HELLO, SUMMER!
Well, okay, maybe not quite yet. But you could feel it yesterday afternoon, right? The deep greens, the tall grass, the stillness, the full-on light... Today, there may be fog first thing where you are, and probably clouds until mid-morning, but it'll all clear out and we're headed toward mid-70s or higher later in the day. Tomorrow things get even warmer. Clear skies and good sleeping weather at night. Region needs to add 4,000 housing units to meet demand, only 54 were built last year. A wide-ranging roundtable hosted by New Hampshire Business Review finds local leaders stressing about the Upper Valley's housing shortage: employers are ramping up, towns don't want to grow, and everyone hopes Lebanon will handle the need. One result: People commute from so far away that on bad winter nights, Hanover has to house staff in the fire station. Lots of good tidbits in the discussion.Hartford considers barring police from discussing immigration status with feds. The SB is mulling a new policy that would keep officers from disclosing the immigration status of people they interact with. At its meeting on Tuesday, activists argued undocumented immigrants shouldn't have to fear the local police. Chief Phil Kasten, in a VN interview yesterday, said he understands the concern but opposes the policy, fearing it could hamstring investigations. If it passes, Hartford would become the second VT city wth such a policy. (VN, subscription reqd) If you were wondering what that crowd was in WRJ yesterday, it was the VT Special Olympics torch passing through. The Law Enforcement Torch Run is a national grassroots fundraising effort for the Special Olympics, and Vermont's version brought athletes, coaches, and community members together to send the torch on its way to Burlington, where this weekend's games will be held at UVM. And if you're wondering what that crowd is on the green in Norwich this afternoon, it's the party for departing Marion Cross School principal Bill Hammond. There's music, speeches, a walk in the woods, ice cream with lots of toppings... a Mr. Bill kind of event. And if you'd like to hear his thoughts on teaching, leading, creativity, growing up, and growing up now, here he is with Tuck prof Syd Finkelstein on a just-released episode of "The Sydcast." The party starts at 3:30; the podcast, whenever the heck you want.And just a friendly suggestion: if you're passing through Hanover on Sunday -- well, actually, don't. Unless you've got a kid who's graduating, are working commencement, or want to see what Yo-Yo Ma looks like from far away. For that matter, says a reader (thanks for the reminder, CAG!), you might want to stay away all weekend. "Parking nightmares, oblivious jaywalkers, crowded restaurants--so actually, business as usual!"Speaking of commencement, you can catch Dartmouth honorary degree recipient Becca Heller tomorrow without setting foot in Hanover. Heller, who's an '05 grad of the college, is the exec. dir. of IRAP, the International Refugee Assistance Project, which gives legal assistance to displaced people around the globe. You may remember them from when they got thousands of lawyers to airports around the country to help people stranded by the Muslim travel ban early in the Trump administration. She'll be in conversation with Jon Finer, Norwich native and adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, starting at 4:30 tomorrow at the Norwich Congregational Church.There are eight prez hopefuls headed to NH over the next week, only one will be around here. Swalwell, Klobuchar, Moulton, Ryan, Inslee, Yang, and Warren will all be in other parts of the state this weekend and next week. However, Kirsten Gillibrand will be dropping by Lucky's Coffee Garage in Leb next Friday at 3, and then -- okay, cue the crowds -- doing a Young Democrats fundraiser at Murphy's in Hanover with actor Connie Britton at 4:30.NH Senate passes budget. The $13.3 billion measure got through the Democratic-controlled body on a party-line vote just after midnight today. It spends about the same amount in general funds as the House-passed budget, but spends less on education. The measure also axes business tax cuts that were scheduled to take place and includes a paid family medical program funded by payroll deductions. Republicans say these will be tough to reconcile with the House version and even tougher to get past GOP Gov. Chris Sununu.NHPR did a contentious interview yesterday with Democratic House Majority Leader Doug Ley over potential conflicts of interest. He's president of the NH chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, and the subject of an ethics committee probe for not recusing himself from debates and votes affecting the union. His predecessor as AFT president was a registered lobbyist; he's not -- because, he insists, he doesn't lobby. "Why are you so fixated on AFT?" he asked during the interview. "[W]hy are you not dealing with any businesses or anything like that? I mean, that's what I find fascinating here.”VT topped the country last year for hospital CEO turnover. That's according to the American College of Healthcare Executives, which reports that on average, turnover held steady around the country at 18 percent. In Vermont, it was double that: 36 percent. Most other New England states were also among the high-turnover states, but NH saw among the lowest turnover in the country, 8 percent, putting it 48th. VT reaches $1.75 million settlement with Dollar General on over-charging. Over six years, state inspectors found the discount chain displayed one price on the shelves then charged more at the register. “Vermonters are going to buy food to feed their families, to take care of their kids, and this corporation was ripping them off,” AG TJ Donovan said in announcing the settlement. The state will get most of the settlement money, but $100,000 of it will go to the Vermont Foodbank. It's Vermont Days this weekend, the weather's going to be fine, time to get out there! All state park day-use areas and all state-owned historic sites will be free to visit both tomorrow and Sunday, and tomorrow's the one day of the year when you can fish without a license. Nineteen state parks will have loaner fishing equipment available both days, there's a deep astronomy night tomorrow at the Hubbardton Battlefield State Historic Site, and an ice cream social at the Justin Morrill site in Strafford on Sunday afternoon. Oh, baby!THERE'S SO MUCH MUSIC TONIGHT!Tonight's the debut of the Anonymous Coffeehouse at the Lebanon Congregational Church. Organizer Adam Sorscher, member of the folk band Never Too Late, thinks of it as "a listening-room experience." There'll be three bands: Americana duo Dave Clark & Rob Oxford at 7:30; indie folk-rock quartet Harmony Hotel at 8:15; and guitar/banjo singer-songwriter Derek Burkins comes on at 9.It's also the kickoff night for King Arthur Flour's "Pizza on the Patio" series. KAF serves up pizza and salads, the Skinny Pancake does crêpes, Harpoon does beer, Morano Gelato does... well, it's obvious. And you? You get to sit and eat and drink and listen to Bow Thayer. Runs from 4-7 pm.Meanwhile, it's also First Friday in WRJ. There's music all over town. Schedule and venues at the link. If you're down to the south, The Glory Reel will be in Newport. They're a traditional Celtic trio that roots its playing in the "textures and rhythms of the rich Irish-American soundscape of the 1920s and '30s." It's the kickoff to a two-week tour celebrating the release of a new CD that'll take them around the northeast and down to DC. You can get a taste here. They'll be at the Library Arts Center Gallery starting at 7.Whatever you do, glory in the weather this weekend. See you Monday.
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