GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
A reminder: No Daybreak next week, or the following Monday-Tuesday. I know, spectacular timing, right? But I'm guessing you'll do a fine job of keeping things on an even keel until Daybreak returns (in a CoffeeBreak version) on Wednesday, 7/26. There'll be another break coming early-mid August, but that time there'll be a Daybreak Diversions email available. More on that then.And a note to Vordlers. Hey, did you know there are almost 1,000 of you fanat— er, devotees? The Vordle will continue next week while Daybreak's not publishing, and if you don't already get the weekend email and want a daily reminder, hit the burgundy link to sign up. But two important points: First, use the email address you use for Daybreak, otherwise you'll be getting two of them when it returns. Second, if you unsubscribe from the Vordle email, you'll also be unsubscribing from Daybreak itself. So, better just to ignore it for a week.Okay, let's get down to business.More rain, chance of thunderstorms. There's still warm, humid air out there, and while things probably won't get as intense as last night, there's a chance of showers and thunderstorms packing heavier rain through the afternoon and into the evening. The good news is that flash flood watches expire this morning, but even so, the threat of thunderstorms carries through the weekend. Still, partly sunny once the fog clears, getting cloudier in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 70s today, mid 60s tonight.I don't know about you, but I could use some color. In no particular order...
A fritillary grooving on milkweed in Norwich, from Lisa Holley. Sure looks like a great spangled fritillary, she says—a name that would sound pretty perfect coming from the mouth of Yosemite Sam;
Asian lilies, also in Norwich, from floral photographer Rich Cohen;
A Blackburnian warbler at Owl's Head in Groton, VT from Catherine Holland;
And hungry robin nestlings in Quechee, from Myrna Brooks.
This time it's North Hartland the other day, by Tish Aldom. "The highest point got to 123’ for this storm, about 57 percent full," she writes. "They started releasing water Wednesday afternoon into the CT, in anticipation of more rain coming. It definitely takes much longer to empty than it did to fill up. This is about 30+ feet less than the high water mark, but higher than Irene."
But but but!
A note from the rangers at the Union Village Dam: "If you could let people know to
not
go past our signs that clearly say 'Road closed, do not go past this gate' just to take photographs, we would really appreciate it."
In a post yesterday, the Town of Hartford notes that officials have "identified some abnormalities at the dam by Simon Pearce in Quechee. As a precaution we’re requesting no pedestrian foot traffic in or around the Ottauquechee River from the dam to the Quechee Gorge while we await inspections from the state."
that acting Town Manager Gail Ostrout is unsure when inspections might happen. "Until it is deemed safe the areas will remain closed,” she told the paper.
The Exit 19 northbound off and on-ramps will be closed starting around 5 am to allow for the installation of a water main along Mechanic Street, the city warns. They expect the work to last two days, unless rain intrudes. People trying to get on the highway there will be directed to use I-89 southbound to Exit 18 and reverse direction. Off-ramp traffic will head to Exit 20 to reverse directions, onto I-89 southbound to Exit 19.
The historic floods that hit our region this week are a somber reminder that climate change is making our weather hotter, more humid, and more challenging. But before you run out and buy a new air conditioner, hit the maroon link for some helpful buying tips. You might not need as much as AC as you think—or you might even need none at all, if you choose the right heat pump and solar power to run it.
Sponsored by Solaflect Energy.
