By Dom Cioffi We’re only a month into the school year and I’ve already found myself at a parent/teacher conference. Nothing bad has happened with our teenage son, but my wife and I wanted to make sure that he was on track before the year got too far along. Cancer affects more than just the…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg There’s a cool event happening Oct. 7 at Artistree in South Pomfret: Renowned composer/pianist Malek Jandali brings his Pianos for Peace show with local pianist Will Drebitko opening, a 4 p.m. show. I had the utmost pleasure of speaking with Jandali and heard his views on making the world a better place.…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Void-of-Course Gemini Moon. The Moon will enter Cancer at around 2 p.m. on Monday and will be within orb of a conjunction with the Trans-Neptunian Point, Hades, by 6 a.m. on Tuesday. This would be enough…

By Marguerite Jill Dye We paid a visit to the Bennington Museum, eager to see the paintings and prints of “Crash to Creativity: The New Deal in Vermont,” which is on exhibit through Nov. 4. At the entrance to the museum I was struck by Vermonter Clyde V. Hunt’s sculpture, “Faith, Charity, Hope—The American Spirit.” Abraham…

By Gal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out in the aftermath of the Fall Equinox, under the light of a Libra Sun and a Full Aries Moon. Over the years I have written about this Cross Quarter so many times, I am not in the mood to write about…

What do bets on the ice melt date in Joe’s Pond and apple blossom notes of Vermont farmers have in common? Both contributed to the creation of the first-state-in-the-nation Vermont Climate Assessment. The 2014 Vermont report combines local data from University of Vermont and state scientists in partnership with the National Climate Assessment (which provides…

By Dom Cioffi I spent this past week in Boston. I was there with a couple of my coworkers attending a marketing conference. Our goal was to pick up some valuable knowledge concerning the future of online marketing, which is changing rapidly. It was unseasonably hot and humid in the city, with each day we…

By Becca Zidik Crisp air and cool nights signify the change in seasons, a time that we all look forward to. Instead of the cliche PSL (pumpkin spice latte) or cinnamon apple cider, consider a refreshing glass of Clown Shoes beer! Straight from Ipswich, Mass., this craft brewery will be featured at The Foundry for…

By Marguerite Jill Dye We welcomed our friends from Avignon, France, Colette and Jean-Paul Pascal, with a fête. We explored our region on “Very Vermont” excursions and hikes. One lovely day at Silver Lake, Judy took Colette on her first kayak trip. We hiked Bear Mountain, Pico Peak, and the Appalachian Trail alongside Kent Pond.…

By Mary Ellen Shaw When you have lived long enough in the City of Rutland to remember the days of cows and horses then you know that you have been around for awhile! Back in the 50s there was still some farmland in the city. One piece of property that had that designation was about…

Purchasing power parity, or PPP, is a simple idea with a tongue twister of a name. When two countries have PPP, a basket of goods costs the same amount in both countries after the exchange rate has been factored in. The Economist developed an entertaining measure of PPP. It’s called “The Big Mac Index.” The…

By Cal Garrison a.k.a. Mother of the Skye This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a brand new, Virgo Moon with Venus moving from Libra to Scorpio, and Mars moving from Capricorn to Aquarius. Of course there are a lot of other aspects to consider – Venus is squaring the Moon’s Nodes…

By Marguerite Jill Dye My favorite thing in all the world at this time in my life is spending time with our 3-year-old grandson, Silas. “Papa” and I recently spent several days trying to keep up with and care for him. Some conversations with our favorite little guy surprised and amused us, like this: “I…

By Becca Zidik As the weather gets chillier, and signs of fall are making appearances, staying inside starts to sound like a perfect pastime. And what better way to spend time inside than with a glass of ruby red Merlot from Estancia Vineyards. A glass in your hand while enjoying the changing temperatures in a…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg This Saturday, Sept. 1, head to Killington Resort to listen to the cool jammin’ sounds of Donavon Frankenreiter. He is really excited to be coming back to the mountains of Killington. Frankenreiter hails from California but moved to Hawaii over 10 years ago. Besides playing music, he’s a pro surfer and…