GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
It's going to get soggy. The tl;dr: expect rain much of the day, night, and into tomorrow. Probably a fair bit of it: There's a flood watch in effect from this afternoon into tomorrow evening. That's because up above, airflow on high is setting a low-pressure system moving up the coast to rotating; the rain it produces will cover a lot of the larger region, with higher amounts east of the Greens and toward the south, though when you get the heaviest rain will depend on where you are. High around 50, low mid 40s.
Snappers and painteds on Grafton Pond. Ace videographer Peter Bloch got his kayak out the other day, and headed to that paddler's paradise, where the water level was high and the turtles were out sunbathing. The first part of his video alternates between turtle species—"The snappers are so prehistoric and scary looking, while the painted ones are seemingly playful and innocuous," he writes—then moves on to the landscapes around Grafton Pond.Woodstock Village Trustees make their report on demoted police chief public. After initially opting not to make their findings from a public hearing into former Chief Joe Swanson public—the public hearing that led them to decide to demote Swanson to patrol officer—the trustees this week met behind closed doors and reversed their decision on the report. That move came "as the report became public this week at Vermont Superior Court in Woodstock," writes Mike Donoghue in the Standard, stemming from an appeal filed by Swanson. The paper has put the report online: It's at the burgundy link."Kind, humble, and hardworking... He is a community builder." That's how S. Strafford's Christa Wurm describes Adam Smith, the longtime South Royalton Market manager who, sometime this summer, will take over running Coburns' General Store in S. Strafford. In The Herald, John Freitag describes the change of hands as Sue and Melvin Coburn retire—a community trust will own the building while Smith runs the business—and talks to Smith, who says, "Sometimes a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity presents itself and you just have to take it on and give it all you’ve got."SPONSORED: We need your help to fill Colburn Park with singing! Join the Big SING! Be part of a memorable musical experience on Saturday, May 17 at 4:15 pm and sing well-loved songs, each led by a different local choral conductor. There is no cost to sign up, so let’s see how many people we can bring together to sing! Plus: keep an eye out for a Silent Auction opening next week with unique musical items like private house concerts, a 4-night Martha’s Vineyard vacation stay, and more. Learn more and sign up for the Big SING! at uvmusic.org. Sponsored by Upper Valley Music Center.Former Soulfully Good Café owners opening ice cream/smoothie franchises in West Leb tomorrow. Seth and Dashia Cox, who live in Woodstock, "briefly" ran the Woodstock café before selling it earlier this year, reports Marion Umpleby in the Valley News. Now, they're readying outposts for Cold Stone Creamery and Planet Smoothie in a shared storefront in the Powerhouse Plaza (not to be confused with the Powerhouse Mall). Cold Stone is just a stone's throw from Fore-U—“Hopefully there’s enough room for both of us,” says Fore-U owner Meredith Johnson. Umpleby also has opening dates for other Upper Valley ice cream shops; Leb's Dairy Twirl "remains a mystery."As Norwich moves toward requiring that dogs be leashed at Huntley Meadow, it considers a fenced-in dog park there. The proposed ordinance restricting dogs at the town playing fields and on certain public trails may come up next week, reports Emma Roth-Wells in the VN. In the meantime, this week the town's Rec Council looked at proposals from Rec director Brie Swenson for a 0.4-acre enclosure and a 1.3-acre park at Huntley. The idea drew mixed reviews from the crowd of attendees—but if it does get approved, the local Boy Scout troop has offered to build it at no cost to the town.SPONSORED: Visit Crossroad Farm to pick out that perfect hanging basket for Mother's Day. Whether you're looking for a Mother's Day gift, craving a local salad, or ready to pick up plants for your garden, Crossroad Farm has you covered! They have a beautiful array of hanging baskets and herb pots, along with annual flowers, veggies and herb starts that are ready to be planted. The Norwich farm stand is stocked with local meat, cheese, eggs, fresh baked goods, and more. Open every day from 9am-6pm in Post Mills and Norwich. Sponsored by Crossroad Farm.Milking 18 Jerseys in a two-car garage, a barn raising at Butterworks Farm, and "the most unusual sheep in New England." Back in 1977, a monthly magazine called New England Farmer debuted as an attempt to capture what the people who'd come to run small farms in the region were up to. By the early '80s, dairy farms and small diversified farms were under pressure from both the feds and big Ag, and the magazine's writers—including local luminary Steve Taylor—set out to cover it all. Now, freelancer Charlie Calley and former production manager Steve Bass have created what they call a "time capsule" of stories from that era. They're a treat to read.Hiking Close to Home: Chasing Waterfalls. With the rain this week, says the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, it's the perfect time for a guide to waterfalls both around the Upper Valley—from the Lyme Town Forest's Waterfall Trail to Windsor's Paradise Park—and beyond. They've made some updates to an earlier version, so it's definitely worth checking out.Been paying attention to Daybreak? Because this week's Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions. Like, why does it look like Hartford will have to tear down over half its high school? And what caused NH to close down a section of Route 4 this week? Those 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 big is the premium hike that Blue Cross Blue Shield is asking regulators to approve?
