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Green Mountain Conservancy to Host Three Fall Hikes

by Green Mountain Conservancy | Nature

Please join the Green Mountain Conservancy (GMC) for our Fall Hike Series on three GMC nature preserves. These hikes are free and open to the public.

On Sunday, September 27th at 4 pm there will be an early evening hike along the Old Oaks Headwaters Preserve that includes the opening of the newly established parking area and trail access. The preserve is part of the largely unfragmented 3,000+ acre Harrisville Forest block that provides migration corridors for many species, and is the headwaters for the Green River. Please join us to enjoy a sunset hike on this unique preserve.

Directions: Go to The Campus at Marlboro Music, 2582 South Road, Marlboro, VT 05344. There will be people to guide you to parking and the trailhead.  Arrive at 3:45 for parking and a short shuttle to the site.

Fuel for Anxiety

by RDavis | Living

The Windham County Heat Fund is heading into an unprecedented year. Fuel prices are obscenely high and people are aware that prices will not go down anytime soon. We are all paying the price because of the actions of our deranged and unhinged president.

Sadly, we all feel helpless to do anything about the price of fuel. Truck drivers are giving up their jobs and farmers are struggling to get in their crops. Diesel is now over six dollars a gallon and, if that continues, the price of all commodities will continue to escalate.

I heard a recent story from a mid-west farmer who has to pay $1800 a day in diesel costs and he feels he is reaching the point where farming may become financially impossible to sustain.

Day of Action for Medicaid & Our Hospitals

by ESchwartz | Activism

The Vermont Workers’ Center is hosting a rally and people’s fair in Brattleboro, as part of a national day of action coordinated by the Nonviolent Medicaid Army. It will take place on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 from 11 A.M. – 2 P.M., on the Centre Congregational Church lawn, 193 Main St., Brattleboro.

We’ll gather to share stories, food, and healthcare resources and to affirm that we deserve a healthcare system that benefits us all and keeps our rural hospitals open. This free gathering will include speakers from Brattleboro and around the state, a community meal, Medicaid and SNAP assistance, NARCAN training from the AIDS Project, basic health screenings, a communal art project, children’s activities, and singing. There will be opportunities to take action in support of universal healthcare and our hospitals, and a celebration of the victory in preserving the birthing center at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital.

Is The U.S. Safe From Attack?

by RDavis | Activism

There have been a number of small wars/military actions against the U.S. on U.S. soil. The largest war was when King George’s army tried to stop the colonists from breaking away from mother England. Since then, the American public has been mostly protected from the death and destruction that war brings. Of course. 9/11 stands alone, but it is only one incident on one day.

In the modern era, Americans have been protected from having to live with a war in our own towns and cities. For Americans, war has been an action without direct consequences. That is not to make light of the thousands of military people who have died trying to protect this country from afar.

Soldiers make up a small percentage of the American population, but they always are the ones who see what war is really like. They are our proxies and they have to be shipped off to foreign countries in order to fight wars that politicians create because they can’t solve disagreements politically.

Georgian Pomegranate Beef, Indian Roasted Eggplant Curry

by LedaS | Food

Hello Food Lovers,

On the menu at Leda’s Kitchen this week:

GEORGIAN POMEGRANATE-BRAISED BEEF WITH WALNUT SAUCE: Slow-braised beef and vegetables in a rich pomegranate-walnut sauce with a sweet-tart pomegranate molasses drizzle.

LOCAL TOMATO CHICKEN STEW: Free-range chicken simmered with local tomatoes, green bell peppers, chiles, and fresh basil. A dish that can only be made in summer with the best of Vermont’s produce. Last one of the season!

August 2026 Precipitation Report

by local | Nature

August was a dry month with less than 1/2 the normal rainfall. 1.89 inches compared to the NOAA normal of 4.32 inches. Measurable rain on 14 days but the largest daily rain total was only 0.43″. Most of Southern Vermont was also dry with a few exceptions. A couple of CoCoRaHS observers in the Northeast Kingdom reported over five inches for the month.

