By Dom Cioffi This past Saturday I announced to my wife that I was headed out to do some errands. I then took a quick shower, gathered some snacks for the ride, and jumped into my truck to leave. But while it was true that I had a few errands to knock out, I also had an…

By Susan Shea My dog watched intently as an area of soil in our backyard vibrated and formed a slight ridge. Suddenly he began digging, revealing a mole below ground. Before Cody could pounce, I grabbed his collar and pulled him away. This was not the first time I’d rescued a mole. When I lived…

By Kevin Theissen If you live in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland, or Finland, then you’re among the happiest people in the world. On the other hand, if you reside in Sierra Leone, Bulgaria, Egypt, Palestinian Territories, or Tunisia, you’re among the least happy, according to the United Nation’s World Happiness Report 2017. The report relies on six…

By Brady Crain I have spent a lot of time since this lumbar surgery (left side L3-4 foraminotomy/facetectomy - didn’t need a laminectomy because the disc was already gone) walking, swimming, icing, and stressing about what was going to happen if I spent $3,000 or so (my out of pocket maximum) on a surgery that…

By Marguerite Jill Dye Watching presidents Macron and Trump at the Bastille Day celebration on the Champs Elysées in Paris took me back decades to standing on the wide boulevard’s sidewalk on the Fourteenth of July during studies and travels in Europe. A little over two decades ago, my husband Duane and son Danny gaped, wide…

By Brett Yates The Nickelodeon-produced major motion picture “Good Burger” debuted in theaters on July 25, 1997. Two decades later, it feels more popular than it was at the time of its release, when it met modest box-office success and critical revilement. With the children who saw it, it made a lasting impression, and now…

By Mary Ellen Shaw In the heat of summer, I can’t help but think of the many days back in the 50s and 60s that I spent at the Rutland City pool. It was located on the west side on North Main Street where there is green space today. Its history goes back to 1929…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Killington Resort remained perfect and clinched the number one playoff seed with two hard-fought victories. First up was Clearly Moguls. Runs were at a premium in this game with both pitchers — K.R’s Matt Kinsman and C.M’s “Ronzoni Hacker” — solid. C.M. led off and put runners on the corners but stranded them…

By Dom Cioffi I have a friend whose son has always been a serious risk taker. In fact, his kid has been a constant source of anxiety for him from as far back as I can remember. He’s told me numerous stories of how his child used to climb out of his crib in the…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under a Taurus Moon at an extremely auspicious moment in time. Allow me to skip the mundane aspect analysis, because the winds of change are about to be intensified by solar energies that only come around when Sirius rises ahead of…

By Meghan McCarthy McPhaul Perhaps the phoebe selected her nesting spot during the few days my family was away from home at the end of April. Otherwise, I can’t quite figure her decision to build a nest atop the back porch light, right next to a doorway used regularly by three children and a rambunctious…

By Kevin Theissen U.S. Markets The markets closed mixed for the month as investors grappled with oil prices, a volatile technology sector and news from central bankers. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 1.62 percent while the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index added 0.48 percent. But the NASDAQ Composite slipped 0.94 percent, according to The…

By Marguerite Jill Dye I met Marc Findeisen at the boat landing on Kent Pond where he was about to kayak across the water to check on the loon family. He updated us on the Canada geese and ducks and their chicks, and revealed the location of the eagle’s nest in a towering pine around…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg  One versus two squared off and as a result, someone dropped to three. Killington Resort battled McGrath’s Sushi in what is the leading candidate for Game of the Year and Comeback of the Year. If you did not stick around for the end, you would be shocked to learn M.S. lost…

By Brady Crain Recovery continues apace. The second round of steroids did the trick, and now when I walk I am nearly completely pain free, and when I swim or ride my trainer, I am pain free. I am still icing many of the hours a day (I had to get four ice packs, and…