Feb 6, 2025 | News 254-home neighborhood anywhere near Middlebury Village seemed like a pipedream skyrocketing home prices and surging building costs put the clamps on most home starts — let alone major subdivisions But a phone call from Middlebury College to a developer, Summit Properties, got the ball rolling in 2021 on a massive (by Addison County standards) subdivision called Stonecrop Meadows that was officially launched on Monday by a veritable village of stakeholders who’ve taken it from concept to construction Among those turning a ceremonial spade of dirt at the 35-acre site off Seminary Street Extension were U.S Phil Scott; Middlebury selectboard Chair Brian Carpenter; Middlebury College’s vice president for finance & administration David Provost; and the leaders of a variety of state and federal agencies that helped secure key funding for a project that will boast a combination of affordable innovative neighborhood on a scale and of a type that rural Vermont has not seen in decades,” Summit COO Zeke Davisson told the crowd of more than 120 people in Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater to salute Stonecrop’s launch state agencies and legislators put their money where their mouth was and the community has embraced development done the right way That is the magic and the model that Stonecrop Meadows can be for the state,” Davisson added Plans call for Stonecrop to be phased in over multiple years with the initial installment of 80 units — along with the development’s infrastructure — now underway The first homes are expected to be available by this summer 34 will be classified as “affordable housing,” reserved for families earning less than 80% of Area Media Income For Addison County in 2024 that was $61,050 for a single person and $94,200 for a family of five Thirty-one of the first 80 Stonecrop units will be for households earning 80-150% of the Adjusted Median Income (up to $163,500 for a four-person household) and the remaining 15 will be sold at market rate Home sizes will range from 1,516 square feet with two bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms to 2,019 square feet with three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms Summit has selected Middlebury’s IPJ Real Estate to handle Stonecrop marketing and sales Phil Scott during Monday’s ceremonial launch of the new Stonecrop Meadows development in Middlebury They were among the dignitaries who discussed their commitment to state and local affordable housing efforts in front of a crowd of more than 120 people at Town Hall Theater.Independent photo/Steve James built offsite by East Montpelier’s Huntington Homes Davisson recounted his outreach to Huntington Homes Co-owner Jason Webster during the fall of 2023 Webster had declined a prior overture from the company ‘You’ve caught me in a moment when I’ve been reflecting on what we do and why We have employees who lost their homes in the (July 2023) flooding,’” Davisson said He quoted from a Webster email: “We can’t do ski homes and affordable at the same time Huntington is slated to drop 12 modular homes at the site we’ll go from a poured foundation to a standing six-unit three-story townhome building that will soon welcome six middle-income families,” Davisson said He further explained the building strategy for Stonecrop: “We’re building modularly for the initial for-sale homes And we’re building with green energy; a big component of this will be geothermal.” in partnership with the Vermont’s Congressional delegation and organizations like the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB) secured millions of dollars in federal grants low-interest loans and tax credits to help make Stonecrop financially viable and accessible to folks of multiple income levels But Summit officials stressed the project wouldn’t have gotten off the ground without the impetus and buy-in from Middlebury College Davisson said it was in 2021 that he fielded a call from college leaders who said Provost and acting college President Steve Snyder on Monday noted 20% of the college’s staff commutes from New York State because they can’t find homes in Vermont not only bought the Stonecrop property to reduce the upfront development costs but it also bridged a $2.5 million funding gap this past October to ensure the timely start of phase one of the development MIDDLEBURY College’s vice president for finance & administration speaks on Monday at Middlebury’s Town Hall Theater about the official launch of the Stonecrop Meadows housing project which will create 254 new homes off Seminary Street Extension The college contributed millions in financing and land acquisition to help drive down the cost of the homes.Independent photo/Steve James Provost added that recently departed Middlebury College President Laurie Patton was a strong supporter of Stonecrop as an amenity for the entire community While the college’s resources and conviction were key Provost reiterated Stonecrop couldn’t have advanced without the many players assembled on Monday We are all subject-matter experts in certain things; we cannot do this alone,” he said “That’s how we’re adding 250 units of housing in a very short time.” Welch was credited for being a longtime supporter of affordable housing initiatives He’s nominated Stonecrop for a $5.5 million federal earmark as part of the Fiscal Year 2025 federal budget “Ambitious initiatives like the Stonecrop Meadows project are essential to tackle our housing challenges in Vermont and across the country,” he said “I’ll continue to fight for passage of this upcoming budget to ensure these funds make it to this critical project.” noting the town selectboard in recent years has made housing creation its top priority he recognized Middlebury’s planning officials for revising the town’s zoning laws to facilitate housing projects and accessory units “My message today is one of gratitude — to our state government for the support of simplifying and fast tracking development approval in downtown areas,” he said “Gratitude to our state and federal partners for the subsidies that have been directed toward this project to help ensure a large portion of these dwellings will be occupied by those who could not otherwise afford to live in the town of Middlebury and the board of trustees for their willingness to invest in the Middlebury community.” Phil Scott pledged his administration’s support for future housing initiatives statewide his proposed fiscal year 2026 budget proposes to add $15 million to the VHFA’s middle-income housing program “I believe housing is the cornerstone to solving so many challenging issues,” he said attracting young families and increasing the tax base as among the benefits He encouraged communities like Middlebury to adopt Tax Increment Financing to leverage additional private investment to build and renovates the housing “There are so many good things we can accomplish together,” Scott concluded The Vermont Housing Finance Agency released a report last year suggesting the state needs to add upwards of 40,000 homes within the next five years Davisson said Stonecrop will get Middlebury off to a nice start meeting its portion of that target: 560 homes but we need these homes matched one-for-one by other builders and developers in that timeframe,” Davisson said commissioner of the Vermont Department of Housing & Community Development said the state can reach the daunting 40,000 goal if every community and county builds its share Failure to advance housing growth would be a bad move She said some Vermont employers are so desperate for workers that they’re building housing as an inducement to fill job vacancies She applauded the Stonecrop stakeholders for joining forces to make the project a reality “You’ve made my job so much easier,” she said when we get calls about what can be done and what is possible I have been pointing everyone to Middlebury every turn I get.” saluted what he called “the conspiracy of goodwill to make (Stonecrop) happen.” He invited the various stakeholders to look beyond Stonecrop’s bricks and mortar equity and inclusion he had applied to government programs and opportunity — principles he noted the Trump administration is now scrubbing from federal programs and bureaucracy “We’re not just going to break ground for a building today; we’re going to be building a foundation for community,” Seelig said “And how important is that in these really It is what our state moto is: Freedom and Unity We’re going to create freedom for people by building them homes become productive members of this community — whether the volunteer for the library We’re enriching ourselves with this investment that we’re making.” John Flowers is at [email protected] Educators at Middlebury are organizing a walkout and protest slated for Thursday at 10:30 … (read more) Principal Rae Donovan said she loved her time at Ferrisburgh Central School draining and paving upgrades to Halladay Road and th … (read more) A lost village is whispering a greeting from the past which vanished from Ohio maps 152 years ago has briefly resurfaced during a sidewalk replacement project in Akron Kenmore Construction employees made an unusual discovery while removing concrete along East Market Street atop a culvert through which the Little Cuyahoga River passes On a keystone about 20 feet above the water workers found a carved tablet with an eroded inscription: The culvert was one of the final public works in Middlebury before the village agreed to merge with Akron the following year Middlebury was supposed to be the big city in what later became Summit County Connecticut native Joseph Hart established the village in 1807 — 18 years before Gen Pioneers flocked to the ambitious village and built manufacturing businesses along the Little Cuyahoga The town square was located at the present-day intersection of East Market and East Exchange the settlement grew so quickly that 1800s travelers in the Western Reserve identified Cleveland as “a small village situated north of Middlebury.” but it suffered a reversal of fortune in 1825 after the state legislature selected fledgling Akron as the route for the Ohio & Erie Canal The center of power shifted 2 miles west and never returned Summit County commissioners approved building a stone arch on Middlebury’s Main Street which replaced a crumbling bridge over the Little Cuyahoga The Summit County Beacon described contractor George J Wohlwend as “a builder of long experience” and “a master of his profession.” The “Paul Bros” inscribed on the stone tablet were civil engineers Hosea Paul Jr. The Gilded Age was in its infancy and Reconstruction was underway in the South It was the year of the Great Fire of Chicago Barnum’s first circus and  the Tammany Hall scandal of New York Goodrich began production at Akron’s first rubber company and Buchtel College a new culvert neared completion in a dying village Akron residents voted 1,042 to 16 in favor of the annexation ordinance while Middlebury approved the issue 140 to 26 Akron residents know Middlebury as a neighborhood Many drivers probably don’t realize they’re passing over the Little Cuyahoga River when traveling on East Market Street near Case Avenue The sidewalk replacement is part of a 3.5-mile resurfacing of East Market Street which includes a lane reduction between Buchtel and Case avenues The city is using state funds from the Ohio Department of Transportation to pay for the $2.5 million project The rediscovered stone tablet won’t be visible for much longer Because of the sheer walls along the river the only safe place to see the 153-year-old relic in the construction zone is from behind a chain-link fence on the edge of a parking lot at the southwest corner of Market and Case construction specialist at Kenmore Construction descended a ladder and took a photo that he shared with the Beacon Journal It’s Middlebury’s last message before vanishing again Price can be reached at  mprice@thebeaconjournal.com Local history: Ghost stories materialize at Greater Akron landmarks Were you there? The 50 best concerts I ever saw in Northeast Ohio The United States of America may be a big country with several of the world’s most famous big cities yet this massive North American country also has plenty of unique Whether you’re looking for a college town nestled in the New England mountains a surprising town at the heart of country music culture or a Danish-inspired village in the heart of California’s Central Coast wine country the US abounds in funky and fascinating small towns with big quirks here are eight eclectic small towns in the United States with wonderfully weird local treasures that you simply have to see to believe Nestled by the Green Mountains of Vermont, about 35 miles south of Burlington the town of Middlebury is no ordinary college town this town is home to the prestigious Middlebury College yet this college also has the Middlebury College Snow Bowl and Rikert Outdoor Center for easy and convenient access to prime ski and snowboard trails It has the Ralph Myhre Golf Course for incredible golfing during the summer season as well the Middlebury campus also has a highly esteemed Museum of Art with a vast collection of works ranging from ancient wonders to contemporary creations which hosts a variety of original productions The interactive and family-friendly maker space at the Henry Sheldon Museum offers workshops on everything from woodworking to pixel art After a long and busy day exploring Middlebury’s great outdoors and cool indoor art spaces check into a soothing and restful space at the Swift House Inn Located about 114 miles northeast of Knoxville (Tennessee), the town of Bristol anchors Southwest Virginia’s Crooked Road of country music heritage Victor music producer Ralph Peer came to Bristol in search of talent and he discovered a plethora of artists with unique sounds that would form the foundation of what we call country music today You can discover more of the backstories of the 1927 Bristol Sessions (and their lasting legacy) at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum You can also catch plenty of current acts at the Paramount Center for the Arts and the Sessions Hotel’s performance spaces For an even more immersive Crooked Road country music experience take a short road trip out to the Carter Family Fold for weekend concerts featuring local country and folk talent at the family farm that played a pivotal role in the Bristol Sessions a beautiful working farm and winery that also has its own gourmet restaurant and access to The Virginian private golf and tennis club head over to Elverhøj Museum of History and Art for a wealth of original and local Danish-American art and check out The Book Loft for a cool independent bookstore that also houses the Hans Christian Andersen Museum that honors the famed children’s book author the reputation of Solvang and the Santa Ynez Valley began to change when the 2004 film Sideways introduced the local wine scene to a larger audience For the ultimate Sideways-style wine-and-dine extravaganza book a table at the Hitching Post for house-made barbeque and wines For more incredible Santa Ynez Valley wines enjoy a scenic drive (with a designated driver) to the Brave & Maiden vineyard estate and Kalyra Winery kick back and enjoy wine country-style casual luxury at the Corque Hotel You can catch a prime viewing spot for the Marfa Lights at the official viewing area of the U.S Marfa also shines as a quirky artists’ village and key highlights include Marfa Invitational’s Sculpture Park The Chinati Foundation’s 340-acre contemporary art compound the Marfa Open that has studio and workshop space available for visiting artists and the world-famous Prada Marfa installation that’s modeled after a real Prada boutique a historic boutique hotel that served as the operating base during the filming of the 1956 film Giant starring Elizabeth Taylor and James Dean Where is Superman’s hometown? According to Southern Illinois locals (and 15-foot-tall) painted bronze Superman sculpture and stay for the Superman Museum and Superman Stuff store that’s chock full of Superman memorabilia and additional goodies from the DC Comics cinematic universe For even more superhero-worthy adventures, make the journey to the Kincaid Mounds State Historic Site, which contains the remains of a grand Mississippian indigenous city that existed here from about 1050 to 1400 CE, and head over to Fort Massac State Park for prime hiking, biking, fishing, boating, hunting, and even disc golf along the Ohio River there’s always more fun and games (and hotel lodging) at the Harrah’s Metropolis casino a working farm and petting zoo that’s operated for over eight decades and stop at Frankenmuth Woolen Mill and tour this local business that’s been making high-quality wool bedding products for over 130 years Whether you’re traveling solo or bringing the whole family together the Bavarian Inn is the ultimate one-stop shop for all sorts of fun and games Come for the restaurant and its world-famous German chicken dinners stay for the full-service hotel with all the contemporary amenities you need and make time to experience the Bavarian Inn’s expansive indoor waterpark and more special surprises at the family fun center To learn more of the backstory behind Andy Griffith and how the real-life Mount Airy inspired the fictional Mayberry head to the Andy Griffith Museum for the world’s largest collection of artifacts and memorabilia related to the actor and his long career in movies To recreate the magic of The Andy Griffith Show for yourself which’s been artfully designed to bring the cherished Mayberry jail back to life For a better understanding of the town beyond Hollywood lore check out the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History for a wide variety of exhibits that share the stories of local life from pre-colonization Native American times to today When you’re in the mood to stretch out and enjoy some fresh air go to HB Rowe Environmental Park for a beautiful and quiet space to take pleasant walks on the trails and do some fly fishing at the Ararat River And when it's time for some more rest and relaxation check into Bee’s Bed and Breakfast to experience an 1880s Victorian home in the heart of town the Steamboat Art Museum showcases plenty of original works by local artists and hosts interactive art classes and workshops For even more uniquely Steamboat experiences check out the Steamboat Creates Depot Art Center to tour a 1909 vintage train station that’s been converted into a dynamic community art space and hit Old Town Hot Springs and Strawberry Park Hot Springs for soaks in the hot springs that gave Steamboat its name Steamboat Ski Resort has over 3,700 acres of skiable terrain with over 170 trails as well as prime hiking and biking trails during the summer season check into a comfy and classy stay just steps from the ski slopes at the Steamboat Grand resort and their eclectic nature just adds to their appeal discover a sporty college town that preserves homegrown creative energy and an adventurous spirit you can find an artists’ village that’s always on the cutting edge of cool experience everything from old-school Danish-American heritage to new-world wine country flavors and flair No matter how you like to go off the beaten path feel free to chart a new path forward in these uniquely eclectic American small towns photos and original descriptions © 2025 worldatlas.com We use cookies and other technologies to better understand a visitor's experience and to help improve our websites. By continuing to use the website, you consent to Middlebury's use of cookies and other technologies as outlined in our Privacy Policy “We pause to acknowledge that the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey sits in the Village of Achasta on the ancestral and unceded land of the Ohlone (Costanoan) Rumsen/Rumsien people When those words were spoken at the unveiling of the Middlebury Institute’s new mural in November 2023 it marked a moment two years in the making It took a lot of research and relationship building just to shape that first line of the Institute’s land acknowledgment statement.  Land acknowledgments have become increasingly common nationwide often heard at the kick-off of a sports game With their growing ubiquity has come criticism that they can be empty and performative—which is why the process matters so much The surrounding Monterey Bay region includes lands traditionally inhabited by the Esselen (to the south) We honor these groups’ experiences in the past as we work collaboratively with them to protect the land and its inhabitants. We honor these Indigenous communities We give thanks for the opportunity to respectfully share in the bounty of this place and are working collaboratively to protect it. We are all one in the sacred web of life that connects people Learn more about how to use the land acknowledgment. Professor Kent Glenzer asks students to identify an issue they want to focus on and then move the project forward in teams his class suggested that the Student Council advocate for the Institute to create a land acknowledgment Student leaders took this idea to President Laurie Patton who was supportive and provided funding for their proposal “I felt this was an important initiative for the Institute because I found it necessary to lead by example,” said Chris Baca MPA ’22 who worked on the initiative as chair of the Student Council’s Diversity and faculty was key for moving the process forward.  “Through this process I not only gained a deeper understanding and respect for the customs and traditions of our Indigenous communities but also learned the power student bodies can have in bringing about institutional change,” said Baca “This effort also brought about better learning of the current obstacles faced by Indigenous communities such as not being able to access their land for ceremonial purposes.” Baca and fellow Student Council leader Salma Rashid MPA ’23 reached out to Avineri early on about how to move the process forward She immediately thought of the Ohlone Sisters.  Carla Marie and Desiree Muñoz are members of the Costanoan Rumsen Ohlone tribe and are among many members who now live in southern California After years of enslavement under the Spanish missionary system in the area around Monterey Bay their ancestors were forced into exile to avoid violent persecution by settlers and California’s racist policies toward Native Americans Many from the Costanoan Rumsen tribe moved to the area around San Gabriel and found work on the ranchos in 1864 the sisters contacted Avineri and leaders from other institutions and organizations in Monterey hoping to engage in educational outreach with the people now living here That serendipitous connection led to the sisters leading a community learning event at the Institute on land acknowledgments in fall 2022 followed by more consultation and engagement with the Institute community The process also included textual and historical research to complement what was shared by the Indigenous communities themselves “I realized there was so much I didn’t know about the Indigenous populations in California and the Institute had almost no information or connections to those populations,” said Rashid “Without building a long-term connection with the Ohlone sisters any work that the Institute did would have been meaningless if another institution or organization wants to embark on a similar process the relationship is the most important piece It’s so important to work alongside those we are learning from.” you need truth before you can have reconciliation,” said Avineri “We need to know where we’ve been to figure out where we want to go.” People at the Institute also connected with colleagues at Middlebury College in Vermont, which adopted its own land acknowledgment in 2021. Middlebury Language Schools also support an Abenaki language revitalization project In 2022–23, Conflict Transformation Fellows Maria Zaharatos MPA ’23 and Karan Kunwar MAIEP ’23 worked on documenting and analyzing the Institute’s land acknowledgment process Their survey of students found a mix of feelings Many felt that it was an important initiative that provided much-needed awareness on injustices but also that land acknowledgments can be performative acts without enough action associated with them.  who engaged in additional research as part of her CoLab graduate assistant role the process should include deep intercultural learning and supporting the local Indigenous communities in the pursuit of their social justice goals I think what’s essential for institutions and organizations embarking on this journey is to focus not so much on the statement itself but on the work of questioning our role in historical and present systems as well as in developing relationships with the local Indigenous populations that call the regions we live on home.” The students developed a hub with resources for other organizations embarking on the process As the students who started the project graduated, Avineri kept it moving forward. At the time, she was immersed in social change theories and case studies as she cowrote her latest book on language and social justice “I was trying to bridge what the field is focused on with my day-to-day work with community partners and students The land acknowledgment process was an opportunity to put these models and frameworks into ethical practice in a real way “We’re trying to engage in the process here in the right ways and even trying to be a model for others through a balance of humility and expertise the Middlebury Board of Trustees unanimously adopted the land acknowledgment which is now read at events and incorporated into communications including syllabi “Social justice is relational and aspirational,” said Avineri “The land acknowledgment is but one step to reimagine relationships at individual When we center collaboration and solidarity the possibilities for meaningful community impact are endless.”   one of the students involved in the project at its inception graduated with his MPA and MA in International Education Management in 2022 and shared this reflection: “I’m so grateful to see the work we started being continued years later Acknowledgment of local Indigenous communities is always just the first step and matters only if engagement is built upon in meaningful ways Most students at a school like the Middlebury Institute are guests in a new land in several ways as well as the Indigenous communities who historically inhabited the land It’s the responsibility of any university to give their students the opportunity to engage with those communities in a reciprocal way and include them in their classroom conversations and activities whenever possible.” The project involves the construction of 218 units of mixed-use housing consisting of multi-family homes such as duplexes and townhomes and will also include a three-story apartment complex The housing units will be located at 77 Seminary Street Extension in Middlebury A particularly important aspect of the Stonecrop Meadows development is garnering support from local communities according to representatives of Summit Properties there is vocal opposition and pushback from community members who do not want to see the composition of their neighborhoods change or property values to depreciate Summit hosted community feedback sessions where the people of Middlebury could come and hear about the plans “Most of the feedback has been extremely positive even from a large number of the most impacted/closest neighbors,” said Andy Hooper Summit has conducted studies to make sure environmental impact is limited particularly in the wetlands surrounding the parcel Summit COO Zeke Davisson told The Campus he was surprised by the overwhelming support for the project adding that some people even wished the project would be even larger He believes that this demonstrates the shared value placed on the need to address Vermont’s housing crisis “We found that not only were people not balking at the density we were proposing they asked why we couldn’t push the envelope further,” Davisson said “I think that sentiment reflected two things: first that the housing problem has become so bad that people are finding motivation to support and lift up housing projects in a way that didn’t historically elicit that reaction that the parcel in question is the Town’s best opportunity for smart-growth development.”  Housing and the rising cost of living in Vermont were recently highlighted in a series of panels lectures and community events — including a presentation on Summit’s ongoing project — as part of the college’s annual Clifford Symposium The college’s involvement with the project, however, goes back several years to when Middlebury initially explored a partnership with Summit Property Management.  