The ice rink in the center of the Norwich Green is up and running for another season of winter fun. The creation and upkeep of the rink has been a tradition of the community since at least the ’70s, though skating on the green has likely been a common winter activity for much longer. What started out as a single volunteer standing out on the green with a hose has transformed into a community effort that takes dozens of volunteers each season. Thanks to the tireless efforts of these volunteers, Norwich residents get to enjoy gathering at the rink to skate and socialize during these cold winter months. They call it a “special spot.”

“I used to plow it with my truck and was sometimes helped by one of Leonard Cook’s men,” says Norwich resident Milton Frye, who helped with the rink back when it started in the ’70s. “Volunteers helped me at night to flood the rink with fire hoses that we stored in the basement of the 1898 building.”

THEN: Skating on the town green in Norwich, circa 1940s. Photo by Collamer Abbott NOW: Skating Party in Norwich.

In the early years of the rink, there were no boards around its edges, “but there was always enough snow so that snow banks held the water,” Frye adds. “It seems like there was always a lot of snow. For a while the shape of the rink was an ‘L’ so that both hockey and free skating could take place at the same time.” Members of the community offered their help and talents (as they still do today): “At some time in the ’90s, Jeff Marshal took over the responsibilities of maintaining the rink. He even brought his own snow blower down to school,” Frye remembers. “Peter Anderson welded hockey nets,” and “Ceci Tseng, a teacher, had skates for everyone in kindergarten so that they had an early start on the ice. There were always skates for children to use.”

Norwich residents gather around the fi re pit at the annual
skating party.

“There were never any restrictions about skating because of temperature,” Frye adds. “-10° was never too cold.”

Brie Swenson, recreation director in Norwich, has been working with volunteers to support the creation of the rink over the past few years. Each year, Swenson coordinates with the “head hoser,” an affectionate nickname for the volunteer that leads the project, to get the rink operational before the holiday break, weather permitting. Swenson worked with this year’s head hoser, Buck Child, as well as a team of local volunteers, the Department of Public Works, and the Norwich Fire Department to get the rink set up just before the break began.

“It was magical. Christmas morning, the rink was completely full,” Swenson recalls. But how did the magic get made? Swenson, Child, and several devoted volunteers started by placing the boards which form the foundation of the rink. In previous years, the Department of Public Works has stored the large plastic tarp used to cover the rink, but the recreation department has recently constructed a shed on the green where the tarp will be stored going forward. Once the tarp is laid and secured, the Norwich Fire Department hooks up a hose to fill the man-made rink with 20,000 gallons of water. The creation of the rink is a true community event. Local children often gather to help and watch the rink be filled.

The Norwich Fire Department fills the rink with a fire hose.

However, the effort doesn’t stop there. Once the rink is frozen, it is open to the community for use by the Marion Cross Elementary School, the recreation department, and the local community at large. As Swenson describes, “Every weekend that the rink is up, it’s full.” To ensure that the rink doesn’t deteriorate, a team of volunteers, coordinated by the head hoser, work to clear the rink after winter storms and hose the rink nightly. This maintenance helps keep it smooth and skateable for the community. Kristin Brown Close was the head hoser from 2016 until 2019. She started working on the rink when her children began playing hockey.

“It is such an amazing team of volunteers,” she says. In a typical year, there are between nine and 12 hosers who are each assigned days that they are responsible for shoveling, scraping, and hosing the rink. Temperatures need to be below freezing for the ice to freeze smoothly. The hose itself is attached to a faucet, which sprays a thin layer of water onto the ice, making each hoser a “human zamboni” of sorts. In the event of a snowstorm, all hosers, as well as community volunteers, will come out to clear the rink.

Volunteers set up boards to form the edges of the rink.

“People would just drop everything and come to clear the ice,” Close describes. The longevity of the rink is dependent on the weather, but it is usually operational from December through March. Volunteers break it down in April, once it is thawed. While the rink is up, it functions as a community space where Norwich residents can be together outside. In the long winter months, it’s important to have a place where people can gather and warm themselves with recreation and pleasant company. For eight years running, the recreation department has held a skating party. Hot chocolate is served around fire pits, and of course, everyone enjoys skating on the rink. “It’s a really fun gathering, every year,” Close says.

This year, the party was on Friday, January 24th, and the rink was alive with laughter and excitement. Norwich Farm Creamery provided the hot chocolate, and parents gathered around the fire pits while their children skated. The rink was bursting with a rainbow of multi-colored snowsuits. The recreation department provided skates to those who didn’t have their own. Norwich residents found warmth in gathering as a community.

Ultimately, the community-building fun that the rink provides would not be possible without the work of the hosers. As Close put it, “the most important thing was the spirit of the volunteers, and how fun it was to work together.” Current head hoser Buck Child got involved with the rink because he recognized its importance to the community. “The whole town, all ages and abilities, can come out to the rink and enjoy it,” he says.

Kristin Brown Close hoses the rink.

Several community organizations support the rink as well. The Norwich Women’s Club and The Lions Club of Norwich helped fund the purchase of the liner and the maintenance equipment. Community members donate shovels. The recreation department has recently had solar overhead lights and blue underlighting installed for nighttime skating. The rink itself now glows Norwich blue.

The rink is a free and open-to-all recreational space, something that is hard to find in the winter. “It’s a space where people can gather, all winter long,” Child says. “You can be a toddler or a senior citizen. Everyone gets out there.”

Child worries for the future of the rink in the face of warming winters, with cold nights and warm days making upkeep of the rink increasingly difficult. However, the importance of the rink and the dedication of the team of volunteers ensures that this tradition will continue as long as it can. “It’s a great thing for the town, the community, and the school,” he says.

Child also has exciting plans for the rink in the coming years. He’d like to organize broomball and hockey tournaments on the ice, as well as coordinating with the recreation department and the Hopkins Center for the Arts to have figure skaters perform at the rink. First and foremost though, he’d like to get some benches around the rink for skaters to sit on while lacing up their skates.

Norwich schoolchildren help to move benches to the rink.

With the support of the community, hosers work diligently to maintain the rink throughout the winter. They are united in a sense of purpose. “When everyone else is inside next to the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, they’re out there with a hose full of cold water, splashing it down on the ice,” Child explains.

While it is cold and laborious, the job is never thankless. “When you drive by and you see all these kids and adults having so much fun, it’s all worth it,” Kristin Close says. The rink is a labor of love that keeps the community connected even when the cold tries to drive everyone apart. As the side-by-side photos on the previous page depict, each winter for many years and more to come, a Norman Rockwell painting comes to life in the center of Norwich.

A  great community is made up of great people. We’ve profiled a lot of great people in the Norwich Times over the years, each one remarkable in their own right, and it’s a great honor when I get the chance to interview and tackle the process of trying to put words to a Norwichian’s life and commitment to this special town in such a small way. It’s equally daunting that, being an “outsider” as it stands, I’m writing about someone that everyone already knows, and I’ve only just begun to get to know.

This signed picture frame was gifted to Demo Sofronas at a
community potluck in December to commemorate his service as
a crossing guard in Norwich. Photo by Kata Sasvari.

You may know him as a former postmaster or crossing guard, or 30 year Lions Club and 30+ years American Legion member, or a veteran of 26 years of service in the U.S. Army National Guard, or by one of the many other hats he’s worn in life so far…

Demo Sofronas, who arrived in Norwich in 1993 to be the town’s postmaster, quickly melded with his surroundings and felt right at home.

“That’s how I got involved with the community,” he says. “Every postmaster is given an assignment to go out and meet the community and interact with them to improve postal operations.”

