By Victoria Gaither With Christmas just weeks away, Florence Christmas tree farmer Mike Gecha is busy. Gecha owns and runs Whipple Hollow Farms, a family business that only started selling Christmas trees two years ago. He explained, “We had some land that was just being used for farm hay. So we thought about how to…

Vermont inaugurated a national tradition By Julia Purdy High on Bethel Mountain Road outside Rochester, observant travelers might notice two prominent brown wooden signs flanking the road, with carved letters announcing the Riley Bostwick Wildlife Management Area and the Millionth Acre Tree Farm. Totaling 350 acres, these parcels represent the life work of Riley Bostwick,…

By Dom Cioffi I was having a conversation with a coworker recently when she disclosed that she was in the process of getting a divorce. Knowing that she has two young children, I immediately acknowledged how sorry I was for situation. Surprisingly, she shook her head adamantly and said it was for the best. Apparently,…

By Merisa Sherman The last paddle of the season, a chilly float in December With the weather this ridiculously warm, we had both been on watch for quite some time. Most days, I would try to slow down as I drove by and even once I pulled into the parking lot to just sit and…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Remembering Christmas from the '50s and '60s has become a topic for my column every December. From a child’s point of view downtown Rutland was a magical place with lighted garlands strung across Merchants Row, Center Street and West Street. Santa Claus was waiting for my visit inside the Economy Store. …

By Susan Shea Santa’s reindeer need fuel to pull that sleigh full of toys, and one of their primary winter foods is reindeer lichen, also known as reindeer moss. These are puffy, many-branched, pale green or grayish-white lichens up to 4 inches tall, spongy to the touch when damp. Multiple species of reindeer lichen cover…

By Kristen Fountain/VTDigger Thousands more Vermonters are poised to become eligible for health insurance savings this year after two recent changes to federal guidelines. For six more weeks, it is open enrollment season for Vermont Health Connect, the state health insurance marketplace and the gateway to federal health insurance subsidies. Just over 25,000 Vermonters get their insurance…

By Merisa Sherman It was dark as I pulled into the parking lot, but a beautiful glow from the almost full moon lit up the trees that surrounded the lot. The clouds prevented a perfectly clear night, giving the sky an almost eiry Halloween feeling — even though we are almost two months past. With…

By Dom Cioffi I’m on a business trip this week about five hours from my home. The company I work for is having their products installed at a remote location and I needed to be available for help in a particular area. I made the trip on Sunday night so I could wake up and…

By John Flowers/Addison County Independent Years of college and graduate school plus decades in front of classes have prepared Principal Tracey Harrington for her job leading instruction for scores of students at Ripton Elementary School. On Monday, though, she found herself not in the classroom but in the lunchroom. She was filling a hole in…

By Gary Salmon Several years ago, Michael Wojtech’s book, “BARK: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast,” came out, which helped in this difficult identification process. Bark is not as consistent as leaves are and changes as the tree gets older, as rates of growth change over time, and where on the tree the…

By Rachel Sargent Mirus Grinning and giggling, my 1-year-old son ran across the living room, only to trip over his own feet and faceplant on the carpet. Sometimes, two legs can be too many to coordinate. How, then, do invertebrates walk with six, eight, or hundreds of legs? In some ways, walking for insects, arachnids,…

By Dave Hoffenberg Bridgewater’s Collen Doyle, who owns the Woolen Mill Comedy Club there and Killington’s Matt Vita put on the festival. They both performed throughout the weekend. There were shows from Thursday through Sunday in Bridgewater, Killington, South Pomfret and Woodstock. I was fortunate to catch 5 of the shows. On Thursday I saw…

By Katy Savage The Board of Aldermen is considering sharp increases in parking meter rates and fines, with meter rates jumping from 25 cents an hour at some meters, to $1.50 an hour. Members of the Aldermen parking committee proposed doubling fines for expired meters to $30-$45 and suggested implementing a ticket forgiveness program in…

By Deborah Benoiti Editor’s note: Benoiti is a UVM Extension master gar- dener. Do you admire orchids from afar but haven’t considered growing them or giving them to a plant lover you know? Sure, they’re a pretty plant, but orchids have a reputation as being difficult to grow. When you think of orchids, do you…