According to Davisson, in 2022 the college hoped to see if any of their current land holdings could be used to develop affordable workforce housing zoning laws and existing infrastructure did not accommodate for large scale affordable development on any existing properties a large plot of land went onto the market in an area conducive to affordable housing The college bought the 35-acre property for $1.5 million from Marjorie Mooney and selected Summit as the developer for the project which had an estimated cost at the time of approximately $40 million the state of Vermont received funds under the American Rescue Plan Act a portion of which was allocated specifically for housing development The state of Vermont approved 40% of the total ARPA housing funding for Stonecrop Meadows The rest of the project will be funded through tax credits While the initiative is just one incremental step toward relieving the housing crisis various other towns in Vermont are developing an estimated total of 1341 housing units according to the state of Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development “[Summit will] begin construction on the infrastructure portions (roads That would put us in a position to begin constructing and selling homes by the summer of 2025,” Davisson said adding that they hope to do the same for the  apartment complex by 2026 Vermont’s landscape is dotted with towns that feel untouched by time From Revolutionary War landmarks to villages built on marble and mill industries these places tell the story of Vermont’s past while remaining vibrant in the present Some of these towns inspired artists and writers while others built reputations on industry Whether it’s walking along historic town greens these seven towns capture the essence of Vermont’s enduring charm Dorset supplied marble for the New York Public Library while Woodstock introduced America to skiing Each of these towns invites visitors to experience American heritage firsthand Brandon is located between the Green Mountains and the Taconic Range is renowned for its significant contribution to the American Civil War supplying a large number of soldiers relative to its size Brandon's rich artistic heritage continues to thrive evidenced by the Brandon Artists Guild and the Compass Music and Arts Center venues that showcase local talent and host cultural events Start off your trip with a visit to the historical Brandon Museum at the Stephen A which provides insights into the town's pivotal roles in early American history and the anti-slavery movement Dining options include the gourmet offerings at Café Provence known for its locally-sourced French cuisine the Neshobe River offers scenic views and opportunities for fishing and leisurely walks while Moosalamoo National Recreation Area features extensive trails for hiking and biking embodying the academic and cultural hub of the region which significantly influences the town's cultural landscape The presence of the college introduces a youthful energy and intellectual atmosphere that permeates Middlebury Visitors can engage with local history at the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History where regional artifacts and stories are meticulously preserved Art enthusiasts will appreciate the Middlebury College Museum of Art which boasts a diverse collection of art ranging from antiquity to the present the Storm Café offers riverside seating and dishes crafted from local ingredients providing a unique Vermont dining experience Otter Creek Bakery is another must-visit for homemade pastries and coffee The Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) provides a 16-mile walking loop around the town perfect for experiencing its natural beauty and pastoral setting Woodstock is located in Windsor County and stands out with its gorgeous 19th-century architecture making it a quintessential example of a New England village It was chartered in 1761 and has developed a reputation for being the site of the first ski tow in the United States the Billings Farm & Museum offers an in-depth look at Vermont's rural heritage through its fully operational dairy farm and exhibits on agricultural practices The Woodstock Historical Society housed in the Dana House Visitors can dine at The Prince and the Pauper a bistro known for its refined menu featuring local ingredients the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park provides extensive walking trails and beautifully managed forest lands Shelburne is situated along the shores of Lake Champlain this town is notable for its lakeside setting and rich agricultural history currently reflected in its vineyards and farms Shelburne’s proximity to Burlington adds to its accessibility and appeal providing a mix of rural charm with nearby urban amenities Key attractions in Shelburne include the Shelburne Museum a sprawling campus with over 39 distinct structures offers cheese-making workshops and farm-to-table dining experiences The Bearded Frog Bar & Grill serves inventive American cuisine in a cozy setting Shelburne Vineyard offers tastings of award-winning wines made from locally grown grapes Dorset is steeped in historical significance with the distinction of having the oldest continuously operated inn in Vermont The town is also famous for its marble quarries which began operations in the 18th century and supplied marble for the New York Public Library and other notable structures Dorset's idyllic landscape and preserved architectural heritage contribute to its timeless appeal The Dorset Historical Society is a perfect spot to learn about the town’s marble quarrying history and its impact on the region Outdoor enthusiasts will appreciate the Dorset Quarry now a popular swimming hole surrounded by marble cliffs Barrows House Restaurant offers contemporary American cuisine with ingredients sourced from local farms Chester is known for its well-preserved stone village featuring 19th-century buildings constructed from locally quarried granite The town’s historical significance is evident in its architecture where structures such as the Yosemite Firehouse Chester’s location along the Williams River and its early development as a stagecoach stop contribute to its historical character a key site along the Green Mountain Railroad a historic lodging and dining establishment serves classic New England fare in a building dating back to 1885 The Vermont Institute of Contemporary Arts features rotating exhibits from regional artists hiking trails at the Lost Mine and Green Mountain Railroad trail provide access to Chester’s natural surroundings offers a curated selection of literature and frequent author events Stowe is a mountain town known for its connection to Vermont’s skiing history which has been a major ski destination since the 1930s The town’s Austrian influence is evident in the Trapp Family Lodge founded by the von Trapp family after they fled Austria offering accommodations and cross-country skiing trails Visitors can explore the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum which preserves the state’s winter sports heritage through exhibits on equipment offers walking and biking with views of the Green Mountains Harrison’s Restaurant provides locally sourced dishes in a historic building offers tastings and a look into Vermont’s craft beer culture The Stowe Farmers' Market operates seasonally featuring local produce and artisanal goods These seven towns illustrate Vermont’s historical depth From preserved architecture to industries that shaped the region each town offers a distinct connection to the past Their continued relevance demonstrates the enduring impact of Vermont’s traditions This article originally appeared in the Concordia College student newspaper, The Concordian Projects for Peace is a funding opportunity granted by the Davis United World College Scholars program the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program.  “Projects for peace gives students the opportunity to do an extraordinarily deep and ambitious type of BREWing and community engagement,” said Kenneth Foster director of Community Engagement and faculty coordinator for PFP PFP is an initiative that entrusts $10,000 to a student with an approved proposal that creates real-world solutions for a community with a problem Partnering institutions of the Davis UWC Scholars program can submit two student proposals each year with typically only one student granted funding per college or institution.  The Davis UWC Scholars program currently partners with 99 institutions worldwide since the PFP program creation in 2004 More than 100 PFP were completed in the summer of 2021.  Concordia became a Davis partner in 2019; however the company asked projects for 2020 be postponed to the summer of 2021 because of COVID.  “I do think that that limited the growth and delayed the momentum around Concordia’s participation in Projects for Peace,” Matt Beatty director of Global Learning and International Enrollment two students pushed through COVID complications and completed their international projects this past summer.  Junior Aya Al-Shakarchi mediated a virtual mentorship program between young women in Iraq and Concordia students that aimed to elevate self-esteem create opportunities for future growth and cultivate an intercultural learning environment.  Danika Vukovich and Elizabeth Yoder volunteered to be the mentors of 24 Iraqi students.  Al-Shakarchi moderated discussions about womanhood and identity women in the media and advocacy for other women.  Although very different from Al-Shakarchi’s project senior Amina Fatkhulloeva also made a difference within a community Fatkhulloeva was responsible for installing a water irrigation system for Varzi-Kanda village in Tajikistan to combat food insecurity.  Water is essential for a sustainable environment and daily life This village relied on rainfall for watering purposes but that too has been decreasing over recent years.  I was very frustrated that our government has not done anything about it These people need infrastructure to sustain themselves,” Fatkhulloeva said.  Fatkhulloeva started planning this project in 2019 and it involved extensive budgeting researching and connecting with local engineers she was unable to pursue the project in 2020 because of COVID.  Fatkhulloeva had to start over with her planning and decided to have a fundraising campaign Fatkhulloeva was able to receive funding from the Moorhead Rotary community contributions and made personal investments of herself and her family From the budgeting to the lack of materials Fatkhulloeva faced many challenges with this project After two years of planning and 12 weeks of night-and-day working the irrigation system was finally installed Fatkhulloeva said this process has taught her to be patient “This village has been promised many times for this kind of project And nobody was able to do it,” Fatkhulloeva said “The villagers still contact me and tell me they can’t believe it and how grateful they are.” Both Fatkhulloeva and Al-Shakarchi’s projects were multifaceted after having to factor in logistics and understanding the scope of the project.  but they are similar in that there is a complex difficult situation and that there is a problem that is difficult to address it would have been done a long time ago,” Foster said.  Fatkhulloeva urges students to think about the change they can create in their communities.  “I know change is not easy and I have been part of many changes in my own life I already made it farther than where I was at the start,” Fatkhulloeva said.  The deadline for student proposals has passed for this year and Foster said they have several proposals submitted Foster encourages students to contact him for more details and to start thinking about potential project proposals for next year All Concordia undergraduate students are eligible to apply for this opportunity Feb 27, 2025 | News ADDISON COUNTY — Here’s what to expect at each of the county’s town meetings in the coming week Addison once again this March sees contested races for local offices One incumbent selectboard member is facing a challenge in what will be a rematch from 2024 and two candidates are squaring off in another race to earn what would be for either his first term on the board Addison will vote by paper ballot in the Addison Community Center gymnasium (the former elementary school gym) for candidates and on all town spending measures between 7 a.m On Tuesday they will also weigh in by Australian ballot on the proposed Addison Northwest School District spending plan Residents will gather to discuss town business on Monday an Addison Town Hall Committee member who is self-employed Briggs defeated Barrett for a one-year term in March 2024 The other selectboard race pits artist and former Apple and Gap Inc an Addison Planning Commission and Town Hall Committee member against Vermont Agency of Transportation employee Geoffrey Grant both coming up short in a five-way race won by incumbent Roger Waterman Hollis did earn a few more votes than Grant a year ago in the crowded field is alone on the ballot for a two-year term on the Tri-Town Water board this March Thomann was appointed during the past year as a Tri-Town Water Commissioner to fill a board vacancy after coming up short in a race for the office in March 2024 Addison is one of the towns that still elects its town clerks and treasurers Incumbent Cheri Waterman is unopposed as she seeks another three years continuing in both those posts The Addison selectboard has proposed higher town spending for residents to consider on Town Meeting Day including all spending except that on roads and nonprofit donations higher than the spending plan residents approved last year Waterman said more money to pay for professional auditing ($15,000) site improvements at the fire station ($10,000) and increases in other line items including town insurance and health insurance benefits The selectboard is also proposing a $1.024 million road budget Waterman said almost everything in the budget is stable but the town must replace a culvert on Nortontown Road and there are no grants available to help with that major expense is the Vermont League of Cities and Towns advised Addison that its selectboard can use ARPA funds to help offset taxes Residents will also decide on nonprofit requests that total $63,931 The largest of those requests comes from the Bixby Library as determined on a per capita rate based in the population of community Bixby serves Addison residents also will be asked to give “the Selectboard or its agents” the authority to negotiate leases for “portions of the Addison Community Building” for up to five years Waterman said this measure will allow the town to start earning rental income for the building including from a proposed child care business Another housekeeping item will give the selectboard authority to rename a reserve fund “to be called the Addison Community Center Reserve Fund.” Currently $23,143.65 sits in the former Addison Central School Fund that the ANWSD transferred to the town along with the title to the former central school the selectboard would use the fund for “voter approved budget appropriations for the purposes of covering expenditures that cannot be supported by a regular budget.” Addison residents will join voters in other ANWSD towns on March 4 in deciding the fate of the school district’s proposed $27.653 million budget for the 2025-2026 academic at the Vergennes Union High It represents a 1.48% spending increase ($403,000) over this year But ANWSD officials estimate if the spending plan is passed that residential school taxes in each district community will be lower They also said the board’s proposed budget preserves all current student educational and extracurricular activities The board’s plan would use $800,000 of a $1.56 million surplus from prior fiscal years as reduce taxes A separate ANWSD ballot article will address the remainder of the surplus asking voters to place it in the ANWSD Capital Improvement Fund Other factors lowering school taxes are that the Agency of Education’s estimate for the district’s average daily pupil count and that Vermont officials are dedicating $77 million to statewide property tax reduction project homestead school tax rates would drop across the board Addison voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students an ask that represents an 8% increase compared to this year Members of the Brandon selectboard will explain the town budget when they host town meeting in town hall on Monday Residents will vote then on whether to exempt the Brandon Senior Center from property taxes for five years Residents will vote on the town and school budgets at Brandon American Legion Post 55 between 7 a.m Residents will considder proposed FY2026 general fund spending of $3,403,965 which represents a 2.25% increase over the current year The amount raised by taxes — $2,876,645 — is a 1.4% hike After seeing voters reject the municipal budget twice last year the selectboard is hopeful that this year the budget will pass the first time For a home in Brandon assessed at the average value of $186,000 municipal property taxes would go up less than $22 for the year The single biggest line item is the Brandon Police Department which is proposed to go up 9.41% to $937,000 the department will not be able to provide 24/7 police coverage; though off-duty offices will be on call if needed Voters will also be asked to raise $50,000 to put aside for a capital fund Other larger appropriates ask for $92,500 for the library $15,500 for the senior center and $7,000 for a Fourth of Julty celebration Brandon will vote on three selectboard seats — one for a three-year term Two Brandonites are seeing the  three-year term on the selectboard: Ralph Ethier who is the only incumbent running for a seat Four candidates are runnng for the pair of one-year spots on the selectboard who was on the selectboard until last year when she chose not to seek re-election for family reason She is ready to return to the board this year The other three would be newcomers to the board: Jeff Haylon Bradon voters will join their peers in Leicester Sudbury and Pittsford in casting ballots on the budget and board members representing the the Otter Valley Unified Union schools OVUU residents joined many other Vermonters in rejecting their school budgets It took three votes before the Brandon-area district approved a spening plan of $26,808,222 The board this year warned a FY26 spending pland of $28,022,999 which they pointed out is 9.38% higher in per pupil spending that the budget approved last year The warned spending represents a 4.5% hike ($1,214,777) from last year voters present were scheduled to vote on a proposal to sell 10 acres of Otter Valley Union High School land to Valley Community Center so it can build a community center or recreation facility there There are no contested races for the OVUU school board and the body is again this year looking for write-in candidates to fill out the slate of available seats Brett Mullin and Jessica Markowski for two seats in Pittsford Another at-large seat and a board spot for Whiting do not have candidates Bridport residents on Town Meeting Day will be asked to spend up to $75,000 for a new one-ton truck with equipment (to be financed over three years) and to use $194,220 in general fund surplus as a state grant match to finance an estimated $971,100 culvert replacement project on Middle Road This is one of several Australian ballot items on the Bridport warning Bridport residents will be able to cast ballots from 7 a.m on March 4 at the Bridport Masonic/Community Hall The business meeting will take place the same date and at the same location Other requests on Bridport’s March 4 warning seek: Residents last year backed a FY25 road/general fund budget of $1,872,217 of which $1,428,354 was raised through property taxes There are no contested municipal elections in Bridport this year Drexel Wheeler is on the ballot for a three-year  term on the selectboard; also Bridport residents will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools a plan that reflects a 2% bump in overall spending Based on the ACSD budget office’s latest calculations the proposed budget — if approved — would see Bridport’s homestead education property tax rate plummet by $1.03 (49%) from the current $2.12 per $100 in property value Bridport residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board Those competing include incumbents Brian Bauer and Steve Orzech The ballot also features uncontested bids for two ACSD seats: Steve Cash for Ripton’s lone seat on the panel; and Jamie McCallum All ACSD seats will be voted at-large in the ACSD-member towns of Bridport Bridport voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students Bristol voters on Town Meeting Day will weigh in on a three-person contest for two three-year seats on the Mount Abraham Unified School District Board and incumbents Elizabeth Sayre and Meredith Rossignol Bristol school board rep Melissa Laurie is running unopposed for a two-year term Bristol selectboard incumbents Ian Albinson (three-year term) and John “Peeker” Heffernan (two-year term) are running unopposed to keep their seats The only other contested races on Bristol’s Town Meeting Day ballot are those for seats on the Lawrence Memorial Library Board Six seats on the board are up for grabs on March 4 and nine candidates have filed to run for the spots: Jill Danyow and Elizabeth Guilbeault are running for two 2-year terms Nakeeya Deas and Darren Klinefelter are on the ballot for three 3-year seats Three other residents are seeking votes as write-in candidates: Betsy Almeter (one-year term) Bristol residents living in the police district (primarily the village) will consider a proposed fiscal year 2026 police budget of $688,370 — which reflects an increase of $61,742 Bristol voters on Town Meeting Day will also be asked to OK a $34,894,443 MAUSD spending plan for the 2025-2026 school year The proposal reflects a decrease of $486,753 District officials estimate that the proposed budget — if approved — would translate to an 8.03-cent decrease in Bristol’s FY’26 tax rate for residents who pay taxes based on the value of their home Residents who pay based on their income are also expected to see a decrease in the FY’26 tax rate based on estimates using the median income for the area ($85,870) Voters in the MAUSD will also weigh in on whether to allow district officials to transfer up to $1.04 million from the district’s Capital Reserve Fund to the general fund to help pay for replacing Mount Abraham Union High School’s roof The Capital Reserve Fund contained $1,771,800 as of June 30 Article 11 on the warning asks voters to deposit the district’s fund balance from fiscal year 2024 (audited at $819,990) into the capital reserve fund Bristol voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students Bristol will hold its town meeting that same evening at 6 p.m Voting by Australian ballot to elect town and school officers and approve the police and school district budgets will take place the next day the proposed FY’26 budget reflects an increase of $290,529 in overall spending and a $250,257 (8.12%) rise in the net supported by taxes Voters will also be asked whether to establish a new Skatepark Project capital fund for the Recreation Department Cornwall residents at their town meeting will be asked to have their town clerk elected (instead of appointed) and to allow the selectboard to appoint the community’s planning commission members to one-year terms instead of the current practice of electing them by Australian ballot If residents agree to have their town clerk elected In other business at their annual gathering on Saturday • A proposed fiscal year 2026 general fund budget of $548,081 That’s up roughly $38,000 from the current spending plan of $510,838 • A proposed FY’26 Highway budget of $515,050 which has been lessened by $65,000 in state aid Residents last year OK’d a highway budget of $551,800 • $81,200 to help fund the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department • Exempting the fire department and its two properties at 1952 Route 30 and 63 North Bingham St • $5,000 for the Cornwall Free Public Library to pay its expenses during FY’26 • A combined $26,395 for various social service agencies that serve Cornwall residents residents will cast ballots on some contested seats for the Addison Central School District board and on uncontested races for various municipal positions library trustee for two years; and Don Burns and Steve Mahoney Cornwall residents will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools the proposed budget — if approved — would seer Cornwall’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 10 cents (5%) Cornwall residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board Cornwall voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students; it’s an 8% increase compared to this year Ferrisburgh residents will consider from the floor of town meeting on Saturday the selectboard’s proposed FY2026 spending plan of $2,830,154 Ferrisburgh’s town meeting will be held upstairs in the Ferrisburgh’s Route 7 town hall beginning at 10 a.m That budget figure doesn’t include $38,195 of nonprofit requests that are routinely approved the actual amount of spending town residents will decide upon by voice vote is $2,868,349 Therefore the overall increase in proposed spending is $210,270 Residents may amend the budget at the meeting According to Town Clerk and Assistant Treasurer Pam Cousino each penny on the town’s tax rate raises about $55,000 meaning if all things were equal the higher spending could raise Ferrisburgh’s municipal (non-school) rate by about 3.8 cents Cousino said the actual tax impact of the budget might not be known until the summer That’s because town is sitting on an undesignated fund balance of about $840,000 some of which the selectboard could choose to use to offset a tax increase The board will discuss the fund balance at town meeting but Selectboard Chair Clark Hinsdale said it would prefer to wait until the town and school tax rates are set this summer to make the final decision on the fund balance town officials said the town’s fiscal picture will be clearer including how much growth there will be in the grand list a factor that will affect how much money that penny on the rate raises The town is undergoing a property reappraisal but officials said it would not be completed in time to affect FY2026 tax rates one proposal is to add a town administrative position the selectboard added $48,000 for an 80% position but could use some of the surplus to expand the position’s hours Board members agree that with Road Foreman John Bull leaving at the end of the year and Cousino doing so this summer an administrator probably becomes necessary Other changes in the budget range include: Town office payroll (not including an administrator) is budgeted to rise by a bit less than $9,000 to almost $258,000 In Ferrisburgh there are no contested races on the ballot and no major offices will be left unfilled Running without opposition for the selectboard are former selectboard chair Rick Ebel current Chair Clark Hinsdale and fellow incumbent Walter Reed Hinsdale filed for the one-year remainder of former selectman Steve Fleming who resigned from the board during his term has been serving as an appointee to fill Fleming’s seat Nikki Bearor’s term as Ferrisburgh member on the Addison Northwest School District board expires in March; she is running unopposed for another three years An item not on the warning is likely to come up for discussion The selectboard heard arguments both pro and con on a town vote criticizing the state of Israel for its actions in the war in Gaza and its treatment of the Palestinian people then rejected such a vote as not pertaining to town business But given strong feelings expressed at selectboard meetings it would not be surprising to see the question brought up from the floor of town meeting Ferrisburgh residents will also join voters in other ANWSD towns on March 4 in deciding the fate of the proposed $27.653 million budget for the 2025-2026 academic and fiscal year (FY26) at the Vergennes and Ferrisburgh schools The spending plan represents a $403,000 (1.48%) spending increase but ANWSD officials estimate if the spending plan is passed that residential school taxes in each district community will be lower The board’s plan includes a proposal to use $800,000 of a $1.56 million surplus from prior fiscal years to reduce taxes A separate ANWSD ballot article addresses the remainder of the surplus asking voters to put it in the ANWSD Capital Improvement Fund Other factors lowering taxes are that the Agency of Education’s estimate for the district’s average daily pupil count was higher than the district’s more conservative projection and that Vermont officials decided to dedicate $77 million to property tax reduction the projected ANWSD homestead school tax rates would drop across the board Voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students After Goshen residents convene in Town Hall for a Cookie Social gathering at 6 p.m they will gavel in the annual town meeting at 7 p.m The headline item on the warning could be the incredible size of a proposed spending increase: The selectboard is asking for $618,960 to spend on general municipal expenses The budget this year adds a big project to renovate the town hall But as selectboard members are quick to explain the project will be paid for with a $334,057 Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) grant the proposed increase in municipal spending is around $15,000 the upstairs in town hall will be available for community gatherings and the selectboard encourages townspeople to reserve the space for events “What a great place for a concert/music venue,” they write in the town report Residents will also vote on $749,200 to spend on the roads which is an increase of less than $2,000 (.03%) But here too outside grant money decreases the need for local tax dollars The board says the road funding ask nets to a 9% decrease from last year Goshen will also fill a few municipal offices on Town Meeting Day There will be a three-year term on the selectboard up for election; the seat is currently held by Diane O’Classen Town Clerk Martin Fjeld’s term as town clerk expires; townspeople could re-elect him for three years Also up for election are a three-year lister terms as trustee