Issue: September 2015
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Hives of controversy
As bees vanish, critics build a case against a class of pesticides By TRACY FRISCHContributing writer Ross Conrad, a former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, works with his bees at Dancing Bee Gardens in the town of Cornwall. Conrad is among the beekeepers in the Northeast who’ve become convinced that honeybees are being read more
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Shutting out the noise of the world
North Bennington artist expands her creative range — and wins fans By TELLY HALKIASContributing writer NORTH BENNINGTON, Vt. Judy Kniffin, seen working at her North Bennington studio, has been serious about the study and practice of art since childhood. But it wasn’t until she took early retirement and moved to Vermont in 2003 that read more
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Banding together for solar power
Program helps homes, farms with details of financing and installation By EVAN LAWRENCEContributing writer Dozens of households in Rensselaer and Saratoga counties are going solar this summer with the help of a program that cuts costs and takes the guesswork out of installing a solar system.The Solarize program, developed by the U.S. Department of read more
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Lively service, vital flavors
Fryer foods showcase cousins’ sauces, spice blends By STACEY MORRISContributing writer SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. Jude Goldberg and Reuben Schwartz tend the Vital Eats booth on Sundays at the Spa City Farmers Market. Stacey Morris photo On a summer Sunday afternoon, a line is beginning to form at the Vital Eats booth at the Spa read more
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Hudson River artistry, past and present
Show sets contemporary works at historic homes of Cole, Church By JOHN TOWNESContributing writer HUDSON, N.Y. Chuck Close’s self-portrait adds a touch of the surreal to Olana, the historic home of the Hudson River School painter Frederic Edwin Church. Peter Aaron photo/courtesy Olana State Historic Site Visitors to the historic homes of 19th century read more
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Brush strokes for conservation
Cambridge artist’s paintings illustrate new book on farming By STACEY MORRISContributing writer CAMBRIDGE, N.Y. Adriano Monacchio’s oil painting “Almost Time to Cut” is among 28 works he created to help illustrate the new book “On The Farm: The Uncertain Future of an American Legacy.” Ronald G. Dodson says his lifelong interest in farming is read more
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To protect honeybees, start with straight talk
The little tags, stuck into the soil of virtually every potted plant at the local Home Depot, display a mastery of corporate obfuscation. “This plant is protected,” each tag says, “from problematic aphids, white flies, beetles, mealy bugs and other unwanted pests by neonicotinoids.” It all sounds good, no doubt, to the large majority of read more
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Witnesses in police case tell of sex, lies and racism
A court case over racism and racial profiling in the Rutland police department has lately revealed allegations of a much broader range of misconduct by several current and former city officers.The civil case, which is expected to go to trial this fall, is the result of a lawsuit brought by Andrew Todd, who for many read more