Karen’s Kare: Celebrating A Legacy of Love, Laughter, and Learning

By Trish Griswold

Karen Norcross, owner of Karen’s Kare, has been serving children and families in the North Haverhill area for the past 37 years. Karen’s Kare staff recently gathered for a group photo with current enrollees and a few local alumni on the lawn where so many children learned teamwork, cooperation, leadership, and good sportsmanship through group games and outdoor play. TBWS/Trish Griswold

North Haverhill, NH - In August, Karen Norcross, owner of Karen’s Kare in North Haverhill, NH, will close the doors to her home-based daycare; however, the legacy of love, laughter, and learning that she leaves behind will reverberate throughout the community and beyond, as Karen has been instrumental in helping more than 120 children learn and grow over the past 37 years.

“Few people possess the considerate, unselfish, unconditional, loving heart [Karen] has. She develops a relationship with her kids and her parents. She is honest and straightforward. She provides a ‘nest’ of comfort, belonging, safety, and learning,” remarks Diana Fadden, whose children and grandchildren have attended Karen’s Kare. “Whether it is structured or just in her every day, she has provided a place of teaching, playing, creating, and life lessons. Her expectations are just right! Good manners, discipline, strong values, and cooperation are instilled whether the kiddos realize it or not. None of this happens without love and caring… She raised my kids with me, and I will forever be grateful to her.”

When Karen graduated from Blue Mountain Union School in 1985, she set her sights on becoming an educator, attending the University of Vermont for her freshman year of college. “I wanted to be a kindergarten teacher, but I was very much a homebody. I had a hard time being over there, so I decided to come home.”

Karen worked for three years as a customer service representative at Indian Head Bank, previously located in the unoccupied building next to Bar Harbor Bank and Trust in Woodsville. When her elder son was born in November of 1988, Karen opened Karen’s Kare. “My aunt and my mother-in-law were taking turns taking care of him, and then my aunt decided she wanted the summer off. I said, ‘I don’t know anybody else, and I don’t trust anybody else, so I have to stay home.’”

For the first 15 years, Karen ran her business as a private in-home daycare, which included her sons, Michael and Christopher, as well as a handful of neighborhood children. Karen had accrued a collection of toys and manipulatives to assist with the children's fine and gross motor development. She also planned a wide range of arts-n-crafts projects and other educational activities to help boost the children’s early literacy skills.

“Karen always provided such a safe and fun place for my children,” recalls Vicki Olsen, whose two sons, Ryan and Garrett, attended Karen’s Kare. “As a working mom, this gave me such comfort. I knew that she loved my children as much as she loved her own and gave them a safe, disciplined, and loving environment. She didn’t just ‘watch’ the children, but she engaged with them in countless crafts, activities, field trips, reading, group play, light preschool lessons, and lots and lots of hugs.”

In 2002, Karen went through the process of becoming a fully licensed daycare with New Hampshire’s Child Care Licensing Unit, specializing in children ages 5 and under. The daycare is currently open Monday through Friday from 7:15 am to 5:15 pm. Karen provides two balanced and nutritious meals as well as morning and afternoon snacks for the children. She is a member of the Early Care and Education Association (ECEA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a partnership among childcare directors. Karen attends monthly Zoom meetings and participates in a variety of workshops centered around a broad range of topics, including but not limited to CPR/first aid, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) prevention, administering medications, indoor and outdoor safety, swim safety, fire safety, and shelter-in-place protocols. She also utilizes a play-based preschool curriculum to help ensure that the children are ready for the social, emotional, and academic rigors of kindergarten. 

“It’s tricky when you’re doing all ages in a family daycare, but it’s fun. It’s a good challenge,” Karen says, explaining that she believes children learn best through play. “I have to do a lot of modifications because I want my two-year-olds to be able to do [projects] with us. We also do a lot of dramatic play, clay, and Play-Doh, which is really good for their fine motor skills.”

However, the best part of caring for the children, Karen says, is the children themselves. “It’s the connection I make with them. I just love them! I love seeing the excitement when we do things, and I like that they feel comfortable with me when they're injured or sad or anything.” 

Woodsville High School standout Mikayla Walker is one of many area youth who have benefited from Karen’s love, compassion, and expertise. In fact, the Karen’s Kare alumnus currently works alongside Karen at the daycare. “It’s so sad [to see the daycare closing]. I’m just grateful,” Mikayla says, reminiscing about her childhood experiences. “I’ve basically grown up here. It’s my second home, and I get to work with someone who helped raise me.”

Karen’s Kare kiddos, past and present, rave about Karen and the care she has provided them over the years. Mikayla maintains that “Karen’s food is the best!” In fact, she says, her twin brother, Ryan, still talks about it. 

“And if you ask my children (even to this day), no one was better than Karen,” Vicki says. “Her cinnamon toast, her macaroni and cheese, and her cookies. It was always requested at my house. ‘Can you please make it like Karen?’ I’d always laugh and say, ‘But it’s toast!’ Apparently Karen‘s toast was always much better than mine. My youngest son even asked one year if Karen could come to our house and make macaroni and cheese and hotdogs for his birthday dinner. I was never offended but always laughed. I just love the connection that they had with her.” 

When asked what they love most about their daycare experience, the children’s answers are similar and range from cupcakes and birthday celebrations to arts-n-crafts projects, playing outside, napping, and spending time with friends. Eight-year-old Trent’s immediate, heartfelt response, however, is short, sweet, and to the point. “Her.”

Anyone who enters Karen’s Kare will see the children everywhere, laughing, playing, creating, and connecting with their daycare family. The love, the excitement, and the joy are palpable. Karen’s Kare is truly their home away from home. So why is Karen’s Kare closing after 37 years of incredible service to children and families in this community? 

“It’s been my life,” Karen explains, “but it's time to get my house back. I’m open 10 hours a day, but then you add the cleaning and shopping and all of the other stuff. It’s a huge commitment, but I have loved it. It’s been perfect for me because I just love the kids, but I’m also excited to maybe try to do something different.”

Karen is still considering her options, but substitute teaching and baking are among the possibilities. “…I like the idea of having the freedom to take my grandkids to things or stay home with them if one of them is sick so their parents can still work. I want all that, but I’m still looking for the perfect piece, I guess.”

As she ponders her next steps, Karen is working diligently to ensure that safe, loving childcare opportunities continue to be available to local children and their families in the future. According to Karen, the ECEA has asked her to serve as a mentor for childcare providers who are interested in opening new daycares and as a substitute in daycares throughout the area. Karen is committed to ensuring that two and three-year-olds have access to the socialization they need prior to entering kindergarten.

Whatever the future holds for Karen, one thing is certain. The profound impact she has had on area youth is beautifully woven into the fabric of this community. It can be seen in the bright, smiling faces of our kindergarteners on their first day of school; in the drive and determination of our high school athletes as they step onto the basketball court or baseball field; and in the hearts and minds of young parents who aspire to raise their children with the same love, safety, discipline, and family values Karen bestowed upon them.

“The happy childhood memories her daycare has given [to our children],” Vicki contends, “are priceless.”

Payton (L) and Lincoln turn their blank pieces of paper into colorful works of art as they imagine, share, and create ideas together. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Karen Norcross opened Karen’s Kare in 1989, but now that her children are grown and her grandchildren are attending school full-time, she is ready to embark on new adventures. Karen is pictured with her four grandchildren (L-R): Trent, Hayden, Payton, and Hunter. TBWS/Trish Griswold

Local VFW Post named one of five top posts in NH

Bernie Marvin

Courtesy Photo

North Haverhill, NH – Word has been received that the local Post 5245 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been selected as one of five top posts in New Hampshire in their outstanding programs of giving back to the community.

Post member Harv Keyes, himself a veteran of 32 years in the US Air Force and one of the active members, told The Bridge Weekly that because of the distinction of their busy schedule of giving to the community and to their fellow veterans, the organization has been named as an "All American Post." 

Keyes said recently that the post maintains a list of about 80 members, many of whom are active; others are unable to participate because of their age, work schedules, or availability. No matter, Keyes said, they all contribute what they can to make the post one of the top posts in the state and nation.

He noted that the Veterans of Foreign Wars is America's oldest major organization of overseas combat veterans. VFW was established to secure rights, medical care, and benefits for service members returning from foreign wars.

VFW traces its roots back to September 1899, following the Spanish-American War; returning service members arrived home wounded or sick to a nation that had no veteran pensions or dedicated medical care system. To advocate for themselves, veterans formed local chapters across the country.

Today, the VFW operates as a huge advocacy network with over 1.5 million members across more than 6000 VFW posts throughout the world. Keyes said that Post 5245 is easy to join for veterans who qualify with overseas service. 

More information can be obtained from Commander Larry Elliott 802-249-5878; N. Haverhill, Steve Wheeler 603-236-2754, and Dale Pierson 603-616-7106. Both are in Woodsville.  In the North Haverhill area, there is Joy Henson 937-797-7471 and Gary Hebert 603-359-8830.  

Out in Mountain Lakes area, contact Bill Burroughs 603-787-2911, down in the Orford area Dave (Tim) Cole 603-353-4359 will gladly help.  Mike Conrad 603-989-5980 in Pike or East Haverhill, then down in Glencliff and Warren area is Eddie Ball 603-989-5528.  Or call Harv Keyes in Haverhill Corner 603-359-4030.

Harv Keyes says “Our motivation comes from the motto ‘No Man Left Behind’ and that translates into our dedication to our community through local support.  We invite you to join us if nothing more than just be with us through your membership.  Remember it’s not the cost of an annual membership but the ‘Sacrifice you’ve already made just to be eligible.’                                               

In reviewing some of the post's accomplishments that gained it the distinctive award recently, members sell $3000 to $5000 worth of lapel “Buddy Poppies” each year to help fund some of the community work they do. According to the records, members volunteered 2500 hours and drove 11,000 miles serving others.

He said the post also has provided honor guards and flag details for more than 15 funerals each year and cares for and pays for four Little League sports fields for teams that include 60 local kids, plus two soccer fields that host 1000 young players. 

The local Post 5245 members provide services for their care and rehabilitation. He said that members of the post have made 70 visits to area hospitals in support of veterans, and nearly 4,000 hours were given to veterans’ service programs.

He said that VFW members gave a total of about $117,455 to the community for school scholarships and financial assistance.

He said that the care and maintenance of the VFW Field in North Haverhill includes two ball fields, a playground, bathrooms, and a maintenance shed. Ball fields host over 17 local communities with more than 36 teams, with each team fielding nine to 15 players plus coaches and staff. 

At other times during the year, the ball fields are converted to soccer fields, with the average maintenance and mowing, plus upkeep and cleaning of the seals and bathrooms, requiring volunteer work of up to 22 hours weekly. All this is done by members of the post 5245 and its auxiliary at no cost to the taxpayers of Haverhill, Keyes said.

He said the post maintains no bar or alcohol facilities. The post's only income is from Wednesday night bingo programs. He said the post does have one annual raffle with the proceeds being dedicated to local youth activities.

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The North Haverhill Fair celebrates its 82nd year with perfect weather

Bernie Marvin

North Haverhill Fair directors and visitors lined up for the official ribbon cutting that opened the new Keith Office were, left to right Mike Perkins, Diane Ingalls, Gary Scruton, Jim Aldrich, John Aldrich, Linda Stoddard, Chris Dellinger, Hannah Leland, Executive Councilor Karen Liot-Hill, Debbie Bigelow, Linda Keith, President David Lackie, Bob Stoddard, Tim Clough and Amy Crocker. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

North Haverhill, NH – It was a rare weekend last week that allowed the North Haverhill Fair to be in town for five straight rainless, stormless days. It was perfect fair weather, and the crowds attending this 82-year-old North Country family tradition were happy with all they could see, eat, and ride on over the five days from July 11 to 26, 2026.

The 45-acre fairgrounds were first occupied by the fair and its associated buildings in 1982 after leaving its former home behind the present-day James R. Morrill Municipal Building on Route 10 just north of North Haverhill Village.

It was about a mile from that spot that the fair was born, as the Pink Granite Grange Fair, in 1946, after being set up for a couple of years as a one-day agricultural event for local kids and their 4-H animals. Nothing has changed as far as that goes, but the entire fair management organization and its volunteer base have grown significantly to accommodate and host the annual North Haverhill Fairs, which draw hundreds of support personnel.

