GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Patchy fog around dawn, mostly cloudy during the day. The weather folks had been watching a developing low off the Carolinas, but it looked "less impressive with each new model run." Any related weather should pass well to the south today, though there'll still be clouds for a good part of the day. Even so, there's also warm air filtering in above, so temps should get above 40, winds from the southeast. Back to the 20s tonight. The case count:
NH now has 108 cases (up from 101 yesterday), with 21 in Grafton County (1 more than yesterday) and still just 1 in Sullivan.
Vermont has 95 confirmed cases (up from 75 yesterday) and two additional deaths, bringing the total to 7. Windsor County has 15 (up 3 from yesterday), Orange 3.
In case you want to track things state by state around the country... Here's a resource several news orgs are using. The COVID Tracking Project is led by Atlantic mag journalist Alexis Madrigal. Hit "View the Data" to see the results, with detailed explanation of the numbers and their reliability for each state.Valley News lays off staff. In a message to readers yesterday, publisher Dan McClory wrote that business upheaval is forcing the paper to cut expenses, "which includes layoffs and a reduction of hours for some employees." In the newsroom, editor Maggie Cassidy says in an email, "with deepest regret, I laid off three full-time reporters (two sports, one features)." She did not name them. In addition, she notes, last week the paper suspended hours for part-time writers and froze the freelance budget. Phil Scott issues "stay home" order for Vermont. The move was announced in a press release late yesterday afternoon; the order says people should leave "only for essential reasons such as: personal safety; groceries or medicine; curbside pick-up of goods, meals or beverages; medical care; exercise; care of others; and work." In addition, businesses and nonprofits will have to stop in-person business starting at 5 p.m. today. Exempted businesses and organizations include grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, "critical manufacturing," utilities and law enforcement. Link takes you to the full executive order, with details.NH, not so much. At a press conference yesterday afternoon, Gov. Chris Sununu said he believes a mandatory shelter-in-place order "is not necessary at this time because many people are already limiting their travel," NHPR reports. But he added that he might have to re-evaluate as the coronavirus spreads, and did ban gatherings of more than 10 people. Mayors of the state's largest towns, as well as politicians and some newspapers, have been urging stronger action.
"Whatever messages (are) coming out of Washington, we’re going to take care of New Hampshire first.” That was also Sununu, saying that despite President Trump's desire to have the country "opened and just raring to go by Easter," New Hampshire will go its own course. "What we are not going to do is overly accelerate or loosen regulations just for the sake of the economy at the risk of public health,” he said.NH warns of possible exposure on four Concord Coach buses between Boston and Concord. A "person with COVID-19" was on buses on March 11, 13, 14, and 16, and the state is asking anyone who was on those particular buses to stay home and watch for symptoms. Details at the link.If you're a Dartmouth employee, good news! You don't have to pay for most parking. The college has suspended payroll deductions for most of the employee parking spots on campus. Seriously? Used Kleenex in recycling? People! In a townwide email cited by the VN's John Gregg (scroll way down), Canaan town administrator Mike Samson wrote, "It is totally unacceptable to be sick with any illness, use a tissue to blow your nose and then put it in with recyclables. Our recycling attendant comes into contact with this tissue and can become ill. If this practice is repeated, we will be forced to close down recycling for some period of time. Please use common sense.” Can we agree this doesn't just apply to Canaan?Susan Apel has a lovely and poignant rumination on "What's Not Going So Well." On her Artful blog, she writes that she's not doing all the chores she once thought she was putting off for lack of time: "I could be judgey and call myself lazy, but maybe 'profoundly uninterested' works too." And, "My husband is horrified that when the hair clippers come from Amazon—and they will—his head will serve as the practice run." And, "Mostly I feel lonely." Go keep her blog company.“My hope is that with the extra time at home, we can come out of this with an Upper Valley on fire to make music together again.” That's roots/Americana musician Jes Raymond in an email exchange with the VN's David Corriveau. Corriveau checks in with Upper Valley musicians to see how they're weathering this time. They're tackling long-put-off creative projects, streaming performance, keeping in touch with followers by Facebook. And the Upper Valley Music Center is doing lessons via video.NH may not be sheltering in place, but traffic on its highways dropped by almost half last week. The Monitor's David Brooks notes that the week ending March 1, there were 2,109,479 total trips through the state's tollbooths; last week, there were 1,351,693, the lowest over the past year by half a million. In addition, ISO-New England, the regional grid manager, says it's “seeing a decline in system demand of approximately 3% to 5%, compared to what would normally be expected under weather conditions in the region.”
“Stay on well-established trails and don’t push your adventure.” This will stun you: The woods and mountains have been inundated with people looking to practice social distancing with a view. "We understand getting outside is important for people’s physical and mental well-being in this trying time,” says NH Fish & Game's Major David Walsh. But people need to be careful. "Putting themselves at risk also means causing a multitude of first responders to abandon social distancing and puts them at risk as well.” Which is one reason Backpacker magazine says, "Backcountry skiing isn't the brilliant idea you think it is right now." They note that popular access points out west are crowded with cars. And, more alarming, downhill skiers who don't have backcountry experience are headed out in avalanche country with none of the shovels and probes that actual backcountry skiers would be bringing.
