On warm days through early fall, you can find two large species of “digger” wasps flitting about late-blooming flowers. Like many wasps, these species elicit strong, often negative reactions in humans. But digger wasps inhabit a critical niche in invertebrate communities – and can lend a natural hand in pest control. Two of the most…

By Bruce Bouchard and John Turchiano Editor’s note: Bruce Bouchard is former executive director of The Paramount Theatre. John Turchiano, his friend for 52 years, was formerly the editor of Hotel Voice, a weekly newspaper on the New York Hotel Trades Council. They are co-authoring this column to tell short stories on a wide range…

 By Bonnie Kirn Donahue, UVM Ext. Master Gardener   Rather than leaving a field or patch of soil open over the winter, consider cover crops. A cover crop is basically a temporary seeding of an area that would otherwise have exposed soil. The crop is a placeholder for future crops that will be grown there.…

Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. — RUTLAND — GFour Productions, winners of 68 Drama Desk and 54 Tony Awards, will present “Menopause The Musical 2: Cruising Through ‘The Change’” at The Paramount Theatre for a one-night-only performance on Tuesday. This uproarious sequel to the internationally acclaimed Menopause The Musical continues the comedic exploration of menopause,…

Vermont author Ethan Tapper’s first book: “How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World” will be published on Sept. 10 by Broadleaf Books. The launch of “How to Love a Forest” will be celebrated with a book tour throughout New England.  How to Love a Forest, which has received the…

Friday-Sunday, Oct. 4-6—BRANDON—$25 per carload per film. Fans of scary Halloween movies can rejoice. The drive-in movies at Estabrook Park in Brandon are back. This weekend offers several horror classics presented by Dark Shadows Entertainment.  On Friday evening, spend time with the Sanderson Sisters in the Disney favorite, "Hocus Pocus" (7 p.m. start time).This will…

Saturday- Sunday, Oct. 5-6 — TUNBRIDGE— The 36th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival arrives this weekend, Oct. 5-6 at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds. Admission to the Festival is $8 a day, $5 for children under 12 years; toddlers are free. The Festival enjoys a classic setting amidst the Vermont hills at the peak of Fall…

Friday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. — WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — The third annual Twin State Comics and Zine Fair (TWIST) returns to White River Junction on Oct. 4 at The JAM (Junction Arts & Media). Known as a hub for independent cartoonists and home to the Center for Cartoon Studies (CCS), the town earns…

Oct. 5-6, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Various locations throughout Vermont. This weekend, Vermont’s vibrant art community prepares to welcome visitors for its annual Vermont Open Studio Weekend. Over 120 private studios across the state will open their doors, offering art lovers a unique opportunity to explore where creativity comes to life. Organized by the Vermont Crafts…

By Peter Sterling Editor’s note: Peter Sterling is the executive director of Renewable Energy Vermont, the nonprofit trade association representing Vermont businesses working towards a 100% renewable energy future.  Though the tragic and costly impacts of changing weather extremes on Vermont continue to (justifiably) make headlines, they shouldn’t totally overshadow recent accomplishments in the fight…

Dear Editor, Matt Roberts’ passing last week is a loss for our entire Killington community. He was a wonderful human being who dedicated his life to his family, to his work and to the Great Outdoors of Vermont. Matt was one of a kind. Our entire team [at skionskioff.com] worked with Matt for the last…

Dear Editor, If you live in Ludlow, Mount Holly, or Shrewsbury, like me, you probably received a mailing from Kevin Winter about running for State Representative. The headline says “It’s time for moderation and reason in Montpelier.” Elsewhere he describes himself as an extremist. He has said he is a First Amendment extremist. This would…

Dear Editor, I am excited to support Becca White in her bid for re-election as one of our Vermont State Senators.   She has been dedicated to serving the people of Vermont for 10 years (four years on the Hartford Select Board, four years as a State Representative, and these last two years in the…

By Jeffrey Reel  Editor’s note: Jeffrey Reel is a writer living in Hartland and author of “Uncommon Sense: The War on Hunger and Other Myths. How Our Adversarial Relationship With Life Undermines Our Best Intentions.” Critical thinking has been described as an ability to question; to acknowledge and test previously held assumptions; to examine, interpret, evaluate, reason,…

The Vermont Agency of Education released the preliminary 2023-24 Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program (CEAP) results on Friday, Sept. 27. The assessment is administered annually in the spring to students in grades 3-9, and 11. The assessment measures students’ mastery of the Common Core State Standards in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and the Next Generation…