Tucked behind Fogg’s Hardware on Route 5 is one of Norwich’s hidden gems — the Norwich Racquet Club (NRC). Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, the Club is proudly honoring its humble beginnings and its aspirations for a bright future.
Conceived as a startup in the early ’70s, entrepreneur Bruce Colley (former Quechee Lakes CFO) purchased the land from Tony Farrell (of Farrell Farms) for $13,000 and proceeded to convince the Norwich Planning Board not only that the enterprise was a worthy endeavor, but also that it wouldn’t disrupt the neighborhood. Red pines (now 80 feet tall) were planted by hand to shield nighttime court lights, a quaint outhouse was dug, and the log cabin-style warming hut was built; all of it was inspected by the town and approved. Two paddle tennis courts were delivered: people came, they played, they subscribed — the business was born!

Mother and son team in competition.

The Chess of Racquet Sports

Paddle tennis is a highly social game of finesse — some call it the chess of racquet sports. It involves a spongy ball, a small court, and the use of the wire mesh fencing to keep the ball in play. It is usually played as a doubles sport and enjoyed in the colder months, thanks to heaters that melt ice on the court surface. The early years of the club attracted some of the area’s most enthusiastic transplants, including a paddle tennis champion from New Jersey, who got the word out to the Upper Valley. Within a few years, two clay tennis courts were added. Then around 1980, due to his job relocation, Colley and the shareholders sold the business to subscribers, at which point it became a club.
The NRC continued its humble existence as a member-run, no-frills concern. One highlight of this era was the establishment of the Green Mountain Open, an APTA men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles tournament. Lovingly organized by Dave Barlow for the past 20 years, this tournament attracts the best players in New England. As to longevity, a fun-loving, if somewhat notorious, Tuesday night men’s group has been playing year-round since around Y2K, according to one Norwichian, who will remain anonymous to protect the guilty.
With the arrival of COVID, the club witnessed a surge of new energy. What better way to be active and connected while social distancing outdoors? It was at this time that some of our most accomplished players (and a curious on-duty police officer!) discovered the sport.
Fast-forward to 2026: Paddle tennis is seeing an uptick in popularity with Sugar Genereaux’s Monday Ladies Lessons, Sunday afternoon Open Paddle Mixers, and Norwich Rec’s new Introduction to Paddle taught by APTA pro Mason Astley. This year’s annual Nina Webb club tournament attracted new enthusiasts seeking the fabled “fun zone” and the grand prize — a jug of maple syrup. Although the sport usually winds down after March, the club will continue its Sunday and “40’s and Under” mixers through May, after which tennis season begins in earnest.

Men’s tennis singles players take to the court.

Springing to Action

Come April, Norwich Racquet Club members spring into action to prepare the clay tennis courts for play. As a member-run club, NRC has turned its spring cleanup into a social ritual. Tasks include rolling courts, picking up orphaned paddle balls, retrieving nets, and hanging wind screens (presumably after, not before, a menacing wind).
This summer, in recognition of its 50th anniversary, the Club is partnering with Upper Valley tennis pros to offer some new activities and provide additional court space for high-demand programs in the area. Some of the programming will even be open to non-members, including Friday “Doubles with a Pro” organized by Storrs Pond Pro Billy Pontious, and Thursday clinics and lessons organized by independent pro Tammy Arado. The Club will start an intermediate (3.0+) men’s round-robin on Saturday mornings for members, and host its inaugural summer season opener (potluck, of course) with tennis and paddle activities for people of all ages and abilities. With so many of the Upper Valley’s public courts under construction or unavailable this summer, the Norwich Racquet Club offers something truly unique for its members: two clay tennis courts, great parking, and easy online reservations. New memberships are always accepted via the website: norwichracquetclub.com.

2026 Nina Webb mixed doubles winners.

For half a century, this quirky, home-grown organization has represented the best of Norwich: unpretentious, social, and physically active with some friendly competition. If you are interested in racquet sports, want to get out on dark winter nights, and meet new people, Norwich has a “diamond in the rough” just waiting to be explored.

It takes a town to make a clock chime. This is especially true when it comes to the repair of the Norwich Congregational Church, first reported on in Demo Sofronas’ My newsletter “about Norwich” Substack in his article “The clock was ticking and now the Bell is ringing once again also.” Over seven months, through a set of small-town connections, including a police officer, an award-winning clockmaker, a church caretaker, and a clock winding team, the bells in Norwich ring once more.

Kimo Griggs and Ron Nollet, a tool and die maker and clockmaker.

It started with a bit of curiosity from Norwich resident Kimo Griggs. Though he’s “not a clock repair person,” he’s always been “handy” and over the years has fixed several “machine tools, mechanisms, and wind-up toys.” He also has an interest in clocks, owning several that he’s brought to a clockmaker to have repaired. Because of these aspects, Griggs has always wondered about the clock at Norwich Congregational Church. One day last year, he brought it up to Priscilla Vincent during his crossing guard duties. By late August of 2025, Vincent connected him with Dan Goulet, the church caretaker, self-described as a “helper.”
When Goulet first introduced Griggs to the clocktower, Goulet remarked on Griggs’ fascination. “Most people don’t know what they’re looking at,” he said. “But he was like a kid on Christmas morning.”

Scoping it all out to find the problem.

