One of the favorite recreational opportunities residents and visitors to the Upper Valley enjoy in the fall is hiking the many area trails. Hiking allows an intimate relationship with nature and, in some cases, a birds-eye view of the spectacular fall color. Residents and visitors are particularly blessed with many local trails from which to choose.

One of the best sources for information on area trails in our area is the Upper Valley Trails Alliance located in Norwich. UVTA executive director, Russ Hirschler, says hikers should be able to thoroughly enjoy the area’s trails this fall, while keeping in mind that the trails get some of their heaviest use this time of year.

Norwich’s Gile Mountain Trail is undoubtedly the most popular of all Norwich trails, Hirschler says. A few years back, the trail received an upgrade with the installation of a series of stone steps, which resulted in the decline of trail erosion and added to the ease of use for hikers. This wooded trail makes its way to a fire tower, the top of which offers great views of the area.

With limited parking available for this trail and heavy use in the fall, Hirschler adds, “Please be respectful of the landowners when choosing a parking place.”

Another trail Hirschler recommends in Norwich is the Ballard Trail, a four-mile long trail located off Beaver Meadow Road. This trail runs close to the Charles Brown Brook, and takes hikers to Norwich’s ‘Grand Canyon.’ Crossing many wet areas and run-off streams, volunteer crews recently installed a new boardwalk, stepping stones, and improved drainage to make this trail more accessible during wetter periods.

Erosion after heavy downpours or a quick spring warm-up followed by a run-off causes trail damage requiring repair. Thanks to the employment of drainage standards when building – or rehabilitating older ones – trails are better able to weather damage from storms or run-off. Most problems occur on older trails where these standards have yet to be employed. Fortunately, Hirschler says there haven’t been any major storms in the recent past to raise havoc with area trails.

For families with younger children looking for a pleasant walk in the woods of Norwich, Hirschler recommends the King Arthur trail next to the King Arthur Store and Bakery. Accessible from the King Arthur parking lot, he says this trail, “is a great place for families.” Ending up at the Dresden athletic fields, this trail allows for non-technical biking as well. What better way to end your breakfast or lunch at King Arthur than by a short, pleasant hike through the adjacent woods?

Another great opportunity for family hikes are the trails around the Montshire Museum. Accessible from the museum grounds, trail maps for these walks are obtained from the museum.

Those looking for maps and descriptions of the area trails can access that information from the UVTA’s website. Descriptions of some area trails are on also on an app called Trail Finder which gives great information on many potential hikes in the area.

Volunteers Michelle Townsend and Nathan Chickering

Hirschler explains that the UVTA works closely with area trails groups – such as the Norwich Trail Commission – to assess trail conditions, help find funding and volunteer assistance for trail work, and to provide professional guidance in determining work needed. As area trail organizations establish themselves and take on the work of maintaining and expanding trail networks, the work of the UVTA expands.

A recent project the UVTA completed with the Mascoma River Greenway (MRG) is one example. The MRG is a multi-use trail running through Lebanon and West Lebanon and is used by pedestrians and bicyclists. The UVTA built an access trail behind the Alice Peck Day Hospital which allows anyone – including disabled folks using wheelchairs or walkers – to reach the MRG. The 250-foot-long gravel and hardpack access trail has numerous switchbacks, which lessens the grade considerably. Lebanon is considering making the trail asphalt in the future. The dedication for this access trail to the MRG took place in August.

With so many trail opportunities available locally, residents and visitors alike should take advantage of the beautiful autumn colors and view them from one of these well-maintained walkways. Dress warm, be ready for some wet patches, and enjoy autumn from the trailside.

Meeting Norwich’s Katie Kitchel is a bit like catching hold of a rocketship. She gives the impression of fast movement even when she’s sitting down. But she focuses her attention on what she’s doing or saying – this is not a woman who indulges fog.

Katie Kitchel in We the People’s 1776

She obviously loves children, smiling and admiring new babies that friends bring into a cafe, and she is keenly aware of how long her own children, a sophomore, a 6th grader, and a 3rd grader, can benefit by supervising themselves and when some adult contact would be a good idea.

Katie has found jobs she loves that intersect with her interests and talents: children and performing arts. She teaches in and coordinates the Music Together program at the Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon, and she has just begun a position with Northern Stage as Director of Outreach.

For Northern Stage, Katie will be working as part of the team with the YES – Youth Ensemble Studio – program, an ambitious and surprisingly affordable project that immerses 7th–12th graders in all aspects of stage performance. Students work over the year with experts in choreography, staging, and more to produce two smaller shows and a grand finale – this year’s spring musical will be Frozen, Jr. – which plays on the main stage. Not surprisingly, the program is already full for the coming season.

Katie will also work with Northern Stage’s BridgeUp program that brings Shakespeare and musical theater into the schools, with professional actors helping older elementary school students interpret scenes. The students present an abbreviated play for their school and also an on-the-road show for family and friends at Northern Stage’s impressive theater. It’s an experience to remember for a lifetime, not just the excitement of theater but the overcoming of challenge and risk. Finding that Shakespeare can be accessible and not intimidating gives students a bolder approach to cultural landmarks. The program began in 2016 and excitement about it continues high. It’s a good fit for Katie. Irene Green, Northern Stage’s Managing Director, praises Katie’s passion, enthusiasm, energy, and discipline.

Never Too Young for Music

What’s the youngest age it makes sense to take your child to a music class? The national program Music Together says, “At birth!”