NH Forest Society conserves 117 acres in Grafton. The land, on Height of Land Road, belongs to Bob Moran, and becomes another piece in the Quabbin-to-Cardigan conservation corridor that 27 conservation orgs and public agencies are trying to string together between Cardigan Mountain and Massachusetts' Quabbin Reservoir. "I hope other friends and landowners will consider doing this as well," says Moran in this press release from the Society for the Preservation of NH Forests."The Connecticut River valley seems a strange place to house a professional sailor." So writes the VN's Greg Fennell in this profile and interview with Brownsville's Ben Bardwell, who's on a US team that has its eye on next March's America's Cup races in New Zealand. With the shift toward catamarans on the racing circuit, Bardwell says, "the boats and sailing became extremely and truly athletic. Fitness and endurance are always a factor, but you weren’t putting out athletic performances that could be on par with a cyclist or paddler or triathlete."No, it's not your imagination: Official ice-out on Lake Memphremagog came way early this year. Like several other communities, Newport VT hosts a contest — this one uses a big board attached to a clock — to guess the precise time the ice is done. The board broke through at 9:32 p.m. on Saturday, three weeks earlier than last year.Let's say there's a lot of new-fallen snow and you're a performer and an artist and you just need to get out of the dang house! What do you do? Here's how former Circus Smirkus performers (and currently exiled Ecole de Cirque de Québec students) Liam Gundlach and Ripley Burns spent their day in Thetford yesterday.
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Staying Sane
If you're a regular Daybreak reader, you know Bob Totz as the Old Roads, Rivers and Rails guy. But he's also been a regular on the Upper Valley Music scene for years, and he's been streaming some folk sessions, just him and his guitar, afternoons at 4. Here's yesterday's. (It's FB, but if you're not a user just hit the little "Not Now" that pops up and you'll see it fine._
Meanwhile, in Canterbury over on the other side of NH, ace Irish fiddler Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki did a homebound St. Patrick's day concert last week that's two hours of lively, lilting music. Just set it up and go about your day. (Same FB deal as above.) (Thanks, MT!)
And if you want some global stars, you could check out Rolling Stone's "In My Room," which so far has streamed Brian Wilson, Angélique Kidjo, and John Fogarty. You'll need an Instagram account and the IGTV app, then go to Rolling Stone's Insta page.
I'm thinking your age doesn't need to be in the single digits to make a toilet-paper-roll goat. Billings Farm & Museum has gone online with craft instructions and farm videos, and is even assembling kits you can pick up. More details at this VN article by Liz Sauchelli.
Or maybe you've always wanted to see the Getty, or the Grammy Museum. Seven LA museums are offering virtual tours and other content — including the Grammy Museum's never-before aired interviews with artists. (Thanks, LM!)
And, somewhat questionable for a "staying sane" section, yesterday's puzzle article brought in this double-crostic from Enfield puzzle-maker Dale Copps. As he writes, "Double-crostics are tougher than their tamer cousin, the crossword puzzle, and often can’t be completed at one sitting." This one's free, he's got more at the link.
Helping Out
Craig Spencer, who's on the ER front lines at Columbia right now, tweeted out this thread on what it's like being an ER doc in NYC at the moment. If you get freaked out easily, don't read it. The short version: The biggest thing you can do to help out? Stay home, keep on social distancing.
A reader writes: "I want to add to the 'sewing face masks' articles that you have written about. It's important for people sewing the masks to heed DHMC's warnings about who should and who should not sew the face masks. I am anxious to sew some, but a week ago last Friday, I had contact with a person who may or may not have Covid 19. She was not tested because she was not sick enough, but she was quarantined at home. So, although I feel fine and have felt fine through it all so far, I won't start sewing face masks until well more than 14 days have passed."
West Central Behavioral Health needs personal protective equipment (masks, disposable goggles and face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer) and computer tablets with built-in cameras.
If you're in NH and want to volunteer, check out VolunteerNH.org, which is working with the state and nonprofits to help organize a response to needs. The state has also put out a call for medically trained volunteers currently licensed as well as retired, at https://www.nhresponds.org/
Seven Days has been building out their "Good to Go" list of Vermont restaurants still open and doing takeout. You'll find details on a decent number of Upper Valley places now.
Thoughts and comment
A reader writes that at the Co-op these days, it doesn't have to be paper or plastic. "Folks at the Co-op are happy to put everything in your cart (or you as the shopper can), then you can wheel your groceries out to your car and load them into your reusable bags. Maybe knowing this will prevent folks like me from grousing before we get to the Coop, and we will not be back to single-use BS. Just keep your bags in the car."
Whatever you're doing today, grab a chance to get some fresh air, and stay safe. See you tomorrow.
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