of public funds and cemetery commissioner Goshen voters will join their peers in Leicester Sudbury and Pittsford in casting ballots on the budget and board members representing the Otter Valley Unified Union schools It took three votes for the Brandon-area district to OK spending $26,808,222 The board this year warned a FY26 spending plan of $28,022,999 which is 9.38% higher in per pupil spending that the budget approved last year and the body is again this year looking for some write-in candidates to fill out the slate of available seats If debate gets too loud at next Tuesday’s town meeting in Granville residents will be voting on a tool that could remedy that When they gather at Town Hall on March 4 beginning at 6 p.m. the agenda will include an article that asks residents to adopt a noise ordinance Last summer town officials fielded complaints about excessive noise in particular motorcycles on a private track at all hours possibly detonation of explosives on private property and occassional fireworks in the Green Mountain National Forest Granville will consider a town spending plan and elect a handful of peers to municipal posts The proposed town spending plan of $420,820 would represent a hike of $14,934 The selectboard’s budget breaks that down as setting appropriations for muncipal spending at $223,912 the overate increased nearly 40% almost entirely due to the State Education Tax.” They blamed that on a few very large real estate transactions that threw the grandlist out of whack The town is in the midst of a reappraisal that the board hopes helps the tax rate Townspeople will also be asked to tap $5,000 from the Municipal Building Investment Fund for repainting the municipal building complex Up for election will be three-year terms on the selectboard Terms expring this Town Meeting Day include Selectboard Chair Bruce Hyde Town Treasurer Nancy Needham and Town Moderator Kelli Eckroth Canidates for municipal seats are nominated at the meeting and voted at the meeting the selectboard would likely talk about the nearly $500,000 Municipal Energy Resilience Project (MERP) grant that the town received in 2024 and will use in 2025 to perform energy improvements at the town clerk’s office and town hall The board has final say on specific work done Hancock may lose a bit of that small-town feel after Town Meeting Day when residents will vote on three measures that will change three key municipal jobs voters will be asked if they will allow a non-resident to become town clerk and town treasurer and will they also allow the selectboard to appoint those two key officials for the time being residents will decide if the town of Hancock should adopt the town manager form of governance the selectboard said that they have come to realize that compliance with state and federal mandates along with the need to apply for grants for many projects “requires a level of professionalism that a largely volunteer selectboard with neither the training nor the available outside time …then the daily affairs of municipal government would be best served by a professional town manager.” the proposed selectboard spending request will also be a pivotal decision at town meeting The town spending proposal is set at    $427,244 plus $7,019 in voter approved appropriations That respresents a decline in spending of $38,136 include the town’s recently awarded Municipal Energy Resilience Project (MERP) grant The $342,155 grant will be used to weatherize town buildings A new $60,000 state planning grant will allow the town to study the feasability of bringing affordable houses to Tyler Meadow Hancock ended its contract with the county sheriff for traffic speed enforcement; the selectboard may check in to see how that is working out The principal town office up for election is a three-year seat on the selectboard Leicester is one of those Vermont towns were residents still appove municipal and road spending at the annual town meeting That will still be the case when residents gather for the annual confab at the Leicster Meeting House on Monday The Leicester selectboard breaks out budgeted town spending into two chunks: general town expenses and highway expenses The town is asking to spend $349,401 for general expenses with the amount raised by taxes pegged at $300,580 with the amount to be raised by taxes $340,401 In addition to voting on the future of town budget approval residents will vote on town and school budgets by Australian ballot on Tuesday as well as cast ballots on a handful of elected positions Two selectboard spots will be on the ballot: a two-year spot held by Tom Barker and a three-year spot held by Diane Benware The big-ticket item on the Leicester ballot this year will be a Fiscal Year 2026 Otter Valley Unified Union (OVUU) school district budget Voters in the six school district towns — Leicester Sudbury and Pittsford — rejected the school budget twice last year The amount warned this year is a few hundred thousand dollars more than the initial proposal in 2024 and is around $1.2 million more than the figure finally approved last June which is 9.38% hirer in per pupil spending that the budget approved last year Lincoln voters at their annual town meeting next week will decide whether they’d like to switch to voting on all money articles by Australian ballot beginning next year They’ll be asked a similar question during the Lincoln School District annual meeting weighing in on whether to adopt the school district budget by Australian ballot starting in 2026 Lincoln will hold its annual meeting on Monday The Lincoln School District will hold its meeting that evening during a recess of the town gathering Voters will be asked to approve $672,065 in general fund spending the amount of taxes to be raised for general fund spending would be $309,813 Proposed highway spending would increase by $70,176 Article 8 on the town meeting warning asks voters if the town should eliminate the office of lister “and replace it with a professionally qualified contracted assessor appointed by the selectboard.” Voters will also be asked whether to authorize a sum of $10,000 for contracted law enforcement services Article 11 asks voters to OK a sum of $175,000 for “further restoration and improvement of existing Class 2 asphalt surface town highways,” which would be deposited in the paving reserve fund Other articles on the Town Meeting Day warning ask voters to approve 28 voted appropriations to local organizations totaling $153,390 including $44,000 for the Lincoln Library and $56,000 for the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Company During the Lincoln School District’s annual meeting voters will be asked to OK a $5,179,244.76 spending plan for the 2025-2026 school year Lincoln’s homestead tax rate would decrease by 20.8 cents Article 6 on the district’s annual meeting warning asks voters to allow district officials to transfer up to $380,000 of the district’s audited surplus funds to the Education Reserve Fund District officials expect a surplus of $481,173.55 and the proposed FY’26 budget accounts for applying $100,000 of the surplus to offset taxes for the upcoming year Voting by Australian Ballot to elect town and school officers will take place in Burnham Hall on March 4 from 7 a.m The March 4 ballot features three open selectboard seats Lincoln selectboard members Ken Stockman (three-year term) and Lisa Sargent (two-year term) are running unopposed to keep their spots No one has filed to run for the one year remaining of a two-year term on the board Lincoln school board members Jeanne Albert (three-year term) and Mary Gemignani (two-year term) are running unopposed to continue serving on the school board Middlebury residents at their town meeting will be asked to perpetuate their local option tax and approve three bond requests — including one for $49.5 million to upgrade the community’s wastewater treatment plant at 243 Industrial Ave Voters will go to the polls on March 4 to decide a $49,580,000 investment in their wastewater treatment plant which was built in 2000 with a life expectancy of 20 years Plant operators have noted recent failures in various equipment that is becoming increasingly hard to replace due to evolving industry standards The project would also improve the plant’s ability to process biosolids (sludge) Officials have promised to look for grants to help defray the project’s costs but it’s clear the payback will require a sizable jump in Middlebury’s wastewater rates The two other bond referenda on the ballot call for $2 million in proposed improvements to a major municipal water pump station off Rogers Road and a $1 million plan to install a stormwater treatment system for the Adams Acres subdivision near Boardman Street Middlebury has qualified for a $2 million low-interest loan (2%) from the federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund for the Rogers Road work The town has received a $232,000 grant from Vermont Agency of Transportation (requiring a local match of $58,000) to apply to the Adams Acres project the town has qualified for a $1 million low-interest loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund It should also be noted that Adams Acres property owners — including G Middlebury Legion Post 27 and Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects — are to collectively assume majority responsibility for the loan payback sales and alcohol — originally enacted as a funding mechanism for the town’s share of the $16 million Cross Street Bridge project — is due to expire in 2038 The local option tax has been raising far more than is needed for annual debt service and maintenance of the bridge and local voters have been applying surplus revenues to capital projects The selectboard would like to see that continue beyond 2038 at the Middlebury Union High School auditorium will decide a proposed fiscal year 2026 municipal budget of $14,548,535 That’s a 6.9% increase compared to this year’s spending plan The budget would require a 5.3-cent increase in the current municipal tax rate of 88.94 cents per $100 in property value Major FY’26 budget drivers include a $492,369 increase in contracted employee wage increases and benefits and a $123,451 bump in capital improvements Middlebury’s town meeting docket also includes a request to apply up to $125,000 in local option tax surplus to offset local engineering and construction expenses for an Exchange Street bike-pedestrian path and another $131,264 in local option tax surplus to offset debt on a recent project that turned former wastewater treatment infrastructure into storage space for the police department There are no contested elections on Middlebury’s municipal ballot incumbent Selectpersons Isabel Gogarty and Andy Hooper are headed to new three-year terms Natasha Sen and Dianne Lawson have no competition for three-year spots on the Ilsley Public Library board; Susan Shashok is headed for another year as town moderator; and Beth Dow is headed for another three-year term as lister But there is a race on the Addison Central School District ballot Five candidates are vying for three of Middlebury’s seats on the ACSD board That ballot also features uncontested bids for two other ACSD other seats: Steve Cash All ACSD seats will be voted at-large in the district-member towns of Bridport Shire town residents on March 4 will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 ACSD budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools a plan that reflects a 2% bump in overall budget growth the proposed budget — if approved — would see Middlebury’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 29 cents (15%) from the current $1.95 per $100 in property value Middlebury voters will field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students After Middlebury’s in-person meeting on Monday Australian ballot voting will take place the next day at the town’s recreation center at 154 Creek Road Monkton voters on Town Meeting Day will elect three new faces to serve on the town’s selectboard Several longtime members will be stepping down from their posts this March and eight residents have filed to run for the spots Sam Peisch is the lone candidate for the one year remaining on a three-year seat on the board Matthew Huizenga and Randall Charboneau are on the ballot for a two-year term Jessica Demeritt and Tom Steadman are running for the open three-year seat There are no other contested races on Monkton’s Town Meeting Day ballot Mount Abraham Unified School District board member Kielee Pelland is running unopposed for a three-year term on the school board Monkton voters are set to gather for the town’s annual meeting on Saturday residents will be asked to approve $877,790.72 in general fund expenditures a decrease of $23,628 from what voters approved last March Other spending requests on the Monkton Town Meeting warning include: Monkton voters at their town meeting will also be asked to OK a sum not to exceed $114,801 for the purchase of a Ford F550 truck Voting by Australian Ballot to elect town and school officers and approve the career center and school district budgets will take place on Tuesday residents will be asked to adopt the Monkton Town Plan 2025-2033 as approved by the selectboard in December Monkton voters on Town Meeting Day will also be asked to OK a $34,894,443 MAUSD spending plan for the 2025-2026 school year It reflects a spending decrease of $486,753 District officials estimate that the proposed budget — if approved — would translate to an 11.49-cent decrease in Monkton’s FY’26 education tax rate for residents that pay taxes based on the value of their home Residents that pay based on their income are also expected to see a decrease in the FY’26 tax rate Voters in the Mount Abe district will also weigh in on whether to allow district officials to transfer up to $1.04 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the general fund to help pay for replacing Mount Abraham Union High School’s roof The district’s Capital Reserve Fund contained $1,771,800 as of June 30 Article 11 on the district’s annual meeting warning asks voters to deposit the district’s fund balance from fiscal year 2024 (audited at $819,990) into the Capital Reserve Fund Monkton voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 spending proposal of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students The MAUSD’s annual meeting is scheduled for Monday New Haven will hold its 263rd annual meeting at its town hall on Monday Voting by Australian ballot to elect municipal and school officers and approve town and school district budgets will take place in the same location on the following day Selectboard incumbent Michael Audy is on the ballot for a three-year term Chris Bataille is running unopposed for a two-year seat on the selectboard As for New Haven’s one school board position on the March 4 ballot newcomer Britney Cyr and MAUSD board incumbent Sarah Louer are vying for a two-year term When considering the proposed spending included on New Haven’s March 4 ballot it’s worth noting the town budgets on a January-December calendar year while the MAUSD budgets use a July-June fiscal year school-related charges and payments show up in different New Haven fiscal years Former New Haven Treasurer Danielle Hubbell has previously explained that voters will see a large surplus in the general fund a large portion of which is made up of school taxes that are collected in one year and paid in the next Article 6 of the New Haven town meeting warning includes both a $585,000 “school payment” due and a $682,186.09 “2024 surplus.” There are several other items that New Haven voters will weigh in on when they head to the polls on Tuesday New Haven voters on Town Meeting Day will also be asked to OK a $34,894,443 MAUSD spending plan for the 2025-2026 school year The proposed plan reflects a decrease of $486,753 District officials estimate that the proposed budget — if approved — would translate to a 12-cent decrease in New Haven’s FY’26 education tax rate for residents that pay taxes based on the value of their home MAUSD voters will also weigh in on whether to allow district officials to transfer up to $1.04 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the General Fund to help pay for replacing Mount Abraham Union High School’s roof New Haven voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students; it represents an 8% increase compared to this year MAUSD’s annual meeting is scheduled for Monday Perhaps the weightiest item under consideration for Orwell residents on Town Meeting Day this year will be The selectboard warned a town budget of $2,100,909 greater than the spending figure approved last year But all is not lost for taxpayers who hoped to get a break Half of that warned spending figure will be paid for with money raised from non-tax revenues the town asks to raise $996,472 from property taxes more than was asked for in tax payments a year ago There are plenty of other spending iterms on the town meeting warning Among the $25,750 in town projects that seek funding are $16,000 for operating the Wright Memorial Library Building and $14,500 for the painting the town clock tower Nearly $14,000 in requests for funds to social services agencies that service Orwell is led by $5,000 requested by Addison County Home Health and Hospice it appears that only the race for town moderator is contested; Joe Andriano and Glen Cousineau are on the ballot Others on the ballot include Betty Walker for town clerk Andrea Treadway (incumbent) for three years on the selectboard Mike Christian (incumbent) for one year on the selectboard and Harold “Joe” Pouliot for two years on the selectboard A seat for an auditor and one for a lister are looking for write-in candidates Orwell voters will be asked at the polls if they wish to instruct the selectboard to develop an ordinance for the recreational use of ATV/UTVs on town roads Orwell voters will join those in other Slate Valley Unified Union School District (SVUUSD) to consider a a school budget of $32,086,270 Although that figure reflects a 5.21% increase in total spending it is expected to result in an education property tax decrease in four of the district’s six towns — including in Orwell The proposed school budget includes resources to further a cafeteria/gym capital project for the Orwell Village School The district is trying to secure state and federal grant money to fund the majority of that effort which was originally part of $60 million SVUUSD bond that was defeated back in 2020 Panton residents on Town Meeting Day will vote by paper ballot on a lower town budget contested races for selectboard and Vergennes Panton Water District board seats a measure on whether to expand the town’s selectboard and an Addison Northwest School District Budget that officials say would lower the town’s school tax rate Panton’s Town Hall will be open from 7 a.m and residents may discuss town issues beginning at 7 p.m the night before in town hall’s second story The selectboard has proposed a $1,119,514 spending plan that shaves a little more than $10,000 from the current spending level Those savings have been achieved despite several major expenses added to this year’s budget Chief among them is $72,000 for the first year of payments on a new highway department truck (approved by voters a year ago) and about $35,000 in higher costs for health insurance benefits for three fulltime employees The major offset for those increased costs is a reduction in what the selectboard is proposing to put into reserve funds in the coming year On the March 4 ballot are only two such funds: $2,400 as an Emergency Fund and $2,000 toward Panton’s next town-wide reappraisal That $4,400 total is $71,600 less than voters were asked to approve for a half-dozen such funds in 2024 Also eliminated from the previous spending was $7,500 in a selectboard discretionary fund and $20,000 in summer and winter road materials Town Clerk and Treasurer Kyle Rowe said the town also expects more revenue from a variety of sources and in an email added he’s “cautiously optimistic that the municipal tax rate will decrease (by 4 cents) reflecting both the lower amount of revenue requested to be generated by taxes and stabilization in the Grand List property values.” That estimate also assumes approval of nonprofit requests: Residents will also be asked to dedicate $13,451 of tax money to nonprofit organizations including a $50 increase to one organization The selectboard expansion question is straightforward: increase the selectboard from three to five members; new members to serve two-year terms The details of a petitioned charter change to recall elections of selectboard members is still being discussed Officials said the central question there is what threshold to set for a recall — a simple majority or a requirement that a recall would need as many votes for a recall as originally cast for a board member to be effective on the ballot will be two candidates for a three-year term on selectboard — longtime incumbent and Chair Howard Hall and challenger Reese Jaring a Collins Aerospace employee described by a supporter as having an “extensive background in finance and budget administration.” Two terms will expire on March 4 on the Vergennes-Panton Water District Board Incumbent Chris Cook is unopposed for one seat The other features a race between recently appointed incumbent Bob Hartenstein and challenger Kathy Kennett for the remainder of a two-year term Panton residents will vote on an Addison Northwest School District appending proposal of $27,653,000 It represents a $403,000 (1.48%) spending increase but ANWSD officials estimate residential school taxes would be lower if passed The board’s plan includes a proposal to use $800,000 of a $1.56 million surplus from prior fiscal years to lower taxes district officials project that homestead school tax rates would drop across the board Ripton voters at their town meeting will be asked to decide a proposed fiscal year 2026 town/highway budget of $869,487 and help sort out a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the Addison Central School District (ACSD) board The proposed budget is around $100,000 more than the $770,667 spending plan Ripton residents OK’d for the current year Ripton has incurred significant expenses related to flooding and is seeking grants to help mitigate those costs “There still has been flood-related work to do; needed repairs and improvements to our roads and river corridors not to mention the meetings and paperwork for FEMA reimbursement but we are on the uphill side for the moment,” reads a 2024 selectboard report signed by Selectperson Laurie Cox on behalf of the board we need to realize our weather patterns are changing but the coming years may force us to find some new directions for Ripton.” Residents will consider the FY26 budget request as part of their annual gathering in the Ripton Community House at 1283 Route 125 • Appropriate $44,950 to help fund the Ripton Volunteer Fire and First Response Department • Allocate $6,000 for the Ripton Cemetery Commission • Appropriate $25,000 to seed a capital fund for future “long-term or large infrastructure projects.” Plans call for the sum to be built over time with voter permission required before it can be spent Participants at the March 3 annual meeting will also be given an update on efforts to keep Ripton Elementary School viable Current projects call for the school to have a K-5 enrollment of only 29 children this fall Officials are trying to augment that number by offering Ripton Elementary enrollment to families in other ACSD towns Ripton residents will go to the polls at Ripton Community House on Tuesday • A combined $21,846 in social service agency requests from various nonprofits that serve Ripton residents • A series of uncontested elections that include incumbent Selectman Bill Hunsinger for another three years on the board; Tim O’Leary Ripton residents on March 4 will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools It’s a plan that reflects a 2% bump in overall spending the proposed budget — if approved — would see Ripton’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 14 cents (7%) from the current $2.05 per $100 in property value Ripton residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board Ripton voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students It represents an 8% increase compared to this year Salisbury residents will conduct all their Town Meeting Day business at the polls on March 4 whether residents should appropriate $17,868 for the Otter Creek Watershed Insect Control District to apply adulticide to control mosquitos this year Voters will be asked to endorse a fiscal year 2026 general fund budget of $401,174 a roughly $14,000 increase compared to the $387,725 spending plan that passed comfortably last year The proposed FY’26 highway budget comes in at $537,370 a bump of around $12,500 compared to the $524,730 spending plan endorsed by voters last year Other items on Salisbury’s 2025 Town Meeting Day ballot seek: • A combined $107,925 to help fund Addison County social service agencies that serve Salisbury residents Residents will be able to vote on each of the 24 agency requests • Permission for the town to apply any general budget surplus (in excess of $30,000) from the current year to help stabilize the FY’26 tax rate There are no contested elections on this year’s ballot Those running unopposed include John Nuceder There are currently no takers for a one-year term on the selectboard and for one year as delinquent tax collector Salisbury residents on March 4 will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools It’s a plan that reflects a 2% bump in overall budget growth the proposed budget — if approved — would see Salisbury’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 99 cents (45%) from the current $2.19 per $100 in property value Salisbury residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board for Ripton’s lone seat; and Jamie McCallum Salisbury voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students Voting in Salisbury will take place from 8 a.m Residents are invited to attend their annual gathering — largely an opportunity to discuss the ballot referenda — on Saturday Shoreham residents at their town meeting should make quick work of what is a short warning and a local ballot that features no contested elections This year’s annual meeting is set for Monday in the Shoreham Elementary School auditorium Attendees will field a proposed 2025-2026 municipal budget of $473,018 and a proposed highway budget of $1,072,955 The fiscal year 2026 municipal budget ask represents an approximately $30,000 increase compared to this year’s spending plan of $443,509 The proposed FY26 highway budget translated into a 2.7% increase (around $30,000) compared to the $1,043,968 that voters approved for this year Voters at the gathering will also be asked to allow the selectboard to transfer $ 40,000 in General Fund balance to the town’s Highway Equipment Reserve Fund; and to set Nov after which financial penalties will be assessed for taxes still owed Australian ballot voting in Shoreham will take place the next day from 7 a.m at the Shoreham town office at 297 Main St The ballot will include a total of $22,369 in social service agency requests and a series of uncontested elections that include: A second one-year term currently has no takers There are no takers for two four-year terms and one two-year term on the planning commission; a one-year term as town constable; three-year and one-year terms as listers; and a three-year term as auditor Shoreham residents on March 4 will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools the proposed budget — if approved — would see Shoreham’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 87 cents (44%) from the current $1.97 per $100 in property value Shoreham residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board Shoreham voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students; it represents an 8% increase compared to this year Starksboro will hold its annual town meeting on Saturday Voting by Australian Ballot to elect town and school officers and to adopt the career center and school district budgets will take place on Tuesday There are no contested races on Starksboro’s Town Meeting Day ballot this year Selectboard incumbent Eric Cota is running unopposed for a two-year term Tony Porter is the lone candidate for a one-year seat on the selectboard There are two Starksboro school board positions featured on the March 4 ballot Mount Abraham Unified School District board member Brad Johnson is running unopposed for a three-year term Herb Olson is running unopposed for a two-year term on the board Starksboro voters will be asked to approve: Articles 9 through 14 ask Starksboro voters to approve a total of $96,013 for 37 organizations that serve Starksboro and other parts of the county Article 7 asks voters if the town should raise and spend $50,000 to support the Starksboro Village Meeting House and Starksboro Cooperative Preschool renovation project Starksboro voters on Town Meeting Day will also be asked to OK a $34,894,443 MAUSD spending plan for the 2025-2026 school year District officials estimate that the proposed budget — if approved — would translate to a small 0.62-cent decrease in Starksboro’s FY’26 school tax rate for residents that pay taxes based on the value of their home Voters in the MAUSD will also weigh in on whether to allow district officials to transfer up to $1.04 million from the Capital Reserve Fund to the general fund to help replace Mount Abraham Union High School’s roof