And NHPR's got a whole set of questionsabout doings around the Granite State—like, which action by the Grafton County sheriff has sparked opposition from the community?
At least four VT arts organizations lose NEA funding, including E. Corinth group. Acorn Youth Arts offers free programs to young rural Vermonters; Friday it got word that it had lost half the funding it needs to run a nine-month writing workshop for Orange County teens, reports Mary Ann Lickteig in Seven Days. The group's director tells her, "This has stopped us in our tracks." The VT Symphony Orchestra and Burlington's Flynn Theater have also been cut, and the Governor's Institutes of VT won't receive $30K it was expecting for its summer arts institute, in which 190 high schoolers had enrolled.VT's lieutenant governor wants to take over Glover road; town resists. Rodgers Road is a backcountry road tying Craftsbury to Glover, and it runs through Lt. Gov. John Rodgers' farm. WCAX's Laura Ullman reports that Rodgers contends the town's done a lousy job of maintaining it and his family's taken on that task for generations, so he wants to make it his own. “I’ve spent a lot of money on lawyers, and I’ll spend more if I have to,” he told a selectboard meeting last night. The road crew says whenever they try to do upkeep, "Rodgers tells them to leave and meets them with insults," Ullman reports.In your quite ordinary hometown, “wonder is everywhere.” We tend to research the heck out of an unfamiliar vacation destination before visiting, but we pretty much ignore our own hometown. Don’t! writes Sarah Durn for Atlas Obscura. Instead, act like a tourist. Tap your local library or historical society for some historical perspective. Try comparing old maps to current Google satellite maps, then head outside and follow old mining roads or trails. Use apps to identify local birds and track migrating ones. Ignore your usual restaurants and instead ask longtime residents what gems you’ve been missing.Worth it? Totally. Back in April, Astrophotographer Andrew McCarthy set up his camera in a restricted area near the Cape Canaveral launchpad—with an official escort along—for the launch of an Atlas V 551 carrying a satellite. Afterward, when he got back to the camera, he discovered his $300 lens had been destroyed by the hydrochloric acid that forms from the rocket's plume. But the shots he got? He'll be back. Link goes to his Insta. Here's PetaPixel's story if you prefer stills.The Friday Wordbreak. With a word from yesterday's Daybreak. And if you find yourself missing Wordbreak over the weekend, you just have to hit this link and you'll find brand new words tomorrow and Sunday—though not necessarily from Daybreak.
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Daybreak tote bags! Thanks to a helpful reader's suggestion. Plus, of course, the usual: sweatshirts, head-warming beanies, t-shirts, long-sleeved tees, the Daybreak jigsaw, those perfect hand-fitting coffee/tea mugs, and as always, "We Make Our Own Fun" t-shirts and tote bags for proud Upper Valleyites. Check it all out at the link!
The one-time RI governor and commerce secretary under Joe Biden will talk about AI and national security, as well as a variety of issues tackled by the Biden Administration, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. 12:45 pm at the Irving Institute.
