By Courtney Parker and Molly DeMellier 

The Board of Civil Authorities met April 8 to discuss moving the town’s polling place from The Fine Art’s Center at Castleton State College to The American Legion on Route 4A West. 

The controversy over the current location is centered around the lack of parking spaces available and the inconvenience it presents for the elderly and handicapped voters.

However, recent Front Porch Forum posts and other rustlings around town equate the proposed move to an attempt to discourage college voters.

“We have never had any complaints about people having trouble getting to the polls,” said Town Clerk Katy Thornblade. “People did approach me and say they were concerned about students voting on town issues.”

In retrospect, Thornblade added that she could see where the argument for lack of quality parking could be made and she does not wish to deny the elderly and handicap their right to vote.

“I can’t disagree that the handicap spots are far away,” she said.

Though the board did not come to final decision yet, Thornblade and fellow member John Hale are in agreement that local parties are seeking to make a move as quickly as possible.

“There is a big push to make the change happen right away before the next vote,” Hale said.

The next town vote is expected to be a proposed plan for a new fire station presented by the Select Board in the near future.

“I’m not feeling resistant to moving before the next vote, but I just want to do it in the correct way,” Thornblade said.

While the relocation of the town’s polling location may be more convenient for some, Castleton State College students who vote in town elections are skeptical of the decision. 

Junior James McCormick has voted in several Castleton town elections and feels the decision to relocate is misguided.

“As a student, I feel tension between myself and non-student members of Castleton,” he said of the relationship between the town and CSC students. 

Originally from Essex Junction, McCormick views becoming a part of the town he lives in as a top priority and sees voting as the easiest opportunity to get involved. 

While moving the voting location off campus would discourage him personally from voting, he believes students should stand up for their right to participate in town matters. 

“I think it’s important for students to participate in town elections,” he said.  “We pay tuition to attend college in this town and we pay to reside in this town either on or off campus for the school year and potentially the summer.”

Though another town meeting on the subject has not yet been set, the board hopes to address the issue in the near future.   

By Rebecca Roe

Lauren Fedorka smiles, eager to bring sunshine to people’s day. She hops out of the car and walks with a bounce to the front door of a Castleton home.

As Fedorka strolls up to the doorway with a meal in hand, an elderly woman walks up to greet her, immediately smiling. 

“I’ve had people talk with me for a few minutes because they’re just like ‘You’re the only person I’ve seen today and I’m really happy you’re here,’” said Fedorka, a senior at Castleton State College.

Meals on Wheels is a program that delivers food to those in Castleton who are housebound. The volunteers come from Castleton State College and the community.

“I’ve been delivering Meals on Wheels for 20 years, but I wasn’t part of why it came to be. But I was told it was created through an idea of a student,” said Jan Rousse, the coordinator of the Meals on Wheels program.

Every week on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., students, faculty and community members are out delivering meals.

“It makes me feel good doing it and it sets an example about being a good neighbor,” said Dave Wolk, the president of the college.

On a typical delivery day, it takes anywhere from an hour to an hour-and-a-half to deliver these meals all over Castleton. Volunteers travel throughout the town with a focus on Castleton Meadows.

“If someone has it in their heart to do it, it’s an emotionally gratifying endeavor,” Wolk said.

Many may wonder where all that food comes from and how it gets to those who are delivering. The food is from East Creek Catering in Rutland and is brought to the Castleton Community Center to be picked up.

But this program isn’t just about delivering meals, it’s also about delivering a smile and some sunshine to our housebound neighbors.

“We get wonderful reactions. They are always happy to see you,” Rousse said.

Delivering doesn’t just bring joy to those being delivered to, but also to the volunteers that are giving up their lunchtime to do it.

“You’re not just delivering meals, you’re delivering sunshine,” Rousse said.

By Anna Olson and Chelsey McKenney

People flock to The Fishtail Tavern to enjoy a delicious variety of chicken wings, the cool vibe of the juke box, and of course the $1 draft beers. However, some may no longer get the full experience.

