GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
About the same as yesterday... only, not quite. We'll start the day again with patchy frost, and once again temps will rise into the mid- or upper 50s, and once again it'll be sunny. The difference is that high pressure is moving in with overnight winds from the south, so it won't get as cold tonight, kicking off a warming trend through the weekend.And in case you were wondering about the drought... Yesterday's US Drought Monitor reports for both NH and VT show "Abnormally Dry" conditions in the counties along both sides of the river. "Moderate Drought" has receded to the southeastern corner of NH. Here's VT, and here's NH.An elephant family. No, not around here. E. Thetford's Erin Donahue makes good use of her trail cam—and just took it with her to Tsavo Park in Kenya. Ted Levin writes: "Suppose you imagine these African elephants with long, wiry brown fur, conical domes for heads, and curved tusks like snow plows. If so, you've imagined wooly mammoths, one of two proboscideans that roamed the Connecticut River Valley after the Ice Age. Mammoths were grazers (like cows). Mastodons were browsers (like deer). The last wooly mammoth died 5,000 years ago—a millenium after horses and chickens were domesticated."Closer to home... Photographer Jim Block's been out getting pics of the panoply of birds that hang out around here in the fall: summer "residents" that haven't left yet; their first late-season offspring; migrants on their way through; and year-rounders searching for food to cache. You've got your warblers and wrens, woodpeckers and vireos, hawks and mimids... And you should check out what a great blue heron looks like in flight against a fall-foliage backdrop."I've got to find a more remote place to paint." You'd think Lydia could get some quiet to pursue her art in the middle of a swamp... but the residents of Lost Woods have other ideas. As he does every week in this spot, Lebanon writer and illustrator DB Johnson chronicles the doings in his favorite patch of forest—and on his blog this week he gets animated.VT judge decides against Newbury on effort to block juvenile facility. You may remember that last year, the town's Development Review Board deep-sixed an effort by the state and an arm of Orford-based Becket to create a six-bed treatment facility for boys involved with the justice or child welfare systems. On Tuesday, Judge Thomas Walsh sided with the state and Becket, ruling that their plans fall within the bounds of a small "group home," and sent the project back to the town to consider as a "permitted single-family residential use of property." Full decision and more explanation at the link.“He was such a bright light." Two weeks ago, 14-year-old Devin Holmes, a student at The Sharon Academy, died by suicide. He was a warm, gregarious, goofy, and popular teen, writes Darren Marcy in The Herald, and the crowd at his memorial service last Sunday spilled out of the church. He struggled for a time with his sexuality, his father, David, tells Marcy, but there were no warning signs, and his death has left his family, town, and TSA reeling. “When you’re a teacher your job is to be a caretaker in so many ways, to take care of kids,” school head Mary Newman says. “To lose one is unthinkable.” In crisis? Call or text 988 or call the Clara Martin Center’s crisis line at 800-639-6360.Hiking Close to Home: Cobb Town Forest in Strafford, VT. The Cobb Town Forest is a smaller collection of hiking trails and loops within the Strafford trail system. These various loops and trails, says the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, take you to Cobb Hill, through a wetland via boardwalk and to a wooded fen with an abundance of plant life. In the forest, you will also find stone walls, flowing streams, and maybe even some wildlife. Right now, the well-known hikes with views are pretty popular, so why not venture to a town forest—where you can enjoy beautiful colors from the ground?"If a book is any good, it's a living, breathing thing. You can talk back to it." Peter Orner, director of Dartmouth's creative writing program and Enthusiasms contributor, has a new collection of essays out, Still No Word From You. It takes its title from a letter his grandfather wrote his grandmother during WWII wondering about her silence despite his near-daily letters. In Dartmouth News, Orner talks to freelance writer Agatha Bordonaro about how his habit of taking notes on what he was reading led to reflections on his own life and family—and urges readers to "read closely but generously."Been paying attention to Daybreak this week? Because the Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions for you. Like, what's that "gold mine" Lebanon's sitting on top of? And that farm on Cloudland Road in Pomfret that's drawing a growing scrum of been-there-seen-that photographers used to belong to which rock star? And what must you have on Red Wagon Bakery's signature breakfast sandwich? 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 knowif you know... What a new venture capital fund in VT is aiming to invest in? Why Randolph Union postponed last night's scheduled public forum? And what health officials are warning Chittenden County residents about in wild animals? Plus more...
