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

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

Not All Heroes Wear Capes

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

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

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

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

Growing to Appreciate

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

A Few Good Messages

Frank Orlowski savoring moments on a Florida beach

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

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

Monuments honoring veterans dot the landscape throughout towns in New England and the nation. From the likenesses of Civil War soldiers standing guard over the town square, to the solemn and emotionally inspiring Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, honoring those who served the nation in the armed forces is a national tradition.

Norwich is no different. For many years, two stone monuments dedicated to veterans stood in town in front of Tracy Hall. One honors those from Norwich who served from the time of the Revolution through the war in Korea. The second honors the Vietnam-era vets. A few years back, the members of American Legion Lyman F. Pell, Post 8 in Norwich decided it was time to recognize Norwich veterans who served in the post-1975 era. 1975, of course, is the year the war in Vietnam ended.

According to current Post Commander Lyle Favreau, former Post Commander Jim Harlow originally came up with the idea for this new monument. In January 2015, Favreau says a committee of five post members formed to plan the new memorial.

Favreau – who has served as post commander for the past three and a half years – says much of the committee’s early work was spent finding the names of residents who served, and determining who would be included on the memorial. The goal was to recognize active and reserve armed forces veterans, including those from the National Guard. Those whose names are on the monument must have received an honorable discharge to be included.

As of early 2018, the post received one bid for the project, with the cost of completion a concern. With a goal of completing the memorial in 2018, Favreau says he and the committee (which includes members Jim McGuire, Gary De Gasta, and Demosthenes Sofronas) began to draw up plans for going forward with the site work, and determining the best placement for the new monument. Favreau contacted Thad Goodwin, the town tree warden and a local contractor. After discussing placement of the stone monument, Goodwin inquired about who would be doing the actual site work. Favreau says Goodwin, an excavator, generously volunteered his time and labor on the project, and added he would inquire of local mason Ernie Parker about doing the cement work on the project. Parker then volunteered his time, as did Strafford resident Tom Root, who handled the electrical work on the project.

As tree warden, Thad Goodwin met with Favreau originally to discuss placement of the monument near an existing tree at the site. Goodwin says when he asked Favreau about the project, “He told me they were over-budget, and weren’t sure how they would complete it.”

Goodwin thought about the project’s importance, and decided to help, offering his excavating services. Goodwin did all the site prep work, including installing the new flagpole, and removing the old tree that was impinging on the site. He also recruited Ernie Parker and Tom Root, both of whom were happy to volunteer their labor, he says. “Ernie Parker was huge,” says Goodwin, not only in doing the cement work at the site, but also offering many ideas about completing the project.

What was the reason Goodwin decided to offer his services, and recruit the other contractors? “I did it for the vets,” he says.

Not only did the local professionals aid the project immensely, Favreau says the town of Norwich was instrumental in helping this come to fruition. “I can’t say enough about the town,” says Favreau. “They were very supportive of the project.”

The project included more than the installation of this new monument.  “We also cleaned and refurbished the old monuments,” says Favreau. As a result of the savings from the labor donated by Goodwin, Parker, and Root, they were able to hire a professional to clean the two existing bronze nameplates on the stone monuments, prepping them for the dedication. Additionally, the existing flagpole was removed, and a new pole installed.

The Rock of Ages quarry in Barre created the new stone monument, honoring the post-Vietnam vets. They delivered the monument to the site, and set it in place. Unlike the other two monuments, the names on this new one are etched into the stone. There are 74 names of Norwich veterans immortalized on the monument, with room to add more in the future.

The entire cost of the project, including the monument, flagpole, and the cleaning of the other two monuments, came to $16,000. The cost of the project was covered by individual donations and grants the Legion Post received.

The new monument was dedicated at a ceremony on November 12. American Legion dignitaries, town officials, and residents attended. “I was told there were about 200 people there,” Favreau says.

Now that the memorial is complete, what are their thoughts about it? “I’m very proud of it,” says Favreau. “It’s very professional.”

“And it looks really sharp,” adds Goodwin.

No one who lives in the Upper Valley needs to be told it was a fierce start to the winter. Extreme wind chills, double digit below zero nights, and damp cold days flourished in late December and January. As a result, fuel usage was at a max this winter.

