VPR takes a look back at the people and events that shaped 2009.

Our series "Stories from the Lake" continues. As that the French and British begin to establish a presence near Lake Champlain, and form alliances with Native Americans, we examine the period of conflict that follows.

As the region gets ready to observe the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival here, VPR is reflecting on how the French explorer has shaped our shared history and culture.

On this day - March 24th - sixty years ago, Vermont's Northeast Kingdom got the name that's stood the test of time. These days, "Northeast Kingdom" crops up frequently in daily conversation, business directories, and bumper stickers. So VPR's Charlotte Albright has been asking "What's in a Name?"

A baby's laughter may seem like it just comes naturally - but it's not quite as simple as that.  The infectious laugh of an infant tells us something about how babies develop psychologically and how they perceive the outside world. One Johnson State College professor who's been researching why babies laugh says the results are surprising.

Swine flu vaccination clinics have begun at Vermont schools. But there's not enough vaccine to go around, and the virus already has struck in a lot of places.

Residents of a couple of small northern Vermont towns are furious with the state for raising health concerns about an abandoned asbestos mine.

Travelers between the New York and Vermont sides of Lake Champlain face a major detour.

Olympic skiing legend and Vermont native Andrea Mead Lawrence has died at the age of 76.   A three time Olympian, she's the only woman skier to win two Olympic Golds in one winter games.

Longtime political columnist Peter Freyne died early Wednesday. Freyne was a fixture in Vermont politics for two decades with his "must-read" column that both attracted and annoyed the politicians he wrote about.

One of Vermont's best known news broadcasters plans to retire at the end of the summer. WCAX's Marselis Parsons will step down as news director at Channel Three in June. And he'll sign off as anchor of the evening news a few months later.

Burlington voters used an instant runoff system to re-elect Mayor Bob Kiss to a second term.

Some residents of Bennington have launched a petition calling for the resignation of a disgraced former school superintendent elected in March to the local school board. In 1989, George Sleeman was convicted of eight counts of embezzlement from the Southwest Vermont Supervisory Union. Now that he's back in the public eye, the community is divided over how to respond.

Governor Jim Douglas threw the 2010 election wide open on Thursday when he announced he would not seek re-election.

Governor Jim Douglas is likely to run for re-election. The governor says he's not ready to make a formal announcement. But in an appearance on VPR's Vermont Edition, he indicated he would be campaigning for a fifth term.

We celebrate the life and music of musician and chorale conductor Blanche Moyse.  She founded the Brattleboro Music Center and the New England Bach Festival, and this year she celebrates her 100th birthday.  

VPR's Patti Daniels trudges through snow and ice in the Champlain Islands to watch a game of ice golf.

The University of Vermont women's basketball team finished its season yesterday, losing to number one in the nation Connecticut in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The score was 104 to 65. As VPR's Steve Zind reports, despite the loss, a good time was had by all:  UVM players and fans alike.

The Middlebury College Men's basketball team was defeated in round two of the NCAA tournament this weekend. 

One Vermonter is doing her part to preserve a rare donkey from France on her farm in Hartland - and thanks in part to her efforts, its making a comeback. VPR's Steve Zind paid a visit to the Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation.  

VPR's Susan Keese looks back at the illustrious history of the Harris Hill Ski Jump. The Brattleboro landmark is the only 90 meter ski jump in New England, and rebuilding it involved a massive community effort.  

VPR's Ric Cengeri visited Beansie's to talk creemes, hot dogs, burgers and fries with Bill Peters, owner and operator for 20 years.

One of northern Vermont's highest-profile music festivals is $400,000 in debt and struggling to survive. The Vermont Mozart Festival says its ticket sales have been hurt by the economy and especially by the rain.  

Plant experts are warning farmers and backyard gardeners to guard against a fungus that has the potential to wipe out tomato and potato crops across the region. The disease is known as "late blight," and it's what led to the Irish potato famine at the middle of the 19th century.

Vermont's Agriculture Secretary and Dairy Policy Administrator talk with VPR's Jane Lindholm about the health of the state's dairy industry.