By Julia Purdy A proposal to expand Depot Park and create an Amtrak “gateway” to make downtown Rutland more welcoming is sure to strike a note of nostalgia among old-time Rutlanders for the large passenger depot that graced the site now occupied by the downtown plaza parking lot. The old Rutland passenger depot appears in…

New organization will more efficiently serve region, businesses, aid community development RUTLAND—Two of Rutland County’s key community and economic development organizations have decided to merge. The boards of Rutland Economic Development Corporation (REDC) and Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce voted unanimously Thursday, July 30, to create a merged, streamlined organization to better serve their members…

By Katy Savage After two failed budget votes, the Slate Valley Unified School District is presenting a third budget to voters on Aug. 11. The new $26.4 million budget is down about $220,000 from  the previously defeated budget and down about $91,000 from the previous year’s budget. The proposed per pupil spending number is up…

Endurance athlete seeks to raise funds and awareness for clean water project Katie Spotz, clean water activist and adventurer, will embark on a 73-mile run across the state of Vermont, making her the first woman to do so. The run will take place on Saturday, Aug. 7, at the Piermont Bridge connecting Piermont, New Hampshire…

By Katy Savage As Gov. Phil Scott has encouraged school districts to return to in-person instruction this fall for students 10 and under, local superintendents are making plans in support. Many districts are offering a choice between online and in person, but superintendents agree with childhood development experts who say in-person instruction is most important…

Killington Valley Real Estate has recently welcomed a new agent: Sarah Vigneau. “The market in Killington continues to grow. More and more people are seeing all that this area has to offer,” said owner and broker Bret Williamson. “With the addition of Vigneau we are poised to help more people realize their dreams to relocate…

By Cassandra Tyndall They say that to be stuck in the past can keep you in a state of depression, while being too future-focused can be a cause of anxiety. Therefore, happiness is a state of presence in the here and now, that is why it is called the present. A full moon in Aquarius…

The Rutland County Humane Society’s “Sit. Stay. At Home. Online Auction” is almost here!  Starting on Aug. 10 at 8 a.m. to Aug. 24 at 10 p.m. the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) will be hosting an online auction. It currently has over 100 items for auction and new ones are coming in every day. It…

Canine King needs to feel like a King again! He arrived at RCHS on May 1 and he was in pretty rough shape. Poor fella. He was really greasy and pretty much had no hair. His front right leg was going in a few different directions. He wasn’t neutered yet, either. He’s a young fella,…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg After a brief hiatus, the league is back and playing in Chittenden at the beautiful field behind Barstow School. The three nights of games last week produced six blowout victories with the closest deficit being eight runs. The Chinese Gourmet remain undefeated and secured the No. 1 seed for the upcoming…

By Gary Salmon Two very interesting tree questions emerged in July and a visit to an orchard further created enough work to keep one busy with trees. Locally monitoring what appeared to be a much shorter white pine needle blight season kept June and July much greener as well. The drier spring resulted in less…

By Dom Cioffi I remember having numerous conversations after 9/11 that highlighted the fact that no one could have ever predicted the events of that fateful day. Sure, maybe some military experts or terrorism specialists could have foreseen a few suicidal maniacs flying commercial airliners into skyscrapers, but it never entered the mind of the…

By Merissa Sherman You can see the glow starting to grow between the trees and you know the summit must be soon and I quicken my pace to get to the opening. My right arm reaches around a tree and a swing my feet around to land on a rock just below. A few quick little…

The National Education Association notes that recess and free play are critical to the development of students in grades pre-K through eighth grade. According to the NEA, recess and free play during the school day encourages interpersonal interactions and problem-solving skills, and such opportunities also can prove beneficial for older students. Despite these benefits, the…

By Lee Emmons I first became acquainted with my neighborhood red-bellied woodpecker (​Melanerpes carolinus) when it visited my bird feeders last winter. Sporting a black-and-white-striped back with a red nape, this medium-sized woodpecker certainly made a visual impression. Its call was also memorable, a loud ​kwirr ​that sounded nothing like the other birds in my…