CASTLETON—Tucked away on the backside of campus near the Observatory Lot is Castleton’s own nearly 700-pound hidden treasure. The Castleton Observatory has been home to a rare Unitron telescope, one of only three models open to the public in the entire world, since April 1960. Originally built for studying the surface details of the moon,…

WEST RUTLAND—On the night of Feb. 28, state troopers from the Rutland Barracks pulled a vehicle over on Route 4 in West Rutland. Investigation revealed that the driver, Joel Cruz, age 24 of Union City, N.J., had an active arrest warrant in the state of Vermont. Cruz was taken into custody and transported to the…

Police say a 23-year-old woman from Bennington died from injuries resulting in a two-car crash that occurred March 3 in Pittsfield. On Friday evening at around 6 p.m., troopers from the  State Police  Rutland Barracks, Pittsfield Fire Department and White River Valley Ambulance were notified of a two-car motor vehicle crash on Vermont 100, north…

RUTLAND—A man and a woman are facing charges of domestic assault and exposure and abandonment of a child under 2 years old. On July 20, 2016, the Rutland City Police Department was notified of a possible shaken baby incident that had occurred at an earlier time in Rutland City. Through the investigation, it was learned…

Rutland Free Library tightens belt A $40,000 budget deficit has caused the Rutland Free Library to look for ways to economize in the 2017-2018 budget year. The shortfall is the result of lower interest returns on library endowments, combined with Rutland City Board of Aldermen level funding. The library is not asking for increases from…

Castleton Community Center adds board members, plans March activities CASTLETON—Joan Chader and Mary Beth Hadeka joined the Castleton Community Seniors board at that group’s February meeting. Chader and her husband moved to their Lake Bomoseen home in 2002. Hadeka and her husband have lived in Castleton for 36 years. The Castleton Village School Band entertains…

RUTLAND—The Cobra Gymnastics team recently competed in the 2017 Hip Hop Classic at Woodman Athletics in Brattleboro, Vt. Teams traveled from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont to compete across eight sessions. This highly anticipated meet was fiercely competitive and full of energy, according to the Cobra coaches. With true dedication, the girls put their hard…

Poultney Area St. David’s Society held its 29th annual St. David’s Day dinner Feb. 26 in the Slate Valley in Granville, N.Y. It was an enjoyable, waited dinner and fellowship gathering which was followed by the society’s program, “Bring Something Welsh” show and tell. The show and tell began with presentations by members and guests after…

With an eye toward attracting visitors and celebrating the Rutland region’s history and the 30th anniversary of the Carving Studio & Sculpture Center (CSSC), a major new downtown Rutland sculpture has been commissioned. MKF Properties and Green Mountain Power commissioned the roughly 10-ton sculpture as a tribute to the thousands of quarry workers, stonecutters and…

City programs combat cabin fever Keep an eye on some of the interesting events at the Rutland Free Library. Wednesday, March 8, will present the Lego Building Challenge sponsored by the Rutland Boys & Girls Club. The library also offers opportunities to practice Japanese, German, and French; programs for babies and toddlers; conversations about land…

WEST HAVEN—Devil’s Bowl Speedway, located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., already has its first “win” in the 2017 stock car racing season. At a conference at the Plaza Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla., Feb. 18, it was announced that NASCAR has awarded a $10,000 grant to the speedway for capital improvements and facility…

According to the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Loyalty Day originally began as “Americanization Day” in 1921 as a counter to the Communist May 1 celebration of the Russian Revolution. On May 1, 1930, 10,000 VFW members staged a rally at New York’s Union Square to promote patriotism. Through a resolution adopted in 1949, May 1…

Safety concerns cancel ice fishing derby BENSON—Low water levels, rainy weather forecasts, and poor ice conditions led to Fair Haven Rotary Club’s cancelling its planned 45th annual Great Benson Ice Fishing Derby. This cancellation was only the second time the event has been cancelled. Organizers decided to continue with the cash raffle, though, with such…

RUTLAND—The Vermont Foodbank announced the promotion of Genna Williams to the position of branch manager for its Rutland distribution center. Williams spent the past year and a half as the Vermont Foodbank’s southern region gleaning coordinator, leading teams of volunteers to harvest fresh produce from area farms rescue thousands of pounds of fresh produce. A…

CASTLETON—Castleton University, in partnership with Vermont PBS, invites Vermont high school students to participate in the 22nd annual Castleton Videofest. High school students throughout Vermont and the surrounding area are encouraged to enter submissions in any of four categories: documentary, experimental/animation, narrative fiction, and public service announcements/advertisements. Scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded for first…