Through his job, Demo was encouraged to get involved with local organizations, which has stuck with him even after he moved on from the Norwich Post Office after 9 years, and after his retirement from the postal service in 2007. “I’ve served on many committees and boards,” but listing them wouldn’t be telling the real story about what’s important to him about Norwich, he says.

An article from the winter/spring issue of the Norwich Times in 2019, after being named Norwich’s “Citizen of the Year”, details Demo’s rich history of his many involvements in Norwich over the years, but there’s one thing that keeps Demo the busiest these days.

Demo receiving an award as a 30+ years American Legion member

Now, in his “semi-retirement phase,” as he calls it, Demo has turned his focus to his well-loved community newsletter, About Norwich, which has gained much traction and support since its inception in the winter of 2019.

While working part-time for CATV (now JAM (Junction Arts & Media) in White River Junction), Demo was primarily responsible for filming coverage of selectboard meetings in Norwich. “Seeing people come together in a political setting,” he says, “you see a lot of different things, you learn a lot. I felt inspired.”

Fourteen years of filming selectboard meetings in Norwich “inspired me to want to see if I can bring the community together,” Demo says. After branching out to film other local events in town like pumpkin carving in front of the Town Hall at Halloween, Homecoming parades, and the Norwich Fair, “that inspired me even more,” Demo adds, “because I saw another sign of community; I saw people coming together.”

About Norwich captures the spirit of the Norwich community in a neat little package, with stories spanning everywhere from town-wide updates, school news, and event coverage, to heartfelt tales of some of Norwich’s best – heroes, helpers, and the good stuff that makes Norwich the amazing place that it is.

“It’s a mix between events that are happening and then every now and again, a ‘Day in the Life’ of someone,” Demo explains. The About Norwich mission statement sums up Demo’s goals well: “My stories are about people and events in Norwich, and sometimes out and about in the Upper Valley. The stories are meant to inspire and bring the community together. I will do my best to write positive stories and offer you some informational topics, also.”

Topics range from short stories to longer pieces and photo essays, depending on what strikes Demo in the moment. “I kind of wing it,” he says. “If I’m walking down the street and I see something and I take a picture of it and I say ‘that would make a good story’, I do that.”

Demo the crossing guard.

The story of About Norwich began around 2017, when Demo was writing for Daily UV (a local roundup of community news) and working alongside Rob Gurwit (now the publisher of Daybreak Upper Valley). “Rob served as a mentor to me, which prompted me to start my own blog when Daily UV shut down,” rolling with the name he had coined, “About Norwich”, and keeping his inspirational momentum going.

“I started to get a following,” Demo recounts. “I just kept at it…It’s done well.” Over the past five years, About Norwich has grown to have over 900 subscribers, which is close to 52% of postal addresses in Norwich.

In 2023, Demo’s most read story on About Norwich was “This little squirrel just might kneed the dough”, a short and sweet photo essay depicting a local squirrel that had gotten ahold of someone’s baguette and embarked on a steady ascent up a tree with its prized possession. Many of Demo’s best stories transpire this way – coming from neighbors in Norwich who submit photos and anecdotes, which Demo takes and turns into a fun and compelling story to share with the greater community, inducing lots of smiles from readers along the way.

“I’m not a writer,” Demo admits,” but people have told me [I] have the ability to look at a photo and come up with a caption that is totally relative yet kind of corny; I guess that’s my style.”

Demo cutting a cake made by the Norwich Rec kids’ culinary
camp at a community potluck in December.
Photo by Kata Sasvar.

Last year, Demo published a total of 91 stories, his most read this time being “The USS Constitution – a 14-month project – and a photo essay step by step”, a story about a ship model built by Lebanon’s Arthur Sauvigne. Other top contenders included stories about the Norwich Kids Bridge, the Norwich Christmas Pageant, Valentines for Veterans, and a couple stories with photos of puppies so enticing, I can see why they got over one thousand clicks.

Demo’s involvement in the community of Norwich has fed his soul, and About Norwich is his way to keep the train going, continuing to have a foothold in his town and bring joy to his neighbors.

“It’s hard to scale down,” he admits, referring to the various positions he’s had to cut back on in his retirement and to focus on his newsletter. “I’ve enjoyed it immensely,” and “I never could have done any of this without the support of my wife and family,” he adds.

In December, Demo retired from his post as a crossing guard for families and students at Marion Cross Elementary School (MCS). “Being a crossing guard just [increased] my community involvement,” he says, so much so that he’s created some lifetime memories for kids in Norwich. “I [saw] parents and kids coming to school every day, and these are the same people that I’ve seen out and about in the community through these different organizations that I’ve served.”

“It makes me smile every time my daughter crosses the road,” says Becky Munsterer Sabky. “To this day,” when Polly, a first grader at MCS, crosses the road, “she says ‘listen to Demo when crossing the road’, because he taught [her] to cross the road safely.”

Another MCS student dressed up as Demo in his crossing guard uniform (bright vest and red stop sign) for Halloween one year. The Norwich Recreation Department’s holiday community potluck honored Demo, and the kids’ culinary camp created a special cake for him.

Demo in a dunk tank during an outdoor activity day that the Marion Cross School was holding for their students.

Rest assured, Demo doesn’t plan to stop writing and sharing the best tid-bits of Norwich life anytime soon. Two months into another year of About Norwich, with nine or ten stories hot off the press, he’s already on track to beat his record from last year – not that that’s the goal, of course. You can catch up with Demo around town as he’s out and about finding stories, and you can look forward to Demo’s contributions in future issues of the Norwich Times.

“I don’t know how you’re going to put this all together,” Demo told me during our interview (the age old question for any writer, I’d imagine). “But I can tell you what my favorite movie is.” I assured Demo I’d find some way of weeding through the density of his many ties to Norwich (a mighty task that was becoming clearer with every second of our conversation), while we traded our reviews of The Notebook across a table at the Norwich Inn, talked about our tactics for beating writer’s block, and discussed favorite music – Bob Dylan, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones coming to the top of the list for Demo. “This is going to date me,” he realized, then shrugged it off, “but tell the world, I don’t care!”

You can subscribe to Demo’s newsletter, “About Norwich”, and read past articles on Substack at aboutnorwich.substack.com.

A grand total of zero people asked me to write this column, so here we go…in no particular order, 15 things I love about Norwich. (Why 15? Our ZIP code of course.)

I remember when the trails of Parcel 5 were relatively unknown. Now users find biking, hiking, walking, running, dog exercising, and snowshoeing. The part that always impresses and keeps me coming back is that no matter the number of cars in the lot, once you’re in the woods, you’re all alone.

Anyone seeking to understand our town’s magic should go to the Farmers Market. On Saturday mornings, it’s a great way to celebrate community, nature, hard work, tradition, music, and delicious local food. Of course, I make it a point to stop at the farm stand on Saturdays…and every other day of the week, too. It’s like two diamond rings for the price of one.

The two-mile loop that includes Beaver Meadow, Moore Lane, Turnpike, and Main (“the Block”) is one of our unheralded treasures. It’s a manageable distance for runners of all skill levels. It gives us a chance to appreciate the different neighborhoods throughout our town (a dip down Huntley or around Hazen is a good call). Without fail, a walk around the Block will get you more smiles, waves, honks, and headlight flashes from your fellow Norwichians than any other route I know.

When the populace congregates around the bandstand, good things are happening. Concerts, Turkey Trots, picnics, celebrations…the vibe is always good.

While helping us see the world through the eyes of a child, the Montshire Museum also surprises when it hosts grown-ups. I’ve been to weddings, pizza parties, and galas in the space, and sipping an IPA amongst the turtles, bubbles, and microscopes feels like you’re getting away with something.

