Scott Wheeler of Derby, Vermont, is the publisher of the Northland Journal. Scott was born and raised in Newport, Vermont. A 1984 graduate of North Country Union High School, he went on to earn his psychology degree from Johnson State College.

In addition to publishing Vermont’s Northland Journal, Scott is the history columnist for the Newport Daily Express in Newport, Vermont. He is also the host of the Vermont Voice, a radio show that airs on 1490 a.m. WIKE in Derby. The pre-recorded half hour show that airs every Sunday morning at 7 a.m. features interviews with interesting people living in the Northeast Kingdom. He also writes for the community relations department at North Country Hospital in Newport.

Scott and his wife, Penny (Curtis) Wheeler, a 1984 graduate of Lake Region Union High School in Barton, have two 22-year-old sons, Curtis and Nicholas, and a 17-year-old daughter, Emily. Curtis and Nicholas, who graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2008, live in Buxton Maine. Emily is a senior at North Country Union High School in Newport.

For several years Scott worked as a reporter for the Chronicle, a weekly newspaper based in Barton, Vermont. While working at the newspaper he earned a New England Press Association Award for excellence in history writing for a three-part series that he wrote about life in Vermont during the Prohibition era, a series that evolved into a book, Rumrunners and Revenuers: Prohibition in Vermont. This book was published in late 2002 by New England Press of Shelburne, Vermont. It became a best seller. In 2007 he published a book about the Clyde River fishery in Newport. When Salmon was King: Voices from the Clyde River tells the story of the rise and fall, and hopefully rebirth, of the Clyde River salmon and walleye populations through the words of the people who lived the history of the river. Then in late 2008 he published another book, Don McNally: From Vaudeville to Drive-In Pioneer. The book tells the story of Don McNally and his birth on the Vaudeville circuit and his entrance into the fledgling drive-in world. He co-owned the Derby-Port Drive-In Theatre in Derby, and the Morrisville Drive-In Theatre in Morrisville.
In 2004 Scott was recognized by the Disabled American Veterans of Vermont for his work at supporting the state’s veterans. Then in 2005, the Northeast Kingdom Chamber of Commerce awarded him the Kingdom Recognition Award. The award was bestowed upon him and his publication for “preserving and chronicling our unique traditions, our storied history, and wonderful personalities…” And in 2007 the Wheeler family was recognized for their work with America’s veterans.
Scott was elected to the Vermont State House in 2006 representing the communities of Brownington, Charleston, Derby, Holland, and Morgan.

He and his family also donate hundreds of hours each year hosting history and culture events. In addition, they helped raise money to send a busload of World War II veterans to the then recently unveiled monument to that war in Washington DC. In 2007 they hosted a gathering to honor the veterans of the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Then in 2008 they hosted a similar gathering, this time to honor the veterans of World War II. That same year they hosted a gathering of Northeast Kingdom authors.

A proud country boy, Scott’s mission is to share and preserve the real history and culture of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, not white wash it to make it something that it isn’t. His roots run deep in the Kingdom. Scott lives only four miles from where his great-great-great grandparents are buried. Unembarrassed and proud of the land of his birth, he sees no reason to portray the Northeast Kingdom as something it isn’t, or to bend reality a bit to entice tourists. Instead, he insists that the beauty of the working landscape, and the people, speak loud enough to attract visitors from every corner of the world.

Although Scott’ wife, Penny, works behind the scenes in the business, in addition to working as a pharmacy technician at North Country Hospital, Scott considers her the engine that keeps the Journal alive. While Scott writes articles and books, Penny maintains the business’s financial books, a very important job in any business. She is also a constant source of support as are the Wheeler children.

The People Behind the Scenes

Theresa Perron She graduated from Lyndon State College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication arts and science, with a concentration in graphic design. She owns her own business, Perron Graphics, in West Glover, where she offers design and print services from brochures, labels, resumes, book layout, to table-top displays used at job fairs. She has many years experience in the publishing business, working for Troll Press in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, as a graphic designer, with Creative Pages of Stowe, Vermont, as art director and design layout person, and at Moose River Publishing in St. Johnsbury as graphic designer. She also worked for the Chronicle, a local weekly newspaper, in many aspects of the newspaper business first as graphic artist, writer and photographer, production assistant/manager and as an advertising sales representative. People can contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 802.525.1115.

Jeannine B. Young, the copy editor and proofreader, has owned The Little House Desktop Publishing in West Glover for 12 years, and has worked as a production assistant at the Chronicle for the past eight years. Jeannine has a bachelor’s degree in social science, with a concentration in history, from Chapman College, Orange, California. She worked in civil service at Edwards Air Force Base, California, for 16 years, first as an administrative specialist and later as a computer specialist. Contact her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Bill Alexander: The Northland Journal’s web site has undergone a tremendous transformation in the past couple of months thanks to my friend, and a very accomplished web designer, Bill Alexander, the owner of Alpine Web Media LLC (formerly Internet Creations).

Bill, who grew up in Newport, now lives in Jericho, Vermont. He attended North Country Union High School in Newport during the 1970s. Although he no longer lives in the Kingdom, he maintains strong ties to the region of his youth. Bill explained that one of the reasons he developed his site in the first place is because he prefers the Vermont of his earlier years when Vermont was a very different place than the Vermont of the new millennium.

In the mid-1990s, Bill created one of the first web sites in the state to showcase the Northeast Kingdom. The Vermont Northeast Kingdom Guide laid the groundwork for the tourism-related web sites that were soon to follow. He also created and maintained the Vermont North Country Chamber of Commerce web site for many years.

“The hard working, ‘tell it like it is’ wit, razor-sharp sarcasm and no-nonsense attitudes of generations past made Vermont unique,” he said, adding that these days the original culture of Vermont is quickly being phased out in favor of more metropolitan views and beliefs. With the tourism bases already well covered, Alexander decided to change the format of the Vermont Northeast Kingdom Guide as a tribute to the multi-generations of Vermonters who live and work each day in the Green Mountains.

The Vermont Northeast Kingdom Guide is no longer just a tourist guide. It is a guide for Vermonters both near and far away to reminisce and maybe chuckle a bit at some of the memories and myths. Now expanded into Vermonter.com, the web site continues to explore some of the more unique aspects of Vermont. Humor, nonsense and just about any subject is fair game. Real Vermonters wouldn’t have it any other way! Alexander welcomes businesses from across Vermont to advertise on his site. Check out Bill’s website at www.Vermonter.com. Or contact him about your web design needs at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .