By Brooke Geery, Killington Resort At the end of last season, Killington Resort donated one of its well-used snow cats to Vermont Technical College (VTC) in Randolph. The gift was the idea of Vehicle Maintenance Manager Halley Riley-Elliot, who graduated from the VTC program herself in 2021. As the equipment had fulfilled its usefulness for…

By Brett Yates Regional planners want to help a trio of Windsor County municipalities win federal funds for projects that would prevent flood damage during future storms. But, so far, the town of Bridgewater isn’t interested. A new program called the Resilience Initiative for Vermont Empowerment and Recovery (RIVER) aims to protect communities that sit…

At the recent Killington-Pico Rotary club meeting, the newest Paul Harris fellows were recognized: Robert (Bob) Montgomery and Diane “Dee” Montgomery (posthumously) for their contributions to the Killington community.  With tears in her eyes, Dale Pfeifenberger recall the many accomplishments of her best friend “Dee,” including helping young adults plan for college, founding Sunday school…

Matthew (Matt) Eric Roberts, age 44, passed away Sunday, Sept. 22, at Rutland Regional Medical Center. He was born in Brockton, Massachusetts, on July 6, 1980. He was the son of Charles and Deborah (West) Roberts. He grew up in Brockton where he received his early education.  Roberts moved to Brandon with his family in…

Mission Farm in Killington has opened The Kitchen at Mission Farm, a state-of-the-art collaborative community kitchen designed to support local artisan food makers and benefit the larger community. The Kitchen embodies Mission Farm’s core values of connection, conservation, and justice, according to a recent new release.  The Kitchen will serve as a hub for culinary…

The Cannabis Control Board voted Wednesday, Sept. 25, to temporarily close the window for new retail and tier 2 cultivation applications in Vermont. “The Board is committed to adapting to changing market conditions,” the news release stated.  At Wednesday’s meeting, all three of the board’s members spoke of their concern for oversaturation in the regulated…

Sale to local owners closed without debt Friday, Sept. 27 Killington Resort finalized its sale from Powdr to local, independent ownership on Friday, Sept. 27. The new ownership group, led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, is committed to reinvesting all profits into capital improvements “for the foreseeable future” and announced $30 million in on-mountain…

New store plans to open in 2027 Staff report This past Tuesday, Sept. 24, Walmart told the Town of Rutland Select Board that plans will be submitted to relocate the existing Walmart store at 90 Shopping Plaza Road in Rutland City to the site of the former Diamond Run Mall, south of the city just…

Staff report So, you bought a mountain bike. Well done! You’ve now got a few epic rides under your belt. Excellent. But now you wonder how to best protect your investment and keep it rolling like new.  While there are many expert bike mechanics around locally that can help, here are a few basic things…

The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced Sept. 12 the awards of approximately $7.19 million in grants to municipalities for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvement projects. The combination of construction projects and planning grants will benefit cities and towns statewide with improved transportation connectivity and safety, tangible economic benefits, and additional transportation options for commuters,…

By Shelley Lutz, Pine Hill Partnership board member  Pine Hill Park in Rutland City is one of the original trail networks in Central Vermont and is a must-stop on any mountain biker’s itinerary. The wooded park is 275 acres with 18 miles of mostly singletrack trails dotted with seven unique bridges. If you are an aerobic…

By Ada Mahood, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Peninsula is a trail that is perfect for beginners and intermediates riding in Woodstock. The scenery is quite amazing, especially in the fall. It starts up a short hill, then over some roots and up a short technical part before ending in the mossy lands of the Peninsula…

By Jason Mikula The Sherburner is a trail not to miss when coming to this area. It’s a new trail, debuting in 2023, and was built by L&D Trail Works. It’s a perfect adventure that takes under an hour (depending on your skill level and choice of route). The trailhead is about a 3 minute…

By Luca Morris, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Captain Cabot is just one of the many fantastic trails in the Aqueduct trail system. The Aqueduct, with its main trailhead located on Cox District Road, is conveniently located close to downtown Woodstock — and its middle/high school. The main trailhead is accompanied by a parking lot with room to fit all…

By Quinn Uva, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Captain This is the quintessential run to do when visiting Woodstock. This run is one of the oldest in Woodstock making it a classic and has been heavily revamped in recent years. The easiest way to access “Cloud Drop” to “Sir Bermsalot” is from the Knox Meadow parking…