GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
A few more inches. Last night's storm is still around, though on its way out: A dry slot is moving through first thing this morning, then there's a chance of light snow much of the day. Mostly, we're looking at clouds all day, temps in the high 20s or low 30s, and maybe 1-3 more inches of snow. Things start clearing up overnight, low in the lower 20s. Oh, and a heads up: There's another storm system coming in Sunday night that the weather folks say is "potentially more potent." We'll take it up on Monday.And be careful on the roads out there. The morning update from VTrans says: "The first batch of snow has passed through the state with the second round of snow showers to start [from the southwest] during the morning commute. Drivers should expect a snowy commute for this morning [with] snow covered roads, slush, and low visibility. Reports of snow and freezing rain from our VTrans drivers..."Fisher. On Erin Donahue's trail cam in E. Thetford, a rare gift. Ted Levin writes, "Vermont was nearly treeless by the Civil War, and fishers were nearly gone. They blinked out before the 20th century. Then, between 1959 and 1967, into the heart of maturing woodlands, Vermont reintroduced 124 fishers from Maine. The rest, as they say, is history. Frenetic hunters, these large, semi-arboreal weasels eat squirrels, mice, hares, muskrats, apples, raspberries, acorns, fawns, raccoons, fox kits, and occasionally and very successfully, porcupines... for which they were brought back in the first place."Owl. A barred owl, to be precise, that's been hanging around outside Craig and Ashley Switzer's home in Grantham of late—and looking remarkably like the tree it's perched on. Photo by Ashley.Fired Windsor principal tells her side of the story. Ever since Windsor High Principal Tiffany Riley was fired in 2020 for a Facebook post on Black Lives Matter, she's avoided talking to reporters. This week she broke her silence, speaking with the Vermont Standard's Mike Donoghue about the experience: She lost friends, was forced to sell her home (she and her husband moved to Maine), and tells Donoghue the firing essentially ended her 20-year education career. In a settlement of her wrongful termination lawsuit that's just become public, the school district has agreed to pay $650K to Riley and her lawyers.Hartford investigators identify woman found at Casella facility, say death was likely accidental. WPTZ reports that yesterday, police said they'd notified next of kin, but that they won't be releasing the woman's identity, "as preliminary autopsy results have indicated that the death was an accident." West Leb in-home care provider denies allegations it cheated employees. Your Comfort Zone and its owner, Rosalind Godfrey, tell the US Dept of Labor that they deny "all allegations of wrongdoing, liability, retaliation, obstruction or interference" in regard to how the company compensated employees for their work, reports John Lippman in the Valley News. You may remember that the feds sued Your Comfort Zone last October for allegedly pressuring employees to "kick back" wages recovered for them earlier. In a story last year, Lippman reported that former employees corroborated the feds' allegations. Note: At send time this morning the VN website wasn't working; try later.SPONSORED: Register now for spring classes and ensembles at Upper Valley Music Center! Whether you’re a total beginner, resuming an old hobby, or looking for new musical friends, we welcome students of all experience levels and ages, from 0-100! Tuition assistance is available for spring programs including Fiddle, Recorder, Orchestras, Children’s Chorus, Music Theory, DJ Academy and Chamber Music. Discover the joy of making music in a community! Sponsored by Upper Valley Music Center. Leb City Council proposes zoning changes to ease housing development, wants voters to weigh in. In all, writes Patrick Adrian in the VN, four zoning amendments will be on the March 14 ballot aimed at encouraging family-size and more affordable housing: to allow clusters of small, detached houses on a single lot; align zoning with existing conditions at mobile home parks; make it easier to add an addition or make minor changes to single-family homes in rural zones; and permit accessory dwelling units on owner-occupied two-family dwellings—right now, they're restricted to single-family homes.You could always just stay home... There are so many joys to living in northern New England. Mud season isn’t one of them. After last year’s especially awful one, Thetford, which had been using sand, turned to a new way of dealing with the treachery of mud-season roads: stone. Which has led to … treacherous roads. Turns out the sharp points do a number on tires—two flats for one driver, four for another. Bryan Gazda, Thetford’s town manager, tells Ethan Weinstein of VTDigger he’s heard from about a dozen unhappy residents. Next year, says Gazda, it’s back to sand. Too many pieces of mail, not enough workers to move them add up to unprecedented delays. Darren Marcy writes in the Herald that Randolph and Bethel in particular are hearing complaints, though Marcy also heard plenty of praise for local postal workers in area towns. Others note that while problems might come from higher up in the system, they’re having a serious effect at the local level. “Mortgages, bills, checks … medical packages taking weeks upon weeks to get delivered. These are big issues that someone up above our local folks needs to be doing something about,” says customer Ashley Stackowitz.SPONSORED: We're hiring local farm and food enthusiasts! Root 5 Farm has openings for full-time, year-round positions at our 38-acre, organic veggie farm in Fairlee. As an established farm with over 20 years of experience, we're offering long-term employment for those looking to pursue careers in organic farming, and seasonal positions for new