Come Thursday, “The Tail” kicks it up a notch with a DJ and a dance floor but once that clock hits ten, if you’re not 21 you better see yourself to the door.

“We had some issues with people who were underage trying to drink illegally,” said Fishtail owner Dave Rogers.

Although Fishtail is open to all ages the employees recently came to a mutual censuses that due to the darkness, crowded room, and loud music on Thursday nights it’s very difficult to keep track of those who are underage.

 “Dave basically decided and we all agree, we hated to do it, but it is just not worth taking the risk of having underage people in the building after the food service stops,” said Michael McIsaac, a waiter at Fishtail.

The new rule soon swirled around campus and hit some students by surprise.

 “I don’t think it’s fair, everyone should be able to go on Thursdays. They should be able to keep an eye on people who aren’t 21,” said Jack O’Connor, a Castleton Junior.

 However, Rogers explains that this wasn’t the initial plan.

“It wasn’t initially what we wanted to do, but we didn’t want to jeopardize our liquor license,” said Rogers.

Although it’s hard for the Fishtail employees to show people to the door, they believe this new rule has worked for the better.

“The new rule is for legality reasons and I like it, it makes my job easier,” said Fishtail bouncer, Ethan Zorzi.

The Fishtail Tavern is known and enjoyed by people of all ages, but from now on if you’re looking to break it down on the dance floor on Thursday nights you better be 21.

“We just feel we are able to monitor the situation better,” said Rogers.

            

By Leah Ede & Martina Marchese

As you drive by Woodard Marina on the west side of Lake Bomoseen these days, you might notice the forklift methodically plucking boats off a rack that resembles a case of matchbox cars.

It’s springtime and on Lake Bomoseen that means getting ready for boating season.

At Woodard Marina, Manager Eric Splatt said now is when they start summer preparations.

“This is crunch time for us because we’re waiting for the ice to melt and all the boats need to be launched in and taken care of,” Splatt said.

Summer servicing means cleaning, tune-ups, and test-drives --- which happens only after pulling them out of their stacked cubby holes 40 feet high. But down the road at Duda Water Sports, Manager Rick Broderick views spring as more than just a business opportunity.

“It’s spring break time and people are coming with their children and they’re happy and the children are happy,” Broderick said while casually leaning against the front desk with a wide smile on his face. “And that’s what it means to me.”

One of the major concerns with boat preparation, Splatt said, is ethanol gas. “You don’t use a boat every day like a car,” Splat said. “So the gas tends to sit.”

But boating season on Bomoseen is more far-reaching than just the marinas. According to Brad Bruns, owner of The Lake House Pub & Grille, the restaurant closes for a portion of the winter and greatly benefits from the warmer months.

“The main drive is from Bomoseen and the boating season,” Bruns said about the flow of customers. “We’re supported more by Lake Bomoseen than the townspeople.”

Maureen Belden, an employee of the Harbor View General Store, said when the weather is nice, business picks up greatly.

“Business slows down in the winter time,” Belden said while excitedly adding, “but we’re gearing up now for when the boats are in the water!”

By Bryanna Allen-Rickstad

When the Bomoseen Inn closed last spring, part of the town’s history closed with it. The Dog was one of the only bars in the area and students and locals alike have noticed its absence. 

Maureen Belden, owner of the Harbor View General Store, located next to the now empty bar, has a melancholy feeling when she looks out the store window at the building. 

“It’s just so disappointing to see that beautiful old Inn falling apart,” said Belden. “It has such potential; all it needs is some TLC.” 

Belden and her husband, Stas, have owned the store for almost three years now, and although the closing of the bar had no financial consequences for their business, they had grown accustomed to the nightlife that accompanied it, and now find the emptiness“spooky at night.”

The Beldens live in the apartment above the store and would often go out on their balcony on Thursday nights, glass of wine in hand, to watch the nightlife.  

“It became sort of a routine,”laughed Belden. “We would sit out there and watch the college drama unfold. We saw hook-ups, break-ups, fender benders and fights. It was entertaining.” 
 
