OH GOSH, MONDAY ALREADY?
Dry, mild... but probably cloudy. Yesterday's system is moving away, and we're left some high pressure. Farther west it looks like there'll be some sun, but around here? Forecast is for the clouds to "hang tough." Highs mid-50s, winds coming from the southeast this afternoon. Lows tonight in the mid-40s, very slight chance of showers developing overnight.Remember Ed and Elaine Brown? Of course you do. Plainfield's notorious tax evaders drew prison terms of 37 and 35 years after their armed standoff with the feds back in 2007. However, a recent US Supreme Court ruling found that the federal sentencing statute that produced much of those sentences was unconstitutionally vague. As a result, says NHPR, the Browns are due for re-sentencing, and will probably see a substantial reduction. Dartmouth appeals taxes on 38 properties in Hanover. As the VN's John Lippman puts it, "An 800-pound gorilla has weighed in on Hanover’s property assessment controversy." The town's been embroiled in a wave of appeals after businesses downtown saw large spikes in their assessments. Now the college is asking Grafton Superior Court for refunds on properties that include student rentals and the South Street stretch that includes Umpleby's and Ramunto's. S. Strafford's Aurora Berger wins Kennedy Center award. The 24-year-old photographer and Newton School aide is one of 15 artists with disabilities around the country being recognized for their work. Berger, who has Marfan syndrome, has been visually disabled her whole life. She decided to submit for the show despite an aspect of what she calls "inspiration porn." "I have no interest in minimizing the disability angle," she says, "but I also have no interest in just being an inspiration because I’m disabled and also have a career.”Local naturalists eye changing bird populations. In the wake of last month's report of 3 billion fewer wild birds in North America than 50 years ago, the VN's David Corriveau spent some time hanging out with Chris Rimmer and other naturalists connected with the Vermont Center for Ecostudies. Bald eagles are making a comeback and some species — like warblers — are venturing farther north, but by and large "it’s clear that the grassland populations are tanking,” says Rimmer. Red-winged blackbirds, meadowlarks, whippoorwills, juncos, grosbeaks... all are rarer now.Chronicle visits the Upper Valley. The TV newsmagazine, produced by Boston's WCVB and Manchester's WMUR, highlights the region tonight. Ted Reinstein spends some time with Lyme's Ben Kilham and his bears; Wilder's Brian Barthelmes, the former Patriots offensive lineman who's now a musician and a tattoo artist in Lebanon; Morano Gelato and My Brigadeiro in Hanover; local Appalachian Trail angels...Ever wondered what the Norwich wood bee is like? The annual effort to cut, split, and stack wood that'll be delivered to families who need it over the winter drew 30 volunteers, who put 12 cords away. Demo Sofronas and Richard Neugass snapped pics of it all.Royalton to consider switching to Australian ballot for all but budget questions. Last year, just 135 voters, or 6 percent of the checklist, voted from the floor, and SB vice chair Tim Dreisbach says town leaders are worried that from-the-floor voting at Town Meeting has become unrepresentative. “We have limited attendance, and it’s the same people. We have heard from many constituents who are unable to come (and vote), such as working people.” Special town meeting next Tuesday. (VN)The Weather Service is thinking ahead to the most important evening this week. Here's a map of the average temperature at 6 pm on October 31 around New England for the past 30 years. This is looking back, of course, not ahead. Right now, Thursday's forecast is for rain, but heck, it's only Monday.Parts of NH's revenue system are tottering. That's a rundown by InDepthNH's Garry Rayno. The gas tax over the last fiscal year collected less than it did in 2008, which might have produced layoffs this year in the state transportation department and even more deteriorating roads had the legislature not acted. Hunting and fishing license revenue has been flat for a decade and hiker rescue costs have risen, leaving Fish & Game to struggle. But with elections coming up, Rayno sees no appetite for progress.Vermonters, you can thank NH Gov. Benning Wentworth. It was he, 270 years ago, who kicked off the land-grab frenzy between NY and NH that resulted in the territorial struggle where Ethan Allen, "a bellicose land speculator recently arrived from Connecticut," made his name. That's Mark Bushnell's colorful description, in this recap on VTDigger of the greedy doings that led to the Green Mountain State's creation. Lots of fine historical tidbits you probably didn't know.What does "Yankee" mean in different parts of the world? A Vermont in-joke in the form of a map. Bonus from a Reddit user's comment: this 1999 legislative act "relating to designating the state pie and the state fruit."
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PLANS FOR A MONDAY?
Kreindler's NY-based firm specializes in aviation disasters, and represented a lot of 9/11 victims' families. Kreindler is helping lead a lawsuit alleging that members of the Saudi government provided financial and logistical support to the 9/11 hijackers. At 4:30 in Haldeman 41, also known as Kreindler Conference Hall (he and his parents donated the money for the facility).
Those things are not cheap, but they make quilting much more efficient. The class is basically Quilting Machine 101, and preps you to get certification sessions so you can use the machine yourself. At 6 pm.
Upstairs and downstairs prep for King George V and Queen Mary, who are due to dine at Downton. The film, says Matt Zoller Seitz on rogerebert.com, is for "those who might not feel obligated to leave their homes to watch blockbusters featuring dinosaurs, robots, superheroes, or Jedi knights, but will travel some distance to see a film in which well-dressed, reasonably thoughtful adults do and say grownup things." Though the
New Yorker
's Anthony Lane jabs that the two Crawley daughters "lead me to wonder if Lenin had a point, after all." 7:30 pm.
For the last three weeks, filmmakers of many ages have been writing, shooting and editing five-minute thriller or horror shorts. Tonight and tomorrow, they get an audience, awards, oohs & ahhs, and maybe a scream or two. This evening's films were done by middle and high school students. Tomorrow night it's college students and adults. Starts at 7:30.
Have a fine launch to your week! See you tomorrow.
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