Stories by Randolph T. Holhut

Issue of Jan 19, 2022 (#647)


• BF boys slam shorthanded Wildcats
• College offers a landing spot for Afghan refugees: SIT/World Learning campus becomes a temporary home for evacuees as they begin resettlement process in U.S.

Issue of Jan 12, 2022 (#646)


• Colonel girls snap Windsor’s win streak
• ‘Our democracy is in jeopardy’: Vigil marks a year since the U.S. Capitol insurrection and shines light on need for federal voting reforms
• Vermont launches Tests for Tots program, providing rapid Covid tests for child-care providers

Issue of Jan 5, 2022 (#645)


• Brattleboro boys off to slow start on the ice
• Vermont sets new highs for COVID-19 cases: State still has adequate space in its hospitals for patients; nearly half of 5-to-11-year-olds fully vaxxed

Issue of Dec 22, 2021 (#644)


• Twin Valley boys lose twice in GM Tourney

Issue of Dec 15, 2021 (#643)


• Colonel girls top Rebels at Tip-Off tourney
• Writing from experience: Brattleboro Police Capt. Mark Carignan draws upon his 25 years in law enforcement to debut as a crime novelist

Issue of Dec 8, 2021 (#642)


• In Dummerston, big plans for an old ski area: A brewery and distillery may be the next use for the former Maple Valley Ski Area — but not skiing
• High school winter sports start Dec. 10 in Vermont

Issue of Dec 1, 2021 (#641)


• BF players lead South squad to win in North-South all-star game, 39-35
• Brattleboro reinstates mandate for masks indoors: As COVID-19 cases continue to rise and a new Omicron variant looms on horizon, the town becomes first in Vermont to adopt mask requirements as now permitted by a new state law

Issue of Nov 24, 2021 (#640)


• SVL names soccer, field hockey all-star teams
• Housing in Brattleboro: Not enough, and too expensive: Town’s housing needs assessment process seeks solutions to a longstanding problem

Issue of Nov 17, 2021 (#639)


• For one nonprofit, decision to leave Facebook is not complicated: Retreat Farm walks away from the social media platform to ‘prioritize authentic relationships’
• Terriers complete unbeaten season with a state football championship: Bellows Falls wins 12th title since 1971 with 57-35 defeat of Mount Anthony

Issue of Nov 10, 2021 (#638)


• Terriers play for state football title: BF field hockey, Leland & Gray girls’ soccer fall short in their championship games

Issue of Nov 3, 2021 (#637)


• Vikings pillage Colonels, 44-26: BF football, field hockey both reach semifinals
• Welcoming the newest Vermonters: Ahead of the arrival of Afghan families, community celebrates opening of refugee resettlement center in Brattleboro

Issue of Oct 27, 2021 (#636)


• A centennial celebration: Harris Hill Ski Jump turns 100 in 2022, and three who know the hill well tell why it is such a special event
• Wildcat boys edge Rebels in wild overtime finale: BF football, field hockey finish regular season undefeated as playoffs begin

Issue of Oct 20, 2021 (#635)


• Construction management firm wins VBSR award: HELM Construction Solutions follows ‘triple bottom line’ of planet, people, and prosperity while helping to break gender barriers in the trades
• GM’s Everett Mosher joins the 100-goal club
• A history told by nature: New trail offers hikers a guided tour of the ecology of the West River, told through the eyes of the Abenaki people

Issue of Oct 13, 2021 (#634)


• ‘There’s a good vibe here’: Outgoing Brattleboro Memorial Hospital president and CEO Steve Gordon reflects on a decade of change
• Who can stop Terriers as they soar through the season?

