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.

These have become tumultuous times for police departments all across the United States, but here in Lebanon, the spotlight shines brightly on one of the highest rated law enforcement agencies, not only in New Hampshire, but the entire country.

Working hard to establish excellence for the last five years has been Lebanon Police Chief Richard Mello who recently announced his retirement at age 48 to accept a position in the private sector. He will be followed by Deputy Chief Phil Roberts, a 20-year law enforcement veteran who has worked hand-in-hand with Chief Mello on the Lebanon agency for the past five years.

Chief Mello describes, with a great deal of pride, his accomplishment during his tenure.

“Gaining the CALEA Accreditation in 2020,” he stated. “It was a difficult three-year process and less than 5% of police departments nationwide have the distinction of being accredited.”

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ (CALEA) primary purpose is to improve law enforcement service by creating a national body of standards developed by law enforcement professionals. CALEA derives its general authority from the four law enforcement membership associations whose members represent approximately 80% of the law enforcement profession in the United States.

Chief Mello now looks to the future with his new endeavor and explains his departure.

“I have served in New Hampshire law enforcement for 28 years and felt it was the right time to retire and pursue the next chapter in the private sector. My replacement, Deputy Chief Phil Roberts,  has been a solid presence for more than 20 years. He has the character, skill set and temperament to lead the department into the future.”

The Deputy Chief is certainly no stranger to the Upper Valley, having been raised in the Hartford, VT area where his father served as deputy chief.

“I do feel there is a definite advantage to having a local connection. The over 20 years I have been with the LPD has allowed me to build many great relationships and contacts with the entire Upper Valley community. Chief Mello will be missed by all. He has left the PD in a great position with many positive changes he has made over the last five years, and I look forward to carrying on those in the future. His leadership here was first class.”

Five years ago Chief Mello was drawn to the Lebanon area after having served in law enforcement in Concord, Manchester, and the Hollis, NH areas for 23 years. What appealed to him about the prospect in Lebanon?

“I was drawn to the Upper Valley area and the Lebanon community along with the police department’s professional reputation. I would describe Lebanon as a city on the rise, rich with culture and diversity and having abundant opportunities.”

Deputy Chief Roberts will have the new insignia on his uniform’s collar May 1st, and is eager to accept the challenge.

“Some priorities that I have moving forward are maintaining the national accreditation that we received from CALEA last year which is the gold standard in law enforcement regarding best practices and policies. I also look forward to when the pandemic is over and returning to our community relations programs and efforts that we have not been able to do over the last year. I don’t have any big major changes in sight. I have worked closely alongside Chief Mello and we share the same philosophy when it comes to managing the police department. I am honored and look forward to serving as the next Lebanon police chief.”

On a cold and snowy Earth Day, Thursday, April 22nd, Willing Hands and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center public health team rang in their third annual Farmacy Garden season. Despite the frigid temperature, a group of six volunteers attended. Guided by staff, the volunteers laid down rows of wood chips to delineate the vegetable beds.

Willing Hands Garden Manager, Mikey Van Siclen, radiates deep empathy and respect for the land. He stresses that soil may provide endless nutrients for us if we care for it properly. This entails a regenerative, soil-focused approach to growing fruits and vegetables.

“By building and maintaining healthy soil, managing water wisely, and increasing biodiversity, we work to enhance the overall health and production of this plot,” said Van Siclen. He added that the Willing Hands soil-focused practice enriches and preserves the subsoil network necessary to plant growth.

Alternatively, according to Van Siclen, industrial agricultural methods involve annual tillage, synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides – lethal to soil fertility. While these traditional farming practices may yield swift and successful growth in the short term, they inflict negative consequences to the land and ultimately, to people in the long run. With increasingly less fertile soil available in the world, there are fewer plots of land to farm and grow healthy food .

 “The traditional view is that soil is [just] dirt – an inert medium in which plants grow,” said Van Siclen. He adds that soil degradation not only depletes the soil’s nutrients but also ruins the biology critical to future plant growth. The result is that additional synthetic fertilizers are needed each year: a vicious cycle that further damages the land.

