Rutland County leaders roll up their sleeves

Vermont Business Magazine, Jun 01, 2005 by Barna, Ed

The town has also seen a new Vermont Structural Slate mill approved in the past year, and there is an effort under way, led by new owner David Nelson, to restore 4,000-square-foot Wilson and Grace Hall, on the third floor of an 1895 downtown building, for performances and other uses (at one point a semi-pro basketball team played there).

* West Rutland, which has spent $4 million upgrading its century-old water system. Marble Street's revitalization has continued with the rehabilitation of the industrial Kazon Building as a headquarters for Neighborworks of Western Vermont (the owner) and for residential use. Another example of the "creative economy," the town has benefited from the growth of The Carving Studio, an internationally known sculpture school and workplace at the end of Marble Street.

* Poultney, where Main Street is being enhanced by new streetlights, and where the abandoned Stonebridge Inn has been converted into usable space with the help of grant money. Several community organizations and a visitor center will occupy the 1808-vintage structure, which was donated to the town along with 4.4 acres after a serious fire in 1996.

When the story comes to Killington, the climate changes.

The Great Killington Raid

"It turned out to be a decent season," said Tom Horrocks, spokesman for the Killington Ski Area. "A lot of people were waiting to see what the snow was going to be like." He was upbeat about parent company American Skiing, whose stock has tumbled as its debt has risen, saying, "We're continuing to meet our budget for the year."

Around Killington, and all around New England, the second home market is very strong, Horrocks said. "A lot of people want to get out of cities," and home near the slopes can be place for a far-flung contemporary family to reunite. "Everybody has something to do when they arrive, " he said: skiing, boarding, sledding, skating, crosscountry - and forays down Route 4 into Rutland, visitingoriented businesses there are hoping.

But some of that energy may get soaked up by the slopeside village American Skiing plans for the Snowshed-Ram's Head base lodge area. Horrocks said groundbreaking should come next spring.

Not to overlook the basics, the ski area put $2 million into an advanced snowmaking system last year, Horrocks said, and this year it paid off. Many people don't realize there are different grades of artificial snow, which can be affected by things like the temperature of the water and the pressure in the hoses. "It's an incredible process," he said.

Around Killington, "there's a lot going on," Horrocks observed. In the tow office, they've been observing that a to has been going off, to Montpelier. The old hill farms may be gone, but the view of officials, backed by the voters at Tow Meetings, is that the local tourist econo my is being unfairly used as a cash cow.

It's an old sore point, but after Act 60' attempt to equalize school taxes and Act 68's problematic attempt to fix Act 60's shortcomings, the issue became heated and now has reached a full rolling boil Frustrated in all attempts to get redress from the Governor, Legislature or the courts, Killington is now seeking to return to the state from which it received its original charter in 1761: New Hampshire.