The positive impact of music couldn’t be clearer to 17-year-old Norwood Davis.

Davis, who moved to Norwich in 2013, started playing the classical piano when he was four years old. Since then, he’s kept playing, most recently in front of an unsuspecting audience.

Davis’ grandmother, Norma Butters, has been living at Wheelock Terrace Senior Living Center in Hanover since 2020. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s about ten years ago.

“For a long time, I’ve watched her decline in what she can say and do,” Davis says. “Back [when I was] in 7th grade, she lived in this place in Cincinnati; we would go [visit] probably once a year, and when we would go I would play the piano there.”

Norma is among many seniors in assisted living centers who are diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and experience severe symptoms, such as memory loss, confusion, the inability to communicate, emotional outbursts and impulsive behavior, and lack of awareness. Victims of this unfortunate disease have difficulty performing and experiencing normal, everyday tasks. With that in mind, it’s not uncommon for Alzheimer’s patients to be unreceptive to visitors.

“They sit still for most of the day in front of the TV…there’s not a whole lot of stimulation [for them],” Davis says. “These people, they don’t get to see kids that are so young that often. Those who are like my mom’s Mom, they need this stimulation.”

After seeing how much joy music brought his grandmother, Davis decided to organize a Recital for Young Musicians to share the joy of music with other seniors in assisted living.

During visits to Norma in Cincinnati, Davis would play favorites like “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” for residents of the assisted living center. “I would start to play,” Davis recounts. “You could see a change across the whole space: in their eyes, in the ways they sat or stood, and some would begin to sing or hum along.”

“Some who didn’t know their kids’ names, didn’t know how to walk…they would start to sing along word for word,” Davis adds.

In August, Davis organized his first music recital at Wheelock Terrace and advertised on the Norwich Listserv to young musicians in the area.

The first recital was a huge success: “You could tell that everyone was so uplifted,” Davis says. “Not just [by] the songs that were played and sung, but also just the connection to kids that are young.”

Davis planned another music recital, this time Halloween-themed, at The Greens at Hanover – an independent senior living community. Davis advertised on the Norwich Listserv and Hanover Listserv and ended up with nine young musicians who participated.

Mostly from Norwich and Hanover, the participating young musicians wore their Halloween costumes to the recital at The Greens in October and played some spooky classical tracks to set the autumnal mood. Musicians ranged in age from five years old to teenagers under 18.

Davis says that the biggest impact of his recitals is the connection that music brings for seniors, those with and without Alzheimer’s.

“Both my grandma on my mom’s side and my grandad on my dad’s side, they both suffer pretty severely from Alzheimer’s, and I’ve spent a lot of time in these places,” Davis says. “I’ve seen firsthand how big of an impact the sound of music and how it can bring joy to them.”

As a junior at Kimball Union Academy, Davis will graduate soon, but in the meantime, he plans to continue the tradition of music recitals at area senior centers every two or three months. He also hopes to expand to more locations.

The sound of music touches the mind, body, and soul of all those who hear it, and Davis has seen it work its magic over and over again.

Not only does music spread joy and bring people together; Davis says, “Music has been shown to bring back memories.”

Imagine: You’re a kid, it’s a beautiful day, and you want to visit Huntley Meadow, but riding or walking from Beaver Meadow Road – which has no sidewalk or bike lane – is tricky. What if you had a bridge, just for walkers and bikers like you, crossing Blood Brook to the playground and sports fields? Would you take it?

The Kids Bridge Project is in the home stretch for assembling an aluminum pedestrian and biker bridge at Huntley Meadow for all who visit Norwich. The volunteer team of outdoor recreation professionals, trail
developers, civil engineers, and builders – led by Bridge McDowell – has been planning the Kids Bridge for months in its current configuration, a fifty-six-foot truss span designed to endure extreme weather events.

The necessary state and local permits have been issued, and the manufacturer – RollingBarge – will deliver the package to the site next to the children’s playground, which has been approved by the town.

Thanks to over seventy-five Norwich families who have donated to the project – some more than once – the funds to purchase the $27,539.00 bridge have been received and the bridge package is expected to be delivered shortly before or after Thanksgiving. Fundraising will continue until donations for the project reach 100% of the budget of $31,800. In addition to local donors, several Upper Valley foundations have shown interest in the project.

