The theme of this year’s annual Mud Ball is NEON. Seeking to out-do itself, the Mud Ball, one of the Upper Valley Haven’s celebratory fundraisers, is seeking maximum contrast to spring mud with bright lights and Day-Glo cocktails. Scheduled for Saturday, March 23, from 7pm to 11pm at The Quechee Club, the Ball attracts a crowd of people whose enjoyment of a good party is enhanced by awareness of supporting a worthwhile cause.

This year’s entertainment is Conniption Fits, a high-energy modern rock trio known for getting the crowd up and dancing. They maintain a highly booked schedule touring New England, and are familiar to – and popular with – many who have heard them locally in Hartford and Lebanon. Dancing to their music in the special setting of the Quechee Club is an exciting opportunity.

The Mud Ball is in its 11th year, says Ashley Wood, an administrator at the Upper Valley Haven, a local shelter and food shelter in White River Junction. “The Mud Ball is run by a committee separate from the Haven,” she says, “the funds raised support children’s services at the Haven – the after-school and summer programs.”

“The Ball crowd skews a bit younger,” Ashley adds, though pictures of past events show a wide age and style range. Some people do wear mud boots, though that custom was more widespread in earlier years.

“I really like that we have a meaningful impact in our community,” says Laurie Pauli of Lebanon, now in her third year on the committee. “Children are the most vulnerable, and they have no say in their situation,” she says, and adds, “The Haven does so much to support them.” Laurie has turned to Rent the Runway, an online service that rents designer dresses and accessories, to find something special to wear to the Ball, “something bright and not what you usually see in the Upper Valley.”

This event has moved around a bit, adding variety to the experience. This year’s location at The Quechee Club is, of course, popular. “The space makes the party,” says Liz Cassell of Quechee, who describes herself as “an avid attendee.” She used to be a regular but has not attended for several years, and she’s excited about this year’s event. “The bands are always excellent – great live music – and the live auction and silent auction add to the excitement. Everyone feels good because the money goes to the Haven.” Liz and her family support the Haven in other ways, including before Thanksgiving she and her young son baked pies. She also says that her eighth-grade son has a neon tie with a battery pack for flashing lights to loan to his dad. “I expect I can find earrings to match,” laughs Liz.

Do I Dare to Drink Day-Glo Cocktails?

People mixing Day-Glo cocktails might expect a nervous drop in glasses poured, even at the Ball, where the first hour is open-bar. But it turns out that Day-Glo coloring is not sinister; common ingredients like tonic water and edible substances like B-vitamins glow under black light. “I was skeptical, but then I heard about tonic – it glows blue – and B-12 is yellow,” says Ashley. “It’s just another way science operates in our favor.”

Ross Connor of Lebanon has many friends on the committee and has gone to the ball for four or five years. “The biggest piece is it benefits the Haven,” he says, but he appreciates the whole event. “The live music, the Conniption Fits, will be a big draw, but my favorite part is the live auction. There’s a really dynamic auctioneer.” Ross has made winning bids, including one for a tour and tasting at Hanover’s Morano Gelato. Other items have included vacation lodgings, high-end cooking lessons, and sponsorship of Haven kids events.

Ross hasn’t planned his outfit yet. “I’ll probably fall back on a jacket, no tie. But always my L.L. Bean boots,” he notes. Hard to dance in? Perhaps, “but”– he pauses and then claims – “I can’t dance anyway. In the boots, I can shuffle just as well.”

Photos by Carmen D. Noradunghian

Jane Meunier-Powell and Pat Dwyer

Volunteers are the magic here, says Sara Kobylenski, the outgoing executive director of the Upper Valley Haven, Hartford, Vermont’s multifaceted community safety net. More than a food shelf, more than a shelter, the Haven provides these emergency services and many more to those in need. Some other programs include financial and life skill training for adults, and after-school and summer programs for kids. “The folks in the community who come in and make this place work are the best,” continues Sara. Two prize volunteers are Quechee residents’ Pat Dwyer and Jane Meunier-Powell.

Pat Dwyer

Pat has volunteered with the Haven for seven years and counting. She’s obviously a good fit with the activities – golf and tennis – she enjoys at Quechee. She also turns her hand to various chores at the Haven, with the exception of showing new clients around the food shelf. “I stock the shelves and clean produce,” she says.

Pat and her husband, Bill, first bought a place at Quechee in 1981, and moved up to live full time in 1992. “It was the best decision we ever made,” she says. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” It was through a group of women at Quechee that Pat found her way to the Haven. In August, 2011, after Hurricane Irene, Pat joined a group that was handling relief supplies in a White River warehouse. The work was something Pat knew about, each winter she and Bill spend three months in San Diego where they both volunteer twice a week at the food bank located in a huge warehouse that is the central food bank supply for the whole county. Recycling is a feature of the warehouse. When outdated canned goods come in, they are run through a machine that rips open the cans and emptiesd the contents. “It is dumbfounding to see this machine in action,” says Pat. At the Haven, discards or trimmings of fresh food go to a pig farmer, who is now also taking expired canned goods.

