Jill Kearney Niles and Doug Robinson Named Stewards of Norwich

If you live in Norwich, you’ve encountered Demo Sofronas. You might not know it — but face it, the man and his works are everywhere. Maybe you’ve watched him crossing kids to Marion Cross in the morning. Or stopped to ponder the new monument honoring Norwich residents who served in the armed forces post-Vietnam, which he helped create. Or you read his “About Norwich” blog on DailyUV, which knits townspeople together. Or you’ve seen him at the Norwich Fair, sat on one of the benches he helped put together behind the library, or come across some other Norwich Lions Club service project he’s been involved in. Or you encountered him when he was postmaster here. Or you’ve used the library, on whose board he sits. Or, until a month ago or so, you watched the Selectboard on CATV—though you wouldn’t have seen Demo, because he was the guy behind the camera.

Here’s the other thing about Demo: If you do have occasion to work with him, you can count on two things — he’ll always be upbeat, friendly, and constructive; and he doesn’t wait to be asked to roll up his sleeves.  If there’s a building project, he’s got hammer in hand. If things need setting straight or organizing, he plunges in. If a conversation is getting testy  — on a nonprofit board, planning some volunteer event, in a town gathering — he cheerfully reminds everyone that we’re all just trying to do the best we can, and that everything will turn out okay. Plain and simple, Norwich would not work as well as it does without him.

All of this may be why, when the Norwich Citizen of the Year Committee asked townspeople for nominations this year, the “Demo!” emails came flooding in. And it is also why the committee is tickled pink to be able to announce that Demo Sofronas is the 2019 Norwich Citizen of the Year. When you see Demo around town, please congratulate him.

The committee is equally pleased to say that we’re also honoring two town employees, Recreation Director Jill Kearney Niles and Police Chief Doug Robinson, whose longstanding contributions to the quality of life in town are so overwhelming that naming them Stewards of Norwich can’t even begin to describe their impact. Both are stepping down this spring, and we’ll miss them tremendously.

Jill has been running town recreation programs for 26 years. It’s tempting to say that all you have to do is look at any recreation brochure to see her impact: a range of programs and resources for kids and adults that towns twice this size would envy. But her impact has actually been far greater: She’s not only made it possible for townspeople and their kids to exercise, learn a sport, and learn the life skills that sports can teach, she’s also set a tone of generosity and good will.

“Jill treats all families as special and makes exceptions and dispensations that restore humanity to the business of raising children,” one former member of the town Rec Council says. “She nurtures relationships with Norwich families in ways that make us want to volunteer to coach and assist.  She follows through providing support all along the way, including having a presence at many recreation events and games.  The children all know Jill and feel safe under her leadership because of her friendly presence at their games.  She knows so many of them by name, saying hello to them and inquiring about them long after they have graduated from Norwich recreation sports.”

By comparison, Doug is a short-timer, having worked for the Norwich Police Department for a mere 17 years — the first three as sergeant, then 14 years as chief. There’s a lot we could say about how Norwich has benefited from the shift he led to a community-centered model of policing, and about the ways in which he encouraged the town’s police officers to serve Norwich as resources as well as law enforcers. But Doug will probably be remembered most for his sheer humanity and compassion.

Reminiscing after he announced his retirement, he said this: “Way back, when I was a school resource officer, a young lady comes up at high-school graduation, gives me a big hug, and says she wouldn’t have made it without me. And I remembered all the times I had to deal with her truancy and getting her to go to school, and now she was going off to the Navy. It’s moments like that that you go, ‘Wow, I really did make a difference!’ You don’t realize, when you just go and stop a car for speeding, that you might just have saved that person’s life.”

“Doug looked out for a lot of people,” says Marion Cross School Principal Bill Hammond. “But he had a soft spot for the kids here. One of his most reliable and memorable contributions was during Bike-to-School Day. He showed up early at Huntley Meadows, chatted with kids and adults, and then led the parade to Marion Cross School in his cruiser. He set the pace. He made sure the traffic was controlled while the kids biked down Main Street. He came with a smile and left us in good, safe shape. I can’t tell you about all of our interactions, but I can tell you that his goal was always about finding a solution that was in the best interest of the child.”