Many area residents depend on firewood as a secondary, and primary heat source, and as those temps go down, so does the firewood pile. For some folks, ordering an extra cord of wood is not a problem. For others, however, the $250 or $300 for a cord is a financial hardship.

To meet the needs of those depending on firewood, and without the means to afford it, Norwich offers a community firewood reserve. Norwich resident David Hubbard heads up this community effort to help those in need of wood for heat.

Though the firewood is gathered and stored in Norwich (there are two sheds for storing the wood), Hubbard explains that anyone in need throughout the Upper Valley can use this wood. Folks from as far away as Windsor, Bridgewater, and Bradford (VT) have made use of this service.

Though it is occasionally possible for a delivery of wood to be made to the recipient, most who receive the wood come and pick it up themselves. “Eligibility for receiving the wood is based on the honor system,” says Hubbard. There are no applications for recipients to fill out, nor are there reviews to determine if someone is eligible. “If someone can afford wood, they should get it from a firewood dealer.”

Making the wood available depends on the hard work of volunteers, and the staff of the Norwich Public Works Department. Hubbard explains that Andy Hodgdon’s public works crew collects most of the log length firewood used from cutting jobs along Norwich’s roadsides, and transports the wood to the collection site at the firewood sheds. In addition, during slow times throughout the year, public works staff will devote time to cutting, splitting, and stacking the wood.

Community volunteers are also instrumental in the work. Once a year, in late October, Hubbard organizes a volunteer workday, with volunteers showing up with saws, wood splitters and trucks to cut, split, stack, and deliver the wood. Hubbard finds that many of his volunteers, “are 50 (years old) and older,” and he’d love to see “new blood, younger adults,” step up and get involved. Hubbard does point out that throughout the year, young folks from Youth In Action and Hanover High do pitch in and help stack wood, as do some Appalachian Trail hikers who stop and spend a few days in the area.

The two sheds where the firewood is stored can hold between 20 and 25 cord, Hubbard says. Last year, 100% of the stored wood was distributed, and this year, as of late February, about eight cord remain available. As many people run out of wood late in the season, chances are there will be little left at the end of this winter.

For those interested in more information on the firewood collection and distribution effort, visit the website for the Town of Norwich.

If you’ve lived in Norwich, and especially in the Beaver Meadow area, you probably know Arthur. And if you know Arthur, you probably have had occasion where Arthur came to your rescue in an emergency. Known by some as the ‘gatekeeper of the Meadow’ as his house is situated at the corner of Beaver Meadow and Chapel Hill road, Arthur has been there when cars slid off the road during icy storms, repaired the bell on Beaver Meadow Chapel when it’s been rung too exuberantly by young churchgoers, or plowed out the schoolhouse or chapel when they were needed for an event or service.

The Arthur we are talking about is, of course, Arthur Owen, a longtime member of the Upper Valley community who has had occasion to touch many of our lives with his substantial skills in problem solving and improvising to get us out of jam or ditch, get that well working again, or shore up that foundation. Arthur’s ability to save the day is legendary even to young children who have told their parents to call Arthur when a problem has them stumped because “Arthur can fix and build anything.” Arthur’s innate abilities and the skills he had acquired in his years of working for Dartmouth Buildings and Ground Department made him a go-to resource to resolve much of what comes with living in tough New England. Even if you don’t call Arthur for help in an emergency, he has a way of showing up at just the right time, analyzing the problem, and showing you what needs to be done.

It was with these moments in mind that friends and family of Arthur decided to hold a party to show appreciation for those many instances when he has touched our lives. Close to a hundred people gathered at the Beaver Meadow Schoolhouse in late August for a potluck dinner after a sing-along at the Beaver Meadow Chapel. With the schoolhouse filled to capacity, several people recounted stories of the times Arthur helped them in a moment of need. Some were funny and some ended with hardly a dry eye in the house, but all seemed to end with the mention of “pie.” It appears that the one payment Arthur appreciates for his many services is a good pie.