Griggs’ passion became a volunteer job in September 2025, when he joined the church’s team of winders to help wind the clock. Though it’s an eight-day clock and should only have to be wound once every eight days, the church was moved from Norwich Green to Church Street in 1852, which doesn’t have wells dug around it. This means that the counterweights that operate the clock can no longer descend their full distance. They stop every three to four days, which requires the clock to be wound twice a week. Griggs does the mid-week winding, while another winder, Chipper Ashley, performs the task earlier in the week. Goulet fills in when needed.
Goulet expressed that the task is “quite a chore.” When he was younger, Goulet explained, he “used to be able to wind it with one hand…,” but now it requires two hands and his “shoulder gives out halfway through.” Thus, he and Ashley were happy to have help. Ashley said he’s been winding the clock since the mid-’80s. He agreed with Goulet that the task has gotten harder as he’s aged, and he was glad Griggs stepped in.

The gears that make it tick.

Over time, Griggs noticed the bell no longer rang. When he called his regular clock repair contact, though, he wasn’t interested. Griggs explained that working on tower clocks like the one at Norwich Congregational Church is niche work, and Ashley elaborated that, although they’ve had people come in the past to make regular repairs, it’s difficult to find consistent help.
As Griggs went weekly to wind the clock, he kept looking at the clock mechanisms, which he thought looked relatively simple. Because of the clock’s nature, the mechanical parts are wholly visible, and by November Grigg had deduced that the bell issue was an alignment problem and could be a simple fix. He brought up the repair proposal to Ashley.
First, the decision was made by the congregation, and then Ashley brought the request to the church council and the Ministry of Building and Finance during the annual meeting in January 2026. “And they were fine with it,” he said. By February 11, he let Griggs know he could proceed.

imo Griggs and Ron Nollet in front of the Norwich Congregational Church.

Back in January, while still waiting for the church’s decision, Griggs was again performing his crossing guard duties. He spoke to Norwich police officer Mike Rebentisch, who himself has a fascination with old clocks. Coincidentally, his stepfather, Ron Nollet, is an award-winning clockmaker.
When Griggs explained his theory of why the clock wouldn’t chime, Nollet visited on March 11 and agreed with Griggs’ assessment. Griggs explained that “all it needed was two washers, really.” He described the process as simple as breathing; he “took some things off, applied a little oil here and there, put the washers on, and Bob’s your uncle, the bell’s back in action.”
Griggs fixed it on March 13, and the bells rang at noon on that day. Though Ashley said the church considered making the clock electrical but “never got around to it,” Griggs said it’s good the church kept the original clock mechanisms, so he could easily fix it.
Preservations like this have helped make the clock a piece of history. In “The Paul Revere Bell Rings again and again but How?…”, another post on Sofronas’ Substack, he recounts that the Norwich Congregational Church bell is a Paul Revere bell, meaning it was formed in the Boston North End bell foundry of Paul Revere. Norwich’s specific bell, Sofronas wrote, is “the earliest in Vermont and the only one cast during Revere’s lifetime.” He further explained that it was “presented to the church in 1817 by Thomas Emerson” and is “one of six Revere bells remaining in Vermont.”
Sometimes, this history makes the church a destination spot. Ashley said every so often the church gets a call from someone out of town interested in the clock. “There’s a group of people out there that are clock aficionados, and they are aware where these clocks are located.”
Goulet also tells a tale of Minnesota visitors, with whom he brought up the clocktower, “and they were just gaga.” Three days later, the church received a note from them, along with King Arthur baked goods, explaining it was the highlight of their trip.
Despite Ashley’s experience that “you have to be physically able to climb through the trapdoor,” he said the view from the clock tower is worth it, especially in the fall. “October is great when the foliage is out, and you stand up in the clocktower…you got a 360-degree view of the hills…it’s pretty neat.”
What’s even neater is that after a few hundred years, the clock continues to tick and chime thanks to the help of several members of the community. Through chance encounters and willing volunteers, the Norwich Congregational Church’s unique clock continues to move forward, and more importantly, still rings.

According to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Vermont has “over 2,800 plant species. Most of these are flowering plants, but this also includes conifers, ferns, grapeferns, clubmosses, horsetails, quillworts, spikemosses, and bryophytes — mosses, liverworts, and hornworts.” Of these, 1448 are native, and 137 are natives to other regions of the US and have been introduced here. We have over 600 rare and uncommon native plants including 163 on the threatened and endangered list.
Recent research has shown that biodiversity is vital to ecosystem functioning and stability. Ecosystems with higher biodiversity are more resilient to weather and climactic extremes, as well as other major disturbances. Decreases in biodiversity, therefore, raise alarm about the future functioning of our ecosystems and their capacity to recover from extreme events.

Evening Primrose

Plants are foundational to all ecosystems. They shape hydrological systems, put oxygen in the air, recycle nutrients, form and conserve soil, regulate the climate, and provide habitat for animals. As a primary energy base through photosynthesis, they are the base of food chains for all animals.
The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) reported that declining biodiversity is a global problem, occurring at an unprecedented rate. Significant declines in plant biodiversity are being documented in Vermont’s forests, fields, and wetlands, as well. Recent forest health reports from the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation show increasing stress from drought, invasive pests, and poor regeneration — clear signs that the state’s ecosystems are under mounting pressure. The drivers of the biodiversity decline in Vermont include climate change, habitat loss, non-native invasive species, deer overbrowse, declining insect populations, and simplified forest structure (even-aged stands).

