Vermont

Vermont capital springs to life through poetry each April

Published

2 years ago

April 19, 2023

Vermont capital springs to life through poetry each April

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — As spring begins to blossom in New England, some Vermont communities come to life with the websites and sounds of written verse.

“These are the honey makers

The maple sap tappers

The pollen gatherers

The elixirs therapeutic the long run

from the spirits of the previous,” a lady recited from a poem written by Buffy Aakaash, of Marshfield, Vermont, on Saturday throughout a poetry parade in Montpelier.

Every April, the nation’s smallest capital metropolis goes all out to have a good time poetry. Storefronts and restaurant home windows in Montpelier are graced with poems written by Vermonters of all ages, poets learn their works aloud at occasions — some with musical accompaniments — and poetry workshops meet to debate the artform. And this 12 months the Montpelier library hosted a primary: a poetry parade.

“We do Nationwide Poetry Month higher than anyone so far as we are able to see,” mentioned PoemCity organizer Michelle Singer, the grownup packages coordinator for the Kellogg Hubbard Library within the metropolis of about 8,000 residents.

This 12 months, 350 poems written by residents of 60 Vermont cities are on show in downtown home windows, and 30 poetry packages had been deliberate.

“It’s a walkable anthology that can wait for your complete month of April and folks simply expertise poetry as they go about their each day duties in Montpelier,” she mentioned.

Different cities across the nation have a good time Nationwide Poetry Month their very own method. West Hollywood, California, is holding a poetry “spa day,” and picks of poetry from dwelling poets are displayed on road pole banners alongside Santa Monica Boulevard. The New York Public Library has free workshops, and the successful poems from a contest in Alexandria, Virginia, are displayed on metropolis buses and trolleys in April and Might. In Vermont, two different communities — Randolph and St. Johnsbury — have adopted Montpelier’s lead with their very own readings and shows of poetry.

The Academy of American Poets created Nationwide Poetry Month in 1996, saying it’s grow to be “the biggest literary celebration on the planet.”

“We will affirm that Montpelier’s PoemCity is among the most intensive city-wide Nationwide Poetry Month celebrations,” mentioned academy spokeswoman Michelle Campagna.

On a drizzling opening day on April 1, Cynthia and Hugo Liepmann strolled round Montpelier studying poems.

“I believe it’s fantastic, however I’m biased as a result of I like poetry,” mentioned Cynthia Liepmann, who writes poetry herself and had a poem up in a storefront. “We had been coming dwelling from the farmers’ market so we thought, ‘Nicely, let’s cease and browse some poems earlier than we go dwelling.’”

They mentioned they like studying works from individuals they know, mentioning a poem by their state consultant to the legislature and remarking on poems written by elementary faculty college students. This 12 months about 100 of the poets are college students.

“It’s an actual nice demonstration of neighborhood literacy. It’s an excellent position mannequin for little children,” mentioned poet Rick Agran. “They write their hearts and so they publish in a window. We’ll see little teams of after-school women and boys hit the sweet retailer after which hit the road, after which they bop round and browse poems.”

This previous Saturday morning in the course of the so-called “poetry parade,” a few dozen poets walked across the metropolis taking within the poetry as a gaggle expertise. At every window, one among them, typically the creator, learn a poem aloud. They clapped after listening to every one, remarking on method and that means. The subject material ranged from love and battle to elm timber and the salmon on the poet’s plate.

“I’ve at all times executed that singularly,” Argan, who led the parade, mentioned of studying the poetry within the home windows. “However I at all times thought it could be cool to attempt to flip that into a gaggle expertise.”

Additionally a primary for PoemCity, this 12 months the poems have been revealed in an anthology. Singer mentioned she is blissful to see PoemCity again to almost pre-pandemic ranges.

“There have been some years the place there was actually a program each single day, which is why I say we form of do that on this wonderful method,” she mentioned. “We’ve a neighborhood that may help practically an entire program of poetry each single day. That’s a particular neighborhood. We could have individuals present up in any respect of these packages.”