In past years, there wa s a suspension bridge over Blood Brook, built by Norwich resident Scott Miller as his Eagle Scout project. Then came extreme weather events, shaking the bridge from its tree moorings until the town removed it due to safety concerns.

Many Norwich folks have fond memories of crossing that bridge. The home of the old suspension bridge will be home to the new Kids Bridge, and when completed, the volunteers who’ve given their time and energy to the project will gift the bridge to the town.

Our short building season may delay the opening of the Kids Bridge until spring, but Norwich families can look forward to a quiet walk or a speedy bike ride via the Kids Bridge on their way to school, sports practice, playground, and social events at Huntley Meadow, which, for many of us, is the heart of Norwich.

Soon, thanks to all who helped to fund and build the Kids Bridge, the dream of a safe and convenient crossing over Blood Brook to Huntley Meadow will be a reality.

With the holidays just around the corner, many readers are likely making plans and preparing for the recurrence of long-held, or newly-minted, holiday traditions. One holiday tradition that needs no preparation, (and is a generations-old family tradition in this writer’s home), is the reading of A Visit From St. Nicholas (colloquially known as ’Twas the Night Before Christmas) by Clement Clark Moore on Christmas Eve. From copies of the book gifted to my sister and myself as children to my grandmother’s beautiful edition from the early 1930s (which features Santa Claus as a small chubby elf in a brown furry suit – a common Santa look before his red suit became ubiquitous), these books hold a special place in our hearts and holiday season.

Books not only play a special part in traditions but are a frequent and well-loved gift, often remembered fondly as a treasured holiday memory. We caught up with Emma Kaas of The Norwich Bookstore to chat about the connections between the holiday season and books.

Kaas says, “To me, a book is one of the best gifts you can give. They can be a balm, an escape, a comfort in difficult times. They can also be a window Curling up in front of a fire with a good book is a holiday highlight for many. While Kaas has special memories around A Child’s Christmas in Wales, her favorite books to read during the holidays aren’t entirely holiday-themed at all. Life Among the Savages and Raising Demons, the collected essays of Shirley Jackson about her life as a writer, mother, and wife living in Vermont in the 40s and 50s, are her go-to reads. “This is comfort reading for when my brain can’t focus on much else after a long day of recommending books. Jackson’s stories are a bit like my favorite lemon cake, sweet but with a bite. They are both light-hearted anecdotes of childhood antics and incisive examinations of life as a writer in a time when women were expected to put their husband and children above all else. Jackson is wry, insightful, and always a pleasure to re-read.” While the books appear not to be related to the holidays, Kaas notes that “Each book ends right around the holidays, so they deliver those cozy holiday vibes, too.” into another experience, one that can challenge you and expand your worldview. The best books manage to be both these things.”

Kaas has her own special memories around books during the holidays. One, she recalls, is the first time she spent Christmas with her partner Sam’s family, which was the first she spent away from home. “At my house, Christmas is a boisterous, chaotic affair, with small children, competitive games, and a lot of noise,” Kaas says, “Sam’s family is much more relaxed – there is wine, a puzzle, a fire, and quiet conversation. I felt welcomed but a little out of place. And then they introduced me to Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales which they often read aloud on Christmas Eve.” The story recalls Thomas’ Christmases as a young child; Kaas recommends that readers get to know the “slim gem of a book” and make reading it aloud a holiday tradition. “It is a delightful, nostalgic poem that makes me feel like I’m curled up under a blanket in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa.”

Receiving books as a gift is another common memory many of us share, from picture books as a young one (I myself remember a beloved copy of Tomie dePaolo’s Strega Nona being unearthed from under the tree) to a variety of genres as an adult. As a bookseller, Kaas notes that it is rare that anyone gives her a book. However, every Christmas Eve, she and Sam have a tradition of exchanging books, and one sticks out in her mind. “A few years ago, Sam gifted me The Corner That Held Them by Sylvia Townsend Warner, a book I’d been anticipating but then completely forgot about. I read a lot of books, but the ones that completely sweep me away come few and far between. This was one of those books. It is an immersive experience, a winding, plotless novel about a medieval nunnery that I found utterly engrossing, irreverent, and amusing,” Kaas says, “It’s always so special to receive a book that winds up being exactly what I needed in the moment and one that sticks with me for years to come.”

