When the temperature climbs into the low nineties and the sun beats down from a cloudless Vermont sky, the temptation to cool off can be irresistible. Who hasn’t wanted to plunge into a lake or river on a sweltering summer day? From a rope swing, a floating dock, or simply wading into cool water from a hot shoreline, swimming holes have long been part of New England summers.

In Quechee, that tradition has taken on a life of its own.

Climbing the rocks under the Quechee Covered Bridge

When school is out and the mercury rises, it is not unusual to find people stretched across the sun-warmed rocks down-river from the Quechee Covered Bridge, picnicking, swimming, and wading into the Ottaquechee River. Others seek a bigger thrill, launching themselves from the bridge or nearby rocks into the dark pool below — to the delight, shock, or horror of those watching.

Is it a community rite of passage? An easy way to beat the heat? Or a ticket to serious injury?

Guests dining at the nearby Simon Pearce restaurant have occasionally asked staff to call the police after witnessing people jump from the bridge, fearing someone was about to be killed. Restaurant employees, familiar with the local tradition, have politely declined.

On the hot Fourth of July weekend, the river was packed, with parking at a premium. Young and not so young made their way to leap from the base of the covered bridge, from the rocks rimming the swimming hole, and from a rope swing hanging beneath the bridge. Laughter echoed off the granite riverbank boulders as friends counted down, cameras rolled, and one jumper after another splashed into the cool water below.

Everyone was having fun. Some had parental permission. Some undoubtedly did not. Others, being adults, accepted responsibility for their own decisions. On this day, everyone climbed out of the river smiling.

People disagree on exactly how high the bridge is because river levels and jumping points vary, but estimates generally range from 30 to 45 feet above the water — roughly the height of a three- to four-story building.

“It almost feels like a tradition that’s passed from one generation to the next,” said one longtime Upper Valley resident. “Your parents tell you about it, your older brothers and sisters did it, and eventually you decide you’re going to try it yourself.”

Ascending the rock face

For many families, that tradition comes with rules.

Janis Boulbol of Woodstock said she often serves as chauffeur for her teenage children and their friends.

“I lay down the law in advance,” she said. “I tell them exactly what they may and may not do.”

Jumping from the bridge abutment or the rocks is permitted, she said.

“But absolutely no flips.”

The lagoon beneath the bridge, at the base of the falls, appears deceptively narrow but is surprisingly deep.

“It’s 15 to 20 feet deep,” added a nearby father watching the activity. “I’ve jumped there a thousand times and never hit bottom.”

Still, experienced locals are quick to point out that familiarity should never be mistaken for certainty.

The Ottaquechee River conditions are constantly changing

“This river changes every day,” Boulbol said. “Last night we had a big storm. A lot of water could have moved boulders, laid trees in the river — who knows what’s down there? It’s absolutely necessary to assess the area first.”

Nearby resident Brian, of Norwich, had brought his girlfriend, Bridgit, to experience the jump for the first time.

“Today there’s a lot more water than yesterday,” he said. “I didn’t know if we’d be able to jump after last night’s rain.”

Some regulars dive beneath the surface before anyone jumps, checking for submerged trees, rocks, or debris that may have washed into the pool overnight. It’s an unwritten safety ritual born from experience.

Unlike a swimming pool, the Ottaquechee River is constantly changing. Heavy rains can move boulders, shift gravel bars, or deposit submerged logs where none existed before. A landing area that was safe one summer may not be safe the next — or even the next day.

Emergency responders know those dangers all too well. While no documented fatalities have been linked specifically to recreational jumping from the covered bridge, serious injuries have occurred, including a teenager who struck a submerged rock after jumping into the river several years ago.

Hartford Fire Chief Scott Cooney shared that Fire-Rescue responds to approximately one call per year at the Quechee Covered Bridge. “These are not always related specifically to bridge jumping, but they do involve injuries to individuals using that location for recreation,” he said. He emphasized that there is an inherent level of risk with any outdoor activity. The Hartford Fire Department is prepared to respond with an ambulance and rescue truck, and skilled staff to safely administer care and perform carry-out from the site.

Quechee Falls Park, technically a small scenic overlook beside the Simon Pearce Dam, was designed to give visitors a postcard view of one of Vermont’s iconic covered bridges. The steep descent over boulders to the river below is not a maintained public access trail.