Issue of Oct 6, 2021 (#633)


• Lt. governor, legislative leaders look beyond Montpelier: As part of a statewide listening tour, Gray, Krowinski, and Balint seek the view from on the ground — and to get ideas for how the state might use a $2.7 billion surge of federal funding
• Colonels’ field hockey picks up its first two wins
• Serving his hometown: Steve Barrett, who will retire in December as DPW director, reflects on 47 years of working for Brattleboro

Issue of Sep 29, 2021 (#632)


• Vermont Yankee: Going, going...: ...but not quite gone yet, as NorthStar describes decommissioning project as on schedule and on budget
• Colonels reliquish Elwell Trophy to MAU

Issue of Sep 22, 2021 (#631)


• For 60 years, Vermonters look beyond Vermont: Windham World Affairs Council celebrates a six-decade legacy of global engagement and Vermonters on the international stage bringing ‘the truth of the world’ back home to Windham County
• BF girls win Pickering Invitational meet
• The power of a name: Replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial draws thousands to Brattleboro for remembrance and closure

Issue of Sep 15, 2021 (#630)


• Major work begins on Route 9: East-west highway between West Brattleboro and Wilmington will get improved drainage, pavement in $28M project
• Windham votes to close school: Revote likely as concerns grow about whether students will have a place to go in 2022-23
• Colonels lose a close one to Lyndon, 21-20

Issue of Sep 8, 2021 (#629)


• Terriers run over Colonels in football opener
• Sanders pushes progressive priorities during speech in Brattleboro: Outdoor ‘town meeting’ draws 500 to hear U.S. senator on statewide tour to advocate for $3.5 trillion budget plan

Issue of Sep 1, 2021 (#628)


• Vermont schools deal with shortage of sports officials
• Brattleboro’s mask mandate nixed by state: Citing high vaccination rate and low Covid caseload, Scott administration declines approval of ordinance; mask requirement stands in municipal buildings
• ‘Moving Wall’ coming soon to Brattleboro: Replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial arrives Sept. 16

Issue of Aug 25, 2021 (#627)


• Retreat Farm primed for $3M in federal funds: Money earmarked for nonprofit in U.S. budget would purchase a cheese warehouse and store and establish facilities for local, artisanal cheese producers, creating a food center that could stabilize the markets for small dairies
• Kindred spirits: Lithuania’s ambassador to the U.S. visits Vermont in hopes of forging closer economic ties between two places with some similar challenges
• How soon will normal come?: As a third school year touched by COVID-19 begins, it’s time to think about the impact of the pandemic on students

Issue of Aug 18, 2021 (#626)


• Brattleboro Ski Hill begins fundraising push: Unexpected expenses prompt early effort to prepare for 2021-22 season
• COVID-19 is not yet done with Vermont: After a summer of freedom, the state tries to hold down infections from Delta variant

Issue of Aug 11, 2021 (#625)


• Softball for a cause: Tourney seeks to raise funds for Wilmington boy with rare genetic disease

Issue of Aug 4, 2021 (#624)


• Post 5 falls to Essex in state Legion finals

Issue of Jul 28, 2021 (#623)


• Brattleboro Post 5 first in Southern Division

Issue of Jul 21, 2021 (#622)


• Brattleboro 11-U team wins Little League district tournament
• Vermont celebrates the return of passenger trains: In Bellows Falls, a celebration and a $1 ride to Brattleboro

Issue of Jul 14, 2021 (#621)


• Festivities to mark return of Amtrak trains: Every station in Vermont will stage a celebration
• Little League district playoffs begin for Brattleboro teams
• DMV will reopen Dummerston office on Aug. 2: Mrowicki says citizen outcry influenced the Scott administration’s change of heart on its original plans to close satellite offices permanently

Issue of Jul 7, 2021 (#620)


• Rain, rain, and more rain disrupts Legion season

Issue of Jun 30, 2021 (#619)


• Post 5 sweeps Lakes Region in home opener
• Dummerston DMV office could remain closed: Shuttered since March 2020, Windham County’s only office may be a casualty of pandemic

Issue of Jun 23, 2021 (#618)


• Local athletes compete in state decathlon

Issue of Jun 16, 2021 (#617)


