By Dom Cioffi Once baptized by John the Baptist and after he had first preached to citizens of Galilee, the man known as Jesus of Nazareth wandered up a mountainside and sat down. Later, legions of his followers approached in anticipation of hearing him speak. In his ensuing speech, Jesus laid out his beliefs and…

The homeless animals at the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) would love to be added to your holiday list this year! Some of the items on this year’s wish list include: animal bedding (new and used blankets and towels), 13 and 33 gallon trash bags, paper towels, brooms and dustpans, cat toys, litter pans, canned…

By Merisa Sherman “Vermont must be beautiful this time of year …all that snow.” What a great way to trick your best friend into heading up to Vermont for the holidays! The phrase gets repeated over and over again throughout the movie, as Danny Kaye successfully manipulates Bing Crosby into changing their plans from New…

By Kevin Theissen The University of Michigan’s index of Consumer Sentiment (UMCSENT) showed an increase in optimism in early December — and it had nothing to do with the Michigan Wolverines winning the Big 10 Championship for the first time in 17 years. The UMCSENT was up (+4.5%) month-to-month, although it remained down year-to-year (-12.8%).…

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="194740" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=".vc_custom_1582852508329{margin-top: 40px !important;}"][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3BhbiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyaWNvbmlmeSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtaWNvbiUzRCUyMm1kaS16b2RpYWMtYXJpZXMlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWlubGluZSUzRCUyMmZhbHNlJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc3BhbiUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text="Aries" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1568082984251{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"] March 21 - April 20 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Regardless of how much we want something, sometimes we simply have to admit defeat. In manifestation circles, this is known as “this or something better.” When we miss out on something, it doesn’t have to mean…

By Merisa Sherman A young man was banging on doors, a large blue cardboard poster under his arm. In the center was a large black and white photo of a random mountain in Vermont. It was taken from an off angle, and you could see the wing of the plane in the corner of the…

By Dom Cioffi Many, many decades ago, my grandmother bought herself a lake property. She had been ill for some time and was looking for a place to recuperate. In hindsight, it’s clear she was severely depressed, but back in the 1940s, they simply called it “exhaustion.” The property was old but my grandfather, being…

Do you have animal lovers and supporters of the RCHS on your gift list this holiday season? If so, RCHS has lots of items that will make purrrfect gifts for everyone on your list! Our stylish and cozy knit pom beanies will let people know you support RCHS, while keeping you warm this winter, and…

By Frank Kaczmarek Wilson Bentley (1865-1931) lived his entire life in Jericho, Vermont, where he developed a passion for snowflakes at an early age. He started by collecting snowflakes and trying to create detailed drawings of each one, but the snow crystals’ tiny size and the speed at which they melted made this a futile…

By Kevin Theissen Financial markets can be challenging to understand. But when markets enter a “bad news is good news” cycle, it becomes even more difficult to follow along. For a recent example, at its November meeting, the Federal Reserve outlined its plan to taper monthly bond purchases, which will end this pandemic-era policy response…

By Cassandra Tyndall A new week brings a change in the Astro-weather. Action planet Mars arrives in Sagittarius, infusing the skies with a dose of enthusiasm and confidence. This once in every-two-years visit can bring a “more the merrier” vibe, especially as it coincides with the holidays and New Year period. This time, Mars will…

By Susan Shea Every year my husband and I cut a Christmas tree on family land. We look for a young balsam fir growing in the power line right-of-way or in a forest clearing. Fir is our favorite type of Christmas tree because of its delightful, pungent fragrance. While Christmas tree farmers cultivate a variety…

By Kevin Theissen The real rate of return is an important personal finance concept to understand. It’s the rate of return on your investments after inflation. The real rate of return indicates whether you are gaining or losing purchasing power with your money. So, if inflation checks in at a rate of 3%, does that…

By Dom Cioffi I was lucky enough to grow up next to a municipal playground. I could run from my back door to acres of limitless fun within 60 seconds. A pool, jungle gyms, baseball field, a hill that was perfect for winter sledding, and numerous tennis and basketball courts were always at my beck-and-call.…

Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) has a fabulous opportunity to end 2021 with a bang! Two very generous supporters have offered to donate $20,000 to RCHS if the community will match it by Dec. 31, 2021. What a great opportunity to help the homeless animals in Rutland County! Before you know it, we will have…