Article 11 on the district’s annual meeting warning asks voters to deposit the fund balance from fiscal year 2024 (audited at $819,990) into the Capital Reserve Fund Starksboro voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students Vergennes residents will decide all city business by Australian ballot on Tuesday with voting to be held at the city’s Green Street fire station from 9 a.m Residents are invited to discuss issues at the Vergennes Opera House on Monday, March 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m. A zoom link is available at www.vergennes.org/news_detail_T28_R541.php Residents won’t face decisions for elective office on the ballot unless they choose to write in names Nor will they weigh in on the city budget; the city council will set the Fiscal Year 2026 city budget in June there are decisions due on Tuesday on whether city tax money should be used to support a number of nonprofit entities that serve the city and county There are also decisions to be made on the ballot that city officials say are important One is a revote of the fire vehicle bond residents originally approved more than a year ago Citizens in December 2023 backed a proposal to bond for up to $1.75 million for the city’s fire department to spend on replacing a 21-year-old heavy rescue truck and a 25-year-old ladder truck city officials discovered the vote wasn’t properly warned and that quality used trucks can now be purchased for less money there will be a measure on the March 4 ballot asking residents to back a replacement bond asking instead for up to $1,233,000 for the purpose of financing the purchase of a used heavy rescue fire truck and upgrading radio and safety systems for the vehicles There are also two articles on the ballot related to the Vergennes Opera House that officials describe as essentially housekeeping measures The first asks residents to amend the lease between as the city and the theater (the Vergennes charter requires voter approval of all city real estate deals) to reduce “the liquor liability insurance from $2,000,000 to $1,000,000 both per occurrence and in the aggregate” in the existing voter-approved lease between the city and the Friends of Vergennes Opera House is that no insurance company will underwrite $2 million of such insurance thus the lease must be amended to be legal The second item related to the opera house handles a technical requirement from the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service as a condition of their jointly awarded $500,000 grant toward the theater’s All Access Project City and theater officials said it’s simply intended to formalize protection of the opera house’s historic features through the required voter approval of a 15-year easement two other articles seek nonprofit status for two entities that would allow folks to make tax-deductible donations One would create a Parks & Recreation Fund and the other would establish a Vergennes Burying Ground Fund Reserve to help pay for improvements to the old School Street Cemetery that’s no longer in use a petitioned article the council approved to go on the ballot gives residents a chance to weigh in on a non-binding advisory vote “Shall the voters of the City of Vergennes advise the City Council to adopt the following pledge and equality for the Palestinian people and all people; We oppose all forms of racism and oppression; and we declare ourselves an Apartheid-free community and to that end we pledge to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s Apartheid regime there will be names to check for elective office Three incumbent Vergennes City Council members are running unopposed: Mayor Chris Bearor and multi-term Councilors Mark Koenig and Susan Rakowski Carson Harder-Hyde turned in a petition for that seat and will join the council in March Longtime Addison Northwest School Board Chair John Stroup also is stepping down His term and that of fellow Vergennes representative Michael Kane both expire next week a council appointee recommended by the ANWSD board will fill Stroup’s opening Bettyjo Bouchey’s term on the Vergennes-Panton Water District Board expires in March leaving an opening on that board to be filled by appointment or a write-in candidate Vergennes residents will join voters in other ANWSD towns in deciding the fate of the ANWSD board’s proposed $27,653,000 budget for the FY26 academic year The spending plan represents a 1.48% spending increase of $403,000 over the current spending level The board’s plan includes a proposal to use $800,000 of a $1.56 million surplus from prior fiscal years as revenue for this spending plan district officials project homestead school tax rates to drop across the board Waltham residents will choose a new selectboard member and decide whether to support higher town spending when they gather at their annual town meeting in Waltham Town Hall at 6 p.m which will be filled by nomination from the floor followed by a show of hands or possibly paper balloting if contested comes in wake of incumbent board member Brent Newton’s decision not to seek another term Devino said she wasn’t aware of anyone seeking to be nominated Whoever is elected will earn a three-year term Voters at that Monday meeting will also make their feelings known on a proposed increase in the selectboard’s proposed spending plan of roughly 23% on combined general fund ($141,013) and road maintenance ($107 Road spending is proposed to drop slightly by around $2,000 but Devino said several factors are pushing the general fund higher most notably a $25,600 payment on a $200,000 culvert project Salaries and benefits for Devino and Assistant Clerk Cookie Steponaitis are also projected to rise by $15,565 the town hopes to add a part-time zoning administrator for $8,700 and the cost of Vergennes Fire Department protection will increase by $6,000 Devino said the rest of the increases are small and spread around in a number of line items residents will be asked to support $5,099 for a number of nonprofits $10,692 (based on per capita calculations) to support the Bixby Library and a total of $29,000 in four reserve funds Waltham is in the middle of a town-wide reappraisal of its taxable property and Devino said therefore tax impacts of the spending increase are difficult to predict the average increase per town property would be $250 Waltham residents will also join voters in other Addison Northwest School District towns via March 4 Australian balloting in deciding the fate of the ANWSD board’s proposed $27.653 million budget for the 2025-2026 academic and fiscal year (FY26) The district operates Vergennes Union High and Middle but ANWSD officials estimate if the spending plan is passed that residential school tax rates in each district community will be lower Other factors lowering taxes are that the Agency of Education’s estimate for the districts’ average daily pupil count Also Vermont officials decided to dedicate $77 million to statewide property tax reduction Weybridge residents at their town meeting will field the usual general fund and highway budget requests as well as decide whether to invest in a new truck The request is for $70,000 for a 1-ton truck for the highway department Plans call for the town to borrow the money from the municipal equipment fund and pay it back during a five-year period Local officials are proposing a fiscal year 2026 general fund budget of $210,882 up around $17,000 compared to this year’s spending plan of $193,782 The highway department’s FY’26 request comes in at $618,748 up around $35,000 compared to the current $583,850 spending plan Other requests on Weybridge’s town meeting warning include: There are no contested elections on the Weybridge ballot Those running unopposed include Spencer Putnam Weybridge residents on March 4 will also help decide a proposed 2025-2026 Addison Central School District budget of $51,719,284 to run Middlebury-area schools the proposed budget — if approved — would see Weybridge’s homestead education property tax rate decline by 17 cents (9%) from the current $1.94 per $100 in property value Weybridge residents will help decide a five-person race for three Middlebury seats on the ACSD board Weybridge voters will also field a proposed Patricia Hannaford Career Center FY’26 budget of $5,704,280 to deliver vocational-technical education to Addison County students Weybridge will hold its annual meeting at Weybridge Elementary School on Monday Residents of Whiting who gather for the annual town meeting next Tuesday evening will consider a town spending plan that proposes a 5% increase in expenditures but the amount of tax dollars needed to support the bigger budget would increase by less than $1,000 The penultimate article on the town meeting warning asks for $512,293 in town spending over the figure approved at last year’s town meeting The article indicates that that spending number would create the need for $316,098 in property taxes in the coming year That compares to $315,250 in taxes OK’d last year Eight town officials will be up for election Whiting nominates and votes on town offices from the floor of town meeting The opening seats in question are: three-year term on the selectboard (Marcia King incumbent); three-year term for lister (Peg Allen incumbent); three-year term as auditor (Alison Remy incumbent); one-year term as first constable (Mike Dame incumbent); and one-year term as delinquent tax collector (Rani Fallon Three library trustees will also be up for election; the incumbents are Heather Mattison Residents will also be asked if they wish to eliminate the office of constable Whiting residents will go to the polls at the town office to cast ballots on the 2026 Otter Valley Unified Union (OVUU) school district budget Voters in the six school district towns —Whiting The school board this year warned a FY26 spending plan of $28,022,999 and the body is again looking for write-in candidates to fill out the slate of available seats Matteo Moretti ’21 used filmmaking to document and connect with his widowed grandfather one summer in the Greek village of Kriopigi.  Moretti shared his story as part of the “Purpose and Place: Voices of Middlebury” event during the Boston launch of For Every Future: The Campaign for Middlebury Listen to Moretti’s talk above or read the transcript below. Watch the trailer for his film Τζιτζίκι (Cicada) I’m so grateful for this shade right now The broad leaves from the centuries-old tree that sits in the plaza of my grandfather’s village offers me some kind of relief from this relentless heat especially in a place that doesn’t have air conditioning or fundamentally believe in fans.  I’m sitting in one of those tacky plastic white lawn chairs just listening to the clinking clatter of dice and chips as a group of older Greek men sit and play backgammon for hours.  and it sits in the mountains about eight hours north of Athens I grew up coming here as a child and it was foundational for creating my connection to my culture And every time my family comes to stay there we stay in the small house that my grandfather was born in It was different for me because for the first time in my life I was coming to Greece alone without my family and I sit there thinking that this three-week trip that I’m taking at a transitional point in my own life is probably the first and last opportunity that I’ll ever have to spend time with him in a place like this I’m up insanely early because jet lag but also because I couldn’t stop thinking about how difficult this trip was A lot of feelings and emotions were coming up that I didn’t really expect or understand And I’m a filmmaker; I was a film major at Midd I grab my camera and I’m just so struck by the way this morning light is coming into this tiny kitchen that I love so much where my yiayiá used to make phyllo dough from scratch for spanakopita and then my papoús shuffles into the kitchen.  I watch him take his coffee out to the balcony my yiayiá and papoús would wake up early before everybody else And now I’m setting up my camera to get a shot of him drinking his coffee alone.  Let me do the filmmaker thing; let me ask him some questions what’s your best piece of advice?”  you have to think you before you speak.”  that’s like the first thing you learn How about what’s the one thing you want to be remembered for?”  what do you think about the new stained-glass windows in the church?”  I quickly threw out all of my lofty filmmaker ideas and instead just focused on capturing my grandpa’s presence which means there’s a lot he can’t do and I wanted to focus my filmmaking on that one day I asked if I can film him shaving.  We crowd into this small four-by-four bathroom I start focused on the razor that sits in his trembling right hand and then I shift my focus to his left that supports his right at the wrist as he goes to make a stroke with the razor and I’m screening this film that I made for the first time but the only person in the room that I’m focusing on is my grandpa.  and he reaches his hand out and grabs mine because in that moment I thought that maybe I had made a mistake Maybe I had made the film at a way too emotional and vulnerable point in his life and all I wanted was for him to like it The next day we’re driving back home in the car and I finally muster up the courage to ask him “What did you think about seeing yourself on film?”  because you have to think before you speak.  The Old Stone House Museum and Historic Village opened in 1925 Listed on the National Register of Historic Places the museum chronicles the history of Orleans County through its collections A featured stop on Vermont’s African-American Heritage Trail the museum tells the story of Alexander Twilight. Mr Twilight was first African-American college graduate and state legislator in the United States and he built our namesake Old Stone House which he called Athenian Hall Inside the museum’s thirty rooms are more than 75,000 objects that tell the story of Orleans County folk art and all the stuff of 19th Century life Some noted items in the collection include Rufus Porter wall murals a small Mormon relic from Vermont and the always popular “phantom baby” portrait on the top floor Two barns display antique agricultural items Our grounds are the perfect place to plan a picnic and no visit is complete without a walk up Prospect Hill Vt.—Less than one year after Middlebury College began clearing the site for a 158-bed residence complex the four new buildings on the western edge of campus are now ready for occupancy and student-athletes will start arriving on Friday and will be the first students to move into the 58,800-square-foot Ridgeline Residence Complex Middlebury received a certificate of occupancy from the Vermont Division of Fire Safety on August 15 The project was completed weeks ahead of schedule “thanks to the efforts of general contractor Naylor and Breen Builders with a boost from the favorable weather we had last winter and spring,” said Tom McGinn Three of the four new buildings are clustered together on Adirondack View Road and contain town-house-style apartments—the first-ever town-house units on the Middlebury campus Each three-story apartment has eight single bedrooms There are four town homes per building for a total of 12 units to house 96 students The apartments are equipped with full-size beds The fourth building is positioned on Ridgeline Road northwest of the town houses and it contains suites for an additional 62 students Each suite typically has four single bedrooms The bedrooms are outfitted with full-size beds and each living room is furnished with a couch Three suites are fully accessible to students with disabilities and the entire building is visitable by people with disabilities The common spaces contained in the building include a large lounge with a full kitchen All four of the new buildings are air conditioned with windows that open and close and illuminated pathways connect the complex with the main campus to the east and to the Ridgeline parking lot to the west Completion of the four new buildings enabled Middlebury to remove the five “mods,” or modular homes that have served as student residences since 1998 Tucked between Prescott House and the Materials Recycling Facility the “mods” were sold to a local firm that will disassemble them and move them off site The area where the “mods” stood will be turned into additional parking for students Site preparation for the project began in September 2015 with the removal of the house at 82 Adirondack View and the extension of utility services—water The project also included the construction of a storm water management system that funnels runoff into two large bio-retention basins on site Middlebury worked with Kirchhoff Campus Properties (KCP) of Pleasant Valley Kirchoff has been directly involved in developing over 13,000 student beds for colleges and universities in the Northeast the developer retains ownership of the buildings while Middlebury retains ownership of the land and is responsible for maintaining the property – Aerial photo by Chris Spencer; reporting and photography by Robert Keren Middlebury Institute Professor John Balcom of the Chinese Translation and Interpretation degree program recently published a new book of translated poetry by the Taiwan poet Wu Sheng The book was published by Zephyr Press and was Professor Balcom’s twelfth volume of translated poetry his fifth with Zephyr Press. To mark the occasion a Chinese version of the introduction was published in the May issue of Wenhsun Magazine a literary arts magazine published in Taiwan.  Balcom and Wu Sheng have corresponded for about forty years but had never met until the poet visited him in Monterey last fall He came with a film crew who were making a documentary film about him “As the English-language translator of his work with this collection in the works they also wanted to interview me,” Balcom shares.  John Balcom is an award-winning translator of Chinese literature He is a past president of the American Literary Translators Association and has also served on the Literary Translation Committee of the International Federation of Translators. He has lived and worked in mainland China and joined the MIIS T&I faculty in 1993 Middlebury Institute student Tangut Degfay MAIPD ‘18 shares her story from a remote village in Ethiopia to Monterey with important stops along the way in Norway and the transformative role education has played in her life I was born in a remote village in northern Ethiopia we did not have schools at an accessible distance so local children were expected to help their parents at the farm and later take over the farming tradition when they reach an age to marry and lead their own household my aunt offered to take one of my father’s children to the city and educate them They sent me away because my personality was not compatible with what was expected of me as a young girl instead of spending my time with my mother in the kitchen I would follow my dad to the farm or the market I do not remember having second thoughts about leaving my village I was feeling ecstatic to experience the bus ride which people tried to scare me with Addis Ababa was two days away by bus on horrible roads I was too small for the bus so I was not given my own seat I remember sitting under my aunt’s legs and holding tight onto her legs so that she doesn’t leave me behind Addis Ababa was a lot different from what I imagined I was often treated harshly for the way I talk for my unusual name or because I have prominent traditional tattoos But I thrived academically because I had more time to spend with my teachers than my peers You know those kids that are often inseparable from their teachers In my new family there was constant pressure on me to behave a certain way My academic performance was closely monitored by my parents because they were most proud when I performed well I was expected to be even stronger and more independent than my new siblings It was also an outlet for me to experiment with my different personalities I made sure to take advantage of every possibility to speak out take leadership positions in student clubs and I even joined the boys’ soccer team I was selected to represent my school and my country at the United World Colleges (UWC) with a full scholarship to study for two years in Norway Arriving in Norway felt yet another beginning because my peers from all around the globe seemed interested in my stories They would often ask about my traditional tattoo and what it meant and I never felt bothered even for once to share the history and culture it holds My tattoo was no longer a mark of discrimination like in my old days and a great conversation starter when I meet new people I came out of UWC feeling like a new person UWC was also my bridge to Middlebury College I loved being a Midd-kid and I enjoyed every single day of my four years there I was part of the summer language schools for two summers with Japanese and Korean which also allowed me to travel to Japan for my study abroad experience I also made sure I took advantage of internship and volunteer opportunities locally and abroad My irreplaceable experience with Middlebury led me to my graduate studies in Monterey My dreams are always changing but I continue to aspire working in the field of youth development I am not the type of person who maps out their life but right now I am looking into life and work in East Asia and how I can contribute to strengthening socio-economic relations with Africa and I enjoy being busy so I take on many extracurricular activities and projects You can say I sometimes drive myself crazy intentionally but I like the feeling of it It makes me more productive and socially active when I do so much than the alternative Education introduced me to my own kind of freedom freedom from cultural and social restrictions and freedom from what is expected of me as a girl and to voice my concerns about anything and everything I care most about in the world I feel most comfortable with who I am [This article was published in the Spring 2017 issue of Communiqué.] Sep 28, 2023 | News MIDDLEBURY — The Middlebury Development Review Board on Monday conducted its first review of preliminary plan by Summit Properties to build a 218-unit mixed-income housing project on 35 acres of Middlebury College-owned land off Seminary Street Extension It’s called “Stonecrop Meadows,” and Summit officials are now showing local planners how they hope to site a combination of rental and for-sale homes that would include affordable Monday’s 3.5-hour meeting was an opportunity for the DRB to listen to Summit’s pitch for Stonecrop a project that could change substantially before the company submits final plans as soon as early next year project financing and site logistics are typically among the factors that prompt changes in major planned unit development applications In addition to those presenting on behalf of Summit several Seminary Street Extension-area neighbors turned out at the Sept A handful of neighbors chose to offer comments with the majority raising concerns about potential stormwater impacts from the development The DRB will resume its review of the Stonecrop plans on Oct It’s a review that’s to occur in three phases The project is now in “preliminary plan review,” which Summit COO Zeke Davisson said will likely culminate in a series of directives and suggestions from DRB members on how to make the plan conform to town rules and expectations This would lead to a final plan review and a decision by the DRB on Stonecrop Davisson and his Summit colleagues have spent this past summer refining Stonecrop plans and seeking state and federal subsidies to drive down the costs for the rental and for-sale housing we’ve secured more than $10 million in subsidy financing for construction,” Davisson said during a recent phone interview He noted $2 million of those subsidies are to be plowed into infrastructure for the new village community with the remaining $8 million for construction of phase 1 of the development — the construction of 45 units of for-sale housing Davisson said the bulk of those units are in the affordable and workforce housing price range show a total of 218 housing units that would be erected in five phases Phase one involves a combined total of 45 units contained in 16 duplexes and 29 townhomes Phase three: a combined 27 units contained in “triplexes,” townhouses and “flats.” Phase four: 48 multifamily units Davisson it could be five- to 10 years before Stonecrop is fully phased in A lot will depend on the required permitting county and entire state currently have a shortage of available housing for all income levels “Phase one and two have paths forward; they’re not set but we have the financing and have identified the design parameters and have basic timeline on how to move forward with those two phases,” Davisson said He explained phases three and four will require a renewed search for financing and he called phase five “wildly speculative,” at this point Summit officials currently see phase five as an independent senior living facility we would be doing a wetland crossing and going back to the state to re-do a lot of the environmental review,” Davisson said “But (senior housing) needs to be included in our preliminary plan in order to lay out the overall proposed vision.” Stonecrop’s residents are expected to include around 48 school-age children that would need to be absorbed by Mary Hogan Elementary and Middlebury Union Middle and High Schools “(Summit) has spoken with the (Addison Central School District) superintendent regarding the impact on district educational services who indicated it would not pose any stress on enrollment capacity given the significant decline in enrollment over the last 15 years,” the Stonecrop preliminary plan narrative reads The developers also claim the new neighborhood would pose “no unreasonable burden on the ability of the town to provide municipal services,” based on conversations with local fire Summit officials also submit that Stonecrop won’t negatively affect the character of the surrounding neighborhood “The project is a residential development in a residential zoning district,” reads the project narrative “The (new) neighborhood is designed as a logical extension of current settlement patterns and is intended to create continuity and cohesiveness both within the development and in connection with the surrounding community.” Here’s how the preliminary plan refers to other aspects of what would be one of the largest planned residential developments in Middlebury’s history: “The Project has been designed to treat all stormwater on-site including the use of low-impact development stormwater treatment features where possible,” “The applicant anticipates having two off-street parking spots available per unit on all lots in Phases 1 and 3 Phases 2 and 4 may not comply with the TND rule of 1 off-street parking per 1-bedroom unit plus 0.25 off-street parking spaces for each additional bedroom applicant expects those buildings to be of a type that can reasonably be expected to have residents with fewer vehicles including low-or moderate-income and/or senior housing for which the TND permits the DRB to reduce parking requirements Vermont State law prohibits municipalities from requiring the development of more than 1 parking space per unit the project will include the equivalent of approximately 33 unstriped Summit hired the Wall Consulting Group to do a preliminary transportation-impact study The company has determined Stonecrop would generate “81 new trip ends on an average weekday a.m 99 new trip ends on an average weekday p.m and 1,358 trip ends over the course of an average weekday the estimated new vehicle trip generation associated with the project is more than the 75-trip Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) threshold meriting congestion and capacity analysis The geographic scope of study receiving 75 peak hour trips includes the intersections of the two site driveways and Washington Street with Seminary Street Extension “All analyzed intersections and approaches are expected to operate at an LOS (level of service) B or better in both the AM and p.m Projected vehicle operations are expected to meet the VTrans LOS policy standard An LOS “B” suggests “short delays” of 10-15 seconds at affected intersections including at the five-corner convergence that includes Washington Street and Seminary Street Extension according to the Wall Consulting Group study It should also be noted that Summit will seek waivers for height and lot sizes Middlebury zoning calls for a minimum lot size is 20,000 square feet and building highest maximum of 55 feet in the town’s R-20 zone Summit officials argue that “the inability to design lots under 20,000 square feet “would preclude lots with single medium- sized structures and thus present a conflict between designing a compact neighborhood and building diverse housing types.” They also noted that one of their proposed buildings in “phase four” and the potential senior independent living facility ion phase 5 could “exceed 55 feet in height depending on roof detail or topography.” John Flowers is at [email protected] Dec 12, 2024 | News MIDDLEBURY ­— Middlebury officials are in the early stages of crafting the town’s first “encampment policy.” The document will guide the community in regulating the makeshift campsites that houseless individuals have been creating and using for shelter — primarily in the downtown and greater village areas — during the warmer months of the year The Middlebury Policy Review Committee has developed an initial draft of an encampment policy that the selectboard will consider