There are many wonderful roads in our hamlet, but Bragg Hill is near the top of my list. Walk, run, or drive, you can feel your blood pressure come down as you soak in the views, tree-lined driveways, and meadows bursting with birdsong and other wildlife.

If action is more what you seek, the wall-to-wall costumed glory that is Carpenter Street on Halloween must be one of the top five spots to trick or treat in the nation. Safe, friendly community at its best.

Find me a better baguette, croissant, or free samples within ten miles of King Arthur and I’ll get you a box of their scone mix.

Watching our children conquer the different challenges of the Norwich Fair is one of parenthood’s great joys. Starting with the flying bees and giant slide, we watch as they graduate to the Sizzler and the Zipper, building memories along the way that will always be from “home.”

What have I done at Huntley Meadow? Won. Lost. Celebrated. Ate. Laughed. Connected. Played. Run. Biked. Skied. Sledded. Coached. Learned. Communed!

What do you get when you mix good lighting with good people, tremendous smarts with down-to-earth-ness, laughter with guidance, omnivorousness with expertise, variety with specialties? The Norwich Bookstore of course.

Our youngest will complete sixth grade at the Marion Cross School in a few months. I will feel sad that I will never have children at the school again. Even as faculty and staff changed over the decades, the school never stopped creating an environment of kindness, trust, learning, and excellence. It’s a jewel of the educational landscape in Vermont and beyond. Next gen, please take care of it.

Naturally, many aspects of our town are worthless without the human element. We cry, laugh, celebrate, mourn, debate, play, work, and live together in remarkable harmony. Against a backdrop of uncertainty beyond our borders, remembering the inherent love and acceptance that we have right here at home can be a soothing balm for our souls.

Oh, one last thing. I’m told we have a pretty good general store. Even if it closes earlier than it did in the past.

In traffic engineering, a rumble strip keeps us from going out of our lane or off the side of the road while we inadvertently catch a few winks. Newer cars have ‘virtual’ rumble strips, beeping loudly at our various driving mishaps like crossing a double yellow line or getting too close to another car. But unlike roadway rumble strips, Erica Heilman, producer of the Vermont-based podcast Rumble Strip, relishes getting up close and personal with the people she interviews. In a talk sponsored by VT Humanities that Erica gave at the Norwich Public Library last fall to a standing-room-only crowd, she shared her insights about the journey we humans are on together as we navigate life’s ups and downs, sometimes with guardrails on our emotions, but more often without. A fitting analogy, as it turns out, to the many alternative names for a rumble strip, and come to think of it, the ebb and flow of small town life – “sleepy bumps”, “wake up calls”, “growlers”, and “waker-uppers”.

Recognized as one of the top podcasts in the country by the New York Times and The New Yorker, and winner of a prestigious Peabody Award for “excellence in quality storytelling,” Erica has found a way for Rumble Strip stories to resonate with both listeners and reviewers. Erica explained her ultimate goal to the Norwich Public Library audience: “I want to make shows that remind us of this really natural capacity that we have to fall in love with each other and to join with something that’s bigger than ourselves,” she says. “I think if we bring this attention, openness, curiosity, and levity to our interactions with people, our communities will be stronger.” This sentiment was echoed by a Norwich resident who responded to a survey about the event. “Erica is my favorite podcaster and she is an inspiration to be curious and thoughtful about interacting with others in town. She is also an inspiration to become more involved in town.” And ‘becoming more involved in town’, whether in governance work, community events, supporting schools, or even just buying local first, all have a place in helping a community thrive.

Erica Heilman recording an interview for her podcast,
Rumble-Strip, after Vermont’s flooding last summer.

In a follow-up interview after the event, Erica calls out the concept of Town Meeting day in Vermont, with its broad cross section of residents coming together to make decisions. “Town meeting is one of the last places where you gather together with people who are not like you. There are people you like and people you don’t like,” she says. “I am amazed every year at the civility of those meetings. There’s a kind of mutual respect that happens.” Town Meeting in Norwich is generally a civil affair, according to Selectboard member Mary Layton. “We vote by Australian ballot and have an information meeting the night before the Town Meeting. People come because it’s a town ritual, kind of marking the year like making maple syrup or planting your seeds,” she says. Mary observes that Norwich has a lot of voter participation, and that people pay attention to Town government. The Selectboard is discussing how to reshape the information meeting to include pie or maybe lunch so people can just talk among themselves about a particular issue. “People feel comfortable talking with the Selectboard members at community gatherings,” Mary says. “If they have something to say, they say it. Most of them say it respectfully, sometimes not.”

In listening to some of the more than 200 episodes of the Rumble Strip podcast, love and levity emerge as common themes, but heartache and tragedy have their place as well, often centered around the idea of building community. Erica continues, “Now that I’m old, I realize that the quality of my interactions with other people is a huge part of the quality of my life.” Erica’s warm and compassionate interviewing style clearly puts the people she speaks with at ease. But she is also a refreshingly bold questioner, tackling difficult topics like suicide, drug addiction, and other impactful life experiences that threaten to shatter us to the core, alongside uplifting topics like gardening, whale songs, little league, and puppies.

In playing back one episode, Erica spoke with a victim of last summer’s floods who lost her home in Plainfield, VT, and invites the woman to tell her story of being rescued. The recording was a vivid description of the rocks and water banging against the door, watching the water rise in the house, and the heart-wrenching moment when she had to choose between her own life and going back for her cat. Yet when the woman shared a personal viewpoint on the housing crisis in Vermont, one listener took exception to it, despite the tragedy of the woman’s circumstances. Erica points to this exchange as an example of people experiencing each other as ideologies and not as people, which is one of the more challenging aspects of humanity she’s working to shine a light on in her podcast.

Another survey respondent from White River Junction reflected on Erica’s talk: “We want to be heard, but do we want to hear? Maybe hearing and being heard are closer than we think. I was inspired to continue to hope to find a sense of authenticity and community, two concepts that join together in tandem with how people connect.” Erica laments there is a lot of life that doesn’t happen in-person anymore, especially with the decline in small general stores, local schools becoming regionalized, and fewer community gathering events. “There are fewer and fewer excuses to get together with people who are unlike ourselves – school plays, pie suppers,” she says. “We need places to run into each other to grow social capital and familiarity with each other and have a good time in town.”

Norwich Library director, Lucinda Walker, notes that Norwich has many important annual events that provide an access point for meeting people. “Norwich has a robust recreation department and a historical society that collaborates with the school on programs,” she says. The annual Lions Club Fair and Christmas pageant attract diverse crowds as well, and Norwich residents view activities for people to gather as a high priority. Lucinda sees the library serving as a “third space” – not work, not school, but a place where people of all ages can access information and see other people. Lucinda says that it’s taken a long time for people to return following the pandemic, but now they are back in droves, and the library remains a place where people can connect with their community.

The first episode of Erica’s independent podcast aired in 2013, before the word ‘podcast’ was mainstream. “Colin McCaffrey Talks Shop” was an engaging piece featuring the prolific Vermont-born singer/songwriter. In her introduction, Erica explains that on the show, she’ll be talking with “central Vermonters who are artists, road commissioners, waitresses, parole officers, teachers, and parolees,”  and that it will “feature what I hope is some good conversation, as well as what I hope will be some good conversational experiments.”

As the show has evolved over more than a decade, so has Erica’s understanding and appreciation for what it brings to her world and the world at large. “At a certain point, this show became something that marks time for me,” she says. “It’s the way that I understand and make sense of things, and make sense of this place where I live.”

