Killington’s bear problem is getting out of hand

Mountain Times
September 20, 2017

Dear Editor,
Killington has an overabundance of bears this year — actually every year as I see it — but it’s getting worse and worse. Can we do something about it? Do we have to wait for someone or their pet to get mauled or killed? We see them in the dumpsters all summer long, even in the winter, and they shouldn’t even be out in the winter. Tuesday, a black bear literally got inside of my truck to eat a piece of fruit that was sitting in there. The big ones are now teaching the young ones how to eat from human food scraps, instead of foraging like they should be. They are now coming right outside of our windows, sniffing the air inside. I don’t even want to go out in the dark without a weapon. Please, be responsible with food scraps and dumpsters.
Dan Madden, Killington

 Comment: But, but, but.....the state Fish and Game officials say there isn't a bear problem. Yeah, right!

Fairy Tale Festival This Weekend

Fairy Tale Festival This Weekend

KILLINGTON – The Vermont Fairy Tale Festival: A Celebration of Vermont’s Public Libraries, will take place at Sherburne Memorial Library, 2998 River Road, in Killington, on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This first of its kind festival in Vermont is a celebration of Vermont’s public libraries. The festival is similar in structure and schedule to a Renaissance Faire, except every booth will feature a different fairy tale. Twenty public libraries have signed on to sponsor booths which range from the lesser known tales like Tam Lin, through traditional tales like Alice in Wonderland and Robin Hood, to more modern tales like Harry Potter. Families can visit each tale, learn the story, and create something to take home at each booth they visit. The event is free to the public with the donation of a non-perishable food item for the food bank or an item for the humane society. Costumes are encouraged and there will be characters available for photo opportunities throughout the day.

Killington Fire and Rescue along with the Killington Pico Rotary Club are our food vendors and we’ll have craft vendors from across New England on site selling all sorts

of fairy-like wares. The Vikings of Ullr are setting up an encampment and are doing fight demonstrations as well and interacting with the crowd. We are pleased to have two Vermont artists for the event, Lynn Spencer of West Berlin and Peter Gould of Killington, to encourage creativity as well as two professional storytellers, Simon Brooks and Norah Dooley, spinning wonderful tales throughout the day.

The event will be held rain or shine at the Sherburne Memorial Library in Killington, Vermont, and we hope to encourage visitors to become more aware of the wonderful services their own public libraries offer as we celebrate libraries, families and lifelong learning.

The event is sponsored by Casella Waste Management, Sherburne Friends of the Library and the Greater Killington Women’s Club.

For more information, please contact Jane Ramos, Library Director, at 802-422-9765 or director@sherburnelibrary.org.

For a list of participating libraries, check out the events pages at www. sherburnelibrary.org or visit us at Vermont Fairy Tale Festival on Facebook.

Region’s Newest School Board Sworn In

Vermont Standard
Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent

After more than two years of hard work, 18 directors were sworn in as part of the new Windsor Central Modified Unified Union School District, at a meeting in the Teagle Library at Woodstock Union High School/Middle School on Monday evening.

Most were very optimistic about the opportunities they believe the consolidation will provide for the children.

Vermont Agency of Education Secretary Rebecca Holcombe had asked State Senator Alison Clarkson to officiate, as she could not attend. Clarkson’s first job was to swear in the 18 representatives – two from each of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret and Reading, and six from Woodstock.

Clarkson then assisted in the directors’ election of Perrin Worrell, a director from Bridgewater, as temporary moderator. With Superintendent Mary Beth Banios’ help, Worrell orchestrated the election of Bridgewater’s Justin Shipman as permanent moderator, and Reading’s Tim Bishop as permanent clerk.

The first contested election inspired discussion over the position of permanent treasurer – both Richard Seaman, business manager for the Windsor Central Supervisory Union, and Calista Brennan, Clerk in Reading, were nominated. Discussion ensued over whether Brennan, who was absent from the meeting, or Seaman, who lives in New Hampshire and is not a resident voter in the new consolidated school district, could be elected,


and the vote was tabled until the next Board meeting.

New officers’ compensation brought more discussion. Paige Hiller, a Woodstock director, said historically, the clerk and moderator have not been compensated – only the treasurer is given a stipend as officer. The directors voted to set the moderator’s and clerk’s compensation at “zero,” and to table the Treasurer’s stipend decision until the next meeting.

“The only task for the treasurer before July 1,” Seaman commented, “would be to set up the list of accounts and file for tax identification numbers anyway.”

Compensation as directors was also set at “zero,” as compensation would be part of the 2018-2019 consolidated school budget sent to voters in March.


At left, Superintendent Mary Beth Banios is shown at Monday's meeting. Right, Sen. Alison Clarkson performs the swearing-in of the board members of the new WCMUUSD. Curt Peterson Photos
The group moved on to its first official Board meeting. Paige Hiller was elected chair, Jennifer Iannantuoni was elected vice-chair, and Tim Bishop was elected clerk. Rayna Bishop, Tim’s wife, volunteered to be uncompensated recording secretary until July.

Monthly meetings will take place after the regular WCSU meetings on the second Monday of each month, as most of the WCMUUSD directors also serve on the WCSU Board and would be present anyway.