Hartford Parks and Recreation Director Scott Hausler emphasized that the park was never intended as an entrance to the river or a jumping platform.

Jumping into the river has become a Quechee tradition.

Hartford Police Information Officer Lt. Will Furnari said officers receive three to six calls each year involving incidents in the area, though not all are related to swimmers or jumpers.

He acknowledged the risks but noted that people — “mostly younger people” — have been jumping there “for as long as I can remember.”

The Hartford Police and Fire Departments have produced a water safety video, posted on the Fire Department’s Facebook page, encouraging swimmers to recognize changing river conditions and understand the hazards before entering the water.

One Hartford police officer perhaps summed up the local attitude best.

“It’s not illegal to jump,” he said with a shrug. “And it’s not illegal to be stupid.”

As the afternoon sun begins to sink behind the hills, the crowds slowly disappear. Towels are gathered, picnic coolers packed away, and the laughter fades into the steady sound of rushing water. The Quechee Covered Bridge remains, its weathered timbers glowing in the evening light.

Tomorrow, if the weather stays hot, another group of swimmers will arrive. Some will come simply to admire one of Vermont’s most photographed landmarks. Others will edge to the railing or the base of the bridge, glance once more at the river below, take a deep breath, and leap into a summer tradition that has endured for generations.

As if sixteen-year-old Eleia Bouton’s life were not busy enough with six siblings, home-school studies, foreign languages, piano, flute, ballet, and a growing schedule of musical performances, she continues to pursue a passion that began just two years ago — the pipe organ.

Conveniently, she has a pipe organ at her disposal. Her father, Ryan, is the pastor at The Quechee Church, home to an organ rumored to have been built in the 1880s. What began as curiosity has blossomed into remarkable achievement. In the two years since she first sat at the organ bench, Eleia has developed into an accomplished young organist whose talent is drawing attention well beyond the Upper Valley.

Most recently, Eleia was invited to attend the prestigious Westminster Organ Institute at Rider University in New Jersey, where gifted young organists from across the country study with internationally recognized performers and teachers. The invitation is a testament not only to Eleia’s natural musical gifts, but also to the discipline and determination she brings to every practice session.

At the Westminster Organ Institute, Eleia will study with Dr. Michael Diorio, one of the nation’s respected organ educators. Her assigned repertoire includes Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Prelude and Fugue in A Minor, BWV 559,” a cornerstone of the organ literature that demands technical precision, musical maturity, and stylistic understanding. She will also study “Crimond (Hymn No. 663),” the beloved hymn tune associated with “The Lord’s My Shepherd.” Together, these selections reflect both the technical challenges and expressive beauty that await her during this intensive summer program.

The organ is not an instrument for the faint of heart. While it is a cousin of the piano, in that they both have keyboards, that is where the similarity ends. Mastery of the organ requires extraordinary focus, concentration, and coordination of both hands and feet. And practice. Lots of practice.

When interviewed at The Quechee Church shortly after beginning her studies, Eleia explained the transition from piano to organ.

The Bouton Clan

“There are a lot of differences,” she said. “The organ requires nuances and technique so the sound is smooth. The length of time that a key is held is the length of time its sound is produced. A fraction of a second can make a big difference.”

Eleia credits her ballet training with helping her understand that the gracefulness essential to a dancer is equally important to an organist. Moving her feet across the pedalboard to play the bass line requires precision and fluidity while her hands independently perform music on two keyboards.

“It is very much like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time,” explained her Quechee-based instructor, Alice Maleski, organist and music director at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lebanon. “It’s harder than it looks!”

An organist is essentially playing three instruments at once. The eyes read the music while the brain directs the right hand, left hand, and feet independently. Then there are the stops — the knob-like controls that direct pressurized air through ranks of pipes and shape the instrument’s rich palette of sounds. Every movement must be carefully timed to produce the magnificent sound for which the pipe organ is renowned.

Eleia’s musical scores are filled with penciled-in hieroglyphics that indicate fingerings, phrasing, expression markings, and specialized pedal notation indicating whether notes should be played with the heel or toe. Learning music theory and reading music is challenging enough; mastering an entirely new language for the feet adds another level of complexity. Eleia has embraced every challenge with confidence.

“Eleia’s progress has been extraordinary,” said Maleski. “She has always been far ahead of other students with the same level of training. It is rare to find this combination of natural talent, dedication, and genuine joy in making music.”