"Mother Nature's just not happy with us right now." That was Matthew Clay, a National Weather Service meteorologist, talking to VTDigger's Maggie Cassidy and Paul Heintz about the dramatic line of thunderstorms that advanced through VT and into NH last night. Though there was less rain than feared and flash flooding was minor, at one point 18,000 VT customers were without power, including in Orange and Windsor counties. Right now, GMP reports some outages in Randolph, Tunbridge, Bethel, Royalton, and Sharon, with handfuls in other towns; NH companies report almost nothing.It's unclear what this weekend—or, heck, coming weeks—will bring in the way of storms. So here's that UV Strong link again. It's got links to giving, volunteering, asking for help, and all sorts of resources. Also, a correction from yesterday: The group actually took shape originally in the recovery from Irene, not during the pandemic. Which, for pete's sake, I knew! Here's an interview from near the start of the pandemic about how it's organized.And speaking of strong, this weekend is the Prouty, and it's still on. Although, writes Ray Couture in the Standard, there have already been adjustments for the weather and may be more. Potential route changes, says Jaclynn Rodriguez, executive director of the Friends of Dartmouth Cancer Center, will go out to participants and volunteers as decisions are made. Since its inception, Couture writes, the Prouty has raised over $52 million for cancer research and patient support. This year’s goal is $7 million.Former Orange County sheriff responds to auditors' criticisms. In a statement emailed to the Herald, reports Darren Marcy, former Sheriff Bill Bohnyak responded to questions raised by outside auditors who withdrew from a financial review after charging that the books left behind by Bohnyak weren't "audit ready." Among other things, Bohnyak says that a $225,000 loan for building upgrades diverted to other purposes was due to Covid; $19K advanced to employees who've since left was for accrued vacation time; and that a sale of patrol vehicles in his last days in office was to meet payroll.SPONSORED: You can improve someone's life right now! Hearts You Hold is a VT-based nonprofit that supports immigrants, migrants, and refugees in a concrete way, by taking the time to ask them what they need. There are many requests waiting to be funded for people who are trying to build their lives, including two Ukrainian women in Hartland with three young kids between them and multiple jobs they have to reach by foot or bike; they're hoping for contributions toward a shared car. Hit the burgundy link above or here, pick something to fund, and make a difference now! Sponsored by Hearts You Hold.NH Supreme Court sides with Dartmouth on golf course gift. Well, technically, it sided with the state's Charitable Trusts Unit. The college had sought to use $3.8 million from a bequest to the golf course from a wealthy alum for "golf-related purposes" rather than for the golf course itself, which the college closed in 2020. The state backed it. Robert Keeler's estate challenged it all, but in its ruling yesterday, reports NH Bulletin's Annmarie Timmins, the court said the estate didn't have legal standing to challenge Dartmouth's request. It's unclear, Timmins writes, whether the estate plans to try a different route.Lebanon Planning Board approves casino permit. In the VN, Patrick Adrian reports that the board unanimously okayed a move by the owners of the Lebanon Poker Room to move to the old Gerrish Honda site on the Miracle Mile. “I do know that something like a casino or gambling is a passion subject that people have strong feelings about one way or another,” board chair Matthew Hall said, but noted the board had little choice: Zoning allows charitable gaming in that part of the city. The casino will hold 111 electronic gaming machines and 13 gaming tables.Hiking Wherever You Hike. Many trail networks have been closed throughout VT/NH to recover from flooding. The Upper Valley Trails Alliance is suggesting that you check Trailfinder (at the link) for known trail alerts or the organization's website for updates on trail conditions. If you find damage on trails you can report it on trailfinder.info in the comment section for the trail. For now, they recommend choosing trails with a flat/elevated/paved surface, as these are less likely to be washed out. If you encounter mud, walk through it rather than around it, to avoid widening the trail corridor and causing erosion—damage done in muddy conditions can cause long-lasting problems.With under-three-hour marathon, West Leb's Sarah True wins Ironman triathlon in Germany. And to make things all the sweeter, it was on the same Frankfurt course where, four years ago, officials suspecting heat stroke pulled her from the home stretch of the 26.2-mile run as she was leading after a 2.4-mile swim and a 112-mile bike ride. The VN's Benjamin Rosenberg caught up with the 41-year-old mother of a two-year-old after the July 2 race to talk about it all. “There are lots of people who do cool things in the Upper Valley," she says, "and I’m just another person who does something a bit weird for a job."Phil Scott seeks major disaster declaration for Vermont. This one would be different from the declaration approved by President Joe Biden on Tuesday, which was aimed at mobilizing FEMA resources. The declaration Scott has requested would offer more federal resources and the potential for millions of dollars in recovery money, reports VTDigger's Sarah Mearhoff, both for infrastructure repair and for financial support to households.What it looked like around VT, in nine minutes. For her latest "Stuck in Vermont" episode, Seven Days' Eva Sollberger took to the road herself, crowdsourced photos and videos from social media, and checked in with sources in Waterbury, Johnson, Barre, and South Londonderry.And to stay on top of Vermont's needs...