Children have an innate sensitivity to rhythm and melody – think of all the times you’ve seen a toddler bouncing around joyfully on the edge of the dance floor at a wedding. Encouraging that innate sense by playing rhythmically with your baby makes them happy and helps their development. The Music Together program provides social contact for parents and children, and, importantly, gives parents ideas of ways to play with their child, and validates interactions that grown-ups may at first find silly as useful and connecting. MT leaders
introduce songs and chants from traditions around the world, expanding a parent’s toolkit and providing a broader base for a child’s future experience. And the group discusses ways to use music at transition times of days, perhaps with a song about bath time. “As parents we have various skills that we use to help direct our children’s behaviors in positive ways, why not use singing as one of them!?” says Katie. “Music is a language. The more it’s spoken in a household the more fluent everyone is.

“Play is how kids learn,” adds Katie. She describes a game that helps children develop their ability to maintain a steady rhythm where a circle of kids use their arms as gates that swing open and shut at a certain speed. “Because they’re playing, they’re more apt to stay
interested in repeating a motion for an extended period of time. They are having so much fun, they don’t even realize that they’re practicing how to keep a steady beat!” she explains. Other games include musical “Hot or Cold,” where the increasing volume of the group’s tapping shows a seeker they’re approaching the object. Social skills grow with sharing equipment, putting toys away.

Katie with the cast and crew of We the People’s Working

And in Her Free Time…

Katie has worked with Perry Allison’s We The People theater company, which produces a show to spark discussion and interaction. Founded after the 2016 election, WTP produced 1776, provoking conversations about the nature of democratic government. Katie was a mill worker in Working, and played John Hancock in 1776. Coming up this spring in White River’s Briggs Opera House is Man of La Mancha, aiming to present Don Quixote’s still-timely message of hope. “Whether through the lens of world events or concerns close to home, we all want to
believe in a brighter future,” says the producing team. Katie, as Director of Audience Engagement, will be drawing out audience reactions and ideas in intermission and post-show discussions. “Even in conflict, foundations can be laid,” says Katie. She is planning ways to convey audience ideas across performances, with comment boards in the lobby and other means.

Katie will audition for a role in La Mancha. She’s loved performing since she was young. Her mother also loved to sing, and “I shared a birthday with my mom (Halloween!),” she recalls. It was the occasion of a trip into New York to hunt up some discount tickets and finish off with a deluxe ice cream at Rumplemayer’s, then a palace of children’s sweet delights.

Katie and her family live in Norwich on Sugartop Road. Her husband, Davy, was born in St. Johnsbury and went to Marion Cross. Katie likes to run (surprise!) with “a group of amazing moms” that’s grown to about eight over the years. The women tend to meet at Marion Cross in the morning and love to head off, en masse, into the trails of Norwich, although in winter you will likely see them bundled up on the roads, even in sub-zero weather.

“They all have lives like this,” says Katie, admitting that things sometimes get a little crazed, “and they’re very supportive. It’s a sisterhood.” The women trade suggestions and encouragement as they run. Katie’s way to find time in the day? “I drink a lot of coffee
and I don’t sleep much. I’m like a shark – I gotta keep moving.

Every spring, Leadership Upper Valley, a program of Vital Communities, hosts its annual Heroes & Leaders Celebration to recognize individuals who make extraordinary contributions to the Upper Valley. This year’s 25th-anniversary event on May 30 honored 12 leaders who add immeasurably to the vitality of the region, including several inspiring neighbors from right here in Norwich.

Penny McConnel and Liza Bernard

Adapted from remarks by Allan Reetz of the Hanover Co-op Food Stores

If there were a book about The Norwich Bookstore and its founders and co-owners, Liza Bernard and Penny McConnel, it would impart lasting lessons of business and community. The dust jacket and inside pages would be lined with praise from organizational leaders highlighting how, for instance, Penny and Liza are “cornerstones of the New England bookselling community.” There would be heartfelt local testimonials about each woman’s “abiding effort to address community needs beyond their own.”

Since they opened their bookstore on August 1, 1994, they’ve been purveyors of knowledge. As partners and solo actors, they’ve enlightened us at readings with celebrated authors. For 25 years, they’ve been tireless in reviewing, offering, recommending, and special-ordering essential books beyond our counting. And they pushed back when Amazon came stomping across the retail front-yards of small booksellers everywhere. Independent bookstores are thriving again.

Norwich Bookstore founders Penny McConnel
and Liza Bernard were honored for their
contributions to a vital local economy and
more at the Heroes & Leaders event.

Beyond literary pursuits, each woman is also known for civic passions… As one longtime local told me, Liza and Penny are the type of people who are vital to any town, city or village; they are the ones who step up to direct resources, attention, and their time to important matters. They are also “the ringleaders who instigate culture and a more informed community.”

Vermont State Representative
Peter Welch, an early Board
member for Vital Communities

One served as community advisor to Vermont Public Radio, the other chaired Local First Alliance at a critical juncture. Each makes time to assist libraries, youth, the arts and humanities, senior housing, and conservation. Oh, and they raised children along the way.

The story of Penny McConnel and Liza Bernard is set in the Norwich Bookstore, yet its chapters of impact stretch well beyond our region.

Liza and Penny, we honor you – as individuals – and together as founders and co-owners. You are leaders – and yes, ring-leaders – instigators for things that are good in our communities. For all you’ve done within and outside of the Norwich Bookstore, we thank you.

Stan Williams

Adapted from remarks by Clay Adams of Mascoma Bank

Clay Adams, Mascoma Bank CEO and
Vital Communities’ Corporate Council
member, honored Stan Williams

There are many reasons people choose to uproot themselves from urban areas to live in rural Vermont. Chief among these reasons are quality of life and accessibility to the outdoors. What you will not typically find on this list is accessibility to fast, dependable internet service. However, thanks to the efforts of Stan Williams, this has changed in our region.

