By Merisa Sherman It starts the night before, as people start noticing the slight changes in the weather. Perhaps someone close to them has mentioned the forecast they have been following. You watch as your neighbor reaches for an old […]
Category: Column
Halloween memories
By Mary Ellen Shaw Halloween will certainly not be the same this year. The much anticipated parade will not wind its way through downtown Rutland. The crowd that the parade draws is not safe with social distancing guidelines. Sometimes we […]
Working for the weekend
By Dom Cioffi My son started his first job about six weeks ago. He works at a local grocery store collecting carts from the parking lot, bagging groceries, and emptying trash barrels. He makes just under $10 an hour and […]
Pastor Alberta Wallace guides churches through transition
By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Vibrant, energetic and uplifting: Words used to describe Grace Church’s new intentional interim pastor, Rev. Dr. Alberta Wallace. Blessed is the word to describe what the congregation should be feeling now that she’s here. The church […]
2020 elections and your investment portfolio
By Kevin Theissen As the U.S. presidential election draws near, expect to see more and more headlines that propose, “What will happen next if this person is elected?” or, “What policy changes to prepare for in the next four years?” […]
The defenses of hairy caterpillars
Last October, a young student in one of my nature journaling workshops pointed out a fuzzy yellow caterpillar with long black tufts. “Those kind sting!” he declared. He was the third student that month to point out the same kind […]
Yellow birches grow amazing feet
By Gary Salmon So who put the rock underneath this yellow birch tree? No one, but it is somewhat a characteristic of birches to occasionally get away with seeds landing and germinating on mossy logs, uprooted trees, rotten tree stumps, […]
Perspective changes with the seasons
It began as a hike like any other. We met at the trailhead and slung our backpacks on our shoulders and pulled our sunglasses down to block the blinding autumn sun, while relishing the warmth. We started one way, and […]
Bending to the will
By Dom Cioffi I was flipping through the tv channels this weekend when I caught an image of Kim Jong-un, the maniacal dictator of North Korea. I settled on the station for a moment and watched as an American filmmaker […]