Here's the VT Flooding 2023 Response and Recovery Mutual Aid Facebook group, which continues to be a central resource for information, requests, updates, and resources.
And the crowdsourced Google Doc put together by Wendy Rice, which has filled out considerably in two days with links for everything from weather and streamflow reports to cleanup protocols to shelter resources to how to apply for a wide range of assistance.
Been paying attention to Daybreak? Because the Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions for you. Like, why was Vermont in the news this week? And which major Upper Valley landmark found a buyer this week? And what was that major legal agreement the state of NH reached this week? Those and other questions at the link.But wait! How closely were you following VT and NH?
Because Seven Days wants to know if you know which federal agency sent officials to tour parts of VT this week.
And NHPR's got a whole set of questionsabout non-flood-related doings around the Granite State—like, what did Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig just launch a campaign for?
“You leave Route 14, you drive up an old gravel road, you pull into an old barn, you sit on some relatively uncomfortable seats and you get a good show.” Bill Blachly has been running Unadilla Theatre, in Marshfield, for 40 years. In a warm tribute to the 99-year-old in Seven Days, Erik Esckilsen speaks with Blachly about his roots and the theater’s struggles and triumphs. His daughter Ellie says they were none too confident that first night in 1983. "I just remember us all standing there, about quarter of eight, in our costumes, of course, staring out the milk house windows and seeing a pair of headlights and saying, 'By God, somebody's come out.' “Now here's a legal niche: tortoise estate-planning. You can see the problem. As Eliza Collins writes in the WSJ (gift link), desert tortoises can live more than 80 years, African spurred tortoises can get to 150—and Jonathan, a Seychelle giant tortoise who lives on the S. Atlantic island of St. Helena, is estimated to be at least 190 years old. So how do you make plans for a pet that could outlive your grandchildren? Well, there's the Tortoise Group, a Nevada-based nonprofit that helps with tortoise adoptions. And, of course, at least one law firm offers guidance on leaving money in wills and other such matters.Dismemberer of the board. Surfers in Santa Cruz, CA, have a lot more to worry about lately than sharks and rogue waves. A threat labeled Sea Otter 841 has been joining in, writes Andrew Marshall on ExplorersWeb, causing surfers to abandon their boards and making a meal of them—the boards, not the surfers. The otter was raised in Monterey Bay Aquarium then released into the wild, where things went swimmingly for the first year. Not so much now; there have been three incidents in five days. Caution signs have been posted and the aquarium has teamed up with CA wildlife officials to try to capture her.The Friday Vordle. With a word from yesterday's Daybreak. The next few will rely on today's Daybreak... and then it's anyone's guess.Daybreak doesn't get to exist without your support. Help it keep going by hitting the maroon button:
Well hey! Fair season starts today! Despite Vermont's flooding, which has affected lots of participants, the Bradford (VT) Fair gets under way this evening at 6 with the Bradford Fair Parade, along with Mini Horse and then pony pulling. Over the weekend there are horse and oxen pulls, antique tractor and truck pulls, pro wrestling hair pulls (if the ref doesn't catch them), oxen and cattle shows, a VINS raptor demo—plus, of course, music, food, arcades, crowds, and that feeling you can only get at a fair in summer.