Nearly a century ago, Vermont, like many other parts of America, was attempting to electrify its less populated areas so they could participate in the modern economy of that time. Just as dairy farmers then could not bring their milk to market, today knowledge workers who choose to work from home in Vermont cannot participate in the 21st-century economy. More importantly, the school-aged children who live along these picturesque stretches of Vermont roadside have difficulty fully participating in their education.

It was not until EC Fiber arrived on the scene that we had any hope of being part of the 21st century.

Outgoing Vital Communities Board Chair
Jenny Levy of Norwich
gave the keynote remarks

Stan Williams, the ValleyNet Board Chair and CFO, has been a consistent force behind EC Fiber. This is why we are here to recognize him tonight. Stan found himself working in the cellular communications industry as it exploded internationally. As he looked toward the second act of his career, instead of pursuing financial gain, Stan chose a path that “his children and grandchildren would be proud of.”

Stan Willaims of EC Fiber
was honored among 12 community
members who add to the vitality
of the Upper Valley.

In 2007, Stan and others connected to ValleyNet began to consider how to provide rural communities in eastern Vermont with broadband internet access. EC Fiber was born. The timing could not have been worse. Once the Great Recession started, the commitments were pulled, and the EC Fiber team was left to rely on their own ingenuity and resources.

In true Vermont fashion, they provided a solution, raising $1M in 2011 from members of the ValleyNet management team and acquaintances. In the years to come, they built on this model, raising funds as private placement promissory notes in $2,500 chunks from Vermonters who wanted their neighborhoods to join the 21st century.

Fast forward eight years, and they have connected more than 3,000 customers in rural Vermont to high-speed fiber-optic technology. Moreover, they have the plans and capability to connect the remaining unserved premises in their service area by 2020. Stan has been one of the many innovative, understated, and dedicated leaders behind ValleyNet and EC Fiber who has applied hard-earned experience from a world away to make the Upper Valley a more sustainable and vibrant economy.

Residents of a Region

Betty Porter, founder
of Vital Communities.

Norwich residents Betty Porter and Anne Silberfarb were also recognized at Heroes & Leaders as founders of Vital Communities, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

Anne Silberfarb,
VC founding member

“In 1993, the Valley News published an editorial encouraging readers to ‘think of themselves not only as residents of an individual town or state, but of a region’ – the Upper Valley – and to work together to protect the things that make this place special,” Vital Communities executive director Tom Roberts said at the event.

“That editorial, and the powerful action of a small group of women led by Betty Porter, sparked the beginnings of Vital Communities.

“…With Delia Clark and the staff who followed, they convened community members – creating spaces where people could listen to and learn from each other. They created an experience of place – one that defines and honors this unique region we call the Upper Valley. They created a community-led approach to making positive change while preserving the essential character of our towns and landscape. They facilitated connections among towns, organizations, and residents that continue to flourish today – much to the benefit of everyone who lives and works in our region.”

An inconspicuous and little-known migratory songbird drew me to Cuba three winters ago. The island’s people and landscape captured me, and have kept me coming back.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Cuba’s birds – both resident and migrant – and the places they live are a huge draw for me. They’ve led me to the island’s highest peak at 6,476 feet elevation, and taken me to remote cloud forests where humans had probably never tread. But, my most enduring memories invariably involve my local colleagues, now my friends.

We’ve shared the thrill of discoveries; the humor needed for a fifth consecutive dinner of instant mashed Until recently, VCE’s efforts centered on Hispaniola – especially the Dominican Republic – where 80-90% of the planet’s approximately 100,000 Bicknell’s Thrushes overwinter. Unraveling this globally vulnerable species’ fascinating and complex ecology has highlighted an urgent need to protect its fragile winter habitats. With human populations growing and conservation resources scarce, the odds often seem insurmountable. VCE and our many local allies are working hard to stem the mounting tide of habitat loss on Hispaniola; there is no question that rangewide conservation efforts need to focus there.

But, what about the other three islands where Bicknell’s Thrush spend six to seven months each year – Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica? For any migratory animal – whether a Monarch butterfly, a potatoes; the crushing exertion of plodding up steep slopes under heavy backpacks; the exhilaration of Cuban Solitaires chorusing on a mountaintop amidst swirling clouds; and the simple pleasure of lively banter. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten the best part of the ‘deal’ from a deepening relationship with my Cuban counterparts, but I feel confident that I’ve given something back as well.

First, some context. Since 1994, I’ve spearheaded bird conservation work in the Caribbean Greater Antilles – Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico – through the Vermont Center for Ecostudies (VCE), located right here in Norwich. Our primary conservation target is a rare, secretive, migratory songbird – the Bicknell’s Thrush – which nests on mountaintops in New York and New England, and spends its winters only on these four islands. The species is an ‘umbrella’ for conservation of the high-elevation forests where it lives – both in the north and south – meaning that if we protect Bicknell’s Thrush well, we conserve a host of other unique flora and fauna.

VCE’s work has featured a blend of cutting-edge science, on-the-ground habitat protection, and capacity-building of local partners. That approach has produced remarkable discoveries, helped focus attention on threatened biodiversity hotspots, and trained a new cadre of conservation professionals. It has been an immensely rewarding aspect of my career as an ornithologist, but most vital to me are the associated human relationships that have enriched my life.

