EAST MONTPELIER – Charles Dickens, as most of us have read, went to work in a boot-black factory at the age of twelve to help with his family’s expenses after his father, John Dickens, had been sentenced to debtor’s prison. The factory, not surprisingly, was in a sagging, tumbledown old[Read More…]
Columns
Jackson Dam Study reveals river system complexity
HARDWICK – One detail in the Jackson Dam study stayed with me after I read it. When the SLR engineers began trying to measure how much sediment had accumulated behind the dam, they pushed a fourteen-foot probe rod straight down into the lakebed. In several locations they still did not[Read More…]
Tumult and tenderness
SHELBURNE – I am finding tenderness amid the tumult in today’s world. Neighbors are helping neighbors. Federally defunded social profits are collaborating. Strangers in countries at war with each other are coming together to grieve and heal together. They occasionally make the news. This is a tender time of year[Read More…]
Weeks Gone By
100 years ago in The Hardwick GazetteMay 13, 1926 Real Estate Items Wm. F. George has purchased what is known as the Gero property, consisiting [sic] of house, barn and three acres of land, better known as the Olmstead place just this side of the Hardwick and Woodbury railroad crossing[Read More…]
Ticks re-emerge and reveal changing climate
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – With each spring comes a renewed need to be vigilant for ticks. Over the past several decades, many tick populations and the pathogens they carry have expanded globally, driven by climate change, land-use shifts, and growing host populations. In New England, we are now at the[Read More…]
Keeping track of plants
CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – I decided this year to do a better job of keeping track of what plants are blooming when, and photographing them. I encourage you to do the same: we all forget what we have from time to time. And next winter we’ll be able to enjoy[Read More…]
Get growing by starting a vegetable garden
FAYSTON – Spring has finally arrived and with it comes a renewed sense of excitement to try something new. For those who have been thinking about starting a garden, this is a great time to give it a try. Whether transforming a corner of a backyard, building a raised bed[Read More…]
More unsettled weather for forecast period
EAST HARDWICK— The northeast remains persistent in its cool and wet conditions for the rest of this week, thanks to a large upper-level low situated over Hudson Bay, which continues to pinwheel pieces of energy through the region. In the past several days, we’ve seen showery conditions, with approximately half[Read More…]
Area maple makers claim successful season
EAST HARDWICK – For many in the New England region, spring showers aren’t the only expectation for the season. Many families anticipate the sweet smell of boiling sap, one that can only be found in and around a sugarhouse. For some, acquiring maple syrup or a maple treat is as simple[Read More…]
A call for voices
To the editor: Since February 2025, I have managed the Gazette’s Voices of Spirit column. It is an education and a pleasure to work with you and the Gazette staff, and even more so with the writers and spiritual leaders in our community. These writers offer thoughtful and meaningful perspectives[Read More…]
The first casualty of war
EAST MONTPELIER – Is the Strait of Hormuz open or not? If it is at all, whose ships are allowed to pass through it? Is the American blockade of Iranian ports still in effect? How many ships and aircraft have we committed to expressing our displeasure with Iran? What’s the daily[Read More…]
Waiting has a cost
HARDWICK – In a small town like Hardwick, it’s easy to put off big decisions. Projects are expensive. The timing never feels quite right. When something is still working, at least most of the time, it can be hard to justify making a change. Concern about the cost of projects[Read More…]
