NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – There are few things as refreshing on a hot summer day as a slice of watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus). At over 90 percent water, watermelons are a tasty way to keep hydrated with an added bonus of vitamins and minerals. For those who would like to try[Read More…]
Columns
We Can Always Repeal It
EAST MONTPELIER – My kid was mountain biking on a hill near his home in Arkansas and realized he’d lost his cell phone out of his pocket somewhere along the trail. Without his phone, he was incommunicado, but another rider lent him his. He called home, his wife hit “Find[Read More…]
Should I Stay or Should I Go? One recent grad reflects on a future in Vermont
CABOT – Vermont is an idyllic place to grow up. I was born and raised in Cabot. And as a kid there, I thrived in our small, tight-knit community. Now, I’m living in Burlington. I just graduated from the University of Vermont. And as much as I love this state,[Read More…]
Tough and Tender Thoughts for Turbulent Times
HARDWICK – “Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8. If Mother Theresa said she was but a small pencil in the hand of God, I may be comparatively a speck of broken chalk. But we are all called to leave our mark no matter how small[Read More…]
How Avian Influenza Might Be Affecting Loons
VERMONT – The nature community is becoming concerned about how bird flu impacts Common Loons. Wendy Puryear with the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, presented the latest updates at the Northeast Loon Study Working Group’s 2025 meeting, and this update draws on that, with some additional information[Read More…]
Against the Flow: Spring Alewife Run
MILLBROOK, N.Y. – One of the most exciting rites of spring is the alewife run, an annual event where throngs of fish race upstream from the ocean to inland water bodies on a reproductive journey. These “river herring,” as they are categorized, actually spend most of their lives at sea.[Read More…]
Hildene is Vermont Historical Landmark
PANTON – Perched on a hill in Manchester overlooking the Battenkill Valley lies Hildene, the Lincoln family estate. Originally built by Robert Todd Lincoln, son of President Abraham Lincoln, the property features a stately mansion and expansive gardens. Due to its significant historical importance, this Vermont landmark has drawn the[Read More…]
Some Sun, Some Rain; Much Warmer This Week
EAST HARDWICK – Rain was relentless in May, the observing station in East Hardwick saw 4.40 inches, with the normal for the month being 3.83 inches. The heavy rain from Saturday’s coastal storm did not count into this total because observations are taken in the morning, meaning an additional 1.02[Read More…]
We Just Visited Them in their Stalls
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – My tour group’s transfer from Salzburg to Vienna was nothing if not leisurely. Our bus first took us to the gigantic abbey at Melk, a typically imperialistic pile of stone decorated with heroic figures. Thence we boarded the “Austria,” a cruise boat that took[Read More…]
Rain, Rain, Here to Stay…
EAST HARDWICK – After another round of dreary and soggy conditions, Memorial Day weekend closed out Monday with the first 24-hour break in rainfall seen in over 10 days. Precipitation this forecast period was lighter than the previous due to its showery nature. It amounted to a widespread eight-tenths of[Read More…]
May Mayhem
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” It’s hard to hear our hearts when we are yelling, insulting, firing, defunding, deporting, defying court orders, defiling democracy, and denigrating our neighbors. Sylvia Boorstein, a Jewish Buddhist teacher, repeatedly says to herself[Read More…]
Finding the Treasure vs. the Coin
EAST HARDWICK – Arriving at the back door of Chaplain Alexandra (Alex) Jump’s home, I noticed several carts of freshly sheared wool. I was there to get to know her and gain insight into her work as a chaplain. Unknowingly, I was also about to learn what chaplains and shepherds[Read More…]
