A local store struggles to maintain staffing during the Covid pandemic and is faced with the possibility of having to shutter for good. The owner throws a Hail Mary pass and puts out a call for help to the community – would residents and customers be willing to take a weekly shift? And in a resolution fit for a Christmas movie, many people answered the call. The store is saved.

Of course, this isn’t a Hallmark movie, and it isn’t any local store. It’s the true story of how Dan & Whit’s stayed in business despite losing most of its staff due to the exigencies of a global pandemic. 

It’s a heartwarming tale and one that we all needed to hear. And as such, everyone has had a crack at it. VPR did a piece on it. Steve Hartman came out with cameras and lights and interviewed co-owner Dan Fraser for his CBS Evening News segment On the Road. Robert Reich, political commentator, and former Secretary of Labor wrote a column on it. Even the Vermont Retail & Grocers Association featured an account on their blog. 

But Dan & Whit’s belongs to Norwich. The struggle to staff the store is Norwich’s struggle. Those two dozen relief employees are Norwich. The problem happened to Norwich, and the solution was found in Norwich. The story belongs to Norwich.

And so, it is only fitting for the Norwich Times to show you the people who made it possible for Dan & Whit’s to keep their doors open. Why did they do it? What is it about Dan & Whit’s that motivated so many people to step up and help?

Peggy Morin, 74, had two careers prior to her stint at Dan & Whit’s. After practicing as an attorney for 20 years, Peggy earned her MFA in drama and joined the theater faculty at SUNY Stony Brook. Now retired, Peggy heard from a friend about Dan’s letter to the Norwich Listserv. She had “enjoyed the institution for many, many years. And I’m also aware of the fact that Dan & Whit’s does a great deal for its community.” She thought, “I can certainly spare some hours.” Telling the story, she said with a laugh, “Not that I would be the greatest sandwich maker in the world.” 

But the beauty of Dan’s proposal is the flexibility he offers. The first thing he asks his relief workers is, “what do you want to do?” The workers are assigned to jobs and tasks that suit them best. In Peggy’s case, that meant organizing clothing. “Most costume people are familiar with the strategies about how to organize a large costume collection. It’s a little bit like a library system. You need, say, a Captain Hook… in a size 20.” You need to figure out how to set it up so customers can easily find things. “It means that costume people have a pretty good sense about complicated organization of clothing pieces.” Contrast that with sorting t-shirts in the stock room. “There’s nothing complicated about what we’re doing here. I’m not trying to pretend this is rocket science. I’m just trying to set it up so that they can come back here and grab things in five seconds.” 

Why is it important to Peggy not to let Dan & Whit’s close? “In addition to the public service that Dan & Whit’s has exhibited so much through the years, I think for some people it’s a reminder that life does not need to be so complicated. The motto, ‘If we don’t have it, you don’t need it’ is probably not exactly true. I think the idea that you can find everything under one roof, the way you could in your grandparents’ day, probably has a little nostalgia connected with it as well as some truth.” For someone who spent many years in New York, Norwich has something special. “I love a smaller community kind of life, with the degree of accountability that exists. Not that I know all my neighbors, but I live in a wonderful neighborhood with neighbors who look out after each other. There’s something, I think, about the nostalgia for life in a rural community that people want to keep going. And Dan is such a smart proprietor too. He’s sensitive to the needs and always looking for ways to make it a nice place for people to drop in to find what they need. I mean, it would be sad if we only had Wal-Marts left, wouldn’t it?”

Thirty-five-year-old Maggie Ronan moved to the Upper Valley a year and a half ago to be closer to family. She is pursuing a graduate degree in computer science at Northeastern University and, with all the classes being remote these days, needed something that would get her out of the house. When she saw Dan’s letter, she was impressed with its innovative approach, and it appealed to “some values I have around groups of people working together as a community. Partly, it’s selfish. I go to Dan & Whit’s all the time as a customer, and I didn’t want it to close. And the idea of people who lived nearby getting more involved was interesting. And for me, it really worked out because it got me out of the house and interacting with people in real life, since I spend so much time on the computer.”

