By Merisa Sherman A few years ago, a friend of mine moved to Killington from Philly and was very excited to vote in her first Vermont election. She was concerned however, with how much time she would need to set aside in her work day. Would two hours be enough time to vote, she asked,…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Among summer’s many sweet offerings are wild berries. And among these, blueberries are my favorite. Years ago, I took to carrying large, empty yogurt containers in my car – and smaller vessels in my backpack – so I would have something to fill should I pass a good berry patch. My…

By Dave Hoffenberg First Stop had a chance for the number one seed but lost their last regular season game to Rock Warriors. Those two will meet in the first round of the playoffs. Sushi Yoshi put up a fight in their final regular season game against Chasin' Tail. CT started with a fury, batting…

By Dom Cioffi I hit the nostalgic trifecta this past weekend when my wife and I attended a concert featuring three retro acts from the late '70s and early '80s Months ago, I got an email promoting all the popular musical acts touring the country over the summer. I went through the list and picked…

The Vermont Lakes and Ponds Program is seeking volunteers to help monitor and collect information about lakes and ponds in the state. With over 800 lakes and ponds, volunteers are key to the success of the program’s lake monitoring efforts. Volunteers can be found statewide greeting lake visitors, inspecting boats, collecting water samples, tracking algal…

By Gary Salmon The mortality figures are astonishing among the three tree species nearly eliminated from our eastern and Midwestern landscape by either chestnut blight (Cryphonectria parasitica), Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi), and now emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis). Four billion chestnut trees killed since blight introduction in 1904 (most between 1930s and ’50s and…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Many of us had pets growing up. Dogs and cats were the most common pets but goldfish, turtles and birds also had a place in many of our homes. On my street three of my closest friends had dogs and I had a cat. The dogs wanted to spend time with…

By Kevin Theissen The Federal Reserve has been dealing with the worst inflation in over four decades. Investors, consumers, and workers are also feeling the sting of higher prices. High inflation has forced the Fed to react by turning up interest rates at the fastest pace since the early 1980s, according to St. Louis Federal…

By Merisa Sherman The water was so calm, you could have heard the drops from the paddle as you glided along if we all weren’t talking and laughing so much. The sunset pinks were just coming up over the sky and the water was taking on the hues as well. We went from being surrounded…

By Bonnie Kirn DonahueEditor’s note: Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape designer from central Vermont. When daylilies are blooming, it officially feels like summer. Daylilies have a celebratory appearance, looking almost like stationary fireworks, reaching for the sun. These flowering fireworks come in many sizes, bloom shapes and colors. The…

By Dave Hoffenberg Sushi Yoshi has one more chance to avoid a winless regular season after dropping all three games last week. Monday they got blown out twice by First Stop and Wednesday they lost to Rock Warriors but were happy the game went all seven innings. Rock’s MVP was Nate Trainor who saw his…

By Julia Purdy Who doesn’t love a covered bridge? Nothing symbolizes Vermont’s heritage better than covered bridges – in fact, with just over 100 remaining publicly owned covered bridges out of originally 700-800, Vermont can boast more per square mile than anywhere else in the U.S. At one time, almost every public highway crossed a…

By Gary Salmon This is the business end of a purple sticky trap. It is a three-sided affair which is suspended from a tree nearly 20 feet in the air. We have all seen these hanging from “trees of concern” to help determine the presence of Emerald Ash Borer. Even our roads in Shrewsbury had…

By Sandra Dee Owens Every summer, my skin was covered in ooze. My immune system’s response to the itchy rash of blisters caused by southern Vermont’s most prolific crop—poison parsnip. Minutes after mowing, weed trimming, or hiking, the skin on my hands, arms, chest, torso, and legs would become hot and itchy, a precursor to…

Friday, Aug. 5 — FAIR HAVEN — This Friday is Family Movie Night Prior to the start of the show, we will have a bike parade around the park and pony rides will be available. Free Stewart’s ice cream has been donated, so we will have free ice cream, too. A second movie night will…