Over the years she’s worked at the Haven, Pat has seen evolution and changes. The Haven used to have a clothing collection for clients. “It was fun to see the kids getting new shoes,” says Pat. “They’d dance around, so happy!” The Haven now hand out chits to the Good Buy store across the street. Meanwhile, the café, which serves breakfast and lunch, has expanded. Haven clients are allowed one grocery fill-up per month, which could be two grocery-carts full if it’s for a family, but cupboards still can get pretty bare towards the end of the month. The cafeteria meals help bridge the gap, and the café also offers a stock of bread and vegetables free for the taking.

“I remember when I was first there,” says Pat, “a couple came in, and they had no way to cook. The volunteer who was helping them said, ‘Wait a minute – let me look out back’ and came back with a microwave that had been donated.”

 Jane Meunier-Powell

“I’m new to the Upper Valley,” says Jane, “but I’m a native of Vermont.” Raised in Newport, up near the Canadian border, she has lived and worked around the country, in Missouri, Massachusetts, and upstate New York. She also has volunteered at other food shelves. Jane currently works in the Microbiology Lab at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. And still makes time to work in the Good Eats program and the gardens at the Haven.

The Haven gardens are patches of former lawn here and there about the grounds that now produce a pleasing mix of vegetables and flowers. “Sara says the gardens are our front line, showing people right away as they arrive here they’ll be nurtured, taken care of,” explains Jane, as she takes a break from an early fall clipping-back of some over-enthusiastic Black-eyed Susans. Two master gardeners plan the beds, and a handful of volunteers execute the designs. The gardens provide a significant quantity of vegetables for the Haven food programs. Near the bus stop a noshing bed – peas in the spring, and later, cherry tomatoes – gives visitors the pleasures of fresh snacks.

The Good Eats program has two or three volunteer chefs supply breakfast and lunch for all comers to the Haven Monday through Friday. They use what’s plentiful in the food shelf, keeping the meal wholesome –they’ve reduced donut availability in favor of egg dishes – and throw in a little education while they’re at it. Volunteers also gather bags of ingredients, along with the recipe of the day; clients can take home these recipe bags without reducing their monthly allowance from the food shelf. “We can’t ever make something everybody’s going to like,” says Jane with acceptance. There’s an effort to create soft food for imperfect teeth, and to use herbs to allow reducing salt.

Who Wins?

Both Pat and Jane overflow with praise for the Haven – its programs, its people, its accomplishments, and its attitude. “One of the biggest surprises for me was how much need there is,” says Jane. “And one of the things that impressed me most is how much people can choose. There’s a certain dignity in that, and it comes from Sara. A director sets the tone of the organization, from the top.”

On Wednesdays (a day of big supply drop-offs) Pat sorts about a thousand pounds of produce, getting it laid out and ready for clients. And she does it all with a smile on her face. Clearly both women find joy in the work they’re doing at the Haven, where the effect of their efforts can be so immediately seen. “There are so many wonderful people around,” says Pat. “I’d recommend the Haven to anyone. They need a lot of help, especially in the winter, when the snowbirds leave.”

You might think that a guy who’s made a career as a firefighter, with a retirement career as a balloon chaser, would be kind of a wild man, but Tom Ritland is soft-spoken and quiet. Perhaps after a lifetime of springing suddenly to full alert, wearing, and carrying at least 60 pounds of equipment into life-threatening situations, and dealing with constantly changing catastrophes, he feels no need to swagger. Here’s a man who has seen a lot of disasters, and done more than his fair share to remedy them. He knows the value of forethought. He prefers prevention to having to fix problems, and he knows that the best explanation is no good if the recipient doesn’t get it. He punctuates his discourse with, “Does that make sense?”

It certainly makes sense to have working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms if the alternative is losing your house or your life. “Prevention is as important as fighting fires,” notes Tom. Though recently retired from 24 years with the Hartford Fire Department, he is now on call with his old department. He works with Quechee’s two fire trucks, which live in a modest garage near the library.

Tom, Karen (center), and Diane

Firefighters aim to save people first, then property if possible. Tom is clearly proud of the systems and equipment he has available, and of the team he’s been a part of for so long. “If there’s a confirmed fire” – smoke is coming out of the house – “dispatch automatically calls Lebanon and Hanover,” he says. It takes seven minutes for a fire truck to get to Quechee from White River Junction, Vermont, an interval made possible in part by the ability of emergency vehicles to flip traffic lights to expedite passage.