Dianne Miller, 68, a registered nurse and project manager for regional development at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, said of answering Dan’s plea, “He made it so welcoming. He asked people what you would like to do, instead of telling you what you were going to do,” she said. “I told him I don’t want to run the cash register, but I’m fairly good at merchandising. It was Halloween, so getting all that stuff out and then putting that away and getting out the Christmas stuff. It’s quite a bit of work – lots of boxes to unpack, up and down ladders, reaching higher shelves, lifting, cleaning.” Dianne put up a Christmas tree to help display and sell Christmas ornaments. She pointed out that with staffing so restricted, the regular employees “don’t have time for that kind of stuff. So, if you can do something that is extra, that’s really appreciated.”

What is it about Dan & Whit’s that brought so many people forward when Dan made his request? “Dan & Whit’s is so much more than just a general store. It really is integral to the community. They have done so much for the community that it is so natural to want to help them. They are a place where people will gather, meet. You can say to somebody, leave it at Dan & Whit’s, and I’ll pick it up later. During Covid, they were out there doing email orders, bagging them, delivering them. They just really stepped up.”

Matt Merrens, 81, a retired research psychologist with Dartmouth Medical School, took the approach that several others took. He answered Dan’s request by offering to volunteer; he didn’t need the money he would earn from the job.When Matt had heard about the situation, “I was startled by it. I thought, this institution just can’t close.” Of course, driving around, he could see “every place was looking for workers, but for it to happen to Dan & Whit’s just struck me.” Because Dan & Whit’s is a business, not a nonprofit, Dan could not accept the offers to work for free. Matt agreed to help at the store on the condition that his wages be donated. “He gives me a check, and I endorse it to the Haven, and everything’s good.”

Matt continued, “I gotta tell you something he does. We punch in, punch out, and about once a week, he writes you a little, almost, love note – a little skinny piece of paper in which he thanks you for being there. Tells me I’m doing well and all kinds of praise. It’s just a darling little thing that he does for all of us. He’s a real gem.”

What’s so important about Dan & Whit’s? “Well, it’s a store that’s been here a long time. Working there, I see the same people every morning, pick up a coffee, pick up a newspaper. In the month I’ve been there, I’ve gotten to know some of these people. It’s just the heart and soul of the community in a lot of ways. If it closed, it would be a big loss. It’s old, it’s got three wood furnaces that heat the place. It’s been there forever; the floors are beaten down. It’s got a certain feeling about it… I don’t know. I’ve always felt that way about the store. It has a feeling about it that I don’t think the community wants to lose at all. I want to say to you, I think I’m getting a lot out of this personally, as well as helping the store and the community. I didn’t expect that. When I signed up, I didn’t think I’d feel personally benefited by it. And I do. I do.”

Nancy Tehan, 70, a registered nurse, has been going to Dan & Whit’s ever since she moved to the Upper Valley in 1978. When she heard about the staffing issue, Nancy knew it was important to help the community. “Dan & Whit’s is not only the heartbeat of the community – and I know you’ve heard that before – but it’s a place where I see so many wonderful things going on. In years past, there were people who couldn’t afford food, and there was a bartering system. Dan & Whit’s has always taken care of their neighbors. It’s always been about them taking care of the community, and I just thought it was time for… me, at least, to pitch in and take care of our Dan & Whit’s.”

Betsy Maislen, 68, brings a unique perspective to her work at Dan & Whit’s. A retired nurse practitioner, she worked in cardiothoracic surgery at DHMC for years. As a relief worker at Dan & Whit’s, she learned to work the cash register and the gas pumps. And when lines are long, and maybe patience is wearing thin, Betsy takes it all in stride. In one of his weekly notes to her, Dan mentioned that she doesn’t seem to get flustered by much. But compared to cardiothoracic surgery, grocery shopping is not something to get upset about. “My decisions [at the hospital] were sometimes very much life-and-death. But if someone has to wait an extra two minutes in line to get their groceries checked out – nobody’s gonna die.”  