early next year a selectman and member of the policy review panel hopes the encampment rules will be in place in time for next summer when houseless individuals tend to return to the Middlebury The shire town is home to the Charter House Emergency Shelter a coalition of religious institutions that provide free meals and a network of social service agencies that assist folks with housing substance use disorder and mental health challenges Middlebury officials decided to develop an encampment policy patterned after one in effect in Montpelier, the Independent first reported in September a procedure — it is not written as a law or ordinance having fines or criminality,” reads a preamble in the current draft This policy is focused on encampment but does not address what to do with homeless people if they are hanging out in public buildings Speaking of the Ilsley Library, the town last week issued a series of “vacate notices” to around a half-dozen folks who were living in an encampment off Bakery Lane, behind the library and adjacent to a Green Mountain Power electricity vault. The move to clear that encampment was driven by safety emergency access and winter maintenance issues according to town officials (see story on Page 1A) Middlebury’s draft encampment policy — which officials stressed is still a work in progress — calls for The document doesn’t reference areas where encampments might be acceptable Advocates acknowledged that a community could open itself up to lawsuits and/or substantial financial responsibilities if it sanctions encampments in specific areas The draft policy also places a premium on “engagement and support,” calling on members of the Addison County Housing Coalition (ACHC) — in collaboration with town staff — to “implement regular outreach efforts to engage with unhoused individuals in encampments.” This includes offering access to shelter/shelter wait lists as well as providing basic needs support onsite — such as food Outreach workers have a right to expect encampments to be safe and accessible while not impeding utility services and/or emergency services or cause safety or access concerns for the public in its travel to municipal/school buildings Those tending to folks at the encampments will “use trained mediators to resolve conflicts between unhoused individuals and community members,” and will be trained in “de-escalation techniques used in situations that could lead to confrontations,” according to the draft will determine when an encampment is unsafe Occupants of encampments deemed to be in violation of the policy will be given an as-yet-undetermined deadline to relocate The policy committee had considered 30 days but members theorized serious health or safety issues could warrant a swifter exit from an encampment Using “trauma-informed protocols,” outreach workers will support houseless persons in their relocation In cases where encampment residents decline to relocate police may be called upon to escort people from the site In cases where police must clear an encampment photographed and stored at Middlebury PD for up to 30 days after which time the town may dispose of the items Plans call for the policy to be an evolving document based on feedback and a quarterly evaluation by town officials Among those who’ve worked on the policy are Hooper and John Graham Housing & Services Executive Director Susan Whitmore who chairs both the ACHC and a subcommittee tasked with drafting a “trauma-informed” first draft of the document The coalition’s input has focused primarily on ensuring the policy deals respectfully and humanely with houseless individuals while making sure they aren’t set adrift if an encampment must be removed Whitmore said she believes Middlebury’s encampment policy is off to a good start and she’s been impressed by the collaborative way the document is being assembled police and municipal officials have all had a hand in the process Hooper said while he believes the policy “still needs a fair amount of work,” he saluted the “incredible strength of the relationship between the social services organization which gives us the latitude to write a really respectful policy that incorporates non-municipal actors.” Asked if he could identify a weakness in the draft Hooper said the document needs more detail on what might trigger enforcement on an encampment “It doesn’t quite have the guidance with escalation procedures in the way we need to make sure we’re responsive to community safety issues,” he said Hooper praised the Middlebury community for helping the homeless population he said he understands growing concern about the makeshift encampments popping up in prominent downtown areas with some of the campers displaying behavior — such as loud arguments public drinking and occasional fistfights — that has required police response “All of these things are very complicated,” Hooper said “There’s been a lot of discourse recently about how a feeling of disorder creates a sense of lawlessness — even if it’s not criminal you get this sense of unease and a sense of society fraying a bit because of public disorder.” Could other Addison County communities be developingtheir own encampment policies Whitmore estimated there are still five to 10 people camping outside in places other than Middlebury “There may be even more that we’re not aware of,” she added The John Graham Shelter in Vergennes is full Families are currently spending an average of 125 days at the shelter That’s actually down significantly from last year’s average of 230 days The Independent reached out to Charter House Emergency Shelter Executive Director Heidi Lacey but was unable to connect with her by Wednesday’s deadline John Flowers is at [email protected] WARNING: Under no circumstances should you enter this property By doing so you risk bodily harm and/or prosecution for trespassing on private property In Middlebury lies a collection of tiny houses in the woods known as "Little People's Village," AKA the "Fairy Village." Some say it's creepy and cursed and others say it's haunted and hellacious There are many versions of the story about these miniature buildings and who lived there if anyone People who have visited the site have called it captivating and disturbing but there is a story that goes along with the history of this abandoned village of small buildings Easily accessible in the woods of Middlebury and creepy as hell...\nRead More Jan 4, 2024 | Homepage Featured, News MIDDLEBURY — When the words “development” and “South Pleasant Street” are mentioned in the same sentence the mind naturally wanders to the recently launched construction of a new 7,000-square-foot addition for the Town Hall Theater But there’s another interesting project just a stone’s throw away mixed-use building that will host offices for Marble Trail Financial and a penthouse residence for that business’s owners The Middlebury Development Review Board has unanimously OK’d that four-level building plan Plans on file at the Middlebury planning office call for an 8,800-square-foot building standing 47 feet The street-level floor and second floor are to be used for Marble Trail Financial offices The third floor and a mezzanine level will host a residence for Marble Trail Financial owner Don Devost and his spouse but will include cement elements and metal cladding “to ensure it presents as well-maintained and stately for a good long time,” reads the project narrative for 150 S “The building graciously bows to the Town Hall Theater and the larger buildings across the street We believe this building is of its time and place while respecting the fact that it is part of a larger urban fabric.” Also included in the plan is a new parking lot on the Otter Creek side of the site that would be accessed by an existing shared driveway The DRB has granted the applicants a parking waiver for additional spots agreeing that employees and customers will be able to find enough nearby off-street parking downtown during business hours Andrea Murray of Vermont Integrated Architecture noted the building will be “all electric,” with no fossil fuels serving the structure The below-grade area will include a two-car garage She told the panel she believed the building design fits the character of Middlebury described the challenges of the building site and efforts to make the structure compatible with its surroundings: “The project site is extremely tight and constrained It is also on a steep hillside with over 18 feet of grade change front to back In designing to the context of downtown Middlebury and South Pleasant Street The building takes cues from the historic Town Hall Theater down the street by referencing the horizontal marble banding It also references window patterns and proportions of windows in buildings on both sides of the street.” Longtime residents will fondly recall 150 S as the former site of Cole’s Flowers — a business that now operates at 21 MacIntyre Lane former Middlebury Fire Chief Rick Cole (who ran the shop for years) and his family were Devost’s first neighbors is currently based in the former Addison County courthouse on Court Square Middlebury College owns the building and is looking to sell it “The impetus for doing this was the fact the college was putting the (old courthouse) up for sale,” Devost acknowledged and not terribly eager to move… (staying put) didn’t seem like something that made sense for us to invest in.” MTF won’t gain a lot of new square footage with the new building but it will be able to add offices because the space will be tailor-made for the company’s needs The building plan doesn’t signal an impending growth spurt for MTF though the company remains on solid footing The firm’s workforce has doubled during the past six years Marble Valley Financial currently counts 15 full- and part-time workers Devost isn’t exactly sure when work will begin on the new MTF building Construction costs have gone up 60% since the company began planning for its new home the DRB is getting set to review another proposed development not far from downtown This one calls for a four-lot subdivision on a 1.68-acre parcel at 368 Weybridge St single-family home on the property to be renovated Hackamore Partners wants to build three-bedroom duplexes on lots 2 and 3 A new driveway off Weybridge Street is being proposed to serve the development Middlebury’s DRB is slated to review the Hackamore Partners proposal at its Monday Middlebury Director of Planning & Zoning Jennifer Murray said that based on her preliminary observations the Hackamore Partners plan dovetails with a major goal in the community’s Downtown Master Plan: Increase housing options in the village center She noted Middlebury’s downtown neighborhoods are now largely made up of single-family homes “There are empty nesters who’d be happy to move to smaller units if there were some available,” she explained duplexes and triplexes would provide landing spots for older residents ready to downsize thus freeing up more single-family dwellings for families looking to settle in the shire town “And smaller units can accommodate potential workers the college and service-sector jobs,” she noted It also should be noted that Middlebury recently revised its zoning rules to encourage more housing development Among those changes: A reduction in minimum lot sizes from 10,000 to 8,000 square feet in the downtown and reduced setback requirements that now allow some garages to be more easily repurposed as accessory dwellings Reporter John Flowers is at [email protected] A CATHEDRAL RESTORED.Timberframer Will Gusakov will speak about his role in the restoration of Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral at the Ferrisburgh Historical Society’s May meeting Ladies Aid Industria spring rummage sale in Lincoln Seasonally appropriate items may be dropped off on Wednesday Rally to support workers’ rights in Bristol Join the Bristol Rally on International Workers Day in solidarity with 18 Vermont unions and Migrant Justice’s events in Williston and Montpelier to protest the 100 days of disruption from D.C Sponsored by Northeast Addison County Indivisible “Other Side” screening and panel discussion in Middlebury for the Vermont premiere of the film “Other Side,” with a Q&A to follow discussing Death With Dignity part of the Death Differently documentary series features Connecticut-based activist Lynda Bluestein and undergoing nauseating and difficult treatment for each one This film contains sensitive content related to end-of-life care Charles Manson is a name synonymous with terror is there still something we’re missing about one of the most notorious figures in American crime What forces shape the narratives we think we know examine these deranged crimes with fellow amateur sleuths for a discussion of this month’s true crime podcast Listen to the podcast on your own before the discussion Renee will facilitate the discussion with prompts and visuals Vermont’s Historic Theater Curtains presentation in Starksboro provides a glimpse into the world of talented and often sophisticated theater curtain artists who were part of the rural cultural scene illustrating the rich cultural history of small-town Vermont before World War I Book reading: “The Sweet Pain of Being Alive” in Middlebury Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society Ann Anderson Evans will read from the second book of her memoir trilogy her husband’s life and his enduring struggles with depression and transgenderism Are we willing to stand up to authority when it is the right thing to do A suspenseful dark comedy that will put you on the edge of your seat “The Walls” deftly asks the audience a simple question: What would you do in these circumstances Tickets $15/ /$10/$8/$5 available at www.middlebury.edu/college/box-office All proceeds will go to support area food shelves Donations will be accepted at the church from 9 a.m.-noon More info call Gloria at 802-989-2155 or Mary at 802-377-5215 60+ Senior Services resource fair in Middlebury Come speak with representatives from Age Well Learn what services and opportunities are available for our 60+ population in Addison County Senior lunch served at noon of cheesy Au Gratin potatoes with diced turkey Call Michelle to reserve at 802-377-1419 by Tuesday April 29 Photography opening reception in Middlebury An opening for the exhibit “Ruins and Remnants,” an evocative exhibit exploring photography of abandoned architecture and the traces left by humanity This exhibition features powerful images that reveal the stories etched into decaying factories discarded tools and personal belongings — each work a poignant reminder of our history Halfway to Halloween is Halfoween celebrating everything you love about the spooky season It’s time for a walk down historic Park Street ride your bike…have fun hangin’ out with other scary creatures while we walk down the street At the end of the walk a flash mob may break out to the song “I Put a Spell on You.” There will be music See a film and help support the Ferrisburgh Union Meeting Hall renovations Please join a lively post-show talk back and discussion following the Friday show A Trip to the Countryside: A Standup Comedy Showcase in Middlebury Five Burlington-based comics will be escaping the busy city and coming to Middlebury to perform a night of standup comedy this showcase features five standout performers who got their start at Vermont Comedy Club and now perform throughout the Northeast: Donovin Andronico Green Up Day — in all towns and cities across Vermont More information online at greenupvermont.org/towndetails Green Mountain Club hike in Ferrisburgh. Saturday, May 3, Kingsland Bay. Wildflower walk at Kingsland Bay with David Andrews. The walk will be at an easy pace with stops to look and take pictures. The walk is about 2 miles and has little elevation gain. Trillium should be out and more. Contact David for at 802-388-4894 or [email protected] for details Around town there will be several opportunities to enjoy Halfoween Brandon’s Historic Town Hall will be transformed into a terrifying Haunted House Friday and Saturday (admission $10) Terror at the Barn Opera scary movies start at 6 p.m Masquerade Ball at the Brandon Inn — get your costume ready as there is a competition Mystical Market open air market of the season Central Park Saturday 10 a.m.-3 p.m .mystical items and traditional items from local handcrafters Proceeds will go to Addison County Young Life Campership Fund Bike Swap in Middlebury. Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m.-noon, Cannon Park. Make the annual Middlebury Bike Swap part of your Green Up Day. Find the perfect new-to-you bike, sell that old bike that’s been taking up space in your garage all these years, or better yet, do both. More info contact Frog Hollow Bikes at [email protected] or call 802-388-6666 Green Up Day with the Addy Indy in Middlebury do your part to make our community litter-free then return to our office to drop off your bag and enjoy some snacks and coffee Get free ADDY ALL-STARS swag when you bring back a full bag Free and open to all who want to help make downtown Middlebury shine a little brighter for all Mountain View 4-H Craft and Plant Sale in Bridport The 4-H kids will be serving lunch and will have a bake sale also All proceeds go to support Mountain View 4-H activities Vermont Old Cemetery Association annual meeting in Vergennes Martin Arthur Fleming will be the guest speaker at VOCA’d Spring meeting covering Vermont’s contribution to the war effort and exploits of some of its units Fleming’s great-grandfather was a member of the 9th Vermont and served in Company C Lunch of baked penne (gluten-free and dairy-free options) garden salad (gluten-free and dairy-free options) American Red Cross blood Drive in New Haven Volunteer blood donations remain essential to critical medical care Book a time to give blood or platelets by visiting RedCrossBlood.org calling 1-800-RED CROSS or using the Red Cross Blood Donor App will get a $20 e-gift card to a merchant of choice and will be automatically entered to win a U.S Potting workshop and puppet show in Middlebury Join Pollinator Pathway of Addison County for a fun and educational puppet show designed to teach children the importance of Vermont’s pollinators and the benefit of growing native plants in our community This will be followed by a drop-in potting workshop to plant native seeds for the children to take home and add to their home gardens Snacks and potting materials will be provided More info and registration at www.maltvt.org/events Entrance at the back by the gravel parking lot Members of the adhoc Middlebury Tree Committee will be available outside to field questions and offer free information about tree health tree diseases and pests like the Emerald Ash borer and Spotted Lantern Fly along with clear planting and care instructions will be available on a first-come first-serve basis Recycled Cities and Seed Starting in Monkton Learn to use recyclable items such as toilet paper rolls WIC will be there to set up a Seed Starting and Sunscreen Safety demonstration You will be able to start some tomato and marigold seeds Learn about and see the traces of the Revolutionary War defenses This is a great time of year to explore before all the leaves come out Mount Independence Coalition President Stephen Zeoli and site administrator Elsa Gilbertson are your guides The focus is on areas and features normally not seen Tickets $5 adults/$1 for ages 6 to 14/free for children under 6 and Mount Independence Coalition members Martin and Eliza Carthy meet and greet in Middlebury and learn about their music-making influences and careers at this intimate conversation A prelude to the Carthys’ full-length ticketed show in the evening More info and registration at townhalltheater.org An early evening of song and story in Vergennes Kevin Kareckas is a teacher and musician from Vergennes Join him for an evening of original music and stories and share in an evening of song and meaning Open-Mic Night in Middlebury. Saturday, May 3, 7 p.m., Champlain Valley Unitarian Universalist Society, 2 Duane Ct. Performers of all ages will provide short offerings of music and/or spoken word. All are welcome to attend and to submit a request to perform to [email protected] British folk legends Martin and Eliza Carthy will perform songs from their first duo album ever Martin is a legendary ballad singer and guitarist who has influenced generations of artists has been twice-nominated for the Mercury Music Prize and a multiple-award winner at the BBC Radio Two Folk awards available at app.arts-people.com/index.php?actions=22&p=7 This annual breakfast buffet will raise funds for the Salisbury Fire Department Join Vermont Fish & Wildlife and local artisan Nora Woolf of the Woolf Den Homestead to learn all about turkeys and develop a new skill: broom making Come by during open hours to learn and engage with materials all about turkeys Sign up at woolfdenhomestead.com/workshops-gatherings English and American Eastertide music performance in Middlebury Stephen’s will offer music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries including a setting of the Evening Canticles composed by Joanna Forbes L’Estrange for King’s College More info at visit www.ststephensmidd.org or 802-388-7200 Eastertide music of the late 20th and early 21st centuries “Protecting Yourself — Combatting Fraud in the Digital Age” in Middlebury this seminar will focus on protecting yourself or your elderly loved one from the growing threats of fraud including computer The program will provide tips on protecting yourself and your personal information and how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters Green Mountain Club hike in Goshen. Wednesday, May 7, Mt. Moosalamoo. Hike Mt. Moosalamoo from Goshen Rd. Wildflower hike of 5.8 miles round-trip, with 1,125 feet elevation change, starting from Moosalamoo Campground. Contact Ruth Penfield at [email protected] or 802-458-1116 for details and to sign up coauthor of the Green Mountain Boys Project will talk about Shoreham’s Green Mountain Boys Green Mountain Club hike in Bristol. Thursday, May 8, the Watershed, Plank Rd. Meet at Bristol Waterworks on Plank Road for an easy 3-mile loop in a prime area for viewing wildflowers and the spring bird migration. Binoculars helpful. Dogs not allowed. Contact Morris Earle to register and for more information at [email protected] or 802-734-0984 “Fried Green Tomatoes” on screen in Middlebury Join the Middlebury Classic Film Club for a screening and discussion of the 1991 film A neglected housewife makes an unexpected friend at a nursing home where she hears a true tale about an independent woman in 1920s Alabama who ran the town diner served food to people of color and protected her sister-in-law from an abusive spouse Consider donating it to the book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Bixby Donations will be received in the back parking lot Accepting books in good condition published after 2014 just bring it in and we will tell you if it is a good candidate for the sale “Wharton Between the Sheets” on stage in Middlebury This Middlebury Acting Company production takes us to Paris in 1908 and brings together literary legend Edith Wharton and her Irish lady’s maid in an eyebrow-raising retelling of Wharton’s actual mid-life romance In “Another Word for Love,” Middlebury College Dance Department showcases the work done by dance students during the spring semester Middlebury College Studio Art Thesis reception in Middlebury Come see what senior art majors have created for thesis presentations Tickets range from $15 for students to $39 for generous price The trail crew will be working on the Long Trail and connections Contact Ellen Cronan at 908-595-2926 to sign up and for further information Otter Creek Audubon and the Middlebury Area Land Trust invite community members to help us survey birds and other wildlife Meet at the parking area of Otter View Park at the intersection of Weybridge St some of them freshly donated at our May Donation Day Proceeds from the sale go to library projects such as the recently purchased fireplace heaters Rokeby Museum season opening in Ferrisburgh Rokeby opens for the season with half-price admission Rokeby was a nationally recognized stop on the Underground Railroad and home to four generations of the Robinson family for nearly 200 years “Seeking Freedom: The Underground Railroad and the Legacy of an Abolitionist Family,” and the 2025 Seasonal Exhibit “Inspired by Nature: The Art of the Women of Rokeby.” More info at rokeby.org K-12 Education community forum in Vergennes who chairs the House Education Committee; Sen who is a member of the Senate Education Committee; and Addison Northwest Superintendent Sheila Soule to discuss the education transformation bill Peter’s Historic Preservation Committee to benefit the ongoing restoration efforts for the bell tower and the church To preorder call 802-877-3150 before 7 p.m The evening begins with a sandwich supper and then on to an evening of fun and games King Pede is a game that involves “trick-taking” such as in Hearts and Spades or Pitch Brandon Town Hall’s 2025 silent film series kicks off with classic comedy starring Harry Langdon — and the first movie directed by a very young Frank Capra Live accompaniment by silent film aficionado Jeff Rapsis Donations are welcome to help defray expenses transports audiences to another time and place with his authentic and personal interpretations of rarities from the Southern Appalachian songbook and other musical traditions from around the globe Otter Creek Audubon’s Ron Payne will lead a search for newly arrived spring migrants Hone your birding identification skills before leaf-out Call Ron at 802-388-6019 if in doubt about the weather A great opportunity to treat mom to breakfast scrambled eggs (or over easy if you ask us to flip them) assorted juices and homemade apple bread pudding All moms that attend will get a coupon good for a free breakfast at a later date All profits are donated to a person or group in need within the Five Town Area Sponsor: Vergennes Council Knights of Columbus A talkback with Edith Wharton scholar Professor Brett Millier of Middlebury College will follow this performance Restoring Notre Dame presentation in Ferrisburgh Timber framer Will Gusakov will join the Ferrisburgh Historical Society to talk about his involvement with the Notre Dame restoration project — from using techniques dating to medieval times to working with other tradespeople from many countries He will also talk hear about some of his projects closer to home South County Chorus and Hinesburg Community Band Mother’s Day concert in Hinesburg Celebrate spring and Mother’s Day with a concert full of beautiful music More info at www.hinesburgartistseries.org Book discussion: “Summer,” by Edith Wharton in Middlebury Join The Vermont Book Shop owner Becky Dayton and director Melissa Lourie to discuss Edith Wharton’s novel a “compelling story of burgeoning sexuality and illicit desire [with] a strikingly modern and troubling ambiguity.” “Insurance 101: Home Insurance” in Middlebury Join the National Bank of Middlebury and Gretchen Kellogg from the Richards Group for an informative discussion Bring instruments and enjoy jamming with your neighbors Local Author Spotlight – Bobbi Loney in Middlebury Join Middlebury author Bobbi Loney and engage in conversation about her new youth novel “Homefree,” a story about the homes we love and the faith it takes to building new ones from the wreckage “You’re not alone — Caring for your elderly loved one” in Middlebury this seminar will be led by Joanne Corbett a clinical social worker heading up the new ESI Center for Positive Aging Acclaimed Americana/Blues guitarist William Lee Ellis was raised in the deep roots of American music A 5 Town Winter Into Spring Musical Library Tour performance We’re opening our doors to the community to share what makes Interlude a different kind of crisis support space and learn about our vision for a more compassionate human-centered approach to mental health care In Town Hall Theater’s new Anderson Studio overlooking the river enjoy early evening jazz with the Ted Perry Trio the adjacent Jean’s Place lounge will open specialty cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages Lake Champlain Maritime Museum opening day in Ferrisburgh Vermont authors Jason Barney and Christine Eldred will share stories from their book “Hidden History of Lake Champlain” at 11 a.m Tours and other activities throughout the day For only $10 you can enjoy a slice of our famous meat Please bring a non-perishable item for the food shelf Raffle tickets will be sold for a hand-knitted blanket The drawing will be during AppleFest in September A concert on the 1940 Steinway Parlor Grand with performers Diana and Emory Fanning Green Mountain Club hike in Bristol. Sunday, May 18, Bristol Ledges. Hike to Deer Leap and to the Bristol Ledges. Total distance is approximately 2.5 miles with an elevation gain of about 1,100 feet. Moderate pace. To register contact Jen Kluever via email at [email protected] Addison Town Historical Society meeting in Addison As we gear up for the events and celebrations of the 250th we thought it would be interesting and appropriate to look at Vermont’s 250th anniversary from the perspective of the Abenaki First Peoples Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation will talk about the Abenaki culture and beliefs what settlements existed and what would they looked like Green Mountain Club Hike in Salisbury. Wednesday, May 21, Silver Lake. Hike to and around Silver Lake. Some rocky parts to navigate. Option for a short