This Week’s News
Names lost in Vermont, Part 36: Wideawake, Morris, Brooks, and Smart
Over twenty-five years ago, after reading one of Christian Wideawake’s by-lines from the Rutland Herald, I commented to George Valley, “I wonder if Wideawake is a Native American surname?” George, raised in a Francophone family, did not speak English until he went to school. He said, “I bet it was Leveillé.”
Brandon SB discusses housing, grants, and historic trees
The Brandon Selectboard convened for its regular meeting on Monday evening.
OV Football wins big in playoffs, moves to state semis
Isaac Whitney had a huge game, gaining 180 yards and scoring 4 touchdowns to lead the Otter Valley football team to a 46–14 playoff win over rival Mill River Saturday night under the new lights at Markowski Field.
Labor of love (and horseshoes): Brandon resident restores historic blacksmith shop
Back in the days of the horse & buggy, the blacksmith shop was central to daily life. Horses needed shoes. Buggies needed wheels and springs. And all sorts of other household goods were forged by hand at the local smithy.
Photos of the Week
Sports
Devil’s Bowl Speedway gears up for 58th season
New England’s fastest dirt track is back for another year of jam-packed racing action this May. The 2024 season will be the historic half-mile’s 58th, the 13th under the supervision of Mike & Alayne Bruno and this season’s schedule is a blend of returning classics, new ideas and new renditions of the Bruno era events fans have come to love.
Isaac Whitney wins his 100th wrestling match
Otter Valley Union High School junior wrestler Isaac Whitney recently won his 100th match, reaching the milestone at a Feb. 3 tournament hosted by Monument Mountain High School in Great Barrington, Mass.
Shiffrin wins 6th Killington World Cup slalom
Mikaela “Miki” Shiffrin raced to perfection to win her 90th World Cup race, 55 of them in slalom.
Otters impress at Cross Country State Championships
High School runners from around Vermont gathered at Thetford Academy on Saturday for the State Cross Country Championships.
OV keeps Mill River to one touchdown in rainy Senior Game loss
Despite the dreary weather, OV Football celebrated the team’s seniors in a 0-1 game against Mill River.