Over the years, under a series of fair directors, presidents, and other fair helpers, it has blossomed into one of the North Country's premier early-summer events, attracting thousands from across New England and beyond.

As I look back at my participation with the North Haverhill Fair, I actually began my commitment that has lasted from 1979 to the present, first as a member of the Haverhill Police Department, one of several officers walking the beat throughout the fair's presence in town. 

Back then it was only a couple of days in the early fall; then they added days here and there; now it is in session for nearly five full days. When you look over the schedule of exhibits, activities, contests, competitions, and other events, you sometimes wonder how they did it all in two or three days.

This year, the entertainment included Taylor's Story, a musical narration of Taylor Swift's greatest hits, as well as performances by the up-and-coming local hometown artist Karri Blood. Along with Thayer Stage entertainment, fairgoers enjoyed a truck show, a log-loading contest, a big-wig truck pull, many motorized events, daily animal-pulling contests, the ever-popular racing pigs, and live music shows every day.

Throughout the five days of the fair, visitors wandered through art and photography shows, crafts and collections, scarecrow art and Lego creations. There were a multitude of contests and shows, including the popular King Arthur baking contest, a classic car show, a demolition derby, a glowing competition, and other popular shows throughout the vast fairgrounds.

The animal programs are exciting for the public and for 4-H participants, with continued programs inside the Rutherford Building, one of the most popular structures on the fairground acreage.  

This year, as the new Farm Museum fills up with an amazing array of implements, tools, and early American farming machinery, it has proved to be a very popular area for fair visitors to visit, often at the same time as the Doc and Katharine Blaisdell Maple Museum.

The highlight of the fair was the construction and opening of the new Keith Office, a sterling building with ample space for the staff who manage the fair's activities. From the outside, it looks a bit like a long barn and is a handsome addition to the buildings already there that have been either moved there or built there since the fair relocated to that field in 1982.

Kevin Fagnant and crew built the new Keith office, which features a typical New England structure atop the roof amidships (in the middle), known by many as a cupola. As David Lackie will tell you, it is not a cupola; it is a belvedere.

He offered that Mr. Fagnant commented that it was a belvedere. Although it looks like a cupola, a belvedere is an Italian word meaning a structure on the top of a building that provides an elegant view. Of course, a view of the fairgrounds is an elegant view and will remain so for many years to come.

It was a happy occasion, with many of the Keith clan gathered to salute the family's involvement, along with many other families who have taken the time to volunteer for this very nice program, born and raised in North Haverhill, NH.

The actual cutting of the ribbon at the start of this year's fair on Wednesday evening came after some introductory words and a brief fair history. On hand for the event were many former directors and their families, friends of the fair, and a few others with connections to state government in Concord.

They included Executive Councilor Karen Liot-Hill and Haverhill resident Rick Ladd, who, for many years, was an education leader in Concord and served for 18 years as an elected representative. He announced his retirement earlier in the evening to the surprise of many. He was a friend of the Town of Haverhill, where he lives, and of the North Haverhill Fair.

Taking a little time to speak about the great weather and crowds who flocked to the fair over last weekend, are fair directors, left to right Gary Scruton, John Aldrich, Bob Stoddard, President David Lackie and NH Representative Rick Ladd. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Showing a new sign for the Keith Office that will be permanently displayed on a newly constructed administration building at the North Haverhill Fairgrounds are left to right, a Keith son, Tom, Fair President David Lackie and a Keith daughter, Debbie Bigelow at the North Haverhill Fair that was in town from Wednesday through Sunday last week. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

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Local Singer-Songwriter Karli Blood Headlines At North Haverhill Fair

By Trish Griswold

Karli Blood is the featured performer at this year’s 82nd Annual North Haverhill Fair. Karli is a Ryegate, VT, resident and a Blue Mountain Union School graduate. She is currently enrolled as a public relations major at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she is also pursuing a career in country music. - Courtesy photo

North Haverhill, NH - On Saturday, July 25th, Ryegate’s very own Karli Blood will light up Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair with her positive energy, musical talent, and country vibe. For the 20-year-old college student, this opportunity is one she never thought possible. “Growing up, I never imagined I’d get the chance to take the main stage at such a special event,” Karli says, “and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.”

Karli’s passion for music began at an early age, giving private performances for her family. Ironically, however, it was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 that sparked her drive to create music. Like many people, Karli found herself struggling with the lack of social interaction outside her immediate family, so she turned to music as an outlet. Karli set up her dad’s old DJ equipment in a loft above her parents' garage, a cozy little space she fondly dubbed “the barn,” and began belting out a myriad of well-known hits from country to pop, rock, and even theater music. She started teaching herself to play the ukulele and began writing songs as an emotional escape, transforming her negative feelings into something more positive.

“[The pandemic] was definitely a hard time,” Karli says, reflecting on the perils of quarantine. “I found that music really helped me through that. It was definitely an outlet for me to express how I was feeling, and I was able to put some of those feelings into lyrics.”

A few years later, at age 16, Karli gave her first public performance—a duet at her school’s spring concert. In August of that same year, with her dad running sound and lights, Karli gave her first solo performance when she opened for Bad Horsey at Sunset Rock RV Park in Isle La Mott, VT. “I couldn’t have done it without my parents, brother, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and friends,” Karli says. “They never fail to show up and support me. Without them being there, I probably wouldn’t have the courage to get up on stage.” 

From that moment on, Karli’s music career blossomed. Bryce McNall, the lead singer of Bad Horsey, connected Karli with a producer, who is originally from Vermont but travels back and forth to Nashville helping find up-and-coming talent and assisting them in the process of producing tracks with in-studio bands. This introduction was a catalyst for what came next.

In October 2022, during her sophomore year of high school, Karli ventured off to Nashville, the heart of Music City, where she recorded her first original song, titled “What We Used To Be.” The following February, Karli played her first official gig with a backing track and her guitar at the Iron Rail in Woodsville. She continued to perform locally at bars, campgrounds, and various community events before returning to Nashville three months later to record “Nashville Cowboys,” one of her most popular songs to date. According to Karli, “Nashville Cowboys” was released in September 2023 as part of an extended play mini-album with a collection of songs from her two recording sessions. To date, Karli has released eight songs in total.

When asked to choose her favorite original song, Karli ponders for a moment. “I think ‘Nashville Cowboys’ because it’s fun to dance to, and that’s the kind of music I’m hoping to release if I ever get more opportunities to record. But I also like ‘Doin’ Good.’ Those are probably my top two.”

Without question, Karli Blood’s music career has skyrocketed since those early years of belting out KIDZ BOP-type playlists for her family. Following her graduation from Blue Mountain Union School in June of 2024, Karli moved to Nashville, where she currently attends Belmont University while simultaneously forging her path in the music industry. Karli originally enrolled as an education major, as she was uncertain about her long-term career aspirations. “I needed to start somewhere,” she remarks. “I thought that might lead me into music education or becoming a teacher, but I went into it knowing that I was probably going to change my major.”

While networking with other students through various organizations that she had joined, Karli learned about public relations (PR). “I didn’t even really know that was a thing when I was searching for majors in high school, and then I talked to a lot of other students who spoke so highly of the program and the professors and explained what PR was. I said, ‘I need to try this.’”

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Karli switched majors and is pleased with her decision. “I had a reflection moment of, ‘Why am I in Nashville spending so much money for an education degree when I can do that anywhere for a lot cheaper?’ I feel like I should be taking advantage of the connections and the professors and the programs related to music.” 

Though PR is not an official major within Belmont’s School of Music, Karli explains, public relations is certainly an integral part of the music industry. “PR is important from an artist’s perspective with the age of social media, but there’s so much that you can do with PR even beyond music. If I wanted to learn how to promote myself or other artists and stay in the music industry, I 100% could, but if my goals in life change, I will have job security in other parts of the workforce because PR is so broad.”

The life-changing opportunities afforded to Karli in Nashville, both personally and professionally, have been plentiful. As part of Dolly U, a partnership between Belmont University, Dolly Parton and CTK Enterprises, Karli recently took a class called “Dollyology: Branding, Leadership & Strategic Communication to Customer Relationship Management in the Dollyverse.” This course focused exclusively on Dolly Parton’s branding as an artist and her journey in the public eye.

In addition to a rigorous course schedule, Karli is a member of Phi Mu, the second-oldest female sorority in the United States, as well as Towering Traditions, an orientation council that supports incoming Belmont University freshmen on move-in day and throughout the school year. She co-leads the Belmont Boulevard Team, a small group of students who create all of the social media content for Belmont’s Instagram and TikTok pages. Karli also spent 16 days with a group of fellow PR majors traveling through Europe, starting in Madrid, Spain, with additional stops in Lisbon and Porto, Portugal. 

In her spare time, Karli is on stage in Nashville. In April 2025, she auditioned for the Honky Tonk School, a highly acclaimed training and development organization. Karli earned a spot filling in for singers who perform on Broadway. She plays consistently with a multitude of bands on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a network of venues that include Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge, Kid Rock’s Big Honky Tonk, Honky Tonk Central, and Rippy’s Honky Tonk. Karli performs at various times of day and in different environments. She also “runs the bucket,” taking song requests and accepting tips from the audience. “It has been a great way to connect with people in the music industry in Nashville and artists that are chasing the same dream that I am.”

Karli’s journey into the music spotlight is beyond inspirational. She is ambitious, passionate, humble, and kind. She is also a positive role model and a beacon of inspiration for those who have the courage to dream big dreams. Karli’s advice to budding young artists is simple and genuine. “Keep going if music is something you truly love. It won’t always be easy, but it is so much better to take the chance than to look back years later wishing you'd been brave enough to try.”

While Karli is chasing her dreams in Nashville during the school year, she spends her summers in Vermont with her family, pursuing those same dreams here at home. Karli recently opened for Waterbury, VT, native Jamie Lee Thurston at The Dispensary in St. Johnsbury. Other venues on her summer tour included 98 Mill, McIndoes Academy Community Center, Sunset Rock Lake Shore, and Kingdom Campground, with her final stop being Thayer Stage at the North Haverhill Fair. 

“I feel nothing but pride to represent my community and put on a really fun show for everyone who shows up and supports me,” Karli says. “I think it’s going to be a great time, and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Karli Blood (second from left) has received unwavering support from her family throughout her musical journey. Her dad, Scott (far left), is her lighting and sound technician. Her mom, Melissa (far right), is her manager, and her younger brother, Kason (second from right), helps Scott with set-up and tear-down.“It’s definitely not a one-woman show, even if it appears that way,” Karli says. - Courtesy photo

Karli Blood serves as a “fill in” for singers who perform on the “Tootsies Circuit,” a collection of honky- tonks in Music City. She is seen singing on stage at the legendary Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge on Broadway.- Courtesy photo

In its 50th year, the Orford Flea Market still offers a variety of food and neighborly fun.

Bernie Marvin

Here is a typical view of the Orford Flea Market showing folks walking around the area chatting, bargaining, and telling tales. It is a great two days of social fun and visiting. The Bridge Weekly file photo/Bernie Marvin.

The area has been in love with the Orford Flea Market for 50 years. It has taken place on the spacious Orford Common, and as they say, "If it is not at the Orford Flea Market, it ain't nowhere!"

The event is coming up on Saturday and Sunday, August 1 and 2, from 9 AM to 5 PM on Saturday and from 9 AM to 4 PM on Sunday. It is a very different kind of show, and it is vast, creative, and usually crowded with people who really enjoy browsing and buying.

We have personal experience with the Orford flea market. For the past five years, we have been a participant there, selling my volumes One, Two, and Three of Bernie's Beat books, plus selling Humanitarian Food Rations (HFR) and Meals Ready to Eat (MRE).

As always, we had success selling books and meal pouches. The military food drew many interesting comments from veterans who stopped by our display, including "I remember those hockey pucks we had in our MREs!" He was referring, of course, to the hamburger or pork patty, a delightful round portion of meat that looked and tasted (most) like a hockey puck.