Recently, Eleia was invited to play the organ at the Norwich Congregational Church, where she also played Bach on a Steinway piano. “I was totally surprised at her proficiency on piano!” remarked Maleski.

Maleski also credits Eleia’s parents with fostering a home where music and creativity flourish. Ryan plays guitar and sings, while Jenny plays piano and flute. Together they have nurtured a family in which all seven children share a love of music.

Visitors to The Quechee Church have long enjoyed hearing Ryan lead worship and Eleia accompany hymns or perform preludes on the historic pipe organ. Today, those who hear her perform are witnessing a gifted young musician whose dedication has carried her from promising beginner to scholarship recipient in just a few short years.

For Eleia Bouton, the Westminster Organ Institute is not a destination, but another milestone in an already remarkable musical journey. As she prepares to study with some of the nation’s finest organ educators, her hometown will be cheering her on, eager to see where her talent, hard work, and love of music will lead next.

“The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball.” – Terence Mann (James Earl Jones), Field of Dreams, 1989.

Brandon Adams (U North Florida) delivers a strike (hopefully!).

The boys of summer are coming. Soon after Mud Season, the days will get longer, the golf courses will open, winter attire will be packed away, and America’s pastime, baseball, will return to the Upper Valley.

The Upper Valley Nighthawks, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL), make their home at the Maxfield Sports Complex on Route 5 in White River Junction. The team is made up of college baseball players from all over the country who call the Upper Valley home for the months of June and July. The Nighthawks’ games are free for spectators, family friendly, and just plain fun.

Founded in 1993 by a group of baseball-loving sports enthusiasts, The NECBL’s goal was to expose New England student athletes to Major League Baseball (MLB) scouts. What started with a handful of teams is now a popular league of thirteen teams divided into two divisions, which travel between team locations from Martha’s Vineyard in the south to Montpelier in the north for games. The league boasts nearly 150 former players as MLB draftees and stars. Player recruitment is ongoing, with college coaches and team management collaborating year-round. While most players in the NECBL come from schools on the East Coast, occasionally, an outlier from California may appear on the roster. They all show up enthusiastic to spend the season in New England and to fine tune their baseball skills. The NECBL exposes them not only to on-field skills, but the “back-side” side of baseball, such as marketing, management, and business operations.

First baseman, Ryan Preisano (Wake Forest), catches the ball for an out

Noah Crane, an area native and president of the Upper Valley Nighthawks, is a lifelong lover of baseball, and shenanigans. He attends each game attired in a zebra stripe blazer and acts as Master of Ceremonies for between-inning games, offering a variety of hilarity, from “finish the lyrics” of a popular song to three-legged foot races. Crane describes the atmosphere as “part baseball, part carnival, and part farmer’s market.” From the thunder of small feet chasing a foul ball (a herd of children instantly appear in hot pursuit when the crack of the bat signals an opportunity to snag a coveted game ball), to the cheers of the spectators when the Nighthawks score a home run, to the inevitable laughter during between-inning entertainment, an evening with the Nighthawks has something for everyone.

AJ Brotz (Marist University) talks with a young fan

Crane has a long history with baseball, having played, coached, and spent a time with a Red Sox minor league team learning the business side of the game. He once owned an NECBL team with his father, in Laconia, many years ago. After returning to the Upper Valley to work at Dartmouth College, Crane was delighted when The Maxfield Sports Complex was built. It would make a perfect home for an additional NECBL team. In 2016, the 13^th franchise was awarded, and the Upper Valley Nighthawks made their home at “The Max,” truly a real-life “Field of Dreams.”

The team was welcomed by the community, and many volunteers and merchants stepped up to participate. The outfield is lined with banners of advertisers from throughout the area. The Jack and Dorothy Byrne Foundation paired with Mascoma Bank to make admission to the games free (a head count is taken as spectators arrive). The nearby Upper Valley Aquatic Center works with the team to provide essential facilities for the players to work out and train. The Montague Golf Course in Randolph offers reduced greens fees for players. Multiple area restaurants provide food service at the games, including Quechee’s own Public House, with adult beverages for purchase. Of course, no baseball game would be complete without hot dogs and, an area summer staple, Maple Creamees!

