GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Mix of sun and clouds, blustery, cool. There's yet another cold front coming through today from north to south, with a chance of showers this afternoon (and snow showers up near the border), along with gusty winds in the 20-33 mph range for much of the day. Highs today will be in the low or mid 50s, winds shifting to come from the northwest this afternoon. Lows tonight in the low 30s.It's a duck thing. At the Pogue in Woodstock the other day, Mary Kay Brown noticed a flock of very busy ducks on the water. "They were alternately diving under the water then after they came back up, they would often flap up out of the water and shake their wings off. Then they’d repeat this. They were making so much noise! We’ve never seen ducks do this... We think they were eating something under the water." Ted Levin writes, "Diving ducks always dive for fish, shellfish, and aquatic insects."So, did you check out "Dear Daybreak" yesterday? If not, you missed Paul Jensen's log-splitter haiku, Anita Onofrio's story about an unknown firefighter kindness while trying to keep her house from burning down, Laura Harris-Hirsch's finds a tranquil spot near the Miracle Mile, and Peter Burghardt's kickoff to "Little-Known Gems of the Upper Valley". You'll find it all at the link, and if you've got a good story or unusual photo to submit, do it here.State police investigation involving Woodstock police chief ends without charges. As Mike Donoghue writes in the Standard, Chief Joe Swanson was there when two drivers, including his husband, got into a traffic-related altercation. The other driver filed a police complaint—but neither driver gave statements to the VSP, leading investigators to close the case. Swanson's lawyer says he was just a witness who "acted to deescalate the situation." Municipal manager Eric Duffy got word of the VSP decision this week, but "it's unclear when Swanson might be cleared...to return to work," Donoghue writes.Hartford man busted after throwing hundreds of nails, screws onto Main St. in Bradford. After employees at the Wells River Savings Bank noticed a man throwing objects into the street, reports WPTZ's Michael Cusinelli, they called police—who watched as 54-year-old James Denman tossed the hardware around, including under a parked Bradford Police cruiser. He was arrested and taken to the White River VA. Officers later found "hundreds of nails and screws in the road and in parking areas" from the town offices to the Dollar General, and though crews tried to clean things up, there could be more.SPONSORED: Tickets going fast to join The Herald's 150th Anniversary Celebration! Saturday, Nov. 16, join The White River Valley Herald as they throw a huge party at the Chandler in Randolph. Learn about the past, present, and future of central VT's newspaper. Enjoy live music from Ali T, Bow Thayer, Krishna Guthrie, and the Randolph Singers, plus storytelling from great local actors, a canapé buffet, beer and wine cash bar by Fable Farm, and more. $15 tickets include appetizers, desserts, and non-alcoholic beverages. Buy your tickets now at the burgundy link or here. Sponsored by Friends of The Herald.Enfield says it was victim of cyber fraud. In a press release yesterday, town manager Ed Morris said officials on Monday night discovered "a cybersecurity incident that resulted in a substantial amount of Town funds being redirected to a fraudulent account." The town and its insurer then notified the Secret Service and the FBI's cyber crimes division, and a preliminary investigation suggests a town employee "responded to a request to update bank account information for one of our vendors" without following proper procedures. The employee's on leave; the town says it won't disclose specific amounts."There is nothing like company when you’re on the edge of your seat." Which is where Susan Apel found herself more than once recently, when she went to watch Conclave at the Nugget in Hanover. She admits that had it been streaming she'd probably have stayed home—but in the latest Artful, she writes that the experience convinced her to become a regular movie-goer. Audiences have lagged at the Nugget since the pandemic, but general manager Jeff Graham tells her that getting out and seeing films on a big screen are always a plus. And so, Susan writes, is the company as the lights come up.SPONSORED: Honey Field Farm's pop-up market is tomorrow! The market gets going at 10 am Saturday with everything you love from 16 vendors, including organic produce, ethical meat, locally made crafts, baked goods, condiments, local saffron, and more. Stock up for winter or snag early holiday gifts. Runs until 1 pm at Honey Field Farm on Route 5 in Norwich. Sponsored by Honey Field Farm.In Newport, NH: "It kind of smells like we're in a dump." That was resident Heather Dunlap talking to WMUR's Ross Ketschke about the stench that's wafted from the town's wastewater facility for the last few days. Community members have complained of headaches and nausea: "we can't sleep, can't do anything. Just stepping outside makes you gag," says another resident. It stems from a failed blower in the plant's aeration system, which kept the facility's lagoons from working properly; in the VN, Liz Sauchelli writes that changing weather conditions have started to improve things.In Orange County state Senate seat, a changing of the guard. Democrat Mark MacDonald has held the seat for a combined three decades, winning a reputation in Montpelier for shouldering tough issues and at home for knocking on more doors than any other campaigner. On Tuesday, though, voters opted for Republican building supply salesman Larry Hart, who tells VTDigger's Peter D'Auria that voters' concerns about the cost of fuel oil, electricity, food, and health care—and his own low-key approach—helped him win. D'Auria digs into what happened, and explores MacDonald's legacy.Hiking Close to Home: The Canty Trail to Blue Ridge Mountain, Mendon, VT. This week, the UVTA suggests this trek in through beautiful woods and past a nice waterfall (1.6 miles) on the way to a scenic overlook at the top. There are some steep sections as you make the 1,400-foot climb to the summit, but overall this 4-mile round trip is considered moderately challenging. It makes a good hike any time of year, but there are tons of wildflowers in the spring. The trailhead/pull off is on Old Turnpike Road in Mendon. Be sure to check the map and keep an eye out as it's not well marked.Been paying attention to Daybreak? Because Daybreak's Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions for you. Like, what's that new climbing gym in Leb called? And what's "Enchillada" going to adorn, thanks to students at Thetford's Open Fields School? Those and other questions at the link.But wait! How closely were you following VT and NH?