That was only one of the fond remembrances of military food we heard while at the flea market. There were many others, and the comments were fun and quite creative, most of which I cannot repeat here in this family newspaper. The military and humanitarian food comments from some flea market shoppers evoked memories of their days far from home in the military, when they had the opportunity to love or hate MRE meals.

Time spent with Bernie's Beat books and visitors to the Orford Flea Market was delightful, as always. The stories in the books are about local people I know or have met along the way. They are not fiction or opinion pieces. They are stories about life, work, family, and situations. The Bernie's Beat columns and books are fun to write, and they are fun to talk about because people not only buy them, but they also talk about stories of their own that were prompted by just having the books on the table being offered to the public.

But even more fun than that are the opportunities to meet friends who come to the Orford Common for these two days each summer and wander around looking and admiring all those things laid out before them. Acres of stuff, some really old and valuable, and not much junk.

The Orford Flea Market is 50 years old. It is a success and is provided for the benefit of the Orford Volunteer Fire Department. It is a mammoth occasion where the vast, majestic Orford Common is filled with vendors selling everything under the sun and moon. For the past 50 years, the stretch of Route 10 from way beyond the old Equity Publishing building to the north, down to the Orford fire station in the south, is dedicated to flea market parking for the two days of the flea market.

The common is filled with 200 dealers, each planted in their 20-by-20-foot space. For each flea market day, thousands of people meander up and down the aisles, checking out the myriad of wares all along the way. During their visit, they will find anything they want or don't need, but they buy it anyway.

The Orford Volunteer Fire Department offers food at its booth, and the church offers an assortment of breakfast sandwiches and, later, pie and ice cream.

They come armed with shopping lists, backpacks, and shopping carts. They make offers, they bargain, and they buy, or they don't buy. Sellers spend hours loading their wares at home, then unloading them in Orford. As Sunday approaches, many will tell you they don't have to worry about packing the stuff back into their vehicles because they've sold most of it.

The event runs smoothly, and one reason it does so without problems is that Ruth Hook was at the helm of this enormous project for many, many years. She was the go-to lady, the head boss of the flea market, and had done a great job for many years. She cruised the main corridors, plus the nooks and crannies of the flea market in her Gator vehicle. She took names and assigned spaces, and if you had a question about anything at the Orford Flea Market, she was the one who answered your questions.

The Orford Flea Market is an exciting place to visit. You can't escape from the common without taking home some oddity, an unusual knick-knack, a real piece of China, heirloom table wear, or an old photo.

It is a wonderful weekend experience, and as in the past, the weather promises to be beautiful (we hope!)

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Nice Weather, Happy Crowds Greet Warren Old Home Day Weekend Events

Bernie Marvin

Preparing to march the Warren Old Home Day Parade route last Saturday, July 11, 2026, were members of Post 5245, North Haverhill, Veterans of Foreign Wars, left to right: Commander Larry Elliott, Sr., Gary Hebert, Edward Ball. Rick Ladd, Fred Delman, and VFW Auxiliary member Terry Knights. The Bridge Weekly/ Bernie Marvin

Warren, NH – The Founding Fathers-themed Warren Old Home Days weekend was chock-full of activities, starting on Friday at 4 PM, as the Warren Volunteer Fire Department fired up the BBQ grills and hosted their Chicken Barbecue behind the Warren Village School. From there on, the weekend was non-stop Warren Old Home Days right through to Noon on Sunday, July 12, when they scheduled kids' games on the Common.

Friday evening also saw music played on the Common with fireworks later presented by Whitcher's at dusk.

Saturday's activities for the Warren Old Home Days started early with the Kyle Mooney Prouty 5K walk that stepped off at the fish hatchery. Helicopter rides were scheduled to begin at 9 AM, and the Founding Fathers Parade stepped off at the Sanford Memorial Field on Lund Lane at 11 AM sharp.

Grand Marshal for this event was the Warren Historical Society, and two members of that great organization were on hand in one of the lead-off parade vehicles. The Grand Marshal vehicle in the parade featured Historical Society Vice President Don Bagley at the wheel—a nice honor for a group that has done so much to preserve Warren's long history.

The Mount Moosilauke ATV Club presented a noon poker run, and on the Common there was live music by the Red Hat Band.

Again, this year, there was a very well-attended open house at the Warren Historical Society Museum and other activities that included strawberry shortcake, the annual corn hole tournament, a Taekwondo demonstration, candy bar bingo, and an open mic program hosted by Jim McHugh, and at 6:30 PM, the Colonial Wrestling Alliance presented a wrestling show on the Common.

Sunday's event began at 7 AM with breakfast at the Masonic Lodge, a kids' fishing derby at the Morse Museum Pond got underway at 9 AM, and the Warren traditional Old Home Day Pig Roast on the Common began serving at noon.

During the Pig Roast, there was also live music on the Common by The Roll on Buddies Bluegrass Band, and the weekend events ended with kids' games there.

The parade that rolled out of Sanford Memorial Field included a wide array of family floats and decorated ATVs, a nice selection of classic vehicles, and we saw some political folks running for a variety of offices. They were assembling at the field, getting ready for their trip into town, walking or riding along the parade route. They were Democrats Brie Choate, seeking the Grafton County Register of Deeds office; Paul Goundrey of Orford, running in the Democratic Primary, and Dusty Vigneault, who is running for the Representative seat from the Haverhill area.

Also seen at the parade were Grafton County Commissioner Katie Hedberg and State Senator David Rochefort.

Leading the parade was the usually fine, spirited music of the Baker Valley Band and the stalwart war heroes of the North Haverhill Veterans of Local Wars Post 5245, carrying the national and state colors proudly down the street, as they have for so many years at the Warren Old Home Day Parade.

Three candidates appearing in the Warren Old Home Day Parade last Saturday, July 11, 2026, are, left to right, Paul Goundrey, District 6 Representative of Orford; Brie Choate, for the Grafton County Register of Deeds and Candidate for the Haverhill area State Representative Dustin Vigneault. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

The Warren Old Home Day Parade Marshals included, front left vehicle driver, Don Bagley, Vice President of the Warren Historical Society. Others in the vehicle with Bagley were along for the ride to enjoy the beautiful parade weather. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

The Godfrey Clan on their float as they begin their ride last Saturday morning in the Warren Old Home Day Parade. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

The Warren Old Home Day Parade featured several groups on their family floats. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

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Big Crowds Greet July 4TH Parades In Woodsville, Orford And Fairlee

Bernie Marvin

Woodsville, Orford, NH and Fairlee, VT – For these three patriotic villages that lie along a defining border created by the Connecticut River, the message to the rest of the country and the world on the nation's July 4 250th birthday was, "Happy Birthday, America!"

The weather was seasonally hot, and the massive crowds that traveled to the communities to see their parades were filled with spirit and best wishes for the country's future. Crowds strolled the sidewalks of the three parade-hosting communities, with each of the three towns hosting BBQs. Historic events and a long list of activities continued into the night, culminating in fireworks in Woodsville and Fairlee.

All along both sides of town sidewalks in Orford and Fairlee, visitors flocked an hour or more before the 11 AM parade kickoff at the Rivendell School entrance road and Route 10 area.

As always, the Orford-Fairlee July 4th Parade included a variety of local people in all types of floats, skits, and groups. A special series of floats and military vehicles were dedicated to local veterans who rode proudly as part of the parade, receiving hearty welcomes all along the way.

At the conclusion of the parade that ended in Fairlee on South Main Street beyond Wing's Market, there was a special program on the Fairlee Town Common at the Soldiers Monument and Flagpole.

For that ceremony, there was a Welcome by Bruce Taylor, Master of Ceremonies for the program. The flag was raised by American Legion members, with the National Anthem sung by Veteran Brad Shedd and his son, Blair Shedd.

There was a Historical Society Welcome by Society President Don Weaver, followed by Vermont State Representative Monique Priestley. Pastor Dick Hodge of the Fairlee Community Church offered a prayer. The American Legion Ceremony at the monument included Thetford Post 79 Ron Ward, Fred Adams, Nate Pero, Jim Brigham, and Jim Holbrook—also, Norwich Post 7 members Jim Harlow and DeCosta.

There was also a closing performance with band music by Maple Leaf Seven.

Meanwhile, up the Connecticut River a dozen miles, it was a busy time in Woodsville, as the parade passed along Route 302 from Woodsville into Wells River, where it terminated, and the units returned to Woodsville to retrieve personal vehicles for their trip back home.

As has been the case for many years, planes flying overhead have provided a protective roar of freedom to parade-goers lining the streets below, while a variety of combat aircraft have thrilled the crowds with exciting flyovers for the past 25 or so years.

This year, F-35 fighter aircraft from the Vermont Air National Guard flew overhead in the Orford-Fairlee airspace for a quick pass as they continued to their next community to wow those crowds. It is always a thrill to see America's protective aircraft overhead on her birthday!

It was anticipated that planes from the same or a similar unit would also fly over the Wells River-Woodsville Parade. The parade included the opening honor guards from the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5245 in North Haverhill and the American Legion Ross-Woods Post 20 in Woodsville.

From there until nearly an hour later, the parade featured many floats, sports teams, marchers and, of course, the Shriners and their exciting array of fire vehicles and small motorcycles. Also this year, the North Haverhill VFW Post sponsored a float carrying veterans along the parade route.

Grand Marshal of the Wells River-Woodsville Parade was community leader and former Peace Corps member Richard Roderick. The following two reports on the day's guests of honor were featured in the Wells River-Woodsville July 4 Committee's publication for this year's events.

The Bridge Weekly appreciates the use of their reports in this story. They wrote: "The Woodsville Wells River 4th of July Committee annually selects a Grand Marshal for the parade. This year's honoree is Richard M. Roderick, who lives on Bible Hill in Wells River. Though Richard is not a Newbury native, he will tell you that he has been visiting Newbury since before he was born. His parents had friends in town, and they visited them for the 4th of July holiday week most summers. Richard even attended Vermont Technical College and the University of Vermont. Then, in 1974, he joined the Peace Corps and taught agriculture to students in grades 8-11 in Jamaica. He continues to have contact with some of his students and has returned to his volunteer site over the years. He co-founded the Green Mountain Returned Peace Corps Volunteers group in 1982. Richard's next adventure led to a 28-year career with FmHA/Rural Development in Caledonia County, Vermont; the U.S. Virgin Islands; Grafton County, NH; and Micronesia in the Western Pacific. During that time frame, Richard moved to North Haverhill and then bought his home in Wells River in 1992. But Richard's involvement with the community didn't stop there. He was an 11-year member of the Newbury Planning Commission and the Newbury Historical Society. In 1992, when the Wells River Action Program (WRAP) began, Richard was part of the group and served as President for 3 years. He is also known as one of the driving forces behind Wells River's So Long Summer, Hello Fall Festival and as the editor of the WRAP-UP Newsletter. Richard's newsprint experience also includes a childhood paper route, selling ads for his high school and college yearbooks, and for Trendy Times. Richard is also familiar with 250-year celebrations. He was part of the Newbury/Haverhill team in 2013 and is currently serving on the Newbury US 250 Celebration Planning Committee. Be sure to say thank you to Richard when you see him and give him a big wave when he passes by as the 2026 Grand Marshall of the Woodsville Wells River 4th of July Parade.”

And earning the title of Parade Marshal this year was well-known Haverhill resident and US Air Force veteran Harvey Keyes. “Command Chief Master Sergeant Harvey W. Keyes has been selected as the 2026 Parade Marshal for the Woodsville Wells River 4th of July celebration. Born in Haverhill, NH, Harvey began his military service while still in high school, enlisting in the Vermont Air National Guard before joining the United States Air Force in 1959. What followed was a remarkable 32-year career defined by courage, leadership, and unwavering dedication, from his early days as a B-52 crew chief during the Cuban Missile Crisis to his becoming one of the youngest Strategic Air Command crew chiefs. Chief Keyes quickly distinguished himself through skill and determination. He later served as an inflight refueling specialist aboard a KC-135 aircraft before answering the call to combat rescue missions in Southeast Asia. During the Vietnam War, Harvey flew 101 missions as a crew chief and door gunner aboard HH-3E "Jolly Green" rescue helicopters, participating in seven life-saving rescues. During the Tet Offensive in 1968, his crew rescued three downed Navy pilots under enemy fire—an act of extraordinary heroism that earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross. He would go on to complete a total of 237 combat missions and log more than 5,000 flying hours. Rising to the rank of Chief Master Sergeant, he was selected as Command Chief of the 305th Air Refueling Wing, the largest refueling wing in the free world—and was among a select few chosen to serve beyond 30 years. He retired in 1990 after more than 3 decades of distinguished service. Even in retirement, Chief Keyes continued his lifelong commitment to others—serving 18 years with the Grafton County Sheriff's Department, supporting veterans as a DAV driver for over 50,000 miles, and dedicating countless hours to community organizations including the American Legion, VFW, and the Lions Club. Above all, he is a proud father of three daughters and a man whose life reflects service not only to his country but also to his community and his family. Chief Harvey W. Keyes represents the very best of dedication, sacrifice, and American service."