Green-fringed Bog Orchid

Climate change, by virtue of rising temperatures, changing rain patterns, and more intense weather events, imposes serious threats to plants. According to the Vermont Climate Assessment, (2021) the state is already experiencing warmer winters, heavier downpours, and longer summer dry spells — conditions expected to accelerate ecological change. Warmer winter temperatures decrease winter snowpack, and may eventually eliminate it altogether. Vermont is forecast to have the climate of North Carolina by 2070. Winter snowpack insulates plant roots from ice and heaving. Warmer nighttime temperatures during the growing season prevent plants from recovering from daytime heat stress. Warmer temperatures allow pests and diseases to flourish. Vermont is predicted to lose many plant species due to climate change, especially Sugar Maple.
Recent US Forest Service research indicates invasive species are now a primary driver in biodiversity loss; they interact with climate change to accelerate ecosystem disruption. In Vermont, for example, invasive worms are changing soil composition and reducing leaf litter, pests like Emerald Ash Borer and Hemlock Wolly Adelgid are killing trees, and plants like Japanese Knotweed are creating vast monocultures.

Yellow Lady’s Slipper

According to the University of Vermont, the state loses about 5000 acres per year from development, fragmenting forest blocks. Even where total forest acreage remains relatively stable, recent mapping shows increasing fragmentation and parcelization, which reduces habitat connectivity and biodiversity. The Native Plant Trust estimated that “on average, rare plant species have lost 67% of their known range in the region.”
Deer populations have been allowed to grow to the point where they are eating forest understory, and posing a serious threat to forest regeneration.
Research from the Xerces Society and the University of Vermont confirms that pollinators themselves are declining across the Northeast, with disruptions in timing between flowering plants and pollinator activity, as a result of climate change, further threatening reproduction.

What can you do?

1.  Plant native plants. Replace non native plants, and remove invasives like Japanese knotweed, burning bush, butterfly bush, garlic mustard, buckthorn, Oriental Bittersweet, etc.
2.  Convert as much of your lawn as possible to native plants.
3.  Support policies and actions to tackle climate change ASAP.
4.  In the fall, do not cut down plants. Leave them standing until June to protect pollinators.
5.  Allow hunters to take deer on your property. Support efforts to reduce Vermont’s deer numbers.
6.  When fishing, do not release live worms.
7.  When gardening, do not dump horticultural products in or near the woods.
8.  As much as possible, buy bare root plants.
9.  Do not move firewood from elsewhere.
10.  Keep your lights off at night. Install motion sensing outdoor lighting.
11.  Do not use pesticides. There is no such thing as a pesticide that does not kill beneficial insects.

There has been a store at the Dan & Whit’s location since 1829.

Message in a Bottle
While researching the history of the property where Dan and Whit’s currently resides, we found a newspaper article relating a story from the day after the 1889 fire when the building burned. According to town legend, when the corner stone of the hall was laid, a bottle containing some kind of fermented liquor, together with a paper on which was recorded the date of the event, had been enclosed in the brick and mortar.
On the morning after the fire, a group searched the ruins of the foundation for the hidden bottle and found it. Inside was a note: “This bottle contains New England rum, and was deposited here on the 24th day of June, 1829, by John Wright who built this building.”
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1829
John Wright first developed the block in 1829, which was known as Franklin Hall. The Norwich Bookstore, located at the south end of Franklin Hall, was also an apothecary. Downer and Burton operated a general store in the north end of the building.
Upstairs, Franklin Hall hosted dinners, cotillions, and other social events, many of which were associated with the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy.
The store building is on the far left in the photograph. In the 1860s there were at least three businesses in the store building on the first floor.
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1929

1865
On the day the news arrived in Norwich that Lincoln had been assassinated, “old men in the village stood in front of the store unashamedly weeping.”
The store was a central space for the entire community. It was a gathering space for news —especially in times of hardship.
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1889
In 1889 Union Block, as it was called, was destroyed by fire. There E.W. Olds had been operating a post office, dry goods store, and grocery. “Everything in the building was lost, post office and the entire contents of a heavily stocked country store, excepting the ledger which was in the safe and was preserved.” Farmers who were about their chores saw the fire or heard the bells and came running to help. The college bell was rung and the Hanover Engine came. Several wells were run dry as they worked to save the hotel and neighboring house.
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1891
The Newton Inn and general store building were re-built soon after the fire.
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1914
Arthur Henry Merrill and his wife, Ada, purchased the store in 1914. Leon and Florence Merrill became the owners in 1948.
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1914

1932
In an interview with Whit Hicks, he shared: “I went to work at Merrill’s General Store in 1932 and Dan Fraser came a year later. We used to run a delivery cart. That is, we used to go up to different houses in the morning, and take orders. We’d sit in the kitchen and talk to the lady of the house and we’d tell her what specials might be on … After taking orders all morning, we’d go to the store and put the orders up and then deliver them that same afternoon.”
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1955
Leon Merrill sells the business to Dan Fraser (employee since 1933) and Whitney “Whit” Hicks (employee since 1932). Wood heat replaces the coal and oil furnaces.
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Fraser and Hicks

1957
Fraser and Hicks buy the property. The store name changes to Dan & Whit’s after Fraser and Hicks decide to stay open until 10:00 and sell beer, wine, and guns. Merrill was opposed to these practices and insisted they change the name.
Bunny Fraser would roll a shopping cart down the road to the bank to make the nightly deposit because the coins were so heavy.
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1963 and 1968
The store expands with a checkout area, meat and hardware departments, and loading dock. The house next door was razed to expand the parking lot.
“I have read that your average hardware store has a total of 25,000-35,000 items. That’s of course counting every screw and bolt and washers and nail sizes. I don’t know just exactly what we have, but my guess is that we have something over quarter of a million.” ~ Jack Fraser
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1972