Until recently, VCE’s efforts centered on Hispaniola – especially the Dominican Republic – where 80-90% of the planet’s approximately 100,000 Bicknell’s Thrushes overwinter. Unraveling this globally vulnerable species’ fascinating and complex ecology has highlighted an urgent need to protect its fragile winter habitats. With human populations growing and conservation resources scarce, the odds often seem insurmountable. VCE and our many local allies are working hard to stem the mounting tide of habitat loss on Hispaniola; there is no question that rangewide conservation efforts need to focus there.

But, what about the other three islands where Bicknell’s Thrush spend six to seven months each year – Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica? For any migratory animal – whether a Monarch butterfly, a thrush or a caribou – we must understand the species’ status across the entire annual cycle if we are to effectively conserve it. For Bicknell’s Thrush, we long suspected that eastern Cuba might harbor a secondary ‘mother lode’ of birds in winter, especially in the remote high-elevation forests of Sierra Maestra.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, always eager to exercise our signature ‘brute force biology’ tactics, VCE undertook what has now become a three-year study to determine the distribution and abundance of Bicknell’s Thrush in eastern Cuba. Our first step was to identify a reliable local partner with a strong ornithological resumé. We found that and much more in Centro Oriental de Ecosistemas y Biodiversidad (BIOECO), with whom we have forged a strong and dynamic collaboration. It turns out that obtaining visas and in-country permits to work in Cuba has been our greatest obstacle!

During early 2017, after weeks of uncertain waiting, our visas suspended in bureaucratic limbo, my VCE colleague John Lloyd and I finally touched Cuban soil in late March. Two days later, we were straining under heavy backpacks on the steep ascent to Pico Turquino, Cuba’s highest mountain. Enveloped by lush, pristine cloud forest – as Cuban Trogons, Todies, and Solitaires serenaded us – we sallied forth daily in the pre-dawn with headlamps, conducting surveys of more than 100 points for Bicknell’s Thrush. And, we found… exactly zero birds. Disappointing, yes. Surprising, not really. Intriguing, definitely. We knew our timing was late and that some thrushes on Hispaniola begin moving off their winter territories in April. Had we arrived a month or two earlier as planned, we’re guessing we’d have found birds. As always, questions outnumbered answers, and a second winter beckoned.

Encouraged by my gung-ho BIOECO colleagues (and with funding from the Canadian Wildlife Service), I returned in January 2018 for another foray to Pico Turquino’s uppermost slopes. This time, we found Bicknell’s Thrushes – seven to be exact, two of which we banded – in the cloud-drenched forests at elevations of 5,600-6,250 feet. Not exactly a mother lode, but a respectable total, though far fewer than we expected to find in these extensive, untrammeled forests. My Cuban associates joined me in feeling both encouraged and perplexed, but determined to persevere in our quest.

To our east, the island’s largest tract of unbroken cloud forest in Parque Nacional Bayamesa awaited exploration.

So it was that I found myself this past January with four hardy BIOECO team members, all of us shouldering heavy backpacks, plodding resolutely upslope to the trailless wilderness of Bayamesa. Specifically, we hoped to reach two peaks that, as far as anyone can determine, had never been visited by humans. If any region of Sierra Maestra harbored a concentration of overwintering Bicknell’s Thrushes, Bayamesa’s virgin cloud forests seemed like our best bet. Over the next week, from a base camp at 5,000 feet we hiked up and over Pico Bayamesa each day, braving rain, chilly temperatures, treacherously steep slopes, soaked vegetation, and chronically wet boots. My machete-wielding colleagues made steady but slow progress, though we had to call it quits well short of our goal – the 10-kilometer-distant Pico Maceo. However, we claimed a measure of victory with the discovery of seven new Bicknell’s Thrushes, three of which we banded. Instant mashed potatoes, freeze-dried spaghetti, and insanely-sweetened camp coffee never tasted so good! There is no substitute for team work under adverse conditions, and our camaraderie forged indelible memories. My Cuban friends’ irrepressibly good humor, physical stamina, dynamic optimism, resiliency, and prodigious field skills were nothing short of inspiring.

To wrap up the Bicknell’s Thrush story (for now), what can we say about this elusive songbird in eastern Cuba after three winters on the island? First, it is clear that Cuba offers this species nowhere near the stronghold that Hispaniola does, despite its abundance of suitable, intact cloud forest habitat. Second, Cuba’s protected areas are in exceptionally good shape and provide Bicknell’s Thrush a far more secure winter refuge than elsewhere in its restricted winter range – I can only wish that more birds overwintered there! And third, we’re far from having all the answers. Much work remains to be done, and my Cuban colleagues are eager to lead the charge, and to keep me involved – that suits me just fine.

To conclude with a few reflections on the remarkable Cuban people, I’m deeply struck by the way they value life and the simple pleasures life offers to us all. These are people who have relatively little, and scant opportunities for material gains under the island’s long-standing Communist political system. To me, the lack of visible socioeconomic class distinctions – which I witnessed in Santiago de Cuba and every outlying rural area we visited – is truly refreshing. I’m convinced it promotes harmony, community, and a sense of social compassion. People are genuine, caring, generous, and respectful. No one is hurrying, hustling, competing. We could learn a lot from Cubans.

I’m left with a genuine sense of humility from my experiences on Cuba, not only for the opportunity to visit the island’s most remote and majestic wilderness areas, but by my extraordinarily good fortune to advance conser­vation science with dedicated, talented, and fun-loving Cuban colleagues, now my lifelong friends.

Michael McCarthy in his book Moth Snowstorm remembers evening drives when moths filled the headlights like snowflakes in a blizzard. Memories of summer always include sounds of insect life, children happily chasing butterflies and catching lightening bugs.

