By Dom Cioffi A few years ago, my son told me that one of the kids in our extended neighborhood was “internet famous.” When I asked what that meant, he told me that he had thousands of followers on his YouTube channel (which featured him building things and then blowing them up) and was making…

By Dr. Glenn Molette Joe Biden or Donald Trump will never visit me in my home, stand beside me at the funeral home or dance at my wedding. I will not be receiving any calls from either of them to pray for me during sickness or to check on how my children are doing. I…

By Cassandra Tyndall The astro-territory looks very different from what it did this time last week. It feels a bit like a prelude to the significant shifts taking place next month. That being said, the skies are very quiet, offering the opportunity to get one’s ducks lined up. In other words, with logistics and communication…

By Tami Gingrich I can’t seem to pass a hollow tree without stopping to snoop. If there is a cavity within reach, an investigation is in order. Wear and tear around a hole, evidence of food items on the ground, or simply sounds from within tell of the tenants inside. One of my favorite tricks…

By Elicia Pinsonault Rutland Young Professionals celebrated its seventh birthday this year. Throughout the past seven years, our energetic group of volunteers has worked tirelessly to create a vibrant Rutland area that attracts and retains young professionals. Chances are you’ve heard of us by now. But you may not understand who we are, what our…

By Albert Lalonde When starting a retirement savings and investment plan, the rule of thumb is the earlier, the better. For young professionals, that can be easier said than done. High rent, student loan payments, and modest junior-level salaries make saving a challenge. And now in this unprecedented year come the dynamics adding economic uncertainty…

By Merisa Sherman We pulled into an empty parking lot and raced down to the water, amazed that we are even still paddling this late in November. The BF unstrapped the canoe in record time while I grabbed our dry bags and paddles from the back seat. We could see the sky begin to hint…

By Kevin Theissen According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, productivity losses linked to employees not showing up for work cost employers approximately $225 billion annually, or over $1,600 per worker. Business owners and managers understand very well the rising cost of health care and the loss of productivity associated with absenteeism and…

By Dom Cioffi This is an actual group text I received a few days ago from a college friend: “Yo whoz goin 2 the re-union” I scanned those words two or three times, cringing progressively worse upon each reading. Forget the fact that zero punctuation was used or that the grammar was bastardized nearly beyond…

By Mary Ellen Shaw Before the pandemic I was watching a talk show that used to air on ABC. One of the hosts, Keke Palmer, who is her late 20s, said that when she was a child and didn’t know the meaning of a word her parents would tell her to look it up in…

By Susie Spikol Bent down in an apple field searching for a lost earring, I found a different treasure: a stout mouse-like animal, with a short tail and stubby ears. It gave me one quick look, then disappeared through a maze of tunnels in the thick autumn grass. I would have loved to follow this…

By Cassandra Tyndall Do you remember the iconic scene from the movie, “A Few Good Men,” when the character played by Tom Cruise goes on a relentless search for the truth behind a murdered Marine? After weeks of investigating, probing and being guided by instinct, the dramatic climax in the courtroom is a movie scene…

A little over 30 years ago, I lost my father to a massive heart attack. He was 55 years old, in good shape, and active – definitely not someone you’d expect to die so young. However, he was a smoker and as the coroner report attested, he had considerable plaque build-up in his arteries, which…

By Merisa Sheman The yard was covered in white. I mean, really covered in white. It wasn’t that pathetic little amount that we got on the first snowfall last week where you talk yourself into thinking that there’s probably enough snow to ski some laps around the yard before the snow is all gone. This…

By Kevin Theissen It has been estimated that fewer than 50% of adults have a will or other estate documents in place, which may not be entirely surprising. No one wants to be reminded of their own mortality or spend too much time thinking about what might happen once they’re gone. But a will is…