So please! Make sure you come to the Norwich Women’s Club Gala on Saturday, March 16 from 6 to 10pm, as the town comes together to honor and celebrate Demo Sofronas, Jill Kearney Niles, and Doug Robinson.

 

Editor’s Note: What makes a person a real hero is when they are the hero yet they sing the praises of others. Frank Orlowski is that kind of hero. I honestly could not get the Quechee, Lebanon and Norwich Times out to each community without his help. Not only does he persevere with kindness and patience while selling advertising space to our local businesses, he pitches in and writes many of the articles (often with little notice). And, when the paper is delivered to my office, Frank arrives in his pickup and slowly but surely loads the boxes of extras onto the truck to deliver them around town. Frank soars with a different kind of cape, and for that I am deeply grateful.

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I wrote this post for my friends on an ataxia site, as they deal with the same condition I do. However, I think the message is universal, so I wish to share it with you here. We all know of others who deal heroically with tragedy or great challenges, and I know many of you fall under the definition of hero. Let’s remember all those regular people faced with extraordinary circumstances, that fall into that hero category, through their actions and efforts. They inspire all of us.            ~ Frank Orlowski

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

Any of you wear something occasionally to honor someone else? Every once in awhile, I wear my father’s tooled leather belt, though he died some 30 years ago. Well, a few days back, I gave blood, and they gave me a shirt as a gift for doing so. When I opened it and saw the message, “Not All Heroes Wear Capes,” I did not think about blood donors. Giving blood is a good thing to do, but not heroic. What I immediately thought of was all of you, dealing with ataxia, either as a sufferer, or a caregiver.

Heroes are merely ordinary people put in extraordinary, difficult situations, who find some way to deal with, if not overcome those circumstances. Heroes do not always triumph, but they do strive to make the best of a bad situation. And heroes do their best to uplift those around them.

An act of heroism can be as simple as getting out of bed, getting dressed, and facing the day. It can be deciding to take part in an activity, despite the fact that others may look at you strangely because you cannot walk, talk, or move right. It can be as simple as saying “I’m going to live, and work, and play as best I can, in spite of my condition.” And it can be smiling and laughing, as your heart breaks, because you are taking care of someone you love, who has lost the ability to do so much.

These definitions of heroism apply to all of you. So whenever I wear this shirt, know it’s in honor of heroes such as yourself.

Growing to Appreciate

I always loved swimming in huge bodies of water; Lakes Michigan or Huron, the Atlantic, or the Gulf here in FL. Would run down the beach into the water, dive, and swim out as far as I wanted. I never thought twice about it, and took it for granted. Now, it’s slowly maneuvering my rolling walker through the sand, carefully parking it, getting down on my knees, crawling on all fours to the water, and sitting where the waves lap up over my legs to my waist. As much fun as before? Maybe not, but surprisingly more satisfying. The effort it takes now is rewarded by the therapeutic value to mind, soul, and body of once again feeling the comfort of the water and waves covering part of my body. The moral of this? Never take for granted the pleasure resulting from things you love to do, and more importantly, never allow circumstances to deny you the joy of still doing those things, in one manner or another. Adapt, be strong, have faith, and live.

A Few Good Messages

Today is a day set aside for those that live with rare disorders and conditions. (I almost wrote “suffer from” in that sentence, but I honestly do not think I suffer; more correctly, I live with). Though each disorder is rare, when you put them all together, there are a large number of people dealing with rare medical conditions. Some have answers and treatments; others – such as the ataxia I have – have no remedies. I will share this piece I did on ataxia a while back, to let you know about this particular disorder.

