By Kevin Theissen It seems the local real estate market has picked up recently, perhaps due to people wanting to move from larger cities to more rural areas. How the gains from the sale of a primary residence are taxed has changed in recent years. If you have recently sold your home, or are considering…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul We were touring the neighborhood backroads one summer evening when the kids noticed a sleek movement through a small pond. At first, we thought it was a beaver, but its smaller size and – once we got a closer look – slender tail revealed this swimmer as a muskrat. It went…

By Cassandra Tyndall One of the signature themes of 2020 is the fusion, known astrologically as a conjunction, of Jupiter and Pluto that occurs three times. The first was in April, then June and the third time will be November. Together, Jupiter and Pluto signify many things, some of which can be great wealth, hidden…

By Commissioner DJ Dave Hoffenberg The pandemic season finally got under way. There a few adjustments the guys have to get used to but playing softball is not one of them, filling a team though, was a problem for one but a bonus for another. The first game featured Defend Title Fantastically (DTF), the defending…

By Dom Cioffi I was 11 years old at the beginning of the summer of 1978. At that time, my world revolved around the local municipal swimming pool just around the corner, whiffle ball games in the street with my friends, and a small white radio that I listened to music on. The radio had…

It’s cold and I can feel the wind nipping at my exposed cheeks right above my mask. Based on the snow swirling at my feet, I cannot tell if the wind is straight smacking me in the face or swirling around me but I don’t care. The air is so clear and so crisp. Above…

By Declan McCabe Large fishing spiders walking on water can be fascinating – or terrifyingly unnerving. The latter reaction is common among Saint Michael’s College students as we sample Vermont’s streams and ponds. On one occasion, a normally macho student screamed, dropped his net, and leaped from the stream to avoid a particularly large specimen.…

By Cassandra Tyndall A matter you’ve been either avoiding or walking on egg shells about, may come to a head this week. We all eventually get to the proverbial line in the sand when the only way forward on an issue is to confront it. While potentially upsetting, once you’ve sliced and diced the matter,…

By Mary Ellen Shaw You may have more free time these days and if you are seeking lighthearted entertainment look no farther than your yard! It’s too nice this time of year to be indoors so pull up an outdoor chair and take a break from your gardening chores. In my younger days I never…

By Gary Salmon The problem with this article occurred earlier when my mind went searching for a photo of an ornamental hemlock tree growing in someone’s yard. I have a large collection of tree photos filed away in both my mind and computer available for a wide range of needs which requires that I only…

By Merisa Sherman It was the responsibility of the fifth grade and we took it very seriously. Instead of participating in the chaos of homeroom each morning, the designated group would get the flag from its place of honor in our classroom and slowly descend the main stairs. We would be the only ones in…

By Dom Cioffi My son and I have reached an interesting crossroads: we both wear the exact same size in our clothing, shoes, and headwear. I imagine this happens to many parents, but I wasn’t prepared for the repercussions of this convergence. It started with the shoes. About six months ago we wandered into a…

By Susie Spikol Each fall, thousands of broad-winged hawks soar across the New England sky in flocks known as kettles, on their way to wintering grounds in South and Central America. The sky swirls with hawks bubbling up on thermals of hot air and then streaming southward. It is enough to take your breath away…

By Cassandra Tyndall In order to fully let something go, it’s normal to have one final long gaze at it. Like those times you break up with a lover, knowing it won’t develop into anything more. Or those times you move, taking one last look at the house that stands before you. As you close…

By Merisa Sherman It’s so dry, that even underneath the protective straw, I can see cracks in the asparagus bed soil. The pansies on the western side of the garden are making their final push before their foregone surrender while the grass is a prickly brown that cuts your feet. The wildflowers are shirking their…