That sort of entertainment is not just a recent event. Bill O’Neil, who graduated from Castleton State College in 1988, remembers similar events at The Dog. Only O’Neil was part of the drama, not a witness to it. 

“Every weekend revolved around The Dog,” said O’Neil, who recalls having a few too many drinks one night and attempted to scale the building’s roof. “Not only was it a part of the college culture, but part of the town. It’s sad that it’s gone.”
 
One of O’Neil’s most cherished memories involving the bar was the Castleton College graduation tradition of “Walking the Dog,” a symbolic exit to the college life. O’Neil is not the only one with fond memories; many current graduating students are disappointed that they will not be able to participate in the tradition. 

Senior Chelsea LaForce celebrated her 21st birthday at The Dog and went every Thursday night after that. 

“It was a lot of fun,” said LaForce. “It was a good place for students to go. It’s too bad that the younger people will never have the chance to enjoy it. I’m glad I at least got that.”
 
The lonely building is now owned by TD Bank in Rutland and has been on the market, but without much hope for a successful sale. 
 
“We had an auction there last fall and we had a few interested parties, but did not receive a bid the bank could accept.  The bank now owns the property and they will be trying to sell it,” said TD Bank Vice President Terry Owens. 

Anyone who attends or lives in Castleton knows that there is one man who has the reputation of "running the town.” On the first warm day of the season, I got a chance to sit down with business owner and family man John Rehlen, getting the inside scoop on the man behind the yellow buildings.

Q: Before opening your businesses, what made you decide to stay and raise your family in Castleton?
A: My wife’s family is originally from the area. We met at Middlebury College, then moved back here and the store went for sale in 1973, so I bought it then. Then, I bought the pizza place about 25 years ago, and the diner about 17 years ago.

Q: How do you feel about being the father of a select board member?
A: Delighted. I’m really pleased to be working with my son. I’m very fortunate. Not many families get that opportunity. I have four children; three of them live right in Castleton.

Q: Many people see you as this stuffy business owner/landlord. How do you respond to that?
A: I think that’s very inaccurate. We try to be very responsible landlords, both to our tenants and to our neighbors. It’s an issue that has come up repeatedly. We feel that we respond to any complaints that the tenants have or any repairs that they might need. It’s what we do. It’s a seven day a week, 24 hour a day job.

Q: What is something that most people don’t know about you?
A: I love to row on Lake Bomoseen. I have a rowing shop on the lake. During the summer I get up almost every morning at five or six in the morning and I go row for a couple hours each day.

Q: What makes you so interested in historical buildings?
A: I have really devoted my life to preservation in the state of Vermont. I’m a former board member of the Preservation Trust of Vermont. I grew up on Long Island, and I learned to swim on Lake St. Catherine at age 5, so I came here initially to vacation, and I am very place-oriented. These historic houses and buildings are such an important part of the character of Vermont and what it has been in the past, and what people come to see. I am also a former board member of the VT Land Trust. Their mission is to preserve land for future generations. So, it’s just been what I’ve done. By living and working in a small community, it’s very important to me, that things continue to stay vibrant.

Q: What do you think is the biggest benefit or downfall to having the college in such a small community?
A: I think there are a tremendous number of benefits. There are so many activities up at the college. I like dealing with young people, if I didn’t I wouldn’t be in this business. I have always liked mentoring people. I have people that come to me that have never had a real job before. Sometimes, they’ll stay and work for me for four years. It’s gratifying. It’s also very demanding. Sometimes I do a good job, and sometimes I don’t.

Q: Do you think the community has a positive or a negative relationship with the students of Castleton?

A: There is a positive relationship, I think. The sporting events have brought a lot of positive support. My experience with the student-athletes has been especially terrific. I can’t say enough positive things about them. The discipline that these student athletes bring to their lives and their academics are just great. I don’t see any downsides. It’s really quite different as what I may have perceived ten, maybe fifteen years ago.

Q: What are you most proud of?