While waiting for help, the first truck to arrive tries to contain the fire if it’s too big to control. Each engine carries 1000 gallons of water, which sounds like a lot until you realize that the “small” handheld hoses carried into a house put out about 180 gallons per minute. So that four tons of water – the 1000 gallons – only lasts about five-and-a-half minutes. In a roaring, fully involved fire, that water might be used to spray down nearby buildings to keep the fire from spreading.

Firefighter safety is the paramount concern. Though the fire makes the scene inherently chaotic, the crews have a carefully practiced command and control system that includes identification tags on snap clips for each firefighter. When heading into a burning house each firefighter clips a tag in a designated spot, so there’s no question about how many and who are in those flames. Even with systems and drills, about 100 firefighters die in the course of duty each year in the U.S., says Tom.

Physical fitness is also a safety matter. In the ’90s, Tom explains, studies found that 50 percent of firefighter fatalities were cardiac emergencies from stress and overexertion. Now each duty crew has a daily cardio workout at the station. Another primary source of injuries and deaths is vehicle accidents; a demanding driver-training program aims to reduce this problem.

Tom talks calmly about his experiences. When asked about being scared, he acknowledges that he’s been in many situations that are inherently scary. “But we train a lot,” he says.

Tom Ritland

The apple falls near the tree

Tom’s daughter, Karen, is a hotshot firefighter in Oregon, work she has also pursued in Idaho. Although – or perhaps because – he worked at wildland firefighting years ago, Tom hopes that Karen will move on to something else. It’s highly seasonal work, and too strenuous for all except the young. As the most highly trained, elite firefighters in the country, hotshots are sent to the most challenging terrain, often remote and with difficult access.

Chasing the rainbow (hot air balloon)

How could you live in Quechee and not be familiar with hot air balloons? Tom has gotten himself in deeper than most, helping his son, Chris, who has run a balloon-ride business, Quechee Balloon Rides, for about a decade. Tom drives the chase car, pursuing the balloon by road to help at the landing and take the people and equipment home. The “car” is actually a large pickup truck equipped with a lift for the basket, which weighs about 300 pounds at the end of a ride. “It’s more like 400 or 500 when it’s full of fuel,” explains Tom. The balloon can carry about 1800 pounds; the overhead (Chris the pilot, the basket, and equipment) runs about 1000 pounds, leaving room for four passengers. With characteristic understatement, Tom adds, “You don’t want to run out of fuel.”

Balloonists try to come down in fields – trees are the natural enemies of balloons, he says, though “power lines are the number one concern.” Aloft, the balloon is a cross between reassuringly powerful and astonishingly peaceful. Since the air moves the balloon there is little sensation of the wind. But on landing, residual buoyancy and the energy of descent can create some bumpy and exciting moments. Do NOT choose this time to lighten the basket by jumping out! Though dependent on invisible air currents for his travels, Chris has so much familiarity with the area and experience with the balloon that he can usually make good landings near a road. With his firefighter’s knowledge of area roads, Tom finds his way to meet the descending balloon.

Tom helping his son Chris with his balloon

Tom’s firefighter training in flexibility – you never know when that siren will sound – is useful to him as a balloon chaser, since balloonists may have to cancel for last minute weather conditions. Rain, strong wind, or too much fog may forbid flying. Too much heat, which diminishes the temperature contrast that lifts the balloon, may force cancelation or limit the number of passengers.

Retirement has given the chance for Tom and his wife, Diane, a retired nurse from Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, to travel. They went about as far as they could go with a trip to glaciers in New Zealand and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. He also continues to volunteer his time on the ski patrol at Quechee. He’s earned the right to enjoy life, which includes a big dose of staying in Quechee, ready to move against fires, or in pursuit of balloons. He’s good at it, and he likes it, so it just makes sense.

Some people restlessly move from place to place, while others find themselves, fortunately, placed in an environment that offers work and entertainment to fill a lifetime. Ron Paprocki is an archetype of the second category. Born in Rochester, NY, he went to school there, and went to the University of Rochester as an undergraduate, receiving a degree with high distinction in French Literature. However, his degree was not a good indicator of where he was heading.

A foundation in higher education

Ron stayed put and began working for the University as an advisor, in academic support and counseling positions. Then he moved into administrative work, beginning with budgeting and planning. “It was one thing after another,” he says. “It just kind of evolved.”

