By Brooke Geery Editor's note: This article was first published on Killington Resort's "Insider Blog," Feb. 22. Minor corrections have been made for accuracy and clarity.  The vision of a village at the base of Killington Resort predates most of the current locals. But as the resort has grown and changed over the years —…

Five candidates are seeking four three-year terms on the Rutland School Board of Commissioners on March 7. Incumbents Kevin Kiefaber and Cathy Solsaa are running against newcomers Mary McDonald, Heather Hauke and Ryan Carney as Alison Notte, the chair of the board, and Peter Fagan, who was nominated to the board in May, aren’t seeking…

By Brett Yates Pittsfield’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2023-2024 is smaller than the previous year’s, but the amount to be raised by municipal taxes has gone up by about $100,000. “We had more surplus money last year than we do this year,” Town Clerk Trish Abbondelo explained. The town plans to spend $633,140.46, of…

By Brett Yates Vermont towns have a long tradition of electing their public servants, including some who occupy positions to which, in other parts of the country, they’d usually be appointed or hired instead. But in an era of waning citizen participation in local government, Chittenden may become the latest municipality to leave parts of…

By Curt Peterson  Woodstock voters will decide on a $7,681,341 budget on Town Meeting Day, March 7. Major items in the budget include $2,254,023 for highways, $1,402,577 for ambulance department expenses, $622,430 for the fire department and $446,103 for police. One town budget item is $271,250, labeled “Select Board contingency.” This line item is intended…

Vermont State Police troopers and members of DMV Enforcement responded to a collision between an Amtrak train and a tractor trailer on Quarry Road near Route 14 in Sharon.  No injuries have been reported in the crash, which occurred at about 11:45 a.m. Monday, Feb. 27, 2023, when the train struck the tractor trailer’s trailer…

James L. Kohnowich died on Jan. 22, 2023. He was born in Saddle Brook, New Jersey on Dec. 23, 1948, to John and Julia (Thompson) Kohnowich. He is survived by his children Katie and John (Jenna); grandchildren Asher and Lilah; his sister Leslie (Jim) and nephews Jeff and Dave.  Jim, as he was known, found…

Michael Perry passed into the arms of Jesus Sunday evening Feb. 26 at the age of 77 after a long fight with cancer.  He was born in East Middlebury in 1946 to Pete and Rhoda (Goodro) Perry.  Both sides of his family have deep roots in the state. His maternal grandfather was Harry Goodro who,…

By Curt Peterson Hartland’s “BG’s”, officially became Three Corners Market, Inc. as new management took over on Jan. 1, and was immediately “closed for renovations” for six weeks. Residents say they never realized how important the store was until it wasn’t available. Bill Gaucher, now 65, left town on an “on the road” odyssey for…

By Curt Peterson Two officers for the Windsor Central Unified School District, Rayna Bishop and Calista Brennan, are seeking write-in votes from residents of the seven participating towns — Killington, Plymouth, Bridgewater, Pomfret, Woodstock, Reading and Barnard.  Traditionally the district clerk (Bishop) and district treasurer (Brennan) offices, as well as district moderator, would be nominated…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann What most people notice when they meet Ted Brady, especially on Zoom, are his open-hearted smile and generous laugh, plus his unwavering focus on listening intently before he comments or asks any questions. Brady, 45, is coming up on two years as executive director of Vermont League of Cities and Towns…

In the fall of 2021, Vermont received $4 million through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to make existing housing and community-based service facilities provide mental health services more accessible, safe, compliant with the ADA, or expand their capacity to provide services.  Rutland Mental Health is one of 19 locations to receive funds allocated by…

Staff report Rutland town may revise its trespass policy after receiving a letter from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Vermont. ACLU of Vermont Staff Attorney Hillary Rich sent the letter to the town on Feb. 8, explaining the ACLU examined public records from 2020 to 2022 and found Rutland Town police issued at…

By Katy Savage In the wake of an alleged threat at Woodstock Elementary School in which parents felt left in the dark, the School Board is tightening its policy around communication with parents.  The School Board policy committee met Feb. 13 and changed the language of its School Crisis Prevention and Response Policy to include…

Killington town has plans for a 250-300 unit development, if the TIF bond for a municipal water system passes (Article 5) By Polly Mikula In addition to safe drinking water, one of the most popular promises of a municipal water system in Killington is the possibility for a significant workforce housing development. Last Thursday, Feb.…