The human rights lawyer runs Ukraine’s Center for Civil Liberties, which won the prize in 2022, along with democracy and human rights groups in Russia and Belarus. She'll be talking about "defending democracy, justice, and civil liberties in Ukraine." 1 pm in Dartmouth Hall 105.
The long-time member of the Upper Valley music scene, will talk and play the evolution of the “folk revival” of the '60s into today’s “Americana", from jug-band and blues to folk-rock and the singer-songwriter explosion. 3 pm in the New Books area.
AVA Gallery holds an opening reception for Canopy: a group exhibition supporting mental health awareness.
It's the fifth annual show along those lines, this year bringing together artists working on the theme of the healing qualities nature offers: "a tree, a leaf, or even a group of trees; or maybe a bridge, umbrella, or tent," AVA writes. Starts at 5 pm.
For the last week, Joseph Yoon, a Brooklyn-based chef with a global following for his advocacy of eating insects, has been in residency at the Fairbanks Museum. Tonight at the St. Johnsbury School, he delivers a lecture (and insect tasting) on "Can Eating Insects Save the Planet?" 6-8 pm so, you know, come hungry. Tomorrow, a ten-course bug banquet.
In her new collection, Moorhead, who "writes from the NH/VT border," tackles what it means to have found a writing life in poetry, describing her own journey and influences. 7 pm.
Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, and a 150 lb. Great Dane named Apollo star in Scott McGehee and David Siegel's 2024 film about a famed writer (Murray) who dies and bequeaths one of his protégées (Watts) his dog (Apollo). Complications ensue. 7 pm in the Loew Auditorium.
It kicks off at 7:30 pm with the Maine-based quartet La Madeleine and French and French-Canadian folk and popular music. At 8, Michigan folk mainstays Mustard's Retreat make their Anonymous debut—a triumph for organizer Adam Sorscher, who grew up a fan. And at 9, trad music greats Jeremiah McLane and Timothy Cummings take the stage with accordion and bagpipes as Wheezer and Squeezer. Plus a table groaning with baked goods. At the First Congregational Church of Lebanon.
Saturday
. It's a fundraiser aimed at diabetes education at DHMC and "a world where any patient diagnosed with diabetes receives the essential training they need, regardless of insurance coverage." Check-in at 10, race at 11:15 for runners and 11:30 for walkers. Rain or shine.
This adaptation of Stanley Kubrick's Cold War-era classic features Steve Coogan taking on four roles—one more than the immortal Peter Sellers did in the film, the Hop points out. "Audiences can expect to hear some of their favorite lines and delight in familiar setpieces, but this delightfully absurd production adds some modern touches that bring the dark political humor into the present." 2 pm in the Loew.
Spikol, a naturalist at the Harris Center for Conservation Education in Hancock, NH, offers pointers for finding "the wild magic tucked into the nooks and crannies of forests, thickets, and meadows." 2 pm tomorrow.
The Alaska-based “Inuit Soul" band is this year's Global Music Residency artist and tomorrow at Barnard Town Hall, they'll be putting their unique blend of traditional Inuit drum and dance melodies with R&B vocal styling on display. They're the band behind the theme song for PBSKids'
Molly of Denali
.
. Music at 5:30 pm tomorrow, doors at 5. Outdoors if it's okay out, indoors if it's still raining.
It's an adults-only chance to explore the nature center: with a raptor program, VINS educators offering talks on raptor anatomy, courtship and mating, and conservation history. Plus VINS’ exhibits, the Canopy Walk, and the spider web.
And
TRAIL BREAK's taco trailer (the restaurant itself opens next week). Starts at 5 pm.
The Maine-based comedian, no stranger to the LOH stage, has "been all over the tee-vee from Leno to Letterman and Conan to Jimmy (Fallon, that is) to name just a few." Plus movies, tours, etc. 8 pm if you manage to grab a seat.
And to take us into the weekend...
Or at least point us toward tonight: Strafford accordionist Jeremiah McLane and his bagpiping buddy Timothy Cummings will close out this season of the Anonymous Coffeehouse tonight. The two are masters of the art of traditional music, and if you have a chance, you should go.
Have a lovely weekend whatever it does outdoors. 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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