Discover More from This Category: Columns

The man who mows 

June 16, 2021
By Dom Cioffi  I have a specific route I take when I drive to work in the mornings. I take this route because it is the fastest and most efficient way to get from my house to my office. I take the exact same route when I return home. I try to avoid driving this…

My dad invented my Vermont

June 16, 2021
By Merisa Sherman Together, my dad and I stood on a patch on snow just larger than our skis, looking out over the middle of Superstar. It was a perfectly gorgeous bluebird day in early June. There had been a good amount of snow on the headwall and there was plenty on the bottom, but…

Rockin’ the Region at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club

June 9, 2021
By DJ Dave Hoffenberg “I’m funny how? I mean funny like I’m a clown, I amuse you? I make you laugh, I’m here to amuse you?” said Tommy DeVito in Goodfellas. If you like it funny and want to be amused then you have to check out the shows at the Woolen Mill Comedy Club…

Featured Pets for June 9 – June 15, 2021

June 9, 2021
3-years-old. Spayed female. Feist mix. Tan and white. I am an active sweet girl and hope that you will fall in love with me and take me home. Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 • Tues. – Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org Got mice? You’ll be…

Kleptoparasitism: parasitism by theft

June 9, 2021
By Rachel Sargent Mirus Picture a robin, out in the morning and hopping around the park. It finds breakfast in the form of a worm, but out of the nearby trees swoops a bigger bird. The bigger bird acts threatening, and the robin surrenders its worm like a kid giving up their lunch money to…

Inflation: Back to the future?

June 9, 2021
By Kevin Theissen Inflation sometimes seems like one of those afflictions of an era long since passed into the history books. While it’s true that double-digit inflation has been absent for the last 30 years or more, you may remember the high inflation years of the 1970s. Will the levels of U.S. public debt, loose…

Masking the problem, appreciating the results — health

June 9, 2021
By Dom Cioffi I’m not positive, but I think the first time I saw a person wearing a medical mask in public (but not in a hospital situation) was in an airport. This had to have been years ago – maybe 20 or more if my memory is correct. I’m also confident that any traveler…

Mastering composure on the crag

June 9, 2021
By Merisa Sherman  I have to stop and take a few deep breaths to bring my breathing under control. I can feel my heart pounding as I close my eyes. There is no choice but to focus, no option but to regain control of my mind. My left leg is shaking violently, even as I ask…

Revise and reorientate

June 9, 2021
By Cassandra Tyndall The old adage, “If you do what you’ve always done, then you’ll get what you’ve always gotten,” will likely ring true this week. While it is a New Moon that can symbolize a time to plant seeds for future growth, it is also a Solar Eclipse, June 10. Generally speaking, this isn’t…

RCHS can help with feral cats

June 2, 2021
Do you have feral cats near your home or workplace? Do you see them when you’re out, especially at night? Are you currently feeding feral cats? If so, the Rutland County Humane Society (RCHS) can help. RCHS is working with citizens around the county where feral cats are living on a population control program called Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR),…

Featured Pets for June 2 – June 8, 2021

June 2, 2021
2-year-old. Neutered male. Hound mix. Tri-color. I just want to be everyone’s best friend.  Rutland County Humane Society, 765 Stevens Road, Pittsford, VT • (802) 483-6700 • Tues. – Sat. 12-5p.m. Closed Sun. & Mon. • www.rchsvt.org   I’m a 1-year-old Labrador mix. I came from another shelter. I have a sensitive side and take time…

Cutting the cord, an overdue move I don’t regret

June 2, 2021
By Dom Cioffi I’ve finally reached the point where I can no longer justify paying for cable television. It just doesn’t make sense with my current viewing habits. I know some people will find that decision harsh given how much television the average American watches, while others will be tempted to say, “What took you…

Rockin’ the Region with Kenny Mehler

June 2, 2021
By DJ Dave Hoffenberg Kenny Mehler makes his long awaited return to Killington at 8 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, June 4-5 at Jax Food and Games. Mehler got his start at the Wobbly Barn in 2001 with his band Five Wise and became a Killington staple, but it’s been a few years since he’s…

A tale of two irises

June 2, 2021
By Laurie D. Morrissey Irises, with their large, exotic-looking flowers waving atop tall stems, are among the showiest early summer blooms. Most of North America’s nearly 30 native iris species are found in the southeastern states and on the Pacific coast; but a few irises grow in the northern woodlands. The most common are the…

Living life to the fullest, a goal I extend to my perennials

June 2, 2021
By Merisa Sherman When I went for my garden tour this morning I found that something had started nibbling on a few of the 75 hostas that I divided and transplanted last year — you know, when we had lots of free time where we weren’t supposed to leave our properties. There was a pile of…