Willing Hands however firmly believes in the sustainable, regenerative, soil-focused methods they use to treat and care for the soil. They utilize natural fertilization, applying “compost and organic materials to feed soil biology,” to increase soil health and care for the ecosystem beneath the soils’ surface. Willing Hands adheres to low-disturbance methods, such as broadforking – a labor-intensive gardening method that loosens and aerates the soil in preparation for planting – versus tilling, which is faster but harms the roots, earthworms, and the microbial life in the subsoil. Broadforking allows the microscopic organisms that exist beneath the soil surface to live and thrive undisturbed.

“We are working to optimize soil conditions to increase soil fertility, as well as capture and store carbon in the ground,” said Van Siclen.

In other words, by making a sustainable investment in the land, they aim to produce large quantities of fresh, nutritious, organic produce that will reach more people in need.

Much as indigenous peoples lived in harmony with the land, not just from it, Willing Hands are committed to preserving the soil’s long-term health so that it will continue to provide food for future generations.

• • • • •

Through the Farmacy Garden, the public health team at DHMC is also working to increase awareness around food insecurity and decrease the stigma that surrounds this pervasive issue.

“Food insecurity – a lack of consistent access to adequate, nutritious foods – is impacting one out of six community members in our region since the pandemic started,” said public health advocate with DHMC, Chelsey R. Canavan.

Consistent with the beliefs of the Greek physician, Hippocrates, DHMC staff view food as medicine. Canavan and her team believe that diet and nutrition are vital, yet often overlooked parts of patient care. Planting this vegetable garden is a part of DHMC’s vision towards prevention, treatment, and recovery of severe health problems including, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Through the support of DHMC, Willing Hands, and volunteers, the Farmacy Garden will produce a veggie-lovers dream: an all-organic bounty of kale, collard greens, carrots, beets, cauliflower, tomatoes, peppers, onions, broccoli, and garlic. All of the produce will go directly to those suffering from food insecurity by way of the Willing Hands distribution system. Their network distributes to food pantries, partnering grocery stores, COOPs, and over 60 non-profit organizations in the Upper Valley region.

“Our goal here is to grow the most prolific, nutrient-dense crops possible – we want to maximize yields so that we can increase the amount we give back to the community,” said Van Siclen. With bright smiles, willing hands, and rows of seeds in the ground, this gardening crew is not only cultivating the soil, but also a greater sense of care, support, and connection to the community at large. n

These gardens could not flourish, progress, or exist without the help of so many dedicated volunteers from the Upper Valley community. If you would like to volunteer at the Farmacy Garden or other Willing Hands locations, please sign up in advance on the website: www.willinghands.org/help-us/volunteer.

Growing up in countryside Cieba de Madera, San Victor, Moca in the Dominican Republic, Lebanon resident Yaniris McLenithan, or Yani as her friends call her, recalls the importance of staying connected to her family, her community, and the fertile farmland her parents once managed in the mountains above the city. The many crops produced from the healthy farm soils of Yani’s homeland are a source of pride among locals in the Espaillat province. Yani describes the farming scene. “These were sustainable family farms, between 200-500 acres, providing everything a family needs on a daily basis, including tobacco, bananas, plantain, and all kinds of fruit that was either consumed or sold at regional markets.” It is said that the region’s yuca root (also known as cassava root and not to be confused with yucca, the ornamental plant) is the best around because of the rich soils that are cultivated in the lush hills above Moca. Yani has even met fellow Dominican Republic residents in the US who confirm the region’s flavorful yuca reputation.

The same holds true for the production of high-quality coffee beans, says Dan, Yani’s husband and partner in a new business venture, Hato Viejo Coffee. “In the mountain regions of the north, you get the high altitudes that produce sweet coffee.” Yani echoes this sentiment. “There’s nothing like a fresh cup of my mother’s home-brewed Domican Republic coffee! Growing up, we learned to pay attention to the needs of our family, our friends, and our community. We regularly met for coffee in the afternoon to socialize, and we were very active in our church and community activities.”

