RUTLAND—An exit “motorcade” for Rutland Regional Medical Center’s retiring CEO Tom Huebner was held on Friday, March 23 at 12-noon. Community members and hospital staff gathered inside the main lobby, outside and around the building to wave farewell. The Rutland fire department, police, and regional ambulance provided an escort as he drove around the building…

By Polly Lynn Mikula   KILLINGTON—About 30 people attended a special Select Board meeting Wednesday, March 28, for a presentation by Brown Golf Management (BGM). The meeting was held at the Sherburne Memorial Library at 5 p.m. It was the second time the town of Killington has brought BGM in for help. The first time, was in…

By Polly Lynn Mikula KILLINGTON—At 8:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28, the Killington Select Board came out of executive session to announce the termination of Deborah Schwartz from the position of Town Manager without cause. The board unanimously approved the motion. There was little discussion. Board Chair Steve Finneron explained that “Under the contract there’s…

By Elizabeth Hewitt, VTDigger A group of Vermont students walk by the Capitol in D.C. during March for Our Lives. By Kelsey Neubauer, VTDigger Led by young Vermonters, thousands of protestors marched on the Statehouse in Montpelier on Saturday, March 24, to call for reforms to the nation’s gun laws. The crowd of 2,500 gathered at…

By Katy Savage KILLINGTON—In the first Select Board meeting since voters narrowly approved a $4.4 million budget on Town Meeting Day, board members expressed concerns about errors and omissions in the town report—continuing conversation from an informational meeting prior to the vote earlier this month. “I was embarrassed by the way the budget was presented in…

RUTLAND—At the end of February, the United Way of Rutland County concluded its 2017-2018 campaign. This was the organization’s 75th year of supporting the Rutland County community. Caprice Hover, executive director of the United Way of Rutland County, explained the successful effort in a news release March 19 and at a press event Monday, March…

By Katy Savage Lucrecia Wonsor can give the number of Killington residents who were born and the number who died last year off the top of her head. Last year’s five births and three deaths surprised to Wonsor. It was the first time the births outpaced the deaths in her memory, she said. Those are just…

LUDLOW—With spring on its way, now is the time to mark the calendar with all the best summer events to attend. A new three-day music festival, Okemo’s All Come Home Music Festival scheduled for July 12-14 at Okemo Jackson Gore base area, is sure to be a summer sensation. New England’s premiere tribute-band event will…

Vermont Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing (VDTM) announced the Stay-to-Stay initiative, a new economic development tourism program designed to help visitors relocate to Vermont, Friday, March 23. “We have about 16,000 fewer workers than we did in 2009. That’s why expanding our workforce is one of the top priorities of…

By Karen D. Lorentz KILLINGTON—Beastly adventurous people have a new pass to look forward to at Killington with the debut of the new Beast 365 year-round season pass. The Beast 365 is good for all seasons at Killington and Pico. It includes unrestricted winter access at both ski areas, summer mountain bike and hiking/scenic rides…

The 2018 Vermont State Gymnastics Championships provided an opportunity for the Rutland-based Cobra Gymnastics team to shine. The meet was held at Bellows Falls High school March 17 and 18. Ten Vermont gymnastics clubs competed, with 371 total gymnasts in the meet. Cobra qualified 52 girls for the meet and competed in six awards in: vault, bars,…

KILLINGTON—For the first time, Pico Mountain hosted the Special Olympics Vermont Winter Games March 18-20. “This will be my first Winter Games experience, and the first time Special Olympics Vermont has hosted the event at Pico,” said Sue Minter, president and CEO of the statewide organization, before the event. “We are honored by the warm…

RUTLAND—In spite of snowy conditions, over 150 local community members and luminaries gathered together for Rutland Regional Medical Center’s 2018 annual corporators meeting and retirement celebration for president and CEO Tom Huebner. Following the regular board business and remarks by Governor Phil Scott, bigger news emerged. Rutland Regional Health Services and Rutland Regional Medical Center…

Twenty Rutland-area African-American Civil War veterans will be honored through a new downtown Rutland sculpture commissioned by Rutland Regional Medical Center. The sculpture, part of a series planned by the Carving Studio and Sculpture Center, MKF Properties, Vermont Quarries, and Green Mountain Power’s Rutland Blooms, will highlight the heroism and sacrifice of soldiers who served…

Chittenden family farm plans for its second century By Julia Purdy CHITTENDEN—Jenna Baird and Jacob Powsner live in a modest house on land belonging to Baird’s parents, steps away from the large, traditional farmhouse where Bonnie and Bob Baird live. It’s a common arrangement among working farm families that have been on the same piece…