Rhys Anderson (Wabash College) wearing the Nighthawks mascot leads a between-inning
footrace

In addition to the games, the Nighthawks give back to the community in the form of summer camps for local children. Players and staff share their expertise and love of baseball, and provide instruction and encouragement to the young aspiring athletes. Because many alumnae of the NECBL have gone on to “The Bigs” (MLB) and had brilliant careers, it is possible that a child might exclaim, “He was my coach one summer!” Introducing children to this level of talent could help them learn new skills, develop a lifelong love of baseball, and inspire them to think, “Maybe I can do that!”

The challenge each summer for Crane and his staff is finding housing for the players. It is a league rule that players must be placed with Host Families in the community. Hotels and dormitory situations are not acceptable. Host Families provide the players with a sense of grounding, a home away from home. In these days of short-term rentals, and the popularity of the Upper Valley in summer, people with extra space may choose to rent instead of hosting. This is an economic reality that challenges each team, and for one team was its demise.

The team asks community members with extra room in their homes to welcome one or two players for the months of June and July. They require a place to sleep, access to laundry, and occasional meals. In addition, Host Families enjoy discounts on team merchandise and concessions at The Max. Children are particularly excited to have “an older brother” for two months, and the players frequently become “members of the family.”

Congrats

Host Families report thoroughly enjoying the experience. “The decision was simple,” said one Host Mom. “My husband is a huge baseball fan, so it was a done deal.”

Another shared, “In the summer of 2024, we hosted a second baseman and a left fielder, who particularly enjoyed breakfast before heading off to coach summer camp, or to work out before team meetings and practice. They would wake to the smell of bacon, which became ‘the bacon alarm clock.’ On mornings of away games, I’d send them with breakfast to go. The summer of 2025, we hosted two pitchers, The Twin Towers (6’4” and 6’6”), who were not breakfast eaters, so no ‘bacon alarm clock’ for them!  We’d advise them what would be planned for dinner, and suggest they let us know if they wanted to be included. They were a joy to host, and we look forward to meeting our next ‘boys of summer’ in June!”

If you would be interested in hosting one or two players this summer, contact Noah Crane, noah@uppervalleynighthawks.com. Your generosity will be rewarded with great fun and memories of contributing to helping develop a future MLB star.

When learning to play the piano, five-year-old Lester Gibbs was not aware, but music, and specifically keyboards, would influence the trajectory of his life to come. Lester grew up in Hartford, the son of a man who had been raised in the small village of Quechee, which, prior to the 1960s, was a thriving mill town with a sawmill, gristmill, and fabric mill, where uniforms were made for the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees.

Lester Gibbs (top right) singing in his choir at Hartford High
School, class of ’58.

Nearby, Lester and his family lived in a second-floor apartment. When his parents purchased a house, where they would live for the rest of their lives, it was necessary to relocate their upright grand piano, a feat that would be done with ropes and a pulley, into the bed of a truck. As fate would have it, during the lowering phase of the operation, the pulley failed and the piano fell straight into the truck bed. The truck suffered a blown tire, but the piano was unharmed – quite a durable instrument! The tire was repaired, the piano moved, the piano tuner called, and Lester’s future – unbeknownst to him – was back in safe hands.

Lester’s piano lessons were interrupted by scarlet and rheumatic fever when he was in the first grade. Lester was quarantined at his grandparents’ farm in Jericho, where there was no piano, but there was a pump organ. Industrious little Lester surmised that one keyboard would translate to another, so he taught himself to play the organ, even though reaching the pedals proved to be a challenge. After many months of recovery, Lester’s doctor suggested that he forgo the keyboards and opt for a wind instrument instead to help strengthen his lungs. He was given a recorder, a common first instrument for elementary school children, before growing into a clarinet.

The challenge for Lester was that he would play the clarinet lessons on the piano, then play the clarinet by ear. Once challenged, and his secret discovered, it became necessary to literally transpose one instrument to the other. Lester never missed a beat, mentally making the changes necessary to remain “in key”. While wind instruments, including the bagpipes, came easily to him, the organ remained a challenge.

Lester Gibbs playing the St. Thomas Church organ while
stationed in Verona, Italy, one of 56 organs he played while
assigned to the Southern European Task Force from 1965-’66.
The historic organ was once played by Mozart.

He started playing the organ for Sunday school at the Quechee Congregational Church at age 12, when he still could not reach the pedals. That required some “fancy fingering” to sustain the sound while moving his hands from one keyboard to the next. Lester’s cousin, Ethel Churchill, was the organist at Quechee Church, and Lester would stand in for her when needed. His family also attended the Quechee Church, along with the Second Congregational Church in Hartford, which contained the first church organ that Lester learned on.

