Vermont

Vote now for Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week: Ballots for June 3-9

Published

2 years ago

June 10, 2024

Vote now for Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week: Ballots for June 3-9

Welcome to the eighth and final installment of the 2024 spring season for the Vermont Varsity Insider Athletes of the Week voting by high school sports fans.

This week, and every week during the sports seasons, members of the public may vote for a top girls athlete and a top boys athlete.

Varsity Insider Athletes of the week: Winners for the 2023-24 school year

How do I cast my vote?

All voting is through the two ballots at burlingtonfreepress.com. We will not accept votes through email or through social media.

Voting began June 10, and continues through 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

How do we learn who wins?

The two winners will be announced in a story published at burlingtonfreepress.com on Friday.

Athlete of the week feature to return in the fall

This is the final athlete of the week ballot for the 2023-24 school year. The long-running feature will return in the fall for the 2024-25 school year. We accept nominations via email: sports@burlingtonfreepress.com (Subject Line: Athletes of the Week nomination).

Girls Athlete of the Week nominees

More on this week’s candidates:

Trinity Anaya, Essex softball: The junior tossed a pair of complete games to lead Essex into the D-I semifinals. She hurled a two-hitter while going 2-for-3 at the plate in a 14-0 win over South Burlington. Then in the quarterfinals, Anaya yielded six hits and one earned run over seven innings to eliminate host Colchester 5-1.

Iris Cloutier, Stowe lacrosse: After a six-goal splurge in Stowe’s 17-7 playdown win over Lamoille, Cloutier struck for a hat trick in a 5-4 road triumph over Mount Abraham/Vergennes in the quarterfinals of the D-II playoffs.

Ava Kingsbury, Blue Mountain softball: Kingsbury hit for the cycle with two home runs and seven RBIs in a 5-for-5 performance at the plate during Blue Mountain’s 22-2 D-IV quarterfinal win over Twinfield/Danville/Cabot.

Hayley Raiche, West Rutland softball: Raiche’s 4-for-4 day at the plate included a double, triple and a trio of RBIs as West Rutland dispatched Leland & Gray 18-0 in the D-IV quarterfinals.

Finley Strong, Rice softball: The junior smacked the game-winning homer in the top of the seventh inning as Rice ousted Middlebury on the road 3-2 in the D-II quarterfinals. In the playdowns, Strong also doubled twice and drove in a run.

Boys Athlete of the Week nominees

More on this week’s candidates:

Nick Casey, Harwood baseball: Casey tossed a three-hitter with two earned runs and eight strikeouts over five innings in Harwood’s 7-5 D-II playdown win over Lake Region. He also doubled in the first-round playoff game and then went 2-for-4 with another double with three RBIs in Harwood’s 10-0 shutout of Milton in the quarterfinals.

Ezra Mock, Hartford lacrosse: The multi-sport standout registered a team-best four goals as Hartford dropped Mount Anthony 12-7 in the D-II quarterfinals.

Griffin Piconi, Woodstock lacrosse: Piconi’s three-goal, three-assist performance included the game-winning goal in overtime as Woodstock outlasted South Burlington on the road in the D-I quarterfinals.

Wyatt Smith, Montpelier Ultimate: After tallying six goals and two assists in a 15-7 playdown victory over Rice, Smith had three goals, two assists and two blocks on defense in Montpelier’s 11-9 triumph over South Burlington in the quarterfinal round.

Travis Stroh, Champlain Valley baseball: Stroh went 1-for-3 with a triple and RBI in a 6-0 win over Rice in the D-I playdowns. Then in the quarterfinals, Stroh doubled twice with two RBIs in a 3-for-3 effort as the Redhawks blanked Brattleboro 10-0.

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Vermont

74-year-old woman fulfills childhood dream as EMT at fair in Vermont

Published

3 hours ago

April 20, 2026

Press Room

74-year-old woman fulfills childhood dream as EMT at fair in Vermont

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. (Aging Untold) — For 10 days, the Champlain Valley Fair, a county fair in Vermont, becomes its own little town with thousands of people, hot afternoons and the occasional emergency.

Charlene Phelps, 74, runs the fair’s emergency response team.

“We have a lot of seniors that come and people don’t drink enough water,” Phelps said.

The team handles sprains, bee stings, heat exhaustion and whatever comes through.

“I like taking care of people, I like helping people,” Phelps said.

Living out a childhood dream

It’s also a childhood dream.

Phelps wanted to be a nurse, but college wasn’t possible, so she found another route into care and has been showing up year after year at the fair.

Aging Untold expert Amy O’Rourke said living out your purpose can improve mental and spiritual well-being.

“When you tap into that, you’re tapping in on a place that’s a risk, that’s a challenge that inevitably creates growth inside you, gives you confidence so that if you’re in another situation you can build on that,” O’Rourke said. “Or, if you’re in an everyday situation where you’re a little anxious, it’ll help create stabilization in that place as well.”

Saving lives at the fair

Sometimes it’s bigger than a bandage.

“Over on there near the swings way over there is Gustovo, and we saved his life,” Phelps said.

Gustovo had gone into cardiac arrest at the fair a few years ago.

“I mean he was gone,” Phelps said.

Now he’s back and working the rides.

“Came for my hug, Gustovo,” Phelps said.

O’Rourke said stories like this are also why some people keep working past retirement age. Purpose isn’t a number, it’s a role.

“I’ve seen a 92-year-old still working as a nurse’s aid. I’ve seen people in my neighborhood chilling out and loving it,” O’Rourke said. “So, I think it’s being really self-aware of what you need and making sure that you’re getting those needs met.”

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Vermont

Vermont lawmakers reject digital lottery initiative – Valley News

Published

15 hours ago

April 19, 2026

Press Room

Vermont lawmakers reject digital lottery initiative – Valley News

A plan by Gov. Phil Scott’s administration to make all of the state’s lottery games, including scratch-off tickets, available on a person’s phone never got off the ground at the Statehouse this year.

Lottery Commissioner Wendy Knight told lawmakers in January that the plan was a way to modernize the lottery “because you need to keep pace with technology — you need to meet your players where they are.”

Fifteen states have created a “digital” lottery system, and many have discovered there’s a distinct market of people who don’t buy lottery tickets at retail outlets but will do so on their phones, according to Knight. “We’re trying to ensure the future of the Vermont Lottery, ” the commissioner said.

But state lawmakers have not been persuaded.

Vergennes Rep. Matt Birong, the Democratic chair of the House government operations committee, said members of the panel felt this year was not the time to move forward with this plan, especially given the recent legalization of sports betting.

“It is digitizing a current system and after moving forward with the sports wagering — people just wanted to take their time with it — so my committee decided to tap the brakes on further testimony.”

The administration estimated that the plan would have raised roughly $5 million a year for the state’s education fund after two years of implementation.

The prospect of that additional revenue is appealing to lawmakers, and Birong said they may reconsider the plan next year.

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