GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Mostly dry today. What little rain we had last night wasn’t nearly enough, and with a dry air mass above and winds expected, the weather folks are expressing some fire concerns for today. Still, there’s a slight chance of showers for a few hours, highs in the upper 70s, lows around 60, getting sunny. As it happens, though, there’s a second cold front on its way tomorrow, and that should bring more widespread rain, though it’s a little unclear how much will arrive when. Things dry out again after that.
Which is a shame, because a week of rain would be a good thing. Last week, most of NH and a swath of VT, including the Upper Valley, were in a moderate drought. The US Drought Monitor has just updated its maps, and it’s gotten worse: northern NH, including Grafton County, is now in severe drought, as are the VT side of the Upper Valley, the NEK, and central VT. About 1.6 million people in the two states are living in drought-affected areas. The good news? We’re not yet in extreme drought.
Low to the ground and high in the air. Birds two ways…
In Eastman the other day, Richard Sachs was out walking his dog when he spied an American woodcock in full strut crossing the road. But also: as a YouTube commenter wrote a couple years back, “There appears to be an endless supply of woodcock videos out there. World, never stop making them. It just never gets old for me.” So here’s “Stayin’ Alive”.
Meanwhile, Tim vanLeer was in West Leb when he looked up and saw a kettle of turkey vultures gathered on the updrafts over LaValley’s ahead of their fall migration. I dunno… what score would you choose for this one?
Did you catch Dear Daybreak yesterday? If not, you missed Laura Pulaski’s glorious Post Mills sunrise; Bruce Richards’s equal parts humorous and poignant piece about whippoorwills, his mom, and a scarecrow; and Kathy Manning’s haiku ode to peak tomato. Got a good story or anecdote about life in these parts? Dear Daybreak can use them! Here's where to send them in.
“You could die! You could die!” This has been a bad summer for overdoses in WRJ. In fact, writes Eric Francis for Daybreak, “It’s not an exaggeration to say that Hartford’s emergency services have been responding to at least one reported drug overdose nearly every day for several months running now.” The latest was yesterday in broad daylight on the front lawn of Hartford Town Hall, where a passerby flagged down a passing police officer to point out a man lying in a heap by the apple trees. After being revived, the man waved away all offers of help and walked off. Which, Eric writes, is hardly unusual. He details what he’s seen in a summer of calls.
Catching up on the Woodstock police chief case. As you know, the action on former Chief Joe Swanson’s demotion has shifted to the courts, where Swanson is pursuing a lawsuit against town officials for how they went about stripping him of his position and demoting him to patrol officer. In the VT Standard, Mike Donoghue details recent developments, including a judge’s decision that the case can proceed against the village, municipal manager, village trustee board chair, and acting chief, but not against the Town of Woodstock or four other trustees. Donoghue also reports on Swanson’s attorney’s allegation that her client has been hassled by village officials at work.
In a separate article, Donoghue also reports that the village is now seeking a second hearing on the evidence that led trustees to demote Swanson, a follow-up to its epic, 14.5-hour hearing in March. The same judge ruled last month that “the village trustees failed to apply the correct legal standard before removing petitioner from the office of police chief.” Swanson’s attorney, Donoghue reports, says “they don’t intend to participate until there are more rulings by the judge” on a series of remaining issues.
SPONSORED: Film enthusiasts rejoice! Telluride at Dartmouth returns, and it’s back in Spaulding Auditorium! From September 17-21, the Hop will bring six films straight from the acclaimed Colorado film festival for special advance screenings. Check out the full lineup of some of this year’s most anticipated Oscar hopefuls at the burgundy link before tickets sell out. The pass for admittance to all six films is on sale now. Individual tickets will be on sale Sept. 9. Sponsored by the Hopkins Center for the Arts at Dartmouth.
In Tunbridge, a lesson in why “When an elder dies, a library burns.” That’s the proverb writer Elisse Gabriel chose to begin Folk Life, her new book of oral histories from Tunbridgites ages 81-100. Working with historical society members, Gabriel collected her subjects’ long-ago stories—from the unending work of farm life to Dorothy Yamashita’s recollection of a college friend: Coretta Scott, before she married MLK. “You just never know what people are going to share, but if you listen and allow them to talk, it’s pretty fascinating what people have to share about their lives,” Gabriel tells The Herald’s Isabel Dreher. The book will be available at the Tunbridge World’s Fair.
SPONSORED: Next Weekend at Parish Players in Thetford, David Mamet's Oleanna! In this immersive, powerful, and timely play, Mamet lays bare the explosive dynamics of gender, power, and education as John, a university professor, and Carol, his student, lock themselves in a misbegotten struggle to communicate about the very fundamentals of education and life. With academia as backdrop, the audience is pulled in to John and Carol's deeply personal and profoundly affecting exchanges and confrontations. Two performances only: Saturday, Sept. 13 and Sunday, Sept. 14. Tickets here or at the burgundy link. Sponsored by Engage With Productions.
Been paying attention to Daybreak? Because this week's Upper Valley News Quiz has some questions. Like, what’s Boloco’s new name going to be? And just how many animals does that sanctuary in Springfield, VT shelter? Those and more at the link.
But wait! How closely were you following VT?
Because Seven Days wants to know if you know what’s at the center of an increasingly personal, yearslong ownership dispute between Vermont Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and the Town of Glover?
