By Katy Savage Mondo Mediaworks is pulling out of a one-year $150,000 contract to market Rutland County three months early. Mondo, the Brattleboro-based digital marketing company, was hired by the Rutland Regional Chamber of commerce and Rutland Economic Development Corporation two years ago to produce digital marketing campaigns for Rutland and the surrounding area.  The…

Staff report A new restaurant and deli are opening in  Killington. Don Billings, who owns The Bakery on West Street and Roots the Restaurant on Washington Street in Rutland, recently purchased the former Phat Italian and On the Rocs in Killington. His deli and market, now called Mountain Merchant, opened in time for the World…

By Karen D. Lorentz When Killington Basin Ski Area opened for skiing on Dec. 13, 1958, it was a momentous occasion that went largely unnoticed. Founder Pres Smith attended a sub-zero “Access Road” ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. along with various dignitaries, including Governor elect Robert Stafford, who cut the ribbon. On that same Saturday,…

The new Snowdon Six Express chairlift is open. Killington President and CEO Mike Solimano cut the ribbon and the new lifts started spinning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8. The new high-speed lift seats six people.  It’s manufactured by Leitner-Poma and features a bubble shield that will protect skiers and riders from wind and weather…

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON—A new restaurant and tasting room is coming to town. Dale Patterson, the owner of Hop’n Moose and Rutland Beer Works, LLC, is opening a tasting room in the Mountain Green condominiums across from the Killington Grand Hotel this Thursday. He plans to call the restaurant/tasting room Rutland Beer Works. The menu…

By Katy Savage RUTLAND TOWN—About a month before Friendly’s abruptly closed its doors in Rutland Dec. 2, the building and property was purchased by the Friendly’s parent corporation. According to Rutland Town records, the 1.27-acre property sold to SIC Property ,LLC in Boca Raton, Florida, for $250,000 on Nov. 1. SIC Property is owned by…

Staff report Mason Zeglen had 30 minutes to purchase his ingredients and cook the meal. Zeglen, of Killington, competing on the Food Network Show, Guy’s Grocery Games,  ran through the grocery store, in competition with three other chefs. The challenge was to use ingredients of a gingerbread house, such as candy canes and M&M’s, in…

Staff report Vail Resorts plans to invest about $180 million in the next two years to improve the guest experience across its 18 resorts. Vail is making a two-year $35 million commitment to investments across its recent acquisitions, including Okemo Mountain Resort, Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire, Crested Butte Mountain Resort in Colorado and Stevens…

By Katy Savage Greg Cox wants to increase availability of fresh produce across the country right from the “heart of Vermont.” Cox, who is co-founder and president of the Vermont Farmers Food Center (VFFC) in Rutland, received a $105,000 United States Department of Agriculture matching grant to build a new food hub, which will connect…

Plans await cost estimates in advance of a Town Meeting Day vote By Polly Mikula The town of Killington has preliminary designs for a new public safety building. Plans call for a multipurpose 15,260-square-foot building to house the volunteer fire department, search and rescue, and town police department. The plans have six bays for firetrucks…

By Katy Savage Spooner has been in more than 200 parades in his lifetime. Spooner, a 16-year-old paint cross, attended his first parade in Dorchester, New Hampshire, when he was 5 years old. Since then, he’s been to July 4 parades and homecoming parades both locally and as far away as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with his…

By Katy Savage About 53 children were displaced after the pipes of the Rutland Parent Child Center on Chaplin Avenue broke  Sunday, Nov. 25. There were at least 3 inches of water on both floors of the two-story building when Director Mary Zigman arrived at the location Sunday afternoon. “It’s been a rough go,” said…

After about five weeks of closure, the River Road bridge is back open. The 1939 bridge, which is the second oldest in town,  opened Nov. 29—nine days later than scheduled due to early season snowfall. The deck was replaced and a new guardrail was installed after the the deck failed a biannual state inspection. The…

By Katy Savage

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON—Nina O’Brien had a pit in her stomach. She made it down her first run of the slalom race in 30th place with 15 racers to go at the Kilington World Cup Sunday, despite foggy weather, making it nearly impossible to see the course.  If she maintained her spot, she’d have a…