By Mary Ellen Shaw As adults we have occasions to observe how small something actually is that seemed large to us when we were children. That happened to me just before the school year came to an end at Christ the King School. I drove by as students were taking part in an activity on…

By Merisa Sherman He was just a pup when he went on his first adventure, his tiny little body no bigger than my dad’s ski boots. Little Coopie was fascinated, getting himself stuck underneath the heel of my dad’s boot. They learned to ski uphill together, my dad and his dog. Together, they figured out…

By Dom Cioffi Anyone interested in sports knows that the 2022 New York Yankees are playing record-setting baseball. They have been destroying their opposition since the start of the season, exciting the Big Apple fans with epic hitting and pitching. And while I’m not a Yankees fan, I do appreciate the winning environment they’ve created.…

By Kevin Theissen In early June, the College Savings Recovery Act was introduced in the Senate. The bill would potentially allow 529 Education Savings Plan account holders to rollover assets to a Roth IRA. It’s not yet certain whether the bill will get through Congress, but it seems to have some momentum. To qualify for…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg The best and most affordable festival around is the Basin Bluegrass Festival in Brandon, July 7-10. It’s been going strong for 26 years with this being the 27th. I attended the past 2 and was blown away by all it had to offer. The music is exceptional. I didn’t know any…

By Merisa Sherman As I moved forward, I could feel the wind nipping at my face. My hair went flying backward and I shook my long hair from the poor braid I had made that morning. I stretched my arms long as my legs extended straight forward, providing me the balance to lean so far…

By Dom Cioffi Over the course of my business career, I have often been in the position of hiring people. Being interviewed for a job is certainly an anxious experience, but conducting an interview also has its own unique pressures. First, whenever you’re hiring, your goal is to find the best person available to fill…

By Elizabeth Crotty When asked to name the most resilient animal, not many people likely think of tardigrades. In fact, mostpeople probably don’t even know that tardigrades exist. Affectionately called water bears or moss piglets, these microscopic invertebrates, live almost anywhere there is water – from lakes and rivers to the ocean and even in…

An easier word to swallow By Sandra Dee Owens Years ago, while contemplating the things I found impossible to resist, I looked up the word addiction. According to Merriam-Webster addiction is "a compulsive, chronic, physiological, or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing…

By Kevin Theissen In 2021, the House Ways and Means Committee cleared a new bill, Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2021, more commonly referred to as SECURE Act 2.0. There were some delays, but it was again brought up in the House and was passed on March 29. In June, the Senate passed bills,…

By Susan Shea As spring warms the water, a turtle, covered by leaves and mud at the bottom of a wetland where she hibernated for the winter, awakens. Emerging from the water, she basks on shore. The sun illuminates her bright yellow throat and her high, domed shell, or carapace, dark and shiny with light…

Down the street they march, as they have marched for almost 250 years, their red, white and blue waving proudly for all to see. Families line the roadway, cheering loudly as their favorite fire trucks and organized groups roll on by. Little ones, having on idea what nationhood means and certainly have no idea who King…

There seems to be an increase in citizen concern about emeraldash borer (EAB) based on the number of calls and e-mails I have been getting this summer from people wanting simple answers to difficult questions. The difficult part is the nature of the eemerald ash borer itself and its direct impact on ash trees. We’re…

By Liz DiMarco Weinmann When Hurricane Irene ravaged large swaths of our region more than 10 years ago, national and local media alike praised Vermonters’ courage, hardiness, and community spirit. Even the New York Times ran a justifiably joyful feature, about a group of parents who discovered a half-mile-long path through the forest and ultimately…

For the last several years, I have grown increasingly attached to podcasts as my main source of information. I’ve found that long-form discussions lead to a better and more accurate understanding of both people and ideas. A three-minute soundbite from a talking head during a nightly newscast or a 30-second YouTube or Tik-Tok video can…