GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Sunny, mild. We've got high pressure around for a day or so, with full-on sunshine and dry air for a change. Don't get used to it—there's weather coming tomorrow night—but for today, we're looking at nearly cloudless skies, highs in the mid 50s, calm winds from the north. Down into the upper 20s tonight.Coyotes. Recently, Erin Donahue's noticed three hurt coyotes on her trail cam. Could be hunters or leg traps or cars, she and Ted Levin figure. Ted writes: "We love our domestic dogs ... but hate where they came from. Native cultures hold a special place for wild dogs. Not us. Coyotes are social, altruistic, athletic, intelligent, resourceful, and musical, and they have provided an ecological service missing from northern New England for more than a century. They eat fawns and deer bogged down in deep snow, but far less than you'd think. In Vermont, cars kill approximately 2,000 deer a year, hunters more than 16,000."Meanwhile, a crow as a hopeful sign? Yep, says Colleen Kube, who sends a pic of the crow that arrives each March in E. Wallingford, VT to gather old day lily fronds for its nest. "This has happened year after year," she writes, "and is a harbinger of spring."The "bittersweet" new reality of nordic skiing. That's Leb High School sophomore Annie Hanna talking to Beatrice Burack about snowmaking at Oak Hill—it gives her and her Ford Sayre team a chance to ski without driving hours to get to snow, but it's also a reminder that you can't just head out wherever you want to ski in winter any more. In the third piece in her series on skiing in the age of climate change, Bea looks at Oak Hill, the Great Glen trails, and the xc mecca of Jackson, NH as they grapple with everything from inconsistent snow to out-and-out flooding—and how they're adapting to keep xc skiers skiing.What to watch as the Dartmouth men's basketball union effort advances. In many ways, this week's vote by team members to join the SEIU local is just the start, writes UNH law prof and legal analyst Michael McCann in Sportico. He lays out ten things to keep an eye on, including Dartmouth's request for a stay on bargaining from the NLRB; parsing the NLRB's rejection earlier this week of the college's bid to hold off the union election; and a potential bind for the college. "If Dartmouth ends up with a legal obligation to bargain with the players union, it will violate labor law by not negotiating," McCann writes. "But if it does negotiate, it could face disqualification by the NCAA and Ivy League."SPONSORED: Do you own an EV or are you thinking about getting one? By adding a Solaflect Tracker at home or a Solar EV Charger at work, you can run on pure sunshine and lock in 25 years of fuel savings at a cost that would run to less than $1 per gallon. There’s also a 30 percent federal tax credit on residential solar and EV charging installations, and a $7,000 federal tax credit for 19 EV models on the market—with more on the way. What's stopping you? Hit the burgundy link for a list of approved EVs and how to find additional state tax credit and rebate information. Sponsored by Solaflect Energy.Strafford puts two new members on the Selectboard, retains one, loses one. One of the people newly elected on Tuesday is a familiar face: Toni Pippy served eight years before stepping down last year, writes Darren Marcy in the Herald. She defeated another veteran, John Freitag. The two mostly differed over the budget. "I said on multiple occasions for those who were unsure how to vote, to vote for the budget and if they felt a change was needed then to vote for Toni,” Freitag tells Marcy. “It looks like many took this advice, which will be for the best of the town." Hannah Levinger and Andrew Duncklee also won, while David Paganelli resigned for family health reasons.
You can find more roundups, including results in Randolph, Corinth, Bradford, and Chelsea, on the Valley News's town meeting page.