1972
Whit retires and Dan Fraser buys Hicks’ interest in the business. Frasers’ General Store, Inc. was formed. Sons George and Jack Fraser end their careers in the U.S. Army and enter the family business. A third addition to the back was built.
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1973
Vermont’s bottle deposit law causes Dan & Whit’s beer sales to drop 55% as sales shift to New Hampshire.
“This is a family business. It means a lot to us to keep it running, but, you can’t keep it running if you can’t keep viable. If you pay too much out in taxes and that kind of thing, all of a sudden you can’t compete in wages for your people and you can’t compete on price. It’s a challenge.
We try to be very careful to treat people well, to help people, to make sure when they leave, they have a feeling that they came here for help and they got the help and not some smart answers or brush off. Because, that’s probably our means of survival.” ~ Jack Fraser
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1996
Jack and George Fraser are honored by the Vermont Grocers Association as Retailers of the Year.
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2013
Dan Fraser begins 19 Days of Norwich to benefit the Upper Valley Haven.
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2020
Dan & Whit’s is a community leader during COVID-19.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.” – Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), Field of Dreams, 1989.
The boys of summer are coming. Soon after Mud Season, the days will get longer, the golf courses will open, winter attire will be packed away, and America’s pastime, baseball, will return to the Upper Valley.
The Upper Valley Nighthawks, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), make their home at the Maxfield Sports Complex on Route 5 in White River Junction. The team is made up of college baseball players from all over the country who call the Upper Valley home for the months of June and July. The Nighthawks’ games are free for spectators, family friendly, and just plain fun.

Brandon Adams (U North Florida) delivers a strike (hopefully!).

Founded in 1993 by a group of baseball-loving sports enthusiasts, The NECBL’s goal was to expose New England student athletes to Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts. What started with a handful of teams is now a popular league of thirteen teams divided into two divisions, which travel between team locations from Martha’s Vineyard in the south to Montpelier in the north for games. The league boasts nearly 150 former players as MLB draftees and stars. Player recruitment is ongoing, with college coaches and team management collaborating year-round. While most players in the NECBL come from schools on the East Coast, occasionally, an outlier from California may appear on the roster. They all show up enthusiastic to spend the season in New England and to fine tune their baseball skills. The NECBL exposes them not only to on-field skills, but the “back-side” side of baseball, such as marketing, management, and business operations.
Noah Crane, an area native and president of the Upper Valley Nighthawks, is a lifelong lover of baseball, and shenanigans. He attends each game attired in a zebra stripe blazer and acts as Master of Ceremonies for between-inning games, offering a variety of hilarity, from “finish the lyrics” of a popular song to three-legged foot races. Crane describes the atmosphere as “part baseball, part carnival, and part farmer’s market.” From the thunder of small feet chasing a foul ball (a herd of children instantly appear in hot pursuit when the crack of the bat signals an opportunity to snag a coveted game ball), to the cheers of the spectators when the Nighthawks score a home run, to the inevitable laughter during between-inning entertainment, an evening with the Nighthawks has something for everyone.
Crane has a long history with baseball, having played, coached, and spent a time with a Red Sox minor league team learning the business side of the game. He once owned an NECBL team with his father, in Laconia, many years ago. After returning to the Upper Valley to work at Dartmouth College, Crane was delighted when The Maxfield Sports Complex was built. It would make a perfect home for an additional NECBL team. In 2016, the 13th franchise was awarded, and the Upper Valley Nighthawks made their home at “The Max,” truly a real-life “Field of Dreams.”

AJ Brotz (Marist University) talks with a young fan.

The team was welcomed by the community, and many volunteers and merchants stepped up to participate. The outfield is lined with banners of advertisers from throughout the area. The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation paired with Mascoma Bank to make admission to the games free (a head count is taken as spectators arrive). The nearby Upper Valley Aquatic Center works with the team to provide essential facilities for the players to work out and train. The Montague Golf Course in Randolph offers reduced greens fees for players. Multiple area restaurants provide food service at the games, with adult beverages for purchase. Of course, no baseball game would be complete without hot dogs and, an area summer staple, Maple Creamees!
In addition to the games, the Nighthawks give back to the community in the form of summer camps for local children. Players and staff share their expertise and love of baseball, and provide instruction and encouragement to the young aspiring athletes. Because many alumnae of the NECBL have gone on to “The Bigs” (MLB) and had brilliant careers, it is possible that a child might exclaim, “He was my coach one summer!” Introducing children to this level of talent could help them learn new skills, develop a lifelong love of baseball, and inspire them to think, “Maybe I can do that!”

7-28-2025 Nighthawks vs. Mountaineers

The challenge each summer for Crane and his staff is finding housing for the players. It is a league rule that players must be placed with Host Families in the community. Hotels and dormitory situations are not acceptable. Host Families provide the players with a sense of grounding, a home away from home. In these days of short-term rentals, and the popularity of the Upper Valley in summer, people with extra space may choose to rent instead of hosting. This is an economic reality that challenges each team, and for one team was its demise.
The team asks community members with extra room in their homes to welcome one or two players for the months of June and July. They require a place to sleep, access to laundry, and occasional meals. In addition, Host Families enjoy discounts on team merchandise and concessions at The Max. Children are particularly excited to have “an older brother” for two months, and the players frequently become “members of the family.”

Rhys Anderson (Wabash College) as the Nighthawks mascot.

