This winter, Rutland’s Northwest and Northeast Elementary School students traded snowball fights for ski poles, thanks to the Nordic Rocks program. Administered by the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), the initiative introduces children in grades K-2 to cross-country skiing during physical education classes—often for the very first time. Funded by a Killington World Cup…

By Karen D. Lorentz Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill was the first person to see the potential of developing a ski area on Killington Mountain and what it could mean for recreation and the state’s economy. Pres Smith was the second. Smith’s uncle, Preston Leete, who had become an avid skier while at Dartmouth College…

By Polly Mikula The days of Killington’s Superstar quad are limited. On Sunday, April 13, the resort will hold a final farewell party and removal will begin thereafter. The resort plans to replace the lift with a six-pack high-speed lift, which is scheduled to open in early December.  Killington will celebrate the lift’s 38 years…

By James Kent No adult enjoys hitting those milestone birthdays, and when Emmy-Award-winning actor Hank Azaria saw his 60th birthday approaching last year, he opted to do something to cheer himself up. Calling it a “gift of joy” to himself and his friends, Azaria decided to throw a birthday celebration. As part of this occasion,…

Saturday, March 22, from 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m.—POULTNEY—Poultney MapleFest returns with a full day of maple-themed activities, community events, and family fun. The festival kicks off with a free pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m. at the Poultney United Methodist Church, 108 Main St., followed by the Fifth Season Ride & Race at 9 a.m. from Analog…

By Emma Cotton/VTDigger A short new section to a 22-page bill focused on retargeting energy efficiency goals has given Senate Republicans what they have been seeking — with increasing insistence — for weeks: the end of any mention of a clean heat standard in Vermont law. “30 V.S.A. chapter 94 is repealed” was the key…

By James Kent In a region better known for its mountains than its machines, a team of high school students is proving that rural Vermont is embracing STEM in a major way. Team 2370, known as The IBOTS, is part of Rutland Area Robotics, and this past weekend, they headed to Springfield, Massachusetts, for their…

By Karen D. Lorentz Having observed the development of skiing in Sweden, Vermont State Forester Perry Merrill envisioned similar recreational and economic possibilities for skiing in Vermont.  During 37 years on the job, he oversaw the purchase of 170,000 acres of forestland in 27 state forests and 32 state parks. He negotiated many long-term leases…

By Polly Mikula David Atherton will be Killington’s new town manager, the Select Board announced at a special meeting Tuesday, March 18. The 4:30 p.m. meeting took only 14 minutes as the confirmation of Atherton new town manager and his contract signing was the only thing on the agenda.  Chair of the Select Board Jim…

By Karen D. Lorentz Before their use as recreation destinations, the mountains in Vermont presented formidable barriers to travel and trade, especially in the southern half of the state. The unbroken ridge was not as penetrable as the northern half where river valleys traversed the higher peaks. The Green Mountain range cut off the eastern…

By Polly Mikula Rutland re-elects Doenges as mayor, ousts three incumbent aldermen Incumbent Mayor Mike Doenges beat challenger Alderman Henry Heck 2,075 to 1,581. The mayor’s race saw about a 20% bump in turnout compared to 2023 but Doenges took about the same percentage of the total vote in each election: 56.5% in 2023 and…

By Habib Sabet/VTDigger State lawmakers in the Senate Committee on Institutions advanced a bill late last month that would put up guard rails for social media platforms designed to keep teens hooked. The bill, S.69 — known as the “Kids Code” by proponents — will land on the Senate floor for a vote this week after the week-long…

By James Kent Nearly a year after opening Kaleidoscope Art Supply on Center Street in downtown Rutland, Raven Crispino continues cultivating a welcoming and inclusive space where artists of all levels can explore their creativity. Despite the economic challenges of maintaining a small business, Crispino remains deeply committed to fostering a vital arts community and…

Those whose familiarity with director Bong Joon Ho starts and stops with his Oscar-winning “Parasite,” his follow-up film to that 2019 breakout hit may be confused. Those with a more profound knowledge of Joon Ho’s filmography will recognize the same over-the-top sensibilities that mark his work in the sci-fi genre with movies like “Snowpiercer” and…

The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) is announced Jan. 27, the results of a study by Tourism Economics that finds visitors to Vermont in 2023 spent a record $4 billion on goods and services. Researchers also found that 15.8 million guests came to Vermont in 2023, showing a sustained return to pre-pandemic visitation.…