GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Getting sunnier, warmer. Over the next few days, we go from cool with showers to hot with sun (on Wednesday), as dry air and, eventually, high pressure move in from the west. Today's just the start: clouds diminish and temps get into the upper 60s, maybe even 70. It'll still be cool at night: down to the low 40s. And before summer gets here, let's enjoy a spring moment. It's a red columbine in Sharon's Downer State Forest, from Annemieke McLane. "Columbines are symbols of strength, wisdom, and peace," she writes, quoting a web source, then adds, "They're so delicate and bright!"VT Law & Grad School lands $10 million gift. The money comes from "an anonymous international organization" the school announced in a press release, and is the largest donation in its history. The money will go toward boosting the school's "expertise in agriculture and food systems and animal protection policy," as well as to a new project aimed at understanding and addressing the environmental effects of aquaculture.Leb's Karen Liot Hill settles into her Concord role. The former longtime city councillor took her seat as the lone Democrat on the five-member Executive Council in January, and in the Valley News, Clare Shanahan takes a look at how things are going. The Council weighs in on executive branch spending and contracts, as well as all gubernatorial appointments, and as Shanahan writes, many of those decisions are non-partisan: Liot Hill mostly votes with her GOP colleagues. But she's also gone solo or been part of the minority on a range of issues; "I’m actually the top Democrat in state government,” she notes.Hanover PD nabs police station intruder. Its weekend FB post reads, "The suspect, an adult female Sciurus [that would be "squirrel" to you and me], had been heard within the walls of the police department both during and after business hours, without prior authorization from management. A professional team was brought in to capture the critter, and they have successfully relocated her to the Fire Department's bunk room. Kidding! She was released to a safe, natural environment." With pic. No word on any baby squirrels."Southern flare, but with a decidedly northern accent." That's how Dave Celone describes the "Texas rodeo style smokiness meets Memphis mouth-watering magic meets Kansas City burnt ends" flavors of the barbecue served at MJ's, the new spot sharing space with Roma's Butchery on Route 14 west of S. Royalton, on the way to Bethel. He's a fan: "It’s my third time here and it keeps getting better," with its brisket and pulled pork, house-made sauce, "buns to celebrate," brisket pizza (praised by a trio "hunched over their plates barely able to look up at me")... Open Sun/Mon, noon-7.Federal grand jury indicts former NH treatment center CEO in NHPR vandalism case. Eric Spofford, who ran Granite Recovery Centers until 2021, was arrested Friday and will be arraigned today in Boston, reports WBUR's Ally Jarmanning. The case grows out of an investigation into vandalism aimed at the homes (including one in Hanover) of NHPR journalist Lauren Chooljian, her parents, and her editor, after Chooljian's reporting on allegations against Spofford of sexual assault and harassment. Prosecutors say Spofford was behind the attacks; four others have already been convicted in the case.NH AG warns of real estate fraud. In particular, "quit claim deed fraud", which involves "scammers forg[ing] documents in order to facilitate a fraudulent transfer of ownership in real property without the owner’s knowledge," the AG's office wrote in a press release yesterday. "Oftentimes, this scam will be perpetrated by forging a fraudulent quit claim deed that purports to transfer ownership in real property to someone other than the owner. The scammers will then attempt to record the forged documentation with the register of deeds in the county where the real estate is located." The office recommends monitoring your address online and setting up a Google Alert for it.As VT legislature's session draws to a close... It was actually supposed to end on Friday, but as you'll see below, didn't. Here's a quick rundown of the major developments:
The reason for the adjournment delay is that House and Senate members of a conference committee tackling the huge education reform bill were unable to reach a compromise on a bill to send to Gov. Phil Scott. The key sticking points, report VT Public's Lola Duffort and Peter Hirschfeld, concern the specifics of how to disburse state money to schools, whether and how to tax non-primary homes, and public funding of private schools. Legislators hope to work out a deal over the next two weeks.
On the other hand, reports Seven Days' Kevin McCallum, legislators on Friday came to an agreement on the other marquee bill this session, aimed at boosting housing development in the state. It's aimed at making it easier for housing developers and municipalities to use tax increment financing to underwrite infrastructure for new housing; the sticking point between the two chambers had been how relaxed to make the restrictions. McCallum details the sometimes tense arguments last week.
And finally, late last week the legislature sent a bill to the governor's desk to overhaul the state's approach to homelessness; Scott hasn't yet indicated how he'll respond, reports Carly Berlin in VTDigger. The measure, she reports, would pull decision-making over emergency shelters, homelessness prevention, and how to disperse funding from the state, and hand it to regional anti-poverty nonprofits. It would also end the state's motel voucher program. Berlin details the proposal and the administration's take on key elements.
Around here there are Feast and Field and Crossmolina, of course, but there are plenty of other venues around Vermont, writes Erica Houskeeper on her
Happy Vermont
blog. She looks at seven farms and vineyards, including Barnard's Feast & Field, Pittsford Village Farm, Manchester's Earth Sky Time (at the base of Equinox Mountain), Fayston's Knoll Farm, Brattleboro's Retreat Farm (with its Food Truck Roundup), South Hero's Snow Farm Vineyard, and Shelburne Vineyard.
The Monday Jigsaw. "The Hartford Woolen Mill once stood on the south bank of the White River across from Hartford Village, which was called White River Village until the 1850s," writes the Norwich Historical Society's Cam Cross. "The bridge to the right was used until recently, when it was replaced by the new span that stretches from the foot of Christian Street to the former mill site." The mill began to grind plaster into fertilizer, Cam adds, then began producing chairs, and eventually became the woolen mill. It closed in 1957.Today's Wordbreak. With a word from Friday's Daybreak.
Heads UpAdventurer Mary Anderson at Sharon's Baxter Memorial Library. After thousands of miles of backpacking, biking, paddling, and skiing, Bethel's Anderson—now in her 60s—is working on hiking all 11 of the country's national scenic trails and is almost done, including a trek this past winter the length of the Florida Trail with a broken foot and mostly on crutches. She'll be talking about it all, showing photos, and answering questions starting at 6 pm. Also, in case you've been procrastinating, Alison Bechdel (and the Norwich Bookstore) has sold out at the Norwich Congregational Church.
And ushering us into the week...French pianist Emil Reinert—you may know him as Emilio Piano—and French-Lebanese trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf (he got a Grammy nomination a couple of years ago for his collaboration with Angélique Kidjo), with their jaunty "Cascades".See you tomorrow.
Written and published by Rob Gurwitt Associate writer: Jonea Gurwitt Poetry editor: Michael Lipson About Rob About Michael
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