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East Corinth

Photos by Kim Morrison

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Peacham

Photos by Antonia Munson

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Woodsville & Wells River

Photos courtesy of NEK Photography

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Declaration of Independence

By Deborah Jurist, President of the Groton Historical Society

John Trumbull’s painting depicts the committee presenting the draft of the Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress. Public domain/Architect of the Capitol.

This year we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, 1776. There will be loads of festivities all year long….One of the benefits to us….are cupcakes! 

But as with most of the events we celebrate,  origin stories get simplified to a point that we often lose the real basis for the hoopla. 

Today the Groton Historical Society will obviously not cover the history in depth, but we intend to make a significant scratch on the surface and read the meat of the Declaration itself.  There are copies of the full text here if you want one.  

Why DO we celebrate July 4, 1776 as the birthday of the United States?

The Declaration of Independence doesn’t seem to signify the birth of our nation to me, it signifies the beginning of a WAR that led to the birth of our nation.

The War lasted 8 years 4 months and 15 days and ended on May 12, 1784 after the deaths of more than 25,000 Patriots and 43,000 British soldiers. It occurred during a worldwide epidemic of smallpox which caused the deaths of 130,000 people in the colonies, in fact most of the troops on both sides died of small pox, and the number would have been even higher if George Washington had not required his troops to be inoculated in a move that was bold, but not unprecedented, the British too were inoculated. It is commonly believed we would have lost the war completely if he hadn’t done that because we were so outnumbered.

 The Declaration came in the stage of birth when labour begins and there is no turning back…. The messy part was only just beginning. 

It was a war about ending tyranny and instituting self government, which had never EVER happened before……and the impetus was taxes. 

What we call The French and Indian War, the period from 1754 to 1763,  was actually part of a World War at the time, in which Britain, France, and Spain, were fighting each other over the land on the American continent where the Indians lived. 

 It caused a huge debt for the British Government and they were looking for ways to raise revenue. They decided that the colonies should pay more for their defense, even though we were paying taxes already. Since we had no representatives in the English Government, we had NO say. So, the British imposed a new tax, it was called the Stamp Tax, and it was like a sales tax, so everyone felt it. Everything affected by the tax required a stamp to be affixed to it, like a stamp on a letter. There was a tax on paper and pencils for instance, and of course, tea. This is “Taxation without Representation” It was what we would call a “tipping point” now.

One comment before we  go ahead and start on the Declaration of Independence.

The Declaration refers to the rights of  “men” and it is generally assumed that it means white men who owned property, not laborers, or teachers, or preachers who did not own land, and for the most part this is true. However, voting was controlled by the individual colonies,  we weren’t even the United States at that time. 

New Jersey allowed widows and unmarried white women of property to vote, and when Vermont became a state in 1791, the vote was given to ALL men regardless of color or property ownership.

Groton, by the way, was not even chartered until 1789. However, there were 15 Patriots amongst our early settlers who came here from Maine and Massachusetts.. Three of them were Batchelders! Four of them are buried in Groton: Jeremiah Batchelder, Dominicus Gray, Jesse Heath and Edmund Welch…

You can find more information about this in Mr. Glover’s Groton, page 223, 224

The Declaration of Independence 

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that ALL men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.--

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. 

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

These are grievances:

He has refused his Assent to Laws, 

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws 

He has refused to pass other Laws 

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, 

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; 

He has endeavoured to prevent the population to grow in these States; by obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; 

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice,

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, 

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people,

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power,

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For suspending our own Legislatures, 

He has abdicated Government, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, 

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. The Declaration of Independence of 1776 was in many ways a political message to Revolutionaries in the North American colonies and their potential allies in Europe.

But….. somewhat unexpectedly, it also became the center of rallying cries for equality and liberty from its earliest moments, and it has continued to do so to this day.

Recognizing Dairy Farms!

By Lydia Clough

Rambling Rivers at the North Haverhill Fair 2024 - left to right Elise Sanders, Amy Vaughan, Mackenzie Pearl, Bryn Nelson, Lydia Clough, Lizzie Vaughan (Courtesy Photo)

As we close the month of June, which is known as Dairy Month, and summer begins, let us take a moment to remember the dairy farms in our community and to recognize all that they do. From providing us with ice cream in the summer to keeping the land healthy, dairy farms do so much more than meets the eye. 

Most people enjoy some milk in their coffee or tea in the morning and the occasional bowl of ice cream or some cheese and crackers. Yogurt and cereal are popular breakfast foods, and who doesn’t like a glass of milk with their warm cookie? Dairy products are in so many foods, but how often do we stop to think about the people who work so hard to provide us with the milk? Sure, the milk comes from cows who do the actual job of producing milk, but who feeds them, plants and harvests food for them, cleans up after them, milks them, and pours their entire lives into the farm? Dairy farmers. 

Raising and caring for cows is not as easy as it may seem. From the time they are born, they must be carefully monitored both health-wise and diet-wise. As they grow, their diet must continue to change to accommodate their development and maturity, which requires moving them to different groups and tracking each cow’s health and growth to ensure they are thriving. Once they themselves have had a calf and are in milk, it becomes even more crucial to keep an eye on them as they are now production animals. Even with the help of professionals in agriculture, including veterinarians and nutritionists, farmers still have their hands full managing the farm 24/7. Increasing restrictions on farming from the state and federal governments also provide stumbling blocks for farmers as they must continue to run their farms efficiently while complying with the new legislation. 

We have already mentioned the most popular dairy products, but let’s take a minute to think about the nutritional aspect of dairy. It has 13 nutrients altogether, some of which are calcium, protein, vitamin D, phosphorus, vitamin A, many of the vitamin B’s, zinc, selenium, potassium, and iodine. This just goes to show how much of a positive impact consuming dairy products can have on the body. 

In conclusion, as we move forward in the year and into the busyness of summer, let us take a moment to remember the hard work and dedication of the dairy farmers in our area and around the country. Next time you stop for an ice cream cone or a maple creamie, think about all of the work that went into producing the milk for that delicious treat, and whenever you get the chance, thank a farmer for everything they do to provide food for the community. 

To Learn More:

Rambling Rivers 4-H dairy club, based in Newbury, Vermont, currently has six members who are passionate about agriculture and cows. Not all of the members in the club have their own animals, so they lease show heifers from neighboring farms, including Harkdale Farms in Newbury, run by the Carsons, and Scotchburn Farm located in Ryegate and run by the Nelsons, which allows them to have the opportunity to see how different dairy farms are run. When we are not showing at the fair or working with our animals, we participate in State 4-H activities such as dairy quiz bowl, dairy judging, and learning about dairy products through club activities. We also have club officers, which allows us to get a glimpse of how governments and democracies are run. Our goal is to live by the 4-H pledge, which encourages us to pledge our head, heart, hands, and health to better living for our club, our community, our country, and our world. Lydia Clough of Ryegate, the author of this article, is a member of the club. 

Rambling River club at the North Haverhill Fair 2025: left to right starting in the middle- Mackenzie Pearl, Anna Clough, Lizzie Vaughan, Amy Vaughan, Bryn Nelson, Lydia Clough (Courtesy Photo)

Rambling Rivers at the Vermont County Dairy Quiz Bowl 2024 - left to right Lizzie Vaughan, leader Judy Vaughan, Elise Sanders, Bryn Nelson, Amy Vaughan, Anna Clough, Lydia Clough (Courtesy Photo)

The club’s cow at North Haverhill Fair 2025 (Courtesy Photo)

Population Of Area Towns Both Up And Down Between 2020 And 2025, Study Shows

By Bernie Marvin

Photo by Alexius Horatius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The US Census Bureau has released a report which indicates that New Hampshire’s population grew by a total of 36,590 people. That is a 2.7 percent increase in the overall population statewide.

Many of the state’s smaller towns and cities and the larger locations led in municipal growth in this most recent study. Not surprisingly, the Lakes Region and White Mountains towns also experienced population increases, probably driven by retired people and remote workers moving to that region.

At the same time, growth among the state’s three biggest cities, which include Manchester, Nashua and Concord, has, according to the study, remained static over the past five years of the study. But some smaller suburbs and rural areas have seen population declines. 

This uneven population shift, some say, highlights broader challenges that include the rising cost of living and increased housing costs, which probably are deterring young families from coming to New Hampshire to settle.

An interactive map that accompanied the study shows that area towns including Haverhill, had a 2020 population of 4590 people and in 2025 the population was estimated to be 4667 people. That's a population changed total of 1.7 percent upward growth.

In Bath, the 2020 population was set at 1077 and grew to 1112 through 2025, a 3.2 percent increase. In Piermont, it was a different story between the years of 2022 and 2025. There, the population reduced from 771 in 2022 to 763 in 2025 for a 1 percent decrease in current population.

For the town of Orford, the 2020 population was 1240 and in 2025 the population was estimated at 1229 for a .9 percent reduction in population. In Warren, the population was estimated at 830 in 2020 and reduced to 823 in 2025 for a .8 percent change to less population.

From 2020 to 2025 31 New Hampshire communities, including Piermont, Warren and Orford saw population declines, while 98 others grew slowly, more slowly than the state overall average. During this period 105 municipalities saw growth rates that were similar to or faster growing than the state’s average or overall rate. 

And during those five years, 24 communities, which were mostly the low population townships in the northern parts of the Granite State, saw no estimated population changes during that time.

The town of Epping saw the fastest population increase among all of New Hampshire’s towns, adding about 820 residents over the five-year period which is an 11.5 percent increase. Several other communities in central New Hampshire saw some of the state’s largest percentage population gains during the years of the study from 2020 to 2025. These included Epping’s neighbors, like Brentwood, Dunbarton, Boscawen and Salisbury, and Auburn which led population gains. Lebanon, the popular economic area in the Upper Valley just below this location, saw the fastest population increase among the state’s 13 cities with Lebanon adding 1172 new residents. 

The report noted that New Hampshire’s uneven population growth pointed to the fact that while more people may be moving to economic centers for employment opportunities and to certain smaller towns for those preferred and amenities, broader affordability challenges and housing constraints may slow down growth in some of the states’ larger communities.

There have been policy approaches, for instance zoning changes, aimed at increasing the availability of housing and other financial investments which could help spur housing development that would possibly attract younger families and have an influence on future population growth across the State of New Hampshire.

Dr. Harry and Mary Rowe's Wells River Clinic is now in its historic 80th year!