Host Families report thoroughly enjoying the experience. “The decision was simple,” said one Host Mom. “My husband is a huge baseball fan, so it was a done deal.”
Another shared, “In the summer of 2024, we hosted a second baseman and a left fielder, who particularly enjoyed breakfast before heading off to coach summer camp, or to work out before team meetings and practice. They would wake to the smell of bacon, which became ‘the bacon alarm clock.’ On mornings of away games, I’d send them with breakfast to go. The summer of 2025, we hosted two pitchers, The Twin Towers (6’4” and 6’6”), who were not breakfast eaters, so no ‘bacon alarm clock’ for them! We’d advise them what would be planned for dinner, and suggest they let us know if they wanted to be included. They were a joy to host, and we look forward to meeting our next ‘boys of summer’ in June!”
If you would be interested in hosting one or two players this summer, contact Noah Crane, noah@uppervalleynighthawks.com. Your generosity will be rewarded with great fun and memories of contributing to helping develop a future MLB star.

The Choral Arts Foundation of the Upper Valley lists more than 30 groups on its website, including church choirs, community choruses and ensembles, and youth choruses. There’s certainly no shortage of options for anyone who wants to sing. One of these choral groups, Upper Valley Voices (UVV), is approaching 50 years of creating community through singing.
Founded by Director Valerie Miller in 1978 as the Thetford Chamber Singers, the group transitioned to using the name Upper Valley Voices in 2023 to better reflect its repertoire, which includes a wide range of classical and contemporary music, as well as the ensemble’s geographic footprint. Members from across the Upper Valley meet on Tuesday evenings for rehearsals at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich. Performances are held each winter and spring at churches throughout the region, most recently in Strafford, Thetford, Norwich, and Lebanon.
The current UVV director, Kevin Quigley, has been with the group since January 2005.
“I really just loved what Valerie Miller, the founder and director, was doing,” said Quigley. “I liked her style, I liked her repertoire, and I liked the people in the group, the vibe. So, I stepped in to sing.”

UVV Accompanist Alison Cerutti and Director Kevin Quigley

A Welcoming Atmosphere

Quigley became the director in 2013. He creates a choral atmosphere that’s welcoming to singers of varying experience and abilities. Some members are professional musicians, while others have little experience reading music or are returning to a choir after not singing for some time.
“I love having an ensemble that’s that varied but so dedicated to working together,” Quigley said. “It’s inspiring to see the generosity of the experienced artists and it’s inspiring to see the courage of the less experienced artists.”
Norwich resident Franny Eanet joined the Thetford Chamber Singers in 1998 after seeing an ad in the Valley News calling for new members. “I am a long-time choral singer, pretty much since junior high school,” she said. “All different places that I’ve lived and phases of my life, I’ve usually found some group or other to sing with.”
She noted how open the group is to new members. “Kevin is welcoming to people of a variety of abilities,” she said. “People shouldn’t be put off by a lack of experience.”
That accessibility is extended to audiences, as Quigley tries to deformalize the concert experience. “We’re very low key and very down to earth when we’re in front of an audience,” he said. “I’ll talk about pieces in informative ways and humble ways, and there’s no choir robes, no tuxedo with tails, that’s just not a part of who we are or what we want to be doing. We want to make things human and real.”

Telling a Story Through Song

Quigley programs the music for each season’s concert based on a theme. “I’ve always felt that art needs be purposeful,” he said. “No matter what kind of art it is, it’s got to do something other than just make people feel good or give them a beautiful experience or entertain them. That’s never been enough for me.”
He starts with a series of questions: What is it that this ensemble needs right now? What is the message? What is the energy we need? When the group came back to in-person rehearsals and concerts after the COVID pandemic, he expanded his criteria to include: What does the Upper Valley community need? “At that point we were talking about vibrancy, health, courage, and the ability to come back together,” he said. “That’s what vocal music does. That’s its purpose. It binds us together socially and emotionally and spiritually.”
When programming music, Quigley enjoys bringing diverse pieces from different time periods, languages, and styles together to form a cohesive story.
The theme for the upcoming Spring 2026 concert is Justice. “This one is about justice and making sure that we understand what it means and how important it is to solidify, to make certain our culture stays stable and caring and compassionate and aware of each other,” he said. “That’s been a bit of a challenge for the past several years, so the music we’re singing in May is all about righting the balance, bringing things back into a place where we can all be proud of where we’re from and where we live and each other regardless of our differences. Where we can treat each other with respect and kindness, and we can become motivated designers of the place we live and how we live there.”

Upper Valley Voices perform at the First Congregational Church of Lebanon in 2025.

For the Love of Music

Being part of a chorus has individual benefits, as well.
Leah Romano, who lives in Norwich, joined the chorus in the 2011-2012 season. She had performed with other local groups and was looking to expand her artist community. She currently serves as UVV’s management committee chair.
With a background in performance and theater, Romano is first and foremost connected to the music. “I just really love learning new music,” she said. “Whether you’re learning it to sing it or appreciate it or connect to the emotionality of a song where you’re like ‘wow, that’s so beautiful.’”
Eanet is drawn to the experience of singing with others. “I just love music and being involved with it,” she said. “I don’t really want to be a solo singer. I’ll do a solo here or there or sing in a small group, but I don’t want the attention or pressure. I much more enjoy the dynamic of singing in a section, and singing in a group.”
She also appreciates the way singing can transcend the realities of daily life. “It’s a good way to get your mind off of everything else that’s going on,” she said. “When I’m in the middle of doing it and I’m really focused on it, it’s like I’m not even thinking about anything. My brain is fully engaged in what I’m doing. … Anything that can get me in that state is good.”
Members of the group also serve as a support network for each other.
“I wouldn’t have stayed for so long if it wasn’t for the people,” said Romano. “The singers and the audience alike. They’re just genuinely a caring group of folks. I love learning with them and singing with them.”
Eanet said the group comes together to help members in need. “It’s a really warm, welcoming group to be part of,” she said. “One of the things that’s been a constant for me in this group since I’ve joined is that aspect of it. If people are going through something difficult, it’s a community of people that will step up support them.”