The last couple of years have brought some changes for Arthur. After his first wife, Shirley, also a legend of the Meadow passed, Arthur married again. He has since moved from Beaver Meadow and is now building a house in Newbury, Vermont, a decision he made so his wife, Carol, could be closer to her job. But he still holds on to his house here in Norwich, and is often seen in the dooryard working on his trucks or plowing through the last year. And now, Arthur has also had to fight against esophageal cancer, a disease that doesn’t yet know Arthur’s resourcefulness in overcoming obstacles. Upon receiving the news of the cancer, the Owens contacted the Beaver Meadow community for prayers and positive thoughts, and those seem to be working well. Arthur’s cancer has not metastasized. It has responded well to chemo and radiation, and the doctors are optimistic that with surgery, scheduled for September, he will be able to beat it.

The party at the schoolhouse was evidence of the support that Arthur has from the community, and assurance that neither distance nor the trials of illness put much of a dent in Arthur’s impact on Norwich, and for that we are grateful.

When the historians finally compile the legacy of Norwich’s Dr. Dean Seibert, there may be a slight conflict when published. Will his distinguished medical career be in the forefront of that legacy or will his dedicated world-wide service to humanity take center stage? In both categories, Dean Seibert has become a living legend.

Perhaps we can take a hint from the man himself. During a visit to his Norwich home on a rainy spring morning, Dr. Seibert gave some insight into that issue. At age 84, he is still very active, both as a physician and for the last 25 years as a volunteer for the ACTS (Americans Caring Teaching Sharing) Honduras organization. ACTS was established originally in 1986 to foster cross-cultural understanding and to promote, with our Honduran partners, sustainable programs for health, education, agriculture and economic development.

After looking back at all those trips to Honduras, Dr. Seibert narrowed down his list of highlights and memories by reciting his favorite quote from American anthropologist Margaret Mead. Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.

“Yes, that is my favorite quotation and it sums up perfectly the work and dedication by ACTS volunteers.” Dr. Seibert noted. “For the last five or six years, I have traveled with a team of volunteers to Honduras twice a year. We would stay there anywhere from ten days to two weeks and I think that was a key to our success. Short visits to help the people there decide their priorities whether it be medical needs, engineering aid, or agricultural. Especially with supplying a source of clean water. Thanks to the Engineers Without Borders organization, that is becoming a reality. What a critical element. With clean water everything is possible.”

Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and is roughly the size of Tennessee with a population of approximately 8.5 million. The economy in recent years has experienced slow growth, but the distribution of wealth is polarized with 50% of the population living below the poverty level.

“You have to realize that in Honduras, the residents there are extremely lucky if they graduate from the sixth grade. The poverty level is simply incredible and education opportunities are almost non-existent. There is no comparison to living here in an affluent community like Norwich and living in some of those remote villages. Traveling back and forth is a stunning shock to the system. It opens one’s eyes to the reality of this world.” Dr. Seibert stated.

When asked to break down all those trips and experiences and pick a favorite for the past 25 years, Dr. Seibert’s eyes sparkled and a warm smile spread across his face. He was quick to respond.

The dedication of the Dr. Dean Biblioteca in Honduras

“Well… five or six years ago, we started a project where we converted an old building in a local Honduras community and made it into a library. Now, you have to understand that very few of the people here have the ability to read and that is what made this so incredible. When completed, we had – believe it or not – a modern, high-tech library where they could learn to read and benefit from the educational offerings. My proudest moment came when they named the building The Dr. Dean Biblioteca (Library).”

Dr. Seibert’s complete résumé could fill many pages. He was hired by the Dartmouth Medical School in 1965 as an instructor in medicine and the director of graduate medical education. He was familiar with the school having done a fellowship in hematology at Dartmouth-Hitchcock from 1961 to 1963. Dr. Seibert earned his M.D. at Albany Medical College in 1958 and completed his residency at Albany Medical Center in 1961. In 2004, he was the recipient of his alma mater’s humanitarian award. Following that, he worked for a few years at the National Cancer Institute and then served as a commissioned officer in the US Public Health Service. From his earliest days at Dartmouth, he has helped to bring a more global orientation to the medical school and its students.

Dr. Seibert and his wife Anne moved to their Main Street home in Norwich in 1965.