side trip to Lenny’s Lookout with views west to the Adirondacks. Total distance is 4 to 5 miles with about 1,000 feet of elevation change. To register, contact Dwight Griesman at [email protected] “Michelangelo: Love & Death” on screen in Middlebury this film takes a cinematic journey through the print and drawing rooms of Europe through the great chapels and museums of Florence Rome and the Vatican to seek out a deeper understanding of this legendary figure’s tempestuous life his relationship with his contemporaries and his incredible legacy SpIN annual meeting and Eco Spirit award presentation in Ripton Ripton Community House and Spirit In Nature trails Jim Andrews of the Vermont Reptile and Amphibian Atlas will receive this year’s EcoSpirit award and will give a short presentation at the award ceremony naturalist Craig Zondag will lead a guided walk on some of the SpIN paths beginning at 1:30 pm Middlebury Community Music Center Student Performance Salon in Middlebury Eileen Brunetto and Alice Eckles poetry reading in Middlebury Join these local poets for a reading of their recent work Brunetto has recently published a collection called “The Secret Side of Dorset Street” and Eckles will be reading work originally published in Zig Zag Lit Mag which she has since collected in a handmade chapbook “Driving Miss Daisy” on screen in Middlebury Join Middlebury’s Classic Film Club for a screening and discussion A Southern matron forges a bond with her black chauffeur in the racially divided 1960s South Only when he is retired and she is confined to a home for the elderly do the two fully realize that they’ve been friends and kindred spirits all along A reception for  “Pools of Reverence,” a solo exhibition featuring work by Rory Jackson Green Mountain Club Hike Mt. Hunger/White Rocks Loop, Middlesex. Saturday, May 24. Hike this 5.5-mile loop to Mt. Hunger and Mt. White Rock. Several beautiful viewpoints with about 2,100 ft. elevation gain. Moderately strenuous, fast-paced hike. Poles recommended. Limited to 6. Dog friendly. Contact Samara Anderson at [email protected] Proceeds to benefit Weathervane Senior Housing please sign up at the Lincoln General Store A $15 donation will get you listed on the map Spaces are also available on the Weathervane lawn if you would like to sell your items in town The library will be holding their book and plant sale and the fire department will be cooking all the usual delicious goodies for lunch Art on the Trails walk and outdoor open house in Middlebury Join Middlebury Studio School and MALT during Vermont Craft Council’s Open Studio Weekend for a unique event designed to bring art to the outdoors Participants are invited to hike a short self-guided gallery walk along a TAM trail with Mira Cabrera’s original paintings displayed along the way pop-in style event — free and open to the public natural pigment presentation in Middlebury Hike a short self-guided gallery walk along a TAM trail with artist Mira Cabrera’s original paintings displayed along the way Then Cabrera demonstrate the process she uses to forage and incorporate natural pigments from the trails into her work Watercolor supplies and natural earth pigments and guidance from instructors from Middlebury Studio School will be provided for those who wish to create their own masterpiece to take home Middlebury American Legion Post 27 and the Town of Middlebury will once again hold a Memorial Day Parade honoring the memory of men and women who have lost their lives defending the United States of America Come to Vergennes for the biggest Memorial Day Parade in the state “Insurance 101: Umbrella Insurance” in Middlebury “Dementia and Home Safety — Helping Older Vermonters Create a Safer Environment” in Middlebury this talk will be presented by Rachel Wiley Occupational Therapist/The Dementia Collaborative and will cover essential fall prevention strategies and personal emergency response systems like Lifeline Whether you’re living with dementia or caring for someone who is this presentation will offer practical tools and strategies to enhance safety and support independence at home Live music featuring Patti Casey with Colin McCaffrey and silent auction to benefit Rokeby Museum More info at 802-877-3406 or www.rokeby.org Middlebury Garden Club invites you to get your garden and house plants — annuals Plants will be in pots and labeled by name There will be a table with books and gardening accessories Trays and boxes will be available to carry your purchases Join Middlebury Studio School for its Chat with an Artist series in the school’s new space on Court Street In this talk potter Bob Green will talk about Raku and Alternative Firing techniques Wetland walk with Zapata Courage in Middlebury a Wetland Ecologist for Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation for a nature walk along the trail at Wright Park Courage will discuss the dynamics of this beaver influenced wetland system and teach what makes a wetland and how to identify one using plant identification Must be able to walk at least a mile on easy trails Join Middlebury Studio School for its Chat with an Artist series at the school’s new space on Court Street Textile artist Kelly Hickey will talk with Jill Madden about the process of textile art “Tips for Managing Diabetes in Older Age” in Middlebury this session will be led by Margaret Young LD Diabetes Educator with UVMHN/Porter Medical Center People with diabetes can effectively manage their disease to prevent further health complications which can be costly and individuals with prediabetes can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes Learn about lifestyle changes proven to help people with type 2 diabetes manage and improve their condition as well as help those with prediabetes to delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes Join Opera Company of Middlebury for the timeless story of La Bohème There have always been people who live on the fringes of society — artists musicians — who sacrifice much in pursuit of their art Pre-performance talks will be in the new wing at THT one hour before each show Opening Night Prosecco Reception to follow Friday’s the performance Director Josef von Sternberg’s groundbreaking tale of big city mobsters widely considered the father of all gangster pictures Tale follows crime boss “Bull” Weed as he battles rival 1920s gangsters Incredible black-and-white photography; winner of first-ever Oscar for original story by Ben Hecht It’s free; donations welcome to defray expenses Strategies and Things to Consider” in Middlebury this session will be led by Andrea Spinale from the Vermont Department of Health Join us for an informative session on the challenges older drivers face in Vermont The program will also cover how to approach the difficult conversation about driving retirement and how to start planning for the future All are welcome to a pre-performance talks will be in the new wing at THT one hour before each show Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” in Middlebury Come experience the Opera Company of Middlebury Young Artist Program’s fully-staged production of this one-act comedy sung by a talented group of 2025 Young Artists from around the country John Vincent (A Revolutionary Press) and his monotype printing press A delightful morning bird walk exploring the rich avian biodiversity of Wright Park Perfect for both beginners and seasoned birdwatchers Our expert guides will help you identify various bird species by song and sight Tabling activities with bird nests and bird skulls Free events all day and evening for all ages street dance and fireworks at dusk right from downtown More info at tinyurl.com/Brandon-Independence-day-2025 Participate in reading Douglass’s historic speech Explore the enchanting Otter Creek Gorge and experience the magic of MALT campers putting on a play along the TAM Enjoy a unique performance brought to life by MALT campers in collaboration with Town Hall Theater Come for art and craft vendors and lots of chocolate treats A fundraiser for the Salisbury Free Library MALT Mid-Summer Volunteer Day in Middlebury Enjoy the dog days of summer on the beautiful TAM in a fulfilling and impactful way providing tools and instructions for volunteer groups hawks and owls from VINS provide the lens through which we examine food webs and the interdependence of the systems that support life Uproarious comedy from silent screen legend Gloria Swanson tells the story of a down-on-her-luck salesgirl who climbs the social ladder by pretending to be a Russian countess MALT End of Summer volunteer day in Middlebury Help MALT wrap-up the TAM’s busiest season and ready the trails for the TAM Trek will be meeting volunteers and provide tools and instructions for volunteer groups Director Fritz Lang’s tale of espionage was the forerunner of all movie spy sagas and an evil genius with a plan to take over the world Admission free; donations welcome to defray expenses Take part in this trail race and fun run to raise funds for the Trail Around Middlebury Aid stations are plentiful and well-stocked and nothing beats early autumn’s trail racing weather First Annual Silver Heist 5K and Little Bandits Bolt in Orwell A unique 5K race that combines local history Runners go on a historic journey through the town of Orwell retracing the footsteps of early settlers and outlaws inspired by two infamous bank robberies that took place in the 1800s and early 1900s they will have the chance to win $30 worth of silver a nod to the silver stolen in the 1800s robbery at the Orwell Bank Registration open now at runsignup.com/Race/VT/Orwell/silverheist5k and optional volunteering as we reflect on a year of programming Join the MALTs staff to explore the rich history and stunning landscape of this special place and iron forge nestled within this scenic setting and immerse yourself in the stories they tell will be awaiting volunteers at the trailhead in the mornings with donuts then head out to help clean the trails after MALT’s busiest season Just in time for Halloween: A scientist uses an ancient spell to reanimate a dead body making it a good bet for all kinds of creepy goings-on Salisbury Mills Preserve Virtual Tour in Middlebury Help celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Salisbury Mills Preserve Virtually explore the trails with Salisbury Mills local expert Buster Keaton is about to be saved from bankruptcy by an unexpected inheritance of $7 million — but only if he gets married by 7 p.m Can Buster somehow find the girl of his dreams while being pursued by an army of women eager to marry a soon-to-be millionaire If you're looking to end your year with a bang there's no better way to do it than with a fireworks show 2024 – seven Vermont communities are looking to ring in the New Year with fireworks And,, Burlington is repeating their firework festivities on the boardwalk like this past July with Independence Day. Here's more about fireworks shows in Vermont to bring in the new year When: Immediately after the groomer parade at 5 p.m Indoors activities include arts and crafts as well as live music guests can make their own s'mores with provided though limited ingredients over a fire pit as well as a snow groomer parade and after that Where: Middlebury Rec Park, 277 Mary Hogan Drive, Middlebury, VT What to expect: Fireworks show at 6:30 p.m and then free ice-skating afterward at the Memorial Sports Center What to expect: Free 30-minute fireworks show The fireworks are planned to hit the sky at 9 p.m. New Year's Eve Celebration VT: Get your 2025 off to a fun start with these New Year's Eve celebrations in Vermont What to expect: East Montpelier's Northstar Fireworks will do a 15-minute vivid fire performance troupe Cirque de Fuego will be dancing as per the Burlington Highlight tradition of the Champ Burn What to expect: Wonderous fireworks display at a ski resort preceded by a torchlight parade Sugarbush Resort requests that guests stay off the slopes Where: The Spruce Peak Village (parking recommendations found here) What to expect: Snow groomer glow run (also a torchlight parade) at 6:40 p.m "Cozy up and take in the glowing run down the mountain with the evening capping off with fireworks over the peak!" The website said Ludlow: New Year's Eve Celebration and FireworksWhere: Jackson Gore Courtyard What to expect: Live music followed by explosive fireworks display She can be reached at rvelasco@gannett.com Vermont may be a small state Particularly noteworthy are the numerous walkable small towns throughout the state These small towns are naturally beautiful and welcoming and offer visitors the chance to explore quaint coffee shops Explore eight of the most walkable towns in Vermont and what makes each one unique Vermont’s largest small town, Burlington is nestled along the shores of Lake Champlain and offers visitors unique and memorable experiences A few walkable highlights include Church Street Marketplace and Flynn Center which are all within minutes of each other Church Street Marketplace is a pedestrian-only zone where visitors can dine and shop visitors can enjoy the views of the Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain the Flynn Center is a performing art theater where visitors can catch a show As of 2024, Montpelier has 7,979 residents It is Vermont’s state capital and one of the smallest state capitals in the U.S the Vermont State House is Montpelier’s crown jewel Located behind this historic building is Hubbard Park It is a 200-acre park with a stone observation tower Once visitors are done exploring these sites they can walk to eateries like Skinny Pancake Middlebury is a college town with several trails and waterfalls The town is equal parts tranquil escape and bustling college town visitors can take a tasting along a five-mile trail of distilleries The Trail Around Middlebury is the best way to tour the entire town on foot It is a 16-mile path that encircles the town with access points to the Green Mountain National Forest trails and the Long Trial Situated in Northern Vermont, Stowe is a popular destination because Mount Mansfield overlooks the town and hiking on the mountain are popular activities At the base of the mount lies the Smugglers’ Notch State Park Downtown Stowe is walk-friendly with the Stowe Community Church which was built in 1863 Not too far from downtown Main Street is Sunset Rock; it is a short easy hike that offers visitors beautiful views of the town below Stowe is also the birthplace of the popular ice cream chain Ben and Jerry’s Brattleboro is a town in Southern Vermont where the Connecticut River flows It has a population of 11,894 people and is a very walkable town Visitors can start their tour on Main Street stopping at the Brattleboro History Center and Museum Other stops include the 1930s Latchis Hotel and Theater and the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center visitors can grab a bite to eat at popular eateries such as Amy’s Bakery Arts Cafe The best time to visit is between June and October when the walking trails are accessible and when the town hosts several annual summer events such as the Farmers Market Often described as one of America’s prettiest towns, Woodstock is home to 3,024 people There are several walking tours for visitors to choose from Begin your journey at the Ottauquechee River Trail It is an outdoor path that offers breathtaking views of the Ottauquechee River A 3-mile long trail starts at East End Park where visitors can picnic or catch a show at the outdoor amphitheater The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is another walkable site that is home to ancient hemlock trees Bennington is home to 15,272 people The best place to walk around in Bennington is downtown beginning on South Street at the Welcome Center The self-guided tour explores South Street The Welcome Center is a historic site built in the 1830s or 40s as a field stone blacksmith shop Other stops on the tour include the Bennington County Courthouse constructed in 1936; a scenic river walk along Walloomsac River; and a stop at Vermont Federal Bank a white marble building built in 1930 with an Italian marble interior Founded in 1791, Manchester is a historic New England town with 4,501 residents It is an especially walkable town with most visitors taking a guided tour through three neighborhoods: Manchester Depot The Manchester Historical Society offers hour-long self-guided tours that take visitors through the town and explain its history Visitors will pass by an 18th-century farmhouse the Victorian-style Charles Orvis Inn (built in 1833) and the Burr and Burton Academy - a day school established in 1829 Village Preservation shares our oral history collection with the public highlighting some of the people and stories that make Greenwich Village and NoHo such unique and vibrant neighborhoods Each includes the experiences and insights of leaders or long-time participants in the arts Ralph Lee’s interest in puppetry and theater began as a young boy in his family’s home in Middlebury Neighbors were few and far between in the New England community so he and his brother spent plenty of time on their own undertaking a range of artistic endeavors he recalls: “My parents had taken a trip to New York City and had brought back some hand puppets for my brother and I Those were the first hand puppets I played with.” That early spark launched him on a career in the performing arts that took him from the Taft School in Connecticut and Amherst College and ultimately to the role he’s most often recognized for as the “father” of Greenwich Village’s annual Halloween Parade Born in 1935, Lee describes his journey in an oral history conducted with Village Preservation in 2019, available here he built a large stage for puppetry and put on numerous shows based on children’s stories like Ferdinand the Bull and Winnie the Pooh; a few years later he got into performing when he joined a dance program that his mother organized at nearby Middlebury College.  if there were any kind of theater thing that I could do I would become engaged with that,” he said “I remember there was a small summer stock theater just outside of Middlebury for a couple of years and one day I bicycled out there just to ask them if they needed any help doing things And so they actually put me to work building scenery and painting sets and stuff like that where his first play was a translation of Euripedes’ The Cyclops there’s a chorus of satyrs and there’s a Cyclops I’d never made that many masks and but they turned out pretty ok.” After graduating from Amherst in 1957 he traveled to Paris under his Fulbright award to study mime and then pursued acting at the London Academy of Dramatic Art.  By the early 1960s, he and his new wife moved to New York, first to Riverdale to live with his in-laws, followed by a brief time in the East Village and a longer stretch on West End Avenue. In 1970, he and his family were among the first people to move into Westbeth on Bethune Street “A lot of friends from the Open Theater [a local experimental theater that Lee had joined in the late 1960s] were living here and so we could all see each other as frequently as we wanted to or maybe a little more often than we might want.” Lee took a leave from the Open Theater to teach at Bennington College where he combined his skills in puppet- and mask-making plus directing to lead a play that took place at various sites across campus “an amazingly successful event,” Lee notes The Theater for the New City had been bugging me for a couple of years to do some kind of a Halloween event I had been either busy with the Open Theater or some other projects But after doing this thing at Bennington I thought Well…” They asked me again [and] I said let’s do some kind of a parade.” And so we did [in 1974] it was designed the way I had done the thing at Bennington There were scenes that took place on balconies of buildings or various kinds of locations — or a playground We’d stop the parade at various places and an event would happen I had dug up all the masks that I possessed The first parade route started at the theater on Jane Street cut through Westbeth’s courtyard and over to Bleecker Street then zigzagged to end at Washington Square Its success allowed a second year for the festivities when they realized the entire parade couldn’t be stopped for individual performances and instead started holding events that could be repeated at several sites the route had to change to incorporate Fifth Avenue on the trek to Washington Square Park the parade and its attending crowds kept on growing “I continued to make some stuff for the parade but as time went on I was so busy just getting it organized that I didn’t have time to really do that so much,” Lee said “But I would try to make something for the parade specifically One thing I did was I made this giant skeleton And then when it got to Washington Square — and we had access to Washington Square arch by then — it could get hoisted up into the arch and dance around in the arch once it was there.” By the parade’s 12th year he chose to step down from the event’s leadership.  Lee has continued his artistic pursuits over the years, and is currently both artistic director for the Mettawee River Theatre Company in Salem, New York, and an artist in residence at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in upper Manhattan. In 2018, Village Preservation honored Lee with a Village Award for his contributions to the arts and our communities Read more about Ralph Lee’s artistic education and theatrical experiences at our oral history here and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please call or email us to arrange a time if you wish to meet with someone at the office Located in the Olde Towne Village just off of Scott Boulevard adult and pediatric patients can experience a modern state-of-the-art primary care clinic with expanded examination space and accessibility This location features 30 patient exam rooms with the latest technologies and amenities to make each patient visit convenient Please note that payment is due at appointment check-in You can check out patients waiting at all of our Urgent Care and Quick Care locations before choosing where to go Our online Patients Waiting tool is an estimate Patients needing more urgent or immediate care may receive attention sooner. We appreciate your flexibility While you’re able to hold your spot online in the wait queue The actual time you are seen will depend on several factors including the number of patients already being treated in the clinic and the variety of their illnesses We are required to see the sickest patients first If you're looking for "I Spys," dating or LTRs When it comes down to ranking the prettiest states, Vermont easily tops the list The state offers a diverse landscape and is famous worldwide for its picture-perfect fall foliage Vermont does not fall short of natural beauty Take a leisurely drive down the iconic Route 100 or visit one of Vermont's storybook towns and see why the state lives up to its reputation as a visual masterpiece Woodstock is the textbook definition of a classic New England town with a slower pace of life The town boasts many well-preserved historical landmarks that perfectly showcase 19th-century architecture Take a peak at Vermont's rural roots at Billings Farm & Museum Tour the 1890 Manager's House and see life back in the day Watch the dairy cows in action and visit the other animals or yogurt for an authentic farm-to-table experience Rest up after a long day at the farm at the renowned Woodstock Inn & Resort What started as a tavern in 1793 has transformed into a luxurious establishment with friendly hospitality The guestrooms are peaceful retreats that make visitors feel right at home Relish in Woodstock Inn's convenient location and just minutes away from all the action on Central Street Woodstock is a quintessential fall destination as the town lights up with warm hues Vermont is a prime destination for leaf-peeping with countless opportunities to snap legendary photos the forested trail is a serene trek perfect for fall explorers Snuggled on the western side of the Green Mountains Middlebury is a scenic paradise attracting many outdoor enthusiasts Walk along Otter Creek to see the crashing 18 feet of Middlebury Falls The surrounding trail is a peaceful walk ideal for all skill levels Located just a short drive from Middlebury the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail is a tranquil stroll for those looking to get out of the town and be surrounded by nature and visitors can read Robert Frost's poems while strolling through Vermont's quiet wilderness With Middlebury Falls in the heart of downtown there is a captivating blend of comforting nature and an idyllic town center within walking distance Discover a new read at The Vermont Book Shop The indie bookstore is a Main Street gem and adored by many Manchester is an artsy town with a thriving creative scene Visitors flock to the area in the summertime for the annual Manchester Music Festival be in awe at the concerts or bring the kids for the family programs The Southern Vermont Arts Center is another Manchester treasure where art lovers gather From photography lessons to pencil crayon workshops it is a remarkable way to go hands-on in the magical world of art Step back in time with Manchester's old-world charm and well-preserved historical buildings The fairytale town has an enchanting ambiance and postcard-worthy views Reserve a room at the Inn at Manchester and relish in Vermont's relaxed lifestyle Constructed in 1888 as a private residence Each guestroom is unique and is a touch of the good old days mixed with comfort and elegance Meet up with friends and make a toast at Ye Olde Tavern The colonial-style atmosphere pairs well with the wide range of delectable eats Choose from chicken pot pie to Atlantic salmon and Tuscan pasta During the colder months, Stowe becomes a winter wonderland and a hotspot for outdoor recreation Stowe Mountain Resort has been an iconic year-round utopia for skiing Nothing beats cruising down Mount Mansfield The resort is still lively in the summertime Watch Stowe light up in warm colors during the legendary fall foliage season Grab a good pair of shoes and traverse to Moss Glen Falls roughly around a five-minute drive from Stowe's striking historic village with a grand finale of a glistening waterfall Explorers may choose to trek the other paths for further exploration into Vermont's mesmerizing terrain It is not a proper trip to Vermont without seeing one of the many dreamy covered bridges The bewitching attraction is one of the oldest covered bridges in the country and is rumored to be haunted Emily's bridge exudes an eerie but intriguing magnetism Grafton is a timeless New England town that encapsulates a laid-back lifestyle and tight-knit community Stay where history has made its mark at The Grafton Inn Unwind and relish in a harmonious blend of vintage and modern luxury Many guests love The Grafton Inn's convenient location as it is smack in the middle of all the downtown excitement and surrounded by many historical marvels Walk down to the Grafton Historical Society to see the chronicles of around 250 years discover the gripping story of Alec Turner Grafton is the place to savor a taste of Vermont Treat yourself to handcrafted and award-winning cheeses from the Grafton Village Cheese Company the establishment is adorable and oozes a cozy country-style vibe Plummer's Sugar House is another top-tier adventure Discover the process from maple tree to bottle with the complimentary tour offered with every purchase Weston is a small town with lots of character and old-fashioned fun Home to the signature Vermont Country Store stock up on general goods flourishing with rustic appeal the store has a wide selection of merchandise that exudes a Vermont lifestyle The Weston Village Store is another shopping haven carrying Vermont staples revel in exquisite and exclusive eats at The Left Bank Have a feast with menu specialties of Beef Cheek Bourgingion head down the street to the Weston Theater Company A variety of shows and performances are available throughout the year and captivate all ages Past presentations include A Weston Winter Cabaret Along the shores of Lake Champlain is Shelburne a lakeside town that perfectly encompasses a rural Vermont lifestyle Shelburne Farms is an essential stop and an incredible place to learn about agricultural practices The extraordinary property covers around 1,400 acres and bring little ones to the Children's Farmyard The surrounding rolling hills provide the ideal backdrop for this magazine-worthy farm Spend the day at Shelburne Orchards and take home some of Vermont's finest fresh produce The orchard is a fall oasis with hay rides Pick some apples from the endless rows of trees or head to the on-site distillery for handcrafted apple brandy Golfing is another great way to appreciate Shelburne's panoramic beauty Putt around the 18-hole Kwiniaska Golf Course with the Green Mountains and the Adirondack Mountains in the background The course is open from May to October and is friendly for all skill levels Waitsfield is the kind of town that belongs in a movie Surrounded by the Green Mountains and the Green Mountain National Forest Waitsfield is a gentle combination of outdoor adventure and small-town rural warmth Purchase some of Vermont's freshest at Hartshorn Farm From maple syrup to jam produce and baked goods the farm has a fantastic selection of local delicacies Book in advance for a tour of Hartshorn Farm to get an insider's look at daily practices Take a peak inside the maple sugar house or sample