Hype for the Future 58I: Notable Fairs in the State of Maine

State Fairs

Within the State of Maine, the three most notable state-related regional fairs include the Fryeburg Fair, located in the Oxford County Town of Fryeburg; the Skowhegan State Fair; and the Bangor State Fair; from west to east. Each of the listed state fairs provides a snapshot into the specific regions of the respective fairgrounds; however, the Fryeburg Fair has often traditionally attracted fairgoers from the nearby areas over the state line in north-central New Hampshire, also a fairly rural region.

Regional Fairs

Also located within the State of Maine are the regional fairs located in communities such as Dover-Foxcroft in Piscataquis County, home to the Maine Whoopie Pie Festival in the middle of June and the Piscataquis Valley Festival at the end of August each year. Interestingly, similar fairs also occur along the extensive coastline of the State, including the Blue Hill Fair which occurs around Labor Day weekend every year.

Hype for the Future 58H: Finding Loopholes

Preamble

The novaTop Identity depends on finding access to the last bastions of a livable society within the United States of America, many of which are, surprisingly, located in a particular region of the nation and of a relatively smaller population count.

Possible Loopholes

novaTopFlex shall continue to research prices and pricing for the numerous types of events of interest, under the following constraints of ethos:

• At music festivals, concerts, and other related events, the lower tiers are often quieter because of increased distance or a less direct line of sight.
• Public events should be prioritized over all other types of events when considering networking and related opportunities to meet new people in relatively large numbers to each event.
• If an event is located in close proximity to another event in the same window, the event that occurs for longer should, in most cases, receive priority notice.
• Events located in more rural and remote areas, not necessarily at the fringe but in more distant and remote zones, may receive a smaller number of visitors in such events, resulting in accommodations such as a quieter event in cases of quieter areas. However, such a rule may not necessarily apply to the strictest of possible extents.
  • Because of the concepts of “supply and demand,” more rural events may have lower capacity, but also have lower costs and prices as a result. Unfortunately, however, such rural events may not necessarily be as likely to be announced until moderately closer to the official dates, unless the event is an official fair or event of regional interest.

Hype for the Future 58G: State Ferries beyond Rockland ⛴️

The Maine State Ferry System

In addition to ferries servicing the island communities of Vinalhaven, North Haven, and Matinicus Isle, three ferries also exist serving communities from two other ferry terminals. From Bass Harbor, ferry services are available to the island communities at Swans Island and Frenchboro; from Lincolnville, ferry service is available at the state level serving the Town of Islesboro. Unfortunately, Monhegan Island is not served by the Maine State Ferry System, though smaller public and private ferry services alike provide access to the island, which forbids automobiles for visitors and exclusively permits auto traffic for the island’s residents to preserve history.

Hype for the Future 58F: The Town of Blue Hill, Maine

Introduction

The Town of Blue Hill is located along the Blue Hill Bay at Mount Desert Narrows in Hancock County, Maine, though Mount Desert Island is actually quite a distance away. The Blue Hill Fair occurs at the beginning of September every year, around Labor Day weekend and within a few weeks of the Piscataquis Valley Fair that typically occurs at the very end of August.

Hype for the Future 58C: The Complexities between Maine 🇺🇸 and New Brunswick 🇨🇦

Roosevelt Campobello

The Roosevelt Campobello summer home was most notably associated with the family of Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt specifically, with the International Park area being jointly serviced by the United States 🇺🇸 and Canada 🇨🇦 in spite of physically being located on Campobello Island, entirely within the Canadian Province of New Brunswick.

Grand Manan

Though the island may occasionally appear closer to the mainland of the United States by way of Maine, the Island of Grand Manan is located entirely within New Brunswick, Canada. Interestingly, even in spite of the Canadian heritage of the entire region, Machias Seal Island, located relatively nearby, is effectively stuck in a border dispute between Canada and the United States, though the island is currently publicly accessible regardless of nationality at this time.

Machias Seal Island

Commonly associated with birdwatching heritage is Machias Seal Island, which even contains a lighthouse in the area, but does not actually maintain a significant permanent settlement and is more of a research settlement disputed between the United States and Canada. According to the United States, Machias Seal Island is rightfully part of the State of Maine, while according to Canada, the exact same island is rightfully part of New Brunswick. The maritime border of the United States and Canada overall is also more directed toward separating Maine from Nova Scotia by way of effectively dividing the Bay of Fundy from the remainder of the Gulf of Maine.

Hype for the Future 58A: The Highway Network of Maine

Overview

The vast majority of the population of the State of Maine is within just the two southernmost counties in the State: York and Cumberland. Therefore, the broadest portion of the highway network and associated system is generally associated with the southernmost region of the entire state.

