Safety enhancement work on Goshen Dam re-routes fish to other waterways, recreation continues on Sugar Hill Reservoir GOSHEN—The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department announced April 21 that trout originally planned for stocking at Sugar Hill Reservoir, also known as Goshen Dam, in Goshen will be added to other area waterways for anglers. The shift is…

LUDLOW—The Black River Independent School Committee has hired Andrew Lapham Fersch to be their inaugural Head of School for the 2020/2021 academic year. Prior to joining Black River, Fersch—a 10 year teaching veteran of public schools—founded and ran an independent school in New Hampshire (the Penn Program) for several years. As a teacher and educational…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger NORTH CLARENDON — Shawn Dayton, 35, of Rutland, drove out of the Rutland Southern Vermont Airport in North Clarendon on Friday, April 24, with a supply of food for his family of five. Dayton lost his job when the restaurant where he worked was forced to close as part of the state’s…

By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Spending time planning your vegetable garden and thinking about what food you will produce is an excellent way to find some stability in these unsettling times. While growing our own food is an asset, as well as a source of comfort and enjoyment, I’d like to propose that we also consider…

By Merisa Sherman Let the rain kiss you.   Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.  - Langston Hughes The rain would announce its arrival by the pitter patter of drops on the roof. A random drop here and there until they would find their…

Phased re-opening expands health and safety measures, including mandatory training   On Friday, April 24, Governor Phil Scott outlined some additional openings as part of the phased restart of Vermont’s economy, introduced last week. The Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order remains in effect, but with modeling continuing to indicate Vermonters are significantly slowing the spread of the virus, the…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Twin brothers Cleon and Leon Boyd followed each other seemingly everywhere, from their births 64 years ago at the old Putnam Memorial Hospital in Bennington to their frequent arrivals at Deerfield Valley coffee counters such as Dot’s in Wilmington. “I never regretted seeing them walk in the door,” recalled Laura Sibilia, a former…

Killington Resort purchased 700 blocks of local cheese, 350 gallons of local milk to include in grocery packages KILLINGTON—Killington Resort announced Friday, April 17, that it would be hosting a Community Grocery Giveaway Tuesday, April 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The giveaway is part of Killington Resort’s Play Forever commitment to protect the environment, inspire participation, and pledge to support…

Bramhall Wilderness Preserve is 359 acres in the Chateauguay No-Town Conservation Area BRIDGEWATER—Northeast Wilderness Trust purchased 359 acres from Paedra Bramhall earlier this month, creating the first privately protected, forever-wild preserve in the Chateauguay No-Town Conservation Area, according to a news release April 10. The Wilderness Trust is a non-profit land trust that conserves forever-wild…

By Curt Peterson It’s been over a month since Vermont governor Phil Scott declared a state of emergency (March 13) and a month this week since he made the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order (March 24) to inhibit the spread of Covid-19, making a significant change in everyone’s life. Katie Williams of Quechee, eight-plus months…

Scott administration data shows Vermont past its peak, announces cautious protocols for reopening On Friday, April 17, Governor Phil Scott outlined an approach for the phased restart of Vermont’s economy, emphasizing the state’s modeling indicates initial steps can be taken while the “Stay Home, Stay Safe” order remains in effect. To begin to execute this strategy, Governor…

By Merisa Sherman It has been cold. Not that wonderful “let’s go skiing” kind of cold but the kind of cold that gets you way down deep in your spine. A spine-chilling cold that you never seem to get away from. My mom would tell me to turn the heat up, but I’m the kind…

By Gordon Clark, UVM Extension master gardener As we endure the current coronavirus pandemic, precautions need to be taken in all activities outside our homes. But during such a difficult time, we also should be aware of the singularly profound health benefits of gardening. Many people work in community gardens, where new rules of operation…

By Brooke Geery Peter Hogenkamp’s first officially published novel, “The Intern,” hit shelves on Tuesday, April 13, an accomplishment nearly 20 years in the making. The Rutland-based physician actually began the project as a sort of promotional tool for another book he’d written called “Absolution,” on the story-sharing site Wattpadd. “The idea of writing about an…

As of Sunday, April 19, the Vermont Department of Health reported that a total of 43 Rutland County and 37 Windsor County residents had tested positive for COVID-19. That amounts to 7 cases per 10,000 population for both Rutland  and  Windsor County. Health department officials on Sunday said 27  people are currently hospitalized statewide and…