Vacationers seek joy in mudville

With snow in short supply, school vacation hordes are finding the fun of winter where they can.

Killington, VT - 2-23-12 - Skiiers head to the lift at Bear Mountain at Killington. A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many at Killington Mountain. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

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A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many in Vermont.

West Bridgewater, VT - 2-23-12 - Matty Mayo (cq) takes a photo of the Lionti family of NY, after an outing at Killington Snomobile Tours. A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many in the north country. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

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The Lionti family posed for a photo after snowmobiling on a thin track of snow in Killington, Vt.

Killington, VT - 2-23-12 - A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many at Killington Mountain. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

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February school vacation typically makes for one of the busier weeks at Killington Resort, but this year the crowd was sparse.

Quechee, VT - 2-23-12 - A lack of snow at the Quechee Ski Club. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

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Snowmaking is winding to a close for the season, as it usually does with March in sight.

Killington, VT - 2-23-12 - A closed cross country ski operation in Killington. A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many at Killington Mountain. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

bill greene/globe staff

A closed cross country ski operation in Killington, Vt.

Woodstock, VT - 2-23-12 - Jack Kriz (cq) and sister Claudia Kriz (cq) of Barrington, RI, shop with their parents while on vacation due to the poor ski conditions. A lack of snow has made for a less than ideal winter vacation for many in Vermont. (Globe staff photo / Bill Greene) section:met, reporter:baker, topic:26vacation

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Jack and Claudia Kriz and their parents came to Killington to ski, but ended up shopping on one unseasonably warm day.

A global plea to Syria: End the killing

More than 60 nations and international groups called on Syria’s government yesterday to halt attacks on rebellious cities to allow in humanitarian supplies.

A steep roof over their heads

Nearly a quarter of working families in Mass. spent more than 50 percent of their income on housing in 2010, up from 22 percent in 2009.

Debate at BU extends to safety

A controversy that began with the arrests of two Boston University hockey players on sexual assault charges has mushroomed into a debate over women’s safety.

Romney’s early push paying off in Arizona

Mitt Romney has the superior organization, establishment backing, and a natural base of support in the state’s sizable Mormon population.

Mitt Romney addresses a Tea Party town hall event in Milford, Mich., Thursday.

TOM KEANE

A McGovern moment?

A general election disaster could give the Republican party a reason to rethink its message.

Bill Greene/Globe Staff

A sign of better times

Smartphones that come with video-chat capability have been life-changing for deaf people, who primarily communicate by sign language.

Police stood around car behind Starbucks at the shooting scene on Enon St. in Beverly.

Police sergeant found dead in SUV

A Hamilton police sergeant was found dead inside his car last night, hours after he allegedly shot and seriously injured a Beverly police officer.

“We’ve survived every up and down in the economy, but the snow is our economy, and there’s nothing we can do without it.”

Mike Miller,  owner of the Mountain Meadows Cross-Country Ski and Snowshoe Center

Globe Insiders

Globe Insider Event | March 5, 5:30 p.m.

http://c.o0bg.com/rf/image_90x90/Boston/2011-2020/2012/02/17/BostonGlobe.com/Special/Images/508746086[1]--90x90.jpg ‘The Real Romney’

Globe editorial page editor Peter S. Canellos moderates a discussion with Globe writers Scott Helman, Scot Lehigh, and Frank Phillips on the Republican presidential candidate.

Inside The Boston Globe

Wesley Morris’s Oscar picks

Ty Burr’s Oscar picks

Playing dress up

Exclusive Magazine Preview

24 hours in Kendall Square
Elkus Manfredi Architects is considering adding more retail on the second floor of Faneuil Hall Marketplace in Boston.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace makeover planned

Television Review

PBS documentary sells Cab a little short
Google privacy policy

Google policy brings privacy worry
As Red Sox DH David Ortiz (backround, center) signed autographs for a large group of fans in Fort Myers, Fla., on Thursday, one fan asked his son D’Angelo, who had been sitting on the grass waiting for his dad, if he would sign a ball for him, and the youngster obliged.

Photos

Globe photos of the week
Boston University’s high security research lab in Boston.

Public hearing set for BU lab

Nominate

Seeking the most innovative people in Massachusetts

Gay spouse murder case puts focus on long-hidden problem
Artist and author Kadir Nelson with one of his picture-book paintings, of Josh Gibson, on display at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst

Picturing baseball’s Negro League greats

Columnists

LOVE LETTERS

He’s a workaholic

Boston Capital

Clean Harbors Inc. cleans up financially

EDWARD L. GLAESER

Excitement deserves a tax break
New Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine (center, in shorts) has the attention of his players (mostly pitchers) as he addresses them before a workout yesterday in Fort Myers, Fla.

Dan Shaughnessy

Pedroia still smarting from failures of 2011

Scot Lehigh

Santorum’s faith is too extreme

Alex Beam

The 15 percent non-solution
An attendee uses the Samsung Galaxy Note to draw a portrait at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012. The 2012 CES trade show, which runs through Jan 13, features more than 2,700 global technology companies presenting consumer tech products and is expected to draw over 140,000 attendees. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Tech Lab

Galaxy Note misses mark

Yvonne Abraham

Spinning deadly lies

Joan Vennochi

BU hockey team needs to change its jock culture
Rajon Rondo’s suspension after an incident in Sunday’s game raises questions about his maturity.

Christopher L. Gasper

Rajon Rondo may not be a building block

Kevin Cullen

Rooting for Jeremy Lin

Juliette Kayyem

A dramatic shipwreck, a daring rescue

Metro

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The unusually warm waters and a plentitude of plankton may have enticed the endangered species to return ahead of time.

Whales return early to Cape Cod waters

The North Atlantic right whale, among the world’s rarest mammals, has returned to Provincetown waters weeks ahead of schedule and in stunning numbers.

Business

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Regulators scrutinizing Oppenheimer

Federal and state authorities are examining how private equity funds, such as Oppenheimer, value the investments in their portfolios.

Nation & World

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Koran protests leave 7 dead in Afghanistan

The top US commander in Afghanistan called on troops to resist any urge to avenge the death of two American soldiers killed in riots over the burning of Korans.

Politics

Political Notebook

Obama visit to N.H. to focus on economy

President Obama will visit Nashua, N.H., Thursday to discuss the economy, White House officials said yesterday.

Sports

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Man on a mission

When Rajon Rondo is orchestrating the offense and his teammates are peaking, the Celtics are difficult to contain. But that has hardly been the case this season.

Arts

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Television Review

PBS documentary sells Cab a little short

The PBS series “American Masters’’ profiles Cab Calloway, a bandleader and singer of the ’30s and ’40s, but ignores biographical basics.

Magazine

The cover for the February 19 2012 issue

Renovated Newport firehouse is calm, cool, and collected
The cover for the February 12 2012 issue

Boston wedding venue guide
The cover for the February 5 2012 issue

What if the lights go out?
The cover for the January 29 2012 issue

Reversing a restaurant curse

Opinion

“The conservative marauders are not only at the gates, but it looks like they may take over. Maybe it would be best if they did.”

Tom Keane 

Ideas

“Rich people have a harder time connecting with others. They are less charitable. They are less likely to help someone in trouble. And if you think you’d behave differently in their place, you’re wrong.”

Britt Peterson, on the psychology of being rich