Insects have undergone a severe, largely unnoticed decline over at least three decades. Scientists have now documented the decline and studied its causes. A 2017 study in Germany, revealed a shocking 76% decline in insect biomass in nature preserves. Fewer insects are present, and their ranges are restricted. A review study published this month in Biological Conservation reports that 40% of insect species worldwide are threatened with extinction. Butterflies (Lepidoptera), wasps and bees (Hymenoptera), and dung beetles (Coleoptera) are most affected. The reasons for the decline include habitat loss to intensive agriculture and urbanization, pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers; invasive species; and climate change. A few common and generalist species are increasing in number, occupying vacant ecological niches, but they are unlikely to be adequate substitutes.

Three broad categories of insects – decomposers, carnivores, and herbivores – support life on earth. Decomposers feed on dead or rotten plants, animals, and excrement clearing waste, recycling nutrients, and building humus. Carnivores prey on or parasitize other animals. We rely on insect carnivores for integrated pest management. Herbivores include pollinators and leaf-eating insects. Pollinators are necessary for plant regeneration, including many foods we eat. Leaf-eating insects and the insects that prey on them are essential diets for a wide range of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Indeed, our nesting birds feed leaf-eating insects to their young in spring when no seeds are available. In addition to documented decreases in animal life because of fewer insects, scientists anticipate further cascading effects on animal populations. A mass extinction of insects will result in a mass extinction of animals and affect human populations, too.

What can we do to stop the insect decline?

We can increase insect habitat by:

1. Planting native species. While some generalist pollinators will visit non-native plants, leaf-eating insects and specialist pollinators rely often exclusively on plants they evolved with. Without those native plants, they starve. Plant many different species in a succession of bloom times from early spring to late fall. Think shrubs and trees, not just flowers. Find some of the best native plants by visiting Doug Tallamy’s website Bringing Nature Home or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Look for our insect display coming soon to the Norwich Post Office.
2. Do not spray with herbicides, fungicides, or pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, which are highly toxic to bees. Use the Xerces Society website to print out the names of neonicotinoids so you can avoid them. Insist on plants and seeds that are neonicotinoid-free. Use horticultural oils if you have to spray.
3. Leave bare ground. Many native solitary bees are ground-nesting and require bare soil. These are not yellow jackets. They do not sting.
4. Reduce your lawn and increase edge habitat. Raise your lawn mower as high as possible, mow infrequently, and leave clippings on the lawn. Leave as much ‘natural’ edge as possible.
5. Reduce deer overbrowse by using repellents such as Liquid Fence, fencing, or support measures to reduce local deer populations to sustainable levels.

Support agricultural practices that benefit insects. Buy organic as much as possible. Buy from farms that use regenerative and pollinator-friendly farming practices.

Remove invasive species and avoid planting non-natives as much as possible.

Adopt practices and support policies and procedures that reduce climate change and pollution. Although insects in New England are somewhat less susceptible to climate change than those in the tropics, they are under stress from many sources. Pollution from sewer plants and farming have serious effects on insects, especially aquatic insects.

Participate in citizen science projects involving insects. Vermont Center for Ecostudies is starting a bumblebee surveying project that should include our area by 2020. You can contribute to iNaturalist Vermont and eButterfly. Details are at the Vermont Center for Ecostudies website.

Much has been written about Alden Partridge, who established Norwich University (first known as the American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy) on the town green in 1819. He was a great leader and an innovative educator. But what was life like for the teenage scholars attending the University who left their homes hundreds of miles away and sought an education in rural Vermont? Where did they live? What did they study? What did they think of Norwich?

The South Barracks before and after the 1866 fire.

Fortunately, many of the early school catalogs, student letters, and diaries have survived to this day, and from them, it’s not difficult to sketch out the daily life of the students while they studied in Norwich nearly 200 years ago.

“Here I am in the region of snow drifts once more!” Edward Stanley Abbot wrote his mother in late March of 1862 soon after he arrived to begin the spring term. “I got here this afternoon and have established myself to my satisfaction in this frowsy country village… I am to board close to the Academy (“Barracks” they call it here) at Mrs. Dowe’s, a comfortable house and clever people apparently. I am to have a nice large parlor and a snug little sleeping room at the enormous sum of half a dollar a week!”

Once Abbot arranged his housing and meals he began his classes. With Partridge as the superintendent, the cadets were introduced to a “vigorous course of study.” The faculty was a talented one and offered over a dozen courses that included everything from astronomy to civil engineering as well as five foreign languages. In addition, the cadets were “correctly instructed in the elementary school of the soldier…” with a system of discipline that was “strict, but correct.”

Students slept in large barracks that were located on the green. According to the school manual, “The students (were) required to sleep on mattresses, or straw-beds; no featherbeds… allowed…” Cadets boarded (ate their meals) “at respectable and genteel houses in the village.” The quality of the meals varied greatly and the young men were never hesitant to critique the local fare. In 1824 in a letter to his family, John Hancock described his New Year’s day meal. “This day we had a turkey at our boarding house for the first time since I arrived here. It weighed ten-and-a-half pounds and ten boarders soon demolished it and went off complaining of being hungry. For my part, I only had one tuff drumstick – slim dinner for all of us…” By the end of April, young Hancock had moved to another boarding house run by the Emerson family. “I went to dinner for the first time at this place and must acknowledge I did not think there was any house in the village that could produce such good victuals… Warm cakes at breakfast and supper and… the butter, too, must not be passed over without giving it the eulogy it deserves. It is yellow, cut handsome and stamped very handsomely.”

A young cadet, class of 1864.

