Regardless of your path in life, the one memory that will endure the rigors of time is that of how you met your soul mate. The author believes in the adage: “One day, you will come across someone who will love you as you have always wanted; like never before.”

Taking that into consideration, meet Dick and Sally Morrill. The couple resides at the Quail Hollow Senior Living Community in West Lebanon. Both are energetic and active octogenarians (85) who have gained a reputation among their peers as role models enduring the aging process. They are known for their wide smiles and sunny dispositions. Even a life-threatening pandemic sweeping the nation could not alter their love for each other and others surrounding them.

Sally was born in Lebanon at Alice Peck Day Hospital and grew up in Lyme, NH. Dick hails from Hyannis, Massachusetts. So, how did their paths cross?

“One of my buddies and I had traveled to the Bradford, Vermont area to do some bow hunting for deer in October,” Dick explained. “After a full day of being in the woods, we headed for a local bar to treat ourselves to a drink and something to eat.” Sally and two of her friends were at the same establishment for a ladies’ night out. As the ladies were starting to leave, they converged near the door.

“I kind of gave a Ta-Da as a greeting at the door,” Sally recalled with a grin. “We all started talking and since there was music being played, we all decided to go back in together.”

“My buddy and I started flirting with these lovely ladies and one thing led to another and we all sat down together,” said Dick. “When the music really got going, I asked if anyone would like to dance, especially a polka. I love the polka and Dick indicated he would dance with me. That is how it all started,” said Sally. “Yeah. It was one of those names-on-a-napkin deals from there and we kept in contact,” said Dick.

Dick had served in the United States Marines for eight years, including active duty and in the reserves as a Weapons Repair Specialist. That was followed by a career in the grocery business, which eventually led him to New Hampshire and to work in the Upper Valley. “I then ended up opening a grocery store in Spofford, NH.”

Sally had established a career at Dartmouth College working for the Athletic Department. They got married in 1982 at the Cathedral of The Pines in Rindge, NH.

Today, the pair remain active helping others and comforting fellow seniors as a high priority. Sally served as a volunteer for seven years at Dartmouth Hitchcock Memorial Hospital at the Heater Road location. “I basically worked as a volunteer greeting people and welcoming them. I have always loved doing that, but the pandemic brought all that to a halt for me. Here at Quail Hollow, that is what I missed most during the height of the pandemic. Visiting with others and offering my help where needed and offering comfort. It is so good to see that return.”

During retirement, Dick enjoys an opportunity to display one of his many talents. He is an established and talented painter. “Painting was always an art form that I became interested in. When I was 14 years old, the Brockton Massachusetts Library asked me to display my work and they sold them as a fundraiser. They sold them all and I was never able to get them back,” Dick said with a grin.

That pattern continues today. His work is currently on display at Quail Hollow and selling quickly. “I love doing it. I took a course that ended up lasting three years in Toll Painting Design. I learned to paint Toll Acrylics. I am very pleased and surprised how quickly they sell.”

Dick has also been an avid golfer since he was 14 and continues to pursue that passion today. Continuing both activities with such enthusiasm and dedication at 85 reveals incredible courage and zest for life. “I have slowed down quite a bit on the golf course, but I still love it very much. To date, I have been treated for five types of Cancer, but I am still here,” he said.

On any given day, you will see the pair visiting with fellow seniors in their community; offering companionship and aid wherever needed. They also devote much of their time to contacting their seven children spread out across the country. None of this would have taken place had it not been for their love for dancing the polka that day in the local Bradford bar.

In early 2022, Lebanon may be able to provide greener energy to its residents while saving them money through an electric aggregation plan called Lebanon Community Power (LCP). The project, which has been spearheaded by Assistant Mayor Clifton Below, takes advantage of a state law that allows municipalities to become electricity suppliers, negotiating lower electricity rates, and clean, sustainable energy on behalf of their communities.

Keene became the first municipality in New Hampshire to adopt a Community Power Plan in May of this year; since then, Hanover and Harrisville have adopted their own plans, and Derry, Dover, Exeter, Nashua, and Portsmouth are in the process. In September, the Lebanon City Council will consider whether to adopt Lebanon’s plan. There appear to be no downsides to adopting the plan; there’s no cost to join the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire, the Joint Powers Agency formed to share administrative and electricity procurement services between municipalities in the state, and the plan explicitly states that LCP will not launch unless it can provide rates that are competitive with or lower than those currently available to residents. Liberty, the current default supplier, will still provide and maintain the power grid, so there is no need to build additional infrastructure. Further, the program is voluntary, allowing residents to opt out for any reason.