Being the giver of a gift is just as pleasurable, if not more so, than being the recipient, and giving the gift of a book is no exception. Finding a book with a topic or story that just perfectly suits the person you have in mind is a thrill and once given, lets your giftee know how much you were thinking of them when selecting the title. A gift can say a lot to someone you care for and a book has all the words to help you say what you want to say. When Kaas’ best friend moved away, she gifted them a copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente, and copied the annotations from her own book into the gift book. “[The book] is a middle-grade book about a young girl who is spirited off to another land where she has to take down the reigning monarch. But, to me, it’s a book about going on a difficult journey, and it was so special to know that, as my friend moved across the country, as far away as we could be from each other, they’d be reading this book and noticing what had stuck out to me when I’d read it for the first time, what I’d bracketed and underlined, the few places where I dared write some words – like an asynchronous book club,” Kaas says.

“I still think that’s one of the best gifts I’ve ever given.”

Editor’s Note: In the spirit of giving, The Norwich Bookstore has partnered with various community organizations for many years to help provide books to kids in need throughout the Upper Valley during the holiday season. As this article shows, the thoughtful gift of a book can make the biggest, most meaningful difference in someone’s life, and can become a memory that will last a lifetime.

This season, the “Book Angels” program organized by the Norwich Bookstore gives community members a way to touch the lives of Upper Valley children with the gift of a book. Book requests are written on paper angels, and you can be a Book Angel by visiting the bookstore in-person and choosing a specific book wish to fulfill, or making a monetary donation in-person or online which the bookstore will use to fulfill all requests. To donate online, visit norwichbookstore.com/book-angel-gift-card. Give the gift of reading, be a Book Angel!

From its founding in 1917 in Chicago to today, Lions Club International continues to be one of the world’s largest service organizations with more than 1.4 million members worldwide. In Norwich, the Lions motto, “We Serve”, is the guiding principle for the Club’s many initiatives focused on improving vision, hunger, global relations, pediatric cancer, and the environment. The wide array of community activities over the history of the Norwich Lions Club is remarkable. For a relatively small group, the Club has had a hand in supporting or improving nearly every aspect of the town including schools, non-profits, and town infrastructure and recreation facilities. Most recently, the Club was involved in screening elementary school children in Norwich, Sharon, and Woodstock for eyesight issues.

Chartered in 1954, the Norwich Lions Club (NLC) has served Norwich and the surrounding communities for nearly 70 years and conducts large and small fundraisers to support community projects initiated by its members as well as non-profit organizations throughout the Upper Valley. The Club’s first service projects included the donation of a piano to the Marion Cross School, the construction of a house at Beaver Meadow, and the development of baseball diamonds in town.

Phil Wheeler – a long-time Lion of 60 years, past Club president, and past district governor overseeing all Vermont clubs – was an early founder of one of the club’s most popular projects: the Memory Tree. “I started my Lions service with the Middlebury Lions Club but moved to Norwich after graduating from the Tuck School. When the Memory Tree project first started, I encouraged clubs all over Vermont to get involved,” says Wheeler.

Each year, volunteers install the tree and decorate it in the gazebo in town and invite people to name those that they want to memorialize or honor. At one time, every Lions Club in Vermont hosted a Memory Tree, thanks to Wheeler’s encouragement.

The first year the Memory Tree program took place in Norwich, Wheeler memorialized his parents. His father was a general surgeon in Brattleboro and a 50-year member of his local Lions Club. “My mother was there to take care of us and support him because he was often called away on an emergency in town,” Wheeler remembers.

This commitment on the part of both his parents inspired Wheeler to take up a life of service. “I really enjoy helping others; the club is always looking for people who need help,” he says.

The Memory Tree program has evolved over the 44 years since Wheeler presented the idea to clubs around Vermont to include honoring a friend or family member who is still living as well as memorializing those who have passed on. The Memory Tree program is part of the 19 days of Norwich, and the Byrne Foundation matches the proceeds for a donation to the Upper Valley Haven – a non-profit organization that serves people struggling with poverty by providing food, shelter, education, service coordination, and other support.

The signature fund-raising event for the Norwich Lions Club is the well-loved Norwich Fair. Originally organized by local churches for the first 40 years, NLC took on sponsorship and operation of the fair in 1989 and has been providing fun and entertainment to all fairgoers ever since. The Club celebrated the 69th year of the Fair last summer, which has raised over $30,000 in recent years, far exceeding previous annual receipts of $18,000-22,000.