Because Seven Days wants to know if you know what happened to Democrats in the state legislature this week.
And NHPR's got a whole set of questions about doings around the Granite State—like, what did Election Day turnout look like this year?
Well, congrats, NH! You supposedly rank first in per capita alcohol consumption. But there's a big caveat: The data from the National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism is based on sales of beer, wine, and liquor. So just three words: State liquor stores. And a few more words: Conveniently located for travelers. Still, this piece by Ashlen Wilder in Chowhound has some interesting nuggets: the most popular beer is Corona light; NH ranks third in the US for wine sales; and the mixed drink of choice seems to be the margarita.David Zuckerman concedes VT lt. gov's race to John Rodgers—then suggests he'd be okay if the legislature decides otherwise. Okay, bear with me. Zuckerman, the Democratic incumbent, got some 6,000 fewer votes than GOP challenger Rodgers. But as VTDigger's Paul Heintz and Shaun Robinson report, if no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, it goes to the legislature to decide; Rodgers got 46 percent. Peace & Justice Party stalwarts are arguing legislators should count their candidate's votes (3.7 percent) for Zuckerman—who says he's open to the idea. The Dem Party's director says he'd be "disappointed" if any legislator agrees: Rodgers "got the most votes."One intriguing VT election sidelight. In Seven Days, Sasha Goldstein charts Vermont's rightward shift on Tuesday at the federal, statewide, and legislative levels, comparing previous elections to what happened this year. And at the end, he notes that in Bennington, GOP Rep. Mary Morrissey—you'll remember her as the legislator who dumped water into a colleague's bag—was the leading vote-getter in her district. Coming in third in the contest for two seats? Democrat Jim Carroll, the dumpee.Bad news: The weeds are winning. As Palmer Tranel, a molecular weed scientist in Illinois puts it to MIT Technology Review's Douglas Main, “When you try to kill something, what does it do? It tries to not be killed." So big-time Midwestern/southern weeds like water hemp and Palmer amaranth have developed resistance to the herbicides farmers (encouraged by agro-giants) have been spraying on them. In fact, Main writes, weeds have evolved resistance to 168 different herbicides. “We really need a fundamental change in weed control," say a plant scientist, "’cause the weeds have caught up to us.”So what else lurks in the ceiling at LaGuardia? Because if a raccoon can drop through a tile above the Spirit Airlines counter, you gotta wonder.
Daybreak doesn't get to exist without your support. Help it stick around by hitting the maroon button:
We may be the middle of nowhere to everyone else in VT and NH, but
we
know what's good! Strong Rabbit's Morgan Brophy has come up with the perfect design for "We Make Our Own Fun" t-shirts and tote bags for proud Upper Valleyites. Plus you'll find the Daybreak jigsaw puzzle, as well as sweatshirts, tees, a fleece hoodie, and, as always, the fits-every-hand-perfectly Daybreak mug. Check it all out at the link!
A panel at 3 pm on "Emerging Tech and the Future of Entertainment", a new documentary on three long-time prisoners preparing to go before a New York City parole board—followed by a discussion with the filmmakers—and Sarah Paulson and Ebon Moss-Bachrach in a '30s Dust Bowl-era psychological thriller, with the producer on hand to talk about it. There's more all weekend, schedule and locations at the link.