Jon Chaffee, a member of the Lebanon Energy Advisory Committee (LEAC), is excited about the opportunity the plan provides. “There’s a geek factor,” he says, of the many reasons to support LCP. The possibility of supporting the development of numerous regional renewable sources of electricity is a substantial draw. “The utilities can’t do that, but community power can actively support renewable generation.” Opportunities abound, such as the project currently underway that hopes to convert methane gas emissions from the landfill to electricity that would help the city to meet its emission reduction goals in the energy chapter of the Master Plan. Buying power from regional generators helps the local economy, makes the grid greener and more resilient, and lowers the cost of transmitting electricity from distant fossil fuel powered generators. Transmission charges are a significant portion of the electric bill and savings benefit all rate payers. 

Two other great opportunities, Jon says, are that LCP can offer simplified Community net metering, and LCP can offer an optional pilot of time-of-use (TOU) rates – a long-standing aspiration shared by Jon and other members of LEAC, as well as other residents. With TOU rates, customers can save electric costs by limiting their use during peak hours and shifting that burden to other times when the demand for electricity is lower. 

The idea of TOU rates may sound minor, but it’s not: the City of Lebanon has saved tens of thousands of dollars per year by paying attention to its peak usage and reducing its capacity charges – the charge in everyone’s electric bill that provides the generation capacity to cover peak power usage. Meanwhile, the capacity charges on all NH ratepayers’ bills are going up year after year because of lack of attention to reducing the NH share of electricity use, compared to neighboring states, on the one peak use day of the year that is the basis for calculating the capacity charge. As such, by providing residents the opportunity to see when their electricity consumption is more costly, LCP can not only help them to reduce their costs but help all rate payers in the state by decreasing peak usage. Jon mentions that Lebanon has reduced its capacity significantly by shutting down its water treatment and wastewater pumps at peak times, running them when usage is low otherwise, and is planning to install air conditioners that chill during off-peak hours. “We want to give those benefits to people more broadly,” he says, by allowing users to opt in to TOU rates.

LEAC is confident that community power can provide a better product for Lebanon’s residents. In a pair of public hearings over the summer, Clifton Below and LEAC member Meghan Butts explained the plan and answered questions. “Think of it as a buying club for electricity,” says Meghan: the statewide coalition will be able to leverage the needs of multiple communities to procure electricity at competitive rates and incorporate renewable energy at levels set by the municipalities themselves. For LCP, Clifton envisions a tiered system, starting with a base product that provides cheap rates and a moderate amount of renewable energy that’s still greater than what the existing default supplier provides. For an additional cost, bringing the price in line with or above that of Liberty’s supply, a customer can increase the percentage of renewable energy, up to 100% renewable. This system would allow LCP to meet the needs of a variety of consumers while supporting real renewable energy.

How will community power beat the rates of existing suppliers?

Again, the answer lies in the locally controlled coalition. Rather than going to bid twice a year, locking in rates for six-month periods with a buffer to hedge against volatility during that long window, the plan will build a rolling portfolio of short-term contracts while procurement professionals seek out good deals and evaluate the risk and return of longer term options. Rather than increasing volatility, Jon believes the shorter contracts will stabilize rates for customers by decreasing the length of a price increase and allowing LCP to cover short-term changes with a reserve fund. And with the expertise of those professionals, the buying power of the coalition can ensure LCP caters to the needs of its customers. Hundreds of businesses and residents already buy their power from competitive suppliers and commercial brokers; as Jon says, “it’s been an advantage for the businesses that can afford it, so we’re offering those advantages to the 6000 residential and 1000 business customers that still use Liberty default service.”

Community power will be a great opportunity to support grid modernization. The existing system relies on massive peak generation capacity, much of which is only used in a very small time slot over the course of a year but still needs to be available for that time. By coordinating usage and production regionally, we can balance the needs of Lebanon effectively and sustainably. Lebanon Community Power will perform the analysis of rates, products, and contracts for us, getting us the energy we need, and doing it with our interests in mind.

Following her retirement as principal of Mount Lebanon Elementary School, Eloise Ginty wanted to spend her time on meaningful projects that would have a positive impact on people’s lives. So, she began volunteering for non-profits that focused on migrant justice and planned parenthood, but she quickly learned that her leadership skills and experience were calling her to take a different path. “I had been a leader, and I felt that I needed a bigger project for transition into retirement,” said Eloise. “I wanted to keep it focused, with a clear vision.”

While on a pre-pandemic road trip, Eloise was reflecting on her next steps, and recalled her social activism days during junior high school cleaning garages to support children in other countries who needed funds to attend school. Her activism continued with a job as a camp counselor for children of migrant workers supported by Cesar Chavez, the Mexican American labor leader and civil rights activist. 