As to the production aspects of the show, Erica speaks to the unique nature of an audio recording versus a written piece. “Audio is content but also dynamic and sound. What you can capture in audio is silence and tone. You don’t have to describe it because you can hear it,” she says. Erica goes into each episode entirely without a plan, preferring to allow the recording to dictate the final outcome. “Every single time I make a show, I don’t know what I’m doing or what it’s going to become. That’s another benefit of being independent and downwardly mobile. I just wanted to get going and get started. It has become what it is over the years, but each story dictates its format.” For a show with virtually no rules, there is one thing Erica is committed to in producing the podcast: “If I had a rule, it would be that I’d never want to put out a show where we were looking at someone rather than climbing in with them.”

Author Jeff Sharlet, of Norwich, attended Erica’s talk and knows her personally. “She’s a podcaster’s podcaster, a documentary artist’s documentary artist – someone to whom other practitioners tune in to hear how it’s done, how it could be done. And the great thing is, lots of everyday people do tune in as well,” he says. “I think listening to Rumble Strip makes us all practitioners. When we listen, we linger with other people in their lives. Listening makes us think like a documentary artist; it makes us listen to our own lives, too, and the other people with whom we share them, for better and worse.”

To decide on topics for the show, Erica looks to her own questions about life and living as well as getting ideas from listeners and friends. “Sometimes, I have a selfish and burning question about my age or dying, and then I’ll figure out how I will answer it or who I should talk to,” she says. “When you have a show that is a container that you can put anything in, it gives you a sense of freedom to explore.” Topics that come up frequently include death, love, hunting, farming, and lately questions of class and cultural blindness in Vermont. “I think we’re getting better at talking about race and gender, but not socioeconomic and cultural diversity. That’s a blind spot in both the media and in people’s minds,” Erica says. Lucinda appreciates the unfiltered view of Vermont life in Erica’s podcasts. “The thing I love about Erica and Rumble Strip is that she is giving us access to an authentic view of Vermont – the people who are populating our state and their experiences of living here, which counteracts the image of life here being bucolic all the time. We suffer like people do in other places,” she says.

“We have a lot of people coming to Vermont now, and that’s great, but it’s happening at a time that the nature of the towns are changing,” Erica says. “There are a lot of people doing good work in Vermont and there are cultural traditions here that are fading because of the changes in the way that we work and live.”

Erica likes to talk with people who are passionate about something rather than those who think they are certain about what’s right or wrong. “I don’t trust people who think they have a fix on the truth. I’m more interested in first person experience and what someone might be confused about,” she says. Erica has interviewed experts on childhood, a biologist who researches whale language (definitely worth listening to), and musicians, felons, taxidermists, teachers, and poets. “What surprises me after doing this for a while is how easy it is to fall in love with strangers. We are good at that, that’s our nature. It’s an important skill that we have as humans. It’s the best job in the world to be reminded of that daily. You don’t have to like everybody, but loving people is what we’re good at.”

Erica hopes Rumble Strip encourages listeners to fall in love with strangers and to find themselves in the lives of people who are unlike themselves. “It’s really important to show how extraordinary our tiny, ordinary lives really are,” she says. In the meantime, we’ll all just keep trying to stay on the road.

To explore the Rumble Strip podcast, visit rumblestripvermont.com.

Each February just before Valentine’s Day, a group of women  get together in the wine cellar at the Norwich Inn with a mission: to craft as many valentines cards as they can for Veterans at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction.

Around 15 years ago, Norwich resident Becky Munsterer Sabky read a newspaper column about Veterans hospitals welcoming valentines from strangers for Valentine’s Day – a holiday that is sometimes cautiously celebrated, especially by those who have experienced loss or other traumas throughout their life.

Becky reached out to the VA Medical Center in White River Junction to inquire about getting involved. At first, “It was just a couple friends and me getting together,” she says. Now, the group has grown to involve lots of local women (20 participated this year); as they grew, they dubbed themselves first “The Ladies of the Upper Valley”, and then as the group evolved to be mostly women from Norwich, they became “The Ladies of Norwich”, and they sign their homemade valentines as such. “It became a social and community event that took off,” Becky adds. “It’s an invitation to friends and family to get together, craft valentines, and then deliver them to the VA hospital.”

Norwich residents and honorary “Ladies of Norwich”,
Laura Brown and Helena Gardner, show their
Valentines creations before they get delivered to the
VA medical center in White River Junction.

When the Ladies of Norwich first started making and delivering valentines to Veterans, they were able to visit the hospital and deliver the cards door-to-door. Post-Covid, some rules have changed, and now their valentines cards are delivered to the hospital and placed on patients’ lunch trays as a nice surprise. The number one rule that the Ladies of Norwich and other area Valentines-for-Veterans card-makers have to abide by is “no glitter!”. For anyone who has crafted with glitter before, you probably understand why.

But that doesn’t limit The Ladies of Norwich. From stickers and markers to crayons and cutouts, their valentines make a statement in pretty pinks, purples, and reds. For Becky and her friends, it’s as fun as it is charitable, to get together and mingle while crafting, sharing appetizers and wine. “We feel like kindergarteners again,” Becky remarks.

This year, the Ladies of Norwich made 80 valentines cards to distribute to patients at the VA Medical Center. Becky sees it as a small contribution in the grand scheme of things, but, “You do something so little, and yet it really inspires people to think about how they can think of others on Valentine’s Day,” she says. “It was hard to deliver cards to people who were inpatients at the hospital, but I felt like they were so inspirational, and it was such a little thing that seemed to brighten their day.”

The Ladies of Norwich plan to get together again soon to craft cards for Veterans for Memorial Day. In the meantime, the VA is always welcoming volunteers to interact with Veterans in a variety of ways.

During National Salute to Veteran Patients Week (Valentine’s week: February 9-15), “The community is encouraged to send in valentines for the patients,” says Karen Campbell, VHA-CM, Chief of Center for Development and Civic Engagement at the White River Junction VA Medical Center. For local information regarding this activity or opportunities to engage with Veterans, you can contact the medical center at:

White River Junction VA HCS
215 North Main Street
White River Junction, VT  05009
802-295-9363 x5392

Disclaimer: Writing this story was a delicate task. Although I’ve done my best to preserve everyone’s memories in a way that honors the magic of Christmas, the following story exposes the day-to-day identity of Norwich’s beloved “Santa Jack”. I wanted to include a fair warning so that readers can use their discretion if this story makes its way to young ears or eyes. It’s fair to say, though, that Jack Candon was the closest thing to “Santa” we’ll probably ever get, in every sense of the word!

We all have our own story of Santa Claus. Our own memories from early Christmases growing up: running downstairs on Christmas morning, mouths open at the sight of bulging stockings and presents under the tree that weren’t there the last time we checked, cookies and milk half gone, or milky-white outlines of footprints suspiciously close to the fireplace. The magic is unforgettable, and for those of us lucky enough to have met Santa before, it’s understandable why the jolly-old-man-in-boots-and-a-red-suit tradition has withheld the test of time.

“The First Gift of Christmas!” – Santa Jack aboard the Polar Express

But it takes more than a good costume and a convincing “Ho Ho Ho” to really pull it off. Underneath the layers of his velvety suit, and behind his dainty spectacles and a (real) white beard, Jack Candon (“Santa Jack”) always had what mattered most: a Santa-sized heart.

Imagine an endless line of children coming to sit on your lap, babies pulling on your beard and drooling on you, and being asked over and over again for a toy or trinket from the store. A parent’s worst nightmare, perhaps. When it came to Santa Jack, though, it was what he lived for.

It all started in 2007, when a new Santa was needed to greet children at the Hanover Inn. “[They] immediately asked Jack, just because he’s big and he had a white beard,” says Marty Candon, Jack’s wife.

