GOOD MORNING, UPPER VALLEY!
Partly sunny, chance of showers later. The high pressure that's been in place the last few days is exiting east, and over the course of the day clouds will push in behind it. There's a slight chance of rain starting up this afternoon, rising to a chance this evening and overnight. Even so, temps will still get into the low or mid 70s today, winds from the south. Into the mid 50s tonight.Spring scenery. Because it's all around us and it's irresistible. Here's...
The Connecticut River looking north from the Lyme-E. Thetford bridge, from Jay Davis;
The Ottauquechee valley, from Brooke Beaird;
A bright Enfield morning, from Sarah Dole.
Four VT Upper Valley towns will see Rite Aid closures. And two of them—Bethel and Windsor—are one-pharmacy towns, reports WCAX's Adam Sullivan. The national chain filed for bankruptcy last week, and in court filings says some 115 stores will close. All five in VT—in Randolph, Bethel, Windsor, Springfield, and Brattleboro—are slated to shut their doors in the next few weeks, Sullivan reports. Windsor Town Manager Tom Marsh tells him, “It is right in the middle of our downtown community. They have a big parking lot, it’s a big store." Marsh says the town will look "aggressively" to fill the space.Two Bradford Selectboard members resign—though one's reconsidering. The moves come in the wake of the tumultuous meeting last month that saw 10 of the town's 14 firefighters quit over what they alleged was overstepping by the board. As the Valley News's Emma Roth-Wells reports, one of members stepping down, Dan Perry III, says his decision has nothing to do with the issue, but the other, Vice Chair Michael Wright, says that threats from firefighters' supporters and what he calls "bullying" by Chair Meroa Benjamin fed into his decision. Even so, he tells Roth-Wells, he may change his mind. Meanwhile, the fire department's up to 15 members.In virtual town hall with Dartmouth alums, Beilock cites "government overreach into higher education," says international student records have been restored. The college's president and other administrators faced questioning on several fronts yesterday, reports Amanda Gokee in the Boston Globe (sorry, paywall). College leaders pointed to lawsuits against the feds that the college has joined or is supporting, said the terminations of international student records from a key federal database have been reversed, and told alums about a dozen federal research grants have been canceled, affecting arts and sciences, the medical school, and the engineering school. SPONSORED: Bookstock 2025 offers something for everyone, from book nerds to families to people just looking for a fun weekend! Here’s some of what we offer on May 16-17-18 in Woodstock: our famous book sale of almost-new and charmingly old volumes; events for children; live music; great food; talks by some of America’s favorite authors, poets, and emerging talents. You’ll need free tickets for poet and author talks and a few events; there’s a small fee for workshops. Full schedule here or at the burgundy link; subscribe for email updates here. Sponsored by Bookstock.Three winters and three harvests with a hare. British writer Chloe Dalton found the young hare one morning, motherless, with a “corona of light around its rump and muzzle.” The hare came home with her, and over the course of their time together, writes Jared Jenisch in this week's Enthusiasms, Dalton was transformed—a process to which she gives lyrical voice in Raising Hare: A Memoir—learning to move through the natural world as though “acquiring a new set of faculties.” It's "a delight," Jared writes, "a thoughtful meditation on our relationship to the natural world and a ravishing piece of nature writing."Navigating "by star, magnetic field, mountain range, and memory of sunrise and sunset." Warblers are back in the Upper Valley, and in this week's "This Week in the Woods," Northern Woodlands' Jack Saul gives some tips on where to see redstarts (warblers despite their name) and others—along with tips on how to use eBird to pinpoint high bird activity and BirdCast to look for migrating birds. Also out there: wild oats (genus Uvularia, "a name related to the uvula"); false hellebore; marsh marigolds; and water striders, which look so cool skimming the water's surface. Unless you're a mosquito or other prey. SPONSORED: Learn Spanish, French, or Italian fast! The Rassias Center for World Languages and Cultures at Dartmouth specializes in immersive language experiences using dramatic techniques, rhythmic drills, and energetic reinforcement strategies to make learning an engaging experience. This speeds language learning, increases language retention, and has participants speaking and understanding quickly. Our Accelerated Language Programs (ALPs) run July 7 through July 13 on the Dartmouth campus. Learn more here or at the burgundy link. Sponsored by the Rassias Center.At the Briggs, a "ringside seat" to a relationship. Shaker Bridge Theatre's production of Maytag Virgin opened last week, and in Artful, Susan Apel writes that the play starts with "an appealing rom-com, Odd Couple sort of feel" as its two characters, widowed neighbors played by Napiera Groves Boykin and Greg Alverez Reid, get a sense of one another. But "they each have their stories," Susan writes, and the drama reveals them. "We all want to believe that we can heal, that love is possible," she adds. "See what this powerful, well-written and superbly acted play has to say about second chances.""Well hey," you can explain as you lounge on the couch, "I'm creating a biodiverse ecosystem!" Turns out, according