GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Heads up: No Daybreak Monday. Back as usual on Tuesday.High pressure building in... Though it was also last night's relatively cloudless sky that's bringing us this morning's cold temps and, if you're in the right spot, freezing fog. Today also marks the start of a stretch of tranquil weather, with some gradual warming over the weekend and early next week. Today's high in the mid-upper 40s, sunny skies, winds from the northwest. Mid-20s tonight.Before fall slips entirely away... Yesterday had that first tang of onrushing winter, didn't it? Before it gets here, fall photos have been coming in all week, and you can find them in the Daybreak Fall album (plus a sunrise or two). As I'm sure you remember, Google Photos makes the album view look like they're all by me, but none are: Click into the photo and you'll find the right info.And about Wednesday night's sky... If you were out in the right spots, you may have seen the northern lights, which were reported across NH. Here's a timelapse on the u local New Hampshire Facebook group (you don't have to be a FB user to see it) by a videographer over on the Seacoast."I think this sky is too thick." Turns out, much to Eddie's amazement, that Auk can run backwards, a trick he learned from his dodo dad. As with every run, it starts out promising. And as he does every Friday, Lebanon author and illustrator DB Johnson chronicles the doings in his favorite patch of trees. Scroll right to move on to the next panel or left to catch up on previous weeks.SPONSORED: LISTEN’s Holiday Basket Program needs your help! We supply gift cards to families with children for warm winter clothes and a grocery card for a holiday meal. We have a waiting list of families who need our help. You can help keep a child warm this winter! Donate at the maroon link, or learn more about Holiday Baskets here. Sponsored by LISTEN.Thetford loses its town (and school) moderator... to Uganda. You may also know Mike Kiess from his work on affordable housing for Vital Communities. Next month, however, he'll be giving that all up and moving to Kampala, Uganda, to become the Peace Corps operations director there, reports Nick Clark in Sidenote. Kiess did two stints with the Peace Corps, in Bangladesh from 2002-6 and Cambodia from 2006-8. He says that this "is an important time for the US in the world and I want to represent the best of our country if I can."Village Harmony founder in ICU after e-bike accident. Larry Gordon, the moving force behind the Vermont-based group devoted to world song, was injured in the accident on Monday. On a CaringBridge post, Village Harmony regular Sinead O'Mahoney writes that Gordon "sustained head trauma and has a long recovery road ahead of him." He's had several procedures to relieve cranial pressure; in a post last night, O'Mahoney writes that Gordon is "doing okay." Village Harmony has introduced countless Upper Valley teens and adults to the music of other cultures. (Thanks, CJ!)Elizabeth Mine Superfund cleanup "days away from completion." Claire Potter writes in the Valley News that, after 20 years and $90 million, all that's left is for the EPA to clear out its equipment "before the snow stymies its departure." The state will take over monitoring, and last month the Strafford Historical Society installed a dozen panels on the history of the site—six at a bus turnaround on Mine Road and six scattered around the site. Other plans are in flux, Potter writes.Where’s the only Texas-style barbecue in the UV? If you ask Jeff Dunning, who owns and runs True Texas Smokehouse, it’s on Rte. 5 in Wilder where his food trailer serves up slow-smoked pulled pork, ribs, and other mouthwatering fixings. Isaac Lorton talked to Dunning—and sampled the wares—for Junction magazine. You might remember seeing his driveway shack last year along the same route—it closed because he wasn’t in a commercial zone. His shiny new mobile unit packs all the smoky, peppery flavors and smells. And for Lorton’s money: “the baked beans are where it is at.”
