Dear Editor, “Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans,” to quote John Lennon. Some plan to go to college, some plan to marry, some plan careers, and many succeed in following their plans. Then, it happens, the unexpected, the interruption. The future is now depending on making choices. The feeling of being…

Dear Editor, Vermont has known for at least 60 years that it is not meeting its water quality standards in Lake Champlain and that the major contributor to the problem is conventional dairy. Conventional farming was designed in the years following Wolrd War II, when fossil fuels were cheap and abundant. The Haber-Bosch process, invented…

Dear Editor, We were recently in Millinocket, Maine, where one of the largest paper mills in the world closed in 2008, and wondered, after we got home, what was going to happen to the old mill site. According to ourkatahdin.com and other sources, the site has been bought by a company called Nautilus, which plans…

By William Mathis Editor’s note: William J. Mathis, who lives in Goshen, is a former superintendent of the Rutland Northeast School District and former member of the State Board of Education. There are few issues as controversial as school consolidation and closures. Whether as a member of the state board, a school superintendent, a local…

Sunday, Aug. 28 — WESTON — The Sundays On The Hill concert series is delighted to host this talented flute and harp duo on Aug. 28 in the Church on the Hill (Community Church) in Weston at 4 p.m. Admission is still only $5 for adults. Children 12 and under may attend at no charge.…

Sunday, Aug. 28 — PLYMOUTH — The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site will host a Grace Coolidge Musicale on Sunday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. The 45-minute concert, entitled Eloquent Expressions is free to the public thanks to the generous support of the Donchian Foundation; donations are welcome. Pianist Abigail Charbeneau and cellist Kate…

Saturday, Aug, 27 — POULTNEY — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation are excited to announce an upcoming tour to highlight land management practices to improve wildlife habitat for game species at Birdseye Wildlife Management Area in Poultney on Saturday, Aug. 27 from 12 - 3 p.m. The tour…

Saturday, Aug. 27 — BARNARD — BarnArts and the Barnard Rec Department are collaborating on the return of a cherished summer tradition, the Barnard Street Dance, this year at the Barnard Town Hall, Saturday Aug. 27. This family-friendly, non-alcoholic party gets started at 3 p.m. with the band, “ItsComplikated” providing the soundtrack for games and fun…

Saturday, Aug. 27 — WEST PAWLET — Wayward Goose Farm is hosting a benefit concert in their haymow on Saturday, Aug. 27, featuring the musical talents of Dayna Kurtz and Helen Gillet. They are raising money for the National Network of Abortion Funds, a grassroots network building power to remove financial, logistical, cultural and political…

Thursday, Aug. 25 — BARNARD — BarnArts Center for the Arts, a small community-based nonprofit located in Barnard presents Mister Chris and Friends, with support from NEFA as part of their Thursday Music Series at Feast and Field. Aug. 25, Mister Chris and Friends, will perform with support from the New England States Touring program of the New England…

Aug. 27 game will highlight Rutland Whoopie Pie Festival Saturday, Aug. 27 — RUTLAND — Eight fun and funny couples are lined up, and tickets are now on sale for Rutland’s Newly-Wed Game to benefit the Rutland Community Cupboard and BROC’s Community Food Shelf. The event is the part of the Aug. 27 Rutland Whoopie…

By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Squash is one of the easiest types of vegetables to grow. Plant a seed in some soil, give it water and a lot of space and before long you have more than you know what to do with. However easy to grow, cucurbits are threatened by a number of pests that…

By Mary Ellen Shaw When I submitted my column to Polly recently I added a comment about how much I dislike hot weather. I told her I had much rather have it cold. I also gave her permission to remind me of those words when freezing temperatures come back to bite us! Polly responded that…

By Merisa Sherman Immediately upon arriving at the campsite, we split up into two teams. The teams are never the same, but the tasks always are. The tent has to be set up in a safe place away from possible falling trees and in such a way that water won’t drain under the tent during…

By Dom Cioffi He lived on my floor in our dorm during my freshman year of college. I knew him from countless parties and passing him in the bathroom, but we never hung out together. He looked like a young Tom Petty, with blond hair and perpetually squinting eyes. By all accounts, he was a…