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Vermont

Killington Women’s World Cup skiing returns to Vermont: 2 skiers with Western Mass ties to compete

Published

52 mins ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

Killington Women’s World Cup skiing returns to Vermont: 2 skiers with Western Mass ties to compete

This is a biweekly column about all things skiing and snowboarding in New England.

Since the FIS Women’s World Cup ski racing returned to the Northeast eight years ago, American Mikaela Shiffrin has dominated the slalom, winning six of the seven races and earning two bronze medals in the giant slalom.

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Vermont

VT wins big in USA Today’s 10 best ski and snowboard awards. Here’s a full list of winners

Published

9 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

VT wins big in USA Today’s 10 best ski and snowboard awards. Here’s a full list of winners

Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe opens for the season

Skiers and snowboarders flock to Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe on opening day 2024.

Planning a winter ski trip? Consider heading to the mountains of Vermont.

USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards just released its best of ski and snowboard rankings, and Vermont won a total of 11 awards. The annual 10Best awards highlight the best in travel, food and lifestyle, and winners are chosen by a public voting poll after being nominated by industry experts. This year’s best of ski and snowboard awards ranks lodgings, locations and services for the winter sports across the United States.

In addition to Stowe placing as the third best ski town in the country, Vermont ski accommodations placed in the following categories: best apres-ski bar, best ski restaurant, best ski shop, best place for snow tubing, best cross-country ski resort and best ski hotel.

Here’s what to know about the winners:

The Belfry

Housed in a former one-room schoolhouse, The Belfry is a charming pub just minutes away from Jay Peak Resort. Between a robust beer and wine selection and a menu full of pub classics like wings and burgers, The Belfry is the perfect place to grab a drink after a day of skiing – earning the sixth spot on the list of apres-ski bars.

The Belfry is open for thirsty skiiers every day except Wednesday, with hours from 4-9 p.m. on Friday-Saturday and 4-8 p.m. every other day.

Award: No. 6 in Best Apres-Ski Bar

Location: 14 Amidon Road, Montgomery Center, VT

Cliff House Restaurant

Cliff House Restaurant, one of the restaurants at Stowe Mountain Resort, offers a mountainside eating experience at the top of the gondola on Mount Mansfield. The restaurant is known for American cuisine with a rustic Vermont flair, serving classics like chicken sandwiches and New England clam chowder.

Stowe’s Cliff House is open for lunch from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. daily once the season starts on Dec. 14. A valid ticket or season pass is required to ride the gondola to the restaurant.

Award: No. 8 in Best Ski Restaurant

Location: 7231 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT (top of the mountain gondola)

The INN Restaurant & Bar

Taking the third place spot for best ski restaurant is the restaurant at The INN, a quaint inn in Montgomery Center.

Guests have a choice of eating in the intimate dining room, lively tavern or riverside deck. The INN’s seasonal menus offer upscale comfort food made from fresh, local ingredients, completed with various craft cocktails.

The inn’s restaurant is open year-round on Thursday-Sunday starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended.

Award: No. 3 in Best Ski Restaurant

Location: 241 Main St., Montgomery Center, VT

Darkside Snowboards

Darkside Snowboards is a premiere snowboarding shop with locations in Killington and Ludlow. Just making the list of best ski shops at 10th place, this shop has everything a snowboarder could want, from performance and freestyle boards to boots, helmets, goggles and clothing for the sport. Darkside does also offer ski rentals, but mainly focuses on snowboarding equipment.

Hours for this snowboard shop are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in Ludlow and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily in Killington, with extended late-night hours Monday-Wednesday.

Award: No. 10 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 1842 Killington Road, Killington, VT; 57 Pond St., Ludlow, VT

Skiology Ski and Sports

Right down the road from Downside Snowboards in Killington is Skiology Ski and Sports, USA Today’s second choice pick for best ski shop. The store offers a wide range of high-performance skis, from recreational to racing and all-mountain to powder, as well as daily ski rentals and professional tuning services.

Skiology is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday and 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Award: No. 2 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 937 Killington Road, Killington, VT

Pinnacle Ski and Sports

Pinnacle Ski and Sports, a Stowe ski shop that has been open for over 35 years, took the top spot for ski shops in this year’s 10Best awards.