Year to date my total is 26.47″ compared to the average of 30.73″ for the end of August. With shorter days and my location close to the Connecticut River with it’s morning fog, all is still green and growing in my neighborhood. A good garden year and not a bad summer.

Brattleboro Senior Meals Needs Drivers

by KTurnas | Food

Brattleboro Senior Meals has an urgent need for Meals on Wheels drivers.  Please contact: Cynthia Fisher the Director of Senior Meals at 802 2578-1236 or director@brattleboroseniormeals.org.

Thank you in advance for of our MOW drivers.  Because you bring food and kindness to some of the most vulnerable homebound citizens in Brattleboro, West Brattleboro, Vernon, Guilford and Dummerston.

Why Canada?

by RDavis | Activism

Until the Trump era, Canada and the U.S. enjoyed an excellent relationship on many levels. When Trump suggested that Canada become the 51st state he insulted the entire country and the U.S. ended up losing a lot of money in the tourist trade. Things were starting to get a little better this summer until the orange maniac went after Canada again.

His new assault started with a warning to Canadian Prime Minster Mark Carney to stop sending smoke from wildfires to the U.S. That only reinforced Canadian perceptions that Trump is a candidate for involuntary committal to a mental health facility.

Late Summer Cooking at Leda’s Kitchen

by LedaS | Food

Hello Food Lovers,

On the menu at Leda’s Kitchen this week:

LOCAL TOMATO, BASIL & BELL PEPPER CHICKEN: Free-range chicken simmered with local tomatoes, green bell peppers, chilies, and fresh basil. A dish that can only be made in summer with the best of Vermont’s produce.

Keeping Warm Will Cost More

by RDavis | Living

As we approach the 22nd year of the Windham County Heat Fund people will find it harder to be able to afford to keep warm this winter. The price of fuel has been directly affected by the actions of a deranged president who started a war to divert attention from his actions as a pedophile in the Epstein scandal.

The average price of home heating fuel in Vermont this week is $4.60 gallon with a range of $4.59 to $5.50. Prices have increased 18.1 percent over the past six weeks and they show no sign of going down. That means that 150 gallons of home heating fuel will cost at least $688.50. It also means that for the lowest income people among us, heating their homes will mean difficult priority decisions.

Saag Paneer & Mango Lassi at Leda’s Kitchen this week

by LedaS | Food

Hello Food Lovers,

On the menu at Leda’s Kitchen this week:

SAAG PANEER: A saag that goes above and beyond: small-batch house-made paneer combined with organic spinach, lots of onions, ginger, and garlic, and finished with a hint of cream to elevate the soft, earthy flavors of the dish. Mild.

The Lazarus Effect

by RDavis | Recreation & Sports

Just when Red Sox fans were beginning to realize that this season was going to be a bad one for the home team something of a sports miracle happened. Their record before July was 37-48, meaning their win percentage was a depressing .434. Then something happened.

It all started in April when Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a bunch of other personnel were fired. Chad Tracy, the manager of the triple A Worcester Red Sox was hired and things didn’t change quickly as the Sox continued on their miserable slump.

Then in July the resurrection began as the Sox had a record of 21-4, the best in the franchise’s storied history. As I write today their record is 64-53, or .547 and they are only seven games behind the American League leading Tampa Rays.

Vermont Needs A New Governor

by RDavis | Activism

Governor Phil Scott needs to retire as Vermont’s governor. Five two-year terms is enough. His ideas have become outdated and his approach to problem solving does not seem to be working for the benefit of a majority of Vermonters.

When Scott was first elected I was fearful that he didn’t know enough about health care issues to be able to move the state forward. My fears were realized and he still seems to be locked into the position that the private market is the way to go to improve access and affordability to health care. How’s that working out Governor?

Luckily we have two extremely capable candidates running as Democrats to defeat Scott. Amanda Janoo and Aly Richards both have work credentials that make it clear they are able to tackle some of the state’s most difficult problems and to develop fresh new approaches. The Vermont primary is August 11 and Democratic voters have an excellent but difficult choice to make.