By Katy Savage As mountain biking trails are being blazed in the area, the sport is also growing in schools. The Woodstock High School Cycling Club launched at Woodstock Union Middle-High School this year under Todd Uva’s leadership. Uva, who has led mountain biking programs at Woodstock’s summer SOAK camp, presented the concept of the…

By Katy Savage Being a police officer took on a different meaning for James Baker when he became chief of the Rutland City Police Department in 2012. Instead of policing and stopping cars and hoping to find a criminal activity, he looked to the root cause of an issue. “The impact of the opiate crisis—I…

Staff report KILLINGTON—The U.S. Open of Mountain Biking is returning to Killington next year, Killington Human Resources Director Judy Geiger announced at the annual Killington Pico Area Association meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 26. The mountain biking competition, held Aug. 1-5, drew about 5,500 visitors to the resort in its inaugural year at Killington, Geiger said. Mountain…

By Lani Duke A lawsuit has been filed against the Castleton police chief. Officer Cheri McDermott, who was fired Dec. 3, 2017, filed the lawsuit Sept. 27, claiming Castleton Police Chief Peter Mantello planned to remove her and had said that women should not be police officers. The suit claims that she was treated more…

By Julia Purdy MENDON—An application for a land use permit has been filed with the Act 250 District Commission by Long Trail Engineering P.C. on behalf of the owner of the former Cortina Inn, Bhatka Development Company, LLC. The hearing before the Natural Resources Board for District 1 was held Sept. 12 at the Mendon…

The entertainment lineup for the World Cup Nov. 23-25 in Killington has been announced. Paul Oakenfold, KT Tunstall, Michal Franti and Guster (shown in photo) will provide free entertainment each day. Additional entertainment includes the World Cup Festival Village, fireworks, parades and a Friday night bib draw featuring top athletes. “Combining an expanded entertainment lineup with the United States’…

Staff report KILLINGTON—The U.S. Open of Mountain Biking is returning to Killington next year, Killington Human Resources Director Judy Geiger announced the annual Killington Pico Area Association meeting Sept. 26. The mountain biking competition, held Aug. 1-5, drew about 5,500 visitors to the resort in its inaugural year at Killington, Geiger said. Mountain biking has…

By Katy Savage WEST WINDSOR—About 300 people attended the opening celebration of the long-awaited Ascutney Outdoors Center on Sunday, Sept. 23. The 3,000 square foot building was designed and built by a number of volunteer community carpenters over the past 20 months at the site of the former base lodge, which burned in 2015. The…

By Katy Savage MENDON—The Mendon Mountain View Lodge will soon house international employees for Killington Mountain Resort. Powdr purchased the lodge from Ski Mendon Properties, Inc. for $600,000 June 14, according to property records. About 60 people will live in the 30-room lodge seasonally, said Killington Resort Marketing and Sales Director Rob Megnin. The lodge…

By Evan Johnson BRANDON — A proposed 2.2-megawatt solar array just minutes from downtown Brandon is back for consideration. A New Jersey-based solar developer has completed a petition for a certificate of public good, according to documents available at the Public Utility Commission. That same developer had proposed a similar solar farm nearby this past…

By Curt Peterson POMFRET—Congressman Peter Welch, who is running for re-election this November, met with recreational cyclists in the ski shop at Woodstock Inn’s Suicide Six Ski Resort in South Pomfret to discuss outdoor recreation, a significant part of Vermont’s economy. Outdoor recreation is a large and growing producer of local business revenue. A 2010…

By Lani Duke RUTLAND—Although it seems that Rutland City has frequently released stormwater runoff with sewage into Otter and East creeks, Public Works Commissioner Jeffrey Wennberg said overflow frequency and duration are far less than in the past. New infrastructure in the Northwest Neighborhood gets much of the credit for keeping stormwater out of the…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDIgger RUTLAND—The Rutland Town Selectboard has approved a $60,000 settlement with the municipality’s former administrator, who filed a wrongful termination lawsuit after he was fired last year from his job of more than three decades. The board voted on the settlement this week to resolve the federal lawsuit brought by Joseph Zingale.…

KILLINGTON—The Select Board has appointed a new town manager with a familiar face. Chet Hagenbarth, who has been an interim town manager since April, was appointed to the town manager position in a meeting Monday, Sept. 16. Hagenbarth has worked in the Killington town office since 2012. He was the highway and facilities director until…

By Julia Purdy WEST RUTLAND—Lemuel Haynes was the first ordained African-American minister in America, and he preached for 30 years in Rutland’s West Parish, now incorporated as West Rutland. On Sept. 8, the 247th state historic marker was dedicated at the tiny Protestant cemetery on Pleasant Street in West Rutland. Although Rev. Haynes’ life and…