Ron with his family

And evolved and evolved. He moved through the University’s administration, acquiring an MBA at Rochester’s Simon School of Business along the way. He was vice president for budgets and financial planning, then senior vice president for financial affairs and planning, and finally, in 2000, he was named senior vice president for administration and finance, and treasurer and chief financial officer for the University. He retired two years ago, covered with praise and admiration from his colleagues as reported on the University of Rochester website. The chair of the trustees said, “With his quiet, unassuming manner, [Ron] is always willing to work as hard as necessary to get the job done, and has been outstanding at assembling groups to complete projects of great importance to the University – “ and he adds every project manager’s favorite words – “on time and budget.” University President Joel Seligman praised Ron’s strengths: “His wisdom, sensitivity to the broad scope of our University, and ability to both see the big picture and manage a broad portfolio of responsibility have made Ron my closest associate. The secret to running a successful University is to surround yourself with talented people… Ron long has been a stalwart of our University.”

It’s a big deal. The University of Rochester is a private AAU (Association of American Universities) member. Membership is by invitation, and means that its research and graduate programs are among the best in the country. The university includes the prestigious Eastman School of Music and a highly esteemed College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering, but is also heavily medical in its programs and research. It is home to an 830-bed hospital. The University’s budget is about 3.5 billion, and is the sixth largest private employer in the state of New York.

Ron and Cathy at the groundbreaking of the University of Rochester College Town development. A small plaza garden “Paprocki Plaza” was named in his honor.

Ron has lived through plenty of change in Rochester, much of it economic. When he was growing up, Kodak, along with Xerox and Bausch & Lomb, were the major engines of the economy in Rochester. In 1986, when Ron moved from Arts and Sciences to central administration at the University, Kodak had 62,000 employees. Two years ago, when he retired, there were 1700. “A lot of the brain trust of Kodak migrated to smaller tech companies” in the area,” says Ron. “It’s a smart city – sophisticated.”

In 2008, the recession forced many businesses to slash payrolls. Ron, as the chief financial officer, was able to steer the University through that time without too much disruption. In fact, it was in 2008 that he presented a master plan providing for the University’s growth over the next 20 years. His conception aimed to fill likely needs for all kinds of space: office, classroom, residential, research, clinical, along with the infrastructure to support even the specialized needs of scientific projects.

Heading into retirement, and a move to Quechee

In February, Ron and his wife, Cathy, will celebrate 49 years of marriage. They were introduced at a high school football game. On vacations traveling with their three children, they have always enjoyed visiting Vermont, and over the years have made many trips to inns. “Somehow we stumbled on Quechee,” says Ron, “and we liked it very much.” In 2002, the couple bought a condo, but a couple of years later they moved into a newly built house. “It’s such a good fit here,” Ron notes. “As a retirement destination, it’s excellent, with an academic health center close by, so there’s great health care.”

Their children enjoy the amenities when they visit, but Ron and Cathy are not golfers or skiers. “We’ve always hiked, and had an affinity for the natural environment. They like to get out on snowshoes, or go fly-fishing. “ Their springer spaniel, Henry – “energetic and loving,” – adds another pleasure to their lives. “I had no outdoor interests as a kid growing up,” he says.

Serving the community, he now calls home

Ron has combined his interest in nature with his desire to serve the community and getting to know people by serving on the board at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS). Mary Davidson Graham, assistant executive director at VINS, is profuse in praise of the energy, ideas, and follow-through he brings to the organization. “Ron is extremely active,” she says. “He’s been involved with VINS for 6 or 7 years, coming to events. He’s always here, and has helpful suggestions. He brings so much expertise to the table! And he’s good with marketing.” Ron, for his part, sees a lot of energy and good projects at VINS. “Environmental education is so important, especially now,” he says. “But I don’t want to talk politics….” He likes to get along with people.

“We’re not big joiners,” Ron maintains, but in addition to the VINS board, Ron serves on the Quechee Lakes Review Board. “It’s a way to meet people and get to know the community,” he says, and he has lots of experience, having served on a municipal planning board in New York state.

Ron also serves on the Upper Valley Haven board, where Executive Director Sara Kobylenski is delighted not just with his skills but with his sensitive teamwork. “He’s been a lovely addition to the board over the last year,” she says. “He’s an active member of the board, and he shows great wisdom and insight in building on the strengths of other board members. He’s been on the Finance committee, where he’s been wonderful, working to balance the Haven’s habitual and necessary frugality with spending when it’s really needed. Right from the beginning, he had a willingness to enter instantly into the values and mission of the Haven.”

For his part, Ron is happy to be part of the Haven’s volunteer apparatus. “There are so many dedicated people who are part of that organization which provides services to those in need,” he says, “and they do so much good.” Of course, Ron is one of the people doing good, and weaving himself into the community, as Sara notes, “They [Ron and Cathy] arrived looking for ways they could become community members by entering into important parts of community life. He’s a great example of how the community comes together to make good things happen.”