NHPR, meanwhile, seems to have stopped updating its quiz. Stay tuned…
VT gets its EV charger money. Yesterday, reports Kevin McCallum in Seven Days, Gov. Phil Scott announced that $15.8 million for EV chargers that had been promised the state by the feds and then paused by the Trump administration is now in the state’s hands. The money was the subject of a heated disagreement between AG Charity Clark, who joined a lawsuit over the freeze, and the Scott administration, which refused to cooperate, arguing the suit was premature. After new federal rules were drafted, state officials re-submitted their application and the funds were disbursed a few weeks later. Randolph and WRJ are among the locations due for new fast charging stations.
With US Forest Service approval of Green Mountain corridor, Velomont Trail comes closer to reality. The nod comes for 72 miles of trails and forest roads in the Manchester Ranger District, reports Compass Vermont, and though it’s just a small section of the 485-mile mountain bike trail that’s envisioned between MA and Canada, Compass writes, “The designation is a milestone. It not only legitimizes the Velomont’s footprint inside the Green Mountain National Forest but also signals strong federal support for the vision of a statewide trail network.” The years-long project is a partnership between VT Huts & Trails and the VT Mountain Bike Association.
When in Parma, do as … Wisconsites do?! Sì, says Alberto Grandi, an Italian historian and author who debunks myths about his country’s legendary foods: “If you want to eat the original Parmigiano like our great-grandparents used to eat, you should go to Milwaukee or Madison.” Willa Paskin, writing for Slate, set out to test that theory. The original Italian version, of course, is centuries older—but in her researches, Paskin found that Italian immigrants to the Dairy State started with original methods; Parmigiano evolved. The article’s a treat, but after a blind taste test and much historical food digging, Paskin concludes she’s out-debunked the debunker.
Swimming with jellyfish. Not a metaphor.
Today's 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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HEADS UP
The Green Mountain Reggae Festival starts up in Bradford, VT today. The three-day festival, with 20-some acts, food and craft vendors, workshops, and more, gets going at noon with the upstate NY-based roots reggae group Will of the People. From there, it’s a steady progression of grooves: SunDub, Mighty Mystic, Kotoko Brass, 10Ft. Ganja Plant… Runs until late in the night tonight and tomorrow, till about 9 pm Sunday. At the Bradford Fairgrounds.
And in WRJ, it’s First Friday. Revolution’s throwing its semi-annual Parking Lot Party starting at 5 pm with DJ Skar on the vinyl and Munchie Rollz bringing the eggrolls, along with Northern Stage and RePlay Arts. Oodles is having a sale, Flourish Beauty Lab is hosting a Shade Match Social from 4-6, JAM has an art opening with filmmaker Natalie Jones and Song for the Sea and is screening local filmmakers’ shorts in Lyman Point Park at 8 pm, there are art openings at Long River Gallery and the Main Street Museum, Putnam’s has music and tarot… You get the idea.
The Conniption Fits at Sawtooth Kitchen. Sawtooth writes, “We're not ready for summer to end, so the Upper Valley's favorite Party Rock band returns to tear the roof off…” 9 pm.
Saturday
The Sprouty in Sharon. It’s the 15th annual 5k walk/run and 10k run at the Sharon Elementary School. Music by Emerson Gale and the Seven Stars Community Fiddle Band; free lettuce plants from Dandelion Acres; a kids' fun run; refreshments and a large raffle, and more. Registration from 7:45 am, things get going at 9 am.
The East Barnard Linen Fair returns tomorrow and Sunday. It’s a celebration of the flax harvest from the Broad Brook valley, with harvesting and spinning, weaving and fiber demonstrations, artists-in-residence, and indigo and linen show, wagon rides, food, and more. Runs 10-4 both days at the East Barnard Community Hall.
Woodstock throws its annual post-Labor Day Art Festival. It’s a “weekend-long event of fine art, music, spirits and food,” with over 30 New England artists. On the Green from 10-5 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday. List of vendors and artists at the link.
It’s Haverhill Corner History Day. A celebration of the Haverhill Corner (Court Street and School Street) Historic District, with walking tours, wagon rides, tours of the Old Grafton County Jail, presentations on the Underground Railroad in town, a virtual tour of Bliss Tavern’s Underground Railroad history, displays, food, kids’ games, and more. 10 am to 3 pm.
The final Front Porch Music Series concerts of the season. The regular gathering of jazz improv musicians led by Bill Cole will honor tuba and baritone horn player Joseph Daley, a Front Porch regular, who died Aug. 3. Cole will be joined Saturday at 1 pm at the Thetford Hill Church by Ras Moshe, Taylor Bynum, Bill Lowe, Daniel Lin, Lisette Santiago; on Sunday at 1 pm, they’ll gather at the Claremont Creative Center (56 Opera House Square) for another concert, this time joined by Althea SullyCole on kora. No link.
Photographer Kevin Rose in the gallery at the Tunbridge General Store. It’s an opening reception for Rose’s works, including of the Tunbridge World’s Fair. “From my homestead on what was once among the thousands of hillside farms that had been so common,” he writes, “my lens is drawn to the elements of my rural upbringing that still remain.” 3-5 pm.
And for today...
If you don’t know the story behind Bruce Springsteen’s classic 1982 album Nebraska, you will soon, since it’s the centerpiece of the Jeremy Allen White-as-Springsteen biopic due out next month. The film tells the story of the musician’s struggles while creating Nebraska, and his decision to pull back from the full-on electric direction he’d been heading with the E Street Band and rely on the four-track demos he’d recorded in his bedroom. But here’s the thing: Those electric tracks exist, and now—in time with the film—he’s releasing what are known as the Electric Nebraska sessions. The first one went up yesterday and, not to be too confusing, it’s Born in the USA, but different.
See you Monday for CoffeeBreak.
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