When I adopted my daughter almost 32 years ago, no one knew George Floyd. Rodney King was the first video taping of brutal police beating that I could remember, and it never occurred to me when I looked at her beautiful brown little face peeking out of that pink fleece blanket that she would be subject to any kind of racism. I didn’t truly understand the ramifications of “racism” as we know it today; not just the overt confederate flag waving type, but the stares in the stores, the limits on her that are bred in the institutions white folks take for granted.… Read More

“Our goal is to elevate lives through developing improved and sustainable food security. We are focused on infusing new technology into agriculture development, along with cultural and humanitarian exchanges, anywhere in the world.”

~ Trees and Seeds

John Hiers and Kerilyn Bristow are retired educators from Woodstock Union High School. John taught agriculture, and Keri taught French and Spanish. Keri, however, wasn’t prepared to fully retire, so she began teaching elementary Spanish, PreK to 5th grade, part-time at the Ottauquechee School in Quechee. “I absolutely love it!” says Keri.  

While at WUHS, John and Keri collaborated on service-based travel projects with students to the Spanish speaking world.… Read More

One might say that COVER Home Repair and its companion, the COVER Store in White River Junction, are among the original recycling centers in the Upper Valley. With a broad mission “to foster hope and build community in the Upper Valley,” COVER has found its niche offering home repair and weatherization programs for income eligible homeowners. Founded in 1998 with just two individuals, COVER has grown substantially over its 23 years, and the passion for COVER’s enduring mission still fuels the many volunteers and staff.

Helen Hong is COVER’s new Executive Director, recently appointed after many years as a volunteer and six years as a member of the COVER Board.… Read More

Growing up in urban Massachusetts in the 1980s, Nick Tsouknakis and his older brother, Alex found themselves in the family business of making pizza. After their cousins had emigrated to the United States from Greece, they made Greek-style pizza their contribution to their adopted county. Nick arrived in Massachusetts from Koufi, Crete at the age of four, and by the time he had turned twelve he was tossing out fresh dough, just like the rest of the family.

Nick and Alex kept in touch with family in their homeland throughout their youth, who had instilled in them the deep value of food and cooking.… Read More

As told to Jessie N. McEntee

My wife, Carol, and I met at a party before a football game at Cornell in 1962. I was a junior and she was a freshman. She came as the date of a friend of one of my fraternity brothers. I learned that she was engaged to a Swede who worked for her mother’s firm back in Rochester, New York. This piqued my interest. And, she was very pretty and feisty. 

“Could you hold my cigarettes? I don’t want to smoke anymore,” I said. I thought it was a great line, and she thought it was the dumbest thing she’d ever heard.… Read More

The Quechee Hot Air Balloon Craft and Music Festival, the longest running hot air balloon festival in New England, will celebrate its 41st anniversary in 2021 when thousands are expected to flock to central Vermont, September 3 – 5, 2021 (Labor Day weekend).

Twenty balloonists will headline the event with five flights slated throughout the weekend and additional tethered rides during the day. Attendees can visit with 50 craft vendors, indulge in a variety of fare from 16 food vendors and sit back and enjoy dozens of entertainers for all ages, over the three-day extravaganza. Children’s activities include Bubble Machines, Rock Climbing wall, and more.… Read More

When two local companies partner to better our community, magical things can happen. JAG Productions, based in White River Junction is partnering with King Arthur Baking Company in Norwich. While a theater company and baking company seem an unlikely pair, together they are co-producing a beautiful series of performances, “Theatre on the Hill.”

“Theatre on the Hill” takes place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings between August 13 and September 12 on the grassy hill behind King Arthur Baking Company. Proceeded with food and drinks provided by Upper Valley favorites such as Munchie Rollz, Griddle and Groovy, and Wolf Tree, “Theatre on the Hill” is an outdoor theater series featuring an array of performances including workshop productions, concert musicals and staged readings. … Read More

Before the rise of the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century, most families made their living by a small-scale, decentralized manufacturing business often operated out of their homes. By far, the most important “cottage industry” – as it would eventually be called – centered on the production of yarn and textile fabrics. Key to its operation was the entrepreneur who purchased the raw materials, distributed them among working families, passed the semi-finished products from one artisan to another, and then marketed the finished products. In time, hand production methods led to the rise of the mechanized factory system in which textiles were still the dominant industry. … Read More

In early February 2020, everything was looking up for Piecemeal Pies restaurant owners Justin Barrett and Joshua Brown. They had developed a loyal customer base since opening their doors in downtown White River Junction in October of 2016. Piecemeal Pies had become the go-to brunch spot in the Hartford area – a place where customers came, not just for the quality, up-scale food, but for the experience. The establishment was a vital connector, interwoven into the fabric of the local community.

Barrett projected that 2020 would be one of the most profitable years for their business. They would finally be able to offer their employees benefits, such as healthcare and profit-sharing.… Read More

Thousands of miles away and over a quarter century ago, my journey to the US started. Reflecting on that journey fills me with fond memories. After graduating from Damascus University in Syria with a Master’s in Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, I decided to follow my siblings’ footsteps and move to the US to pursue a postgraduate degree, and fulfill my dream of curing cancer, the disease that killed my father.

I was not sure when I left Damascus in November 1994 that my stay in the US would be permanent; and I could not have imagined my homeland would be devastated with an endless war and civil unrest.… Read More