By Dom Cioffi My plan this Sunday was to have a nice breakfast, mow and trim the lawn, pull out the Halloween paraphernalia to decorate the house, clean the garage, make a trip to donate old clothing to the Salvation Army and finish things up with a quick grocery run. All that, however, was thrown…

By Karen D. Lorentz Twenty-five years is a long time, but in reality it goes by fast. For agents at Ski Country Real Estate, it means having seen an amazing cycle of relationships with customers that has often come full circle. “Over 25 years ago, we started out as new agents working with seasonal renters,…

By Karen D. Lorentz Following the national real estate peak in 2006 and the 2007-2008 economic downturn, properties at most mountain resorts saw a precipitous drop in sales prices and activity levels. However, activity has been picking up nationwide and prices are moving up slowly, reports Michael Berry, president of the National Ski Areas Association.…

Charlie Demarest stands by his recently restored water wheel at the Water Wheel Trading Post on Route 4 in Killington. The wheel was severely damaged by floods during Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 causing the upper holding pond to be compromised along with the structure. Demarest has been working all summer to get the wheel…

The news came Saturday, Sept. 27— almost exactly one month after tickets first went on sale and over two weeks before the show — that Dancing with the Rutland Stars was officially sold out. It is the fastest tickets have sold out since the benefit began four years ago. “Words of thanks are hardly enough,”…

Consulting firm Gravity Logic say Killington could see 50,000 bikers annual, if the master plan is followed to completion.  “There is nowhere in the east that has the potential that Killington  has,” said Dave Kelly, co-founder of Gravity Logic, the consulting company Killington hired to design and build an improved mountain bike trail systems. “We…

By Kate Robitello With the combination of crisp mornings, canned pumpkin displays, and coffeehouses touting their latest pumpkin-spiced latte, fall is officially here. Fall need not, however, be the only time to consume pumpkin. This bright-colored squash is loaded with “pumpkin power” that may actually benefit your health in significant ways. The uniquely delicious taste…

By Karen D. Lorentz With this year’s exceptional foliage, we are reminded that this is the perfect time to explore the kaleidoscopic landscape. Or, better yet, show our guests around scenic back roads, exciting mountaintops, and bustling villages so that we all can more fully appreciate our environment, culture, and history. The following foliage tours…

By Carolyn Dean Vermonters know that fall is a very special time of year. Not only does it capture the threshold before the winter season, but it also creates a momentary landscape whose beauty is fleeting. Here are five must-do activities to fully participate in this fall season. Apples are ripe for the picking Macintosh,…

Oct. 15-19 — CHESTER — For the period from Wednesday, Oct. 15 through Sunday, Oct. 19, the Young Americans, a group of about 44 young adults between the ages of 18 and 25, will be in the Chester and Black River area as they prepare for a major concert at Green Mountain Union High School. The Young…

Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. — CASTLETON — Castleton presents the musical talents of Turtle Island String Quartet on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Casella Theater. Two time Grammy Award winners, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles, forever seeking to break new ground, which is something they…

Wednesday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. — POULTNEY — The invention of synthetic plastic created an era of disposable products. Watertight and endlessly malleable, plastic seems like the perfect invention. But its miraculous durability is also a curse because plastic never goes away. Join TV host and filmmaker Angela Sun for a public screening of her award-winning…

Wednesday, Oct. 15 — LUDLOW — On Wednesday, a group of Ludlow organizations will sponsor “The Last of the Doughboys,” a presentation by Richard Rubin. Terry Thayne is pictured explaining to Mark Gauthier who some of the Ludlow “doughboys” were who fought in what became known as “the war to end all wars.” The commemorative…

Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. — CHITTENDEN — On Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m., at the North Chittenden Grange Hall, 3 Lower Middle Road in Chittenden, the Chittenden Historical Society will host guest speaker Carrie Brown to present “Arming the Union: Vermont Gunmakers and the Technology that Shaped America.” During the Civil War, the Union…

Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 2 & 6 p.m. — KILLINGTON — The Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington will hosts two sessions in online education, to help the public learn ways to keep themselves protected. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, session one will be held at 2 p.m., entitled Being Safe in Cyberspace. If you’re just getting online for…