By Merisa Sherman     I can feel the cold air entering my nose as I take a deep breath. I dare not open my mouth, because I just brushed my teeth and it will just feel too damn cold. I am on the chairlift, my legs swinging underneath me as the chair floats…

  By Dom Cioffi Quite often (especially in sports), situations arise where the odds are heavily stacked against a particular outcome. These ‘long-shot’ scenarios and wonderful to hype up in the hope that something unexpected will happen, but generally the majority of them fizzle out against the weight of the imbalance.  However, some long-shots do…

  By Rachel  Sargent Mirus  “Look!” I exclaimed, bending to examine a pair of half-inch-tall, bright orange, club-shaped mushrooms. Kneeling in the leaf litter, with my 2-year-old son watching in puzzlement, I carefully scraped away at the base of the colorful clubs. Just beneath the soil was a glossy brown moth pupa: the origin of…

  By Marguerite Jill Dye I entered the Bear Cave and asked out loud, “Are you coming today, sweet Bear Spirit?” “Yes, my dear. I am coming to bring you good tidings of autumn,” Bear said as he entered. “It’s time for preparation for winter hibernation.” “That must be challenging, I imagine,” I said. “We…

  The moon was full, A bright fiery light, Glowing in the sky, The wolves howl at it, The owls hoot, A black cat meows. Or maybe, You see the flickering light, Of a jack-o-lantern, Smiling at the moon, Then you hear a faint, “Trick or Treat!” In the distance Or someone yelling, “Boo!” This…

Another season begins as another one ends. By all intents and purposes, you might imagine that the line between them is clearcut. In some ways they are, while in other ways they are not. That is a very big part of what October’s astrology has been about – the introduction of the new and the…

Q&A with homeowner/creator Barbara Spaulding sheds light on two decade of spook By Karly Haven/Real Rutland       Tuesday, Oct. 31 from 5-8:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—Head to 52 Bellevue Avenue in Rutland, the Spaulding’s house and experience a masterpiece of spook that’s been perfected for two decades. They’re trying to hit a new record for attendance!…

Submitted Bat Week takes place Oct. 24-31 and aims to raise awareness about the vital ecological functions of bats and to dispel the many myths and misinformation about them.   Bat Week takes place Oct. 24-31 and aims to raise awareness about the vital ecological functions of bats and to dispel the many myths and…

Karen Montanaro     Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 24-28—POULTNEY—Internationally acclaimed mime/movement artist Karen Montanaro  performed at the Young at Heart Senior Center 206 Furnace St. in Poultney Tuesday, Oct. 24, and will perform a culminating show on Saturday, Oct. 28 at Stone Valley Arts, 145 E. Main St., Poultney.  A workshop for adults will be held from 4:15-5:45 p.m. ($15 fee) and a public performance…

 Representatives from VBA will be on-site to help initiate, check the status of, and answer questions related to disability claims.     Sunday, Oct. 29 atm 10 a.m.—FAIR HAVEN— The Fair Haven American Legion Post 49, White River Junction Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare System and Veteran Benefit Administration (VBA) are teaming up for a veterans’ outreach…

Wheels for Warmth tire resale event. Wheels for Warmth needs every tire people can spare to continue the work of driving safely and living warmly in Vermont.     18th Annual tire recycle and resale event helps Vermonters heat homes Thursday-Saturday, Oct. 26-28 —Mendon—The turning leaves are a signal of the changing seasons and a reminder…

By Dave Barnum The public is invited to the annual Halloween party hosted by the Southern Vermont Arts Center  in Manchester on Saturday.     Saturday, Oct. 28—Manchester— Southern Vermont Arts Center will host its annual Halloween party once again this Saturday. To start the afternoon, the public is invited to view “Nightmare Before Christmas” (recommended for…

Tower of Power   Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 7:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—Tower of Power will perform in Rutland this Tuesday, Oct. 31 at the Paramount Theatre. For over 55 years, Tower of Power has delivered the best in funk and soul music. “We were a Soul band called ‘The Motowns’,” recalled Emilio Castillo. “Rocco was the bass…

  Wildlife festival and jack-o-lantern hike spells fun Halloween for kids and families in Castleton  Friday, Oct. 27, 6-8 p.m. —CASTLETON—The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is inviting families to attend its annual Halloween Wildlife Festival and Jack-O’-Lantern Hike at the Kehoe Education Center on Point of Pines Road overlooking the south end of Lake Bomoseen.The…

    Saturday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m.—RUTLAND—Rutland City Recreation & Parks will celebrate the 62nd year of the Rutland City Halloween Parade. Expect street closures around the downtown area beginning at 5:15 p.m. and re-opening at approximately 8:30 p.m.  There will be limited parking along the parade route on Wales Street, West Street, Strong…