By Bernie Marvin

Dr. Harry Rowe, photographed in 2000 at his original office of the Wells River Clinic, founded by him in 1946 after his return to the area from his US Army medical officer assignments during World War 2. The Wells River Clinic was the foundation which grew into today’s Little Rivers Health Care, with medical offices in Wells River, East Corinth, Bradford and Newbury. The Bridge Weekly file/Bernie Marvin

Wells River, VT - The Wells River Clinic, now part of the Little Rivers Health Care (LRHC) with offices in East Corinth, Bradford, Wells River, and Newbury, was founded by a Vermont country doctor who had fought in World War 2 and returned to Vermont to continue to take care of the sick and injured in the Green Mountain state he loved. Dr. Harry Morrison Rowe was born in nearby Peacham in 1912. He graduated from Peacham Academy in 1930 and from the University of Vermont in 1936 with his bachelor's degree. While studying at UVM, he met and married Mary Whitney in 1940, and he earned his medical degree in 1943. The popular couple raised a family of six children: David, Betsy, Susan, John, Alan, and Jane. With World War 2 raging, Harry joined the 78th Infantry Division, was promoted to Captain, and assigned to the 303rd Medical Battalion. He eventually served as a Battalion Medical Officer during the furious fight for American troops to enter Germany and bring the war to a close. During his military service, Dr. Rowe served in Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Also overseas in England, France, and Germany. Dr. Rowe was awarded a Bronze Star for his service at the Bridge at Remagen over the Rhine River, a battle that lasted 18 days. Americans held their positions at the bridge crossing that, surprisingly, had not been destroyed. The furious fighting in and around the crossing location hastened the American entry into Germany by three weeks. Throughout his 15-month deployment and combat duty, he and his wife, Mary, wrote letters to each other every day. Upon Mary's death in 2002, those precious letters were discovered and read again by Dr. Rowe. These letters, written over the long time she waited for the war's end, and Dr. Rowe's fight in Germany until the war's completion, inspired him to compile them into a personal memoir. Local Vermont authors Terry Hoffer and Beth Champagne collaborated with Dr. Rowe to write and publish a book in 2009 about the letters between Dr. Rowe and his wife, Mary. The book sold well locally because of interest in these two people, who were heavily involved in their community of Wells River and the surrounding towns. The book was published by Athenaeum Press in St Johnsbury. The bulk of Dr. Rowe's life's work up until that time, along with oral histories, tapes, and other researched materials used in the production of the book, is now preserved in the Harry M. Rowe Collection at the Vermont Historical Society. In April 1946, Dr. Rowe and thousands of other service personnel who had served in Europe during the war went home to be with their loved ones. As Harry told it, "I came back to New York by ship," he said, then we were transferred to Boston by train. Mary met me in Boston. Words cannot describe how glad I was to be back in the United States and finally home on leave. We stayed in a rooming house in Boston for a day or two and then went to see friends in New York. A few days later, we headed for Vermont and home in Burlington." According to comments by Little River Health Care Physician, Dr. Steve Genereaux, Dr. Harry and Mary Rowe, with no colleagues and little actual training in rural primary care medicine, settled in Wells River along with their two-year-old son, David. In 1946, they set up a small medical practice in their home, which they purchased just south of Jock Oil on Route 5, which was, at a later time, Attorney John Morale's law office. They started seeing patients in their front room. Later, as the practice grew, they moved to the present larger site of the Wells River Clinic, now Little Rivers Health Care, at 65 Main Street in 1952. During that time, Harry reported in his book, The Grass Grew Greener, "that Mary and I were running the office pretty much alone. She had given up playing the violin with the Vermont Symphony to help. She was doing the bookkeeping, and I showed her how to do some of the lab work. I was seeing patients, and she would come, if necessary, that is, if I was doing a female exam. It became quite a busy practice. Mary was actually my nurse, secretary, cook, assistant, lab girl, and housekeeper." In 1962, Dr. Rowe officially launched his Wells River Clinic with the philosophy of "Anyone who needs to be seen will be seen," meaning that if someone did not have funds for medical services, they still received them from Dr. Rowe. Dr. Elizabeth Berry joined the practice soon after that. She was the first female physician to practice in the area and remained at the clinic until she retired in 1992. She would be seen frequently throughout the area with her husband, Dr. Kenneth Berry. This loving couple presented Wells River with what is now Berry Park, a large grassy area just outside the village, on the south side of Route 5. Dr. Rowe's son, John Edward Rowe, MD, joined his father at the clinic after finishing his medical residency. He practiced with his father for more than 10 years, relocating to North Carolina in 1992. Dr. Rowe was a traditional Vermont country doctor, practicing his medicine with house and office calls, working weekends and nights. He was also the sought-after on-call physician for the nearby Grafton County Nursing Home in North Haverhill. He was very proud to have delivered more than 1,400 babies throughout the area. Dr. Rowe practiced full-time for more than 60 years, finally retiring in 2006 at the age of 93. After that, he continued to lead a busy life, serving others in many capacities and organizations. He passed away in 2012, just short of his 100th birthday. To ensure that the area continued to receive quality medical care, as it had for so many years since the establishment of the Wells River Clinic, others have joined the effort to keep the business going. Dr. Rowe's son, Dr. John Rowe, joined the clinic with his father in 1982, was joined by Dr. Fay Homan in 1993, and, shortly thereafter, Dr. Steve Genereaux came aboard. This added depth to the ranks at the Wells River Clinic and allowed Dr. Harry to step back a bit. According to Dr. Genereaux, in 2006, the business transitioned from the Wells River Clinic to Little Rivers Health Care, and over the past 20 years, offices have been established in Bradford, East Corinth, and at Cottage Hospital in Woodsville. Community members such as Al Stevens, Dr. Sarkis, Harry Rowe, Reverend Jane Wilson, and others submitted grant applications to the federal government so that the three offices could come together for the inclusive medical practice. This action took all of three years and finally included offices in East Corinth, Bradford, Wells River, with another building in Newbury on Route 5, and a new large addition constructed at the Wells River site. This allowed the practice to include behavioral health, plus at a fifth location in downtown Wells, River at the former site of Jiffy Mart, a dental office that will soon include a dental hygienist and eventually, a dentist. LRHC owns all five buildings and the grounds involved in this expansion of what was once a small medical practice established 80 years ago in Dr. Harry and Mary Rowe's living room. As for the new space recently constructed in the Wells River Clinic building, Dr. Genereaux told The Bridge Weekly in a subsequent interview, "Having the extra space here is great." He said there are six personnel working at the clinic, three or four days a week. He said that upstairs in the new wing, behavioral health staff, social workers, and counselors are tending to patients. He noted that the staff upstairs is just as busy as on the first floor. "Over time," Dr. Genereaux said, "we have seen the number of patients here slowly climb." He said that, from an economic viewpoint, the community's salaried jobs for our 90 employees approach the budget numbers of the nearby Blue Mountain Regional School district at about $13 million. Comments from friends and residents of the area about the Wells River Clinic indicated that Dr. Rowe and Mary Rowe, together, were really community-minded and would be at the clinic, along with their first clinic nurse, Betty Minot, to answer every phone call, no matter the time of day or night. They were all there to meet community needs. Mary was eventually named director of the North Country Chorus. She was teaching at the Wells River School, giving music lessons and taking care of the growing family. As Dr. Genereaux said, if anything happened in the community and help was needed, the Rowes were usually the first to know and first to be there to help. Relative to the importance of what was begun 80 years ago by Dr. Rowe and his beloved wife, Mary, is well acknowledged by Madison Culver, a staff member of the Wells River Clinic, which remains an important part of the Little Rivers Health Care organization. She told The Bridge Weekly that: “As a nurse practitioner at the Wells River Clinic, I have seen firsthand the vital role Little Rivers Health Care plays in our community. Having grown up in the North Country and living with a chronic illness myself, I understand the challenges many of our patients face in accessing quality healthcare close to home. One of the things I value most about the Wells River Clinic is our ability to provide comprehensive, evidence-based care locally. Our patients deserve the same high-quality care they would receive at a larger academic medical center, without the burden of traveling long distances. Whether managing chronic conditions, addressing acute illnesses, or focusing on preventive care, we are able to partner with patients to help them achieve their health goals in the community they call home. What makes Little Rivers Health Care especially unique is the breadth of support available under one roof. In addition to primary medical care, patients have access to behavioral health services, case management, a food pharmacy, and other resources that address the social and economic factors that influence health. This integrated approach allows us to care for the whole person, not just their medical condition. I am proud to be part of an organization that has served this community for 80 years and continues to meet the needs of rural Vermonters. -Madison Culver, APRN, FNP-C The influence and community appreciation and love for Dr. Rowe extended well out of the Wells River locus, indeed to the east and across the Connecticut River in Woodsville, his many years of devoted duty at Cottage Hospital while serving a growing community in Vermont, led to Cottage Hospital to name a new medical office building across Swiftwater Road from the Cottage campus as the Rowe Health Center. Little Rivers Health Care CEO Andrew Barter said that the Dr. Harry Rowe and Mary story on their bold plan of setting up the original Wells River Clinic after he returned from his difficult war service is a wonderful story. He said it was typical of community-centered Dr. Harry Rowe who had returned home from fighting a world-wide war and who immediately set his mind to taking care of folks at home through strong community service. Mr. Barter said that Dr. Rowe and his wife “cast the foundation for what is now a health system for the entire area, something that is needed for everyone was his vision of 80 years ago.” He noted that some of the dedicated clinicians who worked with the Rowes are still with the medical practices set up so many years ago, citing the long and dedicated service of Drs. Stephen Genereaux and Fay Homan. “The Rowe’s home in Wells River still provides a base for medical services,” he said in a recent interview. He noted that what the Rowe’s did in serving their community is inspiring “for us today. Their dedication lives in lots of ways, and it can be seen and experienced by so many.” The Little Rivers Health Care organization took three years to become a federally qualified health center, Mr. Barter said, being founded by Drs Genereaux and Homan. “The strength in that beginning was right in Wells River. It is an important part of the area’s history and the legacy of the Rowe family and others who were part of it as it grew over the past 80 years.” “For myself and many others, it is a privilege to be a part of this story, Mr. Barter said.”

Dr. Stephen Genereaux observes a 1940 photo of Dr. Harry Rowe and his wife, Mary Rowe. The photograph is part of a historic display of photos that is dedicated to the history of the 1946 founding of the Wells River Clinic that is part of the present Little Rivers Health Care organization. The building is on Main Street in Wells River Village. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

The main living room in the Dr. Harry and Mary Rowe home in Wells River Village as it is seen today. It was preserved when renovations were made to convert the home from a private residence and doctor’s office of the Rowe family to one of the medical buildings of Little Rivers Health Care. Although it is a meeting room, it appears much as it did in 1946 when the Wells River Clinic was founded by Dr. Rowe. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

A large poster used during the opening ceremonies of the Rowe Health Center at Cottage Hospital in Woodsville, features the center’s dedication “To the honor of Dr. Harry Rowe, a man who embodied the Rotarian Motto “Service Above Self.” The Bridge Weekly file /Bernie Marvin

On King's Plain, Woodsville High School graduates its 130th Senior Class

By Bernie Marvin

Outstanding weather greeted graduating Seniors, their families and friends for the 130th Woodsville High School graduation, held at the school last Saturday, June 13, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Woodsville, NH – The weather held back its pressing humidity for the special day of June 13, 2026, as the proud class of 50 Woodsville High School graduates under the twin batons of Class Marshals Taydin Glynn and Lincoln Williams stepped off for their short walk down the grassed aisle bedecked with high flying American flags, to the front of the gathering of family and friends assembled on the historic King's Plain.

The opening processional of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance was rousing, as the WHS Band, under the direction of Music Director Will Wright, provided the musical background of a very well-photographed group of handsome graduates as they paraded downfield to their seats facing the audience, their green and white gowns flowing in the gentle breeze that cooled the field.

The National Anthem followed, with opening remarks being offered by Principal Hayden Coon, a welcome by Katherine Houston. Makayla Walker offered the Salutatory Address. Makayla is officially recognized as the Class of 2026 Salutatorian by earning the second-highest academic ranking in the graduating class. She is a scholar-athlete and was recognized for maintaining elite academic standards while competing on the Woodsville Varsity Basketball team.

Ms. Walker, when thinking about what she was going to write about in her salutatory address, said to her mother, “I don't know." After that, she would follow up with a reminder that the speech would not be something she could just come up with; it would take time and meaningful reflection to anchor it all for the big day.

She said she caught herself returning to a specific novel by a novelist she had read, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, a story about a young shepherd boy named Santiago, leaving behind routine and comfort in pursuit of the treasure he has only dreamed about, a treasure hidden far from what is familiar to him. His journey, he said, was driven by courage and the willingness to embrace the unknown.

"In many ways, his journey parallels ours," she said, describing how she encountered uncertainty and learned to adapt when expectations shifted. She closed her speech, “So to my classmates, sometimes uncertainty is thought of as something that needs an answer, ideally immediately. What we have learned, though, and what we will continue to learn, challenge that idea.