We aim to spend about one-third of each officer’s time in proactively building and fostering relationships in the community, says Hartford Police Chief Phil Kasten. The majority of calls to the police are from a crisis of one sort or another, and police officers train for those moments, with the possible need for quick and sometimes drastic action. But preventing crises is even better than helping people through crises. Weaving sociable acquaintance with police officers into people’s daily experience makes it easier for people to call the police for help when they need it. It also reminds would-be troublemakers that police officers are woven into the community and are keeping an eye on what is happening in the community. And it lets police officers develop comfortable connections with citizens, making it easier for them to calm difficult situations. Several programs for mixing police and community members include:

National Night Out

Many towns, in fact about 20,000 nationwide, participate in this annual celebration at the beginning of August. The program began as a way to diminish crime by strengthening a community. In 1984, when the idea first took root, people in about 400 towns just turned on their porch lights and sat outside, or visited up and down their streets. Festivities expanded, of course. “It’s kind of like a block party,” says Chief Kasten. “There’s a dunk tank, and hot dogs, and a bounce house.” Major Braedon Vail often runs the grill. “He’s an expert hot dog chef,” the chief says smiling.

Other community organizations participate too, such as the Rotary Club of White River and the Hartford Community Coalition. The Water Department supplies water for the dunk tank with the added benefit of being able to spread awareness about the importance of clean water.

Coffee with a Cop

Canine Handler Officer Eric Clifford with K9 Dozer

The Hanover Co-op Food Store in White River Junction, Vermont, connected with the Police Department to organize this informal meet-up opportunity. The store put up a tent and provided refreshments – always a draw. Officers stopped by between shifts to meet residents and answer questions. Such events are primarily social, but occasionally someone will raise a concern that generates some police follow-up. “Policing is a community-wide activity,” Chief Kasten points out. “We want people to see us as community leaders and facilitators.”

Elder Education

Occasionally an officer will visit the Bugbee Senior Center in White River Junction, to join the popular lunchtime gathering, and perhaps to make a presentation on a topic relevant to seniors. The police seek to alert seniors to the scams – many targeted to – seniors, recurring by phone and internet.

Adopt a School

The Police Department and the town’s schools have organized a partnership that links two police officers with each school. The officers put quite a bit of time into this connection. They attend concerts and sports events, show up occasionally to chat during lunch or recess and patrol the campus daily, and the school building weekly. This on-going visibility helps create a connection, but still, says Major Vail, “some kids may be timid.” The department has a K-9 officer who can be an excellent icebreaker attending various events with their handler. “Everybody loves a dog!” he adds. One of the events that Major Vail is very involved in is the Special Olympics.

Addiction and Computers

“The region, and in particular Vermont, approaches addiction as the medical problem it is,” notes Chief Kasten. These days the opioid epidemic is on everyone’s mind, but Chief Kasten and Major Vail call attention to another problem: alcohol. “We don’t talk about it, but it’s the biggest addiction,” says the chief. “It contributes to domestic violence, serious fatal crashes, child abuse.” Major Vail chimes in, “It’s socially acceptable. Legal.” Chief Kasten adds, “That’s why law enforcement people are generally not in favor of legalizing marijuana.”

The department focuses on an annual theme each year to help build awareness for schoolchildren and adults; the topic is cyberbullying. “Social media creates feelings of invincibility,” notes the chief; that makes it easier to post threats or harmful photos. “We tell people, ‘If you wouldn’t say or do it in person, or you wouldn’t say or do it in front of your parents or your spouse, then don’t do it online.’”

“There are always issues with technology as it advances,” says Major Vail. “It’s easy, and we like, but it comes with a price.” Chief Kasten adds, “It ties in with our efforts to build relationships. You move at the speed of trust.”

The Smithsonian Museum is referred to as the nation’s attic. In Hartford, Vermont, the Historical Society performs this same function, though without much in the way of resources; it’s an attic at capacity. The Society’s collection is currently displayed in Garipay House at 1461 Maple Street (near the intersection of Route 14 and Christian Street). The house-museum is open weekday mornings, and the whole project is a labor of love for a few devoted volunteers.

You’d never know it from the well-kept, crisp displays, but Garipay House is bursting with additional objects of interest in storage rooms. Gray storage shelves hold boxes of various sizes and shapes. It’s neat and clean – due to strenuous efforts to avoid piling heaps of things in corners –  but the options for orderly storage are filling up. Because of the need for more space, and also the alluring opportunity to acquire and preserve an elegant old building down the street, the Historical Society is engaged in a capital campaign to buy the Horace Pease House, familiar to many as the Elks Club.

A New Role for the Pease House

Horace Pease House

The older, front portion of Pease House was built in 1884. An earlier house, built about 1800, was moved to Summer Street to clear the site. (That house has since burned down.) Horace Pease, a very successful businessman, apparently built his house, which he called “Sunnyacre,” for his wife, Seraph.

