Pilot program launched in Killington, will serve the Rutland Region Casella Waste Systems introduced its Mack® LR Electric model, the first electric refuse vehicle in the state, in a ceremony at the Killington Grand Hotel on Dec. 9 in front of over 100 onlookers including local and state representatives, local business leaders, customers, employees, and…

By Angelo Lynn/Addison Independent The Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Board is well on its way to adopting a fiscal year 2024 budget with preliminary numbers projecting a 10.71% increase in spending, with certain line items like fuel seeing a 48% increase over the prior year. The Consumer Price Index (inflation) is around 9% over the…

By Katy Savage Killington is removing beaver dams to stop stormwater runoff and protect infrastructure. The town was granted a stream alteration permit from the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) on Nov. 23  to remove and downsize five beaver dams in a 6.1-mile stretch along the Ottauquechee River corridor. “The town of Killington has a…

Adds to $400K grant it received in May Staff report PITTSFORD —Pittsford Village Farm was awarded $335,834 from the Northern Border Regional Commission and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture rural development funding programs on Nov. 16. This is on top of a $400,000 award in congressional funding announced by Sen. Bernie Sanders in May. But…

By Mark Bushnell/VTDigger Charles Dickens had writer’s block in the worst way. It had been years since he’d laid down his pen while only halfway through writing “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” In desperation, some say, he turned to an unlikely assistant. The public was stunned to read that the great British writer had picked…

By Curt Peterson The Killington Select Board made some significant adjustments in zoning setback requirements during a hearing that was part of its Dec. 12 meeting. The area covered includes two “hamlets” within the town, and a section called “the valley," all on Route 4 on the East side of town. According to Town Manager…

By Curt Peterson Maggie O’Brien, the newest member of the Rutland Regional Planning Commission, will be helping update the 2015 Killington Town Plan, according to RRPC Special Projects Manager Ed Bove. O’Brien grew up in Farmington, New York, a small town of 14,000 between Lake Canandagua and Lake Ontario. She earned her degree in environmental…

By Katy Savage Digging into soil found no evidence of underground storage tanks at the Vermont Farmers Food Center — a relief to the organization’s leaders as they try to remedy an environmental contamination. “That was best case scenario, that’s what we were hoping for,” said VFFC Executive Director Heidi Lynch, explaining the process to…

By Victoria Gaither It’s out with the old and in with the new this ski season at Middlebury Snowbowl, located on Route 125 in Hancock. The Snow Bowl has a new logo, new snowmakers, and new behind-the-scenes improvements that will make the ski experience more enjoyable. Plus, a target opening date of Dec. 14, if…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann There is an expansive physical space in Rutland, over 14,000 square feet to be exact, known as “The MINT – Rutland’s Makerspace” — where almost anyone, of any age, interest or skill level, can fulfill the popular mantra to “find your happy place.” Dictionaries define finding your happy place as “…a…

By Ethan Weinstein/VTDigger A video of citizens violently apprehending an alleged shoplifter at the Rutland Home Depot has highlighted frustration over crime and the vigilantism that can crop up alongside it. The video of the incident, viewed more than 55,000 times on Facebook, appears to tell a deeper story than the arrest made in its…

Killington Resort’s team builds bikes to benefit local kids The Killington community gathered at The Foundry on Dec. 3 for Teddy Arbo’s 36th annual Holiday Toy Party. What started as a small dinner party in 1986 has grown into a community-wide event designed to put presents under the trees of needy Vermont families. “I’m just…

By Katy Savage When Mike Orlando bought property in Danby with a large hill and 30 acres three years ago, he knew what he wanted to do. “I knew right away it would be great to snowboard,” he said. Orlando, who rides at Killington Resort, spent three years cutting trees and building about 25 hiking…

By Victoria Gaither With Christmas just weeks away, Florence Christmas tree farmer Mike Gecha is busy. Gecha owns and runs Whipple Hollow Farms, a family business that only started selling Christmas trees two years ago. He explained, “We had some land that was just being used for farm hay. So we thought about how to…

Vermont inaugurated a national tradition By Julia Purdy High on Bethel Mountain Road outside Rochester, observant travelers might notice two prominent brown wooden signs flanking the road, with carved letters announcing the Riley Bostwick Wildlife Management Area and the Millionth Acre Tree Farm. Totaling 350 acres, these parcels represent the life work of Riley Bostwick,…