SPONSORED: Sport your celestial spirit with eclipse merchandise! Be a part of history and commemorate this once-in-a-lifetime event, the total solar eclipse (April 8th), with merchandise from Upper Valley-based Moon Over Vermont. Mark the occasion (one month from today) with apparel, mugs, glassware and tote bags. And if you are an eclipse chaser (aka: Umbraphile), we have a first-of-its-kind t-shirt for you! All products are the design of Vermont artist Celia Binder. Visit us for a variety of resources, events, and all sorts of fine products! Sponsored by Moon Over Vermont.Could AI help debunk exaggerated or untrustworthy health news? That's what a new study by two UNH business school professors suggests. Ermira Zifla and Burcu Eke Rubini trained their model on articles and press releases about new treatments from 2013-18, incorporating evaluations by healthcare experts and journalists on criteria including costs and benefits, possible harms, the quality of arguments, and the independence of the sources. Laypeople who read the articles tended to rate them as more sound than the critical judgment of the machine learning model. UNH's Aaron Sanborn explains.NH wants volunteers to help it understand its butterfly population. There are over 100 species of them found in the state, but, writes Amanda Gokee in the Globe's Morning Report newsletter, not much information about how common they are or where they live. Research scientists are hoping to fix that by enlisting the public's help—and training volunteers. The first of those sessions was Wednesday evening. Butterflies, says UNH's Haley Andreozzi, "come in all shapes and sizes. There’s just an incredible diversity to learn about." The sessions are all online.Hiking Close to Home—in mud season. The UVTA's Kaitie Eddington writes, "Spring is making an early appearance and dirt roads and trails are already muddy messes. When you find yourself itching to go outdoors on a 50-degree day, there are a few things to keep in mind. Trails are at their most vulnerable during mud season as the ground is malleable and our footprints can cause more damage than when it is dry. Please choose trails in elevated areas or that are lined with crushed stone/pavement." UVTA’s Mud, Sweat and Tears guide at the link has trail suggestions and other hiking tips.So... Think you know what's been going on in the Upper Valley? Because Daybreak's News Quiz has some questions for you. Like... What did voters in Woodstock-area towns just reject? And what intriguing medium are Dartmouth librarians using to visualize borrowing patterns? Those questions and more at the link.But wait! How closely were you following VT and NH?
Because Seven Days wants to know if you know how many school districts in Vermont rejected their budgets on Tuesday.
And NHPR's got a whole set of questions about doings around the Granite State—like, what has the NH Department of Agriculture announced it's discontinuing? (Seriously, you know this one...)
Oh well, Granite Staters. No pet kangaroos for you. You might have caught wind of a bill introduced in the legislature this year by a Pelham GOP rep who wanted NH to preserve its status as "the Number 1 freest state in the nation" by allowing residents to keep kangaroos, monkeys, raccoons, foxes, otters, and skunks as pets. Well, on Tuesday, writes the Globe's Steven Porter (here via MSN, no paywall), a committee voted 19-0 to recommend axing the bill. Kangaroos "can beat the crap out of somebody,” one committee member warned. “They’re not just like a little thing that you can go to the movie with.”In wake of deadly NH, ME shootings, legislators in both states vowed to act. Where do things stand? NHPR's Rick Ganley talks to colleague Todd Bookman and ME Public's Steve Mistler about the legislative response to the Lewiston and New Hampshire Hospital shootings last fall. In ME, Mistler says, lawmakers have been cautious, focusing on a three-day waiting period for most gun sales and a ban on bump stock; Democratic Gov. Janet Mills wants to expand background checks and crisis prevention centers. In NH, bills backed solely by Democrats have failed, but a bipartisan bid on sharing information with the FBI about people who've been involuntarily committed could pass.VT's school budget votes reverberate at home and in Montpelier.
On VT Public yesterday, Vermont Edition host Mikaela Lefrak talked with superintendents from districts where budgets were voted down, as well as with the chair of the House Education Committee. "I think what our taxpayers are saying is simply, we have no more to give, even if we want to, we just don't have it to give," Mt. Abraham Unified School District Supt. Patrick Reen told her. The consensus: Everyone's looking at the state.
Meanwhile, in a press conference yesterday, Gov. Phil Scott said, "Given how rare these ‘no’ votes are, this should be a wake up call for everyone"—then went on to suggest that school consolidation and rethinking the state's education funding formula are on the table. VTDigger's Ethan Weinstein reports.
