MONTPELIER – I hope we can find our way to ensure the continuation of a thriving version of this wonderful democracy, one we obviously cannot take for granted. I received a hundred or so requests for my legislative update (11 pages). If you’d still like one and haven’t received it,[Read More…]
Latest News
No ceasefire in our war on nature. No, we’re not winning
ROYALTON – Hot day, full heat of summer. The river beckons, babbling around the bends, churning between stones. Rather than nose-dive down the steep bank, I choose the simpler footpath. Spring has been wet enough to keep gardeners happy, vegetation robustly green. Which is why the brown really stood out.[Read More…]
Why we still talk about flooding
HARDWICK – I’ve heard more than one person say recently, “It hasn’t flooded for two years. Why are we still talking about flooding?” It’s a fair question, depending on your perspective. It probably does feel like we’re spending a lot of time talking about flooding right now. We are. In[Read More…]
Remember the Ladies
SHELBURNE – As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, I am thinking of Abigail Adams and her famous letter to her husband, John, on March 31, 1776. He was in Philadelphia as a leading delegate to the Continental Congress negotiating the framework for[Read More…]
Weeks Gone By
125 years ago in The Hardwick Gazette. July 11, 1901 Baseball Barton and Hardwick baseball nines are going to cross bats and see who’s “best man” Saturday afternoon of this week. Each team has won one game, so this game will be the struggle for honors. Game will be played[Read More…]
Identifying the Recently-Introduced Jumping Worm
BURLINGTON – We are now in our gardens installing new plants, weeding and applying mulch. As we move soil, we inevitably encounter earthworms. Since introduced jumping worms have been reported across Vermont, many gardeners feel alarmed when earthworms appear. Jumping worms are the newest earthworms to appear in Vermont. The[Read More…]
Jewelweed is hummingbird favorite
BROOKFIELD – By midsummer, the deck in our backyard is lined with a profusion of tall orange flowers. Each flower is shaped like a small funnel with a curved spur and hangs from a slender arched stem. Hummingbirds zip back and forth, hovering in front of the flowers and probing[Read More…]
Groundcovers work as living mulch
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Most gardeners are familiar with the benefits of mulch. Its application helps suppress weeds, conserves soil moisture and helps regulate soil temperature. It can also help with erosion control by keeping topsoil in place. Plants can also act as a living mulch A groundcover plant is[Read More…]
Heller’s World
Local students named to President’s List
PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Grace Cloutier of Hardwick, Keenan Wallace of Plainfield and Savanah Boyce of Craftsbury have been named to the Plymouth State University President’s List for the spring semester. To be named to the President’s List, a student must achieve a grade point average of 3.70 or better for the[Read More…]
Primary ballots now available
VERMONT – Ballots are available now to vote by mail in the August 11 Primary Election.Unlike the General Election in November, ballots will not be mailed automatically. A ballot may be requested in person from the local town clerk or through the Vermont Voter Portal at vote.vermont.gov, where there is[Read More…]
Welcome to Calais
“Welcome to Calais” is a program of Friends of Calais and the Calais Town Office. Those who are new to Calais and have moved to town within the last three months, whether you bought a home, or are renting, should email [email protected] to meet some of your neighbors, receive a welcome gift basket and information about the Town.