During the holiday season, Santa Jack would make appearances at the Hanover Inn and Mascoma Bank, the Norwich Inn, Hartford’s Polar Express, and other events scattered across the Upper Valley. Soon, Marty took on the role of Mrs. Claus alongside Santa Jack, and together, they spread Christmas magic throughout many communities over the years.

“Some people have a lot of different Santas,” says Norwich resident, Chet Clem. “But Jack was the Santa that my kids knew.”

To the surprise and adoration of many, Santa Jack never tired from his post, and he took his responsibility to be the “real deal” quite seriously, though most of it, you could argue, came naturally to him.

“It wasn’t like he got into character because he was that character,” Clem says. “He just loved knowing things about kids that would surprise them…He loved maintaining that special mystery for kids.”

“He really sort of did look like Santa all year long,” says another Norwich resident, Brian Jones, who was also Jack’s doctor on the night of his passing in December last year. “He was in every way what the mythology of Santa Claus says Santa should be.” After Jack passed, Jones included a picture of Santa Jack in the medical record because “I thought it was important to capture,” Jones says. “This was such a core component of who he was.”

Santa Jack and Mrs. Claus in front of the Norwich Inn.

“I met Jack for the first time on the train,” says Scott Farnsworth, one of the Polar Express conductors in Hartford. “When Jack would come onto the car, he would stand with his arms open wide just inside the door, and would have wrapped the attention from every person on that train.”

As Santa on the Polar Express, Jack was completing 13 consecutive runs over the course of two days, hitching a ride from the North Pole back to the train station after each trip. Between the Polar Express and his various stations in Norwich and Hanover and sometimes beyond, there’s no doubt that Santa Jack has been forged in the memories of thousands of children over the years.

Santa Jack’s big personality and presence was balanced by his gentleness and careful attention to each child that he interacted with. “He had a very booming voice, but he spoke in a gentle voice to [children],” Marty says. “He was just spot on with every kid, every family,” Farnsworth adds. Since Jack’s passing, Farnsworth now carries a photo of himself with Santa Jack in his conductor’s cap, a memory that he’ll continue to bring with him on future Polar Express trips.

Polar Express conductor Scott Farnsworth carries this keepsake with
him in his conductor’s cap so Santa Jack is always with him.

Jack had three Santa suits, and he even got prescription Santa glasses so he could check his list and check it twice all while looking the part. He knew how to say “Merry Christmas” in ten different languages, and he studied toy catalogs ahead of the holiday season, which added to the magic, and, Marty adds, “He wouldn’t get his hair cut after the middle of July,” just so his white Santa beard would be long enough come December. “People pulled on his beard, and that was one of the things that really made them believe.”

“What I remember being struck by was just how intensely focused he was on the kid that was in front of him,” Jones says, remembering the conversation he had with his children after seeing Santa Jack and Mrs. Claus one year, all agreeing that Santa Jack was “totally the real Santa.”

“He didn’t think children should see Santa driving a car,” Marty says, who acted as Santa Jack’s chauffeur over the years. A Santa-red Volkswagen Beetle Convertible helped Mr. and Mrs. Claus to look the part, while their sleigh was in the shop getting some repairs done before the big night arrived.

Off-duty, not much changed for Santa Jack, besides his attire. The true meaning of Christmas and the character of Santa Claus were an inherent part of his being that didn’t cease when the bells and boots came off. Giving and spreading joy was always his speciality.

Jack and Marty moved to Norwich in 1977, where Jack practiced law for 40 years, and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June last year. Jack was a good father to their son, Patrick Candon, and he was the caretaker of their family tree due to his amazing memory and affinity for genealogy.

The Candon family was always involved in the Hartford Norwich  Holiday Basket Helpers, and when Jack saw the Christmas lists each year, he wanted to buy all of the things on the list. He would also pay bills anonymously for community members so that they could buy presents for their children at Christmas.

After Jack’s passing, sentiments and stories began to trickle in from neighbors near and far. “There were little gifts all through this year, and one of them was finding out all of the things he did for people,” Marty says. “I knew that there were things that he didn’t charge people for, because all of the sudden there’d be a bottle of whiskey at our door or a six-pack of PBR, which was his beer of choice.”

For Clem, who got to know Jack professionally and personally, it was Jack’s perfectly balanced personality that made him stand out. “He had that bold Vermonter ability to be funny and honest,” Clem says. “Jack [was] my attorney, but also the person I looked forward to running into at Dan and Whit’s.”

Clem, who was formerly a comedy writer, appreciated Jack’s sense of humor. “There are certain laughs that you know are extra special,” he says. “Making Jack laugh was such a joy.”

Santa Jack and Mrs. Claus in their “sleigh”.

Jack’s wit, coupled with his natural charm and altruistic heart, made him a truly special person, and the perfect candidate for Santa. “Although in a room, he was usually the biggest presence and the most fun, it was never to gain attention for himself, it was to make others happy,” Marty says.

The story of Santa Jack is one that will live on in memories for generations to come. He will be missed by his loving family and friends, and by the community of Norwich and countless children, especially at Christmas, when his loss and presence will collectively be felt the most.

“He leaves an impossibly large set of silly Santa buckled shoes to fill,” Clem says. “No one’s going to be able to fill those Santa shoes.”

The holidays are just around the corner, and that joyous spirit is about to overflow as the Norwich community comes together to celebrate another year of cherished traditions, creating new memories along the way. Even a small community such as Norwich packs a punch when it comes to festive traditions, and there’s something for everyone to keep busy and stay connected with neighbors and friends this holiday season. Mark your calendars and get excited for the lineup of Norwich holiday happenings, and spread the word!

The Spirit of Giving

19 DAYS OF NORWICH

Hartford-Norwich Holiday Basket Helpers: An opportunity to give back to the community during the holiday season by supporting area seniors and households in-need. Since 1983, this organization has grown by the generosity of volunteers and community members. The Holiday Basket Helpers committee anonymously shares the needs and wish-lists of clothing items and toys from households across Norwich and Hartford, and sponsors are able to fulfill those requests.

To learn more, volunteer, or give, visit holidaybasketsvt.org.

19 Days of the Valley: This holiday season, 19 Days of Norwich/the Valley is back to support local businesses and fundraise for the Upper Valley Haven during the first 19 days of December. A tradition originally started in 2013 by Dan Fraser of Dan and Whit’s, 19 Days of the Valley is a way for businesses and community members to come together to give back in an impactful way, by donating, shopping local, and having fun while doing it. Participating local businesses donate a percentage of their sales directly to support the Upper Valley Haven, and the Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation offers a generous match on up to $200,000 of money raised.

Community members can get involved by shopping at participating businesses during the first 19 days of December, donating online, and participating in the annual Pet Contest and Bonding of the Beauticians. For a list of participating businesses, event descriptions, and to donate, visit ​​uppervalleyhaven.org/events/19days.

19 DAYS OF NORWICH

Norwich Lions Club Memory Tree: Another year, another Memory Tree! The Norwich Lions Club is all ready to cut, deliver, and decorate this year’s tree in the gazebo on the Norwich Green. Starting December 1, the Memory Tree will be lit and ready “for all the people of Norwich driving by every day to enjoy,” says Lions Club president, Cheryl Brush. “It’s a wonderful way of remembering.”

In addition to being a treasured community tradition and a way to honor Norwich’s past, it’s also a fundraiser to benefit the Upper Valley Haven through 19 Days of the Valley. Donations can be made online at norwichlionsclub.org. To participate in the Memory Tree, you can mail your remembrance to: Norwich Lions Club Memory Tree, P.O. Box 854 Norwich, Vermont 05055-0854 or drop it off at the box on the front door of Tracy Hall, 300 Main Street.