• Summer baseball season set to resume
• Vermont hits vaccination goal: Restrictions, state of emergency end after more than 80 percent of Vermonters get their COVID-19 vaccine

Issue of Jun 9, 2021 (#616)


• Colonels reach baseball semifinals
• Clinicians: Tele-health is here to stay: Hospital hopes more people will use the service for routine visits, highlighting yet another example of the need for broadband
• Welch hears front-line responders recount successes amid pandemic turmoil: Local providers tell the U.S. representative how the most vulnerable populations got the help they needed during the pandemic — and what federal resources they could use for the next leg of the journey
• Receiver sells bakery assets to Georgia firm: Would-be buyers can petition court to stop sale; Vermont Bread workers may get back pay, but their jobs are in limbo

Issue of Jun 2, 2021 (#615)


• Colonels look strong as baseball playoffs begin
• Canadian bakery says it will buy Koffee Kup, Vermont Bread: New owners say they hope to quickly restart operations in Brattleboro, Burlington
• Heroes remembered, and a call to defend liberty: At Memorial Day service, Costello says we must protect the ideals of our nation from new threats

Issue of May 26, 2021 (#614)


• Play on: Rebels come together to honor the memory of a classmate lost too soon
• COVID-19 cases fall as more get the vaccine: Scott pledges to immediately lift restrictions when vaccination rate hits 80 percent

Issue of May 19, 2021 (#613)


• Library gets seed money to grow a better world: Westminster West Public Library plans initiative to promote a healthier planet
• In Ultimate, the game is the thing: Bellows Falls, Brattleboro build from the ground up in the most laid-back of spring sports
• Brattleboro to maintain mask mandate: Changes in state, federal guidance for masks come along with an accelerated schedule for reopening Vermont; governor credits vaccination policy

Issue of May 12, 2021 (#612)


• With big win, Colonel softballers come of age
• Walk in, ride out: Brooks Memorial Library will now lend e-bikes, thanks to organizations hoping to get people to change the way they think about transportation and community

Issue of May 5, 2021 (#611)


• A win for Jada: After the sudden death of a teammate, Terriers dedicate the remainder of season to Jada Spaulding
• Everyone Eats! serves its one millionth meal: The local program — later expanded to 14 counties statewide — has kept restaurants alive and kept a community fed during the pandemic
• Class-action lawsuit hits Vermont Bread Company: Plaintiff asserts that the plant closing violated federal labor laws for giving insufficient notice to 91 workers

Issue of Apr 28, 2021 (#610)


• Colonels come up short in lacrosse doubleheader
• Vermont Bread Co. closes with no warning: Brattleboro plant employed 91 people; shutdown takes place less than a month after investment group’s purchase of the bakery

Issue of Apr 21, 2021 (#609)


• Four local players selected for Shrine team
• Green Up Day set for Saturday, May 1: Annual statewide volunteer effort will clean up more than 13,000 miles of town roads in Vermont
• Moving Wall plans are once again in motion: Veterans resume fundraising efforts to bring Vietnam memorial to Brattleboro

Issue of Apr 14, 2021 (#608)


• Federal money provides lifeline to libraries: Sanders touts $2 million in federal aid, but library directors in Vermont say even more aid is needed to meet new demands
• Amtrak service in Vermont resumes in July: Passenger train lines have been stopped since COVID shutdowns last year
• Local winter athletes receive All-Star honors

Issue of Apr 7, 2021 (#607)


• Schools get ready for this spring’s sports season

Issue of Mar 31, 2021 (#606)


• By imagining the unimaginable, area hospitals avoided disaster: Local hospitals scrambled to get ready for COVID-19, prepared for the worst, and learned some lessons in the process
• Colonels named to SVL Nordic all-star teams
• Will Amtrak be back in Vermont this summer?: State officials drop some hints but have not yet set a firm reopening date

Issue of Mar 24, 2021 (#605)


• Toughest foe in high school playoffs? COVID-19.
• Governor says all adults should get vaccine by July 1: More than 31 percent of Vermont adults — about 171,000 — have received at least one dose

Issue of Mar 17, 2021 (#604)


• BUHS boys’ basketball celebrates Senior Night with win over MAU

Issue of Mar 10, 2021 (#603)


• Defense provides wins for Rebels, Colonels girls

Issue of Mar 3, 2021 (#602)


• VPA announces high school playoff schedule
• Pandemic makes for a Town Meeting Day like no other: COVID-19 concerns temporarily upend traditional meetings in most Vermont towns

Issue of Feb 24, 2021 (#601)


• Colonels, MAU battle for SVL nordic skiing title

Issue of Feb 17, 2021 (#600)


• Winter season finally begins for basketball and hockey

Issue of Feb 10, 2021 (#599)


• High school skiers get some company: Basketball, hockey teams in Vermont get ready to start season
• More vaccine doses are on their way for Vermonters: State says more than 10 percent of state population have received at least one COVID-19 shot

Issue of Jan 27, 2021 (#597)


• Chamber gives collective kudos: Person of the Year award goes to all of Brattleboro for helping the town get through COVID-19 pandemic

Issue of Jan 20, 2021 (#596)


• Will 2021 be a better year for Vt. economy?: Officials in charge of the state’s response to the pandemic offer cautious optimism in Vermont Chamber of Commerce webinar

Issue of Jan 13, 2021 (#595)


• How the GOP died : In two recent books, a scholar probes the descent of the Republican Party. It didn’t all start with President Donald J. Trump, and it will not end when he slinks back into private life.
• Making progress: Health Department says that the 49,000 Vermonters older than 75 should expect to see COVID-19 vaccines by the end of January or the beginning of February

Issue of Jan 6, 2021 (#594)


• Vt. high schools will resume play

Issue of Dec 23, 2020 (#593)


• New cell tower boosts service in Marlboro: Tower part of federal program to improve communications capacity for first responders

Issue of Dec 16, 2020 (#592)


• Relicensing for Conn. River dams enters final stages: Great River Hydro, FirstLight submit applications to feds; river advocates give them mixed reviews
• ‘A generational opportunity’: Green Mountain Conservancy seeks to purchase land in West River Valley for a wildlife preserve — a plan that would add 626 acres of semi-wilderness to the Deer Run Nature Preserve in Dummerston, Brookline, and Newfane
• Vermont primed for arrival of COVID-19 vaccine: First doses of Pfizer-Biontech should arrive in the state this week, with some vaccinations set for Dec. 21

Issue of Dec 9, 2020 (#591)


• On the waterfront: Despite pandemic’s shadow, Brattleboro’s downtown riverfront development projects are slowly moving forward

Issue of Dec 2, 2020 (#590)


• Dummerston considers changes to Town Meeting: Board seeks citizen reaction to the possibility of using an Australian ballot, which would suppress the spread of coronavirus but eliminate the usual in-person procedures for amendments
• Two recent COVID-19 deaths in county: The state recorded 11 deaths from coronavirus complications in November. Meanwhile, public health officials brace for an even steeper rise in cases as colder weather drives public indoors and a fatigued public lets down its guard.

Issue of Nov 25, 2020 (#589)


• Amtrak plans new station for Brattleboro : Proposed building would be ADA-compliant, with changes to platform and track
• Two nonprofits plan new housing project in West B: Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, Groundworks Collaborative launch new permanent supportive housing community at former Dalem’s Chalet

Issue of Nov 18, 2020 (#588)


• National Ski Patrol honors Nick Collins for more than seven decades of service
• State grapples with renewed wave of coronavirus infections, COVID-19 cases: To keep schools and businesses open, Vermont restricts small gatherings, tightens travel guidelines

Issue of Nov 11, 2020 (#587)


• Twin Valley repeats as boys’ soccer champs
• After the vote: Post-election vigils call for fair and complete count of all ballots — and, ultimately, a peaceful transition of power — in the aftermath of a contentious national presidential election