Asked why it’s important to keep Dan & Whit’s running, Betsy said, “I could not imagine the town of Norwich without Dan & Whit’s. Could not imagine it. It’s like a beehive down there, with people coming and going all the time. It’s the center of our town. I thought, well, I’ll do my part. Also, I felt I’ve never been able to do anything for Dan. At the beginning of the pandemic, it seemed like he was working 24/7 to make sure everybody in town was safe. I don’t think I can think of another single individual who has done more for our community. This is one thing I could do for him. And I was happy to do that.”

For Jan Scheiner, 60, a clinical psychologist who has lived in Norwich since 1998, the decision to take a shift at Dan & Whit’s came easily. The pandemic has brought a lot of stress and grief, as every person on this planet knows. In her work, Jan sees firsthand the struggles people are going through. It can be a challenge to let all that stress go at the end of the day. She hoped that working at Dan & Whit’s would give her respite. And it did. “Scanning groceries is very pure. Very concrete.”

Jan describes Norwich as an “effective community,” something that she focuses on a lot in her work. “Effective communities have a willingness to pull together to solve problems.” Jan also noted that Dan & Whit’s has enjoyed the benefit of serving a population that was able to answer Dan’s call. “You have to recognize the privilege in this solution,” she said, “the privilege of time and money” that allowed people to step up and take a job for which they didn’t need the income.

In talking with some of the people who came to work at the store when Dan sent out his plea, it becomes clear what an idea factory Dan Fraser is. His background in special education for the Norwich school informs his approach. He has that creativity toward problem-solving, the understanding and compassion for humanity, and the ability to meet people where they are. As Jan said, “he walks the walk. And it’s hard to say no when he asks.”

What makes the community of Norwich, Vermont, so special? Peter Hanaway isn’t sure he can put his finger on it exactly, but as someone who has lived in Louisiana, Oregon, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, and Europe, he can say for certain that the sense of community here sets it apart from many other places. 

It’s been a peripatetic few years for Peter and his family. After decades in Portland, OR, where he and his spouse, Annie, had established careers and started a family, the end-of-life illness of Annie’s father brought them back east to Philadelphia. When he passed, their intention was to take Annie’s mother with them back to Oregon, but her own failing health made that untenable. So, Philadelphia it was, for two years.

Annie, a psychotherapist, kept working, shouldering the responsibility of financially supporting the family solo, while Peter took on much of the work caring for his mother-in-law. When she passed, Peter and Annie came to the realization that they were now untethered to any geographical location. 

Annie and Peter always loved this part of the country. Annie’s parents had summered in Lyman, New Hampshire for many years, and Annie and Peter had spent much time there and elsewhere in New England. After much research, they settled on Norwich and began the search for a home. Anyone with even passing familiarity of the housing market in Vermont will have a sense of what that search was like. Suffice it to say, it has taken some time. 

In the meantime, they have moved from rental to rental, while their two children, Will and Robin, have been attending Richmond Middle School and Marion Cross Elementary School, respectively. 

The sense of welcome Peter felt in Norwich has been profound. He notices it in moments both casual and significant: how people wave to each other on the street, or the conversations held while watching a kids’ soccer game. And he is blown away by the generosity of a couple who allowed his family into their home as renters, knowing nothing about them. 

Peter has given the phenomenon a lot of thought, trying to nail down what makes Norwich so special. It’s not that people in Portland or Philadelphia or Lyman don’t wave, but there’s something deeper at play here. Connections are more meaningful. “It’s a self-fulfilling emotional comportment that starts as, ‘we trust and expect that you are a good person,’ and is then rewarded by honorable behavior,” Peter said.

At this point in his life, Peter has found himself at a transition point. He’d left a vibrant career as a systems engineer doing consulting work in electronics, optics, and acoustics in Oregon. When his mother-in-law required around-the-clock attention, he had immersed himself in her care. “It was a hard transition to go from being at the pinnacle of my career to, boom, career is gone, you’re getting up two to three times at night.” 

