RIPTON/MIDDLEBURY — COVID-19 has claimed another casualty in terms of long-running public events that have been called off because of the pandemic. The North Branch School Board has decided to cancel this year’s NBS Hockey tournament. 
The tournament, which would have taken place March 12-14 in Middlebury’s Memorial Sports Center, would have been the 18th in the annual series. The NBS Hockey tournament is the Ripton independent middle school’s largest annual fundraiser and attracts teams of all ages and genders. Often the teams have fun names like “Dump and Change,” “Family Jewels,” “Rusty Blades” and “Vintage Jock.” 
The board felt that COVID-19 created too many unknowns at this point for them to support moving forward with planning for the event. The school extended its gratitude to so many who opted to donate their registration fees, and assured that those funds would go directly to the tuition assistance that allows the small school stay available to all. 
The word on next year’s tournament — it’s going to be amazing!