Issue of Nov 4, 2020 (#586)


• Terrier girls win state titles in field hockey, cross-country
• State officials: now’s no time for ‘COVID fatigue’: Vermonters have consistently been praised for diligence at keeping the coronavirus at bay. Meanwhile, amid several high-profile outbreaks, data show that those good habits are slipping.
• Scott clinches third term as Democrats sweep rest of statewide ballot: Gray wins lieutenant governor race; county incumbents hold their seats

Issue of Oct 28, 2020 (#585)


• The COVID-19 battle enters a new stage: Vermont has been a leader in controlling the spread of coronavirus. But as cases rise in the state and the rest the nation, will that status hold?
• Patriots rally to top Colonels, 34-31

Issue of Oct 21, 2020 (#584)


• Colonels sweep Terriers on gridiron
• Proclamation for a Putney icon : Curtis Tuff surprised by lawmakers honoring his more than five decades of making world-acclaimed barbecue
• Harris Hill competition cancelled over health concerns: Pandemic prompts organizers to kill the annual ski-jump contest and turn attention to celebrating the event’s centennial in 2022

Issue of Oct 14, 2020 (#583)


• Terriers field hockey off to another great start
• Candidates swarm to the state ballot for general election: Independents, Republicans offer challenges to incumbents in several local legislative races

Issue of Oct 7, 2020 (#582)


• Colonels lose home football opener to Windsor
• Dummerston puts its apple pies on wheels: With apple fest canceled due to COVID-19, church plans drive-in pie sale

Issue of Sep 30, 2020 (#581)


• A winning start for Colonels as fall season begins

Issue of Sep 23, 2020 (#580)


• Everyone Eats becomes model for state program: COVID-19 stimulus funding will subsidize multiple regional food distribution hubs through December
• State loosens COVID-19 order for hospitality: Bars get OK from state to reopen; hotels can run at full capacity

Issue of Sep 9, 2020 (#578)


• Vermonters wait for return of train routes: Rail advocates say the state has the money, but not the will, to resume Amtrak service to the state
• Senior bowling kicks off a COVID-tized fall sports season

Issue of Sep 2, 2020 (#577)


• Brattleboro skatepark nears completion: A nearly 15-year saga is almost over; park now set to open in October

Issue of Aug 26, 2020 (#576)


• Moving Wall visit to area postponed: Organizers now plan for the half-size replica of Vietnam Veterans Memorial to come to Brattleboro in 2021

Issue of Aug 19, 2020 (#575)


• Schools make plans for sports to resume this fall: The goal? To give students a chance to play safely, despite the shadow of COVID-19.

Issue of Aug 12, 2020 (#574)


• A record primary turnout in Vermont: By mail, by car, or in person, voters flood the polls
• Zuckerman, Gray win in Democratic races; Scott, Milne prevail in GOP primaries: Mrowicki, Bos-Lun take Windham-4; Goldman, Partridge win in Windham-3

Issue of Aug 5, 2020 (#573)


• Governor’s seat attracts 11 candidates in state primaries: Four Republicans, four Democrats, and two Progressives, all running in their respective gubernatorial party primaries, believe they have a shot at unseating an incumbent governor seeking re-election

Issue of Jul 29, 2020 (#572)


• A wide-open race for lieutenant governor: Multiple candidates will face off in Aug. 11 primary election

Issue of Jul 22, 2020 (#571)


• Crowded field emerges for Windham-4: Five candidates vie for two seats to represent Putney, Dummerston, Westminster
• Dems debate: House candidates in two contested primaries take part in online forums
• Three-way race in Windham-3: Partridge, Tully seek to stay in House; newcomer Goldman looks for a seat

Issue of Jul 15, 2020 (#570)


• COVID-19 crimps political campaign process : With primary election looming and early voting underway, candidates eager to introduce themselves to potential voters must adapt to a socially distant world — one cut off from handshakes, door knocking, or parades

Issue of Jun 10, 2020 (#565)


