Stephen Brown, PhD, is leading a charge to reverse the alarming decline of North American shorebirds. As vice president of science at Manomet Conservation Sciences, Brown’s groundbreaking research and conservation efforts are reshaping the future for species teetering on the brink of extinction. For the past 20 years, Brown has worked at Manomet, where he…

By Curt Peterson There are at least three well-known reasons to focus on Quechee Road, a major route from Three Corners to Quechee: first, the condition of parts of the road is so bad it aggravates wear-and-tear on one’s vehicle. Second, band-aid patchwork and overall repaving for years have been very expensive with unsatisfactory results.…

Casella Waste Systems, Inc., a regional solid waste, recycling, and resource management services company, dedicated its CDL Training Center to Ken Hier, the company’s first-ever employee, in a ceremony held at the facility on Dec. 12.  Established in 2020, The Kenneth A. Hier Sr. CDL Training Center (“The Center”) has graduated nearly 300 drivers since…

Teddy Arbo’s Holiday Toy Party is an annual tradition in the Killington community. What started as a dinner party in 1986 where guests were asked to bring toys instead of a side dish has grown into something much bigger. The 38th annual party was held this year at The Foundry on Dec. 7.  “The purpose…

On Dec. 12, Ski Vermont launched its popular Fifth Grade Passport for the 2024-25 season. Regardless of state or country of residence, the program provides any fifth grader access to 90 days of skiing at ski areas across Vermont. “The passport program gets kids outside to experience skiing and snowboarding. It’s a chance to learn…

Mac Steel’s Tyrannosaurus Rex, T-Rextroyer, donned a festive holiday look as he watched over Route 7 in Rutland on Friday, Dec. 13, accompanied by others.

By Polly Mikula A motion to save all unified arts (UA) programs and positions in Mountain Views School Distict passed in a tiebreaker vote Monday night, Dec. 16. Ryan Townsend from Bridgewater made the motion, with seven district board representatives voting for and seven voting against. The chair of the board, Keri Bristow of Woodstock,…

KILLINGTON—Jason Tylor Thomas, 52, of Killington, Vermont, and formerly of Putnam Station, New York, passed away suddenly on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Born in Middlebury on Jan. 2, 1972, he is the son of Jeanette L. (Cummings) LaPointe and the late Henry A. Thomas. Jason was a veteran of the U.S. Army. He graduated from…

By Polly Mikula Megan Wagner, owner of Dream Maker Bakers, announced Saturday Dec. 7, that she will be closing her bakery in Killington.  “With a mix of emotions, I’m announcing that Dream Maker Bakers will be permanently closing on December 22, 2024,” she posted on Facebook. “This is something that I have known I wanted…

By Curt Peterson No one will ever call Lucrecia Wonsor a “nine-to-fiver.” The veteran Killington clerk (20 years, 4 months) and treasurer (11 years, 10 months) is known for her dedication to her responsibilities, working long hours and some weekends to successfully manage the official and financial affairs of this resort town of about 1,500…

By Karen D. Lorentz When someone has worked their entire adult life in as many different ski-industry positions as John Neal, it’s not too surprising to hear him say, “The people and the passion for the sport and lifestyle have given me the opportunity to have a career I enjoy.”  Neal grew up in Ludlow,…

By John Flowers/Addison Independent and Mountain Times staff The leadership of the Rutland Area NAACP raised concern over recent developments in neighboring Addison County related to the actions of two Mary Hogan Elementary School parents/guardians who have challenged gender-related instructional materials to educate kindergarten students at the Middlebury school. According to sources, the complaints relate…

Howard Barbash passed peacefully on Dec. 6 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative and Hospice Care at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center following a long but hard-fought battle with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). His wife, Connie, was with him durinag this time as she had always been during their 41 years of “blissful” marriage. …

By Brett Yates In January, Bridgewater residents will have an opportunity to vote on a proposal to ameliorate the town’s troubled finances. According to local officials, anticipated federal reimbursements for flood recovery projects have not arrived on schedule. Amid delays in Washington, D.C., the town has relied on loans to keep cash in its coffers.…

By Alan J. Keays/VTDigger The Vermont Supreme Court has reversed a lower court ruling and reinstated the nearly 20-year prison term handed down in the high-profile hit-and-run that killed a well-known Rutland County dairy farmer in 2016. Thomas H. Velde Jr., 49, had challenged his sentence from 2018 through a civil process known as post-conviction relief.  Judge Mary…