Notable Highways

Within the State of Maine, Interstate 95 is the only primary Interstate of significance, while four (4) distinct United States highways exist: 1, 2, 201, and 202. Notable state-associated highways include Route 4 along the western edge of the state, Route 6 from Québec to New Brunswick by way of Dover-Foxcroft, Route 9 along the general southern portion of the state, and Route 11 along the central spine of the state, just to name a few.

Hype for the Future 58/284: Maine State Route 9

Introduction

Within the State of Maine, Route 9 often represents the greater routing of the land area of the State of Maine, diagonally from New Hampshire to near Canada. The highway between Bangor and Calais is often known as the “airline,” in contrast to the older U.S. Route 1 and the “shoreline” route between the two communities.

Importance

Within the State of Maine, Route 9 is simply the eastern portion of the old New England Route 9 into New Hampshire and Vermont, eventually traversing the southern ends of both states. Further inland than Route 1, Route 9 provides access to Augusta, the capital city of the State of Maine.

Hype for the Future 57K: Socialism, Creativity, and Productivity

Socialism does not intrinsically reduce the worth of a society in terms of creativity or productivity. The idea that socialism leads to unfair and inhumane treatment and inequality is related to the mistaken association of socialism and communism with dictatorships, even though egalitarianism does not actually require a dictator and even though more socialist nations have also imperialized as power grabs.

In reality, socialism does not actually reduce the worth of a national identity. Rather than reducing the worth of the nation in question, the worth is simply no longer defined in capitalist metrics, since socialism effectively redefines both “creativity” and “productivity” from optional to essentials in a functioning society.

Hype for the Future 57I: Hartford, Connecticut

Introduction

The City of Hartford is located within the interior region of the State of Connecticut, well to the north of New Haven along Interstate 91 and United States Route 5 and along the Connecticut River upstream from the Haddam area and, ultimately, from the Saybrook area that has originally defined the State of Connecticut in the colonial era.

The State of Connecticut

While not the largest city within the State of Connecticut, the City of Hartford serves as the capital city of the State of Connecticut and the largest city within the Connecticut interior. Even though the vast majority of the State of Connecticut resides further to the south and west, as with the State of Maine, albeit to a larger scale being further south and west, the Hartford area remains of particular significance in the historical context as well as with tensions involving the nearby City of Springfield over the question of where the proper state line is meant to be. Though the 1637 legal case may no longer impact the rivalry between the Springfield and Hartford areas, each city provides a significant cultural footprint on the southwestern region of New England typically known within Massachusetts as the Pioneer Valley.

Attractions

In a state with relatively few attractions and a predominantly commuter-oriented culture, the City of Hartford serves as a tourist hotspot, though not necessarily as a destination for more geographically distant visitors. In most cases, visitors to Hartford are from the general area of New England, and especially Southern New England and the surrounding areas of the Northeast Megalopolis slightly beyond.

Of the few attractions of the City of Hartford, the most notable is the Wadsworth Athenaeum Museum of Art, located relatively nearby to United States Route 6 in the area. Also connected are the Connecticut Science Center, the Connecticut Freedom Trail (which is actually significantly more localized than the primary Freedom Trail of Boston), and the Old State House, though not much else exists within the innermost of the inner city area.

Colleges and Universities

Within the general area of the City of Hartford, the University of Connecticut (UConn) of Storrs/Mansfield further east actually operates a Greater Hartford campus within the general area. Separately of interest is Central Connecticut State University, located in New Britain, albeit in the other public state university system of Connecticut.

Private colleges and universities associated with the Hartford region, though not nearly as many as further south into the New Haven area, include the University of Hartford in West Hartford and Trinity College and the University of Saint Joseph each associated with the city proper.

Hype for the Future 57H: Research Stats

Conclusion

Of the four (4) cities presented to the community by novaTopFlex (Northampton, Springfield, Hartford, New Haven), the City of Hartford, Connecticut, would ultimately be the most selected. Though only three (3) people have voted on the poll, which has not gone viral on Mastodon as of yet, the poll remains vital to identifying how to divide and conquer special interests. Of the three people, two (2) have voted on Hartford, and one (1) has voted on Springfield, just over the line into Massachusetts. Interestingly, zero (0) have voted for the City of New Haven, though the city may be more populated than Hartford in the interior region of the State. Perhaps the distinction is related to the City of Hartford being the capital city of the State of Connecticut?

