Waterbury Winterfest wraps up Wanderlust 2021
For 10 years Waterbury Winterfest has encouraged a growing number of participants from the community and beyond to discover the magic of a Waterbury winter.
The Outside Story: Bluebirds bring a splash of color to winter
On Valentine’s Day, as I sat down to write, I noticed a burst of blue outside my upstairs window. Looking out with my binoculars, I counted six eastern bluebirds.
Student-hosted Virtual Trivia Night to test knowledge, award prizes, raise awareness
How many cows are there in Vermont? Which famous singer went to Harwood? Out of every 10,000 Vermonters, how many are homeless? If you think you might know the answers to questions like this, consider signing up for the Harwood Union High School National Honor Society virtual trivia night on Zoom this Saturday, March 13, at 5:30 p.m.
‘Barely Touching’ exhibit takes on the pandemic, the times, the stories
In an age riddled with racial injustice, political polarization, and a pandemic that has nurtured social isolation, two Vermont-based artists reckoned with their seemingly bleak reality through their art.
The Outside Story: Winter Buds - Tiny Packages of Potential
The bare branches of the trees outside my window seem lifeless in late winter. However, each twig holds many buds – small, wrapped packages of potential awaiting the spring.
SunCommon hosts virtual Climate Action Film Festival
Local solar provider SunCommon is building on its commitment to environmental storytelling with its second annual Climate Action Film Festival. Debuting this Tuesday, the virtual two-week event will continue on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays until March 12.
The Outside Story: Springs in winter are busier than you might expect
On a clear mid-winter day several years ago, my student Sarah Wakefield and I pulled on snowshoes, donned backpacks, and headed up through Smuggler’s Notch.
Sign of spring: Summer rec camp sign-ups, hiring get underway
Waterbury summer recreation camps are a summer tradition and 2021 will be no different. Waterbury Recreation and the YMCA’s Camp Koda are planning to operate in Waterbury for eight weeks from mid-June until early August.
Condo weatherization saves energy and money
Stony Brook condos and the weatherization team, from left, homeowners Pete Engle and Jill Appel. The project to button up the condos has shown reductions from 23 to 55 percent in air leakage; six units saw reductions in leakage measuring over 50 percent.
The Outside Story: Bobcats ready to set out on their own
There comes a time in every mammal mother’s life when her young leave. For some, this comes in a matter of weeks. For others, it might be years.
Community Valentine display shares handmade, heartfelt messages
The folks who brought us the reimagined River of Light lantern parade in December are at it again with an artsy, festive Valentine’s display in downtown Waterbury designed for the community to enjoy while staying pandemic-safe.
Remembering Everett Coffey's life in service
For decades in Waterbury, if one attended a Waterbury Village Trustees meeting back when there was a village government, or if someone was in need of an ambulance, or if while headed in or out of the town offices you caught bits of a lively conversation about the latest town business, you probably ran into Everett Coffey.
The Outside Story: Lichens are winter’s tough survivalists
In a February forest, evergreens provide welcome color.
The Outside Story: Towering Eastern white pines are a mainstay of the forest
Last summer I regularly passed a stand of towering white pine trees at Camp Plymouth State Park in Ludlow, Vt., where I live and work.
Mad River Chorale starting rehearsals for virtual spring performances
Building on a successful online holiday concert with more than 920 views so far, conductor Mary Jane Austin has announced online rehearsals for the 2021 Spring Concert of the Mad River Chorale beginning Monday, Feb. 8, at 7 p.m.
Harwood students look to plant trees to offset paper use
Some Harwood Union High School students are taking aim at their school’s paper use with a project to plant more than 100 trees in April and they are looking for Waterbury, Duxbury, and Mad River Valley residents to participate.
Harwood Interact student bottle drive to support Waterbury Senior Center
The Harwood Rotary Interact Club’s next fundraiser will be a bottle drive during the week of Feb. 8 with proceeds going to the Waterbury Area Senior Center.
The Outside Story: An insect hunter extraordinaire
A woodpecker frequently visits our feeder, alighting on the wooden supporting post and hopping up the post to the suet.
‘Switten’ auction raises $750 for kids nature programs
Laura Fried’s Switten auction closed Feb. 5 and after fees, it netted a little more than $750 to cover five summer nature camp scholarships for kids at North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier.
Call for Valentines: ‘Share Your Heart’
The folks at Waterbury Rotary and MakerSphere have announced plans to decorate the Rusty Parker Memorial Park gazebo for Valentine’s Day but they would like local residents to give them a hand.