By Joe Rankin As if the emerald ash borer’s incursion into northern New England wasn’t enough, now there’s another potentially devastating forest pest marching this way: the southern pine beetle. Dendroctonus frontalis – the first name means “tree murderer,” we should note – is only a fraction of an inch long. But during outbreaks, they…

By Dom Cioffi The opportunities to sing were plentiful when I was a child. I just never had the guts to stand up and try it. I belonged to a church where I watched people sing religious songs on a weekly basis. Obviously, there were opportunities to join the choir, but I would have never…

By Marguerite Jill Dye  However the mid-term elections play out, we still must consider how deeply divisions in the United States are affecting our wellbeing, as a nation, as world citizens, and as individuals. Many of us find our families divided, and have difficulty relating to friends whose political viewpoints seem opposite to our own…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Guster is part of the Women’s World Cup, Nov. 23-25, and will be playing Sunday in between runs. I had the pleasure of speaking to Adam Gardner who along with Ryan Miller and Brian Rosenworcel, formed the group in 1991. Joining them in 2010 was Luke Reynolds. Guster has never played…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Steve Finer began mountain rescue decades ago in Wyoming and has served as a longtime leader of Killington Fire and Rescue. He also works in Rutland Regional Medical Center’s emergency center, so his three-hour CPR class in the Sherburne Memorial Library was filled with personal experience. Gerrie Russel, president of Killington…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg The Women’s World Cup is returning to Killington, Nov. 24-25. Besides top skiers, you also get four top music acts. KT Tunstall is playing Saturday in between runs. She is currently in the midst of a U.S. tour. Tunstall is looking forward to returning to Vermont. She spent time in Burlington…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Cancer Moon, on the eve of the Halloween Cross Quarter. For the past couple of weeks I have referred to the fact that we need to pay close attention to what the Moon does when she…

By Dom Cioffi I remember waking up one morning many years ago to my brothers making an awful commotion about something across the street. They were snickering and giggling under their breath, obviously trying to contain their excitement over a mischievous act. After overhearing a few leading statements, I decided to have a look for…

By Marguerite Jill Dye We rode on a tractor-pulled hayride up to the wedding ground. The mountain glowed in late the day sun that lit up the orchard and colorful woods. When the bagpipes began, we led the procession, then sat on the first wooden bench. The bride’s mother, aunt, and bridesmaids followed, escorted down…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg There’s not many shows where you can mix rap with uplifting spiritual messages. On Saturday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m., a show like that is at Woodstock’s Little Theater. Local preacher Nate Mispel is bringing Hope for Vermont there. Mispel’s speaking at the event and Blake Whiteley from Indiana and his…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of an Aries Moon, on the eve of the Sun’s entrance into Scorpio. This transition is hard to miss if you’ve got your eyes peeled. The trees stand naked against the bare landscape, the sky turns gray, the…

By Marguerite Jill Dye “To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.” — Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher Our only child, our son who’s a chef, and his true love are taking the plunge! They’re committing their love and trust in each other through their wedding vows on a…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg I love music. I especially love getting to preview a friend’s band’s debut album. It’s a real treat for the ears. Miss Guided Angels just completed their debut album, “The One That Got Away,” and they’re having a CD release party Oct. 25 at the Brick Box at Paramount Theatre in…

By Dom Cioffi I’ve always been a bit of a solo golfer. While I don’t mind playing with other people, I find that in order for me to play my best golf, I need to be fully focused on my game. When I play a round with another person or a group, I tend to…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Capricorn Moon. Capricorn is what is known as a Cardinal Sign. These days, whenever the Moon passes through a Cardinal Sign I pay extra attention. Why? Because Lucifer, Saturn, and Hades are currently situated at cross…