By Declan McCabe I consider the lack of biting insects and other invertebrates to be a wondrous gift of the winter season. I can wander unmolested through wood and field absent the attentions of mosquitoes, deer flies, and ticks. And aside from a short list of “usual suspects,” insects are a rarity to be encountered…

By Cassandra Tyndall Many moons ago, I had a powerlifting coach who helped me take my lifting goals to the next level. He used to call out a series of coaching cues that totally revolutionized the way I lifted. “Tighten up tension out,” he’d say in a calm deep voice as I prepared to deadlift.…

By DJ Dave Hoffenberg There’s a new business in Rutland that has a lot to offer for all. Glow Esthetics at 46 Center St. opened last September and is owned by Alexandra Childs. You may have seen her at The Pickle Barrel or got some private treatments from her when she worked at The Woods…

“Another green sign!” Four-year-old Jude yells into the wind, pointing excitedly with his hand. He darts across the trail, making his way straight to the next trail marker. He stops, his little wedge still a bit shaky but allowing him to make his way, and stares up at the sign. As I pull my skis…

By Dom Cioffi One of the downfalls of having an only child who is also habitually social is that he is in constant need of friend-time, which can often times disrupt the family unit. My wife and I have spent hundreds of hours planning and executing excursions for the three of us only to have…

Rutland Young Professionals proudly serves more than 100 diverse members, and countless others throughout the Rutland Region who attend our events, participate in workshops, and look to us as champions of the opportunities that can be found here. We’re all so different, yet the one common thread that unites us is our geographic location. When…

By Kevin Theissen The size of the US Tax Code has increased quite a bit over the last 100+ years. Two of our most important historical documents, the Gettysburg Address and the Declaration of Independence, have 272 and 1,337 words, respectively. Our federal tax code was formally established in 1913 and had 9,337 words. It…

By Lee Emmons On frigid winter evenings, the hooting of a barred owl (Strix varia) serves as a reminder that the darkened forests of the Northeast are still very much alive with activity. Owls’ nocturnal calling emanates from favorite forest haunts, including along lakeshores, swamps, and rivers. But the sound of an owl late at…

By Cassandra Tyndall Regardless of what you’ve got your sights on achieving this year, it takes bravery, courage and the willingness to see things differently to make the choice to change. Being amped up with an inflated sense of enthusiasm allows us to dream up the impossible and make it possible. Despite the best of…

By Mary Ellen Shaw I know the skiers aren’t thinking like I am. Their season has just begun and they don’t want to think about it ending. I, on the other hand, am excited because flower and veggie seeds are in the stores! Seed catalogs have begun to arrive and I get to spend time…

By Merisa Sherman I keep moving. I can feel my ski slide underneath me as I collapse onto my front leg. With each stride, I move forward, onward and upward through the darkness. I swing my left hip forward, feeling the resistance of my skins as I drag my ski along the snow. Paying close…

By Dom Cioffi There’s an old saying that suggests that every decision we make is either based on love or fear. I’ve always found solace in that proverb and try to remember it when I am evaluating something in my life that requires judgement. How often do we say things or have an opinion on…

By Kevin Theissen Much of the focus of the new relief package has been on the $600 payments to individuals, but the 5,000+ page act covers a lot more including, small business loans, funding for the Covid-19 vaccine and unemployment. Refundable tax credit The $600 individual payments, in addition to the $1,200 payment under the…

By Michael J. Caduto Last June, my wife Marie and I encountered a mature wood turtle while walking through a forest near our home. We admired the intricate topography of its shell, inspiration for this species’ scientific name: Glyptemys (“carved turtle”) insculpta (“sculpted”). The 9-inch adult had brownish-black skin and scarlet-orange patches on its neck…

By Cassandra Tyndall If a change is worth making, the time it takes is worth taking. It’s easy to feel inspired by possibility, especially if you’re not satisfied by the current status quo. Dreaming up goals, making plans and thinking about the end point can help us visualize a better future. Without a sense of…