A Circular Connection

Singing in a chorus is just one way to get involved in the arts in the Upper Valley. “We share rehearsal spaces, we share venues or program supporters, or companies in the area that want to make a difference,” said Romano. “We’re very mindful of those supporters that have helped us over the years and we thank them. We couldn’t have done it without them. We’re member run, primarily ticket based and donation based, so we get to do what we do because of them. It is that circular connection. Some people want to sing and perform. Some people want to listen and support. Some people just want to make sure the arts are alive in the area.”
As UVV starts planning for its 50th Anniversary celebration, Romano said it will be a collaborative musical opportunity for the community.
“I think that it’s really important we return to singing together,” said Quigley. “It used to be people would get together and sing in bars and pubs, with each other, full hearted. They would sing at the ballpark, at their religious services. Someone could break into song on the street and others would join them. And this is not something that happens anymore. Revitalizing and maintaining our choral tradition is vital to maintaining our humanity.”

Lisa Lance joined the Upper Valley Voices in the fall of 2025. For more information about the group and upcoming performances, visit uppervalleyvoices.org.

Creating a space to aid mental health doesn’t happen overnight. It takes an active community of willing people to make it happen. The Montshire Museum of Science illustrates this with its Healing Forest experience, an initiative in the making since the COVID pandemic.

Executive Director, Lara Litchfield-Kimber

Throughout the past few years, the museum has shifted its view of the 110-acre property, committing to a space that “invite[s] meditation and mindfulness practice, sensory exploration, quiet reflection, and play.” Last fall, the Association of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), an international coalition for the field, recognized Montshire with the Leading Edge Award, further exemplifying the museum’s leadership in providing what matters to local communities.
Lara Litchfield-Kimber, the Montshire Museum of Science’s executive director, expressed that the initiative to “reimagine” the forest arose through the museum’s interactions with the local community. Through various focus groups, surveys, and one-on-one interactions with donors, teachers, members, and non-members, three key themes kept coming up: a “concern and interest in climate science,” resources and pathways for STEM careers, and mental health. At first, the last one was a surprise for the museum, but on further reflection, it made sense. For many, the COVID pandemic highlighted the importance of mental health, and the museum leaned into the way it could help — through nature.

Timber Tumble

However, Montshire first had to address the health of the forest before the people could be helped in return. Litchfield-Kimber said its “a truly symbiotic relationship.” A management plan was created with the aid of local Vermont forester Ethan Tapper by organizing a prioritized list to help cultivate the forest effectively. Some key items on the list included measuring carbon sequestration — the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide — and combating invasive species. The museum exercised its role throughout the process by providing an opportunity for local schools to educate and help heal the forest.
The next step for the museum was to understand how its forest could cultivate better mental health. Montshire had already built the Play Grove — what the museum’s website refers to as a “wooded nature playscape” allowing visitors to “swing, climb, build, and play” — in the forest during COVID. Later, other exhibits were formed. There’s the Timber Tumble, which focuses on sound bathing through the sounds of rolling wooden balls in the forest. Then, there’s the Wind Phone, which allows for quiet reflection in a phone booth overlooking a lagoon, where one can participate in a “symbolic one-way conversation with deceased loved ones.” There are now plans underway to construct a forest labyrinth, which will be a “walking meditative installation,” as well as a Reflexology trail. These exhibits are in unexpected places in the Healing Forest to encourage discovery. Litchfield-Kimber said the goal is that “whatever stress you might be having, it just reconnects you to nature” in a way you didn’t know you needed.

The Timber Tumble exhibition provides an opportunity for kids to play.

Another major aspect of “reimagining” the Healing Forest was to create better accessibility. Working with the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, the River Loop and Meadow Loop are now completely wheelchair accessible. Litchfield-Kimber said the Montshire has “a lot of visitors who have mobility restrictions,” whether it be a walker or a stroller. This new development allows all visitors access, even to the Connecticut River, which the property abuts.
The project has already had a substantial impact. There are many examples, such as a recent testimonial from a mother who visited the Montshire with her child after experiencing devastating life-altering events from Hurricane Helene. “This is the first experience where me and my kids felt we could be normal,” she wrote. Dartmouth College has also recognized the benefits by partnering with the museum to offer a mental health “prescription” program where students can take a prescribed break in the Healing Forest.

Local students measure trees to calculate carbon sequestration.

Litchfield-Kimber said the recognition by ASTC and the Leading Edge Award was “a big deal for us.” She said the museum was recognized for “leaning in to healing the forest for its own sake and … addressing mental health … and leaning in to making partners to help advance the community of mental health.” Going further, she said this project is “the first time it’s happened in the science museum field.”
Though it may be difficult to make mental health a priority in this fast-paced life, the Montshire Museum of Science is trying to make it easier. Whether you’re stressed or want to explore, the Healing Forest is there waiting for you.

Combine a focus on acquiring socio-economic skills with working with rescue animals, and you get the gist of what the StoneLedge Stables summer programs are all about. The founder and educator of the program is Sandy Bailey. “I have been educating preschoolers in the Upper Valley for over 20 years and rescuing animals my entire life,” she said. “After noticing the increase in challenging behaviors in my students, I knew there was more that needed to be done to facilitate social emotional development. I found out that combining my two passions was the answer.”
What exactly is social-emotional development? Bailey describes it as “social emotional skills in young children includes; the ability to collaborate with others, manage their own emotions, focus their attention, have a strong sense about their own identity, self-discipline and connection. Social emotional learning is the foundation from which all learning builds.”
“Animals are natural teachers and give students the ability to learn these skills in an outdoor natural setting,” she said. “For students, this can be the breakthrough needed in their own unique learning.”
StoneLedge Stables began in 2015, with the first summer of programs held in 2016. This summer, StoneLedge offers three different summer programs:

Children at Stoneledge Stables
Photo by Kimberly Chu

The Way of the Horse

Students will explore the farm using their five senses just like a horse does. The program consists of animal husbandry activities, riding, gardening, mud kitchen play, woodworking, and nature-based crafts.

