When I was growing up in Rutland during the 50s and 60s you didn’t have to leave the city to experience downhill skiing. You simply headed to the Rutland Country Club on Grove Street.  There was a rope tow that brought you to the top of a 525-foot hill. It offered a safe environment and…

Things have been alright. My back has been alright, weightlifting has been alright, work has been alright, the skiing has been alright (we keep getting these little surprise powder days, nothing on Killington Road, but really nice turns up on the mountain). Things have been alright. Winter climbing league has started down at the climbing…

TV catchphrases aren’t meant to live forever. Even the most successful character slogans like “Dy-no-mite!” and “Don’t have a cow, man!”—which made the jump from in-series use to real-world use—gradually faded from the American lexicon except as fond memories of our pop-culture past. Of all the television-born crossover phrases, however, possibly none has flamed out…

By Dave Hoffenberg This Thursday, don’t miss Michael Glabicki at the Pickle Barrel Nightclub at 8 p.m. You may know Glabicki as the front man of Rusted Root. The band played the Pickle last February as part of its 25th anniversary tour. This time, he’s coming as a duo with Rusted Root guitarist Dirk Miller.…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Sky This week’s Horoscopes are coming out under that light of a Gemini Moon. Well on its way to fullness, with a plethora of what appear to be stressful aspects, it looks to me like the upcoming week will be filled with experiences that beg us to get…

Every second Friday night of the month at 7 p.m., you need to head to Taps Tavern in Poultney  to see the Mean Waltons. They’ll be nice to you and your ears as you listen to some great folk covers. The Mean Waltons are Wayne Surrell, guitars and vocals; and Earle Provin, slide guitar, mandolin,…

By Marguerite Jill Dye It is such a blessing to spend time with friends from near and afar. I especially love getting together after months or years and picking up conversations where we left off as if no time has passed. Friends bring out our very best and know and understand us well enough to…

This was a week for reconnecting with old friends and people who have assisted me in some pretty thunderous ways. Last week, at the 50th birthday party for a friend of mine, I ran into a bunch of people that I had not seen in a while, fabulous musicians who lived or performed in Killington…

By Kenrick Vezina Not to alarm you, but you’re surrounded. There, buzzing stupidly into the slats of your venetian blinds, is a house fly. Nearby, nestled in a crevice of the window-frame, a ladybug waits out the winter. In a corner overhead, a spindly house spider sits motionless in its haphazard web. Underfoot, bristly little…

By Kyle Finneron There is an old saying: you either win or you learn. Recently, I learned a lot. A few weekends ago I competed in my first grappling competition. I decided that a great place to test my mettle was at the North American Grappling Association (NAGA) North East championships in Rhode Island. Go…

Celebrity death: Is it stupid to care? The age-old question struck me again at the end of 2016, as George Michael, Carrie Fisher, and Debbie Reynolds all shuffled off this mortal coil in quick succession. All year long, our popular culture had inhabited a heightened state of bereavement, perhaps on account of a few uncommonly…

By Cal Garrison, a.k.a. Mother of the Skye Happy New Year to all of us! This week's Horoscopes are coming out under the light of a Pisces Moon with aspects that are creating levels of intensity that require awareness and control. Try not to get carried away by things that upset your applecart. Let people…

By Marguerite Jill Dye I am ready to take angel messages to heart and make a conscious decision to focus on the positive and create more happiness in and around me in 2017. I announced this to a longtime friend who sighed, reached up to heaven in gratitude, and silently mouthed “Hallelujah!” It’s about time,…

By Joe Rankin Back in September, I put out the bird feeder. I try not to do it too early because, well . . . bears. My feathered friends emptied it in hours. A couple of refills later and I decided I couldn’t afford to put out the buffet that early. The weather was warm;…

I don’t know when I got so behind the times but I have a feeling that retirement is the culprit! I am happy in my little world of limited technology but when various items need replacing I am going to have quite the time adjusting. I am the type who tends to replace things only…