The Elks Club added large rooms in the back of the building, which could serve the community as event and meeting spaces. Few buildings in town offer a large accessible space, lots of parking, and a commercial kitchen. Judy Barwood, chair of the capital campaign, explains the appeal of Pease House to the Society. “We desperately need to do something; we’re bursting out of our current space.” The hope is to rent space in the Pease building to existing users – such as the bingo fans who fill the 100-car parking lot twice a week – and to add new users. “Since we announced our interest in making space available,” says Judy, “we’ve received lots of calls from people interested in using the space” for either regular or one-time events.

The Society has been working for about two years on the acquisition project. Building-owner Richard Daniels, a strong supporter of the Elks, bought the house in foreclosure to help the Elks. He’s eager to move on from this obligation, so there’s time-pressure on the Society to raise or borrow money to buy the building. (Donations to the Historical Society are tax-deductible.)

Little Space, Much Information

Painting of the Theron Boyd homestead located on the corner of Hillside Road and Quechee Main Street

The displays in Garipay House are eclectic, charming, and intriguing. Society President Martha Knapp shows a visitor around, and she’s a mine of information. Her particular interest is the Abenaki, not just their way of life in pre-Colonial and Colonial days, but also the ways they and their traditions were suppressed for many years until recently. In this context, she brings up Henry Perkins, a University of Vermont professor who read a study of Army recruitment in World War I that showed Vermont men had an extremely high rate of “defects,” such as diabetes, epilepsy, deformities, and mental deficiency.” Perkins became an enthusiastic advocate of eugenics in the 1920s and ‘30s, working to establish laws permitting the sterilization of the “unfit.” Such movements were going on at the time in many places in the United States.

Martha is more eager to discuss the more cheerful threads of history. She points out some of the artifacts that entertain children. She encourages the local schools to tour the museum and generates quite a reaction among the students. Thank you notes and models of Abenaki houses and villages attest to the impression visiting the past has on kids.

“We’re the repository,” Martha says, “when someone’s cleaning out their attic. But if there’s no connection to Hartford, or if we have copies, we pass items along to the Vermont Historical Society.”

You don’t need space for stories, however, and Martha has many stories and anecdotes that she gently weaves into the tour. “I pick up all these tidbits,” she says, “but there are too many to use.” She describes how what’s now the Vermont State/Gilman office complex up on the flats was the Vermont State Fairgrounds for 30 years. And every year for 30 years, it rained on the fair. The story goes that when the fair began an old lady came by asking for a drink of water, but no one helped her. She left saying, “You will want no more for water.” True or not, it’s still a good story.

The Hartford Historical Society is Quechee’s local historical society. A painting of the Theron Boyd house is on display, and Quechee residents with interest in local history are heartily welcomed as volunteers and board members. To find out more about the Historical Society or to make a donation, please visit www.hartfordhistory.org.

They say you can tell a lot about a person by watching the behavior of their pets. On that basis, you’d expect Deb and Randy Ries to be sociable and easy to connect with, an expectation that is borne out in conversation in their cozy living room, with cats and beagles begging for a belly rub. (The humans confined their sociability to telling stories.)

The humans are also way more hardworking than the pets. Deb and Randy run Upper Valley Critter Sitters, a business that goes 24/7, 365 days a year (plus one for leap year). The couple, with some assistance from two regular and several fill-in helpers, provide extensive pet care, as well as house sitting and checking, in Quechee and beyond. “I was born in Connecticut and moved up here when I was 12. I spent a lot of time in the foster care system,” says Deb. “Because of the way my parents treated me, I wanted to protect. When I was seven, I would dream of rescuing beagles from laboratories. I was always really drawn to animals – it’s just who I am.”

Deb got an associates degree in social services but decided that “earning $8 an hour for changing diapers” was not appealing. She worked in a feline hospital in northwest Vermont and then as a vet tech for a Norwich practice.

Supporting the rescue of feral dogs in Romania

Deb’s concern for animals has led her to international rescues of feral dogs in Romania. The problem dates back to the mid-1980s, when former president Nicolae Ceauescu had much of the center of the capital, Bucharest, bulldozed to construct grander buildings. Many displaced residents moved to apartments that didn’t permit dogs. Abandoned dogs reproduced, and their numbers grew as people starved in the wake of his leadership. Early this decade the situation made headlines as a four-year-old and several foreigners died of dog bites. Tightening an already tight belt, Critter Sitters donated substantial funds to build a shelter, and in May 2012, visited Romania, touring shelters. They found dedicated people working to save and sterilize dogs, but also cultural attitudes obstructing this effort. “You’d get looks of hatred for feeding strays,” Deb says, and she saw young children beating dogs. Even though the dogs are pests, there is little support for spay/neuter programs.

