GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Partly to mostly sunny, still "unseasonably mild." I haven't heard any complaints, though, have you? It'll be pretty brilliant out there all day, though some clouds may start edging in later in the afternoon. Highs today around and above 70, winds from the south, down into the lower 40s tonight.Can we just declare that spring's here?
Like, earlier this week Carol Orgain was by a pond in Strafford and looked up to find a set of radiant young pussy willow catkins. The sight was "hard to miss, with the pussy willows ridiculously brilliant against the deep blue sky," she writes. "Awesome in the true sense of the word."
And in case you haven't had a chance to walk past a vernal pool in the last few days and caught all that wood-frog exuberance, Jed Williamsonwas out in Hanover's Mink Brook preserve a couple of days ago and recorded it for posterity.
"Auk! Have you been surfing the weather channel again?" It's Lost Woods Week 19, in which Henry's new WindoVision turns out to have powers far beyond your window's. As he does every Friday, Lebanon author and illustrator D.B. Johnson brings his comic strip to this spot, a week's worth at a time. Scroll right to see what happens next or left to catch up on previous weeks. And if you've missed a week (or more), he's got a new archive and synopsis behind the three little parallel lines at the top right (the hamburger, for you techies.) Vermonter to start up again in July. In a statement yesterday, VT Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn said that both the Vermonter, which runs from DC to St. Albans, through WRJ, and the Ethan Allen Express, which goes from NYC to Rutland, will begin again July 19. Intercity bus service will start up again in July, as well, reports the AP.There's good news and bad news for outdoor diners in Lebanon. The good news, Susan Apel writes on her Artful blog, is that Salt Hill was serving outdoors yesterday, and Three Tomatoes opens up its patio and tent today. The bad news: For the moment, Colburn Park is closed for sidewalk repairs, which means those new picnic tables and benches are sitting there all forlorn. But the park should reopen in about a month.Maine firm now owns wood chip power plants in Ryegate and Springfield, NH. The company, Stored Solar LLC, has "quietly acquired" four shuttered biomass plants in NH, writes the Valley News's John Lippman: in Springfield, Tamworth, Whitefield, and Bethlehem. Its goal is to bring them back online, after their 2019 closure in the wake of Gov. Chris Sununu's veto of biomass subsidies. It also owns the Ryegate plant, and plants in ME and MA. Loggers in the region are hopeful, but Lippman writes that it's unclear how the company "intends to make a go in biomass power generation without financial subsidy." SPONSORED: Want to take an EV road trip through the New England countryside? There's no better, cleaner way to travel! Fast-charging stations are still scarce in VT and NH, but the proposed new federal infrastructure plan aims to roll out 500,000 charging stations over the next 10 years. And plug your EV into solar at home for an effective 'price per gallon' of about 75 cents! Hit the maroon link for the state of play for electric vehicles in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts—with suggested road-trip routes. Together, the power is in our hands to make a difference! Sponsored by Solaflect Energy.Hiking close to home: Cole Pond in Enfield, NH. The Upper Valley Trails Alliance points out this relatively easy .9 mile (each way) hike through a lovely forest to the edge of the pond. The hike can be extended by walking around the pond, and fly fishing is allowed (though please consult NH Fish and Game for current regulations). From Route 4, follow Route 4A south for 6.9 miles, turning right onto Bog Road. Trail parking is located 2.0 miles ahead on right. Note: Trails are drying out but be aware of mud season conditions.NH to open vaccines to non-residents, including college students, April 19. “Whether you live in Boston, Maine, Vermont, New York, doesn’t matter, come on in, get your vaccine. We’re open for business,” Gov. Chris Sununu said at a press conference yesterday. Though NH residents have been signing up at a rate of 5-6,000 a day, reports NHPR's Alli Fam, signups are slowing down and the state still has over 200,000 appointment slots available between now and Memorial Day. Around 60 percent of eligible residents have either been vaccinated or scheduled their appointments.This could get interesting. Remember how some NH schools were saying a few days ago it would be a challenge to reopen for full-time in-person learning by April 19, the deadline Sununu has set? Now, reports NHPR's Sarah Gibson, some—concerned about only partially vaccinated employees and staffing challenges—are saying they won't reopen until later. Meanwhile, the state says that districts have "more than enough time to pivot to this instructional model" and can get a waiver only if they can prove they'd be putting students and teachers at risk. About that NH measure on teaching racism... A Daybreak reader points out that the bill, now part of the budget passed by the House, does not explicitly bar teaching about systemic racism or its harms. Since there's a lot of debate about just what the measure does do, and there'll be even more once the Senate takes it up, the maroon link takes you to the actual language. Among other things, it bars teaching that one race or sex is "inherently superior" to any other; that NH or the US is fundamentally racist or sexist; that any individual by virtue of race or sex is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive... There's lots more.Half-billion for schools in VT is "once-in-a-generation opportunity." The money, $566 million in all, comes from three federal aid packages, reports VTDigger's Lola Duffort, and the bulk is still waiting to be spent. The amounts, which you'll find in a table put together by Erin Petenko, range from $26 million going to the Southwest VT district to $300K to Norwich. Springfield school superintendent Zach McLaughlin, whose district gets over $11 million, tells Duffort, "The ability to effectively ramp up projects to use that money in an effective way is more challenging than one would think."
