By Katy Savage While lodges and restaurants in Killington would normally be operating at full capacity this time of year, some establishments are down as much as 80%, due in part to the pandemic and the late start to the winter season. Kayla Bouffard, the innkeeper at the Vermont Inn in Mendon, said she was…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger Nick Grandchamp took one look at the snowy pile covering his car Thursday morning, Dec. 17, and walked to work instead. There, at the Rutland Area Food Co-op, it was an unusually quiet day. The store, which usually closes at 7 p.m., closed at 4 p.m., he said. Most people in the area…

Mary W. Davis Realtor & Associates, also known as OkemoRealEstate.com which is based in Ludlow, recently announced new ownership for the company. This  63-year-old local realty firm is a long time member of the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce (OVRCC) and the company new ownership plans to continue that investment and partnership. Last month,…

By Merisa Sherman As V.A.S.T. (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) opening weekend approached, there was an admission of defeat. While I was stoked to pick up the sled from her annual maintenance check late Wednesday evening, there was no thought in our minds that we’d be making our way through the Vermont mountains. Instead, we…

By Dom Cioffi I took my son for his annual check-up at the optometrist earlier this week. Prior to the appointment, a woman from the doctor’s office contacted me and asked if I would fill out an online health questionnaire for my son so our waiting time in the lobby would be reduced. I had…

By Kevin Theissen For many older adults, finding time to experience nature can be one of the greatest pleasures in retirement. And what better place to take in America’s splendor than one of our over 400 National Park Service sites? For over a century, generations of retirees have explored these stunning landscapes, marveled at the…

By Tyler Hoar As winter settles in, people watching their birdfeeders hope to catch a glimpse of something out of the ordinary – perhaps a visitor from the Far North. Nothing satisfies this desire like the bubbly and charismatic common redpoll. A member of the finch family, this small songbird is similar in size to…

By Brooke Geery KILLINGTON— Pre-Covid, The Backroom was a “dinner party style” venue in Pittsfield, an intimate experience created by Chef Kevin Lasko and his wife Katie Stiles. However, in today’s socially-distant climate, the space became unsafe for guests. So for this winter, the couple pivoted, moving operations into a truck and offering a to-go…

By Cassandra Tyndall You’ve probably heard a lot about this week’s rare fusion between Jupiter and Saturn. Known as the Great Conjunction, this happens every twenty years. What’s especially unique about this particular conjunction is that it heralds a new almost 200-year cycle of Jupiter and Saturn conjoining in the air signs of Gemini, Libra…

By Brooke Geery For local fried chicken fans, there is a bright side to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Rollin’ Rooster food trucks have pumped out so much food for hungry Vermonters since the pandemic began in March, that owners Nicole and Scott Bower have expanded to multiple trucks, and now, a brick and mortar location…

The homeless animals at the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) would love to be added to your holiday list this year!  Some of the items on this year’s wish list include animal bedding (new or used comforters, blankets and towels), gift cards to local pet merchants, liquid laundry detergent, 13 and 33 gallon trash bags,…

  Always at the forefront of ensuring Vermont’s great outdoors is accessible for all, Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, the nationally recognized non-profit that provides sports and recreation year-round for people with disabilities, continues to work closely with multiple organizations and groups in the state to build inclusive and to adapt existing mountain bike trails…

You keep meaning to buy one... Now’s the time!  The Rutland Jewish center’s Kosher Yankee Cookbook boasts nearly 600 of its members’ best recipes in a beautiful three-ring binder— grab one or a few for holiday gifts! Cookbooks are $22 each, and all proceeds support the RJC. Shipping is $5 per book, and you can…

2021 hunting, fishing, trapping licenses are available online Vermont hunting, fishing and trapping licenses for 2021 and license gift certificates are available at vtfishandwildlife.com. Proceeds go to manage wildlife and conserve habitat. “Our licenses for the New Year will be popular based on the increased interest we are seeing from people who want to enjoy…

Vagrants,  in partnership with Parlor Skis and presented by Life is Good, introduce “Made Back East,” a natively New England ski film that explores the love affair with backcountry skiing in our own backyard. The ski community refers to our home as “Back East,” assuming that anybody who grew up skiing here would eventually find…