farmers and organic enthusiasts to gain experience and skills. Pay is $16-$20/hour. We're hoping to fill these positions by Feb 1 and to begin interviews immediately! Hit the burgundy link for all openings and detailed job descriptions. Sponsored by Root 5 Farm.Woodstock tackles child care crisis with a head-on solution: Pay for it. The selectboard this week okayed $330,000 in grant funding to four child care centers to boost accessibility to programs for area families. The grants, reports Tom Ayres in the Standard, are expected to create 75 to 80 new openings for children ages six months to twelve years in infant, toddler, pre-K, and after-school programs by June of 2024. The money is the first allotment from a new grant program aimed at boosting Woodstock's economic vitality and spearheaded by the town's Economic Development Commission.Hiking Close to Home: The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, St. Johnsbury to West Danville Section. With this stretch of unseasonably warm weather, many of our trails have spring mud season conditions, so this week's suggestion from the Upper Valley Trails Alliance brings you to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, with a gravel surface that limits mud season conditions. This section of about 7 miles offers spectacular vistas, and local hospitality and services for hikers, bikers, equestrians, snowmobilers, snowshoers, mushers, xc skiers, and a host of other users. It has 3 trailheads. Directions to each can be found at the link.
Been paying attention to Daybreak? Because the Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions for you. Like, what is it the Upper Valley Land Trust is studying? And what are the most-filmed locations in VT and NH? And who said, "People really show up for maple"? You'll find those and other questions at the burgundy link.But wait! How closely were you following VT and NH?
Because Seven Days wants to know if you know what's been going on around the state this week—including, which Québecois fad is making its way across the border?
And NHPR's got a whole set of questions about doings in the Granite State—like, who's on the newest state historical marker?
Um, is this snake yours? That's what NH Fish & Game would like to know after stopping by Littleton, NH to collect a snake discovered loose in a bathroom at a business in town. "Notice none of the officers are standing very close," the Littleton PD says in its FB post. The snake's believed to be a gopher snake, which as its name suggests is not native to these parts; the snake, which is not venomous but looks like a rattler, can be found throughout the western US, British Columbia, and northern Mexico. If you're missing a snake, the LPD says, give them a call.VT legislators approve new pesticide rules; environmental groups say they don't go far enough. The groups, Kevin McCallum reports in Seven Days, argue that the changes fall short of tighter restrictions needed to protect people and pollinators—and even agencies charged with public health are uneasy, McCallum writes. Still, Agency of Agriculture officials argue the new rules will protect drinking water supplies and take steps toward protecting bees. Environmental groups counter that the rules do not address seeds pretreated with pesticide, which beekeepers believe are contributing to species decline.VT lawmakers give towns another two years of flexible town meeting options. With a House nod last week and Senate approval yesterday, the legislature extended Covid-19-era options for how and when to vote on local matters. The measure, reports VTDigger's Kevin O'Connor, mirrors legislation passed in 2021 and 2022 letting municipalities make pandemic-safe changes to Town Meetings. The bill, O'Connor writes, will "continue the options of switching from floor voting to ballots, rescheduling Town Meetings to a later date, and holding public information sessions online until July 1, 2024."Health care system is "a village on fire." That was VT state Rep. Joseph Andriano at a legislative hearing yesterday on the conditions in the state's health care system. VTDigger's Kristen Fountain sums up the testimony: hospitals are at or beyond capacity; staff shortages are extreme (there were 500 open positions at five hospitals surveyed this week); lower-level facilities can't accept discharged patients because of their own staffing shortages; some emergency patients are being transferred out of state; and primary care practices "are really on the brink of financial survival."In a slice of ballooning life, Brian Boland "still looms large." Samantha Watson, a student reporter with UVM's Community News Service, hung out with VT's only commercial ballooning company on the final day of the season last fall; her report just went up on Vermont Public. She ran into Paul Stumpf, who's been a balloonist for four decades—ever since Boland, his art teacher in high school, had his class build a hot-air balloon. Watson recounts Boland's impact on the ballooning community before his death in 2021, explores the museum at Post Mills Airport, and talks to Boland's partner, Tina Foster.No words, but what a story! It starts with a young boy on a swing swishing out over a dizzying alpine drop. His house, it turns out, is high up a cliff face, held by cables. Soon, it's clear why: He and his father make ice, then deliver it—spectacularly—to a village far below, before returning by... well, you'll just have to see. João Gonzalez’s animated short film, “Ice Merchants,” won a prize at last year’s Cannes Critics’ Week, and you can see why: without words (but a great score, you'll want the sound up), it delivers wonder, pathos, and high drama, all in a gripping little package.The Friday Vordle. If you're new to Vordle, you should know that fresh ones appear on weekends using words from the Friday Daybreak, and you can get a reminder email each weekend morning. If you'd like that, sign up here.