Hype for the Future 57G: LGBTQIA+ Cultural Traits

LGBTQIA+ and Pride 🏳️‍🌈 Hubs

The primary lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, aromantic, and asexual communities are located within the coastal areas of the United States of America, including, but not limited to, the areas throughout the Northeast Megalopolis as well as Provincetown on Cape Cod; Northampton, Massachusetts, and the surrounding Pioneer Valley; Astoria, Oregon; and select communities in the Bay Area in California, particularly further into San Francisco. While the interior hubs are often interior secrets, the general pattern is that more progressive regions of the interior, often further north, are generally more tolerant to outsiders and the queer community.

Interior Queer Communities

While the East Coast is notable for Provincetown, Massachusetts; and Fire island Pines, New York; the interior of the United States of America also contains queer communities along Lake Michigan in such resort areas as South Haven and Saugatuck on the Michigan side as well as the areas along the lake in Wisconsin such as Manitowoc.

Even further inland, beyond even the Great Lakes region, queer safety can often be identified at festivals and events in the region as far west as Minnesota in numerous situations. Such events include the Minnesota State Fair, which celebrates statewide heritage and around two-fifths of the state population (since around two million people attend the Minnesota State Fair each year), as well as the different personalities, identities, and other features of diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the State.

Hype for the Future 57F: Cultural Traits of New England

Overview

The New England states are often focused on true safety and authenticity, even while much of the remaining areas of the United States celebrate the stereotypical ideology of capitalism and stunted right-wing politics. However, each of the six (6) New England states can also maintain quite distinct cultural traits even compared to each other, so the general beliefs shall be separated as such:

New England At-Large

• Arts and crafts are civic institutions that are necessary for a functioning society.
• Society cannot be created individually, but collectively.
• People should identify with communities at the city, town, or plantation level first—not necessarily with the largest city in the region.

Northern New England

• Nature is a precious resource and must be protected to the greatest extent possible.
• Excessive infrastructure is unnatural and a burden on the true environmental surroundings.

Southern New England

• History is a civic duty and must be carefully documented to preserve the common good.
• Residents should embrace the special and unique characteristics of their respective cities and towns.

Maine

• Hikers should not be pressured nor coerced into more difficulty than functionally allowed.
• Parklands and forest areas shall be protected to preserve the natural landscape*
  • Unfortunately, in the Aroostook Valley in particular, that value cannot withstand the realities of the Canadian industries of logging and timber.

New Hampshire

• Erosions are a natural feature of the planet, so memories shall be preserved beyond such events (especially at the Old Man of the Mountain).
• The extreme weather at the top of Mount Washington shall be treated as an asset, not as a liability.

Vermont

• Maple should be treated as a civic duty for every Vermonter.
• People should embrace the natural beauty at every corner within the State.
• Residents of Grand Isle County should be proud of living inside Lake Champlain.
• Though not everyone in Vermont can or wants to ski, people should give common courtesy and caution when interacting with skiers and resort staff.
• Every resident should have an equal voice to one another, regardless of race, sex, gender, identity, sexuality, disability, previous condition, faith, religion, or any other dimension of diversity.

Massachusetts

• Locals and visitors alike should receive common courtesy regardless of the specific city or town.
• People should use their best judgment while not assuming features that do not exist.
• Connection, trust, and respect should be top priorities—never stereotypes nor tradition.

Rhode Island

• Residents should be warned about climate risks when approaching coastal and island areas.

Connecticut

• Plurality is not a weakness but a strength, regardless of any external pressures that may indicate otherwise.

Hype for the Future 57E: Connecticut, Still a Yankee State

Introduction

While Fairfield County and the general southwestern corner of the State of Connecticut may apparently identify with the Mid-Atlantic region at times, perhaps the most quintessentially New England of the entire New England region occurs within the Quiet Corner region, typically referring to the northeastern edge of the State of Connecticut and the surrounding area into the State.

Yankee History

Traditionally, the colonial bases associated with the Connecticut Colony were initially separate colonial settlements based at the mouth of the Connecticut River in Saybrook, at the mouth of the Quinnipiac River in New Haven, and along the Connecticut River around Hartford. Later settlements would eventually reach Fairfield, New London, and numerous other communities across all corners of the State, though the most notable of such settlements were along the Long Island Sound and along the central spine of the State of Connecticut, including, albeit not limited to, the communities at Wethersfield, Farmington, Southington, New Britain, Danbury, Windham, Mansfield, Tolland, Rockville, Bolton, Vernon, and Kent, just to name a few.

The Gold Coast

The idea that Connecticut has lost New England heritage or is somehow not a part of New England is a cultural myth created by the communities of Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, New Canaan, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Newtown, Milford, Danbury, Sherman, New Milford, New Fairfield, and surrounding cities and towns within the western side of the State of Connecticut. The Gold Coast in particular is notable for having some of the highest real estate prices nationally, with the southern side of the State of Connecticut generally having higher property values than the northern side.