to UNH News (here via Granite Geek), that mowing the lawn less frequently doesn't just let flowers bloom and help the soil, it's kind of a civic responsibility. “People don’t realize that the small ecosystems found in their own yard—the grass, soil and vegetation," says natural resources prof Alexandra Contosta, "is important to the health of the whole planet and mowing less can not only help bees but also have a big impact on things like carbon storage and carbon emissions.” More at the link.If you happen to be down in southern VT or NH and spot a plane flying really low over the river... It could be a USGS survey flight aimed at modernizing geological maps in CT, MA, and the southern parts of the twin states. "The goal is to get better insight into mineral and water resources and natural hazards like earthquakes and radon," reports CT Public Radio's Patrick Skahill. The giveaway: the plane will have an elongated “boom” extending off the main cabin and housing sensors. USGS officials say no photos or video will be collected. Map of flyover areas at the link.VT's Roman Catholic Diocese faces a new, larger round of abuse claims. The diocese is already in bankruptcy court after paying out $34.5 million to settle 67 lawsuits claiming priest misconduct and child sex abuse dating back decades. But now, reports Kevin O'Connor in VTDigger, after the judge in the case invited new claims, another 118 people have come forward. The court can't hold hearings on any of the allegations, which are sealed, O'Connor notes, but abuse claimants want “full disclosure and transparency" on assets held by the diocese both in its headquarters and across its 63 parishes.Phil Scott pauses regs aimed at boosting EVs. In an executive order yesterday, VT's governor put an 18-month hold on rules requiring that 35 percent of the cars sold in the state be zero-emission models by next year, reports Seven Days' Kevin McCallum. Scott argued that while he supports the overall goal, the lack of charging infrastructure and burdens on dealers made next year unrealistic. “We have much more work to do, in order to make it more convenient, faster, and more affordable to buy, maintain and charge EVs," he said. Some 12 percent of cars sold in the state last year were EVs.And looking ahead: Mumford and Sons will hit VT in revived Railroad Revival Tour. Back in 2011, the first version of the tour—played outdoors somewhere near a railway station—finished in New Orleans. In July, it picks up there, ending Aug. 7 at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. "We felt we had some unfinished business on the great American railroad," lead singer Marcus Mumford said in the band's announcement. So far, Nathaniel Ratliff, Trombone Shorty, Madison Cunningham, Lucius, Celisse, Chris Thile, Ketch Secor, and Leif Vollebekk will be along for the ride. Tix on sale Friday.Looking to escape? The Coral City Camera's got your back. It's a livestreamed "fish-eye view into the urban marine ecosystem that has developed around the human-made shorelines of Miami" created by a group called Coral Morphologic and launched with the idea that "the incredible biodiversity living just below the waterline in Miami should be a point of civic pride." Whatever. You just get to zone out. Especially if you make it full-screen.This week's Throughlines. Did you read Daybreak today, or just skip to the puzzles? Test yourself with a simple grid of 16 words.The Wednesday Wordbreak. With a word from yesterday's Daybreak. If you're new to Daybreak, this is a puzzle along the lines of the NYT's Wordle—only different, because it's not just some random word snatched out of the ether, but a word that actually appeared here yesterday.
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One of
Granta
's Best of Young British Novelists in 2023, Hammad is the author of
The Parisian
,
Recognizing the Stranger,
and
Enter Ghost,
and is currently a fellow at the NY Public Library's Center for Scholars and Writers. A British-Palestinian, she grew up in London. 4:30 pm, Sanborn Library.
A panel of experts from around the state look at the rapid decline of insect populations around the globe, what science suggests about underlying causes, "what they mean for Vermont’s landscapes and communities, and how we can respond." 5:30 pm.
In 1804, the
Prussian geographer, naturalist, and explorer visited the young United States so that he could meet Thomas Jefferson, then president. In this livestreamed talk at the St. J Athenaeum,
Eleanor Jones Harvey, senior curator of 18th and 19th century American art at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, will talk about von Humboldt's theories, his travels across the Americas, and his influence on American thought about democracy. 6 pm.
A night of off-the-cuff comedy from the region's own, homegrown improv troupe. 8 pm.
We'll start today with a brand-new 20-year-old song.
Bruce Springsteen kicks off a European stadium tour today in Manchester, England. One fair bet on what material could be on it: Next month, he's out with a seven-disc set of "lost albums"—albums he recorded but that never got released. Among them is
Faithless
, a soundtrack he wrote over two weeks in 2005 for a Western that wasn't even filmed, let alone released. Fans are split on the songs, but fortunately, he put the title song up two weeks ago,
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.
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Written and published by Rob Gurwitt Poetry editor: Michael Lipson Associate Editor: Jonea Gurwitt About Rob About Michael
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