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Sweatshirts, hats, and, of course, coffee/tea/cocoa mugs. It's all available thanks to Strong Rabbit Designs in Sharon. Check out what's available and wear it or drink from it proudly! Email me ([email protected]) if you've got questions.
Today at 12:30, the Hood Museum will unveil its newly acquired bronze sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr., by the renowned sculptor John Wilson—whose bronze and marble bust of King sits in the US Capitol. Hood director John Stomberg and Dartmouth historian and international studies professor Matthew Delmont will talk about King's legacy at Dartmouth. In 105 Dartmouth Hall.
Though the event is a drive, the subject matter is close at hand: This evening at 6, Axel's Gallery in Waterbury, VT hosts an opening reception and talk by Thetford photographer Kimberly Hargis about her new exhibition there, "Close to Home: Photography from a 30-Mile Radius." Hargis, who went to Woodstock Union High and has been taking photographs ever since her grandparents lent her their Polaroid when she was little, specializes in macro photography of the natural world—that is, close-up photography of small things—near her home.
Tonight at 6:30 at Seven Stars Arts in Sharon, musicians and all-around musical presences Colin McCaffrey and Jim Rooney return to the stage and welcome guitarist Chris Brashear, who used to play with Robin and Linda Williams and now is part of the NC-based old-time and bluegrass band, the Piedmont Melody Makers. There are only a handful of tix left, so grab one soon if you're of a mind to go.
This evening at 7, Fairlee Community Arts presents the second of its three-Friday Silent Movie Nights at Fairlee's town hall. Tonight, it's George Meliès' 13-minute 1902 classic A Trip to the Moon, one of the very first sci-fi flicks and very first films to use special effects, complete with a rocket, the moon, and aliens; and Harold Lloyd's 1923 Safety Last, which put Lloyd's slapstick and acrobatic abilities front and center (you've seen its most famous image, of Lloyd dangling from a clock face atop a skyscraper).
Tonight at 7 and Sunday at 4 pm, Hop Film presents Chinonye Chukwu's 2022 film, Till. It stars Danielle Deadwyler as Mamie Till-Mobley, the Chicago woman whose son, Emmett, was lynched while visiting cousins in Mississippi, and whose highly public grief and determination to stir the American conscience are a big reason those searing events still resonate. Till, Rolling Stone writes, "is an impassioned melodrama on the surface, unafraid of facing tragedy head-on and allowing ample space for grief, anger, and fear, but...is also a wise movie about the complicatedly political world Mamie Till finds herself in after the death of her son." Tonight's showing, which is followed by a Q&A with Emmett Till's cousin, Deborah Watts, moderated by Dartmouth professor Vievee Francis, may be sold out (you can call to check), but there are still tix for Sunday's, which will be followed by a recording of the Q&A.
This evening at 7:30, the Anonymous Coffehouse sets up once again at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. Things get going with the acoustic trio Ramblers & Co., followed by singer, songwriter, actor, and engaging entertainer Tommy Crawford, then by 2x2, the foursome of Valerie Kosednar, Mark Grieco, and Betsy and Lee Rybeck Lynd.