Of course, she came back with a dog, Ayla. “She was the one who looked like she was going to die,” Deb says. “She was emaciated, about half the size she should have been.” Deb already had two adopted beagles at home.

Adventures in dog sitting closer to home

Over the years there have been many adventures. Some follow classic outlines, like the time Deb arrived at a house in Norwich to take care of three large dogs. “I saw a naked porcupine – no quills – at the bottom of the road,” she recalls. And sure enough, the persistent (if not terribly intelligent) dogs had filled their mouths and faces with hundreds of quills.

Randy with Holly

Randy reminds Deb of an unusual incident: when she got locked in a chicken coop. The keys were in the door while she worked inside, and the wind slammed the door shut, locking it. Frustrated, she could hear her cell phone ringing repeatedly as Randy tried to check on her. Finally, he drove over. “It was 9:45 at night,” he remembers. “I started walking up to the house. It was wide open, and my mind started to race.” And then he heard a voice from the chicken coop.

Their schedule renders many impossible things that some people would find difficult to give up. When a relative or close friend has a milestone event like a wedding or a graduation, only one of them can attend. “One of us stays here,” says Deb. During vacations, their weekly client base of about 40 may swell to 150. They’d like to add a kennel to their operation, but the low margin in the business makes it hard to find an interested bank.

Randy joined Deb full time in 2009 during the recession. “I was already doing this nights and weekends, but then I heard Debra turning business away,” he recalls. He likes being self-employed, so he can improve systems and develop efficiencies without someone saying, “We always do it this way.” The pair has territories, so that they are not, as formerly they were, passing each other on the road. They each have eight to 14 stops a day, and their two employees do between five to eight stops as well.

“Each of our routes seems to attract different characters,” says Randy. An elderly woman whose dog he was walking asked, “Do you walk people too?” With a can-do spirit, he replied, “Heck, yes!” and before long his assistance was “less walking and more social.” Willingness and hard work are Deb and Randy’s trademarks. Stir in their love of animals, and it’s easy to see why they have built such a thriving business.

Scots like to compete, explains Lezlie Webster, founder of Scottish Arts and organizer of the Quechee Highland Games, formerly known as the Quechee Scottish Festival. This year’s Games will be on Saturday, August 26 at the Quechee Polo Field on Dewey’s Mills Road. Hardcore aficionados should know that solo pipers begin playing for judges at 8am, athletic competitions start at 9, with massed bands playing and parading at noon.

A highlight of the weekend is Highland dancing

The event will include food provided by Salt Hill Pub – it’s a great opportunity to munch meat pies and stock up on shortbread – and musical entertainment by two different bands, not even counting the bagpiping. “Quechee is such a beautiful site [for this event],” Lezlie says.

“There’s such camaraderie,” says Lezlie. “People who follow the circuit are competing every couple of weeks, but it’s not just competing, it’s bettering yourself each time. You compete against different people at each time, and you learn from the other competitors, and you get feedback from different judges.”

When you listen to a band, the more the bagpipes sound like one instrument, the better, and the same goes for the drums. When you hear a solo bagpiper, listen for embellishments. Since the bag sends a continuous air supply to the pipes, repeated notes are impossible. A tune like “Row, row, row [your boat]” requires an embellishment – a quick extra note – to make each repeated note stand out. Expert pipers can make those extras so quick you hardly hear them, or they might add a complicated multi-note decoration.

St. Andrews Pipeband of Vermont.

The Highland dancers shine by having good turnout (the outward rotation of a dancer’s leg) and hitting the different positions correctly. Each dancer should exhibit high elevation and a tight precision (touching their toe to the back of their calf). Their back should be straight and vertical at all times.

Vendors at the Highland Games

Pat Edwards, another organizer of the Games, notes that the camaraderie of the event also works between audience and performers, who are happy to answer questions. There are kids’ versions of the athletic contests, and the opportunity to try chanters (the fingered part of the bagpipes) and drums. “People like bagpipes!” she exclaims, “Well, some do, and some don’t.” For those who get the bug, the pipes are compelling. “Back when 9/11 occurred, my son was about nine, and he heard the bagpipe bands at some funerals. He told me, ‘I want to play bagpipes and play for all the heroes.’” Before long he had a practice chanter, and soon after that was competing.

From left to right: Katie McNally, Frost and Fire, Highland dance competition

The event also includes a Clan Village, where representatives of many of Scotland’s famed clans can help visitors trace their lineage to a branch of a clan. “It’s fun getting back to your roots,” says Lezlie. “It’s for people who have – or want to have – Scottish heritage. Pat Edwards agrees the festival is for all. “You don’t have to be Scottish to have a great time at the Games!”

