Who among us wants to pay the IRS more taxes than we have to? While few may raise their hands, Americans regularly overpay because they fail to take tax deductions for which they are eligible. Let’s take a quick look at some of the most overlooked opportunities to manage your tax bill. Reinvested dividends. When…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul A few winters back, a doe  frequented our compost heap. The garden fence around it proved an inadequate barrier, as she simply hopped over it to nosh on the rotting shards of jack-o-lanterns and the latest veggie scraps tossed atop the pile. Not far from the garden sits an old orchard,…

By Dom Cioffi There is a small plaza exactly one mile from my home. It has a grocery store, a pizza joint, a donut shop, a dry cleaner, and a few other typical neighborhood establishments. It’s a very convenient location, not just for me, but for the hundreds of other people who live around the…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Leo Moon, on the day that the Sun enters Pisces, and Chiron crosses the Aries Point. With President’s Day also just behind us, things are in a state of embroilment that makes it hard to know…

By Mary Ellen Shaw The method for obtaining information on any subject has certainly changed since my school days in the ’50s and ’60s. I remember my mother getting a set of encyclopedias earned with her grocery store purchases. The books had a green, hard cover and they came into our home one by one…

There are many reasons why people who could retire are hesitant to do so. Some people think they need to wait until they’re 65 or older. Some are worried about running out of money. Many parents want to keep supporting their children through some major life transition, like college, marriage, or buying a first home.…

By Susan Shea On winter mornings when I look out my window, I often see a gray squirrel clinging upside down to the post supporting my bird feeder, with his front paws in the tray, munching sunflower seeds. Sometimes, a much smaller red squirrel is perched on the opposite side of the feeder. This brings…

By Dom Cioffi My son’s basketball season officially ended this past Friday night with a loss in the semi-finals. It took no more than 15 minutes from the end of his game before he started pestering me for a sleepover. I have a rule during any sports season that there will be no sleepovers on…

By Marguerite Jill Dye  In this Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig we have the opportunity to choose happiness as our emotional countenance. We also have the ability to manifest our dreams. What would you like to pursue at this time in your life in the next three, six, and nine months? How do…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Killington will offer four opportunities to see Sahara Moon, a 20-year-old up-and-coming singer/songwriter from New Jersey, this week. Her musical friend, Daniel Brown, is bringing her to Killington for the first time and she’ll perform with him Thursday, Feb. 14 at Pico at 2:30 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 15 at Summit Lodge…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out on the eve of Valentine’s Day, under the light of a Taurus Moon. True love is in the air! There is so much more to this holiday than meets the eye – and thank God for that because it gives me…

By Kevin Theissen Tax Cuts and Jobs Act The nature and shape of the nation’s tax system inevitably influences the everyday decisions made by individuals and businesses alike. After the implementation of one of the most comprehensive reforms in over a generation, it is essential to review certain financial and investment strategies. For millions of…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Had a unicorn pranced across the trail in front of me, I wouldn’t have been surprised. It was one of those sparkly winter days, when snow drapes fir trees and glints across the landscape. I was at the top of Cannon Mountain in New Hampshire’s Franconia Notch, and an undercast made…

By Marguerite Jill Dye We switch back and forth between reality and fantasy, but it’s often confusing as to which is which. When we’ve reached our five-minute news limit on Trump’s turmoil and utter chaos, we leave CNN’s political pundits and MSNBC commentators. We’ve found a way to preserve our sanity by turning on Netflix…

By Dom Cioffi Testosterone is an interesting thing. The hormone, found in all humans, plays an important role in the body. In men, it’s thought to regulate sex drive (libido), bone mass, fat distribution, muscle mass and strength, and the production of red blood cells and sperm. It also has a profound effect on an individual’s mood.…