July 3-4: Pick a nearby celebration to mark the semiquincentennial
With Waterbury already having celebrated Not Quite Independence Day, here are highlights of where to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial around the region this July 4 weekend.
Obituary: Janet Smith DiBlasi
Janet Smith DiBlasi, 93, of Peterborough, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully at RiverMead retirement community on May 24, 2026.
Obituary: William Fritz (Bill) Abel
Following a long illness, William Fritz (Bill) Abel, 81, passed away peacefully at his home in Waterbury Center, Vermont, on June 19, 2026, with his second wife, Jane Gallagher, at his side.
As hunters, dragonflies surpass sharks in catching prey
Imagine you’re a fruit fly by the pond on a sunny day, whirring along in search of food or other flies. Suddenly, you’re scooped up, whisked to a perch, and efficiently devoured by a blue dasher dragonfly. For little flies like you, blue dashers have a 97% capture rate. For comparison, great white sharks only catch their prey 50% of the time.
Get outside with summer library programs
July brings outdoor festivities with the Waterbury Public Library taking part in the Waterbury Arts Fest and hosting another outdoor Silent Reading Party with Bridgeside Books. Check out many new youth programs, too.
Senior center gets a fresh sign, invites more to visit
Keen-eyed observers on Stowe Street this week may have noticed a new addition to the facade at the Stimson & Graves Building, where a new brightly colored sign marks the entrance to the Waterbury Area Senior Center.
Better Connections summer project mixes art, safety near the Triangle Green
A special summertime project installed in the heart of Waterbury Center has added some art along with features designed to improve pedestrian, cycling and driving safety.
Waterbury artist and teacher’s essay lands in ‘Chicken Soup’ collection for America’s 250th
An essay by a Waterbury teacher and artist is included in a recently published book ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary titled, “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Celebrating the Spirit of America.”
Saturday: Waterbury throws its early Not Quite Independence Day party
While most towns around Vermont will be celebrating the nation’s birthday over the July 3-4 weekend, Waterbury marches to its own unique beat, with Not Quite Independence Day festivities this Saturday.
Lost Nation Theater students kick off summer with ‘The Lion King-Kids’
Jumping into summer over the course of just one week, youth performers with Lost Nation Theater will bring “The Lion King-Kids” to the Montpelier City Hall Arts Center stage for three shows this weekend.
Obituary: Thomas E. Boisvert
Thomas E. Boisvert, 83 of Waterbury, Vermont, passed away peacefully on April 13, 2026, at McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester. He was born in Montpelier on July 26, 1942, to Clovis J. and Viola M. Boisvert of Montpelier, Vermont.
A meal worth the sting
A number of our bird species, then, eat a non-negligible amount of stinging bees and wasps. So how do they do it?
Thousands of Do Good Fest music fans to meet Harwood’s The Glam Cowboys
The Harwood Union High School rising seniors who make up the band The Glam Cowboys will get to take their act to their biggest stage yet when they open National Life Group’s Do Good Fest on July 11.
Waterbury Rotary names hometown ‘G.W.’ as NQID Parade Grand Marshal
For our nation's 250th birthday this year, the Waterbury Rotary Club has selected a grand marshal for the Not Quite Independence Day Parade to honor both our nation's history and a local citizen whose family has been in Waterbury for almost as long.
UPDATE: Go Skate Day rolls into Waterbury Skatepark on July 11
For months, skateboarders have put the new skatepark at Hope Davey Park to the test, through consistent sessions and technical tricks. This Sunday, the park hosts Go Skate Day, part of an annual global celebration of skateboarding.
Granville Corner School hosts Barn Quilt Mini-Mural workshop, June 27-28
Driving the backroads, you might spot one: a mural on the side of a barn. It’s just one of the inspirations that artist Meg Reinhold uses in her Barn Quilt Mini-Mural Workshop coming to the Corner School Resource Center of Granville on Saturday and Sunday, June 27-28.
Obituary: John Samuel Hall Jr. - “Sonny”
John Samuel Hall Jr., “Sonny,” 82, of Waterbury, Vermont, passed away in the comfort of his family at his home on Friday, June 5, 2026.
The cecropia: A moth with a mission
The cecropia is North America’s largest moth, similar in size to a giant swallowtail butterfly. It’s one of several species of giant silk moths in the Northeast.
Obituary: Peter W. Aylward
Peter “Pete” W. Aylward, 79, of Barre, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the McClure Miller Respite House in Colchester.
Ripples From the Reservoir | Early summer
Summer is almost here and the Waterbury Reservoir is beginning to burst with activity! People are swimming, paddling, fishing, and boating, and the wildlife and birds are coming back in great numbers.