The play by Steven Dietz with music and lyrics by Eric Peltoniemi and built off of Gordon Lightfoot’s “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", retells the story of the sinking of the Great Lakes freighter on Nov. 10, 1975 from multiple points of view. It brings together a collection of high-profile local actors and others brought in for the show. Here's the VT Standard on the production. Opens tonight at 7, runs through Nov. 17.
For over a decade, directors Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman "have blurred the lines between performer and audience, traveling the world to create harmony with strangers and friends alike." Tonight's show is a Queen extravaganza. Get ready to
sing
at 7:30 pm!
. Things get going at 7:30 pm with world-traveling pianist and composer Elizabeth Borowsky; she'll be followed at 8:15 by blues musician Eleanor Ellis and roots guitarist (and St. Michael's College music prof) Bill Ellis; and at 9 pm, Iowa-raised singer-songwriter River Glen takes the stage. At the First Congregational Church of Lebanon.
The Maine-based singer-songwriter and friends will channel Cat Stevens, Gordon Lightfoot, and Harry Chapin. At Alumni Hall, food on hand.
Saturday
The exhibit includes 15 new paintings that focus on day-to-day activities and gatherings around her kitchen table. "My husband, Tim, built our kitchen table with his friend, Nick," she writes. "It's made of maple and cherry, simple and stunning. We can fit, comfortably, eight people around it, but have, certainly, fit more. None of our chairs match. Nor do our plates." 3-5 pm tomorrow.
Curated each year by filmmaker Jay Craven, the series starts tomorrow and Sunday with Rachel Elizabeth Seed's film about uncovering her mother's past. Sheila Turner-Seed was a journalist who died when Rachel was just 18 months old, and among other things she interviewed some of the greatest photographers of the 20th century, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Lisette Model, Gordon Parks, and Roman Vishniac. Rachel Seed will be on hand afterward for a Q&A. 3 pm both days in the visitor center theater.
They're making a day and an evening of it, thanks to the West Claremont Center for the Arts. From 2-4 tomorrow,
—and providing the musical accompaniment. Then at 6:30 pm, they'll bring their music and traditions to the stage for a full-on celebration. Both events are at the Union Episcopal Church, 133 Old Church Road.
An influential figure in classical piano circles, Dinnerstein first came to notice with her debut recording of Bach’s
Goldberg Variations,
and is known for pushing interpretive boundaries. She'll be playing works by Rameau, Philip Lasser, JS Bach, and Keith Jarrett. 7 pm.
As LOH puts it, "Witness this family-friendly spectacular featuring the world’s best illusions, award-winning sleight of hand, and hilarious comedy. It’s an immersive experience that brings joy, laughter, and wonder when the world needs it most." 7:30 pm tomorrow.
. The Missouri-born singer-songwriter and storyteller has been at the business for a very long time, which is one reason he's got 32 studio albums under his belt—the latest,
The Ghost of Tucumcari
, came out in May with a host of guest artists, including Lyle Lovett on the title song. 7:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Norwich.
For over two decades,
Viveka Fox, Rick Klein, and Peter Macfarlane have been playing traditional music rooted in the Celtic British Isles and in French and Maritime Canada, becoming one of New England's most in-demand contra bands. With western Mass. caller Ben Sachs-Hamilton at the mic. Intro session at 7:15, dance gets going at 7:30.
Sunday
The local quintet—Faith Goodness, flute; Steve Jordan, oboe; Tom Norton, clarinet; Dwight “Sandy” Campbell, horn; and Emma Waste, bassoon, plus Joe Henderson on piano—will play a program of "eclectic chamber music for wind" on Sunday at 1 pm. Includes classical pieces, dance tunes, and a commissioned piece from Princeton music prof Barbara White.
It's the last fall concert in the church's '24/'25 series, with violinist Grant Houston, cellist Yi-Mei Templeman, and pianist Andrew Barnwell playing Charles Ives’ Piano Trio and Brahms’ Piano Trio No. 1. 2 pm Sunday in the North Chapel sanctuary.
Ghezzi will give a concert of solo guitar works by Kreutzer, Telemann, Bach, Sor, Tansman, Carlevaro, and Diego Pujol. 4 pm Sunday.
A live orchestra and a dozen dancers "bring traditions to life" with choreographers from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia. 7 pm Sunday.
So much to choose from!
But you really can't go wrong with
at Choir!Choir!Choir!'s September concert at the Place des Arts in Montreal. As someone who was there writes in the comments, "2500 strangers with brief practice and limited instructions and listen to us, we nailed it! Unified, disciplined, everyone trying to do their best, taking it seriously, and most importantly having fun."
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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