Will you help us keep the building warm and the animals fed and comfortable during these cold days? Nothing feels more welcoming than coming into a warm house after being out in the cold. You can help provide that welcomed warmth by participating in the RCHS Winter Warmth Fundraiser. By donating any amount, you will…

By Merisa Sherman The tears started early, at drop off actually. I got onto my knees and looked directly into the tear filled blue eyes in front of me. “My tummy hurts,” she managed to hiccup out and I had to bite my lower lip to keep from smiling. “Does it feel like there are…

By Declan McCabe I was settling in to answer a few emails when I heard, “Dad, some huge bug just flew into the lamp shade!” As the designated bug catch-and-releaser, I pressed into action. A western conifer seed bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis) had made its way into our house, and movement of boxes from the basement…

Deadline for taxes is April 18 By Kevin Theissen Tax season is upon us again. It officially began on Jan. 24, and you’ll need to file by April 18 (unless you file for an extension). The deadline is usually April 15 but the Washington D.C. holiday, Emancipation Day, falls on Saturday, April 16 and is…

By Dom Cioffi Well, another season has come and gone. I’m always melancholy after the conclusion of the Super Bowl, knowing that I’ll have to wait another seven months to start watching football again. I find it ironic, but football relaxes me. I look forward to the Sunday afternoon games, especially when the weather turns…

By Mike Dougherty/VTDigger Recent trends in Vermont’s Covid-19 case counts have officials and experts feeling optimistic about the course of the pandemic — but all warn it would be premature to brush off the Omicron threat just yet. As of Friday, Jan. 28, the state’s seven-day average for daily new cases had fallen by more…

By Jon Kalish/VTDigger Nine outdoor classrooms designed specifically for the pandemic have been installed at schools in central Vermont, thanks to a Rochester family. Dubbed the RyanTruss, each structure is basically a series of wooden trusses topped with a corrugated fiberglass roof. After hearing about the need for outdoor classrooms from a teacher at the…

A serendipitous haven on the hill By Lisa M. Cuzydlo-Donohue Don’t we all need something more to believe in, maybe even magical/mystical these days? The Olympics seemed to have showed up precisely at the right time to inspire us all. So might this story, which still heartens and influences even after four years. We arrived…

By Karen D. Lorentz As if the pandemic’s shift to an endemic isn’t enough for weary souls, David Brooks, the New York Times columnist, has observed that bad behavior has become rampant. Despite people driving less, they’re also driving more recklessly and fatalities are up as is the murder rate. People are becoming more abusive…

Dear Editor, As Vermont embarks on its climate action plan, how are our toilets helping us get to the sustainable future we need? Compost toilet systems can protect water resources, complete the nutrient cycle, and even help build climate resilience. Many Vermonters use composting toilets to safely and affordably transform their human waste into a…

By Roxanne Vought Talk to any business owner today and you’ll likely hear the same refrain: they’re struggling to find workers. They’ve tried everything: raising wages, sign-on bonuses, creative recruitment strategies, and they still can’t fill their openings. Some are eliminating product lines or reducing their manufacturing runs, others are cutting back hours. How did…

By Curt Peterson The Windsor Central Union Unified School District (WCSD) board members concerned themselves with money on Monday, Jan. 7. Director of Finance and Operations Jim Fenn listed three expense areas currently over budget, although overall spending is on target. “We’ve hired two additional teachers,” Fenn said, “but they were needed because of increased…

By Kevin O’Connor/VTDigger Alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin stood atop the Beijing 2022 Olympics giant slalom hill as a television announcer recalled how she won a gold medal in the same race at the last Winter Games. Seconds later, the 26-year-old fell cold on the steep, slippery course, wiping out for only the 14th time in…

By Rebecca Perkins Hanissian Were it not for compelling evidence to the contrary, I’d believe I descended from birds – migratory birds in particular. So familiar to me are the urges and behaviors of migratory birds, I’m pretty sure I blushed, or at least looked around sheepishly, when learning of them in my undergraduate ornithology…

Merle Schoenfeld, 95, died on January 28, 2022 at St. Joseph Kervick Center in Rutland. He was born to Rae and Alvin Schoenfeld in Hulmeville, Pa. He served his country proudly in Germany from 1944 to 1946 with his claim to fame serving as a driver for General Patton at times. Merle had always been…