Word got around that Lester had some talent and he was being called upon to play at the Methodist church. Not long afterward, his services were requested by the Catholic church, followed by the Episcopal church. Lester was in musical heaven. He was being trained by four professional organists, and playing four excellent instruments, honing his skills along the way.

After graduating from high school in 1958, Lester enlisted in the army, signing up to be a cook. “My father always told me,” he said, “there are two things every person will do: eat and die.” So, being a cook was a responsible choice. One Sunday morning during basic training, Lester and his squad filed into the chapel and sat in the front pew. Being the squad leader, Lester went in first.  Singing that Sunday would be led by the pastor, as the organist was ill. The pastor was not blessed with musical skills, and Lester described him as, “tone deaf as a bat, and it was just horrible.” Eighteen-year-old Lester recognized the gravity of the situation, and put his superpower in gear.

He snuck up and seated himself at the B3 Hammond, turned on the power, and by the time the pastor had reached the second verse of the hymn, Lester started playing, and played through the balance of the service. There might have been a collective sigh from the congregation when the organ sang under Private Gibbs’ direction.

Les playing the organ, 2025.

The next morning, the company was up at 5am and heading to the firing range to zero-in their weapons. Lester was pulled aside and told that the Captain, the Company Commander, needed to see him. A sense of dread came over him. All of the soldiers had been told that only two reasons would cause one to be summoned to the Company Commander’s office: either someone in your family was seriously ill or had died, or you were being unceremoniously discharged. Once in the Commander’s office, the Captain reached out his hand. Private Gibbs snapped to attention with a sharp salute.

The Captain said, “Don’t you know how to shake hands?”

“Sir?” Lester replied, confused.

The Captain continued, “That was a fine thing you did yesterday! We’d like to keep you here at Fort Dix.” With that, Lester relaxed, slightly, shook the Captain’s hand, and his future took a new path. Instead of cooking school, Lester would train as a chaplain assistant, and assume one of the four open organist positions at Fort Dix.

As a new chaplain assistant and organist, Lester was given responsibility for the children’s choir, Sunday school, and Sunday service. After four months in that position, the adult choir director received orders for a different assignment, and Lester was given the additional duties. Lester was all of eighteen-years-old, and this was a huge responsibility for him. Fortunately, he had been involved in both the choir and band programs throughout his four years at Hartford High School (“an excellent program,” Lester remarked), which had prepared him well for this task.

Lester, talking about stories from his life, 2025.

Lester made a call to his old choir director, looking for some moral support and professional advice. She assured him, “You can do this!” And, she shipped a box of sheet music for him to use with his choirs, for which he was grateful.

A year later, Lester received orders for Korea where he would direct a twenty-member Korean choir on Sundays, and during the week teach them English for an hour, followed by an hour of choir practice, and then a meal. Young ladies and men went to separate schools, so the time they spent together for English study and choir practice was an important social event. “They were a great group to work with, and we were all about the same age,” Lester said. “We did Handel’s Messiah at Christmas, and the Easter portion [of The Messiah] at Easter. It was a great experience.” The organ, he also remarked, was exceptional, as was the Korean organist. The organ itself had been built by an engineer on the Army post, and had excellent sound.

Many years later, in San Antonio, Texas, when doing mortuary work, Lester was counseling a man whose mother had died. After a while, the man said, “I am sure I know you. But from where?” They determined that they’d both been in Korea, and the man recognized Lester as the choir director from the Korean chapel. As it turned out, the man was the engineer who had built the organ!

Les directing the second infantry division chorus at Fort
Benning, Georgia, 1962.

Lester spent twenty-three years in the Army, leading choirs and playing the organ. He also served at Fort Benning (Georgia), Italy (Verona), and Vietnam, among others. When he retired, his plan was to go into a mortuary position in the Civil Service. As he had played the organ for many funeral homes, and counseled grieving families in the Army, he thought it a perfect transition from military to civilian life. Lester used his GI Bill for mortuary school and became a San Antonio funeral director for ten years, but didn’t end up entering the Civil Service.