Ms. Walker offered, "At the start of Santiago’s journey, he is told, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” On the surface, those words may sound like external forces that always guarantee success. But the universe conspiring is about establishing a clear purpose, developing the eagerness to pursue it, and realizing that the universe will not simply hand out what you ask for. Rather, it will respond to those who are committed enough to pursue their goals. 

“So, to my classmates: sometimes uncertainty is thought of as something that needs an answer, ideally immediately. What we have learned though, and what we will continue to learn, challenge that idea. What I want to leave with all of you is simple. Value change. Embrace challenge. Trust your journey. Know that fear is ever-present, but manageable. And remember that what is meant for you WILL find you if you continue to move with intention and persistence. Thank you.”

Getting to the center of the graduation ceremony, Senior Elijah Vasconcelos stepped to the microphone to offer his high honors speech, his Valedictory Address. He is the Woodsville Valedictorian for the class of 2026. He plans to study aerospace engineering.

He said, "As I stand here today, I am reminded of a book I first read in 5th grade, my first year in New Hampshire." 

“The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein is a children’s book about a tree and a boy. The boy climbs the tree's branches, picks its apples, and rests in its shade. As the boy grows older, he keeps returning to the tree to ask for things. He picks its apples to sell, takes its branches to build a house, and cuts down its trunk to build a boat and sail away. In the end, the tree, reduced to a stump, offers its now old and frail friend a place to sit and rest for a while. And the tree was happy.” 

“I believe we can all relate to the boy. But our trees don't grow leaves and apples." 

"Our trees are the ones who packed our lunches and drove us to school before we could do so ourselves. They are the ones who helped us with our homework until we no longer needed help. They are the ones who showed up to soccer games and concerts without fail sacrificing sleep and time for our benefit, never once asking for recognition." 

Valedictorian Vasconselos said that after today, “as we step into a larger world, we are not losing our families. Instead, we are carrying them with us in our work ethic, our resilience and our integrity. They are with us in the way we won’t quit when college gets hard. They are with us in our choice of a career.”

His speech was dedicated to the class families. “To the families of the class of 2026 – especially my own – this accomplishment is as much yours as it is ours. Thank you for being our trees.”

Others recognized as outstanding students from the class of 2026, Third Honors went to Ryan Walker, and fourth honors went to Grace McLellan. The top CTE Student was Dylan Marshall.

WHS Principal Coon and Assistant Principal Matthew Kelly presented scholarship awards to the Class of 2026, followed by the presentation of diplomas to the Class of 2026 by Haverhill Cooperative School Board Chair Sabrina Brown and Michelle Reagan.

The combined Class of 2026 and the WHS Band played and sang the school song, “On King’s Plain.” Graduate Ryan Walker offered the Farewell Address, tassels on the students’ mortarboards were turned, indicating that they were now graduates, not undergraduates.

They queued up and marched off the field to the congratulations, group photography and some gifts from parents and relatives. It was a happy occasion for all.

Class of 2026 Graduates include:

Leon Manuel Alcala, Samuel Milton Aldrich, Trenton James Alling, Isaiha Anderson, Riley Elizabeth Boutin, Thomas Gabriel Boutin, Jada Rose Brill, Jayde Lynn Brown-Colby, Trey Edward Colangelo, Morgan Elizabeth Crocker x, Kiarrali Minerva Cruz, Marion Jefferson Cummins Jr , Gavin Joseph Michael Davidson x, Josephine Iza Drake, Addison Jane Eck +x, Riley Marshall Emmerton x, Alyssia Maria Fenn x, Mason Lance Furyes, Felix Demetrio Garcia +, Eyrleigh Sedona Hambrick + x,. Katherine Ellen Houston x, Justin Sean Hutchins, Caleb David Ilsley, Kaleb Joseph Johnson, Cowan Peter Kimball x, Korina Lynne L’Heureux, Gavin Frederick Lakin, Dylan James Marshall +^ x, Taylor Ann McFarland, Grace Mae McLellan ^ x, Anthony Michael Mencia, Madison Leighann Monterosso, Savannah Marie Murray, Ethan Jacob Nalette, Wyatt Christopher Perkins, Michael Patrick Plachetzki , Gabriel Fernand Roy x, Jillian Iona Roy x, Kody Nickolas Sherman, Collin Michael Smith, Jaden Robert Ste. Marie, Shubh Ashishkumar Suthar , Ciarra Jasmine Therrien, Cassidy Ann Thompson , Calvin Staszek Tice, Elijah Roy Vasconcelos ^ x, Makayla Lyn Walker ^ x, Ryan Douglas Walker ^ x, Shawn Gavin Walker, Jameson Stephen Willard.

Key to Honors

*National Honor Society Members, ^ Magna Cum Laude, +National Vocational Technical Honor Society Members, +^Magna Cum Laude for RBCTC, x NH State Pin - Graduate met the requirement for an “Academic Diploma with Distinction.”

A panoramic view of Woodsville High School’s 130th graduation held Saturday, June 13, 2026. The weather was gorgeous as were the 50 graduates who marched in to receive awards and diplomas at the impressive ceremony. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Woodsville High School Principal Hayden Coon gave his opening remarks that began the 130th ceremony for the graduating class last Saturday, June 13, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Queued up and ready to march into their graduation ceremony on Saturday morning, June 13, 2026, is the Class of 2026. Seen left to right are Class Advisor Robert Scianna, Class Marshals Lincoln Williams and Taydin Glynn, with Class Advisor Jodi Maccini. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Woodsville High School graduating Senior Katherine Houston offers her welcome during the graduation ceremony held at the high school last Saturday, June 13, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

Piermont student water testing performed for traces of manganese

By Bernie Marvin

Piermont Village School students, left to right, Sam Hogan, Isabelle Spooner and Kate Donnelly show Science Teacher Geoff Ashworth how they measured water samples from properties in the Haverhill, Piermont and Warren areas for manganese content. Those results were used by the students as the subject of a New Hampshire Middle school Science Fair exhibit held last month at the New Hampshire Technical Institute. Samples from two locations in Warren revealed there were .3 parts per million of manganese in the water. Residents of those two locations were notified of the findings. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

Piermont, NH – A group of science class students and their teacher from the Piermont Village School recently tested several groundwater and well sites along Route 25C between Piermont and Warren, and along sections of Route 10 and 25 in Haverhill, a large area where mining was once conducted. They were concerned about the presence of manganese in the area's water sources, which could have been released when the mines were abandoned many years ago.

Piermont Science Teacher Dr. Geoffrey Ashworth, who has been at the Piermont Village School for six years, and three students, Kate Donnelly, Isabelle Spooner, and Sam Hogan, were alerted to the possible presence of harmful chemicals in the water being consumed by residents in the three towns, where, between them, lies Ore Hill, the site of a large mining operation many years ago.

The alert was set off several years ago by a social media comment noting that a medical professional in Warren had begun a study of the possible high incidence of cancer among some residents living along Route 25C and 25 from the Piermont area over Ore Hill and into Warren.

Mining on Ore Hill many years ago, the writer indicated, could have been the culprit behind contaminated drinking water caused by poor excavation practices in the area. With that in mind, the three Piermont students spoke with Dr. Ashworth about conducting some research into the possible presence of manganese in the water.

At the same time, plans were being made for the school to have a presence at the New Hampshire Middle School Science Fair at the Technical Institute in Concord on May 21, 2026. They decided that studying the harmful chemical would be a strong topic for their Science Fair project.

Dr. Ashworth told The Bridge Weekly in a recent interview at the school that water from areas where students lived was tested. Scientific research testing equipment was purchased by the school, with other supplies being donated to the experimenters by the New Hampshire Academy of Science at the Crossroads Academy in Lyme.

He said the sample bottles they received were placed with the families, and water testing samples were drawn. He said the group was pleased that there was little manganese present across the entire range of properties tested and that only two homes in Warren were found to have more than a trace amount of manganese, measured at the .3 parts per million limit. The families were notified of the chemical's presence by the school, Dr. Ashworth said.

He noted that he would recommend that the two residences where manganese was found have a full water test conducted by the state to determine whether there are more chemicals in the water beyond a trace of manganese.

Dr. Ashworth said that student Sam Hogan came up with the idea to do the water testing program. The group talked about how they would perform the testing and find the results for each water sample submitted by the residents in the three-town area that was being tested. The information about the water testing program was presented graphically on a large cardboard sheet and displayed in the science fair exhibit.

At each test site, a tap or well water sample was gathered. The group found only two samples from the Route 25 area that measured manganese at 3 parts per million. The testing program remained blind throughout, with the sample bottles being numbered. Dr. Ashworth said the samples were tested for color depth, which corresponded to the manganese percentage in each sample.

That would determine just how much manganese was contained in the water sample. Dr. Ashworth said he and the three students traveled to the May 21 science fair, where there were 60 or more exhibits being judged. He said the judges' comments to the Piermont team were superb; they received high ratings, but unfortunately, they took home no awards.

The students and Dr. Ashworth figured that their experiment, which was presented at the fair, was probably too well done for that particular science fair. They agreed that what they had done in sampling and gathering the information was "reaL science." He said they feel good about what they did and that their science project, presented at the fair, was well done.

He said that next year Kate will move on to the ninth grade, Sam and Isabelle will be eighth graders, and he is looking forward to another great science fair exhibit. He said the students should be proud of what they did. "Real science with real people, and they got real science results," he said.

The state guidelines for manganese are set at 0.3 on the scale, and they found two cases of local water exceeding that level. "That's real science," Dr. Ashcroft said.

A Unique Rivendell Overseas EducationProgram Takes Students To Spain This Year

By Bernie Marvin

While in Spain for their April 2026 trip, students and staff included, left to right Rivendell Academy Principal Patricia Rella with students Lily Murray, Lindsey O'Hearn, Alessio Stefanelli, Wyatt Parker, Evan Woodward, Nolan Bourn, Nathaniel Daisey and Rivendell Counselor Jeffrey Eckert. Courtesy photo

Orford, NH - Worldwide school curriculum travel experiences for French and Spanish classes at Rivendell Academy are more than a tourist-level plane trip to Europe to try out a grande assiette or piatto plano of spicy food or read a museum's descriptive four-color brochure about an art display in Madrid or Paris.

For the participating students at Rivendell, the overseas learning program at this school provides early awareness of other people around the world and how they live. These foreign trips might also inspire Rivendell students to pursue further study of what they have experienced on their travels, and to realize that their early pursuit of excellence might last a lifetime.

The program at Rivendell continues to be a deep-rooted part of the Orford school that has allowed those who have been a part of this travel program to be immersed in the cultural make-up of the population they meet through their own eyes, their experiences with those people, and to be part of a well-managed, safe adventure that develops an intellectual curiosity about what is going on beyond our shores.

The foreign travel program is but one of the many great ways for the kids to study social structures, political profiles, or intellectual curiosities of those they meet while overseas. Rivendell Academy has a superb foreign travel program for French and Spanish students. This very active and popular program has been running for several years, with each language class taking a trip every other year.

Last year, it was the students' turn for the French trip, and this April, during an extended school break, seven students traveled to Spain and spent 11 days immersed in this program, a well-known Rivendell favorite for a long time.

The Spanish class has been an important part of this long-standing international exchange and study program. This year's group included Rivendell Principal Patricia Rella and Counselor Jeff Eckert, who traveled with students Wyatt Parker, Nathanial Daisey, Lily Murray, Lindsey O'Hearn, Evan Woodward, Nolan Bourne, and Allesandro Stefanelli.

Comments from staff and students involved with both last year's French class and this year's Spanish class indicate that the educational trips are as popular as ever and are among the most important parts of the participants' educational and life experiences at Rivendell, they reported.

The school information catalog outlines travel opportunities, noting they are a "robust program of regional, national, and international travel," that includes the long-standing exchange program with a school in France, immersive language and culture-focused trips to Latin America and Spain, and long-distance bicycling trips to nearby places such as Quebec City and Lake Champlain.

According to those who have been on these trips (The Bridge Weekly interviewed some of them over the past two years), the fundraising requirements can be fun but demanding. Preparation for overseas trips is a huge responsibility for individual students and families, who must raise at least $4,000 per family for the travel package.

The foreign travel programs show how well the school manages activities with students and their families. The trips receive rave reviews from the kids, parents, staff, and others who accompany them on these adventurous learning trips.

