Submitted George J. Deblon PITTSFIELD — George J. Deblon, of Pittsfield, Vt., has been elected and installed as the 86th Grand Master of Masons for the state of Vermont, at its 221st Annual Communication held at the Killington Grand Hotel and Resort in Killington, Vt., on Wednesday, June 10, 2015. George Deblon works for the…

KSAR volunteers practice search and rescue techniques carrying a person out of the backcountry in a litter. By Robin Alberti KILLINGTON — This past Saturday, June 13, Killington Search and Rescue (KSAR) held another training seminar, this time with representative from the U.S. Army. Sergeant Christopher Bushway and Sergeant Nate Chipman were KSAR guest. Bushway and…

WEST RUTLAND — The 2015 Carving Studio and Sculpture Center Stone Bench Project will provide a two-week intensive training in traditional stone-working methods leading to the creation of a carved stone bench to be placed in the Rutland community.  The Stone Bench Project is open to area teens, ages 13-19, from the Rutland Region and…

Sharing sheriffs The Rutland County Sheriff's Department will continue to provide patrol coverage for Wallingford for at least another year, per recent approval by the town select board. One deputy splits his time between Clarendon and Wallingford, funded by a federal Community Oriented Policing Services grant which will have to be funded by the two…

Citizens input Susan Maples expressed multiple concerns about flower plantings around town including types of flowers and why a committee was not formed to plan the plantings. Town Manager Seth Webb noted that the town had discussed the project with several qualified vendors and chosen the most affordable contractor who also had a solid track record…

RUTLAND — Where are all the garbage cans? Rutland Recreation & Parks is instituting a carry in/carry out policy for our smaller neighborhood parks, according to a release June 22. In the larger parks the Recreation Department will be reducing the number of trash cans and will be placing recycling cans next to the remaining trash…

By Lani Duke School reorganization plan breeds conflict TINMOUTH — Folks in Tinmouth were scheduled to meet June 17 to discuss the effects of the state’s education reform bill on their school. Tinmouth School Board member Grant Reynolds is marshaling his community's exploration of the changes, having arranged for Rutland South Supervisory Union Superintendent David…

Sharing Otter Creek’s Over Easy session beer with Harpoon head brewer Scott Shirley Some trends come and go. Some get absorbed into the mainstream. A few years ago, a trend of robust beer styles with prefixes like imperial and double proliferated the marketplace (and our refrigerators). Craft beer drinkers, in their constant pursuit of flavor,…

By Brady Crain The view from about halfway up Ascutney Mountain on Tuesday, June 16.  It quickly clouded over and the peak was socked in in no time. This week was a rough one for training. I have stopped lifting weights until the event, and have been pushing harder in endurance exercise. My ride this…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Helicopters. Keys. Whirligigs. Samaras. Whatever you call the winged seeds released by maple trees, here’s one more word for them: delicious. Like many New Englanders, I have fond childhood memories of dropping maple “helicopters” from a height and watching them twist and twirl down to the ground. My children do the…

I’ve been a basketball fan of fluctuating devotedness all my life, and every year, I have managed to despise at least one of the two teams in the NBA Finals—until this year. In the 2015 NBA Finals, I actually wanted both teams to win. The Golden State Warriors are impossible to dislike. They’re young, fast,…

While the intensity of the peepers has diminished somewhat since they burst onto the scene several weeks ago, their din still blankets the evening. Their mating calls at dusk provide the soundtrack for a walk down Mission Farm Road, formerly Route 4. Their noise covers the various bird calls that also mark the crepuscular hours.…

In the summer of the 1950s and 1960s all of my friends could be found at the city pool on North Main Street. It was located on the west side of the street not far from Seward’s Restaurant. North Main Street, a.k.a. Route 7 North, was a two lane road in those days.  We were…

By Anna Ulery The Contenders Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. — POMFRET —The legend Levon Helm said that if you give it good concentration, good energy, good heart, and good performance, the song will play for you. If that’s true, then Jay Nash and Josh Day are well and truly played by the set of…

Submitted A Red Knights driver and his young co-rider give a thumbs up before a departure. Friday, June 26 at 6 p.m. — RUTLAND — Get your motor running, because this year the Red Knights (firefighters) Motorcycle Club, Vermont Chapter III will be hosting the annual “Ride for the Dodge House” in conjunction with the RRMC Hometown…