Researching further, one learns that coffee production is the standard in the Dominican Republic, and nearly everyone starts their day with a cup of the sweet, aromatic brew. This distinctive flavor, which many say is unique to the Dominican Republic, is why Hato Viejo Coffee has come to source its special brand of coffee from a particular producer, Belarminio Ramirez & Sons certified organic coffee farm in the town of Jarabacoa (“land of water resources”) in the La Vega province of the Dominican Republic. Jarabacoa is also known in the eco-tourism industry as ‘the Dominican Alps’ with its massive waterfalls, challenging mountain hikes, abundant farmlands, and a rich art and cultural history.

The Ramirez estate, founded in 1943, employs over 400 people, and the company is committed to practicing a high level of social responsibility. Wages are much higher than Fair Trade minimums and the company devotes a portion of their profits to environmental, educational, and social causes. Yani researched many coffee farms across the Dominican Republic before settling on Ramirez. “We buy the beans from a coffee cooperative which has 7,500 farmers selling into the cooperative, then roast and package the beans here. The Ramirez company offers no interest loans to local farmers, and the owners care about environmental sustainability.”

Back in Moca, Yani’s extended family of 30-40 siblings, nieces, and nephews have a community support network that rivals an international microloan program in its organization and impact. Dan credits Yani’s sister with keeping the family network humming along. “In a place where there’s not as much money and wealth, there is always somebody who has a need for food, supplies, clothing, shoes.” Yani stays in touch and supports her family and community with time and knowledge from her home in Lebanon as much as she can. “We recently did a fundraiser to build a church, and the son of someone in the church needed recording equipment for his musical practice. I told him to pay it forward and help someone else in the community.” As Dan notes, “You could lend someone $20 and it would circulate for 2 years with the pay it forward ethic. It feels good to invest in somebody who is bright, who wants to do something meaningful, who has a plan. It’s the priority for the giving culture in the country.”

Yani is the first member of her family to come to the U.S., and she journeyed north after earning a degree in manufacturing engineering in college. She was considering her next steps just as the manufacturing economy was declining worldwide, and was drawn to this country in 2008, settling in Virginia to work in the hospitality industry at Colonial Williamsburg. Yani gradually worked her way up the East coast to the Mt. Washington Hotel, eventually joining a friend who was working at Elixir in White River Junction 11 years ago, where she met Dan. “At first I thought living here would be temporary, but I consider myself an Upper Valley person now.” Dan concurs. “In all the years I’ve known Yani, she has never complained about the cold. Even though we’ve had opportunities to move away from New Hampshire, she was committed to staying in the Upper Valley because it’s a great place to raise a family.”

Hato Viejo Coffee is named for the memories Yani has of swimming in the Hato Viejo river near the family farm. “When I was growing up, we would ride horses up the mountain to bring lunch for the farmers and coffee pickers. We ate mangos from the tree, and enjoyed swimming in the river. I chose the name Hato Viejo to preserve its history and the connection to the small coffee farm that defined our family. I want the name remembered by my nephews and my children so they will always know where they came from.”

Today, Yani is learning many business lessons as Hato Viejo Coffee evolves toward her vision of becoming the primary source of Dominican Republic coffee in the U.S. As Yani reports in her blog, “…adversity, setbacks, and disappointment are part of the process. I have to wonder if I’d be so satisfied with what has come about if they hadn’t.” To be sure, starting a business during a pandemic can prove challenging, but Yani had the gift of time to invest in the start-up process, and her entrepreneurial spirit, perseverance, and seemingly boundless energy have helped the business thrive in its early stages. Yani handles the logistics of sourcing, supplier relationships, and distribution, and Dan handles advertising and website development. “You have to believe in yourself. I like to say ‘you have to jump in the water if you want to learn how to swim.”

For his part, Dan likes the cultural diversity that he’s seen develop over his 21 years in the Upper Valley. “The Upper Valley has grown and changed in a delightful way; it’s more diverse here and I think that’s good.” Along with selling their coffee from the website and delivering locally. Hato Viejo Coffee can be purchased at Dan & Whits, Elixir, Lebanon Farmers’ Market, and a new coffee subscription program is gaining ground. Ever the entrepreneur, Yani is also participating in a weekly radio show educating Latin Americans about fresh roasted coffees.