And speaking of xc skiing... We were! Remember Lebanon's Annie Hanna from up above? Well, she's one of five Ford Sayre high schoolers headed to the Junior National xc championships next week in Lake Placid. Hanover's Lea Perreard and Sarah Glueck will be there, too, as will Woodstock's James Underwood and Norwich's Caleb Zuckerman. For a feel for what it's like to train for something like that, check out Steve Goldstein's Seven Days profile of two Vermont standouts who'll be there: Greensboro's Amelia Circosta and Moretown's Tabor Greenberg. Both began skiing early and both, Goldstein writes, have toughness and stamina—and wins—to spare.Call us astonished. Gray whales disappeared from the waters of the Atlantic more than 200 years ago, but one has just made an appearance about 30 miles south of Nantucket. The New England Aquarium is in a tizzy. It sent up an aerial team to take photos, and later confirmed the species. Gray whales are still seen in the North Pacific, but rarely in the Atlantic or Mediterranean … like, five times in 15 years, writes Marlene Lenthang for NBC. It’s not all good news though; melting ice from climate change is partly responsible for opening the Northwest Passage to the Atlantic.Somebody speaking confidently about something they don't know much about? On the internet? Never! That’s the tongue-in-cheek comment from Merriam Webster about the usefulness of the word ultracrepidarian (giving opinion on matters beyond one’s knowledge). It’s among the many obscure words they cite in their list of "Beautiful and Useless Words," which, despite the title, has some supremely useful ones. Take jackassery. Degree of usefulness? “C’mon,” they say. Or accismus (the pretended refusal of something one keenly desires), as in “Oh no, I couldn’t possibly eat the last maple creemee.”The Friday Vordle. With a word from yesterday's Daybreak. And are you new to Vordle? Fresh ones appear on weekends, using words from the Friday Daybreak, and you can get a reminder email each weekend morning: Just sign up here.
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There's a Daybreak jigsaw puzzle, perfect for mud season. Plus, of course, fleece vests, hoodies, sweatshirts, even a throw blanket. And hats, mugs, and—once you work up a puzzle-piece sweat—tees. Check it all out at the link!
First off, with no particular deadline, here's what JAM's highlighting this week: UV Aquatic Center director and former Hartford Selectboard member Joe Major on "Why Isn't Black History American History?"; a meeting last month held by Dartmouth and other labor groups to talk unionization in the Upper Valley; West Leb author Jeff Friedman reading at the Norwich Bookstore; and VT State Treasurer Mike Pieciak's January forum on housing in the state, at the Cornerstone Community Center.
This evening starting at 6, the Main Street Museum in WRJ throws a Piano Night celebration of the songwriting duo of Victor Arden and Phil Ohman, with David Fairbanks Ford on the museum's 1930 Aeolian Stroud piano. The pair were were pit pianists for many of George Gershwin's musicals, and specialized in Broadway show songs, as well as writing for films. But, the MSM writes, that "doesn't mean you won't hear Neil Diamond, Abba, or Billy Joel."
At 7 this evening, the Chandler in Randolph presents Missy Raines, Grammy-nominated bluegrass bass player, who's on tour with her band, Allegheny, which features banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and bass. Tix are pay what you can.
Starting at 7:30 this evening, the Anonymous Coffeehouse throws its annual Celtic Night at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon. First up is Footworks, the VT-based trio of Jake, Tory, and Jon Brillhart, who take their inspiration from the music of Cape Breton. At 8:15, the Northeast Kingdom band Fifth Business takes the stage to share "some Welsh tunes, some tear-jerking Irish music, and the one and only happy Scottish love song in captivity." And at 9 pm, renowned Strafford accordionist Jeremiah McLane and Quebec-born fiddler Eric Boodman (who now lives in MA) close things out with traditional songs and tunes from Quebec and the British isles as well as original compositions. Along the way: a big group dance number in the parish meeting room, the usual free baked goods and non-alc beverages, and Celtic-themed folk trivia.
And at 9 tonight, Sawtooth Kitchen in Hanover brings in the Albany NY collective Glass Pony. With influences from pretty much every genre from the '60s to the '90s, the band, Sawtooth writes, places "a great value on improvisation and fluid set lists that change from show to show."
Saturday
From 10 am to 4 pm tomorrow and Sunday, VINS holds its VT Days: $10 admission for all VT residents (NH is next week).
