Daybreak Friday, 12/19/25

Heads up for next week: Daybreak will publish Monday-Wednesday, then take off from Thursday until the first Monday in January. And then we’ll dive into 2026 together!

Rain. Plus possible power outages—and keep black ice in mind later tonight. Temps start in the low 40s today and will rise into the low 50s. Rain could be heavy at times and will last into the mid or late afternoon; together with snowmelt it will probably produce river and stream rises, though flood risk is low (still, keep an eye on streams). The bigger concern is the winds, which could gust up to around 50 mph today, especially late morning to early afternoon. After today’s high this afternoon, we’ll drop rapidly back into winter, reaching 20-ish by dawn. Here’s a decent rain/wind map.

Eyes on the prize. “Eyes evolved 540 million years ago in tropical, shallow seas,” writes Ted Levin, about Erin Donahue’s video of coyotes at night in the snow. “Trilobites are credited with the first eyes, simple light-detecting organs, an advantage whenever a toothy shadow swam overhead. Life on Earth has come a long way. Like us, coyotes have binocular vision (two eyes, one image), but they see less detail in daytime. Beasts of the crepuscular gloom, their eyes have more rods than cones, and see seven times better in dim light than we do. Virtually blind to the red and orange spectrum, coyotes see the yellow and blue spectrum. Everything else is rendered in shades of gray.”

Did you catch Dear Daybreak yesterday? If not, you missed Meredith MacMartin’s sundog from Grantham, Sue Morse Jamback’s fond reminiscence of Jim Vanier and his quarter-century-long flamingo joke with her mom, Barbara Woodard’s solstice centerpiece pieced together from (mostly) Upper Valley finds, and Kathy Smith’s moment on Squam Lake when her youngest child and a juvenile bald eagle both struck off into the world.

Parking kiosks go up in downtown WRJ. They’ve arrived, as Graham Robinson’s photo attests. Hartford planning director Lori Hirshfield says there are still a few to be installed, but you’ll now find them on streets around downtown, in the municipal lot across from the Hotel Coolidge, and on Prospect St., but not in the S. Main St. lot. They’re not operational yet: New signs need to be put up, the kiosks need to be tested, and the police department needs to finish hiring a meter officer. “It will be a soft rollout,” she says. “We’re not going to jump on people for the holiday season.” Once they’re set, hours will be 9 am to 5 pm weekdays. Hirshfield estimates they’ll bring in $236K a year.

And speaking of parking, Bethel’s selectboard is considering axing parking along one side of Main Street. The idea first surfaced in a 2021 engineering report, but now it’s on the selectboard’s agenda for the next few meetings, reports Maryellen Apelquist in The Herald. The reason comes down to width: each travel lane should measure 12 feet wide, but they’re 11 feet. “There are some people who have lost car mirrors,” says town manager Therese Kirby. However, a couple of downtown business people oppose the idea, noting that Main Street lacks painted parking lines and drivers struggle to park properly. “You have to get out of your car and look,” says one.

SPONSORED: Your friendly last-minute gift stop. If the days are slipping by andwww.ourherald.com/articles/bethel-selex-mull-main-st-parking your list still needs checking, swing into Chapman’s General. We’ve got thoughtful host gifts, Vermont-made favorites, stocking stuffers, and plenty of small delights for those “just one more thing” moments. As we celebrate 150 years in Fairlee, we’re proud to keep holiday traditions simple, neighborly, and full of cheer. Sponsored by Chapman’s General — A Fairlee tradition for 150 years.

In Vershire, 76-year-old Vietnam vet still hauling water in midst of drought. In a letter to Gov. Phil Scott reprinted yesterday by the VT Daily Chronicle, Libby Moyer—who also lives in James Garnett’s home—writes that Garnett “is forced to break ice and carry heavy buckets along an icy driveway to flush toilets and meet basic needs, all while managing on a fixed income. I…have witnessed his unwavering resolve, but this situation is unsustainable and life-threatening in freezing conditions.” They rely on occasional water tank deliveries. Moyer contends the state has no idea how many Vermonters are in the same straits, and its process for helping has “alarming gaps.”