Dan knew the couple would find a way to make the business work, despite the unusual economic conditions of the pandemic. “I knew that we could figure it out, because relationships and connections were the key to getting the business started, and Yani is great at building connections.” And for Yani, bringing the flavors of her beloved Dominican Republic to the Upper Valley helps her stay connected to the community and family heritage that shaped her to become one of Lebanon’s newest entrepreneurs.

Check out the flavors of Dominican Republic coffee at Hato Viejo Coffee at https://hatoviejocoffee.com or contact Yani directly at Hatoviejocoffee@gmail.com, 603-276-0598.

Among Elizabeth Borowsky’s two-dozen-plus Upper Valley students, Amalia Hickey doubts that she’ll ever play the instrument for audiences of more than a few friends.

Yet Hickey keeps going back to the keyboard, which grips her imagination the way wielding a field hockey stick lights up her instinct to compete for Lebanon High School.

“I love the grand sound,” says Hickey, a junior. “And I love that all 10 of your fingers are playing together and working together to create music.” 

Her love for the piano multiplied a couple of years ago when Borowsky started composing, as annual birthday presents, solo pieces on which Hickey could hone her skills. As she does with all her students, Borowsky tailored these to Hickey’s taste, personality and skill.

“I was never drawn towards classical music and Elizabeth found that out after I had tried to play a couple of pieces but didn’t have the motivation to finish them,” Hickey recalls. “Every birthday piece she has written for me sounds like it could have words to it, or it could be danced to. I have so much fun playing her pieces that it keeps me motivated to keep learning.

“She is the reason I did not quit the piano.” Such reactions from Borowsky’s younger students – ranging in age from 7 to 16 – to their birthday solos are as much music to her ears as is the applause of live audiences, which the coronavirus pandemic continues to deny her.

“I’m giving them that vote of confidence, that I have faith that they are willing to try,” says Borowsky, who moved to Lebanon from Baltimore in 2015. “The results … far exceeded what I could have anticipated.”

By early 2020, Borowsky had written almost 80 solos for students of her Piano Prodigies studio [www.pianoprodigies.com], and was toying with the idea of recording and packaging 100 of them – if and when time ever allowed.

Enter COVID-19. With her Upper Valley dates as well as her worldwide touring schedule on hold until further notice, Borowsky treated the opening as “the golden opportunity to move it forward.” The ramping-up of her “100 Solos for Piano Prodigies” project coincided with the move of her studio to a converted space in a former industrial complex on the Mascoma River, from the Lebanon house out of which she was moving.

Today, two skylights in the high ceiling and a bank of northwest-facing windows gently illuminate the new space, walls and ceilings painted in white. Surrounding Borowsky’s Steinway grand and an upright piano – on which she expects soon to start teaching again in person – are a battery of audio and visual equipment that allows her to conduct lessons remotely as well as to record her students’ solos and to choreograph video recitals.

“I am filled with joy every time I come into this space,” Borowsky says during an interview there in mid-April. “Everything you see here has been touched, from ceiling to floor. The acoustics took the longest to figure out.”

From her wide and deep network of musicians, Borowsky consulted two sound technicians who advised her, among other adjustments, to cushion the floor with carpeting and the windows with ten-foot-tall velvet curtains, which she said “got the balance of the acoustics just right. “It was, ‘Yeah: Control!’”

Over the summer and fall of 2020, Borowsky raised money, through a GoFundMe page, to not only record the solo compositions but to devise and develop the artwork for the packaging of the recording. Support came, and continues to come, from many sources, including the families of her students – some of it in unexpected forms: her youngest student, 7-year-old Arjun Gupta of Hanover, has told Borowsky that “he intends to learn all 100 pieces, and he’s working hard to make that happen.”

The project began with Poseidon’s Palace, a solo recording that Borowsky composed for the ninth birthday of Gavin Nartowicz, one of Borowsky’s first Upper Valley students. “They are musical gummy vitamins,” she says of the solos. “They’re fun to listen to and play, but chock-full of artistic and technical nutrients.”

In a recent email, Gavin’s mother wrote, “We’re very excited for you and this (100 Solos) endeavor! Gavin’s last birthday piece (from 2020) is still his favorite piece to play.” Borowsky calls the project “a perfect combination of my experiences of and passions in life” as a performer and a teacher.