Visit www.quecheegames.com/index.php/scottish-games-schedule for a complete schedule.

You survive the traffic and the broken pavement on Route 4, and turn gratefully at the blinking light, heading over the covered bridge toward the peace of Quechee. You stop at the T with Main Street, and as you check for traffic, you can’t help noticing – consciously or subconsciously – that you’re facing a tangle of weeds and brush: that opposite bank is a mess. Is this the entrance, the introduction Quechee deserves? “No way!” says a small but industrious group which calls themselves the Friends of the Quechee Covered Bridge.

The Friends began with Dave Duval, Ted York – both past presidents of Quechee Lakes Landowners Association (QLLA) – and Michael Shankman. Kathy Hickey and Phyllis Shankman have also joined the group. Over the winter, they’ve developed plans, raised funds, and gathered permissions for flower boxes on the bridge, and planters and landscaping on the embankment.

The Friends of the Covered Bridge have selected Chippers to do the work. “They do landscaping, not just trees, and they’ll take care of the planter boxes over the winter,” says Michael. Phyllis chimes in, “Chippers is conscientious about using native species, not invasive ones.”

The embankment is not to be confused with the much-discussed pocket park that the Town of Hartford plans to install on the upstream side of the bridge this summer. But the Friends of the Quechee Covered Bridge hope and expect that their efforts will complement the Town’s work.

The group has raised enough money to execute the plan for this year. The creation and installation of plantings are the biggest expense, but they must also cover maintenance, and cleaning up in the fall. They intend to continue to raise funds for ongoing maintenance, contributing years of beauty at a welcoming gateway to Quechee.

If you are interested in being part of this effort, please email FQCB at fqcb2017@gmail.com. Donation checks can be made out to FQCB Garden Project, and sent to FQCB Garden Project Fund, Hartford Parks and Recreation Department, 171 Bridge Street, White River Junction VT 05001. Also, please include your name and return address so the town can send you and acknowledgement of your donation.

The old Maxham place is Vermont-speak for ‘the farm formerly owned by the Maxham family.’ The farm now owned by Tim Shine and his family has a new name – River Highlands Farm – as well as a unique name for their barn. Tim and his daughter Molly explain why.

Traffic whips right along on Quechee Main Street between the Quechee Club and the Taftsville Bridge. But, at about halfway, there’s a landmark that does more than its share to slow people down. An old farmhouse sits right next to a large barn and a red milk house. It’s the barn that people are looking for. They come to admire the exhortation painted on the side in large, cheerful letters: Live, Laugh, Love.

The Shine family had lived in their first place in Quechee, Dartmouth Place, for almost ten years when they bought the farm property on Main Street in 2006. They fixed up the late-1800s farmhouse, taking the building down to its bones, and refinishing it as a comfortable, light-filled dwelling with a delicate sense of historical style. They also created an addition with a kitchen and a great room.

Tim was working out back on the barn one day, giving the raw barn boards a protective coat of red paint. Molly, then 14, was hanging with her friend Maddy Lyden. “She was supposed to be helping,” recalls Tim with a forgiving laugh. The girls asked if they could paint the long side of the barn facing the road, and Tim said, “Have fun,” figuring he’d paint it over later.

But Molly had something special in mind. “I like the phrase, the idea. It didn’t really come from anywhere in particular,” she says. “I’ve always been accused of being impulsive,” she adds with a smile. “We did it with paint rollers. We didn’t measure. We thought it looked good.” They’re right about that: People driving by often stop to admire their work and take pictures. Couples getting married at the Quechee Club or other local wedding venues pose here before their wedding. “I really appreciate it when people ask,” Tim says. “Some people come knock on the door and ask. Others are oblivious to the rest of the world.” Aside from noting these differences in human behavior and degrees of politeness, Tim makes no distinctions… all comers get to take their pictures. And far from painting over his daughter’s work, he cleans off the motto’s background each year with a pressure washer.

“It’s kind of cool,” says Molly. “Something we did on the spur of the moment became a ‘thing.’” Now a merchandising assistant with the TJX Companies, Molly wears a necklace with, as she explains, “the exact coordinates of the lifeguard stand at Lake Pinneo. I have the best memories of being up there. A bunch of families had kids just a few years apart [in age]. We could ride our bikes everywhere.” A nostalgic smile lights her face.

The barn appears in many images on the internet. The Shines have a painting over the fireplace that they commissioned from a woman from Kansas City whom they met by chance in Woodstock. The barn was the subject of a chalk drawing in Woodstock’s street fair, an ephemeral manifestation of the motto’s solid advice: Live, Laugh, Love.