At 5 pm sharp today, Opera North has opened up its final dress rehearsal for Carmen to a paying audience. The Sunday premiere is already sold out, and tickets are going fast for performances on July 19 and 21. What's ahead, ON writes, are "the stunning baritone of Joshua Klein (he will play Zuniga), the luscious blend of soprano Krista Pape (she sings Frasquita) and mezzo-soprano Chelsea Laggan (Mercedes in Carmen), the sublime Pearl Fishers duet of tenor Lwazi Hlati (Don Jose) and Jimin Park (Escamillo); the fiery and flirtatious Elissa Pfaender (as Carmen), baritone Anthony Massetto (Morales) and Nina Evelyn Anderson (Micaela)." Email [email protected] for dress rehearsal tix; for next week, you'll find tickets here.
In the second of its three concerts this summer, the Oak Hill Music Festival presents "Music of Exile" this evening at 7. It's a program of music written by composers either in exile or in the diaspora, including prolific African-American composer, conductor, and musician William Grant Still's Vignettes, Brazilian composer Chiquinha Gonzaga's Three Short Pieces, Mahler's only surviving chamber work, and Walter Kaufmann's String Quartet No. 11, written in Mumbai after he fled Nazi persecution in Germany.
At 7:30 this evening, the Newbury VT Historical Society offers up a two-day chance to try out shape note singing for yourself. Tonight, shape note expert Thomas Malone will lead a master class not only on the music, but on the life and work of Jeremiah Ingalls, a shape note pioneer who served as the choirmaster at the Congregational church in town from 1791 to 1805. Then tomorrow, there will be an all-day sing (the 16th annual), using Ingalls' 1805 Christian Harmony and the Sacred Harp. Potluck dinner on the grounds.
Saturday
At 1 pm tomorrow, the improv jazz series put together by Bill Cole again takes over the Thetford Hill Church. For this second concert of the summer, Cole, on double-reed horns and didgeridoo, will be joined by Joseph Daley on tuba and baritone horn; Ras Moshe on sax and flute; and Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and trombone.
From 3 to 7 pm today, the Cornerstone Community Center in Wilder is throwing its Hartford Block Party, with food, music, games, chili and bicycle-decorating contests, and a pile of vendors and organizations, from the Hartford Library and Scotland House to the Karibbean Food Truck and K.C. Moore's Ice Cream Truck.
At 5 pm tomorrow, Feast and Field and Randolph's Chandler Center for the Arts throw an Afro Caribbean dance party with Belize's Garifuna Collective, which is touring New England, and Burlington's Mal Maïz bringing the music. Garifuna, of course, has won wide acclaim and features regularly at world music festivals. Mal Maïz, a Feast & Field favorite, is led by Costa Rican multi-instrumentalist Maiz “Brujo” Vargas Sandoval and blends Central and South American rhythms and afro-caribbean sounds. At Fable Farm in Barnard.
In ordinary times, the yearly Do Good Fest would be drawing crowds tomorrow to the lawn of the National Life Group in Montpelier. But these aren't ordinary times, so tomorrow at 6 pm, the fest goes indoors and livestreamed with its mix of fundraising for good causes—now aimed at helping flood victims recover—and hopping music. The lineup's headlined by the Chicago-based quintet Plain White T's, and they're joined by LA alternative rockers lovelytheband, Austin pop-rockers Fastball, and VT's own All Night Boogie Band. Plus the top high school bands from this summer's Beats for Good competition.
At 7 pm tomorrow, the Oak Hill Music Festival closes out with "Chemistry": music "celebrating the chemistry between individuals, between instruments, and even some music by and for actual chemists." Alexander Borodin’s Second Quartet, they write, "is one of the most beloved pieces in the string quartet repertoire—but in his day, the composer was also a prominent scientist who made important contributions to organic chemistry." Plus solo, duo, and trio music by Rachmaninov, Jacques Ibert, and Rebecca Clarke. At the Norwich Congregational Church.
