?]