The Storrs Hill centennial event in Lebanon gets going this evening at 5:30 with a gala dinner, but the real action is tomorrow and Sunday, with free public skiing and snowboarding from 11-4 tomorrow, a Full Moon Fiesta tomorrow from 6-9 pm with food, skiing, firepits, and music, a ski jumping competition Sunday at 10:30 am, and free skiing and snowboarding from noon to 4 Sunday afternoon.
At 10 am tomorrow, the Montshire kicks off Astronomy Day, with working astronomers on hand, live science demos, and storytelling from the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki. The stay open late for viewing the night sky with the New Hampshire Astronomical Society from 5-7pm. Daytime events just require regular museum admission; completely free from 5-7pm for the night viewing.
At 11 am tomorrow, the Norwich Bookstore brings in Caldecott-winning writer and illustrator Jason Chin, to talk about his new book, The Universe in You, a journey past our skin to the cells, molecules, atoms, and particles that make us up.
Tomorrow at 2 pm, the newly revived Children's Chorus—it hasn't been around for eight years—will give a concert at the Greater Hartford United Church of Christ on Maple Street in WRJ. The chorus is directed by Ray School and Upper Valley Music Center teacher Allison Pollard, who tells the VN's Liz Sauchelli, “There’s nothing like hearing kids sing. I’m a sucker just for children singing in unison—depending on the song of course—I usually get a little choked up about it.”
Tomorrow at 3 pm at the Norwich Congregational Church and Sunday at 3 at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon, Cantabile (Music for Women's Voices) gives its first winter concert in three years, "All Shall Be Well." Works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, Britten, and Faure as well as compositions by Gjeilo, Quartel, Silvey, and many others.
Also tomorrow at 3 pm, as well as Sunday at the same time, Billings Farm's movie series presents Bitterbrush, Emelie Mahdavian's 2022 documentary about two young women who work as range riders in Idaho, and about their work, the challenges they face, and their friendship.
And also at 3 pm tomorrow, UVM music professor and pianist David Feurzeig rolls into the Thetford Hill Church on his "Play Every Town" tour of Vermont. Tomorrow's program includes Thetford cellist Linda Galvan joining in for several pieces, including Pablo Casals’ arrangement of the Catalonian carol “Song of the Birds”, plus Scarlatti, ragtime, and more.
At 4 pm tomorrow, just across Route 113, Thetford's Latham Library will host local speculative fiction writer Dean Whitlock, reading from and talking about his new collection, Iridescent Dreams: 20 Tales of Science Fiction and Fantasy. He'll be reading from his story “Winter Solstice,” set partly on Lake Fairlee, answering questions about his stories and writing in general, and, if time allows, use another of his stories to illustrate plotting and character development. Dean will Zoom into the library's community room, but you can also watch at home. Email [email protected] for the link.
Tomorrow at 7 pm, the First Congregational Church of Lebanon (I know—they're busy this weekend) hosts The Becker Sisters, with soprano Alyssa and pianist Kirsten performing everything from opera to jazz, Puccini to Disney, and Broadway classics to original compositions.
If you weren't able to snag Friday or Saturday tickets to Cindy Pierce's Keeping It Inn at the Briggs Opera House in WRJ before they sold out, she's added a show on Sunday at 2 pm. It's the comic storyteller's exploration of six decades of her mother's life—after moving from suburban CT to rural NH to take over an inn, along the way raising seven children.
And music to end the week...
Well. David Crosby died yesterday, at 81. He leaves a long, turbulent legacy, but his impact on rock is incalculable. (“I know I have an ego,” Crosby wrote in
Long Time Gone
, his autobiography. “Opinions differ as to its health, size, and value.”) But let's go back to the early days, two years before he got kicked out of The Byrds, and their 1965 appearance on Ed Sullivan. That's Crosby on the left, then Chris Hillman, Gene Clark, Michael Clarke, and Jim McGuinn,
Enjoy the snow, and see you Monday for CoffeeBreak.
The Hiking Close to Home Archives. A list of hikes around the Upper Valley, some easy, some more difficult, compiled by the Upper Valley Trails Alliance. It grows every week.
The Enthusiasms Archives. A list of book recommendations by Daybreak's rotating crew of local booksellers, writers, and librarians who think you should read. this. book. now!
Daybreak Where You Are: The Album. Photos of daybreak around the Upper Valley, Vermont, New Hampshire, and the US, sent in by readers.
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