Hiking Close to Home: the Albert Schweitzer Trails at DHMC. If you find yourself at DHMC needing a breath of fresh air or connection to nature, the Albert Schweitzer Trails are easily walked pathways that wind around the property through the woods surrounding the hospital. Just north of the main entrance, you'll find the entrances to Holly's Path, which will connect you to Joe's Path, as well as Albert's path (which in turn connects to the Indian Ridge trails). The paths, by the way, are meant for walking, thinking, and conversation, not for biking or jogging.And speaking of trails... Killington opens today, becoming the first downhill resort in the Northeast to do so. Holders of its alphabet-soup of passes only today, general public tomorrow.Been paying attention this week? The guys who run The News Quiz have some questions for you. Like, just what is Hanover High's mascot going to be? And what did that guy do in the Lebanon Police headquarters lobby? And as Dartmouth looks to develop northward, what's it planning to build? You'll find those and more at the maroon link. Meanwhile, you can also try your hand at the college-specific quiz questions pulled together by The Dartmouth."A wonderful way for us to get back on stage while doing something we love, which is sing and dance.” That's stage director Perry Allison. Next weekend, Nov. 12-14, 2,500 theaters around the US and the world will mount their own versions of "All Together Now: a global event celebrating local theater." It's like a popular musicals' greatest hits revue, and the Upper Valley has its own, writes Susan Apel in Artful. We The People, the roll-up-its-shirtsleeves theater company Allison directs, will mount its version—livestreamed by CATV—at the Briggs with a cast of 25 and four directors.CDC throws NH under the bus on vaccination data. A little exaggeration for effect, but that's the gist of a story by Allie Fam on NHPR, reporting that the federal agency can’t track booster doses due to "linkage issues" with the state system—which can't get data from pharmacies. "The inability of the state to include pharmacy data in its database is largely due to its new and underfunded vaccine registry system," Fam reports, and there's no fix in the offing anytime soon, since funding to improve the system depended on the $27 million federal contract the Exec Council deep-sixed.“I swim like a cinder block." Which makes it a little ironic that Ted Diers oversees public pool (and hot tub) safety for NH. There are more than 1,300 public pools and spas in the state, reports NHPR's Todd Bookman, and their regulation is getting an overhaul after a 2018 outbreak of Legionnaire's in a hotel hot tub killed 2 and sickened dozens. As of last week, every public pool operator must register with the state, and next year will have to be certified and do an annual self-assessment. The state's lone inspector (with the help of a summer intern) can cover about a quarter of the pools each year."Discourteous to a civilian on two consecutive days, one on and one off duty.” In a report released by the Vermont State Police yesterday, that was one of 8 infractions by state troopers in the second half of 2020 that were born out by investigation—in that case, the trooper was fired. Another trooper got a four-day suspension for having "consumed alcohol to an extent that it could have discredited him or state police." Before this year, the VSP released only statistical information, writes VTDigger's Alan J. Keays, though the ACLU's Lia Ernst says the brief summaries leave plenty of unanswered questions.“There it was, the arctic apex predator, trusting us enough to leave her cubs.” Photographer Martin Gregus, who lived 33 days among the polar bears in northern Manitoba, never imagined he’d see a mother bear nurse her cubs, much less have them placed in his care while she went off to forage. Using drones to capture stunningly intimate images, Gregus tells My Modern Met that moments like this reflect the bond he built with the bears—"I don’t want to sound dumb or naive," he says, "but these animals are just as curious about us as we are of them."Weekend! Okay, actually, it's probably just the snow, but on a Friday you can definitely relate to this musk ox, right? Since we're up north already and all. This is thanks to the Large Animal Research Station maintained by the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
The numbers...Daybreak reports Covid numbers on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Numbers continue rising a little at Dartmouth, which is reporting 10 undergrad cases, 0 among grad and professional students, and 7 among faculty/staff. 12 students and 10 faculty/staff are in isolation.
NH reported 341 new cases Tuesday, 528 Wednesday, and 635 yesterday, bringing its total to 138,511. There have been 24 deaths this week, bringing the total to 1,592, and at the moment the state reports 4,561 (+613) active cases and 194 (+1) hospitalizations. It's reporting 270 (+74) active cases in Grafton County, 228 (+58) in Sullivan, and 535 (+66) in Merrimack. In town-by-town numbers, the state says Claremont has 123 (+49); Charlestown has 41 (+11); Newport has 37 (-3); Hanover has 27 (+10); Lebanon has 20 (no change); Haverhill has 12 (no change): New London has 12 (+2); Sunapee has 7 (-1); Newbury has 6 (-1); Lyme has 6 (+at least 2); Enfield has 5 (no change) as to Piermont and Grafton (+at least 1 each); and Warren, Orford, Wentworth, Rumney, Dorchester, Canaan, Grantham, Springfield, Cornish, Croydon, and Unity have 1-4 each. Plainfield is off the list.
On Tuesday, VT reported 168 new cases, followed by 202 Wednesday and 487 yesterday. In case you're wondering, yes, yesterday's number was a new single-day record, by 140 cases. The state's total now stands at 41,254 for the pandemic. There were 12 new deaths this week; they now number 380. As of yesterday, 55 people with confirmed cases were hospitalized (+8). Windsor County has seen 54 new cases reported since Monday, for a total of 2,859 for the pandemic, with 228 new cases over the past two weeks; Orange County also gained 54 cases, with 175 over the past two weeks for a total of 1,434 for the pandemic.
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Today, from 10 am to 6 pm (and tomorrow from 10 to 3), the Christmas Market with a Difference is back at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College. It's been a holiday-season mainstay for over three decades, bringing hand-crafted food and goods from around the world (everything from clothing to jewelry to toys, musical instruments, and more) and sending the proceeds off to nonprofits that help people around the world. The number of vendors is down somewhat from previous years due to Covid, but seriously, you're not going to know the difference.
And, of course, it's First Friday in WRJ-—music and art, stores, restaurants, and galleries open late... Among other things, Dartmouth's new Aerial Arts group is showcasing their aerial hammock show at 5 pm at Open Door; and Kishka is marking the opening of "Piku, Piku," Brooklyn artist Yuko Nishikawa's immersive new installation.