Soon the vision for a new non-profit began to take shape and Eloise worked to refine the focus of the organization. What emerged was an all-volunteer organization and giving program called, “Hearts You Hold,” or HYH. HYH matches donors with migrants, immigrants, and refugees around the country and locally to provide what they need and want to thrive in their new home. “I originally thought of the name ‘Heart to Heart’ but that was taken by many organizations,” said Eloise. “I was looking around for something similar and ‘Hearts You Hold’ popped up and I really liked it.”

Individuals and families make the journey to the United States from their home countries for many reasons: to receive an education, reunite with family, to seek work, or to escape persecution and violence where they live. According to the New Hampshire Department of Human Services, there are nearly 400 refugees in various resettlement communities around the state, and Vermont supports roughly the same number annually. Immigrants who choose to become U.S. citizens and seasonal migrant workers, largely employed in the agriculture field, also need support adjusting to the systems and culture of the United States.

“I wanted people to feel supported and welcomed given the history of how difficult it is for immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees to transition to a new place.” With national bans on immigration and other challenges, Eloise wanted to give potential donors an opportunity to impact specific individuals that they might know or work with. “I realized that people who want to be helpful don’t necessarily know how to be helpful.” 

A partnership with the national non-profit Catholic Charities started the ball rolling with referrals coming in from around the country. While this approach began to have the impact Eloise was looking for, she wanted to focus locally, as well. 

The organization’s board members and volunteers are largely from the Upper Valley, some with connections to Dartmouth’s student-run FUERZA Migrant Outreach program. Another local volunteer is Bise Wood Saint Eugene, a LISTEN staff member originally from Haiti, who learned about Hearts You Hold while searching for a way to help people through his work and personal contacts. 

Bise Wood shares the Hearts You Hold philosophy to provide “what people need and want, rather than assume we know what they need.”. Reaching out to the people he knew in the community and through his LISTEN contacts, Bise Wood developed a gas card program to help people get to medical appointments, interviews, and other important destinations. More than 20 gas cards have been funded to date. “I feel like there are too few resources for the number of people who are in need, whether it’s mental health, housing, homelessness, childcare, or food. I hope that more people will think deeply about the necessity to make reliable and predictable resources available to all persons in the Upper Valley, and be willing to learn from others, hence becoming more concerned about others in their community who are suffering.”

Bise Wood’s journey to the Upper Valley is rooted in finding a safe and secure place for his family to live. “I founded a non-profit, the Organization for Holistic Development of Communities in Haiti with a focus on helping kids go to school free of charge. My work collided with corruption practices. Those forces – you can’t avoid them – and it made my life difficult. I had left the country several times due to death threats, and in 2014, I finally decided to settle in the Upper Valley. My life and that of my family were in danger.”

When Bise Wood decided to move to the U.S., his Red Cross colleagues who had been assigned to work in Haiti, including his former supervisor, encouraged him to move to the Upper Valley. They understood the challenges and risks Bise Wood faced in Haiti doing the work he loved. “I did research on how Lebanon had a low crime rate and was rated as one of the top small towns in America,” he said. “I have been here for seven years and haven’t seen any crime.” 

Over the years, Bise Wood has become involved with several organizations that support the needs of immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, and the general population, including the Upper Valley Refugee Working Group, Migrant Justice, Upper Valley Strong, Upper Valley Response Team, Talking Bridge, and VT/NH Red Cross. 

While he is appreciative of the efforts by the various groups there are still many gaps to fill. “There is a good response at the organizational level, but there aren’t enough mental health services, resources for hom‑elessness and affordable housing. “I think one way it could change is if everyone receiving services could participate in the decision-making and not be afraid of being discriminated against. They don’t have a platform where they can express their suffering and where others could hear about it and learn from the circumstances that led to their situation.”

Direct connection between potential donors and those in need is the beauty of the Hearts You Hold model. Most of the volunteers for the organization have been connected to migrant farm workers specifically, but Bise Wood’s work has encouraged Eloise to understand the broader need here in the Upper Valley and nationwide. “Part of my work involves reaching out to non-profits who are willing to query their constituent group about what they need, and then upload the requests to the website,” says Eloise. 

She also spends time establishing sustainable relationships with organizations and individuals so that as many people as possible can be helped. 

One poignant story involves a child who requested a guitar. It turns out, the request was made so that the child who crossed the southern border alone, could learn to play so he could stay connected to his father. The request was funded and made a huge difference in the child’s life here in the U.S. Eloise says, “It’s not my role to make judgments about the requests. You never know why someone needs or wants something that might have special meaning for them.” 

For his part, Bise Wood appreciates being able to use the LISTEN platform to give voice to the unique needs of the Upper Valley’s population of migrants, immigrants, and refugees, as well as his own social connections. “What I love the most about LISTEN is that our services are available to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, political view, group affiliation, and background. I just put myself out there and do what I believe in, which is helping other people.” 

