Daybreak Friday 2/7/20

GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!

Rain and/or freezing rain, then snow eventually. But not enough — probably just a few inches — to make up for the insult to our winter that happened yesterday and overnight. Also, there may be some icing. Gusty winds from the east, temps hanging steady in the low 30s. Snow tapers off tonight, temps down into the teens. Lotta good that does us.Linda Cook is Norwich's "Citizen of the Year." The former restaurateur, postal carrier, selectboard member, and she's-everywhere volunteer is this year's recipient of the award, given out by the Norwich Women's Club. There are also four "Stewards of Norwich": Ray and Anna Royce, town treasurer Cheryl Lindberg; and retiring child care center director Allison Colburn.Study says it's time for Leb fire stations to move. The city's two stations, on Colburn Park and on Main Street in West Leb, were built in the 1950s and the 1970s, respectively, and are too small to meet the needs of larger apparatus and modern fire and EMS equipment, says an architects' report to the city council. The study now moves on to looking at alternative sites for the two stations — or, possibly, creating one centrally located version. (VN)Waste company worker dies after being trapped under Worthy Burger dumpster. Kenny Greenslit, of Granville, VT, worked for A.B.L.E. Waste, which owns the dumpsters outside the restaurant. It's unclear how he got trapped; S. Royalton firefighters and the rescue squad, along with Royalton police, responded and tried to free him, but he died at the scene."I don't want to say it's a ballet, but there's a lot involved." That's VTrans' Dan Shepard, talking about keeping the interstates, state highways, and local roads plowed in storms like this. "While focusing on not hitting mailboxes and guardrails and navigating tight turns, other vehicles are another cause for concern," WCAX says. "In a recent two-week span, five VTrans trucks were hit by vehicles." Town crews get hung up by impatient drivers, too. Giving them space is always good.They're coming fast and furious, part 2. Here's where things stand on candidates' visits to the Upper Valley as of this morning:

Lovely shot of the Randolph Whales' Tails at sunset, looking west.

"Should make the VT state animal the humpback whale. Just to confuse people," one Redditer comments. To which another responds, "Our state fossil is a whale :)" That would be the beluga whale unearthed in 1849 by railroad workers in Charlotte. It's now in the Perkins Museum of Geology at UVM.

Dartmouth engineers team up with electrical tech companies to shrink power management hardware, costs. “We want to remove technology bottlenecks and help make electronics smaller, more efficient, and cheaper for both industry and consumers," says engineering prof Jason Stauth, who co-directs the new Power Management Integration Center. The companies include GE Research and photovoltaic power technology company Ampt, and the center is looking for additional members. Meanwhile, power companies themselves are betting New England electric prices will come down. On his Granite Geek blog, David Brooks notes that the recently concluded Forward Capacity Auction, in which firms predict the cost of making power in 2023, wound up with a predicted price of $2 per kilowatt-month. Three years ago, the figure set by power plants was $5.30. Fairbanks Museum x-rays its stuffed animals. The St. J museum has some 3,000 birds, 400 to 500 mammals, and 200 reptiles, a decent number of which were taxidermied over a century ago. For a new exhibit, images of an animal's exterior are overlaid with interior shots, like a hologram, so that a viewer walking back and forth can see both. Mostly, reports Seven Days' Margaret Grayson, the animals are filled with wire and stuffing, though often the skull and wing bones (for birds) are still in there. Vermont state trooper saves barred owl from murderous crows. The trooper was on patrol along I-91 in Newbury Wednesday when "he witnessed a vicious assault - crows attacking a barred owl," according to a state police FB post. When the owl fell from a tree, the trooper rescued it. One commenter points out, though: "Crows attack when threatened or one of their own have been harmed or killed. They remember faces and individuals. Perhaps this was a case of self defense? A crime of passion? Revenge perhaps?" We'll never know: The owl's not talking.

No spin, just news that connects you. If you like Daybreak and want to help it keep going, here's how:

SO MUCH MUSIC TONIGHT!

But first, JAGFest starts tonight.

Three nights devoted to plays-in-development by five African-American playwrights. Tonight, first up is 

(Re)surface : A Poetics of Fish/Flesh

by Isaiah Hines, a "body drama" incorporating poetry, prostheses, gesture, and jazz. Then

A Curious Thing; or Superheroes K'ain't Fly,

by Jeremy O'Brian, about two gay newlyweds, Virgo and Aries, who tangle with their fears about parenthood. At the Briggs in WRJ, starting at 7:30.

Meanwhile, all around the Briggs it's First Friday.

With Emily Musty & Nat Williams at Big Fatty's, Dave Clark at Oodles, Meadowlark at the TipTop, Save Room for Pie at Café Renée, and others all around town. Plus Newberry Market with its vendors, restaurants buzzing, and all sorts of people ducking in to get out of the weather. 

Over in Leb, Johnny Gandelsman remakes Bach's cello suites for the violin.

Gandelsman's best known for his work with the Silkroad Ensemble and Brooklyn Rider, but he's also collaborated with masters like Martin Hayes, Rhiannon Giddens, and Béla Fleck. At the Lebanon Congregational Church, 7 pm. Here he is with

in Boston last year.

If you'd rather pick up an instrument yourself, just down the street at the Upper Valley Music Center it's the monthly Slow Jam.

 Fiddle tunes at a "slow tempo" on whichever acoustic instrument you want to bring. Irish, New England, Québecois, Old Time, and more... Starts at 5:30, but double-check at the link in case it's cancelled.

And at ArtisTree in S. Pomfret, it's bluegrass bass player Missy Raines and her band.

She's touring her recent album,

Royal Traveller

, which unveils her as a songwriter and singer of deeply felt, personal ballads and songs. With Ben Garnett on guitar, Avery Merritt on fiddle, and Matt Flinner on mandolin. 7:30 pm. 

This weekend's chock-full of stuff, too.

Dartmouth Winter Carnival

; the amazing

Villalobos Brothers

at the Engine Room;

NYT

bestselling author (and local)

Lisa Rogak

at Babes Bar in Bethel with a cardboard cutout of Rachel Maddow and her new biography of the same (the real Maddow, not the cutout); the

Full Moon Fiesta

at Storrs Hill Saturday night; the

12th annual chocolate auction

at the Hartland UU Church on Sunday. As always, check out

David Corriveau

in yesterday's

VN

or

Junction Mag

's calendar for more.

Go play. See you Monday.

Daybreak is written and published by Rob Gurwitt                     Banner by Tom HaushalterAbout Rob                                                                                   About Tom

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