From 10 am to 5 pm tomorrow, it's Astronomy Day at the Montshire, featuring astronomical arts and crafts, hands-on space demonstrations, and lightning talks by grad students from the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Dartmouth. Plus chances throughout the day to meet astronomers talking about their research, and members of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook-Abenaki telling celestial stories.
At 4 pm tomorrow, Upper Valley Music Center presents a faculty showcase concert. It's a benefit for the school's tuition assistance program, and features a sprawling array of faculty talent in a program that includes chamber music by Telemann, Franck, Chopin, and Corigliano; tunes from the English, Scottish, and Appalachian traditions; arrangements of pop, rock, and jazz by Miles Davis, Cole Porter, and Stevie Nicks; and an original singer-songwriter composition. At the First Congregational Church of Lebanon.
Starting at 5:30 tomorrow afternoon, a day before we jump forward an hour, VINS holds a night hike. We'll just let them explain: "Immerse yourself in the nocturnal realm and discover how our local wildlife perceive the night in their own unique way. Engage your senses in an array of activities, from games to color vision tests, and deepen your understanding of the diverse lights that illuminate the darkness." Limited spots.
At 7:30 tomorrow evening, the Lebanon Opera House brings in The Capitol Fools—the group created by former members of the much-celebrated Capitol Steps. "On the heels of Super Tuesday and Town Meeting Day," LOH writes, "The Fools arrive in the Upper Valley with many beloved bits from The Capitol Steps days (including the mind-boggling backward-talking spoonerisms) along with breakneck costume changes, over-the-top impressions, and all-new song parodies and skits reflecting the day’s news." There are still tix left.
Also at 7:30 tomorrow, Norwich Community Dances holds a Contra Dance in Tracy Hall. Calling by veteran Vermont caller Lausanne Allen, music by Montpelier-based fiddler and step dancer Joanne Garton and multi-instrumentalist and flat-foot dancer Aaron Marcus.
At 8 tomorrow evening, the Main Street Museum hosts three bands tied to What Doth Life: the three-piece southern VT band Wojcicki; Windsor grungesters Carton; and Brattleboro surf rockers Cousin Greg.
Sunday
At 2 pm Sunday, the Chandler in Randolph hosts pianist and musical comedian and storyteller Sarah Hagen for "Perk Up Pianist." Pairing anecdotes about the life of a concert pianist with some of her favourite pieces by Chopin, Debussy, and Liszt, "Sarah takes audiences deep inside the world of a classical musician as she shares her earnest efforts to keep her spirits up in the midst of troublesome times."
At 4 pm on Sunday, the Hartford Historical Society will host an informational talk and presentation by David Briggs on the history of the Coolidge Hotel and the building it occupies in downtown WRJ, as well as his vision for the site. "There has been a good deal of chatter on FB about this," the historical society writes, "a lot of anger, criticism, etc., so he hopes to be able to provide accurate information and to answer questions as well as listening to constructive suggestions." In the Vermont Room at the Coolidge.
At 7 pm on Sunday, WRJ's Revolution throws its annual Black Tie Oscar Party in conjunction with JAM. "Admission is free & the cash bar is cheap," they write. "Music from DJ Sean of Livemixkings. Drinks by Wolf Tree... If you have a better party to go to on a Sunday night in Vermont in March – I want to know about it!"
And to ease into a Friday morning...
You
could
check out Yvette Young's "run steadfast towards the unknown" just for the title. But you could also check it out because she may be one of the most innovative guitarists of the moment. And that's
after
starting out as a pianist and violinist. She was rehabbing during a hospital stay when she decided to teach herself guitar—and then went on to help co-found the "math rock" band Covet, though Young once jokingly called her style "detail rock." Whatever. Last year, she was commissioned to write her first music for orchestra. "3 Pieces for Strings and Guitar" premiered at the NEXT Festival in NYC, and it turns out, strings and an almost ambient electric guitar sound really good together.
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Have a fine weekend! 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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Written and published by Rob Gurwitt Poetry editor: Michael Lipson Associate Editor: Jonea Gurwitt About Rob About Michael
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