The Way of the Sheep

Students will actively explore numerous areas of the farm, including the garden and the vernal pool. Animal husbandry and sewing activities will be a large part of the curriculum. Coats will be explored once shorn by washing, dying, carding, and spinning fiber.

The Way of the Pig

Students will explore the farm in an intelligent, muddy, and social way. They will work in the garden and participate in animal husbandry activities. Pigs have one of the highest IQs of all domestic animals, and students will sharpen their minds as they study native New England plants and animals.

Sandy Bailey with Bella Photo by Kimberly Chu

StoneLedge is situated on Union Village Road, just before the steep hill before the road joins Route 132. When I visited the program on a Monday morning, there were maybe 10 young children busy with various activities. One or two were engaged in a project involving a microscope that was donated to the program. One or two children were busy grinding feed for chickens, while others were playing with and picking up the chickens. One girl sat by herself busy making a bracelet. There were three or four Counselors-in-Training (CIT) to help the children with their various endeavors. The highlight of the morning was Bailey shearing a rescue sheep. The children watched as she struggled to hold the sheep while it was being sheared, and a few of the children wanted to play with the wool after it had been sheared. In addition to the sheep and chickens, the stars at Stone Ledge are the two rescue horses and Cooper, a rescue dog.

The program relies on the community for funding. “Without community grants, there would be no program,” Bailey said. “We have been blessed by grants from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation, Norwich Lions Club, Norwich Women’s Club, Dan & Whit’s, Mascoma Bank Community Grants, the Co-Op Food Stores, Hypertherm Hope Foundation, and the Susan D. Kaufman Foundation.” StoneLedge also has a close relationship with the local Sweetland Farm, which hosted a fundraising event last September — Hoofin’ it for Hay, a 5k and Fun Run.

Kindness Rock Garden Sign Kimberly Chu Photography

Bailey said this type of education model is the way of the future for young children. “I am currently working with the Early Childhood Education Association (ECEA) of the Upper Valley by mentoring the next generation of Early Educators,” she added. “Outdoor farm-based programs are a unique model that facilitate the teacher’s ability to meet students where they are at in their unique learning journeys. In response to community needs we offer both a Junior Counselor in Training program (for 4-8 graders) and a CIT program, which then becomes a paid position if the student wants to continue their learning on the farm.”
Learn more about StoneLedge Stables by visiting stoneledgestables.org.

Each year, volunteers for the Norwich Wood Bee spend a fall day cutting, splitting, and stacking wood to ensure those in need will have heat for the winter. This year, the program had about 10 volunteers come out to a woodlot on Beaver Meadow Road in Norwich on October 11. Participants were encouraged to bring wood splitters, wheelbarrows, and refreshments for an active day outdoors. They spent four to five hours moving wood to splitters, transferring the split wood to a shed, and stacking it.

Eric Friets, director of the Norwich Wood Bee, started as a volunteer on the fall work days and then took over coordinating the program in 2020. “We run entirely on volunteers,” he said. “All of our effort goes into firewood that keeps people warm.”

Those who need wood for the season can make requests through the Norwich town office or Upper Valley Haven.

Nancy Griffin, service coordinator with Upper Valley Haven, has been working with the Norwich Wood Bee for several years. She fields requests from people who request wood and shares them with Friets for the Wood Bee.

“They’re wonderful,” said Griffin. “They make the difference for a lot of families and individuals. Most people heat with something extra to save money, and they have been amazing.”

Friets said one of the unique aspects of the program is that it is very informal. They don’t have a charter or founding document, a budget, or a requirement for recipients to complete any forms or show proof of income.

“I love the efficiency of the aid,” said Friets. “How easy it is for recipients to contact us and how easy it is for us to get them wood. It’s simple and efficient in terms of impact.”

“This is just something very kind that’s being done that’s very useful, with no paperwork except for directions for where they’re going,” Griffin said. “That’s another wonderful thing, that we can do things just out of kindness. People don’t call here unless they’re in need. I think it’s really incredible that it exists.”

The Norwich Wood Bee typically holds one work day each fall that is open to anyone who would like to volunteer. Friets said occasionally a local organization or company will sponsor its employees for a volunteer day, or a youth group will participate.

The town provides the Norwich Wood Bee with trees that have fallen or were cut down along roads. Sometimes local residents who have trees taken down on their property donate it to the program. “Once we had someone who was doing some logging on their land offer us a whole truckload,” Friets said.

Between eight and 12 families from Norwich and surrounding communities will receive firewood this year. “He also delivers, to the hardest places in the world to get to sometimes,” said Griffin. “Which I really appreciate.”

Because the wood is not kiln-dried, the program can only deliver wood to homes in a 50-mile radius within Vermont to comply with Vermont forestry regulations.

Griffin has concerns about an increased need for fuel assistance this winter, as families continue to struggle with housing, food demand, and increasing costs. “The middle class is getting squeezed. Everything has gotten so much more expensive,” she said. “The community is really stepping up, though. Everywhere, you’re seeing people trying to fill in gaps for people, which is really nice. Vermont’s kind of like that, I think. It’s a great state to live in.”