In the Upper Valley, members of various faith and secular communities have come together to form the Upper Valley Refugee Working Group. The Working Group focuses both on refugees coming to the immediate area, as well as helping the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program based in Rutland, VT. In January, The Upper Valley Refugee Working Group hosted Light the Way, a benefit for both the Upper Valley Haven and the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program.

Light the Way announced goals, “on a practical level, every household needs a lamp or two to brighten the home! …Light the Way will collect gently used table and floor lamps to be given to resettling refugee households to brighten the years ahead.” Also, Light the Way was intended to be “a space of refuge to raise community awareness of the needs of those seeking shelter among us: refugee families arriving in Vermont and New Hampshire during the coming year, as well as those families seeking refuge already present in our communities.”

I had the chance to speak to Julie Püttgen, the organizer of Light the Way, about the project and the Upper Valley Refugee Working Group. The Working Group was started, in part, by Paul Manganiello and Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hanover, NH. Julie wasn’t part of the original group, but she joined when she saw a post on the listserv last year.

It’s amazing, she noted, “I’m a Buddhist, I didn’t have much contact previously to being involved with this group, with the local church communities, and it’s been terrific. I feel so glad to be connected to so many people of good will and good faith.”

There are members of many different area churches that come; there are Mormons, Jews, secular Atheists, and more. Julie was amazed by this mix of faiths, because, as she pointed out, we are quite good at hunkering down in our immediate worlds, and this group isn’t like that.

For the Light the Way event, one of the members of the Working Group, Sarah Nordstrom, approached her church, The Church of Christ at Dartmouth College, to see if they would be willing to donate their space for the event. And boy were they willing!

Julie said, “I felt like I kept pushing the envelope,” as thoughts grew. Through both her own ideas and suggestions from friends, it evolved from collecting lamps to a whole weekend event. After Friday’s opening events, Saturday was full of panel discussions, tai chi, a protest march, refugee yoga, a community dinner and dance, and Sunday held a closing event. Every time she approached the Church with more plans, they responded positively, further offering up their space.

“I felt like there were opportunities for people to show up to Light the Way with whatever their gifts were… some people donated just beautiful, beautiful things. One guy came in, and his mother-in-law had been a refugee from Czechoslovakia, and she had moved to this area, and she had made this beautiful ceramic lamp base and the lamp had on it this beautiful handmade lampshade.”

For Julie, Light the Way was significant for many reasons. Julie is a first-generation immigrant from Switzerland, and from 1974 to 2006 was a resident alien in this country. For some time, she went abroad and screwed up a bit; she reentered the country on a tourist visa which ended up making her deportable for a period. Julie noted that while she had less to worry about than others, as being sent back to Switzerland wasn’t going to be horrific, but it wasn’t where she wanted to be. She said “I had the tiniest taste of what it felt like to be an illegal immigrant in this country,” and, during that time, she met several families struggling to stay together which made a strong impact on her.

She also spent a good deal of time working with refugees in various countries, struggling to make it out of dangerous situations. “[Recently] I got a message from an Iranian woman I was working with in France last year, and she was writing to tell me that she and her husband had just been officially recognized as asylum seekers in the UK and they went the most scary, dangerous way possible in that they snuck onto a truck. They paid ‘people smugglers’ to take them from Gallés, France to the UK.

When I was there, they were trying every single night to do this, and she was pregnant, and she fell off a truck and had a miscarriage. So, in this really short time that I knew her, I just had this sense of the total desperation of their case, and I couldn’t believe it, they did it, through this completely perilous route, they found refuge.”

But as much as we might hear about those horrible experiences overseas and wonder what we can do, Julie wanted to make sure this event demonstrated that refugee work doesn’t have to be about international events. Refugees are also living among and coming to our community, and there is immediate work to be done.

Ken Turino of Historic New England, third from right, presents the Community Preservation Grant to the Root District Game Club’s Jean Lawe. Other Game Club members in the photograph, from left to right: Brian Cook, Suzie Wallis, John Lawe and Courtney Dobyns. The Lawes and Suzie Wallis first became involved with the schoolhouse in the 1960s and have been working to preserve the building ever since.