The Memory Tree tradition offers a way to memorialize “folks that have lived and participated in the life of Norwich,” Brush says, and it helps boost the holiday spirit around town. “If you have someone that was particularly dear to you, it’s a way of remembering them.”

Book Angels: The Norwich Bookstore is hosting their “Book Angels” program again this year (starting now), collecting donations and book sponsorships for children in need around the Upper Valley during the holiday season.

The Norwich Bookstore works with local organizations and agencies to complete book requests from children. Support the Book Angels this holiday season by: Visiting the bookstore and picking an angel or more from the Book Angels wreath to donate a book to; Choosing a pre-selected book from the Book Angels display to purchase and donate; Or making a donation to the program in-store or online at www.norwichbookstore.com/community/book-angels. Your donations will be used to purchase books for kids here in our community!

NORWICH PUBLIC LIBRARY

Norwich Public Library: Collections for the Haven: until 11/23. Toiletries, including full-sized shampoo, conditioner, body wash; tooth brushes and full-sized toothpaste; menstrual items; diapers and pull-ups (all sizes); razors and shaving supplies.

Festive Fun

Ice Skating: The ice rink on the Norwich Green will start going up again this year, “as soon as the ground freezes,” says Recreation Department director, Brie Swenson. Likely between mid to late December, the brackets will be installed, and the rink will be filled with the help of the Fire Department and volunteers (more “Hosers” are needed to help maintain the rink throughout the season!). Plans for winter skating parties are in the works, and at night, the rink glows blue due to fun underlighting!

Norwich Public Library: Join the library for a lineup of seasonal community fun throughout November and December, including:

• Board Game Bonanza: Games and gaming for all ages. Last year’s popular game event returns! Visit with local game vendors and gaming places, see demos, and play new games. Pizza at noon. Saturday, November 23, 11am-1:30pm.
• Holiday Cheer Gathering: Let’s celebrate the last day of classes and kick off the holidays! We’ll provide tea, cocoa and snacks, music appropriate to the season, and, of course, the virtual yule-log. All are welcome (adults, families, kids) to relax and de-stress with staff, friends, and neighbors in the Library’s Community Room. Friday, December 20, 3:30-5pm.
• Noon Year’s Eve: Want to celebrate the New Year as a family but don’t want to stay up until midnight? Celebrate the ‘Noon Year’ with the Norwich Public Library! Join us for crafts, songs, confetti, stories, and a countdown to noon. You’ll be home in time for lunch! Tuesday, December 31, 11am-12pm.

The library is closing at 4pm on Thanksgiving day, closed the day after Thanksgiving, and closed Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, closing at 3pm on New Year’s Eve, closed January 1.

OF SCIENCE Continued on

Ho-LED-day Studio at the Montshire Museum of Science: A drop-in studio event for children to craft their own holiday ornament and bring it to life with the science of electricity (LED lights). Geared towards ages 5 and up, $3 (in addition to regular museum admission). December 14, 11am-1pm. 1 Montshire Road, Norwich.

Marion Cross School: Grades K-2 Holiday concert, Wednesday, December 11 from 5-6pm; grades 3-6 Holiday concert, Thursday, December 12 from 6-7pm. 22 Church Street, Norwich.

Holiday Shopping

Winter Farmers’ Market: The Norwich Farmers’ Market continues as colder weather sets in! Head over to Tracy Hall for the Thanksgiving Market on November 23, 9am-1pm, and the Holiday Market on December 7 and 8, 9am-1pm.

“It’s definitely a very food-forward market,” says market manager, Nica Mieloch-Blinn. “We’ve got a lot of amazing treats for holiday entertaining…It’s a really good way to shop locally and support small businesses and get a lot of what you need going into the holiday season.”

Along with vegetable vendors, meat and dairy vendors, and artisan craftmakers, there will also be holiday items like handcrafted wreaths. “A lot of vendors take custom and special orders coming into the holiday season,” Mieloch-Blinn reminds.

Winter Farmers’ Markets will continue at Tracy Hall on the first and third Saturdays from January through April, switching to a 10am-1pm schedule. Farmers’ market customers can look forward to new food vendors and a spot to stay and eat their snacks while shopping the market this winter season.

Winter Holiday Market

Winter Craft Market: Stop by the Norwich Public Library on Tuesday, December 10, 5-7:30pm to see what our creative kids and teens have made to sell and pick up some holiday gifts. Participating craftmakers can sign up for a space at the market up until 11/30 at bit.ly/40DWa5I. Sellers in 4th grade and below will need an adult to accompany them.

Pods for the Pulpit

Holiday Market, 28th Annual Pods for the Pulpit Crafts Fair: A fundraising event for charity put on by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich. November 29 and 30 at Tracy Hall, 10am-4pm Friday and 10am-3pm Saturday.

In the early days of the fair, members of the congregation made milkweed pod Christmas ornaments to sell at the fair, which is how it got its name. Around thirty local vendors will offer handmade goods and high-quality crafts, such as stained glass, children’s clothing, botanical alphabet creations, luxury mittens, hand-painted floorcloths, photography, woodblock prints, felted crafts, pottery, painted gourd ornaments, elf slippers, jewelry, gemstones, quilts, wool rugs, colored etchings, handcrafted soaps and personal care items, Ukrainian eggs, educational art notecards and calendars, paintings, and printmaking. Lyme artist, Matt Brown, will be there and will again be donating one of his woodblock prints for a raffle.

Christmas Worship Services

Universalist Unitarian Congregation of the Upper Valley in Norwich: Christmas Eve candlelight service on Tuesday, December 24 at 5pm. 320 Route 5 South, Norwich.

St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church: Worship service “When Christmas Hurts” focused around grief and loss of loved ones around the holidays, 6pm off-location at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in White River Junction, 749 Hartford Avenue.

4pm Christmas Eve service on Tuesday, December 24 at St. Barnabas’ Episcopal Church, 262 Main Street, Norwich; 7pm Christmas Eve service to follow at St. Paul’s. Family-friendly, all are welcome. Christmas Day service, 10am at St. Barnabas’.

The lighting of the Norwich menorah for Hanukkah this year will take place in the front of St Barnabas’ Church at dusk on Wednesday, December 25, around 5:30pm. All are welcome.

St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church: Advent-wreath making Sunday, December 1 (first Sunday of Advent) after regular service, 75 Beaver Meadow Road. Children’s Christmas pageant during worship service on Sunday, December 15 at 9am. Christmas Eve service begins at 5pm on Tuesday, December 24. Christmas Day service, 9am Wednesday, December 25.

NORWICH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

Norwich Congregational Church: Join the Norwich Congregational Church on the morning of Sunday, December 8 beginning at 9am in the Parish Hall for an “Advent Workshop” including festive activities like ornament making and decorating with garlands outside, followed by a 10am worship service and decorating the sanctuary and Christmas tree inside. 15 Church Street, Norwich.

Christmas Eve candlelight services at 5pm and 8pm on Tuesday, December 24. “It’s traditional lessons and carols, so there’s lots of music,” says Rev. Jonathan Hauze. “It’s just a special time because we get to light the candles and be in darkness singing “Silent Night” together.”

Seasonal Events

63rd Annual Norwich Christmas Pageant: Thursday, December 19th, 2024, beginning at 7pm.

Everyone is invited to this walking, carol-singing pilgrimage re-enacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to the manger, according to the Nativity story. The Pageant will begin in front of Norwich Town Hall (Tracy Hall) on Main Street. “The fact that our community still treasures this tradition is very special,” says Ann-Marie Smith, one of the Pageant organizers. “It is definitely something that generations talk about and remember and treasure in their families…I’ve had family from all over the world (literally) come to enjoy it; it’s that special.”

