The Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Community Garden Network have awarded 10 food garden grants to small businesses and organizations around the state. The Green Thumbs at Work garden grant winners are: Abel’s Homestead Design, LLC in Hyde Park, ARIS Solutions in White River Junction, Community Restorative Justice Center in St. Johnsbury, Lamoille Restorative…

By Karen D. Lorentz While the effects of a wacko winter—it was unusually warmer, less snowy and more erratic temperature wise than previous weird winters—hasn’t gone by yet, the offer of early-bird season passes is marching on. Actually, the major ski areas with huge snowmaking capabilities and access to major water storage (snowmaking) ponds have…

Proposed Schedule, Week of  4/11/16  DORR DR. BRIDGE/RIPLEY RD. BRIDGE (Rutland City Bridges BRF3000) PROJECT LOCATION: RIPLEY RD. BRIDGE [Rutland City Bridges BRF3000(19)] RIPLEY ROAD IS CLOSED AT THE LOCATION OF THE BRIDGE PLEASE NOTE THAT PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC IS NOT PERMITTED ACROSS THE BRIDGE DURING THE CLOSURE Access to all businesses on Ripley…

Courtesy of PEGTV PEGTV channel coordinators Bryn Williams and Chris McCormack make sure the taping of “Academic Showdown” is of the highest quality as they produce from the studio control room. Rutland—PEGTV’s new weekly half-hour quiz show “ Academic Showdown,” featuring eight local high schools, has just wrapped up the semifinal rounds of competition, and…

Rutland City Interim Chamber director announced The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce board of directors has unanimously chosen former NeighborWorks of Western Vermont executive Mary Cohen to take over interim leadership of the Chamber, as of April 4. Longtime Chamber CEO Tom Donahue has left the Chamber to take over leadership of BROC-Community Action in…

Departing president gives building to college POULTNEY—Exiting Green Mountain College President Paul Fonteyn and his wife Marsha are donating the Stone Valley Community Market building, 216 Main St., Poultney, to the college. The couple had purchased the building to aid in the Market’s start-up. Fonteyn is the school’s seventh president. Though retiring at the end…

Robert Miller, Publisher of the Vermont Journal, accepts an award for the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce’s April Member of the Month by Marji Graf, CEO of OVRCC. Also pictured are Bobby Lanctot, Kevin Cudabac, Shawntae Stillwell, Donna Allen and Vince West.  “The Vermont Journal wants to send a special thanks to chamber members…

Courtesy of VTF&W Frogs and salamanders migrate on warm, rainy nights. The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department is asking drivers to report “hotspots” where large numbers of these animals are killed on roads.  One of the great wildlife migrations is happening right now in Vermont, and it is taking place right at our feet, wildlife…

Goal: to demonstrate the value of libraries What happens in a single day in Vermont libraries? How many books do patrons check out? What types of activities are taking place? What types of questions are being answered? Find out by participating with the Vermont Library Association in Library Snapshot Day 2016. Snapshot Day is a…

RUTLAND — International travel increased in 2015 to more than 1.2 billion travelers. According to the World Tourism Organization, that’s 4.4 percent more than in 2014 — and the U.S. Postal Service is ready to prepare travelers for such future excursions. To make it easier to apply for a U.S. Passport, the Rutland Post Office is…

RUTLAND — Join Heritage Family Credit Union for the presentation of the proceeds of the third annual Shiver Me Shamrocks St. Patty’s 5K Fun Run & Walk on Friday, April 8 at 2 p.m. at the Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum at 11 Center Street in Rutland. The sun was shining and with the wind at their backs…

Honored as a national leader in driving employee engagement RUTLAND—Rutland Regional Medical Center has been awarded The Advisory Board Company’s 2016 Workplace Transformation Award. The annual award recognizes hospitals and health systems nationwide that have made a transformational change in employee engagement. “Engaging the workforce is arguably more important now than ever before, with all…

By Richard Podlesney

Courtesy of Town of Killington DEBORAH SCHWARTZ The Town of Killington has named Deborah Schwartz as its new Town Manager, effective April 18, 2016. Schwartz, who has an extensive background in municipal management, having served in executive leadership roles for some of the nation’s leading airports, will become the seventh town manager since the Town…

By Christopher Biddle Matt Baatz By Christopher Biddle PITTSFIELD—Matt Baatz estimates that in the past year, he’s logged around 600 hours working on a fully stocked pizza oven made entirely from found and donated materials—in the middle of the woods. “Puddy’s,” as the site is called, was originally meant to be used for “luxury rewilding…