Ever since Root Schoolhouse, a 1937 one-room schoolhouse located across from Hogwash Farm on Union Village Road at the intersection of Goodrich Four Corners Road, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2013, interest in this historic treasure has spread far beyond Norwich. This year, Boston-based Historic New England, the nation’s oldest, largest, and most comprehensive regional heritage organization, gave the Root District Game Club a $1,000 Community Preservation Grant to support its efforts to rebuild the schoolhouse’s deteriorating foundation and reopen the building for public use.

Every year, Historic New England distributes six awards to historic preservation projects in each of the six New England states. The Root District Game Club, the caretaker and owner of the schoolhouse since 1952 when the building started being used as a community center, is honored to be this year’s lone award recipient for Vermont. In October, Historic New England’s Ken Turino visited with members of the Game Club at the schoolhouse and presented the award to Jean Lawe. Jean, like fellow Game Club officers Suzie Wallis and John Lawe, has been working to preserve the schoolhouse since the 1960s. All three remain an integral part of the current effort to save the building and hope to see their work completed in 2017.

Concerns about the deteriorating foundation of Root Schoolhouse are nearly as old as the building itself. In a letter dated November 12, 1975, the officers of the Game Club reported to its members, “We have come a long way this year. This time last year we estimated that we would need over $1000 to pay for materials for restoration of the Clubhouse alone. Thanks to some very generous gifts of money, and much time and labor by many people, including some non-members, the work on the foundations has been completed.” Jean Lawe was one of the officers who signed this letter.

That project, according to a January 17, 1975 story by the Granite State Gazette entitled “Goodrich Schoolhouse Project Restoring Neighborliness Too” led to a “social renaissance” in the Goodrich Four Corners neighborhood. In that article, Game Club co-president Robert Ladd reports being surprised by the terrific response to the “save-the-schoolhouse” appeal: “We think it’s kind of beneficial to the community to keep a place which can be used for a variety of purposes…. Years ago, people used to use their community churches and schoolhouses, and maybe they’re coming back to it. Maybe people are more interested in staying closer to home.”

Root Schoolhouse, Norwich, Vermont

Today, the unstable foundation is again threatening the future of the schoolhouse. As it did in 1975, the Game Club is working to save the schoolhouse and return it to public use for the first time since 2011, and once again can gratefully report, “we have come a long way this year.” In 2016, the Game Club received “very generous gifts of money” from many friends as well as grants from Mascoma Savings Bank, the Norwich Women’s Club, and the Country School Association of America. To date, the Game Club has raised over $35,000 towards this effort, and is now working to raise another $5,000 by the end of 2016 so that it can claim the full $40,000 matching pledge from the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation. This should allow the Game Club to completely rebuild the foundation, at last finishing the work started over forty years ago, and have the schoolhouse ready for limited use before the end of 2017.

Root District Game Club supporters from 1975, the last time major work on the schoolhouse’s foundation was performed, in a photograph first published by the Granite State Gazette that year. Pictured in the back row (from left to right) are Sidney Cook, Irma Cook, Robert Ladd; in the front row are Ruth Cook, Jean Lawe, Barbara Ladd, and Fred Ladd. Jean Lawe remains active with the Game Club today.

If you are interested in supporting the effort to save and reopen Root Schoolhouse, you can find information about donating on the Game Club’s website: www.rootschoolhouse.com. (The Game Club is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.) You can also support the schoolhouse by purchasing a DVD of the 2015 Historic New England/CATV documentary “Back to School: Lessons from Norwich’s One-Room Schoolhouses” at Dan & Whit’s. This DVD was made possible thanks to a Community Projects Grant from the Norwich Women’s Club.

I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jay Van Arman of Norwich this week. He is a man who spends much of his time looking to fill needs in his community. He’s driven by his volunteer work with the Norwich Lions Club, and by a desire to give as much as he can to Norwich. Jay shared a piece of advice another local farmer gave him, “Jay,” he said, “you get back double what you give.” Then, Jay continued, “I think there is a lot of truth to that. So that’s why I feel fortunate to live in such a community.”