Along with a wide selection of equipment and apparel, Pinnacle offers custom boot fitting, ski and snowboard rentals, ski mounting and tuning, ski repairs and a delivery concierge service. The shop is open daily from 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.

Award: No. 1 in Best Ski Shop

Location: 1652 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

Mount Snow Resort

Ranking fifth for best snow tubing location is Mount Snow Resort, a slopeside resort in the southern Vermont town of West Dover. The resort’s tubing hill has eight lanes and a conveyor lift, with tickets for two-hour time slots available.

In addition to snow tubing, Mount Snow has 86 skiing trails, a halfpipe and large terrain park. For those who want to stay, the Grand Summit Resort Hotel, Mount Snow’s lodging property, has almost 200 guest rooms and amenities like a spa, a health club, a heated pool and many locations for dining and retail.

Award: No. 5 in Best Place for Snow Tubing

Location: 39 Mount Snow Road, West Dover, VT

Viking Nordic Center

Londonderry’s Viking Nordic Center has over 16 miles of woodsy ski trails through classic Vermont scenery along the West River. All levels and types of cross-country skiing are welcome, whether classic, skate or snowshoe. For those just starting, the resort also offers lessons and rentals.

On select nights during ski season, Viking Nordic Center lights about two miles of their trails with overhead lights and gas lanterns from the 1900s, creating a unique nighttime skiing experience.

Award: No. 8 in Best Cross-Country Ski Resort

Location: 615 Little Pond Road, Londonderry, VT

Bolton Valley Nordic Center

Located in Bolton Valley overlooking the scenic Lake Champlain, Bolton Valley Nordic Center is a mountain adventure resort with the highest elevation in the Northeast.

The backcountry terrain offers trails for Nordic skiers and snowshoe enthusiasts of all levels, earning the resort a fifth place ranking in best cross-country ski resort. Additionally, Bolton Valley has paths for alpine, night and backcountry skiing, totaling in 71 trails.

Award: No. 5 in Best Cross-Country Ski Resort

Location: 4302 Bolton Valley Access Road, Bolton, VT

Topnotch Resort

Topnotch Resort, a luxury resort and spa located in the foothills of Mount Mansfield, ranked sixth for best ski hotel. Cozy, sophisticated rooms come together with beautiful gardens and a contemporary restaurant for a charming New England stay.

Along with skiing and snowboarding through the Stowe Mountain Resort, Topnotch has over 100 acres of activities like hiking, biking and horseback riding. Amenities include a spa, a fitness center, three pools, a tennis academy and seasonal activities.

Award: No. 6 in Best Ski Hotel

Location: 4000 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

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Vermont

We can be thankful for Vermont’s wild turkeys

Published

17 hours ago

November 23, 2024

Press Room

We can be thankful for Vermont’s wild turkeys

One of our native wildlife species historically played an important role on Thanksgiving Day. North America’s native wild turkeys were the ancestors of the Thanksgiving turkey on our dinner table.

Originally found only in the wild, turkeys now exist as meat-producing domesticated varieties — the broad breasted white, broad breasted bronze, white Holland, bourbon red, and a host of other breeds – all of them descended from our native wild turkey.

More than 140,000 servings of Vermont wild turkeys are harvested each year – that’s 140,000 servings of free-ranging, wild and sustainably harvested protein.

Wild turkeys exist throughout Vermont today, but that was not always the case. Wild turkeys disappeared from Vermont in the mid-to-late 1800s due to habitat destruction when land was cleared for farming and only 25 percent of the state was covered by forest.

The wild turkeys we see in Vermont today originated from just 31 wild turkeys stocked in Southwestern Vermont by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department in 1969 and 1970. Vermont’s forest habitat was once again capable of supporting turkeys. State wildlife biologists moved groups of these birds northward, and today Vermont’s population of turkeys is estimated at close to 50,000.

This is just one of many wildlife restoration success stories we can be thankful for in 2024. Funding for Vermont’s wild turkey restoration was derived from the sale of hunting licenses and a federal tax on hunting equipment.

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