Hanover High School seniors play the roles of Mary, Joseph, angels, shepherds, and Wise Men. High school juniors act as “marshalls”, pulling a rope separating the procession from the crowd of spectators. This year, the pageant will conclude at the Parker’s barn on Main Street as it did in past years!

Gifts of non-perishable food for the Upper Valley Haven are welcome and can be brought to the Pageant (presented at the manger) or left in a collection box in Tracy Hall. This event is free and open to everyone. Dan & Whit’s will be selling Pageant holiday cards, painted by local artists, and the book The Norwich VT Christmas Pageant by local author, Marty James. This year’s Pageant will be in honor of Suzy Wallis, who was instrumental with organizing and running the Pageant for many years.

63RD ANNUAL NORWICH CHRISTMAS PAGEANT

“If the holidays and Christmas or the Christmas story are something you appreciate, it’s definitely something not to be missed,” Smith says.

After the Pageant, enjoy carols, cocoa, and cookies at the Norwich Inn, hosted by the Recreation Department!

The Family Place’s 22nd Annual Gingerbread Festival: At Tracy Hall on December 14, joining The Family Place for their annual Gingerbread Festival, featuring a Gingerbread House gallery and auction, cookie decorating, lunch, baked goods, gifts, and a Giving Tree donation program to help families in need in the community.

To volunteer, craft a gingerbread house for the event, and stay up to date on event details, visit familyplacevt.org.

Gather Together

Community Potlucks: Rec Dept potlucks continue through the holidays, with a special Thanksgiving Potluck on November 24 from 5-7pm at Tracy Hall. The kids’ culinary camp will contribute seasonal foods to the feast. Children in grades 5-8 can sign up on the Rec’s website to participate, norwichvt.myrec.com. (Capacity: 12 kids, so sign up now!). “They’ll get a lot of cool recipes to share with their families,” adds Rec director, Brie Swenson, and they’ll enjoy “meeting with their friends and neighbors to show them what they’ve made.”

Holiday potluck on December 1 from 5-7pm at Tracy Hall, honoring Norwich resident Demo Sofronas, who is retiring from his post as a crossing guard in town. The kids’ culinary camp will be creating a special cake for Demo, and there will be board games and music.

Turkey Trot: The 16th annual tradition is scheduled for Thanksgiving morning at 9am on November 28. Meet at the Norwich Green gazebo dressed for the weather, ready to run and have fun! No registration required.

The trot is a 2-mile / 4.4-mile walk or run around Norwich, and also serves as a community fundraiser and kickoff event to 19 Days of Norwich, collecting donations for the UV Haven. Get your “Turkey Trot” hat on the morning of, after you donate in-person or online, www.norwichvtturkeytrot.com.

Nordic at Night: The Recreation Department hopes to bring back this community winter tradition of lantern-lit cross country skiing in Norwich. “We’re hoping to have them again this year, but it’s really up to Mother Nature, not us,” says Rec director, Brie Swenson. Stay tuned!

This past May, volunteers from the Norwich community came together to restore Beaver Meadow Cemetery. Under the guidance of the Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA) and the Norwich Cemetery Commission, the restoration project succeeded in repairing, straightening, and cleaning monuments and headstones in the cemetery that had fallen into disrepair. This project exemplified the goals of both the Vermont Old Cemetery Association and the Norwich Cemetery Commission, two organizations working to preserve the history and legacy housed within Vermont cemeteries.

The Vermont Old Cemetery Association was established in 1958 by Professor Leon Dean of the University of Vermont. Originally, the association focused on restoring wooded cemeteries discovered by hunters in the area, but it has since expanded into a nonprofit that restores cemeteries all over the state from May to October. Communities can contact the VOCA and apply for grant funding to repair a cemetery in the area. The VOCA provides funding and instruction, and the community provides volunteers willing to work to restore and preserve the cemetery.

Tom Giffin, current president of the VOCA, has been a member since 1984, and he has since been a part of hundreds of community restorations. To him, the most rewarding part of the work is preserving the history imbued in these spaces: “You can’t talk about the history of the United States without talking about Vermont, and the people who made that history are buried in Vermont cemeteries.”

For each restoration project, the VOCA depends on volunteers from the communities in which they work. Through community outreach in the weeks leading up to a project, they generate anywhere from 30 to 100 volunteers willing to devote their time and effort to learn how to repair monuments and straighten and clean headstones. Volunteers come from all walks of life, and there are opportunities for people of every age and ability to pitch in. “If they can’t lift stones, they can clean stones. There’s always something for everyone to do,” Giffin explains.

The VOCA approached the Norwich Cemetery Commission regarding the Beaver Meadow project in late May. The Norwich Cemetery Commission is composed of four dedicated civil servants (Wilbert “Scooter” Hardy, Emily Myers, Bonnie Munday, and Dan Goulet) who meet to discuss concerns brought forth by the community about the condition of the local cemeteries. Issues include fallen trees and debris within the cemetery, headstones in need of repair, and full restoration projects like Beaver Meadow.

Emily Myers, voted onto the commission by the town in 2020, is passionate about preserving the history and legacy embodied by local cemeteries. “Preservation means helping to clean and maintain these headstones so that people can enjoy these spaces and learn about those who came before them,” Myers explains.

The Beaver Meadow project was initiated by several community members, including Donna Wheeler and Jane Keller, who brought the state of the cemetery to the attention of both the Norwich Cemetery Commission and the VOCA. With instruction from the VOCA and the help of more than 30 volunteers, the restoration project succeeded in repairing and restoring every damaged headstone in the cemetery.

“In Beaver Meadow, a bunch of stones were down, needed straightening, or needed repair, and before we left, everything in that cemetery was restored,” Giffin recalls.

This project would not have been possible without the effort of the tight-knit local community. Volunteers of all ages came from Essex and other nearby communities to pitch in. “There was a sense of purpose in coming together and helping to preserve this beautiful cemetery,” Myers says. Younger volunteers made the restoration possible despite the steep elevation of the cemetery, pushing wheelbarrows of Surepak gravel uphill.

“It was a great project in a quintessential Vermont cemetery,” Giffin says. “I mean, with a name like ‘Beaver Meadow’, you can’t get more Vermont than that.”

The project marks a success for both the Norwich Cemetery Commission and the VOCA. Both organizations aim to continue restoring Vermont cemeteries for generations to come. These cemeteries are spaces preserved by the community for the community, and the history within their grounds is part of the legacy of Norwich.

Looking to the future, the Norwich Cemetery Commission hopes to facilitate more community restoration projects like the one in Beaver Meadow. “I want to ensure that our cemeteries are places that people can walk, enjoy, and come together as a community to help preserve the history and the integrity of these spaces,” says Myers.

The VOCA remains true to their mission of restoring cemetery spaces to preserve Vermont history. The nonprofit has provided over $60,000 of grant funding to communities across Vermont, and plans to continue fundraising in order to provide larger grants to communities in the future. They aim to expand their membership, especially amongst the younger generation, and continue to demonstrate how much can be accomplished when a community gets to work.

“We are a grassroots Vermont association that does it all for the good of the community. All we ask is that the community provides a few shovels, volunteers, and a sense of humor,” Giffin says.

Sometimes, Norwich residents need a little help in the conversation department. In our house, we use “chatting topics” to beat away boredom or silence – Heaven forfend there should be a lull in the conversation! – and to steer us onto common ground. Our boys particularly like food, travel, and sports-based discussions. It usually goes something like this: “Chatting topic: Where is the best ice cream in the Upper Valley? Youngest to oldest. Go.” When the topic is a winner, 20-30 minutes pass unnoticed as we debate the pros and cons of soft serve, whipped cream, sprinkles, and cake cones.

