By Kevin Theissen As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, “What will happen next if this person is elected?” or, “What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?” In reality, however, it isn’t easy to anticipate what may happen with the financial markets…

Last October, a young student in one of my nature journaling workshops pointed out a fuzzy yellow caterpillar with long black tufts. “Those kind sting!” he declared. He was the third student that month to point out the same kind of caterpillar as stinging. I remembered being warned away from hairy caterpillars as a kid,…

By Cassanda Tyndall What’s fair in love and war is likely to be highlighted this week. As the planet of love, Venus, makes a series of alignments to other planets, you might begin to question just how far you’re willing to go in order to find equilibrium. A sense of helplessness, powerlessness or lack of…

By Curt Peterson On Friday, Oct.16, Hartland residents celebrated the unveiling of the town’s new community pizza oven during the drive-through Farmers’ Market amid a significant downpour. Everyone who asked was served a free slice of pizza baked in the brand new wood-fired oven. “We made twenty pizzas with eight slices each,” Farmers’ Market manager…

Grace Congregational Church in Rutland will offer a take-out turkey dinner with all the trimmings on Saturday, Nov. 14 from 4:30-6 p.m. in their West St. parking lot.  During your scheduled pickup, servers will bring your order to your car to enjoy at home. Tickets will be required at pickup. For $15, enjoy turkey, stuffing,…

October is ideal for stove maintenance, wood stockpiling The Northeast Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association issued a pre-winter alert urging households in the New England and New York region to prepare now for the wood-burning season. Long-range forecasts call for a severe winter in the Northeast, with lower than average temperatures predicted as well as…

A new Covid recovery program aims to boost Hartford's local economy with “Hartford Dollars,” an incentive-based stimulus program that sells a discounted special “currency” to be spent at locally. Many small Upper Valley businesses have been devastated by the economic disruption caused by the pandemic. Vital Communities, the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce, and other…

Satruday, Oct. 24 at 5:30 p.m.—QUECHEE—Join in on a family-friendly guided tour thats visits different fun, non-scary stations around the VINS Nature Center. You’ll be delighted by Lindsay and her Puppet Pals and treated to a tale or two by the storyteller Simon Brooks. Explore the power of wind at the science station and solve…

A spooktacular, physically distanced event! Sunday, Oct. 25 at 10 a.m.—WOODSTOCK—Billings Farm & Museum will host a family Halloween on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Children in costume receive free admission when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Children are invited to march in a costume parade. Parades will be held at…

Help spread some spooky Halloween cheer! Bring your decorated pumpkins (no candles, please) to Roger Clark Library in Pittsfield during the week of Oct. 26, and library ghouls will place them on the Village Green for all to enjoy! Call or email for details, 746-4067 or [email protected].

By Brooke Geery Wilson Castle, a 19th Century baronial estate, 2970 West Proctor Road in Proctor, is a historic home-turned-museum. The haunted property is ideal for this time of year, and accordingly, offers several opportunities to get in the spirit. In downtown Rutland, witness the Castle’s impressive jack-o-lantern display, illuminated nightly from 6-11 p.m. at…

Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:15 p.m.—RUTLAND—The Paramount Theatre and the Vermont State Fair, two long-standing Rutland not-for-profit organizations, have announced that they are partnering on a fireworks show that will be free for the community on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7:15 p.m. at the historic fairgrounds located on South Main Street in Rutland. Boo-m! A…

Saturday, Oct. 24 at 9 a.m.—The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Vermont (NAMI Vermont) will offer the Mental Illness and Recovery workshop for peers, family members, professionals, and community members who want to learn more about mental health and recovery. This workshop will be offered on Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. –3 p.m. via…

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has joined the Eastern Woodcock Migration Research Cooperative, an international research collaboration developed to better understand the migratory ecology of the American woodcock along the Eastern seaboard through the use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) technology. A total of 18 woodcock were captured and outfitted with GPS units in…

LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE—AVA Gallery and Art Center, located at 11 Bank Street in Lebanon, New Hampshire, is pleased to present the exhibit Charles Platt: A Commemorative Retrospective, on display from Oct. 23 through Nov. 27 in their named gallery spaces, Rebecca Lawrence Gallery, the Clifford B. West Gallery, the E.N. Wennberg Gallery and the Elizabeth…