Hype for the Future 57D: Networking Goals through Research

The Purpose of Research

Starting in 2026, the entirety of the novaTop Identity shall effectively be driven by way of research and associated research opportunities. These opportunities may include, but are typically not limited to, research opportunities and networking circles associated with different communities across the United States of America

New England Priority

Within all research intents and purposes, New England shall receive priority notice and attention, because of the disproportionate importance of New England to the philosophical and ideological beliefs of novaTopFlex. For a society to be truly human, civic institutions must be prioritized and not shunned, since corporate interests often prefer to dehumanize local and community cultures and populations and create fear as a result.

By prioritizing New England communities over the remainder of the United States of America, novaTopFlex can maximize community throughput by preferring at least an approximation of a more utopian communal society. Although suburbanization has largely impacted the areas within Connecticut, the communities elsewhere in New England continue to maintain an artistic tradition and cultural scene that enables visibility not typically identified as possible elsewhere in the nation. Even rural and suburban communities are often identified as more culturally significant because of the presence of colleges and universities at a higher relative density compared to elsewhere in the nation.

Hype for the Future 57C: Northampton, Massachusetts

Introduction

Located in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, the City of Northampton is used as the county seat and is connected to the countercultural and queer communities at large. Within Hampshire County, the City of Northampton is a feminist hub thanks to the presence of Smith College as well as the presence of a large lesbian population with a generous political background as with much of the county. Though the Town of Amherst may have a larger overall population, the commercial center of the county is more or less identified as the City of Northampton, the county seat of Hampshire County. Northampton is located immediately to the west of the Connecticut River with the Town of Hadley on the opposite side along Route 9, and the community is home to very intelligent people from nearly every possible countercultural background, including artists and musicians.

Though the downtown area may have been in a decline in recent years, the City of Northampton remains relatively iconic thanks to the Hotel Northampton and the Three County Fair, serving Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties. While Fair Street may be legally closed under numerous situations, the street continues to serve residents on Fair Street as well as the aforementioned fair area. Unfortunately, as with most fairgrounds, car dependency is quite an inevitable feature. However, the community of Northampton is expected to serve the larger communities to the south within the fair occasion as well as the smaller communities to the north approaching Vermont, including Northfield directly on the state line.

Hype for the Future 57B: Massachusetts and Connecticut Compared

Population

Massachusetts is the largest of the six states comprising the New England region of the United States of America, while Connecticut has a somewhat lower population count. In either case, however, population densities are on the high end, with Massachusetts ranked third and Connecticut ranked fourth (only New Jersey and Rhode Island have higher population densities). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is interestingly also within the top ten most forested states, with protected natural areas even in the eastern portion of the Commonwealth, a stark contrast from the seemingly endless suburbanization that defines the State of Connecticut north from the Long Island Sound.

Geography

The Appalachian Mountains occur within the western portion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in which case the chief mountain range is the Berkshire Mountains with the geologically separate Taconic Mountains located further west. Further south is the Northwest Hills of Connecticut, as mountains do not get nearly as dramatic as at Mount Greylock, the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. On the contrary, however, the State of Connecticut is largely restricted to the Long Island Sound while the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is notable for the Massachusetts Bay, Buzzards Bay, Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and Nantucket.

Though most of the Narragansett Bay is claimed by the State of Rhode Island, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also contains a brief coastline on the bay. However, the Blackstone River Valley is somewhat more important to defining the region further west, largely south of Worcester until Pawtucket, Rhode Island. To the west of the Blackstone River Valley is the true area in which Massachusetts and Connecticut are most reasonably identified as similar, with economic partnerships occurring in numerous communities along the Connecticut River Valley, especially north of Hartford into Springfield, Northampton, and Greenfield, all along the immediate area of the river.

The Housatonic River also determines the culture of the region, more specifically in the westernmost areas of either state. While the river begins in Pittsfield and the watershed does not extend into Vermont or even the northern reaches of the Berkshires, the river actually determines numerous cultural traits within the extreme western portion of the State of Connecticut, including a few towns such as Kent immediately adjacent to the State of New York to the west.

