Discover More from This Category: Local News

Cannabis Control Board to pause new retail licenses

October 2, 2024
The Cannabis Control Board voted Wednesday, Sept. 25, to temporarily close the window for new retail and tier 2 cultivation applications in Vermont. “The Board is committed to adapting to changing market conditions,” the news release stated.  At Wednesday’s meeting, all three of the board’s members spoke of their concern for oversaturation in the regulated…

Killington’s new owners group to invest $30m in on-mountain capital improvements

October 2, 2024
Sale to local owners closed without debt Friday, Sept. 27 Killington Resort finalized its sale from Powdr to local, independent ownership on Friday, Sept. 27. The new ownership group, led by Phill Gross and Michael Ferri, is committed to reinvesting all profits into capital improvements “for the foreseeable future” and announced $30 million in on-mountain…

Water woes in Woodstock

October 2, 2024
Town to hold two votes to acquire Woodstock Aqueduct Company By Katy Savage  After more than a year of discussion and negotiation, Woodstock has a plan to acquire the Woodstock Aqueduct Company, which has been a private utility since the late 1800s.  Town Manager Eric Duffy presented the plan on Sept. 23. He said the…

Walmart Supercenter planned at former Diamond Run Mall in Rutland

October 2, 2024
New store plans to open in 2027 Staff report This past Tuesday, Sept. 24, Walmart told the Town of Rutland Select Board that plans will be submitted to relocate the existing Walmart store at 90 Shopping Plaza Road in Rutland City to the site of the former Diamond Run Mall, south of the city just…

Tips to maintaining your bike

September 27, 2024
Staff report So, you bought a mountain bike. Well done! You’ve now got a few epic rides under your belt. Excellent. But now you wonder how to best protect your investment and keep it rolling like new.  While there are many expert bike mechanics around locally that can help, here are a few basic things…

Agency of Trans awards $7.19m in bicycle and pedestrian grants

September 27, 2024
The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced Sept. 12 the awards of approximately $7.19 million in grants to municipalities for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure improvement projects. The combination of construction projects and planning grants will benefit cities and towns statewide with improved transportation connectivity and safety, tangible economic benefits, and additional transportation options for commuters,…

Tour of Pine Hill park: Go clockwise for an extra workout; go counter-clockwise for fun

September 27, 2024
By Shelley Lutz, Pine Hill Partnership board member  Pine Hill Park in Rutland City is one of the original trail networks in Central Vermont and is a must-stop on any mountain biker’s itinerary. The wooded park is 275 acres with 18 miles of mostly singletrack trails dotted with seven unique bridges. If you are an aerobic…

Peninsula Trail and Loop, a scenic tour in the Aqueduct Trails

September 27, 2024
By Ada Mahood, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Peninsula is a trail that is perfect for beginners and intermediates riding in Woodstock. The scenery is quite amazing, especially in the fall. It starts up a short hill, then over some roots and up a short technical part before ending in the mossy lands of the Peninsula…

The Sherburner, Gifford Woods State Park in Killington: Go here, ride this

September 27, 2024
By Jason Mikula The Sherburner is a trail not to miss when coming to this area. It’s a new trail, debuting in 2023, and was built by L&D Trail Works. It’s a perfect adventure that takes under an hour (depending on your skill level and choice of route). The trailhead is about a 3 minute…

Cabot Pepper Jack at the Aqueduct Trails: the reward is worth the effort

September 27, 2024
By Luca Morris, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Captain Cabot is just one of the many fantastic trails in the Aqueduct trail system. The Aqueduct, with its main trailhead located on Cox District Road, is conveniently located close to downtown Woodstock — and its middle/high school. The main trailhead is accompanied by a parking lot with room to fit all…

Oldie but goodie: ‘Cloud Drop’ to ‘Sir Bermsalot’ in Woodstock’s Mt. Peg trail system

September 27, 2024
By Quinn Uva, Woodstock Mountain Bike Team Captain This is the quintessential run to do when visiting Woodstock. This run is one of the oldest in Woodstock making it a classic and has been heavily revamped in recent years. The easiest way to access “Cloud Drop” to “Sir Bermsalot” is from the Knox Meadow parking…

Q&A with Todd Uva, head coach of the Woodstock Varsity Mountain Bike Team

September 27, 2024
How did you get into Mountain Biking? Do you remember your first  time  on a single track? What were you riding? When I was in college in the early 1990s my childhood friend began riding and I was intrigued. Shortly after, I purchased my first mountain bike, a GT Tequesta. Modern mountain bike design was in…

Quinn Uva, a  rider to watch

September 27, 2024
Quinn Uva, 18, is an accomplished mountain bike racer who's competed in race circuits across the northeast throughout his teenage years —often besting riders with many more years under their belts! He's no stranger to the podium either, having won the 2023 Maxxis ESC Stan's Enduro in Woodstock, Oct. 1, 2023 as a U-20 rider…

Woodstock varsity mountain bike team grows

September 27, 2024
Woodstock Middle/High is the first public school in the state to field a varsity team  By Katy Savage and Polly Mikula Mountain biking has been such a popular club sport at Woodstock Union High School that this fall it became a varsity sport. And it made history as the first public school in the state…

Popularity: ridership, trail use, chapters expand

September 27, 2024
By Polly Mikula Mountain biking in Vermont is now the state’s fastest-growing form of outdoor recreation, according to the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) a non-profit that provides advocacy, education, and community-driven stewardship statewide and to local chapters.  “The growth of the sport has been exponential in the past — call it five years,” Mark…