Jay Van Arman has devoted most of his life striving to give what he can to make Norwich a better community. Not long after his new father-in-law passed away and Jay took over operations at the family farm of his wife, Debby Van Arman (previously Pierce), he began driving the school bus for the Norwich School District.

Jay drove the bus from 1971 to 1978, while raising three kids – and a herd of Jersey cows – with Debby. After driving the bus, Jay began to work for the United States Postal Service. At the same time, he was very active in the Norwich Lions Club which is part of one of the largest service organizations in the world. On occasion, they connect with other local chapters to coordinate on events, but mostly the Club focuses on civic volunteerism within the chapter area. He credits the Lions Club with much of his volunteerism since the idea behind the Lions is neighbor helping neighbor.

He served on the Norwich Selectboard as well as the School Board, each for two terms. Jay was also on the Zoning Board. The Norwich Fire Department was lucky enough to have him for 29 years, including a short period he spent as assistant chief. Jay was, and still is, focused on helping create a better town with each small step.

Jay is on the council for the Parish Church and, for some time was also a Justice of the Peace. He understood the idea of giving back as more than just helping Norwich by working on the boards that govern it, but also by providing love and support to those who needed it.

When Jay retired from the Postal Service, one of the first jobs he began immediately after was driving the bus again. “I love kids and I enjoy driving the bus,” he said. The image is one that makes me smile. My own young daughter has a bus driver who is much like Jay; it is wonderful to know your child is in safe and happy hands.

Retired or not, Jay did not slow down. He began delivering Meals on Wheels one day a week; a role he took on when another Norwich figure, William Osgood passed away. Jay has been delivering Meals since 2003.

Debby Van Arman shares Jay’s volunteer spirit as well, and sometimes they work together in various ways, like keeping up the appearance of the town. Jay is the one who puts up the flags on Main Street for Patriotic holidays, with help from a man named Demo, and he decorates the trees with Christmas lights. Debby plants flowers along Main Street and keeps them watered. She is also very involved with the Norwich Historical Society. Their farm was featured in the 2014 House and Garden Tour.

Debby is also present for much of the work Jay does with the Lions Club, helping out where she can. Once a month, the two of them assist with the Lions Club sponsored dinner at the Listen Center. Jay, taking less credit for himself, reiterated the influence of the Lions Club on his dedication to giving back.

As we spoke more about Norwich, I could hear his love for the town in Jay’s voice. He said, “I think people should try to give back to the town they live in. If they live in a town, they should help out wherever they can.”

Rill Exhibit in the David Goudy Science Park

The Montshire Museum of Science has been encouraging children to experiment and play hands-on with interactive exhibits since the mid-1970s. While the museum has flourished – currently seeing well over 100,000 visitors each year – the administration has made sure access to the museum is affordable for all families.

In January 2014, the Warm Welcome program was launched. With an EBT card, a Medicaid card, or a letter from a school, children and families can qualify for reduced admission. A family museum membership for four people is $100, but with Warm Welcome, qualifying families can receive membership for $15. Daily admission rates for those participating in Warm Welcome are reduced to $2 per person – normally $14-$16 for adults and $11-$13 for children.

The museum started Warm Welcome to reach a “broad cross-section” of the community, said Jennifer Rickards, the Montshire’s Associate Director and Director of Development and Visitor Services. “For many years, we distributed free admission passes to dozens of human service agencies, and we still do, but we knew that we were missing a large population of people who were not receiving social services but still couldn’t afford a Montshire visit,” explained Rickards.

Museum staff met with with local nonprofits, families, other museums, and state agencies to figure out the best way to offer access to all people, regardless of their financial status. “We have established eligibility criteria that enable us to serve families whose household income is up to 200% of the federal poverty limit,” Rickards said. “People show an EBT card, a Medicaid card with an adult’s name on it, or a letter from a school saying that the family qualifies for the free or reduced-price school meals program.”

In addition to reduced admission and membership, Warm Welcome provides scholarships to children for the museum’s summer camp, a reduced wintertime admission for underfunded schools, free passes through approximately 110 Vermont and New Hampshire state agencies, and free use of meeting rooms for non-profits.