While meals were definitely on the mind of the cadets, a tight military schedule kept them busy. A typical day was outlined by William Davis in 1842. He woke at 5am to the beating of a drum and attended roll call. Breakfast was at 6:30, followed by “prayers and lecture by Capt. Partridge.” Classes ran from 8:30 until the noon meal. At 3pm, “…We were paraded in streets by Adjutant (Partridge)… until 5. He marched us to the Hotel and treated us to a glass of wine. Went upon guard at 1/2 past seven – and staid on until 10. I came into my quarters this evening more fatigued than usual. Studied until nearly 12 and then retired to rest-taking soldier comfort lying upon the hard floor. Quite a luxury…”

But outside of classes and hours of marching, many cadets learned to enjoy what Norwich had to offer. In the winter, the young men skated on the flooded parade ground and some ventured out on the Connecticut River “where there is elegant skating.” The cadets purchased maple syrup from the villagers, others swapped “old pantaloons, coats, etc.” for the syrup. Often winter dances were planned, but due to the fickle weather, many were canceled as was the case in late February of 1824. “This is Washington’s birthday and the cadets contemplated having a ball tomorrow eve… but owing to the freshet and several other disasters, the bridges being carried away and no girls are in place…we shall have to abandon the idea.”

For cadets like Abbot who grew up in Boston, Norwich quickly lost its appeal during mud season. “As for the place itself, Norwich may be best described as an enormous pig sty,” he wrote. “Filth, nothing but filth, all over town owing to the fact that we are thawing out. I stay in the house all the time since it is sheer impossibility to walk the street, and the weather is too cold as yet for me to wear nothing but swimming drawers and paddle round town.” Yet his mood changed, as it does for most Vermonters when spring finally arrived. “I no longer live in a pig sty,” he began in a late May letter. “Norwich is most beautiful, within the last three days, the bare unsightly trees have put on the verdure of the soft spring foliage, the grass and flowers have risen from their graves…”

Once the weather warmed up, skirmishes often erupted between the cadets and the students at Dartmouth College. The ‘Darties’ were not impressed by the marching and uniforms of the Norwich students and often pelted the cadets with eggs when they ventured into Hanover. And the cadets were disdainful of the civilian college across the Connecticut River.

In June of 1839, 100 Dartmouth students in a long column of fours, marched into Norwich and attempted to enter the Norwich University grounds before they returned to Hanover. “Our gate was guarded,” recalled one cadet. “The sticks and canes carried by the invaders proved ineffective in the assault against the bayonets of the guard. The invaders, after a short struggle, broke in retreat and were not pursued. Spoils of the history consisted of cursed silk hats and two or three walking sticks.”

The cadets did not take the “nighttime invasion” lightly and returned the favor a few weeks later by marching in full uniform to the Dartmouth campus. With 150 men, three snare drums, three fifes, and a bugle, they formed one column and “struck out for the land of our enemy, Captain Partridge in command.”

After crossing the bridge, the cadets marched up the hill. Around the green, “the roads and grounds were filled and progress was difficult, and here was where we expected trouble… We would not resent jeers, hisses, or insulting remarks, but drew the line at stones and brickbats. We knew why we had fixed bayonets and why our arms were at carry. We were ready for an emergency – none came… Emerging from the crowd, we marched to the end of the village, then we countermarched and took our way homeward; our band playing Yankee Doodle.”

The hostilities ebbed as the Civil War approached. Students from both schools met and formed political clubs and presidential candidates were jointly supported. At a mixed meeting held in Hanover shortly before the war, a Dartmouth student proclaimed, “We must acknowledge that you are not only our equals in classic and scientific attainments, but our superiors in this, that you can buckle on the sword and lead men in this conflict, while we must shoulder the musket.”

Norwich Cadets

Cadets left Norwich University to fight or help organize state militias once the Civil War began. The entire class of 1862 enlisted upon graduation. By the end of the war, over 600 Norwich alumni served in the Union Army while 40 cadets fought for the Confederacy. One of those who fought for the Union was Edward Abbot, who wrote so eloquently about his experiences in the “frowsy” little village of Norwich. Within weeks of his graduation in the summer of 1862, he became an officer in the Union Army. The next summer, while leading his men near Little Round Top at the battle of Gettysburg, he was shot and died soon afterward from his wounds. He was 22 years old.

The story of cadet life in Norwich came to a close on the evening of March 14, 1866, when a fire broke out in the South Barracks. The cadets scrambled to save the books and furniture and set up a bucket brigade; but the blaze was too powerful and the building was a total loss. Soon after the fire, the University moved to Northfield, Vermont, where the prosperous railway center made a generous offer to help rebuild the military school.

Never again did young cadets march up Main Street to hear Partridge speak from his home or protect the campus from an invasion of Darties. No longer did the citizens of Norwich visit with cadets at the village store, watch them skate on the river, or have them as guests for a New Year’s meal. The University was in Norwich for less than 50 years, but it made an impact. One has to wonder what the town would be like if it had remained.

Drop into Norwich Historical Society this summer to see the exhibit “The Education of Citizen Soldiers: Norwich University turns 200.”

Several of the photos in this article were used courtesy of Norwich University Archives, Northfield, Vermont.

Jill Kearney Niles and Doug Robinson Named Stewards of Norwich

If you live in Norwich, you’ve encountered Demo Sofronas. You might not know it — but face it, the man and his works are everywhere. Maybe you’ve watched him crossing kids to Marion Cross in the morning. Or stopped to ponder the new monument honoring Norwich residents who served in the armed forces post-Vietnam, which he helped create. Or you read his “About Norwich” blog on DailyUV, which knits townspeople together. Or you’ve seen him at the Norwich Fair, sat on one of the benches he helped put together behind the library, or come across some other Norwich Lions Club service project he’s been involved in. Or you encountered him when he was postmaster here. Or you’ve used the library, on whose board he sits. Or, until a month ago or so, you watched the Selectboard on CATV—though you wouldn’t have seen Demo, because he was the guy behind the camera.

Here’s the other thing about Demo: If you do have occasion to work with him, you can count on two things — he’ll always be upbeat, friendly, and constructive; and he doesn’t wait to be asked to roll up his sleeves.  If there’s a building project, he’s got hammer in hand. If things need setting straight or organizing, he plunges in. If a conversation is getting testy  — on a nonprofit board, planning some volunteer event, in a town gathering — he cheerfully reminds everyone that we’re all just trying to do the best we can, and that everything will turn out okay. Plain and simple, Norwich would not work as well as it does without him.

All of this may be why, when the Norwich Citizen of the Year Committee asked townspeople for nominations this year, the “Demo!” emails came flooding in. And it is also why the committee is tickled pink to be able to announce that Demo Sofronas is the 2019 Norwich Citizen of the Year. When you see Demo around town, please congratulate him.

The committee is equally pleased to say that we’re also honoring two town employees, Recreation Director Jill Kearney Niles and Police Chief Doug Robinson, whose longstanding contributions to the quality of life in town are so overwhelming that naming them Stewards of Norwich can’t even begin to describe their impact. Both are stepping down this spring, and we’ll miss them tremendously.

Jill has been running town recreation programs for 26 years. It’s tempting to say that all you have to do is look at any recreation brochure to see her impact: a range of programs and resources for kids and adults that towns twice this size would envy. But her impact has actually been far greater: She’s not only made it possible for townspeople and their kids to exercise, learn a sport, and learn the life skills that sports can teach, she’s also set a tone of generosity and good will.

“Jill treats all families as special and makes exceptions and dispensations that restore humanity to the business of raising children,” one former member of the town Rec Council says. “She nurtures relationships with Norwich families in ways that make us want to volunteer to coach and assist.  She follows through providing support all along the way, including having a presence at many recreation events and games.  The children all know Jill and feel safe under her leadership because of her friendly presence at their games.  She knows so many of them by name, saying hello to them and inquiring about them long after they have graduated from Norwich recreation sports.”

By comparison, Doug is a short-timer, having worked for the Norwich Police Department for a mere 17 years — the first three as sergeant, then 14 years as chief. There’s a lot we could say about how Norwich has benefited from the shift he led to a community-centered model of policing, and about the ways in which he encouraged the town’s police officers to serve Norwich as resources as well as law enforcers. But Doug will probably be remembered most for his sheer humanity and compassion.

Reminiscing after he announced his retirement, he said this: “Way back, when I was a school resource officer, a young lady comes up at high-school graduation, gives me a big hug, and says she wouldn’t have made it without me. And I remembered all the times I had to deal with her truancy and getting her to go to school, and now she was going off to the Navy. It’s moments like that that you go, ‘Wow, I really did make a difference!’ You don’t realize, when you just go and stop a car for speeding, that you might just have saved that person’s life.”

“Doug looked out for a lot of people,” says Marion Cross School Principal Bill Hammond. “But he had a soft spot for the kids here. One of his most reliable and memorable contributions was during Bike-to-School Day. He showed up early at Huntley Meadows, chatted with kids and adults, and then led the parade to Marion Cross School in his cruiser. He set the pace. He made sure the traffic was controlled while the kids biked down Main Street. He came with a smile and left us in good, safe shape. I can’t tell you about all of our interactions, but I can tell you that his goal was always about finding a solution that was in the best interest of the child.”

So please! Make sure you come to the Norwich Women’s Club Gala on Saturday, March 16 from 6 to 10pm, as the town comes together to honor and celebrate Demo Sofronas, Jill Kearney Niles, and Doug Robinson.

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.

The four words we use to describe this experience to our friends are Shock, Awe, Gratitude, and Joy.” Kristin Brown and her husband, Stuart Close, have had ample opportunity to recount their once-in-a-lifetime adventure as unexpected VIP attendees at this year’s Superbowl game in Atlanta. Sitting in their living room in Norwich thinking back on their trip yet again, they both keep breaking into huge smiles. “We were just pinching ourselves that whole weekend and couldn’t  believe that it was actually happening. So far outside our normal life.”

Kristin and Stuart were seated next to singer/actress Vanessa Hudgens

No mere ballgame, the Superbowl has been described as “a celebration of our shared American condition,” and, “a combination of Thanksgiving-like feasting, Fourth of July-like Americanism, and Christmas-like commercialism into a spectacle that draws the largest audience for any event in modern national life.” Even those who aren’t into football will make an exception and join friends to watch the big game in February. But for many die-hard fans, seeing the Superbowl in person is most definitely a bucket list item.

Which was part of the reason why Kristin found herself casually browsing for tickets shortly after the Patriots had punched their ticket to this year’s game. Not surprisingly, the prices were crazy, but then she happened to come across a raffle by the American Cancer Society (ACS). A contribution to their decade long “Crucial Catch” cancer awareness and prevention campaign in collaboration with the NFL entered you in a raffle for an over-the-top VIP package to Superbowl LIII. Feeling that her money would be better spent on a good cause than on expensive tickets anyway, she donated and promptly put it out of her mind. Then, less than week before kickoff in Atlanta, she received a call from the organizers. She half expected that they were just looking to hit her up for an additional donation. “What are you doing for the Superbowl?” the guy casually asked. “Oh, we’re going to hang out with our friends as we always do,” answered Kristin. “Well,” he said, “How would you like to actually go to the Superbowl this year?”