Although they were serious about their travels around Spain for those 11 days in April, they still had time to talk about what they saw and enjoyed while in the country. Two of the seven students The Bridge Weekly spoke with this year both commented on their seven-hour plane trips, saying they were long but not too difficult, and they would do it again if the opportunity came around.

They said they enjoyed the Spanish food they had, but after a few days, it became repetitive. One student mentioned he liked going back to American food, "something I am used to," he offered. They enjoyed seafood; there was a lot of it, like seafood paella, usually made with clams, shrimp, calamari, and a rich base of tomatoes, herbs, and other meats.

A big assist for the trip was that Principal Rella had lived in Spain for over three years and knew places the group could visit that were educational and safe. She knew about the motels and hotels that were clean, safe, and reasonably priced. With that prior knowledge from having lived there, Principal Rella built an itinerary for the Rivendell group to follow for this year's trip.

She noted that many parts of the trip were immersive, giving students opportunities to live with Spanish residents in the area whom Principal Rella knew and was familiar with. She said she tried to arrange visits to places she knew and to places where Spanish people she knew lived or worked.

Those folks joined them so the Rivendell group could be around real Spanish people, and it wasn't just a tourist thing. "For most of our trip in Spain, we had a Spanish person with us," Ms. Rella said.

Back in 2001, during the September 11 terrorist attacks on America, the overseas trip was intended to have the Rivendell group stay in homes for the duration of the trip. When the terrorists struck, all planes in the air were ordered to land at the nearest airport immediately. The plane carrying the Rivendell class members was over the Atlantic Ocean, heading east to Europe. It turned around and headed back to the United States.

Rivendell Counselor Eckert told The Bridge Weekly that when the students, he, and Principal Rella returned to their school and classrooms, it was always a "tricky thing" to keep track of a group of high school kids while they were in their care. He said they are very active and want to "explore everything."

He said during the trip, the chaperones have to act like parents and make sure no one gets lost. They traveled to cities such as Toledo and Madrid and found the smaller places safer to travel with young people, and as the trip progressed, the kids gained more freedom.

There were nightly phone calls between Spain and America as the travelers kept their parents up to date on their day's activities. No pen pals were resulting from the trip, and post cards were sent to parents and friends.

Counselor Eckert sent a postcard from Spain to his mother-in-law and was informed that it took an entire month to reach its destination, and it was reported that the group came back with some souvenirs. photos and lots of sweets for families.

Principal Rella said that the trip members will submit a report on their program to the school board soon. Eleven days is a long time to be away, but it was enough time for the kids to see the vast differences in how Spanish people live compared to the American kids.

Interesting, too, for the American visitors: in Spain, they noted that no family or school students they met worked any afternoon or summer job. They also don’t begin a work schedule until after their college years are completed, something they will probably be discussing with their parents and the school board.

Rivendell Principal Rella, who had considerable input on the trip and who was also one of two chaperones, said in her statement: "The trip to Spain was intentionally designed as a true cultural and language immersion experience. I wanted students to move beyond tourism and engage authentically with the people, language, customs, and rhythms of daily life in Spain. One of the most valuable aspects of the trip was having a local Spanish guide and community member with us for much of the journey. Their perspective, language support, and help navigating local culture gave our group a deeper and more meaningful experience.

"What impressed me most was how fully the students embraced the opportunity. They were open-minded, flexible, and collaborative. They tried new foods, adapted to the later Spanish schedule, navigated unfamiliar situations with maturity, and consistently supported one another. Watching students step outside of their comfort zones and rise to the challenge was incredibly rewarding. The experience reinforced the value of travel as an educational opportunity that builds independence, cultural understanding, communication skills, and confidence in ways that are difficult to replicate in a classroom. The Rivendell community places high value on international travel, and the resources invested are well worth it!

In his follow-up comments on the trip, where he also served as a chaperone, Rivendell School Counselor Eckert told The Bridge Weekly: 

“Experiential learning is my favorite way to educate students. Yes, we saw beautiful sights and ate incredible food. It sounds like a vacation, and it was in some ways. However, I saw each student grow and change in a way that we cannot replicate in school. When students are on a trip-- whether it is in the mountains on an outing club trip or in Spain-- they are intrinsically motivated. They really want to be there. But the real world does not adapt to their needs. The students have to adapt. They have to deal with a different language, time zone, bed to sleep in, food to eat, and more. The kids rose to the challenge, and I was so impressed with their growth in maturity and independence!”

Rivendell Academy staff and students interviewed for the Bridge Weekly story on their Spanish Class trip included, left to right, students Wyatt Parker and Nathaniel Daisey with Rivendell School Counselor Jeffrey Eckert and Rivendell Principal Patricia Rella. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin. 

Cottage Hospital “Any Which Way” Event Fields 70 Runners

By Bernie Marvin

They’re off and running the Cottage Hospital Any Which Way Walk and Run 5K race that began at the Woodsville Elementary School and wound its way through Woodsville streets last Sunday morning, May 17, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin 

Woodsville, NH - The 6th Annual Cottage Hospital Any Which Way 5K Run and Walk was greeted early last Sunday morning, May 17, 2026, by a warm sun and clear skies, much to the event organizers’ approval after a stretch of drizzly, below seasonal temperatures.

With nearly 70 participants in the 5K event, many other families of walkers lined up at the 802 Timing Company’s start line at 9 AM to hear Jakub Kubkowski’s air horn signal the start of the event, which took runners and walkers through the quiet morning streets of Woodsville.

There were some good times logged this year. Liam Genereaux, age 31, paced his run that brought him over the finish line at just 19:22, followed by Jake Danis, age 16, at 19:24; Matt Cote, age 36, at 20:02; Jason Chester, age 44,  with 20:56, and the top female runner, Christa Ferguson, age 36,  at 21:15.

Other top females included Rylynn Hambrick, age 14, at 22:11; and Rachel Stanton, age 39,  at 24:07. Top male runners included W. Lang, age 9, at 26:00; B Sawyer, age 12, at 28:04 and P Hunter, age 12, at 28:08.

In a course-side interview prior to the race, Cottage Hospital CEO Holly McCormack told The Bridge Weekly that this, the 6th year of the event, saw a very robust sign-up with quality runners from throughout the North Country and beyond.

She said Cottage Hospital, an independent hospital and one of just two in the North Country, has had a good year, with successful job recruiting and popular hospital programs.

She said the race is a fundraiser for Cottage Hospital’s Operating Room renovations, an ongoing project that also promotes local wellness initiatives while providing important funding for several infrastructure programs planned throughout the hospital.

Ms. McCormack said this is the sixth race she has entered during her years as Chief Operating Officer at the hospital. She said that as she looks around the sea of runners and walkers, she recognizes many faithful participants who have also attended every event each year.

The race this year, as it has for many years, kicked off from behind the Woodsville Elementary School, where there has always been ample parking for the event in front or behind the building at the junction of Routes 10 and 302.

The timed event got underway at 9:00 AM sharp for runners, and the family walkers followed that group The route is 3.1 miles long and includes several interior Woodville roads and streets, ending about 20 minutes later at the finish line located at the rear of the Woodsville Elementary School playground.

Several strong local organizations assist in sponsoring this event. Companies and groups such as DJ Kev’s DJ Service, WYKR Radio 101.3 FM, the Cottage Hospital Auxiliary, The Brick Store, Northcountry Healthcare, and many others.

 Running in the recent Cottage Hospital Any Which Way 5K run & Walk were these participants from Little Rivers Health Care; kneeling, left to right are Jackie Gilmour, Rebecca Partington holding Raelynn Partington, Lisa Pearson and Amanda Regis. Standing, left to right are Dr. Stephen Genereaux, Bri Aila, Brandon Partington, Dr. Fay Homan, Tracy Thompson, Liam Genereaux, Rick Evans, Owen Davies (standing behind Tracy and Liam.) The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin 

Left to right are W. Lang and A. Roy as they run the 5K Any Which Way event sponsored by Cottage Hospital last weekend. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

Cottage Hospital CEO Holly McCormack at the finish of her 5K race last weekend in Woodsville. Holly has run every one of the six 5K races the hospital has produced. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Domenic Castaldi’s Pursuit of Independence

By Trish Griswold

Wells River Savings Bank employees hosted a benefit dinner and raffle in honor of their beloved colleague, Domenic Castaldi. “No matter what he has going on, he treats every customer like they are the only thing in the world that matters,” says Branch Manager Patti Clark. “When he is working with a customer, nothing matters except that person and making sure he is taking care of their needs no matter what they are.” - TBWS/Trish Griswold

Bradford, VT - On Saturday, May 16th, Wells River Savings Bank (WRSB) employees and hundreds of people from the surrounding communities gathered together at the Orange East Senior Center in Bradford to support Domenic “Dom” Castaldi, a remarkable young man whose courage, strength, resilience, and work ethic serve as an inspiration to others.

“Domenic is the most incredible person I have ever met. He is such a strong person. Despite his health challenges, he comes to work every single day and never complains,” remarks WRSB Branch Manager Patti Clark. “I have had the privilege of working with Dom for eight years, and I can honestly say that I have never heard him complain about anything. But, aside from his amazing work ethic, he is genuinely the nicest person you could meet. He has such a wonderful relationship with our customers; everyone loves him.”

Born in Concord, NH, and raised in Belmont, Dom was an active child. He enjoyed school and played a variety of sports, including soccer, basketball, baseball, and track. From an early age, Domenic was an avid fisherman and a “gearhead,” passionate about trucks, cars, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). At age 11, Dom and his mother, Gretchen (Clough) Moulton, moved back to Gretchen’s hometown of North Haverhill, NH.

During a physical education class at Haverhill Cooperative Middle School (HCMS), Dom’s teacher, Pat Riggie, noticed something peculiar. Despite Dom’s relative strength and athleticism, he was unable to do a push-up. Dom had recently experienced a significant growth spurt, and his body was going through many changes, Gretchen recalls, but Mr. Riggie knew there was something more.

As it turned out, Dom was suffering from scapular winging, a condition in which the scapula (more commonly known as the shoulder blade) sticks out rather than resting flat against the rib cage. Follow-up blood tests were also positive for the enzyme creatine kinase, an indicator of muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder marked by degeneration of the skeletal muscles.

By his sixteenth birthday, Dom had undergone three surgeries, including scapular fusion on both sides. This is a procedure wherein surgeons fuse the scapula directly to the ribs. The nature of the procedure forced Dom to give up physically demanding activities and refocus his energy. As part of the recovery process, Dom was homebound for months. “I saw Dom struggle to be who he wanted to be when he was in middle school,” Pat recalls. “He had a great attitude, and he tried to persevere, but his body was not cooperating.”

Domenic finished middle school and enrolled at Woodsville High School, where he graduated in 2018. Dom also completed the 21st Century Media and Design program as well as a customized architectural design program at Riverbend Career and Technical Center (RBCTC). He had always dreamed of pursuing a career in the automotive industry but accepted that this would be extremely difficult due to physical constraints. That led to an unexpected but life-altering internship at WRSB. In fact, Dom attended Lakes Region Community College while working part-time at WRSB. He earned an associate’s degree in business management and has been employed as a full-time customer service representative ever since. “I’m very grateful for my job,” Dom says. “I love the people [at WRSB], my co-workers, and the customers. Never in a million years did I see myself as a banker, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”

In 2022, ten years after his initial diagnosis, Dom says, the State of New Hampshire revoked important health insurance benefits when he began working full-time. His mobility continued to decline, so he sought genetic testing to pinpoint which subtype of muscular dystrophy he has. Dom presented with all of the symptoms of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD), a slow but progressive form of muscular dystrophy that primarily affects the face, shoulder blades, and upper arms; however, a full sequence of genetic testing did not confirm the diagnosis. Even Dom’s parents participated in genetic testing to help find some answers, but “nothing showed up,” Gretchen says. Despite the medical community’s best efforts to garner a diagnosis, Domenic’s medical condition is officially unknown.

“As a mom, you have dreams for your kids,” Gretchen reflects, “but when you have a child in Domenic’s position, it’s no longer about your dreams. It’s about them not being able to fulfill theirs.” Gretchen’s feelings of helplessness are exacerbated by a system that has, without question, failed Domenic. The only way to solidify an FSHD diagnosis is through genetic testing, but without a formal diagnosis, Dom is ineligible for clinical trials that could offer him access to medications, treatments, and therapies that might help reduce, slow, and/or potentially remediate some of his symptoms.