In 1995, Lester returned to Hartford, “temporarily,” when his father became ill. He went around to all the churches, dropping off his business card, and offering his services as a substitute organist, fully intending to be in the area only a short time. After substituting at the Woodstock Congregational Church for the summer, until their full-time organist returned in October, he was asked to come on permanently, as their “winter organist” was made an offer he couldn’t refuse at his summer location. Lester stayed at the Woodstock Congregational Church for eighteen years.

As for the instrument that launched Lester’s long career as an organist, it still serves as a staple of The Quechee Church, and is now played by teenage organ prodigy, Eleia Bouton, daughter of Pastor Ryan Bouton. The organ, which is said to have been built in the 1880s, is an enduring legacy of Quechee history, and now is providing a platform for a new generation of organists. Eleia, and the organ, may be experienced on Sundays at 9am at the Quechee Church.

Now 84, Lester still plays the organ at the Methodist Church in Whiter River Junction and answers the call when an organist is needed from time to time for Sunday services or special events in the area.

While “technically” retired, Lester was moonlighting at the Catholic church in Lebanon until late 2020, when physical limitations in his hands became problematic. Without a highly trained ear, you’d never know, but Lester knows.

Macy Bettwieser, a Hartford High School senior, has always loved to sing. She might have been singing before she learned to talk. But, it comes naturally. It is in her genes. Her mom, Anisha, and dad, Stephen, both have musical backgrounds, and her brothers work in the technical side of theater. The family moved to Hartford when Macy was in the third grade, and it didn’t take long for the attraction of the stage to lure her in.

Macy performed in her first musical during fourth grade at Dothan Brook Elementary, under the direction of Lanni Luce West, and “drank the Kool Aid.” Macy was hooked. Musical theater became a staple of her life as she participated in programs, three to four productions per year, around the Upper Valley at Artistree, Hartford Memorial Middle School, Hartford High School, North Country Community Theater, Trumbull Hall Troupe, and Northern Stage. Each offered an additional step up in her journey.

Macy Bettwieser, a Hartford resident, performing at
BroadwayWorld’s “Next on Stage” competition in
New York City in December.

When COVID shut down the world in 2020, Upper Valley Music Center offered a Zoom class, “Singing for the Stage,” taught by UVMC faculty vocal instructor, Julie Ness. For Macy, the class picked up where she’d left off from her last role at Northern Stage, that of Louisa in The Sound of Music. The fates were at work, and Ness soon began working with Macy as her private vocal instructor, providing both popular and classical instruction.

Once the world emerged from the pandemic, Macy picked up where she’d left off with community theater, as well as continuing her work with Ness. As a junior in high school, Macy knew that musical theater was a permanent fixture in her life, and she’d apply to college musical theater programs, but she also considered some more practical matters – eating and paying the rent being foremost in her thought.

Macy appealed to Hartford High School to allow her to enroll in the cosmetology program at Hartford Area Career and Technical Center (HACTC), conveniently located on the same campus, during her senior year, giving her a licensed, employable skillset that would support her musical theatre ambitions. Permission was granted, and Macy is scheduled to finish cosmetology school in May, followed by high school graduation in June.

As the all-important last year of high school approached, Macy continued to refine her craft, and began the grueling task of college applications, which for musical theater, required recording audition video tapes that she sent to over a dozen different programs around the country. Admission to these programs is highly competitive, with 1,500 applications for, maybe, fifteen openings. Macy enlisted her mother – sounding board and moral support for all things – and her “village of mentors and supporters”, including director Lanni Luce West, Hartford High choral director Andrea Nardone, and vocal coach Julie Ness, along with Kevin David Thomas of Northern Stage, to assist with the audition recordings.

As an aside, Macy was sent some information by Northern Stage regarding a contest for high school musical theater students, BroadwayWorld’s “Next on Stage”. It offered the winner valuable mentoring opportunities from Broadway veterans, and a full scholarship to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City. She sent them a tape, too, and promptly forgot about it.

Months later, while up to her eyeballs in school and preparing for two productions, Macy received an email. She had been selected as one of the top fifteen semi-finalists in BroadwayWorld’s Next on Stage competition! Next steps required a flurry of activity; new music to learn, rehearsals, and recordings, all in a matter of a few days. Macy assembled her team, which Ness refers to as, “big love from a small town,” and got to work. Macy astonished them all by learning the pieces, which varied in tone from joyous and upbeat, to dreary and sad, in record time, taking each bit of coaching to heart, reflecting it in her performances.

