By Governor Peter Shumlin Earlier this month, Vermonters gathered at town meetings around the state to make decisions large and small about their communities. This year, two towns in particular made one very large decision about the future of education in their communities. As we continue the debate in Montpelier about how to address rising…

By Rob Roper There are plenty of reasons for parents and kids to love school choice in the 90-plus Vermont towns that already have it, and there are plenty of solid educational and social arguments for expanding the program to all Vermont towns. But why should folks without kids care? Property values. A recent study…

Dear Editor, We want to thank everyone involved in the Bruce Oldenburg benefit held on March 8. Thanks to everyone’s hard work, support, generous donations and their time, the benefit was a huge success. Special thanks to Chris Karr for hosting the benefit at the Pickle Barrell Nightclub and providing food and advertising. We also…

By U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy Sunshine Week is a time to celebrate one of our nation’s most basic values, the public’s “right to know.” Our very democracy is built on the idea that our government should not operate in secret. James Madison, a staunch defender of open government, whose birthday we celebrate each year during…

You have a few opportunities to hear Dan Brown and I suggest you take them all. Brown brings a great variety of music to the Killington scene. Every Thursday night at Jax you can see his duo group, Supply and Demand. This weekend at the Foundry you can see his other group, Down n’Around. Later…

Submitted Switchfoot frontman Jon Foreman had the crown singing along at Okemo’s Sugardaze festival, March 14. By Juliette Kapitan LUDLOW—Okemo Mountain hosted a free music event Saturday, March 14, featuring local band CK3, Brad Corrigan of Dispatch and headliner Switchfoot. With beer and maple syrup flowing, the Sugardaze Festival provided a memorable experience for both skiers…

By Dom Cioffi It was as urban ghetto as our little Vermont town was ever going to get. It was the early 1980s and we had just been declared legal to drive (which consequently gave us the freedom to roam). Sure, we’d hit the gorge or the movie theater on occasion, but most of the…

©Ember Photography A backcountry skier enjoys powder turns between the trees earlier this year. Partnering organizations are promoting safe and responsible backcountry practices statewide. Ethics promote backcountry safety and responsible use of Vermont’s winter mountain environment In an ongoing effort to promote the safe and responsible use of Vermont’s backcountry environment, many organizations teamed up…

By David Barrell Perhaps only at Suicide Six do skiers and riders pass by a hen house while skiing on the Back Door trail. By Karen D. Lorentz Where can you ski by a chicken coop with hens fluttering around and a few minutes later descend a steep slope made famous by ski racers, yet…

KILLINGTON—The Killington Mountain School airbag was up for training this past week, augmenting training for both development and academy athletes. Located at the bottom of Superstar, the airbag provided a soft, safe landing spot as they tried out new tricks. KMS Freeski Coach Wynn Berns commented, “Freeski, snowboard, and freestyle athletes use the airbag as…

By Justin Lemanski, athletics reporter The Fighting Saints basketball teams were unable to walk away with a title at the 2015 USCAA national tournament, but they did break some all-time records during play. The men’s team tied its own record of collecting 65 rebounds during its game against Penn-State Beaver that went into triple overtime.…

PITTSFIELD–The inaugaural Farm to Fork Fondo-Vermont, a cycling ride, will be held July 12, at Riverside Farm in Pittsfield, organizers recently announced. Over 500 participants are expected from throughout North America. The accessible community athletic event will highlight Vermont's local agriculture and the symbiotic relationship between cyclists, farmers and the state's beautiful landscapes. The event…

Vermont state law requires that ice-fishing shanties must be removed from the ice before the ice becomes unsafe or loses its ability to support the shanty above the water, or before the last Sunday in March (March 29 this year), whichever comes first. “Ice conditions can deteriorate quickly with warmer weather, so we urge owners…

POULTNEY – Mindy S. Lubber, one of the world’s most influential leaders in harnessing capitalism for positive environmental outcomes, will be Green Mountain College’s 2015 commencement speaker on Saturday, May 16. Lubber is the president of Ceres, the leading U.S. coalition of investors and environmental leaders working to improve corporate environmental, social and governance practices.…

By Cristina Kumka A Small Claims Court judge in Rutland has ruled in favor of the Killington Chamber of Commerce (KCC) following a website contracat dispute that called the Chamber’s credibility into question. On Feb. 19 of this year, Judge Jean Coloutti denied $5,000 in damages to Green Mountain Marketing & Advertising, Inc. (GMM,) owned…