HELLO UPPER VALLEY!
Well, yes, it'll be cooler out there today. Last night's rain was thanks to a fast-moving system that should have cleared out by the time you're really going about your day. It will be partly sunny, but also chilly and breezy, with temps struggling to get to the mid-50s. Cold tonight, too, with lows hitting the upper 30s by daybreak. Warmer tomorrow, then cooler... But that's just Plan A. Stay tuned.Been wondering about that "Coming Soon" sign for Woody's in the old Dartmouth Bookstore window? So did Susan Apel, who asked around and posted the answer yesterday. There are actually two signs in the window: Still North Books & Bar is pretty self-explanatory, but Woody's has been a mystery. Turns out it'll be "a mountain lifestyle mercantile specializing in apparel, home goods, gifts, provisions and candy," with a focus on men's outdoor apparel. That's according to owner Suzi Curtis. Woody's, which will open in the late summer or early fall, will divide up the old bookstore space with Still North.FEMA and Vermont state officials are meeting in WRJ today to tour flood damage around the state. The state says it's identified more than $2 million in infrastructure damage in seven counties, including Windsor and Orange. That's more than enough to qualify for federal recovery assistance. And speaking of infrastructure damage, here's a drone shot of the 12A roadbed in Plainfield that got washed out on Sunday. About 150 feet of roadway, one lane of which will be closed for weeks, collapsed. William Daugherty, who posts occasional drone videos of the region on Facebook, got this pic yesterday.Former Perfect Pear, Tip Top Cafe founder readies new restaurant in Royalton. Eric Hartling started up the restaurants in Bradford and WRJ, then sold them, and for the last bit has been executive chef at King Arthur. Now he's working on Fox & Harrow, in the former Fox Stand Inn on Route 14 in Royalton. That's where Wild Roots was until it closed last fall. Hartling wants his new venture to be on locals' mental maps. “It needs to be an experience,” he tells the VN's Sarah Earle. “For some people, I hope this will be their go-to place every week, and for some it will be a special date night.” (VN, subscription reqd)Vermont Creamery gets grant to expand workforce. The Randolph-based goat-cheese producer just landed $65,000 in state training funds. "“Vermont Creamery is a fantastic example of an agricultural business that started on one Vermont farm and grew to become a nationally renowned and award-winning venture,” said Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein. It now supports a network of 17 farms in the region.Tuck expanding its "Next Step" program. For the past couple of years, the business school has run a two-week management program in April for military veterans and elite athletes making the transition to civilian life. It had planned for 35 in its first class two years ago, and wound up with almost double that. Applications for spaces have been so strong since then that Tuck's now adding a fall version. In the cohort that just ended, the veterans among them had 670 years of service and 245 commendations. The athletes collectively participated in 2,900 international competitions and won 48 Olympic or Paralympic medals. I think I'd never even open my mouth in class.VT House votes to raise smoking age. The measure bumps the age at which you can buy cigarettes, e-cigs, and other tobacco products from 18 to 21. The Senate already passed its own version, but the two differ on the start date -- the Senate says July 1, the House Sept. 1 -- so they'll have to sort it out in conference.VT minimum-wage move hits snag. The bill, which would raise the state's bottom wage to $15 an hour, is still in committee. There's an amendment to require home-health agencies and other Medicaid-funded employers to boost not just minimum-wage employees' pay, but other workers' wages by the same percentage. The legislature's fiscal office estimates this would cost the state and the feds $86 million over five years. Lawmakers are trying to figure out what to do.New interactive maps detail the water quality of NH lakes. The state Department of Environmental Services has just released a new "Lake Information Mapper" that lets you get a look at annual water quality data, historical trends, If you want to go deep, you can also find lake ice-in and ice-out data, applicable watershed and exotic species management plans, and data on mercury levels in fish tissue. Oh boy! NH Senate committee gets earful on pot legalization. The House has already passed a measure to legalize possession and allow adults to grow up to six plants. The Senate version drew a vociferous group of opponents, including several medical experts and the state's police chiefs, who worry about impaired driving, health effects, and crime. Even if the bill eventually passes, it's not clear there's enough support in the legislature to override a potential veto.Anaïs Mitchell's Hadestown just opened on Broadway, and NPR's Ari Shapiro talked it over with her. It all started with a single line that popped into the Vermont singer-songwriter's head as she was late to a show: "Wait for me I'm coming. In my garters and pearls with what melody did you barter me from the wicked underworld." And now it's tough to get tickets...SO, ABOUT TONIGHT...You could go learn about how soil, properly cared for, can help cool the planet. Tonight's the last of the six talks in Cat Buxton's "Soil Series." Three panelists will be focusing on water. And soil. Because "with good land stewardship and proper planning, we can harvest water and sink it into the ground, restoring water cycles, improving ecosystem health and cooling the planet simultaneously. There is enough cooling available to actually cool faster than greenhouse gasses are now warming." At Bethany Church on Main Street in Randolph, starts at 6:30.Or drive a bit farther and catch Luis Guzmán talking film and acting at the Savoy in Montpelier. The name might not ring a bell, but you know him. He was born in Puerto Rico, grew up in Greenwich Village, began a career as a social worker... and then wound up in a host of films by Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, The Limey), Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love), and too many other directors to count. Plus a role in Narcos on Netflix, roles on Law & Order, NYPD Blue, Oz, Frasier... I'm out of breath and that's not even the half of it. He'll be showing and discussing clips. Free, starts at 7.Whatever you do, have a fine day out there! See you tomorrow.
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