At 7 pm, the Trumbull Hall Troupe takes over the Lebanon Opera House for the start of its thre-day run of Xanadu, the musical comedy on wheels (well, roller skates), in which a Greek muse inspires love, laughter and the world's first roller disco. Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test and a valid ID required, and as always, net proceeds go to local charities: this year, CHaD, Zienzele Foundation, and the Haven.
At 7:30 pm, the Springfield (VT) Community Players open their two-weekend run of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the Tony-winning comedy musical about quirky middle-schoolers (and the equally offbeat adults around them) competing to spell w-o-r-d-s.
Also at 7:30 in Spaulding, the Hop presents the Juilliard String Quartet, on tour celebrating its 75th anniversary. Tonight's program includes Dvořák's American Quartet, which he wrote in an intense two weeks while on vacation in Spillville, Iowa; Henri Dutilleux's mid-seventies rumination on the meaning of night, Ainsi la Nuit; and Beethoven's transcendent last quartet, Opus 130. As always, proof of vaccination or negative Covid test, and masks.
And also at 7:30, the Anonymous Coffeehouse is back at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon with a full evening's lineup. Vermont guitarist and singer-songwriter Jenna Sawin Rice kicks things off at 7:30. She'll be followed at 8:15 by Decatur Creek, the folk/fiddle/swing/American trio of Jack Henry, Beth Eldridge, and Doug Farrell. And at 9, it's Sunday Table, the jazz combo straight outta DHMC—vocalist Grace Crummer (clinical research coordinator); Jason Pettus (keyboard and melodion; pathologist), Eric Bronstein (string bass; family practitioner), Tom Davis (guitar; medical oncologist)—doing songs from the American Songbook, and maybe some bossa nova and pieces from Crummer's debut album with Billy Rosen.
Just before the pandemic struck, traditional musicians Jeremiah McLane (accordion and piano), Eric McDonald (guitar and voice), and Ryan Mckasson (violin and viola) joined up to form the trio Kalos. After a long time of being unable to perform in public, Kalos this week launched a five-stop tour in MA and VT. Tonight at 7:30 pm is their closest performance, at Next Stage Arts Project in Putney.
And a few things tomorrow you should know about, starting with the Montshire's "A Day of Flight," which kicks off at 10 am with a hot-air balloon-making workshop, followed over the course of the day by parachutes, hoop gliders, wind vehicles, and stomp rockets. You know that bringing a kid is just a cover.
At 11 am tomorrow, the Hop offers a free, interactive Zoom event in celebration of Diwali, the Indian national festival observed by Hindu and non-Hindu communities that honors the victory of light over darkness. Dancer ancer Vid. Nithya Ramesh will tell the story behind the Hood's "Rama Attended by Sita and Lakshmana" and then bring it to life through movement and expression.
Starting at noon (with set-up at 11) it's this year's twist on the annual Ford Sayre Ski Sale: the Ford Sayre Ski Swap. As they write, "bartering is encouraged, as is trading skis, boots, poles and soft goods directly, or using currency of choice directly between buyers and sellers." There's a well-populated spreadsheet already (at the link) that'll give you a sense of what you'll find. This is your chance to get good nordic and alpine gear out of your place and into the hands of someone who'll use it, and to find some for yourself, because—all together now—"Supply chain!"
At 4 pm tomorrow (and at the same time on Sunday), the Grange Theater at Artistree hosts a viewing of OUR VOICES, BODIES RISING: Beyond Suffrage Toward Women’s Empowerment, the film by Peggy Brightman and Carla Kimball using a cast of local actors, poetry readers, and dancers and a sountrack by area musicians to trace the course of women's struggle for empowerment. The theater is not taking reservations, so just show up. Brightman and Kimball are suggesting a $10 donation at the door, and there are no assigned seats. Proof of vaccination and masks.
And at 6, in the Hop's Moore Theater, the dance troupe Urban Bush Women will present a free (but ticket required) look at their work-in-progress, "Haint Blu," developed during their residency on campus this fall. They'll also be giving previews of their January concert.
At 7 pm tomorrow, the Chandler in Randolph presents Irish-American quartet JigJam, both in-person and livestreamed, doing their high-energy mix of traditional Irish music, bluegrass, and Americana.
And then, at 7:30 pm, Artistree presents an hourlong concert by the thoroughly engaging pianist and composer Michael Arnowitt, whose list of creative accomplishments could fill a page. This is a chance to see him before international touring begins again, at which point he'll be off to China.
Whew. That took a while, didn't it? So let's just kick back and head into the weekend with
See you Tuesday.
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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Written and published by Rob Gurwitt Writer/editor: Tom Haushalter Poetry editor: Michael Lipson About Rob About Tom About Michael
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