One of three children of world-touring cellist Cecylia Barczyk, Borowsky took up piano at age 4, while her brother Emmanuel gravitated to the violin and their sister Frances the cello.

At 7, Borowsky began playing recitals in Baltimore, and by 9, she was touring eastern and central Europe.

With her siblings, she played and occasionally still performs concerts as the American Virtuosi, and collectively and individually, they often collaborate with their mother.

Between tours as a soloist and an accompanist and composing her own works for recording, Borowsky built a following of private students in Baltimore. Teaching, she recalls learning, is about balancing “critique with humor.”

“I’m not their Mom,” she asserts. “I’m not their aunt. I’m just their coach, their teacher… The key is just to listen, and then to adjust.”

Between her long days in the studio and her walks with her dog Max, Borowsky isn’t letting grass grow under her feet while waiting for concert halls near and far to reopen.

In addition to composing five pieces that the New Hampshire Music Teachers Association commissioned last summer, and organizing a virtual concert and documentary celebrating her mother’s retirement after 38 years of teaching at Towson University in Maryland, Borowsky spent part of the winter composing a 3½-minute movement that teen students of the Lebanon Ballet School performed during City Center Ballet’s Spring Showcase, “Moving Forward,” on May 21, 22 and 24.

“I ran into her in the yogurt aisle at the Miracle Mile Price Chopper, and asked her what she might have for music we could use,” recalls ballet school alumna Kassady Small, one of the choreographers for the showcase. “I was looking for something easy for the girls to dance to, that had the emotion I wanted. “It’s so nice to find someone right here in town who understands the artistic process.”

While Small’s students have danced to a recording of And Still We Dance, which Borowsky describes as “an homage to Piazzola,” on a live Facebook stream (visit citycenterballet.org to learn more), Borowsky hopes someday to collaborate in person with its choreographers and dancers. So far in the pandemic, the nearest she’s come to performing live was this past February’s Piano Day at the Omaha (Neb.) Conservatory of Music, where she led a socially-distanced master class and workshops, played a recital and even conducted a yoga class.

While preparing for the outing tested her multi-tasking skills, she says, “it forced me to really think about what I’m doing, and for whom I’m doing it.”

It also led to her solos reaching piano prodigies beyond the Upper Valley: Recently a teacher she met in Nebraska texted her with the news that two students performed pieces from “100 Solos” at an Omaha recital. “The gal (who) played Adventure of the Planets had been in a bit of a slump with practicing before we started working on it,” the teacher wrote, “but she is so inspired after connecting with that piece!”

Speaking of music to your ears… “It’s so rewarding to see that it stands on its own,” Borowsky says of the ‘100 Solos’ project, “that it is valuable to others.”

To learn more about Elizabeth Borowsky, visit pianoprodigies.com.

When Peggy O’Neil became the executive director of WISE (Women’s Information Service) in 2003, the Lebanon, N.H., non-profit organization known for its work in assisting survivors of domestic abuse and sexual violence, the organization was using a decades-old logo that showed a woman in silhouette, her face hidden from view. The image was consistent with society-wide attitudes toward the twin scourges of domestic and sexual violence – kept out of public view, and rarely spoken of.

“We know that secrecy and isolation breed domestic violence and sexual assault,” O’Neil said in a Zoom interview.

But shrouding these issues in secrecy and isolation is not the best way to combat a global public health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that about 1 in 3 women, or 35% of women worldwide, have experienced “either physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence in their lifetime.”

So, in 2006, after consultation with the staff and the Upper Valley community, a new WISE logo and message were unveiled. No woman concealed in the shadows this time, but a simple declaration: end violence, share hope, change lives.

“It was more consistent with our intention to end domestic and sexual violence within our communities, including being more public about the issue,” said O’Neil.

This year marks WISE’s 50th anniversary. What began in Hanover as a career resource center for women has become a multi-faceted agency that provides services to survivors of domestic and sexual violence from 21 towns in New Hampshire and Vermont. Approximately 1,300 people annually turn to WISE for counseling and assistance. WISE offers safe housing for women leaving dangerous, abusive relationships, often accompanied by their children.

“Survivors don’t necessarily feel safe or comfortable in shelters or transitional housing. When you leave your home, you have to go someplace – and that place needs to be safe,” said Betsy Kohl, WISE’s communications and development director.