As VT legislators consider betting big on volunteer-run communications districts for broadband, there's pushback. Using ECFiber as a model, the state two years ago started encouraging the community-run districts to form. Now, writes Kevin McCallum in a state-of-play survey in Seven Days, the House wants to make them "the engines of the state's broadband internet strategy." The Senate, however, isn't so sure, and private telecomm and internet providers, even small local ones, are dead-set against the move. Expect intense debate over the best way forward this year. "I have been under-practicing my social skills and over-practicing seeing people as a deadly threat." If, as seems remotely possible, life starts getting back to normal, it won't be without its hiccups. That's the point made by a set of essays and reported stories (plus a cartoon and two poems) gathered by Seven Days' Dan Bolles. They include cartoonist Alison Bechdel's must-notice comment on the state vaccine website ("web design by Marquis de Sade"), Burlington comedian Nathan Hartswick (that's his line at the top), etiquette expert Lizzie Post, and advice on helping your dog to adjust.That's a lot of birds! On the one hand, it's kind of funny how many different international photography competitions exist out there. Hundreds, it feels like. On the other hand, what a gift, right? This week's set comes from the Bird Photographer of the Year awards. They've narrowed it down from the 22,000 images that were submitted (you've gotta figure the pandemic had something to do with it) and won't choose a winner until September, but in the meantime you can scroll through some of the finalists. Foolishly, no captions, but you'll have a fine time without them. Well, this is one way to spend your time. Owen Phillips is a data guy. He writes a newsletter and runs feeds of his charts and data visualizations of NBA stats—like, shot data by closest defender. But last month, in honor of Fred Rogers' (that's Mr. Rogers to you and me) birthday, he did this eye-catching thing: Mr. Rogers' cardigan colors in order of their appearance on the show from 1969 to 2001. It's beautiful. There's plenty of red, but also a definite blue/green period. And what's with that little band of black toward the end? Click on the image to see it in its full glory.
Last numbers for the week.
Dartmouth reports 14 active cases among students (down 4) and 5 among faculty/staff (no change). There are 39 students and 9 faculty/staff in quarantine because of travel or exposure, while 15 students and 15 faculty/staff are in isolation awaiting results or because they tested positive.
Colby-Sawyer now has 2 active student cases, none among faculty/staff. 2 people are in isolation, 5 are in quarantine.
NH reported 515 new cases yesterday, for a cumulative total of 87,441 (the 7-day daily average of cases has now increased 10 percent over the week before). There was 1 new death, bringing the total to 1,251, and 102 people with confirmed cases are hospitalized (up 6). The current active caseload stands at 3,585 (up 198). The state reports 177 active cases in Grafton County (up 19), 46 in Sullivan (no change), and 345 in Merrimack (up 18). Once again, the state failed to update town numbers last night, so its last report is as of Wednesday: Lebanon with 19 active cases, Hanover 18, Claremont 16, Newport 14, New London 12, Haverhill 8, Sunapee 6, and Piermont, Warren, Rumney, Canaan, Enfield, Plainfield, Grantham, Wilmot, Croydon, Charlestown, and Newbury with 1-4 each.
VT reported 222 new cases yesterday, bringing it to a total case count of 20,669. Deaths remain at 230, and 30 people with confirmed cases are hospitalized (up 4). Windsor County gained 7 new cases and stands at 1,232 for the pandemic, with 85 over the past 14 days, while Orange County added 15 new cases and is at 593 cumulatively, with 51 cases in the past 14 days.
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Billings Farm opens for its 39th season today at 10, and among other things (like ice cream and planting heirloom seeds) has a virtual "baby farm animal celebration" at noon. The real, in-person version happens tomorrow starting at 10. They "strongly recommend" reserving a time slot at least 12 hours in advance.
Today at 5:30, the Center for the Arts in New London and the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum present an evening of poetry on the theme, "Native American Beauty is Diversity." It will be hosted by former NH Poet Laureate Marie Harris, who'll lead a Q&A after the readings.
This evening at 7 kicks off two nights of Hartford High's production of The Drowsy Chaperone, which will be live-streamed. They've been working on it since last fall, rehearsing outdoors, recording singing parts (to avoid singing indoors), and prepping for what will hopefully be the most unusual set of performances its cast members ever do. Tix are $10 for an individual, $25 for a family.
Tomorrow at 8 pm, Croydon's own microbrewery, Polyculture Brewing Co., marks NH Craft Brewing week with an online (Facebook Live) tour of the brewery and "Polyculture 101" session on how they make their beer, a guided tasting, and a Q&A.
And starting tomorrow, the Norwich Women's Club's spring gala auction goes online through April 18. Both the auction and the gala itself raise money for community organizations and projects. If you've always wanted a crabapple tree, or a chance to get your mailbox repaired by a former postmaster, or a gardening consultation with Henry Homeyer, or gift certificates to local restaurants and retailers, or fine artwork by local artisans, or lunch with a congressman... here's your chance. The gala itself will be virtual this year, on Sunday, April 18.
Also starting tomorrow, The Family Place kicks off its annual celebration of the "Week of the Young Child" with virtual activities for families every day: music, cooking, art, and storytime at lunchtime each day. They'll post them on their website and FB page.
Finally, on Sunday at 6:30 pm, the Howe hosts herbalist Kimberly Hotelling in the first of two workshops on herbs and herbalism. This one focuses on the healing properties of common herbs and spices, and on making Golden Paste, "an anti-inflammatory treat to keep in your kitchen and use liberally in your food and drinks." For details and an ingredients list, email Jared Jensich at the Howe.
The whimsical Russian folk band Otava Yo (Отава Ё) got its start busking on the streets of St. Petersburg in 2003—playing Celtic music. Over time they added traditional Russian songs, eventually recording an album of them... and took off from there. Here they are, floating along the St. Petersburg canals with "Yablochko," or "Little Apple," which is not about apples. It was a pre-revolution sailor song that got taken up by the Red and White armies during the civil war. This one's the Red version. Enjoy this weekend! See you Monday.
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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