As the end of the year approaches, and darkness envelops more of our waking hours than we’d care to acknowledge, it occurred to me that some chatting topics might aid your efforts to counter the winter doldrums. All of them are based on life here in Norwich, where, to the observant eye, Mother Nature and humankind have created an infinite number of subjects to explore. Use them liberally, stash away a couple for when that intimate dîner à deux shows signs of conversational stress, and bring them out when you meet someone new who also resides in our hamlet. Most of all, have fun. No one wants a chatting topic à la Festivus, where we take turns airing our grievances. The best part about a chatting topic – as opposed to a “power round”, which has definite winners and losers – is that there are no right or wrong answers. It’s just for fun, a way to concentrate and flex your intellectual muscles. Best of all, chatting topics serve as a launch pad, helping build friendships, love, and bonds across generations and neighborhoods throughout our town.

Ready?

Let us start with the mundane. Nature calls. Which public restroom would you choose in our town? What is the best parking spot in all of 05055? Have you ever noticed the names of the different houses in the village…not to mention the tenants in those spaces? List all the activities one can engage in at Huntley Meadows. What is the most interesting car or license plate you see on our roads?

Now, let’s go inside for a spell. What’s the story with the moose head in the Norwich Inn? What is interesting about the electric doors at Dan and Whit’s? If you were to procure an entire meal at one of our 24/7 farm stands, what would you pick and from where? What is your preferred entrance to the Norwich Bookstore, King Arthur Baking Company, Crossroads Farm Stand, or Tracy Hall?

Speaking of Tracy Hall, it’s our civic center. What do you think the procedure is for changing the fire hazard warning sign in front of the building? How many people can you name on the Wall of Olympians located in the stairwell? How many annual events can you name that take place in Tracy Hall?

If you’re more of an explorer, it might be fun to spend a winter afternoon driving to the end of dead-end roads just to see what’s there. Where would you start? It just snowed. How many places can you name where the sledding is good in Norwich? Which is the creakiest: Dan and Whit’s back-room floors, the Norwich Public Library original building floor, the white Church steps to the balcony, or somewhere else? If you had to pick your favorite sign or historical marker in town, what would you choose? Where is the best view in Norwich that is fully open to the public? Quick: name five hiking trails in Norwich. What is your favorite dirt road in town and why? How many different ways can you find your way from the Norwich Farmers’ Market to Union Village? Where can you take a 10-, 15-, or 30-minute walk and not see a car?

How about we examine some of our traditions. If you could bottle and sell a Norwich tradition, which one would you choose and why? What are your favorite periodic events in town (public or private) where more than 50 people congregate? Which events feature the gazebo on the town green in a normal year? Who do you think should be the Citizen of the Year?

The possibilities for discussion are endless. What is your favorite food or beverage at one of our restaurants/stores? What is the most dangerous curve in town? Which house do you love but would never want to live in? Who is your favorite Norwich-based musician? How many of your children’s teachers have become your friends? Which specific tree is your favorite during foliage season? If you had to advise a flatlander on the best place to kill a half hour, where would you steer them? Whose landscaping do you most admire? How many books written by Norwich residents have you read or do you know about? Who is, ahem, the most attractive person in town? (You can navigate this one however you want, but I have found that this one is usually best attempted with the disclaimer, “Present company excluded.”). Of the many reasons I believe Norwich is superior to Hanover, I particularly like __________.

There may be too many good reasons to live here to count. One surefire way to discover another’s reasons is to go to the best chatting topic of all:

What do you like most about living here?

I’ll start. The people, of course, and the love they bring to our 45 square miles in the brave little state of Vermont.

Willing Hands, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to ending food insecurity in the Upper Valley, celebrated their 20th anniversary on Thursday, October 10th. Since the organization was founded by Peter Phippen in 2004, the staff and volunteers of Willing Hands have worked to reduce food waste by redistributing perishable food to their 80 recipient organizations, including food shelves, shelters, and assisted living facilities. Willing Hands has made a significant impact on the Upper Valley over these past two decades, and they celebrated with an open house honoring the individuals that make this work possible.

Willing Hands Executive Director Gabe Zoerheide at
the 20th Anniversary celebration.

Gabe Zoerheide became the executive director of Willing Hands in June of 2015, but he has lived in the Upper Valley most of his life, working for various nonprofit organizations. “Nonprofits are an essential part of the social safety net of our community,” Zoerheide explains.

Willing Hands in particular provides a safety net for those experiencing food insecurity in the Upper Valley by delivering perishable food items throughout the area for free. “Food should be a basic human right,” Zoerheide says, “and for a lot of folks in our community, there are financial barriers to access this basic human need.” By taking food that would otherwise be wasted and delivering it to those who need it, Willing Hands is benefitting both the Upper Valley community and the climate.

The organization collects food from a variety of sources: some is grown at their compound on Church Street, some is gleaned from local farms at harvest time, and a majority is donated from Hanover Co-op food stores and other large produce wholesalers. By redistributing this food, Willing Hands prevents 1.1 million pounds of carbon emissions per year, making them a carbon negative organization. The organization keeps careful track of their carbon balance through a climate action plan, measuring the carbon they emit through delivery and food storage and weighing it against the emissions that would have been caused by food waste.

“Reducing food waste is our core mission, and there is a significant carbon avoidance benefit to that,” Zoerheide says. Much of the food that Willing Hands redistributes would have gone to the landfill, and the energy used to produce that food would go to waste. When they receive donations, they sort the food to ensure its quality, store what they will use, and compost what they don’t use in order to fertilize their on-site gardens.

Donations from food distributors and local farms are only one way that the community supports the work of Willing Hands. “We exist because of the community. Without a community of volunteers, supporters, and leaders, our work just wouldn’t exist,” Zoerheide says. Willing Hands relies on hundreds of volunteers that continue showing up each year to grow food, sort food, and glean food. They are largely funded by community members who choose to invest in the work that they do.

As an organization battling food insecurity, the staff of Willing Hands wish that the issues they address no longer existed. “Celebrating that our work is still needed didn’t feel right,” Zoerheide says. So, when it came time to celebrate 20 years of Willing Hands, the organization chose to celebrate the people who make this work possible.

Norwich community members were welcomed into
Willing Hands facilities during the celebration.

The celebration honored founder Peter Phippen, as well as long-standing board chair Jack Lyons, who passed away last spring. Willing Hands thanked Co-op food stores, their largest donor, and former general manager Terry Appleby, who was integral in establishing the lasting connection between Willing Hands and the Co-op. Current board members, staff, and volunteers were also celebrated. Zoerheide described it as a celebration of “the two decades of care that went into the founding, nurturing, and support of the organization.”

At the open house, the Norwich community had the opportunity to learn more about the inner workings and mission of the organization. Their strategic plan includes a focus on equitable distribution throughout the diverse communities of the Upper Valley, and the organization aims to continue making an impact in an inclusive way. “If you don’t carefully examine your actions with an equity lens, you have the potential of not being aware of communities in need or not seeing those who fall through the cracks,” Zoerheide says.

Looking to the future, Willings Hands hopes to continue to expand its operations, find more ways to prevent food waste, and serve the Upper Valley. Willing Hands is prepared to continue redistributing food to Upper Valley residents in need for at least another twenty years, as long as they are supported by the community. “One of the heartwarming things about nonprofits is that they exist because the community cares about them,” Zoerheide says, “And cares about each other.”