By Stephen Seitz With Town Meeting Tuesday, March 7, for most area towns, here is a round up of some of the questions voters in the area will be asked to decide. Killington: Killington voters will be asked to approve a $4.5 million budget. Also on the ballot are proposals to rescind the 1 percent…

Vermont shoppers are familiar with the Vermont sales tax of 6 percent on most retail purchases. However, many Vermonters are less familiar with the corresponding use tax. Use tax is due if a shopper has not already paid sales tax at the time of purchase (except on exempt items such as food or clothing), according…

By Julia Purdy RUTLAND—As promised at the initial public forum on the fate of Combination Pond in Oct. 24, 2016, public meeting No. 2 of the Moon Brook Pond Modification Project was held Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017, at the Rutland High School. Roy Schiff and Jessica Louisos of the consulting firm Milone & MacBroom led…

March 7 ballots to decide school unification Addison-Rutland Supervisory Union voters will decide whether to create the Slate Valley Unified Union District March 7. If passed, the measure would merge the Castleton, Hubbardton, West Haven, Fair Haven, Orwell, and Benson school districts into one, served by an 18-member board. Those same voters considered the measure…

New partner at AM Peisch RUTLAND—AM Peisch & Company, LLP recently admitted Andrew P. Simonds, CPA, as a partner. A 2008 graduate of Castleton University, Simonds received public accountant certification in 2012 after earning a masters of accounting with a concentration in forensic accounting from Florida Atlantic University. Rutland doctor studies prostate cancer survival RUTLAND—Radiation…

Good Neighbor Services installs camera surveillance LUDLOW—Citing recent dumping and shoplifting activity, the Black River Good Neighbor Services thrift store and food shelf has installed new electronic surveillance equipment that the executive board and staff wish was not necessary. “We’ve had some shoplifting in the last few months,” said Executive Director Audrey Bridge. “Also, people…

RUTLAND—On President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 20, dozens came out for the Frosty Feet 5K Run/Walk for Autism Awareness, which began at 11 a.m. at the Rutland Country Club. The event was part of Rutland’s 15th annual Winter Fest celebration, Feb. 17-25. Despite the frozen conditions, runners and walkers were all smiles as they carefully made…

WOODSTOCK—On Saturday, Feb. 18 artists were putting final touches on their sculptures carved out of ice blocks on the Woodstock Green as part of the Vermont Flurry Snow Sculpture Contest. The winter festivities on the Green took place over President’s Day weekend, Feb. 17-19, and was presented by Pentangle Arts Council and ArtisTree Community Arts…

Nor’Beaster Spring Pass and events line-up announced KILLINGTON–Killington Resort continues an expectation-shattering winter season with the announcement of 2017’s Nor’Beaster Spring Pass and events line-up. After kicking off the winter season with another first-in-the-East October opening and electrifying Audi FIS Ski World Cup races in November, Killington quickly eclipsed the previous winter’s snowfall totals before…

RUTLAND—A Brattleboro-based marketing agency has been selected to spearhead a regional marketing campaign aimed at rebranding the greater Rutland region. Mondo Mediaworks, headed by Luke Stafford, a 2016 Vermont Business Magazine “Rising Star,” was selected from a field of nearly two dozen bidders. “We received bids from across the country, but in Mondo found a…

By Lisa Lynn For weeks, the signs have been there: fleet cars with Colorado plates cruising the Stowe Mountain Road, helicopters hovering over Spruce Peak, rumors of Vail Resort’s senior management locked in closed door sessions with the head honchos from Stowe Mountain Resort and AIG. Then, at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, Vail…

Referendum on refugee resettlement? By Adam Federman, VTDigger RUTLAND—Seventeen candidates are vying for just six seats on the board of aldermen in the upcoming election on March 7. That figure is about twice the number of candidates typically in a board election over the last five years, with the exception of 2013 when there were…

By Stephen Seitz Some may have been lulled by the mild winter last year, but when winter returned with a vengeance this year, Vermont’s towns were ready for it. “I think we’re on track,” said Killington Town Manager Deborah Schwartz. “We were prepared in terms of staff and equipment, and we’re going through the snow…

By Adam Federman, VTDigger RUTLAND—At the first mayoral debate hosted by PEG-TV two weeks ago, Kam Johnston responded to a question dealing with the city’s infrastructure needs by saying, “Ironically enough it’s gotten a little tense and it’s not me.” The irony was in the fact that the debate had hardly gotten underway, with each…

By Evan Johnson Drivers between Rutland and Killington will have to time their drives carefully this spring and summer, as Route 4 has been slated for a project involving the planing and resurfacing of roughly 15 miles. The project will begin slightly east of the Rutland city-Rutland town line near Gleason Road and continue through…