It got him questioning the things that really matter in life and what remains of a person when they are gone. Is it professional achievements like patents and promotions, or is it the relationships with other people and the connections between them? “To escort someone through the last stage of their life, to care for them, I received more than I gave,” Peter said. “It’s an honor to be there for somebody in that way. My mother-in-law was so gracious in the face of losing her faculties and watching her life end. It realigned for me what matters.”

All of this brought Peter to a place of having the desire, time, and space in his life to give back to the community that had welcomed him and his family so fully. Right about that time, Dan Fraser, owner of Dan & Whit’s, sent a message to the Norwich Listserv revealing the possibility that the store could close if they couldn’t find workers. 

The notification spurred Annie to take on some hours at the store and coalesced things in Peter’s mind. He sent his own message to the Listserv, offering his volunteer services to the community. And the list of tasks Peter can perform is long: general home and fix-it services, computer services, and tutoring in grammar and writing, math, science, French, German, and music. Oh, and he’s done considerable caretaking of the elderly and would be happy to help in a pinch. “And for basic things like raking leaves and shoveling snow, my wife and kids are happy to pitch in, too,” he posted.

The response has been enthusiastic. Peter received over a dozen inquiries in the first week since he sent his message. He’s already finished two projects, is waiting on parts for a third, and has several customers lined up to assess their project needs. “I have enough to keep me busy for at least seven to eight weeks, working one day a week.” Peter is even considering taking on a high-school-age apprentice.

Peter will need to go back to professional life, perhaps as a consultant or by starting his own business. “But” Peter noted, “I’ve always been someone who likes to help out.” 

It was five o’clock on a sultry evening in August, and a group of women was gathering in the back parking lot at Dan & Whit’s Country Store in Norwich. Companionable chatter competed with birdsong and the sound of what passed for evening rush hour traffic on Main Street. Bikes came off racks, shoes changed, helmets strapped on. The riders were ready to roll. 

The ride would travel the hills of Norwich by New Boston Road to Stowell Road, circling back via Academy and Campbell Flats. The organization responsible for bringing this coterie of women together is the Upper Valley Women’s Cycling Club (UVWCC). Formed in 2014, the UVWCC is “a cycling group for self-declared women of all ages and abilities in the Upper Valley that promotes a positive and inclusive image of women’s cycling by organizing group rides, hosting social events, and facilitating skills and maintenance clinics as well as gear demos and more.” Since 2020, UVWCC has been under the umbrella group Upper Valley Cycling Club (formerly Upper Valley Velo). 

The UVWCC draws riders from all over the Upper Valley, including Norwich residents Nicole Torres and Peggy Sadler.  

Peggy joined in 2019 with the intention of joining the slower rides. “I knew a couple of the faster riders who encouraged me to join, saying things like, ‘you’ll never get left behind.’ Even so, I was intimidated.” Between her full-time job as co-owner of Designer Gold Jewelry Design and her devotion to the sport of rowing, Petty hasn’t had a chance to participate in any group rides yet. “I’m hoping to join in some of the rides next summer.” 

The UVWCC was the brainchild of Becca Mateo, a triathlete and women’s cycling advocate who has since moved out of the area. She enthusiastically invited women to join the club, go on the rides, be on the board – get involved. 

“At that time, the board was huge. Eventually, we honed it down to five members,” said Jen Barden, one of the founding board members. When Jen discovered the club and showed up for her first ride in April of 2014, she was nervous. “I had never ridden with anyone. I didn’t know anyone; I didn’t know what the skill level would be.” Convinced she would be too slow, Jen was delighted to find that, “I had such a great time. I just kept going back.” 

The group has grown steadily over the years. Rides were initially organized on Meetup but transitioned to Strava and Facebook, where the organization has a public club and a private group. The public presence allows the group to promote their activities and attract new members, while the private group is a safe space for members to connect with each other. 

Nicole came to cycling to help recover after an injury. After riding a Peloton indoor bike for a while, she was coaxed outside by a friend. “While the downhills were a little terrifying, and I was insanely slow because I didn’t have a proper road bike, I loved the challenge of the climb.” Before long, “I was hooked!” She was excited to see that after the 2020 hiatus from group riding, the UVWCC would be having a 2021 season. 