some of the organic fruits and vegetables grown in the fields The Waitsfield Farmer's Market is another fantastic way to support the locals while savoring Waitsfield flavors Extend the trip in Waitsfield with a comfortable stay at Lareau Farm Inn a historic farmhouse bursting with personality Relax in the rustic atmosphere where each day feels like a warm and comforting hug Dig into a country breakfast and walk the property while breathing in that fresh Vermont is a living picture book where every corner is brimming with scenic wonder and radiance the state transforms from world-renowned fall foliage to a winter wonderland followed by colorful springs and sunny summers Head to classic New England towns like Woodstock and Grafton for an authentic relaxed lifestyle along their picture-perfect streets See the rural side of Vermont in Waitsfield or explore the slopes in Stowe Shop at the iconic Vermont Country Store in Weston or wander Middlebury's cozy downtown area It is easy to say that Vermont is rich in the natural beauty that circles its bewitching small towns One of the most rural states in America, Vermont is known for its small towns and gorgeous landscapes with rolling green mountains and pristine lakes you will understand why it has been dubbed “The Green Mountain State.” Vermont’s small towns are home to many friendly locals who welcome visitors with open arms Vermont’s rural areas are the epitome of community we explore nine of the friendliest little towns in Vermont that should be on every traveler’s list One of the most well-known small towns in Vermont Stowe has become one of the most popular destinations in New England for leaf-peeping locals are friendly and welcoming and are happy to give visitors an overview of their hometown draws many people to this place as it creates a gorgeous panorama against the backdrop of the fall foliage founded by the family that inspired “The Sound of Music,” adds a touch of Austrian charm to the mountainside Stowe Mountain Resort is another property with a storied past where you can stay for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival brings artists and craftspeople from around the region to celebrate fall with locals and visitors alike Manchester is a gateway to the Green Mountains and boasts a charming downtown with colonial-era buildings where streets are lined with boutique shops and locally owned cafés The American Museum of Fly Fishing showcases the area's connection to the sport offers aninsight into the Lincoln family’s legacy Manchester is also a great place to explore the outdoors provides excellent outdoor opportunities for hiking It’s a perfect place to visit if you want to learn about the area's storied past in the Manchester Village Historic District and enjoy the outdoors the Manchester Fall Art and Craft Festival draws artisans and food vendors from around the state with its vibrant town green and historic Victorian architecture is a treasure trove of antique shops and artisan galleries The Stone Village Historic District showcases 19th-century stone houses while the Chester Railway Station is a nod to the town’s role in Vermont’s railway history Don’t miss the annual Chester Festival on the Green a beloved community event featuring local crafts Chester's friendly residents make visitors feel like part of the community whether you're browsing at DaVallia Art & Accents shopping at the Stone Village Farmers’ Market or simply enjoying the relaxed pace of this scenic town a cozy college town that’s home to Middlebury College’s picturesque campus is one of the best small towns to learn Vermont’s history and experience New England hospitality The town boasts the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History along Lake Dunmore an 1882 landmark where you can find artifacts related to the town’s history The Vermont Folklife Center is an excellent place to learn all about Vermont's culture where you can enjoy a variety of outdoor activities the Middlebury Chili Festival fills the streets with live music Waitsfield is known for its artistic spirit and recreation opportunities in the Mad River Valley between Stowe and Middlebury Waitsfield has an unmistakable rustic charm and laid-back atmosphere The Mad River Glass Gallery showcases local artisans' craftsmanship and nearby Sugarbush Resort is a hub for skiing and mountain biking so no matter what time of the year you visit the area the Mad River Valley Craft Fair brings the community together with dozens of local makers Dorset is a New England town in southern Vermont with white clapboard homes and lush greenery Dorset’s claim to fame is the Dorset Quarry and its role in founding the republic in Vermont The Dorset Theatre Festival is one of the main events that draws thousands of visitors who want to see performances in a historic playhouse which has ceased its operations is now a popular swimming spot for months One of the best places to get to know locals and enjoy the laid-back atmosphere of the area is the Dorset Farmers’ Market which offers a taste of local flavors and artisanal products year-round Bristol is a small town with classic Main Street and a friendly atmosphere Bristol is known for its annual Bristol Fourth of July Parade but if you visit during a different time of the year The Bristol Historical Society and Museum offers insight into the town's past and Mount Abraham is a hiking paradise with sweeping views The Bristol Falls (or Bartlett Falls?) swimming hole is a local favorite during the summer The town sits at the foothills of the Green Mountain National Forest one of the most popular places for skiing in Vermont Peacham is a quintessential village in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom Peacham is known for its breathtaking views of the White Mountains and its historic character This destination is particularly popular with photographers during fall there’s a good chance one of the locals will greet you and ask where you are from The Peacham Corner Historic District is home to 19th-century architecture providing a glimpse into the town's early days The town also hosts the annual Peacham Acoustic Music Festival a lively celebration of folk and roots music that draws both locals and visitors often called one of the prettiest towns in America combines historic architecture with an inviting The Billings Farm & Museum offers insight into Vermont’s agriculture history while the Middle Covered Bridge spanning the Ottauquechee River is a symbol of the area’s craftsmanship and history You can also explore Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park the only national park dedicated to conservation history or stroll through Woodstock Historic District where most architecture dates to the 18th and 19th centuries Wassail Weekend transforms the town into a winter wonderland with parades Vermont is home to some of the most beautiful towns in the northeast and a perfect spot to experience New England hospitality starting from Vermont’s independence movement to recent years you will come across many friendly locals who will welcome you to their state and will be glad to share the insights about local history and culture during conversations I first heard about Middlebury's "Little People's Village" back in the glorious 1980's A few of my buddies that were way into listening to Mercyful Fate decided to take a walk down the road to go check out what they called "Little People's" They informed me that there was a tiny haunted village a couple of miles from my house in the woods behind Post University but there were still a bunch of small houses and structures that had survived the harsh Winters They also told me that there was a throne that the Little People King sat upon All of this sounded reasonable to my 15-year-old mind I didn't take the walk down Country Club Road with them that day My friends that did take the trip reported back to me that there was a bunch of old structures in the woods that looked like they were built for a city of tiny people there was a throne that they all took turns sitting in I'm happy to report that they're all still alive today I found out over the years that Little People's Village was in fact a roadside attraction that the Quassy Trolleys used to stop at back in the early 1900's I like to imagine that a young Walt Disney got inspired enough by this to do it right with "It's a Small World" Little People's still pops up in conversations The Waterbury Republican-American will run a story every few years about how the site is not safe to check out or go near anymore the buildings keep disintegrating or get vandalized I see the name show up on "Haunted Connecticut" lists and articles and I can't help to think that Holy Land with it's miniature replicas of catacombs probably has inspired some ghost stories over the years also the next time you go to Maggie McFly's in Middlebury see if you can see the King sitting on his throne it will be the next generation of naysayers tempting fate by sitting in the big chair I first heard about Middlebury, CT's \"Little People's Village\" back in the glorious 1980's.\nRead More There are few places in the United States, if not the entire world, that have as seasonally differentiated an aesthetic as is found in the beautiful landscape of the state of Vermont From the lush green rolling hills in the summer the gorgeous autumnal colors of the fall season to the picturesque and romantic snow covered winter months and the vast meadows of the spring wildflowers no matter when you visit Vermont you cannot go wrong Vermont is known for its charming small and historic towns which serve only to add to the appeal of the state if you're looking for that perfect town in Vermont to explore the state’s beauty Just a short 30 minute car ride southwest of the capital of Vermont, Montpelier With a population of not even 300 residents Waitsfield has just as much natural beauty as there is small town charm With many striking historical homes turned Bed and Breakfasts just outside of town you have an abundant list of options when it comes to deciding where to stay Waitsfield is perfectly situated for those interested in exploring the picturesque ski slopes of Vermont there are some spectacular waterfalls to visit A little farther afield there are some great outdoor sites where you can experience the lush greenery of Vermont The town of Warren, Vermont, located to the southwest of Montpelier has a population of just under 2,000 residents there are many beautiful hiking trails to visit not far from town you will want to visit some of the 75 historical buildings and sites which make up the Warren Historic District For those visiting Warren in the fall make sure to check out Hartshorn Organic Farm and Maple Sugar House which has a fantastic autumnal aesthetic and a lovely restaurant to boot Considered one of the friendliest towns in Vermont Grafton is also renowned for its abundance of lovely covered bridges This town has approximately 700 residents and is sometimes referred to as Grafton Village With a historic district that includes the center of town you will want to visit some of the generational small businesses such as Plummer’s Sugar House where you can both sample some local maple syrup and see the gorgeous maple groves where maple sap is harvested where you can sample some delicious local cheese some of the most popular trails including Athens Dome Trail and the trails and walking paths that depart from Grafton’s Outdoor Center you will want to return to a relaxing environment with Inn Victoria and Rowell’s Inn Found near the shores of Harriman Reservoir Vermont is a great place to explore the autumn colors this state is so famous for With easy access to Hogback Mountain Conservation Area and Molly Stark State Park there are lots of opportunities to hike trails that will have a canopy of orange and yellow foliage If you are looking to enjoy the fall foliage in a more leisurely manner taking a ride along scenic Route 100 you will also want to visit the Southern Vermont Natural History Museum where you can learn all about the natural beauty of Vermont Vermont is located in the southwestern part of the state and has just as much to see outside of town as there is in town you will find Okemo State Forest and Green Mountain National Forest to the east you will find Hawks Mountain Wildlife Management Area the latter of which has some of the most popular hiking trails in the area During the summer months Camp Plymouth State Park is a great place to visit to beat the heat with the picturesque Echo Lake open to visitors for water activities there is no shortage of things to see with highlights including visiting the Green Mountain Sugar House and visiting the Ludlow Brewing Company Along the Ottauquechee River sits the Vermont town of Quechee home to both natural beauty as well as some of the most beautiful art galleries in the state For those enthralled by glass blowing a visit to the Simon Pearce Mill is an absolute must-do in town this art gallery and glass blowing studio is in an old mill building even those with interests other than glass art will enjoy their visit one can spend an entire day exploring the mill inside and out Other top rated art galleries in town include Glenn Suokko Gallery while Fox Gallery Fine Arts located a fifteen minute drive west of town mountain biking and hiking at Lake Shaftsbury State Park in the fall and skiing at Stratton Mountain in the winter Sunderland is a great place to get back to nature has a population of just over 9,000 residents there are some gorgeous old buildings around town including Emma Willard House as well as the building that now holds the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History you will find the Vermont Experimental Cold Hardy Cactus Garden which houses a gorgeous collections of plant species and is fascinating to explore you will find the Lincoln Peak Vineyard and Winery open to the public for tastings during the summer months If you plan on visiting this winery it is suggested that you book a spot as it is a popular destination for road trippers Accommodations in town range from Bed and Breakfasts to luxury hotels with Inn at Manchester being a top-notch small town inn If you do stay at the Inn at Manchester make sure to take their Covered Bridge Tour during which you will visit many local covered bridges and learn about their history The town of Bennington with a population of nearly 16,000 residents This town has a fantastic and historic downtown with gorgeous historical buildings including the Henry House and the Park-McCullough Historic Governor's Mansion For those interested in literature the Robert Frost Stone House Museum is a great activity for a more leisurely day plus it is located in the beautifully preserved home lived in by Frost from 1920 to 1929 If you have time you can also visit the grave of Robert Frost located within walking distance of the Frost Museum you will also find the One World Conservation Center which is a 96-acre area of preserved meadowlands and wetlands that has many gorgeous hiking trails No matter the season you plan to visit Vermont you will find yourself surrounded by gorgeous scenery and picturesque landscapes Vermont encapsulates the beauty of both the natural and man-made worlds make sure to visit Vermont if ever given the opportunity Easily accessible in the woods of Middlebury and creepy as hell...\nRead More The chronically homeless of Akron are gathering in Middlebury have been emerging from the woods around downtown since January pushed out of tarp-covered camps by property owners who complain to authorities of their undesired presence Carrying their lives in cardboard boxes and backpacks they sling tents over shoulders and trek east to the Second Chance Village blanket or sleeping bag — and an introduction to Akron’s network of support services agreeing to be a force for good in a community built and run by the homeless The mission is familiar: help the homeless re-enter society and achieve self-sufficiency But the means — particularly a self-governed tent city — are unusual Inside the red brick building at 15 Broad St. some living out back and others in low-income housing giving the city’s scraps a second chance at life In the backyard is a village of tents arranged in neat and orderly rows In a city with an estimated 200 people sleeping unsheltered each night nowhere are they more concentrated than Second Chance Village Their numbers could double before winter with room for twice the 25 tents set up now The Second Chance Village is no emergency shelter at least not in the traditional sense of how society harbors the homeless Just people who know the system and the street No Scripture before meals — no scheduled meals except for the occasional down-on-his-luck preacher who might live there Drugs and alcohol are prohibited but often the reason villagers are sent to rehab or kicked out The 30 or so residents and staff have all been homeless This rag-tag social experiment is the creation of Sage Lewis the affable auctioneer who owns the property he’s harnessed the resilience of vagabonds to see what it might look like if society entrusted the homeless with solving homelessness a structured nonprofit called The Homeless Charity to collect donations and access to the caring people he’s met as an auctioneer all-around interesting guy and former candidate for mayor of Akron “If there’s no violence,” Lewis said of the free-range his tenants enjoy I make a big point of not overriding anything they say I’m very conscious of pushing them back to themselves I want them to guide their own community.” Ultimately responsible for the experiment’s success or failure are its participants — an amalgamation of vagrants who tend to question authority work for less than a living wage or collect government assistance even without his cowboy boots and 10-gallon hat His candor and quirky sense of humor put the homeless at ease But he wasn’t always so chummy with his new tenants that didn’t work out,” Lewis said with a self-deprecating smirk “But it did get me connected to the homeless people And the only people who really wanted to talk to me were the homeless,” Lewis said with the capacity to take control of their lives if given the chance Lewis leveraged the attention he gained as an eccentric mayoral candidate to collect donated shoes for Project Rise Akron Public Schools named him volunteer of the year And Lewis got the idea to let the homeless pick through or sell anything he couldn’t auction off the Summit County Metro Parks broke up a homeless encampment to develop a bike-and-hike trail urged his visitors to adopt a “Homeless Charity Code of Conduct.” As with any agreement at the village the rules were crafted and then updated through a democratic and deliberative process — and trial and error Drinking around fire pits and rampant drug use the villagers have elected a three-person council to screen newcomers and implement a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy I look for them to be clean and sober,” said Carlos Sparaga who arrived a month ago and was elected to the first village council villagers must contribute $25 a week from their paychecks or panhandling or give at least an hour a day to fix up the facility and perform chores “It’s like Sherwood Forest,” said Erik Gunsberg “You’re expected to do a little work around here You can’t sit on your butt,” said Gunsberg who finds day labor through a temp agency but hopes to work at Burger King soon plus property taxes and utilities for Second Chance Village He figures it cost $6.33 a day per homeless resident to operate the day center in the basement he rents office space upstairs to a marketing firm There are numerous cost-reducing projects in the works: solar panels an in-house thrift store and trips to sell goods at flea markets Residents are encouraged to become entrepreneurs which isn’t much of a leap from begging for change Some villagers are sleeping in brand new Ozark Trail tents provided at no cost in exchange for product reviews Who better to write product reviews than people who live in tents he teases the public with the tale of three staff members (one the son of a man staying there) who saved a villager from an overdose in August unlocking the benefits of Caring Membership Level access to the website — push notification updates on the operation behind-the-scenes interviews and live videos A meter on the right side of the donation page keeps track of how close donors have come to affording the $500-a-month water bill The goal of the Second Chance Village is to provide a viable path for the chronically homeless to become self-sufficient Success is measured with each resident who moves out on good terms only recently started keeping files on each man or woman he’s helped He spent much of the past seven years in the woods He sleeps in an apartment now but spends every day at the village There was “old man John,” whom Hays sent to the Alpha House in Oberlin to get help with his addiction “I’ve been working on him since we lived together on the Freedom Trail,” Hays said who is so tall he had to duck to get in the door His daughter committed suicide after Hays sent him to rehab “He doesn’t need to be ashamed,” Hays said “Just get back on the horse until it works.” whom Hays persuaded to seek treatment at Miracle Hill Ministries Inc who came with Hays from the Freedom Trail eviction Herman’s desk at the Second Chance Village has been replaced by a row of tables in the basement “I found him in a crack in a wall downtown,” Hays said of Herman “These people are in cracks and crevices all over downtown You never see where they’re sleeping because they get up way too early.” For at least the second time in Akron’s history The oldest record of the establishment is a 1913 advertisement placed in the Akron Beacon Journal by the Akron Sewer Pipe Co. which constructed the building to manufacture clay pipes for the city’s sewer system The clay can be found in the walls of an addition or retaining walls propping up a nearby parking lot in Middlebury as America emerged from the Great Depression investors opened Just-A-Mere Home & Hospital a group of osteopathic doctors founded Green Cross Hospital The hospital moved to Cuyahoga Falls in 1953 eventually becoming Western Reserve Hospital followed by various businesses and periods of vacancy prolonged by local economic downturns pegged to the rubber industry including the celebrated works of sculptor P.R whose junk art still stands outside the building Lewis purchased the vacant structure in 2010 for $225,000 with a plan to rent office space and hold auctions “I’m in the worst neighborhood I could find,” Lewis said of the economically depressed high-traffic area where Exchange and Market streets meet Arlington Avenue in Middlebury a nonprofit agency helps the developmentally disabled find work and value in life the Catholic church rents 50 apartments to low-income The Second Chance Village fits neatly between them Reach Doug Livingston at 330-996-3792 or dlivingston@thebeaconjournal.com Follow him @ABJDoug on Twitter or www.facebook.com/doug.livingston.92 on Facebook Surrounded by scenic mountain peaks and dense forest cover the Green Mountain State presents peaceful natural scenery ideal for spending your senior years and plenty of outdoor opportunities make for the perfect after-work lifestyle Especially with its charming small towns balancing rural charm with accessibility to cultural attractions and services Although the cost of living is slightly on the upper side and a few places allow pensioners to live comfortably without burning through their retirement savings Learn more about several towns suitable for retirement in Vermont that provide an engaging lifestyle centered around the state's renowned outdoors these hidden havens ensure a fulfilling quality of life amidst Vermont's breathtaking landscape Classic New England charm and captivating historical heritage marinate in this popular Windsor County destination Woodstock's rustic feel is evident when you stroll through the quaint town square dotted with antique structures from the 19th century Retirees can enjoy an exciting trip back in time by touring landmarks like the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park and the Billings Farm & Museum the town has harbored a thriving arts community that it continues to honor through venues like Collective the Art of Craft which exhibits works by different artists from the region Outdoor opportunities abound in the sprawling wilderness surrounding Woodstock Senior citizens can keep active with a hike to the summit of Mount Tom home to secluded running and skiing trails where you will be rewarded with stunning views of the town The friendly community demonstrates its dedication to caring for the elderly through several assisted living communities featuring a median value of $1.2M (according to realtor.com) Outdoorsy retirees will enjoy settling in this charming Franklin County village to take advantage of the endless opportunities available in its beautiful backcountry Swanton advocates for an active senior lifestyle thanks to nature spaces like Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge which sits on the eastern shore of the famous Lake Champlain The Swanton Recreation Commission guarantees more opportunities to play by offering various sports facilities tailored for all ages Those interested in the town's past can explore more about this inside the Swanton Historical Society which hosts an insightful display of related archives and artifacts the downtown corridor boasts a welcoming atmosphere with several family-owned businesses worth checking out Seniors can channel their inner child to enjoy an ice-cold treat at Maple City Candy Swanton has more reasonable real estate prices for retirees considering that the median listing price is $439,500 From glistening lake waters and sprawling park areas to picturesque mountain peaks Wilmington is chock-full of adventures for the outdoor-centric seniors The town notably hosts Molly Stark State Park home to two miles of hiking trails that turn into the perfect snowshoeing and cross-country skiing routes when it snows Wilmington further provides access to Lake Raponda and Harriman Reservoir and some of the most popular local attractions in the summer retirees should consider several indoor attractions in Wilmington This cute venue delights visitors with the works of cartoonist Skip Morrow the restaurant scene is quite a buzz in the town center offering seniors a chance to catch up with friends and family over a wholesome meal at trendy spots like Anchor Seafood Restaurant Investing in a property in Wilmington will require about $687,000 This vibrant college town is home to Middlebury College presenting senior citizens with a chance to go back and fulfill any unfulfilled academic aspirations The presence of the college has been great for the local art scene and residents enjoy experiencing captivating art at different venues pensioners will find a welcoming atmosphere and an opportunity to watch entertaining live performances alongside other community members the Mahaney Arts Center at Middlebury College is better suited for visual art enthusiasts Outdoor lovers can embrace active living with scenic walks along the 16-mile Trail Around Middlebury a trip to Middlebury Falls allows you to bask in the beauty of Mother Nature and make the most of the breathtaking photo opportunity seniors can look to Porter Medical Center for reliable medical attention the median home listing price in Middlebury is an average of $497,000 This tiny community in Addison County presents a laid-back atmosphere for pensioners to spend their sunset years The cascade offers ardent outdoorsmen a chance to step into the wilderness Bristol Veterans Memorial is another somber outdoor space with a relaxed setting Retirees can also visit the site to pay homage to the departed men and women of the military that the monument was dedicated to Art on Main offers a break from the outdoor monotony allowing residents to support the local art scene by browsing a collection of pieces from various Vermont artists retirees can shop for fine decorative pieces at Robert Compton Pottery to add to their homes Bristol's median home listing price is around $449,000 senior citizens can find cheaper housing and benefit from several assisted living programs at Living Well Residence If you are planning for a laidback and thrifty lifestyle for retirement in Vermont Pittsford presents the right mix of factors to actualize this A cluster of historic covered bridges in the town hints at its rich heritage and serves as the perfect window to the town's past Seniors can visit Hammond Covered Bridge or Cooley Covered Bridge to explore New England's covered bridge architecture from the 19th century the New England Maple Museum is an interesting stop that documents the progression of Maple Sugar making in the region going back to the Native American days Incoming retirees will find a warm atmosphere at the Shelburne Farmers Market with a chance to shop for healthy farm produce and interact with happy faces from the community Shelburne also advocates for active senior lifestyles by hosting venues like Shelburne Bay Park a hub for hikers and bikers with stunning water and forest views It provides several retirement communities to assure seniors peace of mind median home listing prices sit around $797,500 on average From idyllic mountain hamlets to picturesque lakeside villages these charming locations guarantee fulfilling lifestyles for seniors who contemplate retirement in Vermont There are plenty of options with access to scenic trails