A: I am proud of my family. I’m proud of the community. I’d say I’m most proud of my family. I am really proud of the restoration and rehab of the buildings around town. We’ve had some buildings that were literally falling in when we got them, and they are much better now. We have had these buildings for a long time, and we have put a lot of work in them over the years.

Q: Why yellow? Why are the majority of your buildings yellow?

A: After college, I was a teacher in Lyndonville, VT. In 1968, there was the Darling family in Lyndonville. They had an estate, and the owner painted his buildings yellow. It made such an impression on me when I was a kid, that when we came down here I first started painting my house yellow, and then expanded from there.

By JenniLee Mark & Becka Roe

Ever make a big dinner and realize last minute that an ingredient is missing? With larger name grocery stores so far away, Prunier’s Market is the convenient place right around the corner for Castleton area residents.

Logan Houle, a Prunier’s customer, says he usually picks up miscellaneous things he needs for supper that night.

“It’s convenient to where I’m located,” he said. “It’s a nice a family-owned store.”

The store has been around since the mid-to late sixties and was taken over by the current owners in September of 1976. The original owner, Russ Norton, initially ran it as a gas station and garage. Then he started adding groceries and eventually it just became more of a grocery store than anything else.  

Bill Prunier’s parents took over the store from Norton and now he and his two brothers, Steve and Charles, run the place.

A family owned market is a great place to shop, but in modern times, it’s tough to compete with larger chain grocery stores, he said.

“Do we have competition?” Prunier said laughing when asked.

Despite the competition, he doesn’t seem too concerned about larger grocery stores in nearby Fair Haven or Rutland.

Prunier said he doesn’t get out in the real world much because he lives here and is mainly focused on running his market. When he was younger, he used to go out and get ideas from other stores as part of the Vermont Grocer’s Association, but he claims he hasn’t done that in a long time. Now, he doesn’t really know what’s going on in other stores, which he said may be one of his weaknesses.

Prunier claims his warehouse is a big help running his business. He listens to counselors who talk to him and help him out with business decisions.

“We do our thing right and do things here the best we can,” Prunier said. 

By Courtney Parker

Children from the Castleton Elementary School will flood the Castleton State College Fine Arts Center as they present a mock graduation for the classes of 2024 and 2025 with their mentoring program on Thursday, April 4 at 12:30 p.m. in the Casella Theater.

A total of 80 fourth and fifth grade students from Castleton Elementary School will participate in the graduation along with their mentors from Castleton State College. 

"The kids love the event and get very excited about it," said mentoring program coordinator Corrie Keener.  "They are also sad because it's when the program comes to an ends."

Graduation will begin with an opening speech from Castleton Elementary School Principle Eloise Ginty, followed by Keynote speaker Richard Reardon, Head of the Education Department. 

Students will be called up one by one to receive their specialized t-shirts, which will serve as their diplomas to complete their graduation.

The mock graduation will also include mentor to mentee speeches, a passing of the torch to new mentor leaders, a picture slideshow and awards. 

After the celebration a reception will be held in the lobby, including food and drinks. 

For more information please contact the Castleton State College Fine Arts Center Box Office at (802) 468-1119.

By Courtney Parker

While the winter months may not fill the ranch’s full-length stadium with hundreds of cheering cowboys and cowgirls, Pond Hill Ranch still proves to be a lively Vermont attraction during all seasons.

Pond Hill Ranch is a family owned business consisting of more than 2,000 acres of working ranch and is home to countless top quality horses that are bought, sold and leased throughout the United States.    

The ranch serves as not only the East’s largest horse leasing service, but also has the largest selection of horses for sale in the Northeast. 

“Our life is horses,” said owner Harry O’Rourke.  “We are always able to help people fill their need for horses.”

Known for their extravagant summer events, the ranch slows down tremendously in the winter, but the chilly months leave staff with plenty of work to do.

Much of the winter season is spent on the road traveling and touring riding arenas across the country buying and selling horses, a main aspect of the business.  

Horseback riding lessons are also provided year round by the ranch for riders of all skill sets. 