Notable Universities

Within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the following public universities are identified within the UMass and Massachusetts State University Systems within the mainstream:

• UMass Amherst: Flagship Campus
• UMass Boston
• UMass Dartmouth
• UMass Lowell
• Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts: North Adams
• Bridgewater State University
• Fitchburg State University
• Framingham State University
• Salem State University
• Westfield State University
• Worcester State University

For Connecticut, the institutions are primarily associated with the UConn and Connecticut State University Systems, with the following notable public colleges and universities:

• UConn (Main Campus): Storrs (Town of Mansfield)
• Eastern Connecticut State University: Willimantic (Town of Windham)
• Central Connecticut State University: New Britain
• Western Connecticut State University: Danbury
• Southern Connecticut State University: New Haven

While each of the above universities listed is public, the notable private universities also maintain a significant footprint on defining the culture of either state:

• Ivy League Colleges
  • Harvard University: Cambridge, MA
  • Yale University: New Haven, CT
• “Six Colleges” (Elite Liberal Arts)
  • Amherst College: Amherst, MA (not to be confused with UMass Amherst, the public university in the Five College Consortium)
  • Williams College: Williamstown, MA
• “Five Colleges”
  • Hampshire College: Amherst, MA
  • Mount Holyoke College: All-female in South Hadley, MA
  • Smith College: All-female in Northampton, MA
• Brandeis University: Waltham, MA
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): Cambridge, MA
• Tufts University: Border of Somerville and Medford, MA
• Boston College
• Boston University
• University of Hartford
• University of New Haven
• Trinity College: Hartford, CT
• Quinnipiac University: Hamden, CT
• Fairfield College: Fairfield, CT
• Bay Path University: Longmeadow, MA
• Western New England University: Springfield, MA
• College of Our Lady of the Elms (Elms College): Chicopee, MA
• American International College: Springfield, MA

Notable Rivers

Within the State of Connecticut, the Long Island Sound is the most notable mouth of the associated rivers of the State, thus the geographic similarities that extend into the Pioneer Valley and even into Vermont and New Hampshire. The most notable of rivers include the Mystic River defining Mystic, the Thames River defining the New London area, the Connecticut River associated with Saybrook and Hartford settlements, the Quinnipiac River of the New Haven area, and the Housatonic River of the extreme west of the State.

Within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the Connecticut River is largely identified as the mouth of the Westfield and Deerfield Rivers, both of which give names to associated communities within the Commonwealth. Even the Hoosic River and the Kinderhook Creek are related to the Hudson River, and thus to New York Harbor, albeit by way of the geologically distinctive Taconic Mountains west of the Berkshires proper.

Hype for the Future 57A: The Quabbin Reservoir

Overview

The Quabbin Reservoir is perhaps best known for dividing the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between the western and central areas. Western Massachusetts is home to the Pioneer Valley and contains such communities as Springfield, Northampton, Amherst, and Greenfield, while Central Massachusetts is associated with the areas of Worcester, Leominster, Fitchburg, Athol, and Winchendon.

Rural Community

The entire area surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir, at least immediately, serves as a rural community buffer that naturally divides the Commonwealth of Massachusetts between the western and central portions. Nearby to the east, Route 32A is highly rural, even while passing through relatively smaller towns and villages such as Hardwick, where the settlements are already dispersed.

On the west side, the Quabbin Reservoir does not provide a significant settlement, though the Town of Pelham is located in the area along Route 202. Beyond Pelham along Route 202 is simply the Franklin County communities of Shutesbury and New Salem, while the overall highway is directed toward Winchendon in Worcester County.

Primary Settlements along the Quabbin

While not on the immediate area of the reservoir, the communities of Orange in Franklin County and Athol in Worcester County are located to the north, while the communities of Belchertown and Ware are both located in Franklin County.

Hype for the Future 57/284: More on the Rivers of Connecticut

Overview

The State of Connecticut is located along the Long Island Sound, containing several notable rivers that will eventually flow into that specific portion of the larger Atlantic Ocean. Of the notable rivers, the Pawcatuck River is located the furthest east, mostly in Rhode Island, though the area nearest the mouth of the river actually divides the States of Connecticut and Rhode Island.

More on Connecticut

The Mystic Seaport is a highly notable site within the State of Connecticut, located at the mouth of the Mystic River. While the State of Connecticut is also the mouth of numerous smaller rivers associated with the Long Island Sound, the next notable river associated with the State is the Thames River, actually pronounced “th-AYMZ” unlike the namesake in England.

The primary river and namesake of the State of Connecticut, the Connecticut River, is largely related to the early colonial settlement of the State. The Saybrook Colony, which had represented one of the earliest colonial settlements within modern Connecticut, was located at the mouth of the Connecticut River. Further into Connecticut, the river continues to serve a modern importance today, though in the age of suburbia and car dependency, the modern highways paralleling the river include Route 9 from the area to Hartford and Route 5 and I-91 further north and into Massachusetts.

Further west, the Quinnipiac River is notable for defining the New Haven area, including approaching Hamden and Meriden upstream. Though the river is not particularly close to the university in Hamden, Connecticut, the river actually continues to define Quinnipiac University. Though one of the smaller rivers of the State, the Saugatuck River further west is surprisingly notable in the area of Westport, Fairfield County, Connecticut, within the Gold Coast.

