GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Surprise! Cloudy with a chance of showers. The weather folks aren't joking when they call it a "persistent" low pressure system overhead—though things are gradually supposed to warm up over the next few days as air aloft warms. Today starts out cloudy, but we might see some sky in the afternoon. Chance of showers all day with a likelihood this afternoon, high in the low 60s, winds from the northwest. Mid-40s tonight.Christo's last work? That's how Chip Brown titled his email about the photo below, but nope: It's the Lyme-Thetford Bridge.
Here's the river view, from Chip.
And here's the aerial view, by Andy Lumley aboard his 1946 Aeronca Champ.
In Hartford, "Operation Hurricane Alley" nets couple on drug charges. If you noticed some commotion up on Hartford Ave. near the high school yesterday, that was the result of a raid by police and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, reports Eric Francis for Daybreak. Police charged former VT corrections officer Leanne Salls with cocaine possession, and former Springfield prison inmate James Ingerson with cocaine possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two made headlines a decade ago after Salls got pregnant following their sexual relationship in the prison.SPONSORED: Salsa on the Hillside at Artistree! Be ready to dance and have fun Friday, June 16 at 7 pm with Juan Nieves & Legado's Orquestra. With themes written by salsa greats Rubén Blades, José Nogueras, and Tite Curet Alonso, along with new songs arranged by band leader and Puerto Rican cuatro player Juan Nieves and charismatic singer & storyteller Rafa Moreno. Come early for a FREE salsa lesson from 5:45 to 6:30 pm. Space is limited, so please reserve your spot. Moon and Stars' Hernando Jaramillo will be on site making arepas and empanadas. Sponsored by Artistree."The word 'mess' does not accurately describe the state of [Jeff] Sharlet's vehicle... It would be more precise to say his car is a museum of dirt." Sharlet, who lives in Norwich and teaches writing at Dartmouth, has gotten much national attention for his new book, The Undertow, and its contention that the country is tangled in a "slow civil war." What hasn't gotten as much attention is Sharlet himself—especially, the details of how he works and the personal and physical cost of his drive to understand "the fracturing of the American body politic," as Seven Days' Chelsea Edgar puts it. In a sweeping profile, Edgar dives right in as she and Sharlet go looking to talk to strangers.SPONSORED: "It’s deepened my fondness for the Upper Valley and connected me with interesting and inspirational people.” That’s Rebecca Desilets, the City of Lebanon's assistant director of human services, talking about Leadership Upper Valley, a 10-session, year-long immersion in key aspects of this region, including health and human services, education, arts, economy, justice, government, transportation, and livable communities, and the environment. Gain insights, relationships, and examples of service to help you make a difference. Apply by June 30! Sponsored by Vital Communities.If you fly out of Manchester these days, thank Southwest Airlines—whether you use them or not. Their arrival at MHT 25 years ago yesterday turned it from a local field into "a regional juggernaut," writes David Brooks in the Monitor; passenger traffic rose from 1 million a year in 1998 to 4.5 million by 2005. Officials marked the occasion yesterday with speeches and a ribbon-cutting. Though as Brooks notes, they probably felt some nostalgia: Southwest has cut its schedule, as have other carriers, though Spirit Airlines' arrival in 2021 was a boost, and another low-cost carrier, Avelo, starts up June 21.In closely balanced NH House, lawmaker's switch to independent costs Democrats a seat. Yesterday afternoon, Rep. Shaun Filiault of Keene announced that he's changing his affiliation after colleagues in his party pressured him not to pursue a deal with GOP senators in an effort to win passage of legislation he backs. That bill, reports Steven Porter in the Boston Globe (paywall), would prohibit use of the "gay panic" defense in homicide cases; in exchange for the senators' support, Filiault had pledged to force a debate on a bill enshrining NH's first-in-the-nation primary. Dems now hold 196 seats, as opposed to the 197 they began with yesterday.What the next few weeks will be about at the NH State House. The Senate yesterday passed its version of the budget, which differs in some key respects from the version adopted by the House in April, and from the governor's proposals. NHPR's Josh Rogers, with visuals by Sarah Plourde, lays out where the three part company—and what negotiators will be trying to resolve, from differences in how they target a boost in school aid, to resolving sizable gaps in Medicaid reimbursement rates to providers, to how they want to underwrite more affordable housing. In NH Bulletin, Annmarie Timmins details yesterday's Senate action, including a last-minute compromise on immigration checkpoints.Independent report finds "significant shortcomings" in Catholic Medical Center's handling of concerns on top heart surgeon. The report, released yesterday, comes in the wake of last year's Boston Globe investigation that found hospital leaders had ignored or dismissed concerns raised by Dr. Yvon Baribeau's colleagues about his judgment and decision-making. As Paul Cuno-Booth reports for NHPR, Baribeau, who retired in 2019, "ultimately racked up 21 malpractice settlements related to his work at the hospital." The report finds shortcomings in the hospital's peer review process, as well as a perceived "culture of retaliation" against staff who spoke out.As VT's emergency housing program winds down and the first round of homeless get evicted from motels...