Club President Fran DeGasta reflects on the many service-oriented benefits of the Norwich Fair: “Local non-profits partner with the club for their own fund-raising initiatives at the fair, and they can retain all of their proceeds. People really enjoy the popular dunk-tank attraction on the sidelines.” Until recently, the fair also featured a pig roast, King Arthur Pie Baking Contest, and bingo.

In addition, NLC solicits grant applications annually and has funded projects for nearly 40 different Upper Valley non-profits, schools, and community groups over the years. The list of funded projects is extensive – digital library materials, food resilience projects, heat pumps, medical equipment, and educational materials are just a few examples.

Early fundraisers included an annual Lions Minstrel Show, the sale of light bulbs, spring auctions, and sponsoring canoe races on the Connecticut River. Over the years, the Club has also held wine-tasting events at the Norwich Inn to support NLC’s service activities. In addition to the Norwich Fair and the Memory Tree, current major fundraisers include an annual “Meadow Muffin Contest” wherein participants purchase “plots”, hoping to be chosen for a prize by a bovine “plop” – a fan favorite of many native New Englanders. An online silent auction with over 200 items donated by local businesses and individuals throughout the Upper Valley raised more than $11,000 in 2022 to be offered in the Club’s granting program.

Many of the NLC’s community projects are part of an ongoing response to needs identified by members and may provide one-time or ongoing support. The various fundraisers support these initiatives as well. A partial list includes sponsoring free monthly dinner meals for over 100 adults and children at LISTEN, providing fuel assistance, cash donations and eye exams and glasses, delivering sand to seniors during the winter season, sponsoring bus transportation for children to local nursing homes to read to residents, and supporting the Pediatric Cancer Treatment Room Transformation Project at ChaD (Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth).

Similar to other service clubs, Lions Club members volunteer individually and collectively at various local and regional events for service, fellowship, and of course, fun. Collaborating with other Lions Clubs and local institutions, club members have planted trees, marched in parades, helped with elementary school reading programs, and provided voting outreach services. The reach of the Norwich Lions Club also extends to a Cabot, Vermont-based summer camp for children with vision and hearing loss. Lions provide lunches during registration days, host activities, provide equipment and games, and work with Lions from other clubs at the camp.

The original founder of Lions Club International was Melvin Jones, a Chicago insurance salesman. In Norwich, as in many clubs, a fellowship has been established to honor the founder, and is presented to those who donate $1,000 to the Lions Club International Fund or to recognize a club member or citizen who demonstrates ‘above and beyond’ dedication to humanitarian causes. In 2023, the Club honored retired Norwich town clerk, Bonnie Munday, with the fellowship. Munday was instrumental in supporting the Memory Tree by annually posting a list of those who were memorialized and honored and managing donations.

Munday recalls her participation on a local Substack blog: “I tried to have a complete list up for the Christmas Pageant so that people could look at it and see that the memories they submitted were posted. I do hope the next clerk will keep up with this tradition.” Lion Stephen Flanders, a retired research civil engineer, and Nico Bekker, vice president of Ledyard National Bank, were awarded the fellowship in 2021. “It was an honor to get it,” says Flanders. “Nico and I each did things to help the club’s effectiveness with new fundraising procedures and by expanding our website.”

Lions International celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2017, and clubs around the world developed ‘Legacy Centennial’ projects to mark the occasion. In Norwich, the Lions Club purchased a basketball scoreboard for the Marion Cross Elementary School, installed tree signs on the Norwich Green, contributed a flag pole for the Norwich Police/Fire complex, and helped to fund the Norwich Veterans’ Honor Roll Monument.

As club members prepare to install this year’s Memory Tree for the 2023 holiday season, residents and visitors to Norwich can see it on display as they pass through town. “It’s a welcome sight as you drive into Norwich to see the tree lit up in the gazebo,” says Wheeler.

President Fran DeGasta hopes to see the next generation step in to get involved in community service with the Norwich Lions Club. ”Prospective members who are prepared to share the club’s commitment to helping others are encouraged to attend one of our meetings to see what we’re all about,” DeGasta says. “We come together as a club for the greater good of all.”

The Norwich Lions Club meets twice a month from September to June, on the first and third Tuesdays in the downstairs Community Room of the Norwich Public Library.

For more information on how to get involved in this active community service club, visit the club’s website at norwichlionsclub.org.