At the very edge of the State of Connecticut, and more specifically the Panhandle, the Byram River defines the line between Greenwich, Connecticut, and Rye, New York; however, much of the remainder of the river exists fully within the State of New York in particular.

Hype for the Future 56P: New England First

The Policy

novaTopFlex content shall be adapted to serve the best interests of the community, prioritizing community values over corporate platforms without being outright hostile, especially on already corporatized platforms. Since communal values in the United States are most typically associated with New England, novaTopFlex shall prioritize the New England region above the remainder of the United States unless otherwise known anarchist and otherwise associated communities exist. Despite common perceptions from the mass media and from socialization by far too many, anarchists are not necessarily a danger unless guilty motives for anarchists also exist. Innocent motives may also exist, though anarchists may unfortunately be unwilling to serve society through taxes or other paycheck features. Therefore, common ground shall be identified by way of socialist perspectives.

Why New England?

Unlike the vast majority of the United States, which often worships suburbia and extractive cultural traits under the guise of “American” culture, the New England region actually represents historic sites and related areas of historical significance, often resulting in greater walkability within each region. However, even within the New England region, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is typically the most identifiable, while the State of Connecticut is significantly more suburban and the State of New Hampshire somewhat more traditional. Otherwise, the New England region can often lean more communally than much of the American interior and old frontier regions.

Hype for the Future 56O: The Values of novaTopFlex

Community

novaTopFlex shall advocate against capitalism and prioritize the collective good of all individuals in society. Beliefs commonly associated with novaTopFlex include the prioritization of arts, crafts, events, festivals, music, and authentic culture over any form of popular culture or going viral.

Direction

novaTopFlex shall identify the topics of different posts, videos, and other content types before identifying the correct Identity for a specific entry. Whether here on WordPress on the Fediverse, on YouTube, or elsewhere, the same rules continue to apply.

Direction can also be converted into directionality in terms of commitments. While not everybody in a community nor in a society will necessarily be available at any given time, the values of novaTopFlex include the commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the rule that any person featured in a photo or video of novaTopFlex shall be treated as a commitment that novaTopFlex shall remain in the social sphere for as long as reasonably possible, even after future business necessities suggest otherwise.

Labels

novaTopFlex shall socialize to the tune of the “No Labels, Just Vibes” dynamic. The resistance to labels is part of what makes the Three Identities out of the ordinary in so many directions at once. By resisting labels, entire social hierarchies that conflict with novaTop values can also be resisted, not just at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, but also at the very top.

Counterculture

As a countercultural and possibly even queer/neuter identity, novaTopFlex must research similarly identifying communities across numerous regions of the United States of America. Usually, the countercultural hubs are identified as being located within the New England region, and more specifically, predominantly within Vermont and Western Massachusetts.

Hype for the Future 56N: A Correction on the Connecticut River

Geographic Accuracy

North of Hartford, United States Route 5 and the newer Interstate 91 alike do in fact parallel the Connecticut River. South of the city, however, the highways no longer parallel the river, and the river does not ultimately flow into New Haven but rather into the Old Saybrook area significantly further to the east.

Hype for the Future 56M: The State of Connecticut

Introduction

The State of Connecticut is identified as the southernmost state in the New England region, with a distinctive shape created by the Southwick Jog of Massachusetts causing a notch to the areas around Enfield and Suffield and the Oblong of New York combined with the notable and heavily-populated Panhandle, which extends until Rye, Westchester County, New York.

The Long Island Sound has traditionally been a cultural icon for the residents of the State of Connecticut. Today, however, the Long Island Sound can no longer be identified as such to the same extent, as Hartford is located well to the north into Connecticut. Though the State of Connecticut had historically been associated with a sea-to-sea charter and the particular areas of Northeastern Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio, the modern boundaries associated with the State of Connecticut are significantly smaller. Within the New England region, two of the most notable rivers of Connecticut are the Connecticut River, which defines the Hartford and New Haven areas, and the Housatonic River, which defines the edge of suburban life in eastern Fairfield County and the end of the western New Haven County line as well as numerous Litchfield County communities in the Northwest Hills approaching the Berkshires. Though Danbury is not located along the Housatonic River nor within the watershed of such river, the community is actually strongly influenced by the aforementioned river.

The United States Highways serving the State of Connecticut include Route 1, serving in an east-west direction though as a north-south route to follow the Long Island Sound; Route 5, serving along the Connecticut River as well as the Interstate 91 spine; Route 6, serving along a predetermined set of communities including Hartford and Danbury; Route 7, serving north of Norwalk and following the Housatonic River north of New Milford; Route 44, serving the general northern side of the State of Connecticut and occasionally nearing the Massachusetts line; and Route 202, a diagonal highway intending to service the Hartford and Danbury areas between portions of Westchester County, New York, and the Springfield area in Massachusetts.