• Slow Living Conference keynoter urges faster climate response: At the Slow Living Summit — taking place via videoconferencing this year — veteran environmental activist Bill McKibben discusses the non-negotiability of reality

Issue of Jun 3, 2020 (#564)


• Getting back to the garden: Plenty of support is out there for people who want to grow some of their food

Issue of May 27, 2020 (#563)


• Green Up Day turns 50 on May 30: Vermont’s largest one-day volunteer effort was delayed by COVID-19
• A subdued, but powerful, tribute: American Legion Post 5 finds a way to honor the fallen on a Memorial Day in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic

Issue of May 20, 2020 (#562)


• Rolling party marks Dummerston man’s 90th: Friends and neighbors surprise Don Hazelton with an impromptu parade for his birthday

Issue of May 13, 2020 (#561)


• Democratic candidates hold first gubernatorial debate online: Holcombe, Winburn, and Zuckerman make case to Windham County audience

Issue of Apr 29, 2020 (#559)


• It takes a village to feed a village: With help from the community, local chef produces free takeout meals for those who need them

Issue of Apr 22, 2020 (#558)


• A crisis brings new thinking, possibilities for Strolling of the Heifers: New executive director looks ahead to post-pandemic future for nonprofit

Issue of Mar 18, 2020 (#553)


• VPA postpones spring high school sports season

Issue of Mar 11, 2020 (#552)


• Twin Valley falls short of state championship: Proctor wins Division IV boys’ basketball championship game in Barre
• Throughout the county, some contested races: Voters choose town officials during recent town elections, despite one town lacking candidates

Issue of Mar 4, 2020 (#551)


• Colonels skate into hockey quarterfinals
• Brattleboro voters reject nonbinding mayoral question: Quipp, Goodnow, McLoughlin elected to Selectboard

Issue of Feb 26, 2020 (#550)


• Colonel boys win state nordic skiing title
• Long-shot candidate seeks goal: the Democratic nomination: Mark Stewart, a recurring third-party candidate and a hockey activist, says he’s a ‘small l’ libertarian alternative to Bernie Sanders — and he owes his appearance on the Vermont ballot to Brattleboro

Issue of Feb 19, 2020 (#549)


• Pavlic wins Harris Hill Ski Jump for third time

Issue of Feb 12, 2020 (#548)


• BF girls’ win streak ends at nine

Issue of Feb 5, 2020 (#547)


• Annual Harris Hill Ski Jump set for Feb. 15, 16
• Brattleboro police respond to surge in car break-ins : Theft from vehicles more than doubled in fourth quarter of 2019, compared to same time period a year earlier
• Stroll founder retires — this time, for real: Orly Munzing honored for 16-year effort that turned a spontaneous cow parade into a full-fledged agricultural nonprofit

Issue of Jan 29, 2020 (#546)


• BF boys: hard-nosed defense, patient offense
• Chamber honors couple for their volunteer efforts: DeGray and Galanes recognized for community service in Brattleboro, from flowers to civic engagement
• ‘The one place where everything was whole’: With the renovation of her childhood home, a daughter pays homage to a family who lived in the public eye — where ‘the greatest hitter who ever lived fell in love with Miss Vermont’

Issue of Jan 22, 2020 (#545)


• Dismantling the lie: At MLK Day service, town’s new diversity consultant talks about how the town must confront the structures that reinforce racism
• Colonel boys start to roll at midpoint of hoops season
• A race against time: Climate activist Bill McKibben urges Hilltop Montessori students to keep up their urgent fight for a livable planet

Issue of Jan 15, 2020 (#544)


• BF girls get first win of season over Twin Valley
• Retreat, state step back from the brink: Downsizing is still on the table as governor calls psychiatric hospital ‘too critical for us to let fail’ and BMH president says services are essential

Issue of Jan 8, 2020 (#543)


• Colonel girls keep improving on the ice

Issue of Jan 1, 2020 (#542)


• Colonel boys stop Wolves in OT