By Dom Cioffi So, here we are in the home stretch of the holiday season. With only days to go, the intensity of this glorious annual event is heating up. As I mentioned a few columns ago, this is the part of the holiday rush that I love. Not because I inherently like chaos in…

By Karen D. Lorentz When Killington Basin Ski Area opened for skiing on Dec. 13, 1958, it was a momentous occasion that went largely unnoticed. Founder Pres Smith attended a sub-zero “Access Road” ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. along with various dignitaries, including Governor elect Robert Stafford, who cut the ribbon. On that same Saturday,…

By Karen D. Lorentz There are many different ways to combine one’s love of skiing and mountains with making a living. For Gary Milliken that means creating trail maps. First asked to produce a summer map for Killington in late winter 2017, Milliken said, “Killington didn’t have a comprehensive map that included all of the…

By Karen D. Lorentz Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Kayla Sarajian moved to Medford, New York, a suburb on Long Island, when she was 5 years old and graduated from Patchogue-Medford High School in 2007. Acknowledging that she didn’t really know what she wanted to do after high school, Sarajian said, “I did a lot of…

Did you grab your L.O.L. Surprise dolls last year? What about Hatchimals the year before? Each year, a new crop of must-have toys surfaces. Smart shoppers who do their research and prepare in advance of the holidays can grab these coveted gifts. Others are not so lucky, as they sell out quickly. Each year, industry…

 Tradition is a hallmark of the holiday season. Religious services, family gatherings and trips to see Santa Claus are just a few of the many traditions people adhere to during the holiday season. Many holiday shoppers also adhere to the time-honored tradition of last-minute shopping. The perfect gift can sometimes prove elusive, especially as the…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Do you have a friend whose healing hugs and spoken words encourage and inspire you? Do you have a friend who sees your strengths and teaches you how to overcome weaknesses? I do. Argentine born artist Graciela Giles emanates love, joy, and healing energy. Mom introduced us years ago. She feels…

. By Laurie D. Morrissey There’s a giant living in northern Coös County, New Hampshire. It’s a 61-foot tall tree, the country’s largest known American mountain ash. At last measurement, it stood at a height of 61 feet and had a circumference of 70 inches. That’s outstanding for a tree that’s described by most sources,…

Some of us (and that includes me) have had our Christmas decorations up since the day after Thanksgiving. But by mid-December “the spirit moves” just about everyone. As you bring out your boxes of decorations you will find them filled not just with “things,” but memories. When I start removing items from the boxes my…

Wednesday Dec. 12 KILLINGTON 6 p.m. Liquid Art Open Mic with Fiddlewitch 7:30 p.m. Sushi Yoshi Music Trivia Bingo with DJ Dave PAWLET 7 p.m. The Barn Restaurant and Tavern “Pickin’ in Pawlet” POULTNEY 5 p.m. Taps Tavern Beer Dinner and Craig Agus Ceol RUTLAND 9:30 p.m. Hide-A-Way Tavern College Night with DJ Mega Thursday…

The new Snowdon Six Express chairlift is open. Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano cut the ribbon and the new lifts started spinning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. The new high-speed lift seats six people.  It’s manufactured by Leitner-Poma and features a bubble shield that will protect skiers and riders from wind and weather…

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON—A new restaurant and tasting room is coming to town. Dale Patterson, the owner of Hop’n Moose and Rutland Beer Works, LLC, is opening a tasting room in the Mountain Green condominiums across from the Killington Grand Hotel this Thursday. He plans to call the restaurant/tasting room Rutland Beer Works. The menu…

By Curt Peterson Holiday season commuters will have to get used to not seeing the lavishly decorated Christmas tree in Larry and Pat Fortier’s yard on Route 12 in Hartland after many years. The Fortiers’ son Kevin planted the tree 30 years ago, but it’s now proudly standing in front of the State House in…

By Katy Savage Stefanie Taylor had her first experience playing in an orchestra when she was 13. Taylor attended a two-week summer camp in Poultney, led by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. She played violin among some of the best players in the Northeast. “When you’re sitting in the middle of an orchestra playing, the sound,…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND TOWN—About a month before Friendly’s abruptly closed its doors in Rutland Dec. 2, the building and property was purchased by the Friendly’s parent corporation. According to Rutland Town records, the 1.27-acre property sold to SIC Property ,LLC in Boca Raton, Florida, for $250,000 on Nov. 1. SIC Property is owned by…