To support Warm Welcome, the Montshire receives funding from a number of sources, including donor-level memberships, gifts and grants, the Montshire Access Fund (a fund within the museum’s endowment), auction donations, the Keller Family Fund for Special Needs, and the Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation.

Rickards said that in 2015, 13 percent of about 160,000 visitors used reduced admission and currently 25 percent of members have joined through Warm Welcome. “It’s clear that we’re responding to a need in our community,” she said.

Rickards shared a comment from a family participating in the Warm Welcome program:

“Being able to visit truly made us feel a part of a culture we have wanted to participate in, but have been largely excluded from, as the result of our socioeconomic status. We thank you for opening the opportunity to share, learn, and play with our family without feeling singled out as the ‘poor people’.”

Another family, Rickards shared, said they appreciated the “discreet” and “respectful” nature of the Warm Welcome program.

“Our primary goal is to make the world a better place by encouraging people to be intellectually curious, to ask good questions, and to explore the world around us,” she said.

“We do that through engagement in hands-on science learning. Children’s brains are physically shaped by experiences in their 0-3 years, and people of all ages benefit from lifelong learning.”

If you need evidence that community spirit is alive and well here in Norwich, check out the Lyman F. Pell American Legion Post 8 on Beaver Meadow Road. Last November, courtesy of countless local volunteers and notably, Home Depot, the building got some badly needed major renovations.

Sawdust Has Settled

Now that the sawdust has settled, it seems like a different building. Prior to the work, inside walls were painted cement blocks without insulation. Lighting was dim and wiring was not up to code. The porch wobbled. The front door was on its last legs. Old bathrooms were not handicapped accessible. The old kitchen had a tiny sink. Unpaved walkways could be treacherous, especially in winter. You get the idea.

All this had been a thorn in the side of Legion members for a long time. Work would be done piecemeal, but it was clear that a major effort was needed. But how?

Then one day in the fall of 2014, Bob and Betty Armstrong, with the blessing of past commander Jim Harlow, went up to a worker at Home Depot in West Lebanon, N.H., and asked if perhaps the store could help with some small projects. They got talking, and over the next few months, ideas percolated and grew. Home Depot’s Rick Thibodeau worked closely with Bob and Betty as the project expanded, and there were several weeks of planning, site preparation and staging of materials.

Then it was D-Day. Truth be told, it did look like an invasion. For two long days, legions of workers (nobody got an accurate count because the number changed all the time) attacked the job.

Home Depot made this a district project, and sent about 60 workers from ten stores, all volunteering without extra pay. They brought the necessary tools with them and the retailer even gave the Legion a $9,500 grant for supplies.

Legion members and others in the community worked side-by-side with the Home Depot Team and several local contractors who donated time and materials. Tom Slater, a Legionnaire and area carpenter, was the team leader for the interior renovations and did much of the finish work.

Both Tom and Lyle also spent a good deal of time completing the “punch list” items which always need to be accomplished to bring a project to a successful conclusion. The two-day transformation was amazing. “The look and feel is so much more hospitable to all who enter the building,” says Legion member Richard Neugass. “People who come to the Thursday night cribbage games talk about how much brighter it is, and how the main meeting room seems bigger.” Neugass singles out Post Commander Lyle Favreau for “putting a ton of effort and physical labor into the project,” and Lyle gives complete credit to Bob and Betty Armstrong for overseeing the renovations.

Open to the Community

The renovations allow the Legion to open up the building more often to the public for personal and community events. They are asking for only a small donation to cover expenses. Kitchen upgrades include new appliances, new sink, and larger counter space to allow easier preparation and delivery of food.

A new storage shed frees up space inside the building, which was cramped with supplies and materials that were necessary but used only sporadically. A grant from Dr. Peter Batson, a Legion member who died in 2014, funded the shed project, which was supervised by Commander Lyle.

Remember all the problems with the building we listed above? All fixed. New front door, repaired porch, walkway with pavers  –  the whole nine yards. (You can ask most any Legion member about the origin of that expression.) Says one observer, “It was so beautiful seeing everyone pulling together on this. There can be a lot of infighting in Norwich sometimes, but one thing is clear  –  we can still work together.”