The WISE mandate is a broad one. WISE now owns three buildings in Lebanon: their offices at 38 Bank Street, a safe house (location undisclosed) and, most recently, they acquired an apartment building next to 38 Bank Street, which they are renovating for long-term housing.

WISE also provides financial and housing assistance, and support for people navigating the often intimidating, complex maze of law enforcement and the courts.

Since the early 1990s, WISE has brought educational programming into schools in the Upper Valley. With the hiring of a program director in 2008, WISE now serves four independent schools and nine public school districts in New Hampshire and Vermont, including Lebanon, Hanover, Thetford, Mascoma Valley and Windsor. The programs begin in elementary school and continue through high school.

The idea is to help younger people recognize the warning signs of not only physical abuse, but also, in this era of social media, the signs of bullying, stalking and coercive control.

“The prevention work they do is really unique. They’re trying to change the dynamics in young people,” said Tricia Spellman, a member of the WISE Board of Trustees since 2015, and Chief Financial and Administrative Officer at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College.

WISE’s expansion has continued in other areas. In 1982, WISE had 22 volunteers; today, it has 106 trained female and male volunteers who work the 24-hour phone lines or correspond online or by text, and act as court observers and ambassadors to the community at large, said Kohl. When O’Neil took over the directorship, she estimates that WISE saw about 600 people a year; that number has more than doubled.

Eugene Chabot, 102 Receives Lebanon’s Boston Post Cane

The day following Mr. Chabot’s birthday (Thanksgiving 2020), representatives of the Lebanon Historical Society called upon him at his residence on Lily Lane in the in West Lebanon to present him with the City’s Boston Post Cane in recognition of his becoming the City’s oldest resident.

Chabot was born November 26, 1918 in Paquette, Quebec which borders Pittsburg, NH. He was raised on his family’s dairy farm where he worked until 1936 when he moved to Berlin, NH as an employee of the Brown Paper Company mill for the next 24 years.

The next move brought him to the Upper Valley with his bride, Theresa Dube, whose Berlin family relocated to Hanover, then Lyme and Plainfield. Eugene and Theresa roosted in Hanover, where he landed a job as the baker for Mary Hitchcock Hospital while they began their family in 1948. They were blessed with three children; Delores, Lorraine, and Donald. They crossed town lines to settle on Peabody Street in Lebanon in 1949.

The ever-active Eugene decided he enjoyed mechanical work and commenced working in a series of local Lebanon garages (one was Thompson’s) before being hired by the Town of Hanover’s Highway Department where he worked from 1957 to 1981 and where he retired as a foreman.

What do you do when you’re youthful and active? Well, you walk (at least two miles a day) and grow food, leading him to the obvious solution: go back to farming at Edgewater Farms in Plainfield, a long-time source of the fresh vegetables that kept him healthy. He became a virtual member of the farm family till age 89 when he suffered major loss of eyesight. Several operations didn’t help. Not only did it curb the work in the gardens he so enjoyed, but hunting and fishing were out as was his other hobby of making quilts (some of which were sold in the Edgewater store). He proudly calculates that he made 117 quilts.

In 2012, Eugene and Theresa moved into a senior living apartment where she passed away in 2016. His pleasures in life were reduced to walking and spending time with his family. Slowly, the walking has been curtailed. But, his wonderful sense of humor, friendly banter, and fond memories remain. Heck, he remembers the day he was born – and his mother bundling him up and walking him over to the church to be baptized the next day – and then her going off to work and leaving him to care for a younger sibling when he was six. That’s when he learned to cook – she taught him and he’s loved it ever since.

They can’t take those recollections away. Nor can they remove that of which he is most proud: his US citizenship which he earned back in 1968. And that wonderful sense of humor.

 “Did you ever stray across the border into the USA before you became a citizen?” “Why, of course! If I were chasing a moose you don’t think I would let a little thing like a border get in the way!”

And when he was politely asked to relinquish the gold-headed cane he had just been presented so it could be returned for the safekeeping of the Lebanon Historical Society, it had to be teasingly wrestled from his hands. A man for all seasons doesn’t lose his grip just because he’s turned 102.