Daybreak Tuesday, 12/9/25

A tad warmer, clouds moving in. We should eventually hit the low 20s today as winds shift to come from the south under sunny skies this morning (not bad, considering the definitely cold start to the day). But there’s a fast-moving system on its way that’ll first start clouding things up, and then at some point tonight bring us a chance of snow. Right on its heels is another, stronger system that may start affecting us early tomorrow, but we’ll deal with that then. Meanwhile, lows mid teens.

A pileated portrait. The bird was a visitor to Catherine Reed’s split log bird feeder in rural Hanover. “The six bluejay regulars lost all their brass and sass, dwarfed in size and reduced to stealing a seed or two off the ground,” she writes. “And the Pileated Woodpecker? She stayed and ate to her heart’s content and I watched until I had to go back to work.”

Leaves. They may be under all that snow here, but this week in DB Johnson’s Lost Woods, Lydia’s in her own autumn bubble. And Wally… well, he’s out in the woods. Raking leaves.

As December marches on, here’s that crowdsourced Giving Guide again. Remember how last week Daybreak ran readers’ suggestions for Upper Valley nonprofits to support or volunteer with? Well, more people have been checking in, so it’s expanded with more groups at the bottom, as well as links to the two state community foundations, which also aim to make year-end (or anytime) giving easier. And if you missed it the first time around, you’ll find it all at the link, with comments from readers for each organization explaining why they like it.

Randolph home destroyed by grease fire. Jeff Hurlburt and his son, Travis, were making french fries Friday night, reports Marion Umpleby in the Valley News, when both left the kitchen briefly for different reasons. When Jeff Hurlburt got back, he found a “pile of flame blasting out”—and couldn’t turn off the stove. His niece, Randolph police officer Chelsea Maxham, was first on the scene, and he was taken to Gifford with second-degree burns; Travis and their husky were unharmed. The house, though, is a total loss. Maxham has set up a GoFundMe to help them through. Umpleby also notes there’s a GoFundMe to help the Vershire couple affected by last week’s fire.

SPONSORED: Pompanoosuc Mills Holiday Bedroom Sale runs thru December 22. A major seasonal furniture event is underway as the Holiday Bedroom Sale runs until Dec. 22. Shoppers will find 30 percent off all new bedroom orders, along with 20 percent off other new furniture purchases and 20 percent off fully upholstered new orders. Those seeking faster turnaround can take advantage of immediate-delivery, in-stock items available while supplies last. The sale provides a timely opportunity for customers to update key living spaces before the new year, with noteworthy savings across multiple categories. Sponsored by Pompanoosuc Mills.

Police officer left with minor injuries after Hanover crash. The Friday morning collision on South Park Street between a Hanover patrol car responding to a burglary and a Honda Civic sent both drivers to DHMC, reports the Valley News’s Lukas Dunford. The officer, whom the department has not named, left the hospital later that day; no word on the other driver. Lebanon police are investigating the crash so that Hanover doesn’t investigate one of its own officers. Meanwhile, the Hanover PD is waiting to find out how bad the damage to its patrol car was. “These newer cars can get a little damage and end up being totaled,” Police Chief James Martin tells Dunford.

Shell? Slice? Just swallow the dang thing whole? That last approach is the one that mourning doves take when they want to eat seeds, since their beaks can’t crack them. Instead, they rely on the little stones in their gizzard to do the work for them, writes Mary Holland on her Naturally Curious blog. Other birds are more refined. Finches, cardinals and sparrows “have beaks specialized for shelling seeds, [with] a groove on their upper beak, and a sharp edge on the lower beak [that] slices the husk open as they close their beak.” Other birds hold the seed in place, then hammer it open with their beak.

SPONSORED: This weekend is the Bugbee Craft Fair in WRJ! Keep your holiday shopping dollars local while helping area seniors age independently. Explore unique, handmade gifts from local crafters and artisans showcasing a variety of creations, including wood carvings, ornaments, jewelry, quilted & knitted items, stained glass, cookie walk, café, and more. Proceeds benefit Bugbee’s Meals on Wheels, nutrition, and wellness programs. Friday, December 12 from 1-5 and Saturday, December 13 from 9-2. Free parking & parking shuttle. Sponsored by the Bugbee Senior Center.

Haverhill’s Cottage Hospital, Mascoma Valley Preservation, Claremont collaborative, Norwich Grange collaborative land Northern Border Regional Commission grants. The commission yesterday announced $37.2 million in all to projects in ME, NH, NY, and VT. Among them: $1 million to Cottage to upgrade its operating room and other units; $400K to Mascoma Valley Preservation to renovate two properties in Grafton, creating a small business incubator and improved trail access; $800K to the Well Collaborative in Claremont to create a community hub; and $390K to the Norwich Community Collaborative for continued work on the old grange hall.