Also at 7 tomorrow, Seven Stars Arts in Sharon hosts fiddler/vocalist Natalya Zoe Weinstein and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist John Cloyd Miller, who perform at Zoe & Cloyd: original bluegrass, klezmer, old-time and folk. They'll be joined by bluegrass, jazz, and new acoustic banjoist Ben Krakauer.
And also at 7 tomorrow, Hop Film screens BlackBerry, Matt Johnson's stylish, entertaining 2023 film about the rise and fall of the world's first smartphone. Or, really, the people who created it. In the Loew.
Sunday
At 2 pm, the Oak Hill Music Festival's musicians close out their time in the Upper Valley with a children's concert in conjunction with Upper Valley Music Center, at the Kilton Public Library in West Leb. The concert, UVMC writes, will be "free, casual, and wiggle-friendly, with interactive engagement. UVMC’s early childhood music specialist Joni Cushman will guide the youngest members of the audience with hands-on and movement-based activities to engage their minds and bodies with the music." And it's a chance to see most of the festival's musicians and their instruments from close up.
And some music you should be aware of next week...
On Monday, Riverfolk returns to the Courtyard Theater at Northern Stage with an astounding lineup of local and not-so-local Americana talent. Hosted by Jakob Breitbach and Tommy Crawford as a variety-show celebration of both music and community, it features: Brooks Hubbard, Grammy-nominated bluesman Guy Davis, Beecharmer, Tommy Crawford, Jes Raymond & Jakob Breitbach, Allison Fay Brown, Ramblers & Co, Dylan Patrick Ward, Lisa Piccirillo, the Riverfolk House Band (Marcus Copening, Kit Creeger, Alex Kelley, Ben Kogan), and, as they say, "lots of cross-pollination among the performers." Rain date is Tuesday, and if it rains on Tuesday, it'll be in the Briggs Opera House.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Guy Davis is on the bill for a special event at Hanover's Sawtooth Kitchen while he's on a New England tour. Davis returns to the Upper Valley—over the last decades, he shared stages here with Pete Seeger and James Cotton and performed at venues all over the Upper Valley. A blend of original songs and stories in a dazzling array of genres. Davis's last two albums earned him Grammy nominations for Best Acoustic Blues, and he's appeared on Broadway, on television, and in film.
On Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 pm, the New London Barn Playhouse opens its run of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, which traces the legendary singer's life and trailblazing accomplishments, bookended by 1971 concerts at Carnegie Hall.
Thursday, Feast & Field brings in South African vocalist and songwriter Nomfusi. Raised by a single mom until she was 12 (her mother died of HIV/AIDS), the self-taught musician blends Township sounds with Afropop, Afro-soul, and gospel-inflected ballads to both entertain and inform.
Starting on Friday, July 21 at 7:30 pm and running through next weekend, the West Windsor Music Festival returns to the historic West Windsor Town Hall. Friday's program is four-hand piano with Sakiko Ohashi & Hiroko Sasaki, followed by a free children's concert at 10 am on Saturday with Sakiko and friends, then at 7:30 pm Saturday, cellist Brad Ritchie joins Sakiko Ohashi for a program that includes Debussy's Sonata for Cello and Piano. The festival wraps up Sunday at 3 pm with Sakiko Ohashi joined by violinist Helen Hwaya Kim.
And to take us into the weekend....
The Mongolian band The Hu can go full metal or full folk or somewhere in between, depending on their mood, but they're never less than riveting. Their second album—
The Rumble of Thunder—
is out, they're touring the US (Boston in September!) and sheesh, it's just too hard to decide. So here are two new tracks, both recorded in the studio:
—
, with soaring vocals from NY-based singer and songwriter Laura Pergolizzi, known as LP.
—And an acoustic version (with plenty of throat-singing) of
which refers to a traditional Mongolian herders' form of dance.
So... Take care of yourselves and others over the next week, okay? See you on Wednesday, July 26 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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