Some of the people losing their housing are also having trouble getting state-funded $3,300 deposits back. To get that money, Lola Duffort reports for VTDigger, eligible former motel residents must have lived in the room for at least four months and done no damage beyond “ordinary wear and tear.” Some are being asked to sign a form waiving their right to the refund in exchange for $500 in cash—a move that may violate state rules, though a motel owner tells Duffort it's only in cases where more than $3,300 in damage was done to a room. At this point, the state is telling former residents who feel they've been wronged to call Legal Aid.
Meanwhile, Seven Days' Kevin McCallum and Derek Brouwer talk to people who are leaving about their plans—which range from moving in with friends or family to camping on the Burlington waterfront, then check in with state legislators on their plans. Some Democratic and Progressive lawmakers say they're content to let Gov. Phil Scott's veto of the state budget stand—the budget ends the motel program—if that would buy time to find an alternative. The leadership, meanwhile, points to tens of millions in the budget aimed at helping people find better housing options.
And in VTDigger, Lola Duffort also reports that this year's "point-in-time" count—a yearly census of the homeless population required by the federal government—found a nearly 19 percent jump over last year. "The number of people in households with children who are becoming homeless also rapidly grew — by a stunning 36 percent," Duffort writes. The count occurred in January, before this month's motel evictions, but the report's authors cite the end of several pandemic-era programs as well as rising rental rates statewide.
Quiz time! Vermont’s state flag, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary, includes which of the following: a cow, sheaves of wheat, a pine tree, a maple creemee? In
Seven Days
, Abigail Sylvor Greenberg marks a century of the current version of the state flag, noting that earlier designs were basically the American flag—stars and stripes—with “Vermont” across the top. The one that has flown over the State House for the past century (as well as on the moon and at the North Pole) is more deeply tied to the character of Vermont (though sadly, without the maple creemee.)
"It sounded like the kick drum was played by a drunk 3-year old, and I was like ‘Are you allowed to do that?’” That's drummer, producer, and filmmaker Questlove recalling a beat played by the groundbreaking hip-hop musician known as J Dilla in a music venue in North Carolina. Questlove's memory kicks off an extremely cool audio-visual exploration by Michelle McGhee for The Pudding, a site that creates visual essays to explain... well, all sorts of intriguing stuff. Like, in this case, how J Dilla's rhythms and groove broke the rules, and why it's so aurally captivating. Just play. You won't regret it.The Thursday Vordle. With a word you probably didn't even notice from yesterday's Daybreak.
Daybreak doesn't get to exist without your support. Help it keep going by hitting the maroon button:
A
Lost Woods
mug from DB Johnson for you? Or maybe a Vordle t-shirt? Or, of course, Daybreak tees, long-sleeve tees, and mugs. Check out what's available and wear it (or drink from it) proudly! Email me ([email protected]) if you've got questions.
Gates open at Feast and Field in Barnard today at 5:30 and music starts up at 6, as The Michael Zsoldos Quartet takes the stage. The band, writes BarnArts, "is known for their dynamic interpretations of American and S. American-influenced music as well as their original tunes that are improvised yet accessible for EVERYONE—not just jazz fans." Zsoldos, on sax, is joined by Jason Ennis on electric and 7-string Brazilian guitars, drummer Conor Meehan, and bassist Matt Cory.
At 7 this evening, the Norwich Bookstore hosts Gretchen Cherington—who grew up in Hanover and lived for years in the Upper Valley, and whose searing 2021 memoir Poetic License won wide acclaim. Now she's back with a new nonfiction book, The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy, which dives into family mythology and weaves together the stories of meat-processor George Hormel, the comptroller who embezzled more than a million dollars from Hormel's company, and Cherington's grandfather, the company's executive VP, who was forced to resign after the embezzlement was discovered. Cherington will talk it all over with bookstore co-founder Penny McConnel.
Also at 7 this evening, the Mudroom returns to AVA Gallery with an evening of stories devoted to the theme, "Wrong Turn." With food by Pon available for purchase.
And JAM's got some intriguing highlights this week. For starters, there are the winners of last weekend's 48-hour film slam, in which participants were given a theme (Liberation), a prop (a key) and a spoken line they had to use ("Free at last!"); the four winners are up for viewing. Also: Chad Finer's videos of various musicians at The Anonymous Coffeehouse and upstairs at Dan & Whit's, as well as the regular Wednesday jam at The Filling Station; historian Jill Mudgett talking to the Thetford Historical Society about an 1878 murder in VT; and a conversation about black-owned agriculture in VT.
And to get us up on our feet this morning...
at Jazzfest in New Orleans a few weeks back. Yeah, yeah, you're jaded. But you haven't heard this one, made downright
ripping
by Trombone Shorty, Jon Batiste, and Celisse. Writes one lucky fest-goer in the comments, "It was the greatest moment I got to witness at this year’s Jazz Fest."
See you tomorrow.
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.
Want to catch up on Daybreak music?
Want to catch up on Daybreak itself (or find that item you trashed by mistake the other day)? You can find everything on the Daybreak Facebook page
, or if you're a committed non-FB user,
.
Written and published by Rob Gurwitt Poetry editor: Michael Lipson Associate Editor: Jonea Gurwitt About Rob About Michael
And if you think one or more of your friends would like Daybreak, too, please forward this newsletter and tell them to hit the blue "Subscribe" button below. And thanks! And hey, if you're that friend? So nice to see you! Subscribe at no cost at:
Thank you!