Fortunately for the Upper Valley community of immigrants, migrant workers, and refugees, Eloise seems to have met her goal of finding a bigger project to focus on in her retirement by creating Hearts You Hold.

For more information about Hearts You Hold, to make a secure online donation, or to get your organization connected, visit https://heartsyouhold.org or contact Eloise at info@heartsyouhold.org.

Among the outdoor events that went virtual through Covid last year was the annual Walk to End Alzheimer’s.  The event is held every fall in more than 600 communities across the country to raise money and awareness for the work of the Alzheimer’s Association. The walk went on nonetheless, and Lebanon locals came through with a strong show of participants, sponsors and spirit. They’ll be at it again this year on October 2, this time with the option to do what communities do best – to connect in person.  

The Power of Purple: Purple is the color of the Alzheimer’s Association, and “going purple” is a way to show support for the cause. Several local schools used the power of sports, with teams wearing purple socks and shirts for their games and practices around the week of the walk. The Cheer Team led the purple charge at Lebanon High. At Kimball Union Academy the effort was motivated by an especially deep connection.    

John Custer is a history teacher, soccer coach, and hockey coach at KUA. His wife Karen was also a math teacher at KUA before being diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s, at age 51. At the time their two sons were in high school. She passed away 10 years later, in 2013, after a long struggle for herself and the family. In her memory, Custer hopes to spread awareness that Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of the elderly but can also affect people in the prime of life. 

Last year, Custer was looking for a way for KUA to be involved with the Walk to End Alzheimer’s, but the volunteer options were out. He found the solution through KUA’s science department and sports teams. Then-junior Libby Kotei-Fearon,  one of KUA’s Stem Scholars, was looking for a two-year project based in neuroscience. As part of her studies, she put together a presentation on Alzheimer’s for the all school meeting the Wednesday before the walk. 

“For a high school student to even think about mental decline is pretty cool,” says Custer.  Libby’s presentation explained the disease as well as the significance of KUA athletes wearing purple socks and arm bands at their athletic events that week, and the importance of spreading awareness for the cause. The goal is to make sure as many people as possible know about both Alzheimer’s Disease and the work of the Alzheimer’s Association, which includes a free 24/7 Helpline, no-cost education programs (accessible virtually), free care consultations for families facing a diagnosis and more.  These services are funded entirely by the money raised during the Walks and other fundraising events each year. This year Libby and the Neuroscience Club will be participating in the Walk.

In addition to starting or joining a team, local businesses support the cause by sponsoring the event. Among them are Mascoma Dental and here, too, the connection is personal. Lauren Andreolas is one of the four dentists at Mascoma Dental. Her grandmother was one of three sisters, all of whom developed Alzheimer’s. Nearly two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. As Andreolas describes it: “We watched three strong, beautiful women who lived through the depression, raised children, non-traditionally went outside the home to work: who broke glass ceilings, who were great cooks, who were the matriarchs of their families become debilitated by the disease.” She recalls the experience of watching them forget their loved ones, eventually stop eating, and ultimately pass away from the disease. Andreolas and her three sisters shared that experience, and now the accompanying anxiety. “Of course, we all have the fear that this will also be our fate, so it is our job to support Alzheimer’s treatment and research.”

In addition to the services it provides, a major focus of the Alzheimer’s Association is funding research toward treatment, prevention and, eventually a cure. For Andreolas, along with so many others, directing resources and energy towards a cure provides a productive channel and a way to connect with others who share experiences and concerns. 

Among them are Jude Dutille, owner of Dutille’s Jewelry, a first-time event sponsor this year. Dutille lost his father and his father-in-law to Alzheimer’s and is all too familiar with the long and difficult journey, “My wife and I experienced it all, beginning to end.” As a local business owner, he wants to support causes in a meaningful way. Raising funds and awareness to support people touched by Alzheimer’s seemed like a natural fit. Now that Dutille and his wife are catching their breath, he recalls, with both his father and father-in-law, the times that mattered most: “Good days, or a great moment or when they laughed, or you felt like they were their old selves. You’ve got to appreciate those, because these small moments…that’s what you can give them.” 

This year’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s kicks off Saturday, October 2, at 9:30 am at Hanover High School. Here are all the ways you can support the community effort:

• Register a team or walk on your own (registration is free but all walkers are encouraged to fundraise and support the work of the Alzheimer’s Association)
• Volunteer the day of the event 
• Donate to a team or a general donation to the event
• Encourage your business to Go Purple leading up to the Walk or to display a poster 

For information on all of the above go to https://act.alz.org/uppervalley.