“And that,” says Kristin, “was when we lost it.”

What followed was an abundance of experiences and thrills. “It was so much fun,” says Kristin, “but so opposite anything we’d otherwise ever do.” They had primarily been excited about the chance to watch the game up close, but they ended up with so much more. “I had no idea we were going to concerts,” says Stuart with a shrug. Not only concerts, but opportunities to hang out with the halftime show band, Maroon 5, and various celebrities, being escorted around to parties and VIP events, getting sidelines passes to watch the Patriots warm up, and then third row seats at the game itself (“right by the end zone where the Patriots got their touchdown,” notes Kristin gleefully). Then there were the post game parties and the NFL awards show. “We barely touched the tip of the iceberg,” says Stuart, “even though it felt like we barely slept or ate for four days.”

Stuart Close and Kristin Brown proudly flying the Patriots flag

Just listening to the rundown is exhausting, but in spite of the VIP treatment, much of what they now recall as highlights from their trip were random fan encounters, like their chance to cheer on the Patriots players as the team was getting on their busses outside a hotel on the day of the game.

They loved the atmosphere permeating Atlanta. “We walked everywhere, and there was just so much excitement, so many friendly people, including the 10,000 volunteers who helped you out wherever you went.” Like Roald Dahl’s Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, they found it all awe inspiring. “The stadium itself: Oh, my god. We stayed in that stadium until midnight, when the security guards kindly told us it was time to go home,” recounts Kristin.

Approaching their big adventure with such a sense of genuine excitement and wonderment was richly rewarded; in fact, their easy going nature and appreciation for everything going on around them left even their jaded big city hosts and organizers in awe of this unassuming New England couple that came to the big show and just took it all in.

“Super Bowl LIII was not merely bad. It was a boring, lame, non-suspenseful, never-ending, drool-puddle exercise in all that can suck about professional football and the surrounding hoopla.” So read just one of many scathing reviews of this year’s big event. But perhaps it’s little more than armchair quarterbacking by unappreciative curmudgeons, because Stuart and Kristin completely disagree. “There was nothing dull about it at all,” they insist. They thought the game was riveting and the halftime show amazing.

“There will be nothing in our life ever like that again,” notes Kristin almost wistfully. “We hadn’t really been away since our kids were born. That made it all the more special.” And, to top it all off, the Patriots won. For a couple of die-hard New Englanders, it really doesn’t get much better than that.

Kristen and Stuart enjoyed meeting halftime band Maroon 5 during the celebrity festivities

They’re left with incredible memories and a closet full of merchandise. Definitely lifelong supporters of the ACS, and still in touch with the team from Fanthropic, the company that facilitates the collaboration between the NFL and the ACS. Next year, they’ll be back to watching the game with friends in the Upper Valley. “But,” says Kristin, “we’ll be reliving our trip to Atlanta, doing it all over again in our minds.”

It was just one more challenge that the January night of the awards ceremony threatened a dismayingly snowy drive. But—as the award bears witness—overcoming challenges is a specialty of Opera North, the Upper Valley’s esteemed homegrown opera company. Three intrepid representatives of the company set forth for Concord, NH, to receive the New Hampshire Theatre Alliance’s Matty Gregg Award for Vision and Tenacity.

“I think of it as New Hampshire’s equivalent of the Tony awards,” says Opera North’s Director of Development (and former Norwich resident), Maria Laskaris. ON was being honored for its collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) which resulted in last summer’s “Singers and Swingers,” a surprising blend of opera music and circus performance at the NPS site, Blow-Me-Down Farm. The property, with its beautiful views of water and mountains, has historic links to the nearby Augustus Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site.

Told of the proposed blend of different arts, some people thought “Circus and opera, weird” and stayed home. Open-minded folks thought “Circus and opera, weird—let’s go find out what they’re up to.” This adventurous crowd was richly rewarded. The unique blend of circus arts and opera music bent audience brains in a pleasing way, opening people to connections they had not felt before. “You think, come on—circus and opera!?” says Jim Adler, now in Quechee after years in Norwich. Jim has been attending ON shows with his wife, Brooke, for over 20 years. “Then you have the excitement of seeing people pull off a major risk” as they display newly combined art forms.

It was the partnership with the National Park Service that tipped the scales for ON to win the Tenacity award, says Maria. The NPS has been on the lookout for an arts organization that would work with them to create a national park for the arts, and ON is poised to be that partner. While the prospect of working with a government body might give pause, ON sees a wide-open field of possibilities. They’re prepared to accept NPS restrictions such as not changing the exterior of the site’s historic buildings. “We’re experimenting with different things,” says Maria. “Some things will go better in a traditional environment [like Lebanon Opera House], “but we’re trying new venues, and looking for new audiences.” Like many arts groups, ON presenters see their audience aging, and work to engage new fans. Exposing circus aficionados to opera music fits their bill precisely.

Norwich’s Arline Rotman says, with her characteristic vigor, “We look forward to [ON] every year. We’re opera fans and we go to all the HD operas [at the Hop], but especially in these days of HD, live opera is an incomparable experience. In recent years they’ve upped the ante in costuming, drama, staging.” She and her husband went to Blow-Me-Down Farm last summer. “They blew us away,” she says, with just a slight humorous accent on the blew. “We’re excited to see what they’ll do with it.”

Jim and Brooke Adler

Next summer, July 12-14, will see five shows of “Hoedown at Blow-Me-Down,” with circus performers and American music by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, and Richard Rodgers.