And NHPR's got a whole set of questions. Like, NH regulators are trying to understand how what moves through soil. And how is the state trying to support businesses hoping to expand exports? And what got 20 people arrested at New England's largest food wholesaler? Plus more...
Suspect in Concord couple's death lived in nearby woods for months. According to an NH police affidavit released yesterday by a judge in VT, reports the AP's Holly Ramer, 26-year-old Logan Clegg had been living in the woods where Stephen and Wendy Reid were found murdered—and disappeared after giving police who were searching for them a false name. The affidavit gives no motive, but "outlines what led investigators to Clegg, including store surveillance video, credit card records and cell phone data," Ramer writes.NH Electric Co-op lands $50 million to build out broadband. In its Wednesday announcement, the co-op said the money will allow it to reach 23,000 addresses, or around 75 percent of NH households without high-speed internet, reports Amanda Gokee in NH Bulletin. As one of the conditions for the grant, the co-op will need to provide a low-cost option for high-speed access. All in all the buildout will reach households in 73 towns, including Canaan, Dorchester, and Grafton. Burlington’s Beta Technologies leads the charge on an “electrification revolution in aviation.” Seven Days’ Kevin McCallum puts it cleanly in his profile of the fast-growing VT company that’s cleaning up the skies. As Beta races “to make battery-powered flight a commercial reality,” it’s already building a network of unique charging stations around the US. Unlike its EV counterpart, Tesla, Beta's stations will be multimodal, allowing planes (including competitors’) and trucks to charge up for free. “Our primary mission is to decarbonize transportation,” says Beta’s Chip Palombini. Minutes before VT lieutenant governor debate, David Zuckerman tested positive for Covid. The in-person debate in Rutland was on Wednesday night, and Zuckerman "took the stage after mutually consenting with debate organizers and his Republican opponent Joe Benning to proceed," reports VTDigger's Sarah Mearhoff. She outlines a hurried set of circumstances—Zuckerman had tested negative since his wife tested positive Monday, but 15 minutes before the debate, a second line showed up on his rapid test. Benning tells Mearhoff he wishes Zuckerman had tested before getting to the venue."If you're gonna connect with people [online], you gotta figure out how to set your boundaries... Or it can easily eat you alive." That's S. Burlington science teacher Greg Wolf—whom you'll remember as the guy behind the extremely viral TikTok video earlier this year illustrating the Bernoulli Principle. In Seven Days, he and fellow viral Vermonter Morgan Gold—of Peacham's Goldshaw Farm—talk to Margot Harrison about the up- and downsides of social media fame. Negative comment in particular, Wolf says, "really does go to the heart. That's one of the hardest parts of the whole creator thing."NASA releases photo of eerie “blobs of light” hovering over earth. Okay, don’t get too excited: they aren’t unidentified blobs. But if you were peering out a window on the International Space Station, as the astronaut who took the photo was doing, you might find it worth writing home about, too. As Science Alert reporter Harry Baker explains, the ISS passed over the South China Sea and observed lightning in a storm cell—a rare (and thrilling) thing to see from space. In the same image, a dazzling blue reflection of light off the moon glints against the atmosphere. And earth at night glows in its own right.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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T-shirts, tank tops, 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.
From 6-9 this evening, WRJ's Main St. Museum brings in Stevie Pomije to play the best spooky classics on the piano, followed by the creepiest piano rolls in its vast collection. Also, Paul Hyson will be reading Tarol cards in the Reading Room. "Libation and lite Nosh" on the deck and a bonfire by the river. "We will do everything we can to get you in the mood for Gory Daze," they promise.
