By Kevin Theissen The American Public Education Foundation recently found that Vermont schools are woefully short in helping prepare students to be financially literate. With a grade of “D,” many students are not learning to handle their finances smartly, avoid debt, better understand the economy and learn to make good decisions about their life and…

The Outside Story By Olivia Box One spring-like afternoon this winter, I was skiing near Middlebury, Vermont. The trail followed Otter Creek, weaving through cedar patches, hemlock groves, and past the occasional hardwood. It was one of those days where you can shed a few layers and still break a sweat when the sun spills…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out in the wake of the Easter rituals, under the light of a Capricorn Moon. This week, I decided to keep it simple and look at the aspects that will be in play for the next seven days. This approach paid off…

By Merisa Sherman I have a nook in my house where there’s a chair there, just out of the morning sun, where I can see the tree tops. They descend in a steepish yet skiable pitch down toward the valley on the right, kind of like Highline. There’s a second bit of dull greenish-brown peeking…

Woulda, shoulda, coulda by Dom Cioffi I was supposed to be heading to Saint Martin in the Caribbean tomorrow for a spring break week of sunshine, fun, and cocktails with tiny umbrellas. The trip was also doubling as a celebration of my son’s 16th birthday. Obviously, that’s not happening. Instead, I’ll be sitting at home…

By Mary Ellen Shaw We all need something to look forward to, especially as we navigate our way through the changes in our lives because of the coronavirus. The constant mention of it on TV and in the papers can be overwhelming at times. Mother Nature to the rescue!  She will soon provide us with…

By Kevin Theissen The COVID-19 outbreak has put tremendous pressure on stock prices, prompting some investors to blindly and indiscriminately sell positions at a time when the entire market is trending lower. Worried investors believe “this time it’s different.” When the market drops, some investors lose perspective that downtrends, and uptrends, are part of the…

The Outside Story by Susan Shea Thump. Thud. Something was hitting our window! It was a bright red cardinal flying at his reflected image in the glass – which he perceived to be an intruder in his territory. The bird kept it up for an hour, until I covered the window. On other occasions that…

By Cal Garrison This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Void-of-Course, Virgo Moon that will remain in that mode until it crosses the Libra cusp, at 5:16 p.m. The Moon turned full at 10:35 p.m. on Tuesday night. By the time Good Friday rolls around it will be in Sagittarius, and…

The Outside Story By Elise Tillinghast This is such a disorienting time, when all our lives have been turned upside down and shaken. One of the ways my own family is coping is by spending time outside every day. We stage nature treasure hunts in the woods behind our house. The kids work as a…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg In Don McLean’s “American Pie” he sang about “The day the music died.” When Governor Phil Scott ordered all bars and restaurants to close, the music around here kind of did. This region has such a great variety of live music you can go see, well could go. Musicians now are…

By Dom Cioffi When I was a very young child, my mother took me to see the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. It was an event that had a profound influence on me for many years. My mother used to vacation with her parents in Florida each February, and for several years I accompanied…

By Kevin Theissen Most children stop being “and-a-half” somewhere around age 12. Kids add “and-a-half“ to make sure everyone knows they’re closer to the next age than the last. When you are older, “and-a-half” birthdays start making a comeback. In fact, starting at age 50, several birthdays and “half-birthdays” are critical to understand because they…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Gemini Moon, that will turn Void-of-Course on March 30, and remain in that mode until it crosses the Cancer Cusp on the last day of the month. We could talk about the virus and the world-wide…

By Merisa Sherman When I was young, my mom used to feed us breakfast and send us out the door with instructions not to return home until 5 p.m. to get ready for dinner. I didn’t have a backpack or money or anything except the complete and utter feeling of freedom to create and imagine and…