Macy and her vocal coach, Julie Ness.

It wasn’t only the judges who would choose who moved on to the final round, but the public.  Online votes would determine the finalists. Being the only entry from New England, against students from California and Texas, Macy didn’t expect much of a turnout. But, Nardone spearheaded the community drive to vote for Macy, and the word spread. Macy advanced to the top three, and was invited to New York City to perform live in the finals, at 54 Below, a speakeasy-style basement cabaret club, one-half block from Broadway.

Macy and her “team” traveled to New York City on December 19 for the final round of judging.  Luce West, Nardone, Ness, and Macy’s strongest supporter, her mother Anisha, descended on NYC on a mission to support their hometown star. The live show was recorded on YouTube and you may enjoy it at this link: bit.ly/4gyhnC9.

While Macy did not win the competition, she received valuable coaching and encouragement, experienced the pressure of the audition process, made new friends, and enjoyed an unforgettable weekend in New York. Competition host, Ben Cameron, told the competitors, “You are all winners and all losers, here and in life.” Ness reinforced this message, “Today, the wind may fill your sails. Tomorrow, maybe not. You can’t let it define your life.”

When contacted for this article, Macy was back in New York with a group from Northern Stage, auditioning live for college musical theater programs, via a process called “Unifieds,” and of course, seeing some Broadway shows. “Unifieds,” Ness explained, is an event where 50 colleges hold twice-yearly live auditions, one in New York City and one in Chicago. Applicants may perform up to six auditions at each event. “It saves the kids and their families a lot of travel and stress.” Macy shared that she had applied to 17 programs, and, so far, been accepted at one.  She will make her final decision later in the spring. “Hopefully before I graduate,” she added. Macy’s greatest cheerleader, her mother, Anisha, is planning some spring campus visits before the final choice is made.

Ness praised Macy for being, “Doubly prepared and demonstrating great leadership qualities, attention to detail, and discipline,” all skills that will serve her well, whichever road she chooses.

As if fourteen-year-old Eleia Bouton’s life was not busy enough with six siblings, and home-school studies in foreign language, piano, flute, and ballet. In her “spare time”, she decided to add the pipe organ to her repertoire. Conveniently, she has a pipe organ at her disposal, since her father, Ryan Bouton, is the pastor at The Quechee Church – home to an organ rumored to have been built in the 1880s.

But the organ is not an instrument for the faint of heart. While it is a cousin of the piano – in that they both have keyboards – that’s where the similarity ends. Mastery of the organ requires focus and concentration, and coordination of the fingers, and feet. And practice. Lots of practice.

Eleia Bouton, fourteen-year-old pipe organ prodigy

The Quechee Times had the opportunity to interview Eleia at the Quechee Church, where she graciously played, and she explained her transition from piano to organ. “There are a lot of differences [between the two instruments],” she explained. “The organ requires nuances and technique, so the sound is smooth. The length of time that a key is held is the length of time its sound is produced. A fraction of a second (of pressure on a key) can make a big difference.”

Eleia credits her ballet training with helping her understand that the gracefulness essential to a dancer is also essential to an organist. Moving her feet across the pedals, to play the bass line of music, requires coordination and smoothness to blend seamlessly with the notes played on the two keyboards with her hands, all at the same time.

“It is very much like rubbing your stomach and patting your head at the same time,” explained Eleia’s Quechee-based instructor, Alice Maleski, organist and music director at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lebanon. “It’s harder than it looks.”

Eleia Bouton at the organ in The Quechee Church

Eleia is essentially playing three instruments at once. Her eyes see the notes on the page, her brain signals right hand soprano, left hand tenor, and feet play bass. Oh, and then there are the stops – doorknob-looking things to the right and left of the keyboards that control the pressurized air through the pipes and determine the quality of the sounds made by each pipe. All these things require seamless timing to produce the unmistakable depth of sound produced by a pipe organ.

Eleia’s musical scores are marked with numbers and hieroglyphs, evidence of practice and study. She has notes for placement of her fingers, notes for expression, louder or softer, and, most critical, notes for her feet that indicate she should press a pedal with her heel or toe. Learning music theory, and to read music, is challenging. Adding a new “language” of instructions for her feet adds another dimension of complexity to the endeavor. Eleia has met each challenge with unwavering confidence.

