CASTLETON—Castleton University partnered with the Vermont Early Childhood Consortium to offer the Early Childhood Summer Institute, July 24-27. The institute consisted of 10 graduate and undergraduate courses classes offered by 14 diverse institutions of higher education and early childhood. The courses were designed to promote Vermont’s core values for early education and to meet the…

Poultney archer scores state’s top buck POULTNEY—Brett Kelley, 21, of Poultney harvested the highest scoring “typical” buck deer taken with a bow and arrow in the state during 2016. The 9-point buck scored 123 6/8 in the Boone & Crockett scoring system, as reported in the Rutland Herald. In recognition of bagging the highest Vermont…

Marty Illick and the Lewis Creek Association, a leading Vermont water quality and conservation organization, have been honored with the 18th annual GMP-Zetterstrom Environmental Award. The award, named for famed osprey advocate Meeri Zetterstrom of Milton, was presented to the awardees for more than 25 years of work and education to improve the Lewis Creek watershed, which…

The Killington Wine Festival, a fundraiser for the Killington Pico Area Association (KPAA), was held July 14-16. The weekend began with an estate Tasting at the Peak with over 200 guests sampling wine from 20 various wineries and distilleries. The event also was the public debut of the Killington Valley Initiative with Mike Solimano and Rutland’s…

Christopher (Bunky) Charles Zankowski, 68, of Chittenden Vermont passed away in his home on Saturday July 8 2017 “after many years of fighting the Good Life.” He was born in Uxbridge of Middlesex County, England the son to Casimir and Casimira (Kowalewska) Zankowski. Christopher leaves behind his three daughters, Chelsea Zankowski of Vail, Co., Racheal…

By Paul Holmes A climber hangs onto the cliffside of Deer Leap in Killington, taking advantage of a dry day to practice mountain climbing skills on the rock face. Deer Leap cliffs, just below the lookout and above Inn at Long Trail at the top of Sherburne Pass on Route 4, is a popular climb…

By Evan Johnson The annual Brandon Auction, Tuesday, July 18, attracted 175 people to downtown Brandon and raised over $10K for the town’s chamber.

ROCHESTER— The Rochester/Randolph Area Sports Trail Alliance (RASTA) and Green Mountain Trails (GMT) are partnering up on an initiative to connect their respective networks, according to a news release last week. The project, which recently won the support of a grant from Vermont Huts Association, is part of a statewide movement to offer greater year-round…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger RUTLAND — Rutland Area Farm and Food Link, a nonprofit organization that works to promote local agriculture and educate the public on its value is said to be in limbo. Rutland Area Farm and Food Link’s last executive director departed this past spring, prompting a call for a meeting of…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger RUTLAND — The Rutland Herald offices are getting ready to leave their longtime home on Wales Street in downtown Rutland. The newspaper, operating under the corporate name Vermont Community Media, reached an agreement to move in November into a building at 77 Grove St., a couple of blocks from the…

By Alan J. Keays, VTDigger RUTLAND — The Board of Aldermen made a move that turned a small tax increase into a slight decrease. The board voted unanimously Tuesday night, July 18, to reduce the amount of money the city sets aside for working capital that helps manage cash flow throughout the year. However, while…

By Evan Johnson ROCHESTER—The 17 high school students at Rochester School will be able to attend the high school of their choice next year, significantly changing the composition of secondary education in the town. The latest development in Rochester’s search to provide quality education for its young people and comply with state education mandates follows…

RUTLAND—In addition to the varsity eSports program, the College of St. Joseph will add cross-country, cheerleading and dance, and bowling to its intercollegiate athletic offerings this fall. The new programs will begin play in the Northeastern Intercollegiate Athletics Conference under the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics beginning this fall. The college has named Cara Gauvin…

CASTLETON—Last week, Heritage Family Credit Union announced it will locate its 10th branch in Castleton. The credit union will occupy a building on Main Street owned by John Rehlen. The building was previously the location of Citizen Bank, whose departure in May 2017 left the town without a financial institution. The new HFCU branch will…

TUNBRIDGE—The Agency of Natural Resources last week fined Blakeman Towing and Recovery in Tunbridge for violations of state salvage yard land use and hazardous waste management regulation. The fine is the result of an investigation that began in 2013 in response to complaints that oil was being dumped. The Natural Resources Board (NRB) and the…