By Julia Purdy Those familiar with the West Creek Road in Florence will notice new activity at the former Silver Birch Equestrian Center location, formerly operated by Cheryl Hathaway. New owners Sarah and Justin McKeighan purchased 11 acres including buildings and riding ring May 30. The McKeighans have a lease-purchase agreement on another 150 acres,…

By Curt Peterson West Windsor’s Ascutney Outdoors, which has been providing access to groomed slope and back-country skiing via rope tow, will be sporting a modern T-bar lift starting with the first skiable snow next winter. “The slope is so popular we ran out of lift capacity,” said Ascutney Outdoors board member Glenn Seward. “With…

By Curt Peterson RUTLAND—Local residents are concerned that rail cars filled with fuel will be stored near their homes as two dangerously deteriorated downtown bridges in Middlebury will be replaced by a tunnel during the summer of 2020 for a cost close to $71 million. At a June 20 meeting on Hickory Street in Rutland,…

John Ditcheos died at his home in Woodstock, in his favorite easy chair, on June 18 at age 88. He was born on Sept. 12, 1930, in Hightstown, New Jersey and was the son of Nicholas and Alexandria Ditcheos, and younger brother to George. Ditcheos spent his early life with his family in his father’s…

June 22-23—BRIDGEWATER, KILLINGTON—The 9th annual Vermont Adaptive Charity Ride presented by Long Trail Brewing (formerly known as the Long Trail Century Ride to benefit Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports) is set to rock and roll, Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23. Live music at the after-party includes the Starline Rhythm Boys, plus Duppy Conquerors, an eight-piece Bob Marley tribute band. The goal is…

June 21-23—KILLINGTON—Head to the Beast to celebrate the beginning of mountain bike season in the largest bike park in the East! Killington Resort hosts Vermont Bike & Brew, June 21-23 – three days of organized mountain biking for all skill levels plus entertainment. The Gravity Logic-designed trails on Snowshed and Ramshead mountain areas will provide riding for…

Staff report Two online insurance marketplaces, QuoteWizard and Lending Tree, recently compiled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and released a report June 6 outlining e-cigarette usage by prevalence. The findings could force the hand of insurance companies to create a clear designation on e-cigarette use. In 2018, 3.6 million middle school and…

The first quarter rooms and meals option tax numbers indicate a strong season. The option taxes brought in about $215,000 for Killington this year, up from the five-year average of $204,550. “It was a good winter as far as rooms and meals,” said Killington Town Manager Chet Hagenbarth. Local business owners reported a good season,…

By Curt Peterson Caroline Olsen’s college-age stomach aches evolved into a thriving young business making cashew milk products in Woodstock. According to the Nutty Life LLC website, nutty-milk.com, Olsen’s addiction to frozen yogurt while studying at Boston College upset her digestive system. Suspecting lactose intolerance, she switched to almond milk, but found little relief. Inquisitive,…

By Shelby Collett Three days before their graduation ceremony Rutland seniors Lily Duboff, Owen Massie and Elijah Jones spent the day canoeing to the base of Rogers Rock in Lake George, New York, and climbing the 3 pitch, 700-foot slab.  They were led by their Year End Studies (YES) guide and Green Mountain Rock Climbing…

Staff report King Arthur Flour issued a recall for 14,218 cases (more than 85,000 bags) of 5 lb. unbleached all-purpose flour due to the potential presence of Escherichia coli bacteria (E. coli). The Norwich-based company announced Thursday, June 13, that it was issuing the voluntary recall for some of its flour sold through retailers and distributors…

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON—It’s been a year since the town hired a third-party company to manage the struggling Green Mountain National Golf Course and improvements are slowly underway. Brown Golf Management LLC, based in South Carolina, was hired under a 3-year $342,000 contract last spring to bring an arsenal of digital marketing initiatives to drive…

Barbara Lynn Templeton, age 72, died with grace in the early morning of Tuesday, June 11, 2019 in the comfort of her home, surrounded by her daughters Traci and Kristi and granddaughter Mimi Soleil. Born to Mary and Richard Sawyer on Jan, 18, 1947, Templeton grew up in Bridgewater Corners, as the eldest of six…

By Julia Purdy A fitness studio has taken Tattersall’s old space on Merchants Row. Rebecca Buonadonna and Brianna McDevitt, partners in the new Triumph Barre and Pilates studio, greeted their clients at the studio’s opening last week. The regulars coming in for a session exclaimed with delight at the transformation of the space. An antique…

By Ed Larson Rutland City Mayor David Allaire told the Rutland City Board of Aldermen Monday evening, June 17, that figures from City Assessor Barry Keefe indicate a $3.3 million increase in the personal property assessments and another $600,000 jump in property taxes. “This may assist when budget deliberations occur,” Allaire said.  Allaire also said…