these beautiful enclaves promise a smooth path to the sunset years immersed in New England's finest scenery Each of these towns is an excellent retirement destination Vermont is the only state in New England that does not have a coastline on the Atlantic Ocean Although it does not share the oceanic scenery that its neighbors have become famous for it makes up for it with its vast mountainous and forest-covered interior landscapes Vermont is also not known for its big cities, with Burlington being its biggest in terms of population hosting a population of just around 45,000 permanent residents Vermont makes up for this shortfall with its charming small towns many of which make this list of must-visit destinations in 2025 From cozy accommodations to outdoor adventure in some of the country's best parks let's take a deeper look at these nine wonderful Vermont communities Woodstock often regarded as one of Vermont’s quintessential small towns is a destination that is both full of history and natural beauty Its downtown area features a number of landmarks dating back to the 1800s anchored by the iconic Middle Covered Bridge If you happen to be a fan of covered bridges the Taftsville Covered Bridge is well worth a short drive just east of town as well you can also explore the Billings Farm & Museum which showcases Vermont’s rich agricultural heritage or take a short walk to the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park be sure to hike nearby Mount Tom or visit the Quechee Gorge known as “Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon.” Dominated by the backdrop of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, Stowe serves as a choice hub for outdoor recreation in 2025. In winter, Stowe Mountain Resort one of the most popular ski resorts in the country while warmer months bring opportunities for hiking an idyllic 5.3-mile trail connecting scenic landscapes with local amenities The Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum provides insight into the area’s rich alpine history, while the Trapp Family Lodge, founded by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame, offers Austrian-inspired hospitality If you want to learn a little more about this community's storied past Stowe’s historic village features white-steepled churches offering a snapshot of classic New England life comfortable accommodations like the Stowe Village Inn and the Green Mountain Inn can be found too Nestled in the Green Mountains on the far western border of the state, Manchester is a surprisingly busy small town with a huge abundance of scenic beauty and outdoor activities It is considered to be a gateway to outdoor adventures for residents and visitors alike with access to the nearby Lye Brook Falls Trail and Bromley Mountain for hiking and skiing Fly-fishing enthusiasts flock to the Battenkill River while book lovers frequent the iconic Northshire Bookstore an independent literary haven in the heart of town The town itself is well-known to locals for its designer outlets, but its appeal extends far beyond shopping. History buffs can visit Hildene, the stately home of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln set amidst stunning gardens and vistas overlooking the town's rural setting Middlebury is a college town with a blend of historic charm and cultural vitality including performances at the Mahaney Arts Center and exhibits at the college's Museum of Art downtown Middlebury features a mix of locally owned shops many of which overlook the picturesque Otter Creek and its prominent waterfall History is central to Middlebury’s appeal to visitors in 2025 The Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History offers insights into the region’s past while the nearby UVM Morgan Horse Farm showcases the state’s equestrian heritage the Trail Around Middlebury (TAM) provides nearly 19 miles of scenic hiking paths through forests and farmlands This town is also centered around Middlebury Falls a very easily accessible natural landmark that is popular among landscape photographers with poet Robert Frost buried in its cemetery Art lovers can explore the Bennington Museum which houses a vast collection of regional art or visit the Vermont Arts Exchange for contemporary exhibits The town’s downtown area features an array of locally owned shops and galleries Be sure to enjoy the scenic hiking trails of the Green Mountain National Forest while here for more breathtaking views of Vermont's remote wildlands This route is particularly beautiful in the fall when the dense forests begin to change color Brattleboro sits in southern Vermont along the New Hampshire border and is seen as a cultural and economic hub for the area containing much in the way of natural beauty The town’s downtown core features a nice selection of shops and an array of farm-to-table dining options learn more about the region's creative side at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center which highlights contemporary art and regional history Brattleboro is also home to the historic Estey Organ Museum showcasing the craftsmanship of the renowned organ company that called the town home for over a century Set along the Connecticut River Brattleboro also offers numerous outdoor activities and hiking at nearby spots like Wantastiquet Mountain As the nation’s smallest state capital, Montpelier is a must-visit in 2025 for anyone looking to explore Vermont's unique history is the centerpiece of the town and offers guided tours highlighting its architectural and political past with the Lost Nation Theater hosting performances and the T.W Wood Gallery showcasing Vermont's best artists Just down the street is the Vermont Historical Society Museum another great spot to learn about Vermont's capital city Nature in and around Montpelier is equally accessible with Hubbard Park offering trails and an observation tower providing panoramic views of the town and surrounding hills Camel's Hump State Park is also located about a 30-minute drive west of town and contains trails that will take you to the famous "camel's hump," a bald peak that is a fantastic lookout point Known as the “Granite Center of the World,” Barre has a unique industrial heritage alongside a thriving arts and cultural scene The town is home to the Rock of Ages Quarry one of the largest granite quarries in the world The nearby Vermont Granite Museum further delves into the history of this industry and its influence on the region Barre’s downtown area is highlighted by public art the historic Barre Opera House hosts a variety of performances a perfect place to see an evening show during your stay in town Get outside and explore the nearby Millstone Trails which contains hiking and biking paths through reclaimed quarry landscapes a vast forestland that is among the best destinations to visit in the fall as the dense foliage changes color and the cooler temperatures make for favorable hiking conditions Randolph has an artistically inclined downtown core that is centered around the Chandler Center for the Arts further add to this small town's creative vibe Randolph’s historical significance is evident in landmarks like the Kimball Public Library a striking example of early 20th-century architecture and the town’s well-preserved railroad depot which serves as a reminder of its past as a vital transportation hub Make sure to also check out nearby trails in the Braintree Mountain Forest offering a mix of easy walks and challenging hikes with rewarding views A short drive north will bring you to Roxbury State Forest a great spot to hike the area's remote woodlands These Vermont towns offer an amazing selection of travel destinations for 2025 From the artistic energy of Brattleboro to the historic charm of Woodstock and the outdoor adventures surrounding Stowe each town here exemplifies why the Green Mountain State is so special or simply strolling through a lively downtown you will surely find countless opportunities to connect with the best Vermont has to offer the following options are worth considering reenacts the architecture of different eras and is one of the most unconventional museums of art Concerning healthcare access, the University Of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington is right next door and has been recognized for America's 250 Best Hospitals Award for three consecutive years: 2024,2023 While homes in Shelburne are listed for a median price of $754,000 they are sold for a more affordable median price of $575,500 and seniors aged 60 and above comprise 28% of the town's population Bristol can easily charm its way into the heart of any empty nester Because it is bounded by the New Haven River Bristol provides a world of outdoor farm and adventure is one of the finest swimming holes in the entire state the highly-rated University Of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington is an easy 28-mile drive This means you will find folks you can share experiences with — even if you are not a social butterfly Homes in Bristol are listed for a median price of $449,000 White clapboard Colonial buildings line Norwich's Main Street and enhance its aesthetic appeal Norwich is an Olympics factory: With few exceptions the town has placed a resident on every United States Winter Olympics team since 1984 Dan & Whit's stocks almost everything a retiree will need And with delicious restaurants such as Carpenter & Main preparing own meals will require determination Its Aging Resource Center hosts events for older adults Gile Mountain provides panoramic views of the woodsy surroundings and regular hikes there can keep a retiree in excellent physical shape a retiree here will have convenient access to an array of excellent hospitals Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon is a back-to-back recipient of the Coronary Intervention Excellence Award — while the highly-rated Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital is a 2024 recipient of the Outstanding Patient Experience Award Seniors aged 60 and above comprise 21% of its population The median listing home price in Norwich stands at $699,000 Montpelier is the capital city of Vermont it may come as a surprise that it boasts a population of just bout 8,000 residents Often recognized among the 100 best small arts towns in the nation Montpelier will easily captivate a senior citizen It boasts the largest urban historic district in the state two movie theatres (Savoy and Capital) that offer a cozy and intimate experience which is known to keep eyes nourished and hearts electrified While the 4-mile-away Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin may come in handy in case of a medical emergency the highly-ranked Copley Hospital in Morrisville a three-time consecutive recipient of the Outstanding Patient Experience Award Montpelier's median age is a cool and calm 44 and residents aged 60 and above comprise 31% of its population The median home listing price in Montpelier is $400,000 With a settlement history that goes back to the 1700s, Berlin's history is rich and fascinating. It was named for the European Union's most populous city and is probably the only town in Vermont with a German name a retiree here will find folks in the same age bracket with whom he can reminisce about the rich tapestry of life Residents aged 60 and above comprise 34% of the town's population Boyer State Forest is in Berlin's backyard and provides an eclectic menu of outdoor adventures the trails around Berlin Pond can keep a retiree's muscles well-toned and firm — while the Onion River Animal Hospital will ensure a retiree's furry companion is always healthy and bright Central Vermont Medical Center is right in town and will meet an empty nester's medical needs The latest median home listing price in Berlin is $408,250 A retiree here will be a heartbeat away from the cascading falls of Otter Creek and a short drive away from the Green Mountain National Forest which has been called the granite backbone of the state The forest is home to the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area which features sparkling streams ideal for canoeing and engage in a hearty conversation about the process of crafting the honey wine Porter Medical Center has been providing medical services to residents in the area since 1925 — and should calm a retiree's fears about access to healthcare Rutland and Burlington are both just 40 minutes away Middlebury College has been a town feature since 1800 and has been offering fun and interesting courses to empty nesters including the Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly a retiree should expect to roll with a young crowd the median home listing price in Middlebury stands at $457,500 Waterbury is nestled between three major ski areas, including Camel's Hump Nordic Ski Area and Cochran's Ski Area, the first non-profit ski hill in North America It also hosts the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory appeal to the sweet-toothed empty nester — as it will to the outdoor enthusiast CC Putnam State Forest will ensure a retiree's lungs are furnished with fresh Homes in Waterbury are listed for a median price of $394,500 and residents aged 60 and above comprise 28% of its population While getting a house in Vermont can be a hassle and the state is not as cheap as Mississippi the Green Mountain State scores big on natural beauty and outdoor attractions Vermont is often ranked among the best states for healthcare in the country you may be drawn by Shelburne's exclusive and uncrowded beach Bristol's proximity to the Green Mountain National Forest or the gorgeous clapboard Colonial buildings that line Norwich's Main Street Nestled in the picturesque landscapes of New England, Vermont is a state renowned for its quaint small towns there is something magical about the summertime As the snow melts and the warmth fills the air the state's small towns come alive with a plethora of outdoor activities Explore these small towns in Vermont that truly shine during the summer months offering an authentic and unforgettable experience Resting in the Green Mountains, Stowe is a charming town that epitomizes Vermont's natural beauty the town becomes a hub for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers Hike along the scenic trails of Mount Mansfield or explore the breathtaking Smugglers' Notch State Park take a leisurely stroll or bike ride along the scenic Stowe Recreation Path Woodstock, often hailed as one of the prettiest towns in America, exudes quintessential New England charm this historic village comes alive with colorful gardens Explore the picturesque village center and visit the Billings Farm & Museum where folks can learn about Vermont's agricultural heritage nearby Quechee Gorge offers stunning views and hiking opportunities Do not forget to experience the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park where travelers can discover the area's rich natural and cultural heritage Manchester is a delightful destination that seamlessly blends outdoor adventures with upscale shopping and dining experiences Explore the charming downtown area filled with boutique shops Outdoor activities abound in the surrounding area including hiking at Equinox Preserve or fly fishing on the Battenkill River History buffs will appreciate a visit to Hildene with its beautiful gardens and stunning views Nestled along the banks of the Otter Creek Middlebury is a vibrant college town with a rich cultural scene where tourists will find a mix of art galleries Take a leisurely stroll on the scenic Middlebury Riverwalk a beautiful path that winds through the town Nature enthusiasts can visit nearby Lake Dunmore for swimming Do not forget to check out Middlebury Farmers' Market Located in southwestern Vermont, Bennington is a town steeped in history and surrounded by natural beauty a tribute to the Revolutionary War battle fought here which houses an impressive collection of American art Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the picturesque trails of the Green Mountain National Forest or explore the tranquil waters of Lake Paran nestled in the heart of the Mount Snow region is a vibrant town that offers a mix of outdoor adventures and a thriving arts scene Outdoor enthusiasts can explore the beautiful trails of Mount Snow or enjoy water activities on the nearby Harriman Reservoir Plan a trip to align with the opportunity to attend the annual Deerfield Valley Blueberry Festival where visitors can indulge in delicious blueberry-themed treats and enjoy live music and entertainment Waitsfield is a charming town that attracts visitors with its scenic beauty and vibrant arts community Take a dip in the refreshing swimming holes along the Mad River or go tubing down its gentle rapids Outdoor enthusiasts can hike the trails of the nearby Camel's Hump State Park or cycle along the picturesque countryside Don't forget to visit the Waitsfield Farmers' Market Grafton is a postcard-perfect village in southern Vermont known for its well-preserved historic buildings and idyllic setting Take a leisurely stroll along the charming main street lined with boutique shops and art galleries Visit the Grafton Village Cheese Company and witness the traditional process of cheesemaking including hiking in Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center or swimming in the nearby Lake Mineirosa Immerse yourself in Grafton's rich heritage by exploring the Grafton History Museum and the Grafton Village Historic District Shelburne offers a unique blend of natural beauty a renowned institution that houses a vast collection of American folk art and historical artifacts a working farm and educational center with beautifully landscaped gardens Enjoy a leisurely bike ride along the scenic Burlington Bike Path or take a cruise on Lake Champlain for breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains Do not forget to indulge in the locally sourced culinary delights at the town's charming restaurants and farm-to-table eateries Vermont's small towns come alive in the summer offering visitors a perfect blend of natural beauty the nine towns highlighted in this article—Stowe and Shelburne—provide an array of activities and attractions to suit every traveler's taste Embark on a journey to discover the charm and warmth of Vermont's small towns during the summer months and create cherished memories that will last a lifetime Vermont is an ideal destination for a weekend escape Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or an adventure-filled retreat So pack your bags and get ready to explore these best small towns in Vermont for an unforgettable experience Located in the heart of the Green Mountains Grafton is a beautiful and peaceful place to relax and enjoy nature It offers opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and biking to cultural attractions like art galleries and museums Grafton is also a perfect getaway for history buffs Local cemeteries here hold the tombstones of many who lost their lives in the Battle of Gettysburg Grafton offers some of the best artisanal cheese in the country The town also hosts a mountain biking program for children every summer The Williams River flowing through this picturesque Vermont town makes it a perfect weekend escape destination the Williams River takes care of the recreational needs of both the residents and visitors of Chester Fishing and swimming are the most popular activities in this river Chester is also known for its two historic districts that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places The Stone Village exhibits granite houses from yesteryears while the Chester Village displays beautiful buildings from the 18th to 20th centuries ranging in style from Victorian to Colonial Revival and Federal When in Vermont, take advantage of Stowe's outdoor activities or kayak along the spectacular Waterbury Reservoir and in Mt Mansfield State Forest or explore one of their many ski mountains You can even explore the scenic Sterling Falls Gorge to spend some quality time in nature's lap visit some of the nearby delightful small towns in the area and restaurants in downtown Stowe where you can taste craft beers from local breweries and sample maple syrup products from family-run sugar makers Get into nature with a horseback ride through Smuggler's Notch followed by a delicious lunch at one of the exquisite cafes or picnic areas With its unique small-town charm and endless outdoor activities From outdoor activities like kayaking along Otter Creek to Lake Champlain to shopping at the local boutiques you will always find something to keep you entertained or grab an ice cream cone at one of the many local shops in town Stop by the historic covered bridge to capture some stunning photos then visit Otter Creek Brewery to taste locally-made craft beer The town is also known for the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History a museum housing the private collections of Henry Sheldon and artifacts related to Vermon't rich past So come explore all that this beautiful town has to offer With its picturesque mountain backdrop and old country charm you'll feel at home exploring Burke for the weekend From fishing in the nearby lakes to skiing down the slopes of Burke Mountain Resort there are plenty of exciting activities to enjoy in Burke Take a drive up to view the stunning foliage along winding back roads.Stroll through town and explore all the charming local shops check out some of the events happening at Burke Mountain Resort throughout the year – from food festivals to live music performances relax by a bonfire with friends or explore local restaurants for a delicious dinner Woodstock is the perfect destination to get lost during the weekend from exploring the outdoors to discovering local history Take a leisurely stroll down the streets or explore the countryside on foot Go antiquing for vintage collectibles and furniture in one of the many local shops or treat yourself to some delicious food at breathtaking cafes and restaurants participate in various outdoor activities like skiing there's a great selection of craft breweries and wineries to enjoy after a long day You can take a scenic hike in the Green Mountains take a guided tour of The Billings Farm and Museum or spend an afternoon at the famous Woodstock Farmers' Market You could also visit historic sites like the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park There are plenty of exciting things to do in this picturesque mountain town Start your adventure by hiking one of the many trails that crisscross the landscape taking in stunning views of the Green Mountains explore the shops and local eateries along Main Street where you can find everything from handmade jewelry to fresh-baked pies don't miss out on the opportunity to relax and unwind at one of the area's spas before heading home refreshed and recharged Warren is the perfect spot for a memorable weekend escape People know Waitsfield for its stunning natural beauty you can also sample fresh local produce at one of the town's many farmers' markets check out the nearby Bolton Valley Ski Area and take a snowboarding lesson grab a bite from one of Waitsfield's cozy cafes With its friendly locals and charming atmosphere there are plenty of activities to keep you entertained in this beautiful mountain town If you're looking for some activities to fill your weekend in Putney consider visiting one of the local farms and picking fresh produce from their fields You can also indulge in some delicious homemade ice cream check out the nearby Grafton Ponds Recreation Area which offers hiking trails and wildlife viewing opportunities There are also plenty of historical sites to explore home to a stone bridge built by Revolutionary War veterans Dorset has tons of activities to enjoy for a fulfilling weekend ranging from easy strolls to more challenging treks through mountain terrain Explore Lake Bomoseen State Park and enjoy the stunning scenery while paddling or fishing on the lake enjoy a meal at a restaurant in downtown Dorset Tour some of the area's most beautiful covered bridges a great way to experience New England history and architecture visit Billings Farm & Museum—a working dairy farm with interactive exhibits and activities catch a show at the historic Barrette Center for the Arts From exploring Mount Wantastiquet and its incredible views to discovering beautiful art galleries and soaking up the local culture, visit Brattleboro for the weekend Enjoy a peaceful canoe ride down the Connecticut River or visit Living Memorial Park and stroll around its enchanting pathways You can also explore some of Vermont's exceptional culinary offerings at restaurants and eateries throughout town Whether you're looking for outdoor recreation If you are looking for a peaceful and exciting weekend escape Whether you seek a romantic getaway or just some fresh air and relaxation these eleven towns offer the perfect weekend escape Don't forget to take pictures for the memories ideal for hiking trips and camping excursions one cannot forget the state's charming small towns when planning a trip to Vermont From welcoming communities to beautiful main streets to picturesque skylines and an endless collection of adventures there is something for everyone to discover Connect further with history by visiting the town's historic sites and museums Enjoy the town's essence with a stay at the Woodstock Inn & Resort Shelburne sits on the shores of Lake Champlain The natural freshwater lake is the ideal destination for fishing while the town itself is home to a history dating back to 1763 The Shelburne Orchards offer picturesque views as well as opportunities to pick apples and peaches at different points throughout the summer perfect for those looking to enjoy fresh fruit and fresh brews For travelers with an interest in hiking and biking while Shelburne Museum is more suited for history lovers housing 80,000 items of folk art and other unique items Nestled on the hills of the Green Mountains, Chester is a vibrant community with a rich history. The Chester Village Historic District earns a spot on the National Register of Historic Places and is chock full of restaurants such as Country Girl Diner There are also local shops like Crow Hill Gallery The town is also home to the Stone Village Historic District, which features several pre-Civil War houses built using the local stone preserved from quarries The town is a great starting point for endless adventure with proximity to popular destinations like Bromley The state's capital, it is no surprise that Montpelier is one of the most beautiful destinations in Vermont the 1859 Vermont State House features a gold dome in the Greek Revival style and houses decorative and fine art collections Hubbard Park is the ideal destination for a day spent strolling through lush meadows a birch grove and enjoying the views from the 1930s observation tower Bragg Farm Sugarhouse & Gift Shop is a picturesque location but it also offers a chance to indulge in a sweet treat such as the maple creemee or bring home a maple syrup souvenir Burlington is a legendary destination for snow sports, featuring picturesque powdery slopes situated on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain and just south of the Canadian border Popular parks and gardens for exploring and hiking include Mt which offers panoramic views of the Champlain Valley and Adirondack Mountains There are also a number of waterfalls scattered throughout the area The quaint main street houses plenty of local businesses and a unique arts scene with popular stops including Lake Champlain Chocolate Factory Walk down from Church Street to Burlington Waterfront Park which offers ferry rides to the Lake Champlain Islands Positioned in the heart of the Vermont Valley near the Taconic Mountains and the Green Mountains, Dorset is a charming destination for outdoor lovers and adventurers There are plenty of mountain biking and hiking trails and mountain streams to enjoy fishing and swimming Merck Forest and Farmland Center is a great place to enjoy the outdoors but also bring the kids and learn about the importance and benefits of sustainable agriculture and forest management visit Stratton Mountain Resort or Bromley Mountain Ski Resort Visitors also enjoy charming local shops such as 3 Pears Gallery Experience the town's essence in one of the endearing inns: Squire House Nestled on the banks of the Connecticut River, Brattleboro is an outdoor oasis with a vast and rich history The historic downtown area embodies the town's storied past and natural beauty Travelers enjoy wandering the charmed streets and visiting popular attractions such as the Brattleboro Museum Outdoor lovers find solace in the beauty of the Brattleboro Words Trail and mountain biking are popular activities Find good eats and refreshments at locally owned restaurants such as Saxton's Distillery One of the best towns in Vermont to chill out Cascading falls rush through the heart of the village adding an especially picturesque charm to the area Brick and stone buildings line the hamlet's streets For those in search of a taste of unique history intertwined with outdoor adventure which commemorates the poetry of Robert Frost and travels across the beaver pond boardwalk No matter whether you visit Vermont with your family or your closest friends for a romantic getaway or on a solo adventure these top-rated towns in Vermont offer something for every vacation Whether the gorgeous mountain town of Stowe draws you in or the snow sports of Burlington call your name adventure awaits in these charming Vermont towns They are ranked among the list of US favorites for a good reason