At 7:30 this evening in Barnard Town Hall, BarnArts opens its two-weekend run of The Addams Family. To the family's utter dismay, not only has little Wednesday grown up, but she's fallen in love—with a guy who inexplicably doesn't come from a family with a fondness for the ghoulish—and he and his folks are coming over for dinner. BarnArts' version of the musical is directed by Linda Treash, with Ashley Mello of Hartland as Wednesday, Vershire's Ryan Paige as Gomez, Lebanon's Kristina Harrold as Morticia, Alden, from Reading, as boyfriend Lucas, and a host of BarnArts regulars in a Pandora's Box of characters. Runs tomorrow and Sunday, and again Fri-Sun next week. More on the production here.
Also at 7:30 this evening, the Lebanon Opera House screens the 1920 silent classic, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with John Barrymore in the twin leads. Jazz pianist Bob Merrill, who in 1989 began serving as accompanist for the Dartmouth Film Society's silent films, will be providing piano accompaniment.
And also at 7:30, Classicopia kicks off an entire weekend of performances of "Lyrical Ladies," a program of works for viola and piano by women composers, including Luisa LeBeau, Dora Pejacevic, Fernande Decruck, and Rebecca Clarke. "Most of these women have been sadly neglected despite their lyrical and powerful music," Classicopia writes. German violist Anna Pelczer and pianist Daniel Weiser will perform tonight at the home of Lee Monro and Elvin Kaplan in W. Windsor, tomorrow afternoon at 2 at the home of Andrew Bauman in Norwich, tomorrow evening at Fairlee Town Hall, and Sunday afternoon at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon.
Also, starting today and running through Tuesday, Sustainable Woodstock has an online screening of the 2020 feature film, Food for the Rest of Us. Caroline Cox's documentary looks at the needs beyond hunger—spiritual, political, economic, and otherwise—that are fulfilled by growing one's own food. Told through the eyes of four people from Kansas City to Hawaii and Alaska.
Tomorrow at 10:30 am, Woodstock's Norman Williams Public Library hosts a presentation on "Falconry: Past and Present." Zooey Zullo will introduce raptors from New England Falconry and talk about the history of the sport and its presence in both kids' and adults' literature. Outdoors: bring a blanket.
Tomorrow from 2-4 pm, the Montpelier Historical Society hosts an in-person forum on "The Golden Age of Vermont State News Coverage." They write, "The period 1960-2000, when Montpelier had competing wire services, newspapers and broadcast organizations, brought unprecedented change to Vermont’s political, economic and social structure. The depth and clear focus of news coverage in this time has never been matched." Panelists are former longtime AP Montpelier bureau chief Chris Graff, former WCAX general manager Peter Martin, former Free Press statehouse reporter Diane Derby, former Rutland Herald managing editor Steve Terry, and moderator Mark Johnson, longtime radio and print journalist at numerous news orgs. In the Pavilion Auditorium at 109 State St., Montpelier. Maybe they'll tape it?
Tomorrow at 7 pm, Camerata New England presents the first of two piano trio performances, with the Camerata Piano Trio performing music by Mozart and Brahms, along with string performances of three pieces by legendary violinist Fritz Kreisler. Tomorrow's performance is at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon; Sunday's is at 2 pm at the Norwich Congregational Church.
On Sunday at 2 pm, the Dartmouth College Glee Club kicks off its year with a varied choral program at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth.
And on Sunday at 4 pm, the Thetford Historical Society presents former UNH extension specialist (and Leb dairy farmer) John Porter, talking about "The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns," tracing the evolution of barn architecture as it reflected changes in New England farming. At the N. Thetford Church.
And as the weekend approaches...
off Buddy Guy's new album,
The Blues Don't Lie
. You might want to crank this up. And oh, yep: He's 86.
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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