NEWPORT — Winter swimmers gathered in Newport for a weekend of swimming in a 25-meter, two-lane pool cut in the ice of Lake Memphremagog. They swam in a Hat Competition, 25 Meter freestyle, breaststroke, and butterfly, as well as the 50, 100, and 200-meter freestyle. The ice was two feet thick, with water temperatures 30.8…
NEWPORT — Winter swimmers from all over North America, Ireland, and Scotland will be descending on Newport next weekend for the Fourth Annual Memphremagog Winter Swim Festival, hosted by Kingdom Games. They will swim distances ranging from 25 meters to 200 meters in a two-lane 25-meter pool cut in the ice. Crews will begin cutting…
NEWPORT— Chief Seth C. DiSanto and the Newport Police Department are reminding residents to be aware of the possibility that ice on frozen bodies of water may still be thin despite the persistent extreme cold. Although temperatures have often been in the teens and single digits this winter, it may still be unsafe to walk,…
NEWPORT — The Kingdom Games, a series of competitive athletic events for all ages and skill levels, returns on February 10 to Newport. The event marks the fifth consecutive year of the Games, which take place on the ice and in the water of beautiful Lake Memphremagog. This year’s winter Kingdom Games include: Memphremagog Women’s…
NEWPORT — Vermont’s fifth annual Free Ice Fishing Day is set for Saturday, January 27, and will be celebrated by a fun-filled ice fishing festival in Castleton. Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day, which takes place each year on the last Saturday in January, enables both residents and non-residents to go ice fishing on any legal…
NEWPORT — The Memphremagog Ski Touring Foundation’s (MSTF) ski trail system has expanded onto Bluffside Farm in Newport City. The new trail loop extends from the groomed Beebe Spur Rail Trail, and will be maintained by MSTF thanks to Mike Desmarais of GETSNO Equipment, who donated the use of a snow groomer. “It is a…
NEWPORT — Six snowmobile clubs in Orleans County have received grant money from the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) for the purpose of maintaining and relocating snowmobile trails. Multiple construction projects were completed throughout the county this summer in order to maintain Orleans County’s connection to the states 4,700-mile statewide trail system. The projects…
NEWPORT — On Saturday, December 9, a snowmobile safety course will be offered at North Country Hospital. For anyone born after July 1, 1983, this course is required to ride on VAST trails. Vermont State Police certified instructor Roger Gosselin will lead the course. The cost is two food items to be donated to the…
CHARLESTON — NorthWoods Stewardship Center recently announced Vermont Land Trust forester Dan Kilborn as the recipient of the fifth annual George Buzzell Forest Stewardship Award. In honor of the esteemed county forester for which it is named, this award recognizes an individual who is making a positive impact on NEK forests. As the VLT forester…
NEWPORT — Hunters are gearing up for the start of the traditionally popular 16-day rifle deer season that begins Saturday, November 11 and ends Sunday, November 26. A hunter may take one buck during this season with at least one antler having two or more points one inch or longer. A point must be one…
GLOVER — A 52-year-old athlete from Canaan defended home turf and won the fourth annual Fly to Pie, Kingdom Marathon with a time of 3:05:11. David Herr, 52, of Canaan, took home first this year. He has run in all four marathons and is a three-time winner. Winning among the women was Karen Benway, 45,…
ORLEANS — The Subway in Orleans was robbed at gunpoint last night. At around 9:00 p.m. a masked individual entered the restaurant, located at 25 Railroad Avenue. Police say the suspect approached the clerk, displayed a gun and demanded money. The individual made off with an unknown amount of cash. The robber was described as…
WESTMORE — On Saturday, October 14, the NorthWoods Stewardship Center will be hosting a marathon-length hiking event through the Northeast Kingdom. The Westmore Mountain Challenge is a one-day hike traversing 26 miles of trail from Westmore to East Charleston. Participants will hike Moose Mountain, Mount Hor, Mount Pisgah, Haystack Mountain and Bald Mountain, before finishing…
JAY — The town of Jay Community Recreational Centre and the Jay Focus Group are teaming up to bring on the fun at Jay Oktoberfest on Saturday, October 7. Activities begin with a Pumpkin Pi(e) 3.14-kilometer race at the Jay Community Recreational Centre. “This will be a wonderful celebration of fall,” said Peggy Loux, Jay…
WEST GLOVER — On Sunday, October 8, Fly to Pie’s 6-mile run, bike, or hike from Irasburg to West Glover will be dedicated to supporting the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The $25 fee for the walk, run, or bike will be dedicated in its entirety to the Red Cross. Parker Pie is offering…
NEWPORT — Following last year’s successful first hunting season on Bluffside Farm in Newport, the Vermont Land Trust has decided to hold a lottery for hunting on the property again this year. The land trust plans to issue permission for deer hunting at Bluffside during two periods: October 21 to November 3, and November 11…
WESTMORE — The Rivard sisters continued to make a splash during NEK Swim Week, with 13-year-old Vera Rivard of Springfield, NH, finished in a tie for first place overall with Charlotte Brynn, 51, of Stowe. Both swimmers posted times of 2:21:16 for the five-mile swim. Younger sister, 10-year-old Margaret Rivard, finished third among the women…
WESTMORE — Kingdom Games and the Northeast Kingdom Open Water Swimming Association has won the bid to host the 2019 United States Masters Swimming Long Distance National Championship to be held on August 16 and 17, 2019. Organizers anticipate 100 swimmers and 100 kayakers will be drawn to Lake Willoughby from around the United States…
NEWPORT — Over the weekend, Lake Memphremagog welcomed open water swimmers and “yackers” to the 9th Annual Kingdom Swim. They came from 25 different states, two Canadian provinces, and Argentina, with ages ranging from 10 to 74. This year’s swim was underwritten by North Country Hospital. Sandra Frimerman-Berquist, age 34 of Excelsior, MN, smashed the…
The beautiful Newport Country Club features an 18-hole, par 72 golf course that overlooks Lake Memphremagog to its north, as well as scenic views of Jay Peak and Willoughby Gap to its west and south. The course accomplishes the rare feat of challenging serious golfers while offering a relaxed atmosphere that allows all skill levels…
NEWPORT — On Monday, Jaimie Monahan, of New York, NY, swam the 25-mile distance on Lake Memphremagog between Newport, Vermont, and Magog, Quebec in 14 hours and 18 minutes. She left the Newport City Dock at 5:53 a.m. under cloudy skies and arrived in Magog as the sun was setting at 8:11 p.m. Winds were…
NEWPORT — Thirteen open water swimmers participated in this year’s “Son of a Swim,” as the open water swimming season gets underway in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Vera Rivard, 13, of Springfield, New Hampshire, and Derby, led the pack on Lake Memphremagog, completing the 6-mile distance in 2:45:29. Her younger sister, Margaret, age 10,…
NEWPORT — Randy Durivage and Laurie Durivage of Derby, defended home turf and won this year’s Moose, a 103 mile “timed event” that runs through Caledonia and Essex Counties. Randy Durivage, 54, shared the title of King of the Moose with Julian Grijns, 42, of Westport, CT, both finishing with a time of 5 hours…
Diane McHeffey is the new Golf Pro at the beautiful Newport Country Club. In this interview, McHeffey talks with Tanya Mueller about her career in golf, as well as all the opportunities for golfers of all ages this year. For more information on this season at the Newport Country Club, CLICK HERE.
NEWPORT — As more Vermonters venture outside to enjoy warming weather, state officials are reminding hikers, hunters, and others to be tick smart while fishing, turkey hunting, or watching birds. According to researchers at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, N.Y., the month of May is heralding a particularly risky year for Lyme…