Hype for the Future 56L: Car Dependency in Vermont vs. New Hampshire

Introduction

While Vermont and New Hampshire are physically neighboring states, the State of Vermont is effectively less car dependent overall thanks to Act 250, even though the provisions have only been stated indirectly. With regards to the State of New Hampshire, on the contrary, more modern car dependency is unfortunately present within the State of New Hampshire, which lacks such strict land use regulations and focuses on environmental impact only in select regions of interest.

Vermont Examples

Within the State of Vermont, developments are typically significantly older than in New Hampshire. However, within the State of Vermont, slightly newer developments also exist within the vicinity of Burlington, many of which seem to only lightly be car dependent. Interestingly, even the islands inside Lake Champlain are culturally more connected to tradition than to modern car dependency.

While the villages may be more walkable in the State of Vermont, the outer town areas remain largely rural with Act 250 restrictions mitigating sprawl to the greatest extent possible. Many tourists continue to flock to Vermont at various times of the year, especially in the summer, autumn, and winter months, specifically for natural attractions and recreational purposes. Though such purposes are deemed “nonessential” and labeled as such in modern society, the term “recreation” also implies that exercise is optional when, as with arts and crafts, exercises are also vital to human survival, both individually and collectively.

If the outer town areas are car-dependent, then the State of Vermont also provides accommodations relevant to the mountainous state, such as the predominance of modestly lowered speed limits, which may often get lower than fifteen (15) miles per hour (mph) in the particularly rural areas in such cases as Smugglers’ Notch, which is already impossible to plow in the winter months, resulting in a seasonal closure. Additionally, many of the fringe areas are intrinsically rural, rather than suburban, based on land use styles and amenities more typically associated with rural communities across the New England states. Such rural land use amenities, many of which are particularly prevalent in Vermont, include ski slopes, ski resorts, hotels, lodges, resorts, vacation housing, rentals, tourist sites, historic sites, and other amenities intentionally designed to capitalize on the natural environment of each area in question.

New Hampshire Examples

Unlike the unique and thus iconic realities of the State of Vermont, the State of New Hampshire provides a more normative background regarding modern car dependency. The State of New Hampshire is notable for the unfortunate realities of car dependency and related issues, even impacting the resort community of North Conway to a greater extent than would be impacted in Killington. Interestingly, however, the greatest deviation often occurs with the particularly normative issue of car dependency in the southern region of the State of New Hampshire, most notably impacting more modern developments located within Rockingham, Hillsborough, and Merrimack Counties.

Hype for the Future 56K: Closure of the Vermont Studio Store

Overview

The Vermont Studio Store has just announced the unfortunate necessary to close the store located in the Town of Johnson, Lamoille County, Vermont. While the State of Vermont is often known for taking pride locally and refusing to worship corporate powers.m, the capitalist reality has resulted in numerous unforeseen circumstances. Such unforeseen circumstances may have included government tracking secrets on the money supply as well as the performative incentives associated with capitalism.

Anticapitalist Perspective

Unfortunately, the Vermont Studio Store has been located in the Town of Johnson, Lamoille County, Vermont, home to a campus of Vermont State University and former campus of Northern Vermont University. As a university town, the impacts of the loss of the Studio Store shall be felt across all of town, but especially at the university level, as Vermont State University has operated on a very similar ethos within its campuses located in the Towns of Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, Randolph, and Williston.

While capitalism has naturally resulted in the closures of numerous small businesses across the nation, the State of Vermont has prioritized the preservation of such businesses, even indirectly, by way of prioritizing the natural environment and resources of the scenic Green Mountain State. Even in spite of the localist cultural ideology of the State, Vermont remains vulnerable to capitalist downfalls as with any other community.

Hype for the Future 56J: The Complexities of the Connecticut and New York Border

Overview

While the western border of the State of Connecticut can seem deceptively simple on the modern map of the United States of America, the state line actually holds a historical significance that is often understated. Specifically, the Connecticut Panhandle contains a few communities approaching New York City, while the more northern portions of the state line have previously been further west and fully into the immediate area that is New York. Counties on the New York side of the line of interest include Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess, though the Connecticut Panhandle area is immediately adjacent to the community of Rye in Westchester County.

Hype for the Future 56I: Additional Resort Communities of the East

Resort Communities in New England

Within the Northern New England states, the communities associated with the ski industry are often recalled as Stowe, Killington, and North Conway, though the last community is in New Hampshire and may not be as much a conventional ski destination as a mountain sightseeing destination containing an indoor waterpark area. The States of Vermont and New Hampshire are otherwise very similar, though the Commonwealth of Massachusetts also maintains a few, often smaller, ski areas, even in eastern Worcester County where the slopes are often significantly gentler.