Flu season could be intense. The dominant strain out there this year started spreading at the end of last year, when it led to high hospitalization rates. But it’s not specifically targeted by this year’s flu vaccine, reports NHPR’s Olivia Richardson. “That sometimes means the vaccine is protective, but not as protective as we have hoped,” DHMC hospital epidemiologist Gabriela Andujar Vazquez tells her. Even so, she says, washing hands, limiting contact with others when sick, and wearing a mask in crowded spaces can help stop the flu’s spread. And the vaccine can still be a help.

NH committee overseeing state’s school voucher program hasn’t met in a year. And that may be the least of its problems. The committee was supposed to produce an oversight report by Nov. 30, reports Ethan DeWitt in NH Bulletin—and Democratic members of the committee, including Leb’s Suzanne Prentiss, say they’re unaware of any work being done on it. The parties in the legislature are at odds over the whole Education Freedom Account program, and whether they need to be looking closely who’s receiving vouchers and how the state’s money is being spent by the nonprofit that runs the program. DeWitt explains the arguments and state of play.

Mixed news on homelessness in NH. The New Hampshire Coalition to End Homelessness is out with its 2025 report, and there are definitely some hopeful signs, reports the Globe’s Amanda Gokee (no paywall). For one thing, the 2024 point-in-time count found an 8 percent drop in homelessness, the third-highest percentage decrease in the country. And homelessness among families and veterans appears to be decreasing. On the other hand, the “chronically” homeless now make up a bigger percentage of the state’s homeless population, and the numbers of those who are completely unsheltered have been growing. Full report here.

VT farmers struggle with skyrocketing health insurance costs: “A single medical emergency could threaten not only our health, but also our farm and our livelihood.” The problem, reports VT Public’s Sabine Poux, is that farmers—most self-employed—are among those being affected by the loss of federal health care subsidies expiring at the end of the month. Among them: W. Corinth’s Margaret Loftus and her family, who run Crossmolina Farm and are looking at their rates quadrupling. “We depend on having health insurance because we have very physical jobs,” Loftus tells Poux. Some farmers are considering leaving the state or even the country.

The story of VT’s halfway houses—and what it tells us about helping people find their footing. For this episode of VT Public’s Brave Little State, Carly Berlin began by asking people at a resource center for people without housing what questions they wanted answered. “Why are there no halfway houses anymore?” asked one. These days they’re called “transitional housing,” and as Berlin dove into an answer, she uncovered an intriguing history: homes serving addicts, the homeless, and former inmates started folding after the state moved to a model that gave priority to transitional apartments—a “housing first” model—to help people struggling with substance abuse who often encountered users even in sober homes. Group homes are back, though.

Once upon a time, one price for everyone was a radical idea. It is again. Here’s another assault on our wallets. In the 1800s, according to a new NYT video (via YouTube) stores charged different prices for different customers—until the Quakers, who thought that was unfair, started posting prices for everyone to see. Others followed, and in the 1930s, price tags became “like a little handshake.” That agreement is disappearing fast, as AI and automated surveillance are making it easy for companies to again charge customers different prices. It’s a cool little video on the history of a little piece of paper you never appreciated enough, and what’s coming as it disappears.

The Tuesday MiniBreak. It’s Week 2 for crossword veteran and Dartmouth librarian Laura Braunstein’s new twice-weekly crossword in Daybreak. Minis on Tuesdays, “midis” on Thursdays. You’ll find last week’s puzzles here.

Today's Wordbreak. With a word from yesterday’s Daybreak.

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HEADS UP

At the Howe Library, “What's the Deal with Tariffs?” Part of the library’s Collegetown Conversations series, Dartmouth economics prof Douglas Irwin will talk over that particular approach to economic policy. As the Howe writes, “The Trump administration is using tariffs—taxes imposed on imported goods—to achieve all manner of goals, from reducing the trade deficit to creating jobs to generating revenue for the federal government. Will the policy work?” 6:30 pm in the Mayer Room and online.

And anytime: The Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team is looking for volunteers. “If you’re interested in search and rescue, outdoor skills, or helping others during emergencies, now is the perfect time to get involved,” they write. Though on their application page, they also note: “This is important and rewarding work that requires serious commitment. Please discuss the time demands with your family, friends, and employer before applying. Volunteer search and rescue is meaningful but rarely convenient.” Next training cycle starts in March.

The Tuesday poem.

lighght

— “lighght”, by Aram Saroyan.

See you tomorrow.

Oh, wait, you wanted more explanation? Here’s Ian Daly’s fantastic article, “You Call That Poetry?! How seven letters managed to freak out an entire nation.”

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