White River Valley residents tell VT lawmakers they like small schools. The state Senate’s Education Committee held a listening session in S. Royalton Wednesday night, reports Alex Hanson in the Valley News, and its members got an earful about Montpelier’s plan to force districts to consolidate. “Forced mergers would not work,” said Strafford’s Sarah Root, a longtime school board member. “The governor and legislative leadership say that it will work, but they are wrong.” Several speakers instead praised the school redistricting task force’s recommendation for pooled resources. The committee chair tells Hanson, “I think the overall message was the connection between community and education,” but its potential effect in Montpelier is uncertain.

Act 250 Commission checks in on Woodstock Inn request to demolish two historic homes. The District 3 Environmental Commission this week heard from inn representative Ben Pauly and a range of locals opposed to the demolition, reports Emma Stanton in the Standard. Pauly told commission members that after furnaces broke in the homes some two decades ago, the inn stopped using them for housing; they’ve been vacant since. Renovating the homes would now cost over $3 million each: “It does not make financial sense,” he said. He also said no one had expressed interest in relocating them. Various attendees urged the inn to find another solution, Stanton writes. The commission is still seeking additional input.

Accidents close 12A in Cornish. The first, reports Valley News photographer James Patterson, occurred yesterday afternoon when an SUV traveling south hit the rear wheels of a fuel tanker truck; the driver was taken to DHMC with non-life-threatening injuries. Shortly after, the driver of another car hit a pedestrian on the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge—the pedestrian was taken to DHMC “with serious injuries,” reports WCAX. To get 12A reopened, 9,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel had to be offloaded “before the disabled fuel truck could be moved,” Patterson reports. Police are investigating both incidents.

Claremont names city manager. Nancy Bates had been the city’s acting manager since July, and on Wednesday evening, reports Patrick O’Grady in the VN, the city council voted 9-0 to hire her full-time. She follows Yoshi Manale, who was fired in April, and will be moving into the city from Wilmot. Her goals, O’Grady writes, “include improving communication with residents and completing a Riverwalk off North Street, which involves redevelopment of an industrial site along the Sugar River below the visitors center.” “I know there has been negative publicity with the schools,” Bates says, “but there is there is a lot of great stuff happening here.”

Skiing Close to Home: Hartland Winter Trails. Whenever decent snow’s back on the ground, says the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, you can explore this true local gem on skis or snowshoes. It’s a 16+ mile network of groomed trails through fields and forests, ranging from easy to advanced terrain. Maintained entirely by volunteers, this is a community-powered trail system that depends on the generosity of landowners who share their property. Remember to check the Hartland Winter Trails Facebook page for up-to-date trail condition updates before you head out. It's free to use, but follow the rules (snowshoes to the side, leashed dogs only, no walkers without snowshoes).

Daybreak’s Upper Valley News Quiz. Were you paying attention this week? Because we’ve got questions. Like, which Fairlee restaurant announced last week that it may close for good? And where are the owners of the Colburn Park Taste of Punjab food truck putting in a brick-and-mortar restaurant? Meanwhile, you’ll find both NHPR’s New Hampshire quiz and Seven Days’ Vermont quiz at this link.

“Raptor cams are a scam. I’ll never put a raptor cam on my best-of-the-month list.” Yeah, well, now there’s a raptor cam on Reynier Squillace’s Best December Wildlife Cams. The monthly list is on ExplorersWeb, the nest is in Iowa, and the eagles are … well, they’re not in the nest all the time, but the swaying trees and frequent glimpses are worth the wait. Elsewhere, this month’s best-of cameras are focused on baby penguins in Argentina (fuzz!), an elephant watering hole in northern Tongaland (turn up the sound), and languid musk oxen in Alaska. And there goes your day. 

Or if you need more of an adrenaline jolt… GoPro’s Best of 2025 compilation video is up. 2 minutes, 56 seconds of absolute foofaraw.

Today's Wordbreak. With a word from yesterday’s Daybreak. Just use the same link tomorrow and Sunday for new words from publications around the region.

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HEADS UP
From Friday’s “Honky Tonk Christmas” at Seven Stars Arts to the Midwinter Revels and Willem Lange reading A Christmas Carol to the Upper Valley Land Trust’s winter solstice hike at Lyme Pinnacle and Upper Valley Music Center’s Messiah sing—and lots more—you can plan your weekend with Daybreak’s Weekend Heads Up.

And for today...

It’s raining. In December. Let’s go far away.

See you Monday for CoffeeBreak.

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Written and published by Rob Gurwitt      Poetry editor: Michael Lipson    Associate Editor: Jonea Gurwitt   About Rob                                                 About Michael

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