If you are not familiar with ataxia, you are not alone; I wasn’t either until a couple years back. It is a rare neurological condition that affects one’s mobility and balance. Like many other neurological problems, not much is known about it, and there are no cures or effective treatments, though exercise and movement helps. It affects people of all ages; my issues started in my mid 50s. I’ve gone from a slight limp and change in my gait, to needing a rolling walker to get around. It also affects other physical attributes, such as hand dexterity, eyesight, swallowing, and causes tightness, or spasticity. Falling down is a common problem. However, much as coach Jim Valvano said in his famous ESPN speech about his cancer 25 years ago (watch it on you tube if you’ve never seen it – inspiring), it cannot touch my mind, my heart, or my soul; and after all, those parts are what really matter. So if you encounter someone with ataxia, there are a few good messages to give them: “I’ve heard about ataxia – it sucks,” or “You’ve got a lot of guts fighting that,” or even “I’d like to give you a hug,” (of course, always ask first before giving the hug!). Anyhow, thanks for listening, and above all, please don’t feel bad for me; we all deal with burdens in life, and often those burdens lead to great understandings, and traits, such as strength, perseverance, adaptability, and courage, we never knew we had. For more about ataxia, check out Ataxia.org.

The four words we use to describe this experience to our friends are Shock, Awe, Gratitude, and Joy.” Kristin Brown and her husband, Stuart Close, have had ample opportunity to recount their once-in-a-lifetime adventure as unexpected VIP attendees at this year’s Superbowl game in Atlanta. Sitting in their living room in Norwich thinking back on their trip yet again, they both keep breaking into huge smiles. “We were just pinching ourselves that whole weekend and couldn’t  believe that it was actually happening. So far outside our normal life.”

No mere ballgame, the Superbowl has been described as “a celebration of our shared American condition,” and, “a combination of Thanksgiving-like feasting, Fourth of July-like Americanism, and Christmas-like commercialism into a spectacle that draws the largest audience for any event in modern national life.” Even those who aren’t into football will make an exception and join friends to watch the big game in February. But for many die-hard fans, seeing the Superbowl in person is most definitely a bucket list item.

Which was part of the reason why Kristin found herself casually browsing for tickets shortly after the Patriots had punched their ticket to this year’s game. Not surprisingly, the prices were crazy, but then she happened to come across a raffle by the American Cancer Society (ACS). A contribution to their decade long “Crucial Catch” cancer awareness and prevention campaign in collaboration with the NFL entered you in a raffle for an over-the-top VIP package to Superbowl LIII. Feeling that her money would be better spent on a good cause than on expensive tickets anyway, she donated and promptly put it out of her mind. Then, less than week before kickoff in Atlanta, she received a call from the organizers. She half expected that they were just looking to hit her up for an additional donation. “What are you doing for the Superbowl?” the guy casually asked. “Oh, we’re going to hang out with our friends as we always do,” answered Kristin. “Well,” he said, “How would you like to actually go to the Superbowl this year?”

“And that,” says Kristin, “was when we lost it.”

What followed was an abundance of experiences and thrills. “It was so much fun,” says Kristin, “but so opposite anything we’d otherwise ever do.” They had primarily been excited about the chance to watch the game up close, but they ended up with so much more. “I had no idea we were going to concerts,” says Stuart with a shrug. Not only concerts, but opportunities to hang out with the halftime show band, Maroon 5, and various celebrities, being escorted around to parties and VIP events, getting sidelines passes to watch the Patriots warm up, and then third row seats at the game itself (“right by the end zone where the Patriots got their touchdown,” notes Kristin gleefully). Then there were the post game parties and the NFL awards show. “We barely touched the tip of the iceberg,” says Stuart, “even though it felt like we barely slept or ate for four days.”

Just listening to the rundown is exhausting, but in spite of the VIP treatment, much of what they now recall as highlights from their trip were random fan encounters, like their chance to cheer on the Patriots players as the team was getting on their busses outside a hotel on the day of the game.

They loved the atmosphere permeating Atlanta. “We walked everywhere, and there was just so much excitement, so many friendly people, including the 10,000 volunteers who helped you out wherever you went.” Like Roald Dahl’s Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, they found it all awe inspiring. “The stadium itself: Oh, my god. We stayed in that stadium until midnight, when the security guards kindly told us it was time to go home,” recounts Kristin.

Approaching their big adventure with such a sense of genuine excitement and wonderment was richly rewarded; in fact, their easy going nature and appreciation for everything going on around them left even their jaded big city hosts and organizers in awe of this unassuming New England couple that came to the big show and just took it all in.