“Eleia’s progress in one year (since she began lessons) has been amazing,” says Maleski. “She is so far ahead of other students with the same level of training,” she continued. “It is rare to find this combination of natural talent and dedication in an all-around delightful young lady.”

Ice cream night with the Bouton family

Maleski credits Eleia’s parents for providing a home that promotes study and creativity. Her parents, Ryan and Jenny Bouton, are both musical: Ryan plays guitar and sings, while Jenny plays piano and flute. So, it’s understandable that the entire Bouton clan – five girls and two boys – is musical, with enough members for a chamber orchestra or a small marching band! While the marching band concept may be unlikely, it is possible to enjoy Pastor Ryan playing guitar and singing during his Sunday services, and to find Eleia providing the organ accompaniment for selected Sunday hymns or a special prelude before service. You can join them at The Quechee Church on Sundays at 9am.

When Kathryn Wooters, resident of Quechee since 2005, was contemplating retirement from her CPA practice in Boston, she began tire-kicking projects to take up some of her newfound spare time. With experience in international operations in diverse industries, it made sense to look at some international philanthropic foundations. She longed to contribute to something that would make a difference in the world.

A baby elephant from the Game Rangers effort

Conveniently, on International Women’s Day, female executives from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) met in an in-person conference to discuss their projects, goals, and needs. Kathryn was inspired by what she heard, and in 2022, she took a dive down the rabbit hole of elephant rescue in Africa. Elephants have been at the mercy of the climate, poachers, and habitat encroachment from development, and in some places could soon become endangered species.

On a trip to Malawi, half a world away from Quechee, Kathryn observed firsthand the translocation of an elephant herd that required a high level of expertise, and was not without its dangers. Kathryn explained, “The translocation efforts [were] highly choreographed. A helicopter herds elephants to an open area, then darts them with tranquilizers. Mothers first, so they do not fall on their babies and crush them. Watching the final matriarch protecting the babies is heartbreaking.” Once the elephants are tranquilized, the team moves in to prepare them for transport. They were then safely trucked eight hours to their new home in a north Malawi park. “As observers,” she continued, “It was joyful to see the babies reunited with their mothers and caretakers.”

Working with elephants at the IFAW sanctuary

In 2023, Kathryn volunteered for a project with Game Rangers, an international organization that protects wildlife and educates the populations who are encroaching on wildlife habitat. She participated at three rescue locations in Zambia. There she got into the nitty gritty of elephant care, cleaning then preparing stalls for new occupants, and later bottle-feeding an orphaned baby elephant.

Additionally, Kathryn closely observed two successful and empowering projects created and led by women. She was struck by the stark contrast between the freedoms enjoyed by women in the U.S. versus those not available to women in Zambia. Kathryn shared, “Women have no rights in Zambia. The most basics in life that Americans take for granted are beyond the Zambian women’s wildest expectations, save water wells.” She was particularly inspired by the strength and resilience of the Zambian women.

Kathryn feeds a baby elephant at the IFAW sanctuary.

While researching other elephant volunteer programs, Kathryn discovered an organization called Empowers Africa, which supports programs in the areas of human empowerment, wildlife protection, and land conservation. She was able to attend its annual event in Manhattan last May, along with colleague, and fellow Quechee and Boston resident, Caroline DeStefano. The meeting featured a short documentary film produced by Empowers Africa’s director of documentary development and partnerships, Martha McGuinness, called R.E.S.C.U.E., (bit.ly/4d9bMRY) about the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, an elephant rescue located at Namunyak Community Conservancy in the Samburu region of northern Kenya. Reteti Elephant Sanctuary was established in 2016 by Katie Rowe, in conjunction with the Sarara Foundation. Katie currently manages the facility, and conveniently was in attendance at the Empowers Africa meeting.

Kathryn was so moved by the information presented that Reteti Elephant Sanctuary became her focus. She spoke at length with Katie Rowe, and was introduced to Sarara Foundation philanthropy and social impact advisor, Mike Smiles, who lives in Burlington. Kathryn and Mike’s conversations led to the next logical step – an evening presentation in Quechee.

Kathryn and her team are currently planning an evening presentation at Quechee Club on October 13 to introduce Reteti Elephant Rescue to the Quechee community. The presentation will include a screening of the film, Shaba, which is currently playing at the American Museum of Natural History exhibit, Discover the Secret World of Elephants. Janet Wu, award winning Boston journalist, will moderate the event.

Elephant translocation in Malawi