KMS embarks on major fundraiser for new training venue

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | July 30,2013

Rutland Herald

 

Image provided

A conceptual drawing shows Killington Mountain School’s proposed projectto create a space for students to practice racing, moguls, snowboarding and free-skiing.

KILLINGTON — Killington Mountain School has begun an ambitious fundraising campaign to create a world-class competition and training venue.

The accredited school — with alumni who include Olympians and a U.S. National Freestyle champion — is planning a three-phase, $1.25 million project to create a space for students to practice racing, moguls, snowboarding and free-skiing disciplines.

KMS hopes to break ground on the first phase in September, but the clock is ticking for the school to raise the funds.

This month, the school announced it has received a $275,000 gift toward the project from an anonymous donor. The donation represents one-half of the projected $550,000 budget for the first phase.

The donation also represents a challenge to school officials, alumni and supporters: KMS has until Aug. 30 to raise the remaining $275,000.

“We’re about 2 weeks into our pledging period and we’ve received $75,000 in pledges,” said Tao Smith, head of school at KMS. “The largest amount of solicitations have been made and now we’re just waiting to hear back.”

Smith said his school is targeting donors who are capable — and hopefully willing — to give between $5,000 and $25,000.

“We have a lot of people sending in donations of $100 to $200, which we appreciate, but we don’t have enough time to reach our goal with those size donations,” Smith said.

The first phase of the project involves cutting a new, 220-meter mogul course and making improvements to the Highline racing trail. The improvements will include widening the trail to meet modern competition standards.

“The trails our kids are on were cut 40, 50 and 60 years ago, and a lot has changed since then,” Smith said. “A lot of venues have had to modernize their trails to keep up with upgrades in technology and increases in speed.”

The second phase of the project, which is scheduled to open in 2015, will include buildings at the starting and finishing lines, lights and a lift. With the current lift system, students can make three runs an hour. With the new lift, Smith said, they will be able to make five or six runs in an hour.

Phase III — to be completed in 2016 — will make improvements to snowmaking equipment.

For more information about the project, or to make a donation, visit www.killingtonmountainschool.org/trailsinitiative.

josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com

 

Comment: 

It's good to see this effort and the revival of the Trike Rice by Chris Carr. These private efforts are what needs to be done to promote business activity in our town as opposed to using tax dollars. It's nice to see these businesses helping htemselves.

There are major budget considerations coming up in the near future, 3.5 million in road improvements and 1 -2 million for the GMNGC sprinkler system.  Spending taxpayers money on so called economic development schemes that benefit only a handful of businesses is simply not justifiable with these looming expenses.

Killington historians look to create museum

By Josh O’Gorman
STAF WRITER | July 18,2013

Rutland Herald

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KILLINGTON — The Sherburne Historians are looking for support from the town to restore the former teen center and turn it into a museum.

Peggy Mowle, president of the Sherburne Historians, pitched her case to the Select Board during their meeting Monday night.

“We would like to correct the foundation this year, if possible,” Mowle told the Board. “We would like the town to help us with it. We could put it to a town vote next spring and see what the town would like to do.”

The building was built sometime in the 19th century — records are unclear regarding the exact year — in West Bridgewater. At some point during the latter half of the 20th century, the town bought the building for $10 and paid another $40 to move it to its current location, across River Road from the Sherburne Memorial Library.

The building was home to the town library, and later the Killington Teen Center, which has been inactive for at least the last three years. In 2011, flooding from Tropical Storm Irene damaged the building.

The most immediate concern is the state of the foundation, which is cracked and takes on water flowing down the hill behind it. A report from the McKernon Group — a construction company based in Brandon — estimated the cost to repair the foundation at $24,000.

The town has $10,000 left in flood insurance money from Tropical Storm Irene, which must be spent this year. By coincidence, the town has received an estimate of $10,000 to demolish the building, a move not supported by Select Board Chairman Chris Bianchi, who said he would prefer to use the remaining insurance money to repair the structure.

He also supported the idea of putting the issue to voters during town meeting in March.

“I would support putting an article on the ballot asking voters to spend money on the building and see if they want to do it,” Bianchi said.

In the short term, Mowle asked if the town’s maintenance crew could use its personnel and equipment to cut drains into the earth around the building to mitigate flooding.

Chet Hagenbarth, director of the town’s highway and facilities department, said his crew is up to the job.

“Spending a few days putting in a drain would not be a huge issue,” Hagenbarth said.

josh.ogorman

@rutlandherald.com

 

 

Comment: This is very interesting. Earlier in the year the Historical Society stated it would find other means than taxpayer money to fund the rehab of this building. Now the town is going to spend a few days of the road crew (which is already asking for overbudget money for several projects)putting a bandaid on the property and have a referendum on whether the town should take on the additional costs of the rehab.

The historical society has been offered space in Bill's Country Store for their needs yet insists on putting this is front of the voters. 

Is there anyone around who went to this schollhouse. Why is there no more than cursory provenance on this building? What is its claim to fame beyond its decreptitude? What is its historical significance?

If I remember correctly initial estimates of the total rehab was in the hundreds of thousands. Is it really worth it or are political settlements being made from the last election?

 

Vito

Fiber-optic cable to boost Internet speed

By Josh O’Gorman
STAFF WRITER | July 05,2013

Rutland Herald

 

KILLINGTON — Residents and business owners will soon receive the same fast Internet as some other nearby towns.

By a unanimous vote this week, the Select Board approved an underground dig permit for the Vermont Telephone Co., or VTel, to bury fiber-optic cable around town.

“The goal is to provide every home and business a fiber connection for telephone, Internet and IP (Internet protocol) television if desired,” said Town Manager Seth Webb.

Bill Hinckley, senior project controls manager for VTel, apprised the board of his company’s plans.

According to Hinckley, VTel will replace existing copper wire with fiber, which allows electricity carrying telephone, Internet and television signals to travel much faster and at a greater volume than through a copper digital subscriber line (DSL).

“DSL, as you know, is very slow compared to fiber-optic service,” Hinckley said.

The utility says fiber optic is about 40 times as fast as DSL. VTel is rolling out the fiber improvements and has so far upgraded connections in Springfield, North Springfield and Middletown Springs. As with the upgrades in those towns, an engineer working for VTEL will — as Hinckley put it — “walk every foot” of the proposed work with the town’s road foreman to identify any conflicts between VTel’s project and road maintenance.

The fiber upgrade will be done at no expense to the town, with the money coming from federal stimulus money and capital investment by VTel. Under the conditions of the permit, VTel will return all roads to their original condition, and should the town decide to widen or relocate a road, VTel will relocate the fiber cable.

Hinckley said the upgraded service won’t raise customers’ rates.

“If you have telephone today, you’ll have telephone tomorrow with no change to your bill,” he said. “If you have a telephone and DSL, you’ll have telephone and fiber optic at no extra charge.”

In addition to telephone and Internet, some VTel customers will also be able to use their Internet connections to watch television. VTel is currently testing its IP television service, which offers more than 500 channels.

“From what I’ve seen so far, it’s a great, clear picture. There’s no delay in changing channels like there is with Comcast,” said Hinckley, who told the Select Board the television service would be priced to compete with cable company Comcast and satellite television providers Dish Network and DIRECTV.

VTel is expected to complete its main line work by the end of October and will make making connections to homes and businesses throughout the winter.

josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com