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…

KILLINGTON—Beverly Anderson is retiring from the Sherburne United Church of Christ on Sunday, Feb. 26. Her final worship service will be at 9 a.m., followed by a coffee/fellowship hour afterwards at the church. An afternoon event to celebrate Beverly’s retirement will also be held Sunday from 2-5 p.m. at the Summit Lodge. The Killington community…

RUTLAND—The H.E.A.T. Squad, a home health, safety, and energy efficiency program of the non-profit NeighborWorks of Western Vermont, has facilitated energy improvement projects in almost 6 percent of the owner-occupied homes in Rutland County (over 1,000 houses). These weatherization projects save those households almost a million dollars every year in energy costs and as a…

A New Jersey man died from injuries sustained while snowboarding at Killington Resort on Saturday morning. According to police, James Meyers, age 26 of Toms River, N.J. was snowboarding with friends Feb. 11 at Killington when he left the trail and collided with a tree. He was not wearing a helmet.  He was transported to…

CHITTENDEN—American naturalist John Muir stated, “Keep close to Nature’s heart … and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” While students at Barstow Memorial School cannot spend an entire week in the woods, they are frequently “washing their spirits” clean and…

School choice applications accepted at MRUHS WALLINGFORD—Mill River Union High School is accepting school choice applications from any high school student in grades 8 through 11 who is interested in attending a public high school outside his or her home district during the 2017-2018 school year. Students who wish to take advantage of this opportunity…

Vermont Cannoli will be open at its new location at 145 South Main Street in Chester, Vt. for President’s Day weekend. Hours are Fridays from 3-7 p.m. and Sundays from 11-4 p.m. Authentic Italian cannoli is are made with hand-dipped, homemade ricotta. Overstuffed small and large cannoli come in three flavors:  traditional with chips of pistachio, almond,…

WALLINGFORD—Marc and Lisa Williams have opened The Village Community Acupuncture, located at 271 South Main Street in Wallingford. Acupuncture as a healing modality dates back over 2,000 years, and can provide relief from pain, infertility, depression, anxiety, digestive issues, arthritis, as well as help with smoking cessation, addiction and other conditions. Treatments are available on…

Castleton mom questions school snacks list CASTLETON—Nicole Wilkins told the Castleton School Board the school snack policy needs revision, when the board met Feb. 1. The school sends parents a list of snacks that students may bring to school with them, and offers snacks that children may buy at school for one dollar. However, numerous…

Called on out-of-state employers to “pardon” employees for a snow day to take advantage of weekend storm, extend their stay in Vermont With Vermont’s biggest snow storm of the year rolling across the region Sunday through Monday morning, Feb. 12-13, Governor Phil Scott declared Monday a “Powder Day” and urged regional winter enthusiasts to take…

Feb. 17-25—RUTLAND—The 15th annual Winter Fest will take place Feb. 17-25 with many activities and opportunities to be part of the community. The event starts off on Friday, Feb. 17 with a community skate at Giorgetti Arena and concludes on Feb. 25 with a Wonderfeet Winter Dance at The Palms Restaurant. During the week there…

WOODSTOCK—Yankee Bookshop first opened in November 1935, making it Vermont’s oldest continuously operated independent bookshop. This month, the owners of Phoenix Books, a Vermont-owned bookstore with locations in Essex, Burlington, Rutland and Chester, purchased Woodstock’s Yankee Bookshop. Michael DeSanto and Renee Reiner met with Susan Morgan, who bought the shop in 2001, for the closing…

By Evan Johnson KILLINGTON—At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Killington Select Board unanimously approved a measure to sell a 229-acre parcel of forest to the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). Kate Wanner, a project manager for the Trust for Public Land (TPL), and Chris Mattrick, district manager for the Rochester Ranger District, presented a plan…