“It was wonderful to meet new people. Everyone was welcoming and supportive. It was nice to have the option to challenge myself with the A group or enjoy a more leisurely pace with the B group,” she says. “Everything just seems a little more beautiful when I’m on my bike!”

Rides are held weekly on Tuesday evenings, beginning as early in the spring as the weather allows and going into the fall until the days become too short. The groups start from different locations throughout the Upper Valley; some favorites are Dan & Whit’s in Norwich, Dewey Field lot on Lyme Road in Hanover, Watson Dog Park in Hartford, Lakeside Park in Enfield, and the Northern Rail Trail terminus in Lebanon.

According to the numbers on the Facebook group, there are 243 members in the UVWCC. Alix Norris, board member, ride leader, and elite cyclocross racer, estimated that there are about “100 to 125 active members that we see in person at some point in the year.” 

Alix came to the group from the world of cyclocross racing. She got into road cycling while at Wake Forest University getting her Ph.D. in cancer biology, traveling every weekend to race. After graduating and starting a family with her college sweetheart, Alix had it in her head that her racing days were over – and cycling with it. How could they travel and race with an infant? Enter cyclocross, a sport where races are short and family-friendly and the community welcoming. Alix realized that cycling is a lifestyle and doesn’t have to be a luxury. 

She brings that ethos to her work as a board member and ride leader, encouraging all comers to the group. “Women are a demographic that, on the face of it, need more support or motivation. Every day I meet women who don’t know how to change a tire, who don’t know the area or how to plan a route,” Alix said. “Women come [to the rides and clinics] because they recognize that lack in themselves and want to change it.”

Sherry Fiore, cyclist, and board member noted the importance of the UVWCC in bringing women into the sport of cycling. Women’s riding groups are a place for women to ride who otherwise wouldn’t. “We’ve got women who show up for our rides but don’t go on other group rides. They won’t ride by themselves.” Sherry pointed out the long history of cycling as an avenue of empowerment for women. In the early history of cycling, bicycles were a way for women to move about independently. “Historically, cycling was very important because it allowed women to leave their homes.”

Jan Proctor’s involvement in the UVWCC has been sporadic over the years, but her roots as a cyclist go way back. She began racing in the eighties, mostly criterium, or “crit” races with the Sunapee Bike Club. She traveled the crit circuit all around New England. Jan is not one to toot her own horn, but she racked up several wins. The accomplishment Jan is most proud of is when she won bronze in the individual road race at the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championships.

As a rider whose experience goes a little farther back in time, Jan has an important perspective on women in cycling and athletics in general. She remembers when it was just her and a handful of other women racing. “What’s important to realize is the impact of Title IX,” she said. “We were the crest of the wave.”

Younger women might not realize it’s more than a clothing brand. Title IX is a federal civil rights law that was passed in 1972. It said, “No person in the United States shall, based on sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” What this meant was that schools had to spend equivalent money on programs for both boys and girls. 

The impact of this legislation has been profound. “I didn’t do sports in high school,” said Jan. “I didn’t think I had any athletic ability. Girls weren’t encouraged.” It wasn’t until Jan began racing that she realized her potential. “I discovered I was pretty good at it.” Since Title IX, all over the country, millions of girls and women have discovered that they do, in fact, have athletic abilities. The UVWCC rides are an outlet for women who discovered their athleticism early as well as for women who are just finding theirs.

After the official UVWCC group rides come to an end in September, some riders continue cycling as the weather and their personal cold tolerance allow. Others transition to winter sports. The board will meet again early in spring to coordinate details for the 2022 season. And when the kickoff party rolls around in April, these women riders will meet again and reconnect, ready for another summer of riding. 

A few years ago, the UVWCC offered kits of jerseys, cycling bibs, and socks for sale, and Sherry was the board member responsible for the design and ordering. The socks, green with purple writing to match the green and purple highlights of the jersey and bibs, have a slogan on the instep: Free. Untrammeled.