Small events are also frequently hosted at the ranch and nearby stables in winter months, bringing in small crowds of spectators for various barrel races and horse shows.

 “We are always busy,” said O’Rourke of business between seasons. “Just a different kind of busy.”

Though the winter months have managed to keep staff members busy, things around the ranch will begin to pick up as the summer season approaches.  

The ranch’s famous professional rodeos will start back up on June 29 and continue every Saturday through Labor Day weekend.

Featuring numerous award winning livestock, calf roping, steer wrestling and barrel racing, the rodeo show is a weekly must-see for many locals.  

Rutland resident Ashley Boucher finds the rodeos to be the highlight of her summer weekends and anticipates this year’s line up to be no different. 

“I’m so excited for Pond Hill Ranch to come back for the summer,” she said.

Boucher attends the Pond Hill Ranch rodeos almost every weekend to enjoy the upbeat atmosphere, wild crowd and astonishing live entertainment.

Though she finds the bucking bulls to be particularly amusing, her favorite part of the rodeo scene is simply having the opportunity to kick back with friends and let out her inner cowgirl. 

“It’s one of my favorite times of the year,” said Boucher.  “I’ve even got my boots all shined up.” 

By Leah Ede

Heading down Main Street in Castleton you might just miss the American Legion Post 50 hiding behind an ancient Army tank. 

According to Greg Knapp, the bar manager of Post 50, the tank was donated by the U.S. Army from Bennington Knapp said that it was going to be scrapped and junked.

“They drove it up and we had a slab of concrete poured for it,” Knapp said.

Now it’s a focal point on the road.

Upon opening the doors on a recent weekday around noon, your nose is assaulted with smell of cleaning products.

As your eyes dance around the bar, you’ll notice the bartender wiping down glass cups, a lone guy drinking his afternoon medicine of choice at the bar, tables, flags, and murals lining the walls.

The building’s sports a bar, poolroom, poker room, cafeteria and a hall for parties. 

But Knapp is hoping that the community will see that Post 50 isn’t just there for Veterans to hang out in, but for the community.

“It’s not just a bar up the road,” Knapp said.  “We try to be community active.”

Knapp said Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts meet at the Legion, the post hosts Bingo for the public each week and they hold a community all you can eat brunch for $8 every third Sunday. 

Tom Purdy, retired lieutenant commander of the Navy Seabee’s and commander of Post 50, also explained plans they have for the Legion’s hall being used in case of a natural disaster.

"We’re trying to make this an emergency shelter for the village,” Purdy said. 

Ben Boss, the second vice commander of the post and former Navy member, joked about the shelter being at the Legion.

“But the bar will be closed,” Boss said with a smile. 

Robert Godlewski, director of Public Safety for Castleton State College, said the Legion came up to him when he was the assistant coach to the college and offered him the position of coach for the summer Legion team.

“Never met a harder working and supporting group then these men,” Godlewski said.  “People from the different posts come to the kids’ games to support them and they get excited about it.”

Godlewski said the team is made up of four different posts including Castleton, West Rutland, Fair Haven and Poultney.  The players range from the ages of 15 to 19 years old.

According to Knapp there are a total of 72 posts in the state of Vermont and they also have posts in Mexico, the Philippines and even Montreal.

Knapp said that any students from the College or members of the community who have a military background would be welcomed with open arms to come and join.

The American Legion, Knapp said, provides a service to veteran and the community as a whole.

"There have been times that we’ve given a loan or a grant to help out Veterans,” Knapp said.  “We’ve even paid the fuel bill to the church that used to be the Legion post because they needed it.”

Purdy said that the bar is the least important thing about the Legion, saying it’s just there to help bring in revenue. 

“Some of the members don’t even drink,” Purdy said.  “Some Veterans live alone who need some camaraderie.”

They also started a booster club and to become a member you spend $50 and there is a dinner every Friday night where you can win prizes.

Godlewski sees a lot of good in the Legion Post 50.

“Probably, to me,” Godlewski said.  “They are the top fraternal organization."

For more information you can contact Greg Knapp at (802) 468-8962.