“Super Bowl LIII was not merely bad. It was a boring, lame, non-suspenseful, never-ending, drool-puddle exercise in all that can suck about professional football and the surrounding hoopla.” So read just one of many scathing reviews of this year’s big event. But perhaps it’s little more than armchair quarterbacking by unappreciative curmudgeons, because Stuart and Kristin completely disagree. “There was nothing dull about it at all,” they insist. They thought the game was riveting and the halftime show amazing.

“There will be nothing in our life ever like that again,” notes Kristin almost wistfully. “We hadn’t really been away since our kids were born. That made it all the more special.” And, to top it all off, the Patriots won. For a couple of die-hard New Englanders, it really doesn’t get much better than that.

They’re left with incredible memories and a closet full of merchandise. Definitely lifelong supporters of the ACS, and still in touch with the team from Fanthropic, the company that facilitates the collaboration between the NFL and the ACS. Next year, they’ll be back to watching the game with friends in the Upper Valley. “But,” says Kristin, “we’ll be reliving our trip to Atlanta, doing it all over again in our minds.”

It was just one more challenge that the January night of the awards ceremony threatened a dismayingly snowy drive. But—as the award bears witness—overcoming challenges is a specialty of Opera North, the Upper Valley’s esteemed homegrown opera company. Three intrepid representatives of the company set forth for Concord, NH, to receive the New Hampshire Theatre Alliance’s Matty Gregg Award for Vision and Tenacity.

“I think of it as New Hampshire’s equivalent of the Tony awards,” says Opera North’s Director of Development (and former Norwich resident), Maria Laskaris. ON was being honored for its collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) which resulted in last summer’s “Singers and Swingers,” a surprising blend of opera music and circus performance at the NPS site, Blow-Me-Down Farm. The property, with its beautiful views of water and mountains, has historic links to the nearby Augustus Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

Told of the proposed blend of different arts, some people thought “Circus and opera, weird” and stayed home. Open-minded folks thought “Circus and opera, weird—let’s go find out what they’re up to.” This adventurous crowd was richly rewarded. The unique blend of circus arts and opera music bent audience brains in a pleasing way, opening people to connections they had not felt before. “You think, come on—circus and opera!?” says Jim Adler, now in Quechee after years in Norwich. Jim has been attending ON shows with his wife, Brooke, for over 20 years. “Then you have the excitement of seeing people pull off a major risk” as they display newly combined art forms.

It was the partnership with the National Park Service that tipped the scales for ON to win the Tenacity award, says Maria. The NPS has been on the lookout for an arts organization that would work with them to create a national park for the arts, and ON is poised to be that partner. While the prospect of working with a government body might give pause, ON sees a wide-open field of possibilities. They’re prepared to accept NPS restrictions such as not changing the exterior of the site’s historic buildings. “We’re experimenting with different things,” says Maria. “Some things will go better in a traditional environment [like Lebanon Opera House], “but we’re trying new venues, and looking for new audiences.” Like many arts groups, ON presenters see their audience aging, and work to engage new fans. Exposing circus aficionados to opera music fits their bill precisely.

Norwich’s Arline Rotman says, with her characteristic vigor, “We look forward to [ON] every year. We’re opera fans and we go to all the HD operas [at the Hop], but especially in these days of HD, live opera is an incomparable experience. In recent years they’ve upped the ante in costuming, drama, staging.” She and her husband went to Blow-Me-Down Farm last summer. “They blew us away,” she says, with just a slight humorous accent on the blew. “We’re excited to see what they’ll do with it.”

ON has definitely embraced the vision thing. “We were dazzled when we first heard about the venture at Blow-Me-Down Farm,” says Jim Adler. “The singers and swingers idea seemed unlikely.” But the wonderful views, the fabulous property put the couple in a hopeful mood, and what they saw, Jim says, “was truly innovative. The intimate staging was thrilling, and somehow operatic music went well with circus acts. They really pulled it off wonderfully well. If they’re able to fulfill their dreams for Blow-Me-Down Farm it will be an outstanding place.” It looks as though Opera North has the tenacity to realize their vision.

Next summer, July 12-14, will see five shows of “Hoedown at Blow-Me-Down,” with circus performers and American music by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, and Richard Rodgers.