The Board designated The Vermont Standard and The Mountain Times as their official newspapersof- record. Directors may repost notices anywhere else they think appropriate.

A name change was suggested to make talking about the consolidated district easier. Windsor Central School District, Windsor Central Unified District, and Windsor Central Unified School District were suggested. Everyone agreed a name change is a good idea, but the discussion was tabled for later consideration.

Dan French, professor at St. Michael’s College and a consultant, will make a presentation called, “We’ve Merged – Now What?”


at a special meeting to be arranged. The WCSU has money funding for the program, Banios said.

As for budgets, each local district will produce its individual budget, Hiller explained, and the WCMUUSD Board will combine those budgets into one unified submission for voters in all the participating towns.

A “Special Meeting” was then convened to discuss a proposal made by the Pittsfield School District to the WCSU – they wanted to know if the WCMUUSD would entertain a “3 by 1” arrangement with them. In this arrangement Pittsfield would remain an independent school district, but would cooperate with the WCMUUSD for purchasing and policy.

Iannantuoni pointed out that Pittsfield has no actual school and merely pays tuition wherever students go, and that all but one or two of their students attend Woodstock schools – about 100 in all. But the town does not want to give up “school choice.”

The directors haven’t received a written proposal from Pittsfield, and no one from Pittsfield was present to discuss the issue. They asked Banios to let Pittsfield know the WCMUUSD “would welcome a written proposal and would act on it as quickly as possible to assist in their meeting state deadlines.”

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Killington Voters OK Site Purchase

Vermont Standard
by Curt Peterson
Standard Correspondent


KILLINGTON – Voters at a town of Killington special meeting Tuesday, Sept. 5, approved a $634,000 bond issue to finance purchase of a new site for the Killington Fire and Rescue (KFR) Public Safety Building, by a ballot of 102 to 84.

According to resident Vito Rasenas, who publishes a blog called “As the Ski Turns” about Killington issues, and who serves on the Fire Department Facility Review Committee, the search for a new site has been going on almost three years and involved site visits of 13 properties.

The property chosen by the committee is 4 plus acres on Killington Road, just north of The Woods Resort and Spa at 405 Killington Road, and across from Peppino’s Ristorante Italiano.

“After all was said and done,” Rasenas wrote on August 30 promoting the purchase, “the site we chose was the most cost effective when combined land and development costs were considered.”

Other sites were rejected for various reasons – too much site work required, natural obstacles, steep slopes, not enough land, or, importantly, lacking easy access to either Killington Road or Rte. 4, Rasenas explained. Response time requirements dictated the appropriate location.

“No one can dispute the current firehouse needs to be replaced,” Rasenas wrote, citing Americans with Disabilities Act compliance problems, substandard fire and building code issues, zoning ordinance violations regarding set-backs and insufficient on-site parking.

A feasibility study by engineers Dore and Whittier deemed the building “structurally inadequate,” citing floor loading as a major issue.

According to a PowerPoint presentation used at the August 31 informational meeting, the original part of the firehouse, which is owned by KFR, was built in 1974, with two later additions, on just .68 acres on Killington Road.

“As much as the volunteers have done to keep up the current firehouse, you can only do so much to ‘perfume the pig’,” Rasenas posted.

The PowerPoint says the state has only allowed the facility to continue in use because Killington has been seeking a solution through purchase of a new site.

Not everyone in Killington agrees with Mr. Rasenas, as shown by the strong showing – 45 percent – among voters who wanted to turn down the bond issue proposal.

Rasenas alludes to two major objectors’ issues – site choice and finances. He said people have claimed there are “better deals” that could have been found, but he said no one has produced one when challenged.

As far as finances are concerned, the blogger said, “Analyses have been done which reflect that the current budget projections can absorb the cost of the project with no net effect going forward on budget or taxes.”

Town Manager Deborah Schwartz confirms this is true, as described in the PowerPoint. The bond includes $525,000 for the cost of the land and some pre-sale site work worth $20,000, engineering and design costs of $21,500, and architectural fees of $87,500.

Rasenas says upcoming retirement of significant town debt and growth in tax revenue is a result of the successful four-season destination efforts by Killington Resort and others mean financing the land purchase and the new Public Safety Facility will be accomplished comfortably by taxpayers.

Schwartz said Rasenas’ statement is accurate. “This means no net effect on town capital budget and debt service allocations,” as the PowerPoint says.

A vote on building the actual new Public Services Facility could take place at the 2018 Town Meeting, Schwartz added.

Ken Lee resigns from Killington Select Board

Ken Lee resigned from the Killington Selectboard last night. He cited the sale of his home and moving out of town as the reasons. The Select Board will have to appoint a replacement. Town officials held  a staff meeting to field suggestions from staff for replacement candidates.

The results of the Town of Killington's Special Town Meeting of September 5, 2017 are as follows:

ARTICLE 1. Shall the bonds of the Town of Killington in an amount not to exceed $634,000 be issued for the purpose of purchasing 4+/- acres of land on Killington Road, and obtaining architectural and engineering design for the construction of a new Public Safety Building for the Town of Killington?

102 - Yes
  84 - No

186 - Total Votes Cast 

Article 1 - PASSED