Phillip Modesti, who graduated in 1990, will deliver the commencement address at Castleton University’s 235th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 13, 2023.   Modesti currently serves as global vice president for Medical Education at Establishment Labs, a global, high-tech medical device and aesthetics company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a product portfolio consisting of advanced…

  By Katy Savage Sen. Peter Welch  sounded off his concerns about the nation’s first potential debt default — a measure that could have a catastrophic impact on food security, Welch said, as he spoke to a crowd of 200 people at the Vermont Foodbank’s annual Hunger Action Conference at the Killington Grand Hotel on…

By Steven Jupiter Editor’s Note: Steven Jupiter is board member and frequent contributor to The Reporter, which is a nonprofit, community-supported newspaper as of Jan. 1, 2023. As of last week, the historic Brandon Inn has a new owner: Isidro “Sid” Beccar-Varela.  The Inn’s previous owners, Joel and Darcy MacClaren, passed the torch to Beccar-Varelaafter…

Small amphitheater in Killington is part of a master plan to better connect, engage with community and nature By Polly Mikula Mission Farm in Killington is situated on four acres of open land with an orchard. Behind it 176 acres of forest rises up the mountainside and the Ottauquechee River flows in front separating the…

Staff report Unauthorized military training is officially banned in Vermont after Gov. Phil Scott signed a bill into law on Monday, May 8.  The law specifically prohibits teaching techniques intended to cause injury or death. It also bans making a firearm or explosive device capable of causing injury or death. The law went into effect…

By Katy Savage Wood's Market Garden in Brandon has new owners after more than 20 years.  Dan and Elyse Wulfkuhle bought the 165-acre organic farm stand in December and have been making it their own ever since. Woods opened for the season May 6.  “It’s a lot,” said Dan, who recently moved to the area…

Great Gulf and SP Land Co. finalize the purchase and sales agreement for 1,095 acres of development land including the Six Peak Village at the base of Snowshed and Ramshead at Killington Resort on Wednesday, May 3.  The sales price was $43 million, according to Town Clerk Lucrecia Wonsor, who received the official documents and…

Staff report This past Saturday, May 6, 48 people showed up for the annual Peavine Whitewater Race in Stockbridge. Racers paddled solo and in tandem kayaks ranging from 7 to 17 feet long, solo and tandem canoes, and a whitewater standup paddle boards (SUP). The race is a fundraiser for Ridgeline Outdoor Collective.  “The low water…

$43 million deal with SP Land, Co. was made possible in part by TIF By Polly Mikula On Wednesday, May 3, Great Gulf and SP Land Co. finalized the purchase and sales agreement for 1,095 acres of development land including the Six Peak Village at the base of Snowshed and Ramshead at Killington Resort. The…

  The 17th annual Bart Jacob Memorial Youth Turkey Calling Contest, held April 15 in Castleton, attracted 21 competitors including several Vermont 4-Hers.  The Oxbow Mountain 4-H Club of Pawlet hosted the event in collaboration with the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department at the Kehoe Conservation Camp in Castleton. Anyone 18 years old or younger…

  The Vermont Warden Service is actively investigating an illegally shot deer in the town of Pomfret. On April 26, game wardens responded to reports of an adult female deer (doe) shot out of season on Cloudland Road.  The doe was found alive and was euthanized due to its injuries.   A necropsy found that…

Several Vermont tree champions have been honored by the Vermont Urban and Community Forestry Program (VT UCF) for their staunch commitment and dedication to protecting and preserving their community’s forests and trees. In addition to the prestigious Vermont Arbor Day award, given to an individual who has made a significant difference in his or her…

The Killington community needs to take extra steps now to prevent bear conflicts from getting worse this spring, Vermont Fish and Wildlife said in a public service announcement. The department has been getting reports from Killington residents of bears getting into garbage and becoming bolder over the past few weeks.  “Now that bears know about…

  In early April, the largest Killington Mountain School squad yet qualified for USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain. Fourteen athletes competed in a variety of disciplines including rail jam, slopestyle, boardercross, slalom and giant slalom. The team had to acclimate to the conditions, including the high altitude at 11,368 feet above sea level as well…

Laetitia Clary Ingrid Jonker, 77, died of metastatic breast cancer on Saturday, April 29, 2023. Clary left us exactly as she wanted, peacefully and comfortably at home with her children at her side.    Clary was born in Hardenberg, the Netherlands, in 1945 and married in 1967. Her husband’s studies and work had the family…