The few ski areas associated with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts that are indeed the most traditional of such resorts are typically located within the Berkshires of the extreme western portion of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, including the geologically distinct Taconic Mountains of Berkshire County. Extremely close to the New York state line, the highest point in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as a whole is actually Mount Greylock, not far south of the Williams College campus or the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA). Also of interest in the nearby area is the Birthplace of Susan B. Anthony in Adams as well as the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown.

Hype for the Future 56H: Stowe and Killington Compared

Ski Resorts

Stowe and Killington are both known for primarily being ski resorts. However, Stowe is typically nicknamed the “Ski Capital of the East,” while Killington is typically the “Beast of the East.” Both are located along Route 100, with Stowe at the southern end of Route 108 and Killington about halfway from east to west along United States Route 4. Stowe is located south of Morristown along Route 100 in Lamoille County, while Killington is on the eastern end of Rutland County, about midway between Rutland to the west and Woodstock to the east. Rutland is physically located within Rutland County, whereas Woodstock is located within Windsor County to the east.

Resorts

While Stowe is most notable for the Green Mountain Inn within the central village and the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort to the southwest, the Smugglers’ Notch Resort is located primarily in the Town of Cambridge along Route 108 (closed winters) to the north and the Stowe Mountain Resort is located in the northwestern portion of the area.

Killington, unfortunately, does not maintain a single resort as dominant over all other resort areas within the State of Vermont. However, the area of the Town of Killington is home to a strip of resorts of various types, typically located along the north-south Killington Road between the official Killington Resort to the south and the main routes 4 and 100 to the north.

Hype for the Future 56G: The Resorts of Killington

Even though the permanent population of the Town of Killington in Rutland County is often very low—lower even than two thousand people—the community is home to thirty-six distinct resort areas, effectively equating to one resort for every forty people in the general population, because the seasonal population of the Town is often significantly higher than the base population.

Hype for the Future 56F: Lodging in the Killington Area

Overview

The Town of Killington is located along United States Route 4 and Vermont State Route 100 and covers the vast majority of the highway concurrency. From the northern end of the concurrency, travel nearly due south provides access to the Killington Resort, the more southerly of the major ski resorts of the State of Vermont, though Okemo Mountain is further south.

Like the novaTop Travel Itinerary, most of the following hotels are identified from the map on Google Maps. Ideally, the hotels should be verified hotels before further research can be conducted. The bullet points shall represent the hotels and resort areas, especially the official resort areas, as follows:

The Resorts

Because the list of possible hotels, inns, lodges, vacation homes, condominiums, and other rental types can be exceedingly long, please check the special list of potentially identified places to stay in the Killington area at https://maps.app.goo.gl/SYtCcNBrM3SoGG167?g_st=i.

Hype for the Future 56E: The Housatonic River

Introduction

The Housatonic River is the westernmost major river associated with the New England region. Though not nearly as long as the Connecticut River, the Housatonic is a notable river that is largely paralleled in Connecticut and the southern Berkshires by United States Route 7 in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties in Connecticut and in Berkshire County in Massachusetts. Originating in Pittsfield, much of the importance of the Housatonic River beginning in Great Barrington is paralleled by the aforementioned major highway. Although the Housatonic is occasionally on the western extreme of the State of Connecticut, the river never actually touches the historic Oblong belonging to the State of New York. Further south, the Housatonic reaches the community of New Milford, and further downstream, the river begins to diverge from the modern corridor of United States Route 7, flowing toward Stratford and Milford while Route 7 continues toward Norwalk well to the west.

Hype for the Future 56D: The Connecticut River Valley

Iconic Attractions

The Connecticut River Valley is most notable as the dividing line between the States of Vermont (west) and New Hampshire (east). Further south, numerous cities and towns are split by the Connecticut River, with the most notable town lines occurring along the river, such as the line between the City of Northampton and the Town of Hadley for which Route 9 crosses the river.

Notable Tributaries

Perhaps the most notable tributaries of the Connecticut River, both of which are located in the Pioneer Valley, are the Westfield River and the Deerfield River. While the White River in Vermont is also of a fair significance, White River Junction is actually not the name of a town area but rather of a village area within the Town of Hartford, Vermont. On the contrary, however, the Deerfield River and the Westfield River have served as namesakes for the associated city and town in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Westfield is the name of a city in the southwestern Pioneer Valley, while Deerfield is the name of a town in the northern Pioneer Valley. Further upstream along the Deerfield River, the river is followed by the modern Routes 112 (Massachusetts-Vermont) and Route 100 (Vermont).