Demo Sofronas attended the 2025 volunteer day and shared the experience through his About Norwich Substack newsletter. He described it as “a day that was filled with lots of activity and people were busy, energetic, and actually excited to be there to assist in this very worthwhile cause.”

Friets said he enjoys the physical aspect of the work day, as well as providing warmth for others in the community. “It’s good exercise, and I like to work outside,” he said. “I’ve really come to enjoy talking to the recipients that I see every year. This year, one of our long-time regular clients had called to make arrangements and then called back and said somebody had given them a cord of wood unexpectedly so they called to cancel to make sure someone else could get that wood.”

Friets gets the word out through the Norwich Listserv and emails to volunteers. Community members who would like to volunteer can contact the Norwich Wood Bee through the town office or Upper Valley Haven.

“Volunteers really make things happen,” said Griffin. “We couldn’t survive here without our volunteers. There’s so much talent in the Upper Valley and so much thoughtfulness. It makes you happy to be here, and grateful to be here.”

Sitting in his favorite chair – the same one he uses for songwriting — in his backyard in New Orleans, independent singer-songwriter Hans Williams seems at ease as he reflects on the past year. Recently, on October 18th, he put on a show with his band in Hanover, NH, and afterward, he introduced his bandmates to his Norwich community by pressing cider with his neighbors. It’s here that Williams expresses something poignant — the first of many things — when he says that the Upper Valley is “a unique, special community…you can tell someone that, but it takes growing up there…to get a sense of that.”

Hans Wiilliams at a recent Bragg Hill Cider
pressing.c

Though the Norwich transplant now lives in New Orleans, this community mindset plays a significant role in Williams’ life. The musician shares a split-up multi-family house with a few other local musicians, including his producer, long-time collaborator, and once-Norwich resident Phin Choukas. This space has become an artist’s domain, brimming with creative energy as each works on their projects. Together, these musicians have created a small, tight-knit community, like the one Williams grew up with in Norwich. Together, they share wins and losses as they work toward success in a difficult industry.

Thankfully, Williams is in a good place. He lives comfortably off his earnings from streaming, partially due to his continued independence from music labels. He expresses that he is both grateful for the opportunity and lucky, knowing full well that some of his other colleagues must work all year to earn a meager salary on the road. However, this opportunity has allowed Williams to focus wholeheartedly on his art. Though Williams has a laid-back manner of speaking, when it comes to his craft, the musician expresses somber, spiritual, and ambitious reflections about his work: “There’s this gap between what I like to listen to and what I’m capable of making, and I really want to make something that’s going to last as far as my taste.” In other words, he wants to pen songs he never tires of playing.

Hans at Austin City Limits Festival: Austin, TX, Oct 12, 2025.

To do this, Williams revisits his favorite seat outside regularly. Often beginning with a chord progression or a series of notes, he jams on it and works out a melody line. As he nails that down, Williams sings words and phrases that come to his mind. Then, later, he digs deeper to see if these improvisational lyrics are a signal from his subconscious of something more affecting. Often, they become signals to process complex emotions, especially when it comes to traumatic events.

Hans playing at a Tuck’s Rock Dojo show ca: 2014

Lately, ’70s British folk music (Nick Drake, John Martyn, Fairport Convention, Pentangle) has become an inspiration for him in this regard. Although Williams expresses that extensive inspiration comes from his parents’ taste in music (Al Green, Steely Dan, Tracy Chapman), he has had British folk musician John Martyn’s 1973 release Solid Air in his solid rotation. Inspired by Martyn’s visit to a colleague, folk legend Nick Drake, the record became an accidental tribute to him when Drake would commit suicide via depressants a year later. Similarly, Williams processed and coped with the tragedy of being a first responder to his roommate’s suicide with his 2020 hit, “Body On My Shoulders.” Understandably, the event still lurks in Williams’ mind, and as time goes on, he finds himself returning to it in new ways. He says the event is still top of mind and may make its way into more of his work.

Not all Williams’ work is this dark. Earlier this year, he released the soul-funk adjacent “Hold My Love,” a tune about love, apologies, and making up. However, both this song and “Body On My Shoulder” establish a common theme in Williams’ work: his ability to speak to the human spirit. Williams is the first to say he does not know exactly what made him so successful on streaming, as Spotify’s algorithm works its magic outside his knowledge. However, it is clear Williams is tapping into something that resonates with listeners. Last year, when he toured his 2024 release More Than One Way Home, he was able to meet his audience, and through conversations, he saw firsthand how listeners had taken to heart the songs he had written. Sometimes, they were in ways he had not originally intended, but still, it seemed Williams spoke directly to their soul. It illustrates another example of the singer-songwriter’s focus on community, woven into both his work and his approach to his surrounding listenership.

When asked how growing up in Norwich influenced him, Williams expressed that Norwich’s community was vital in shaping who he is. He said that when it comes to Norwich, you become attuned to this way of thinking by living there. “You don’t really choose who your friends are. You kind of have to make nice with everyone.” One of his bandmates commented on it when they were recently pressing cider in Norwich, “I get why you love community so much, because you have such a strong one here.”

Williams’ Norwich upbringing, which stressed the importance of community, along with his serious approach to his craft and relatability, all most likely play a factor in his success. It’s clear the musician’s roots are carved deep in his work. Whatever project we see next from the successful singer-songwriter, it would not be unlikely to expect a little bit of Norwich to be present. Whether that element ends up front and personal or buried beneath the surface, listeners will have to wait and see.

Neighbors on Bragg Hill pressing cider