Additionally, the one or two programs that might be available to him without a formal diagnosis, Dom explains, will not accept his application because he “makes too much money.” The only way Dom can access any state or federally funded support(s) is to stop working full-time, despite the fact that he is fully capable and wants to work full-time. His only option is to go part-time or give up work altogether and apply for disability benefits. This isn’t feasible either, Dom says, because he requires personal care and lift assistance at home. If he goes to work part-time, Gretchen would need to reduce her work hours to care for him, which would have a significant financial impact on the entire family, which includes his 14-year-old sister, Lily.

Dom’s greatest challenge right now, however, is mobility. This past winter, Dom gave up driving due to the cold weather, as his progression of decline has accelerated. “I’ve gone downhill pretty fast over the past year,” Dom shares. “The winter was brutal.” The cold snap in December caused persistent muscle stiffness, which made it nearly impossible for Dom to steer his Dodge Ram pickup truck. Since then, his grandparents have been driving him to work in the mornings, and Gretchen or one of his co-workers has been driving him home.

At some point, Dom concedes, the physical and mental toll of New England’s long, harsh winters will likely force him to relocate to a warmer climate, but he is not ready to make that change yet. Lily will start high school next year, and she has a passion for agriculture - particularly her horses, chickens, and beloved pets. “She needs to get what she deserves too. I wouldn’t want to leave her.”

In an effort to help Domenic maintain his independence, Pat, with assistance from Mary Cataldo, the mother of one of Dom’s longtime friends, created a GoFundMe page in Dom’s honor. “I've known Gretchen for a long time and Dom since he was in middle school… I just wanted to help,” Pat states. “People came to my hour of need when I was diagnosed with brain cancer, so I wanted to pay it forward… I had everything taken away from me for a brief time. I couldn't drive. I couldn't coach. I couldn't teach. I couldn't work out. So, I can connect with how Dom is feeling. He loves his truck. He loves to drive. I also understand that he was reluctant about receiving help. I felt the same way when people donated to my cause. I simply told him that this is a way for people to help. Let them help you.”

While Dom is eternally grateful for the kindness and generosity bestowed upon him, accepting assistance from others is difficult. “This isn’t me crying for help. This is help that was offered to me,” Dom says. “It’s very hard to accept all the help because I’m an independent person. It’s also hard because I want to give back, but I feel like I can’t, and that’s hard.”

The money raised through fundraising efforts will be used to purchase a motorized wheelchair that will increase Dom’s mobility both at home and at work. Funds will also be used to purchase and modify a vehicle so that Domenic can drive himself to and from work. The cost is well over $100,000, as the modifications that he requires include joysticks and voice command technology that is only compatible with newer vehicles. Domenic is already taking driving lessons twice a week to learn how to maneuver the joysticks. He has done extensive research and has a keen eye for engineering. “I have a vision of what can be done,” Dom contends. “Anything is possible.”

Author’s Note: It is not too late to join Team Domenic and the fundraising efforts to support his mobility and independence. His GoFundMe page will remain open until July 1st. WRSB has also established a savings account in Dom’s name. Contributions can be made directly to this account at any of their five locations.

“It’s so heartwarming that people see him for who he truly is, not his disability,” Gretchen says. “We’re not sure how to even begin to say ‘thank you.’”

Words cannot begin to express how appreciative Domenic Castaldi (center), his mother, Gretchen (L), and his sister, Lily (R), are for the kindness, compassion, and generosity Dom has received from his Wells River Savings Bank colleagues and customers, family, friends, and community. “I am so lucky to have all of these people by my side,” Dom says. “I don’t know what I would do without them.” - TBWS/Trish Griswold

Kate Hamilton, Dakota Hernandez, DJ Tabor (holding his daughter, Ella), and Domenic Castaldi (L-R) reminisce during Saturday night’s fundraising event. Domenic, Dakota, and DJ graduated from Woodsville High School in 2018 and remain close friends. - TBWS/Trish Griswold

Irene (L) and Ron Fournier purchased raffle tickets for a chance to win an adjustable LED utility light. Other raffle items included: gift baskets, gift cards, power tools, grills, Red Sox tickets, mittens and an air conditioner, all donated by individuals and local businesses. - TBWS/Trish Griswold

Catamount Arts Announces the 2026 Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series

By Antonia Munson

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Concertgoers Enjoy Scenic Dog Mountain”(Photo: Courtesy photo from catamountarts.org)

With summer just around the corner, Catamount Arts has unveiled the 2026 lineup for the Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series, setting the stage for another season of free live music right in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom.

Now a staple of the region’s summer calendar, the series has grown into a much-anticipated tradition in St. Johnsbury, drawing locals and visitors alike for evenings filled with music, fresh air, and community spirit at both Dog Mountain and downtown St. Johnsbury.

This year’s lineup once again brings a wide mix of sounds to the stage—from folk and blues to brass bands, Celtic-inspired rhythms, indie rock, soul, and more.

Since first launching at Dog Mountain in 2018, the Levitt AMP series has steadily become a signature summer feature in the NEK. What began as a single-venue concert series has since expanded into downtown programming as well, helping spark the popular Friday night “Final Fridays” street events that now bring music and activity right to downtown St. Johnsbury.

This summer continues that mix of settings, with eight Sunday concerts at Dog Mountain and three Friday evening shows downtown, giving concertgoers the chance to experience live music in both the scenic setting of Dog Mountain and the energy of downtown St. Johnsbury. 

At its heart, the series is built around a simple idea: making live music accessible while creating a space where the community can come together. Over time, it has become a familiar summer rhythm in the Northeast Kingdom, where families, neighbors, and visitors gather outdoors to enjoy performances in a relaxed, welcoming setting.

A defining part of the Levitt AMP series is that all concerts are free and open to the public. Support from the Levitt Foundation, along with regional sponsors and community partners, makes it possible for Catamount Arts to continue bringing touring artists to St. Johnsbury at no cost to concertgoers.

The Levitt Foundation works nationwide to activate public spaces through free live music, supporting hundreds of concerts each year in communities across the country. These programs are designed to make high-quality live performances accessible while strengthening local cultural life.

Locally, the Levitt Amp concert series has become a familiar part of the region’s summer identity. Dog Mountain, in particular, has become a go-to gathering place for Sunday shows, where concertgoers often arrive early to settle in, enjoy the picturesque scenery, and spend the evening outdoors with friends and family.

Accessibility remains an important focus for organizers.

At Dog Mountain, accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis, including designated van-accessible spaces. Staff are on site during events to help direct attendees and provide assistance as needed.

Because the terrain includes uneven gravel and grassy areas, accommodations are available for those who need closer drop-off access to the concert space. ATV transportation from the parking area can also be arranged upon request, and accessible restroom facilities are available on site.

New this year, Rural Community Transportation (RCT) will offer a free Sunday shuttle service from July 13 through August 31, connecting the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center with Dog Mountain before and after each concert.

For additional accessibility questions or accommodations, attendees are encouraged to contact the Catamount Arts Box Office.

As another Vermont summer approaches, the Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series returns to Dog Mountain and downtown St. Johnsbury with a season full of free outdoor concerts. The series continues to bring accessible live music into shared public spaces, drawing the community together throughout the summer in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. Community members and visitors alike are invited and encouraged to attend performances throughout the season. For full details on the 2026 lineup and concert information, visit catamountarts.org. 

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The 2026 Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Music Series schedule is as follows:

 Brass Queens — Friday, June 26 at 7 p.m. on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury
Dyer Davis — Sunday, July 12 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
Albannach — Sunday, July 19 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
Mark Taylor — Sunday, July 26 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
Kyshona — Friday, July 31 at 7 p.m. on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury
Noah Richardson — Sunday, August 2 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
House of Hamill — Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
Chambers/Deslauriers featuring Annika Chambers & Paul Deslauriers — Sunday, August 16 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
LADAMA — Sunday, August 23 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain
Jon Hayes & The Company — Friday, August 28 at 7 p.m. on Railroad Street in St. Johnsbury
Küf Knotz & Christine Elise — Sunday, August 30 at 5 p.m. at Dog Mountain

The Bombardment of Bees

Many people are scared of bees, mistakenly perceived as dangerous when in reality, bees are the ones in danger. In the winter of 2024-2025, in the U.S., honeybee losses totalled between 60% and 62% –  the highest winter losses ever recorded. For context, normal winter honeybee losses run within the range of 30% - 50%. Sadly, wild bees are under just as much strain as honeybees, with “about half the bee species that have been monitored… in decline” says Bee Regenerative Board Secretary Bridgett Burns. 

This percentage is important because bees are an indicator species, which means they represent the overall health of all pollinator insects. More specifically, when bees struggle - all pollinators struggle. Currently, bees -- both commercial and wild – are dying at an unsustainable rate, placing themselves and all pollinators at equal risk of extinction. 

Why should you care? Approximately 35% of all food requires pollination to grow. Here in Vermont which has a rich farming history, (note the myth that Vermont has more cows than people.), farms rely on pollinators.  To better address this crisis, it is important to understand the causes for the bee population decline, including: parasites, pesticides, invasive species, climate change, and their struggle to recover.

Parasite Pandemic

Within the last few decades, the spread of Varroa Mites has become a dangerous problem for bees. Varroa mites originated in the United States bee population when the Asian Honeybee spread them to Italian Honeybees, the most common species for making commercial honey. This invasion is so serious that nearly (if not all) hives are currently infested with mites. They target the larvae of the hive and “suck the energy out of the brood,” says  Burns. When mites feed from the larvae, many larvae die, impeding population growth within the hive. 

Another common problem associated with mites is the diseases they carry; mites can spread diseases such as the Deformed Wing Virus, which disables the bee’s ability to fly. Hence, they are unable to provide for the hive. However, the biggest problem varroa mites present is carried out by humans who use pesticides to keep their numbers low. These poisons are harmful to the localized environments bees use to feed themselves. 

Pesticides = Poison

Another recent issue bees face is neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids, also known as neonics, are “derived from a neurotoxin,” explains Burns. This pesticide is not applied directly to bees and instead has a secondhand effect on the bees that come into contact with it. Neonics are applied directly to plants like crops, seeds, lawns, and the soil to keep insects considered “pests” away. When bees land on these plants, they absorb some of the insecticide and are poisoned from the inside out. This poison can kill bees and make the bees’ daily functions difficult to achieve. Neonics are especially harmful because they impact both wild bees and honeybees and the pesticide can take months to years to break down. The largest use of neonics that we still have in Vermont relates is used for soybeans and cereal grain seeds.

Invasive Species

Invasive species have a crippling impact on many animals, including bees. Invasive species are particularly harmful threats to bees because there is no way to “stop” or fully contain these plants. They spread like wildfire, collapsing entire ecosystems. Why? Invasive species often have few to no natural predators in environments where they do not originate. They also have an easy time outcompeting native species for food and space because the competing species are not adapted to protect themselves from invasive species. Some common invasive species in Vermont are: Japanese knotweed, bush honeysuckle, buckthorn, and purple loosestrife.  These species reduce the amount of flowering plants that bees can feed from, making it difficult for bees to get enough food to sustain them through winter.  

Pollution and Unstable Winter Conditions

Climate change and pollution have a profound impact on bees. Bees cannot smell flowers covered in pollutants. These flowers are visited by insects 70% fewer times versus untarnished flowers, showing a clear sign that pollution directly impacts a bee’s ability to find food. 

Climate change itself also negatively impacts bees. Bees survive the winter by surrounding their queen and vibrating all winter to keep the queen in the center warm. When winters become warm, bees wake up and begin searching for flowers. Because they spread out and are not surrounding their queen, when the temperature drops again, the queen is susceptible to freezing to death. This destroys the only way that bees have to repopulate once the worker bees die. 

At the same time, the change in temperature can cause flowering plants to bloom prematurely, leaving fewer plants blooming for when the bees begin looking for them. This is a serious problem because at this point in time, it is nearly impossible to completely avoid the effects of pollution and climate change. In Vermont, we have experienced the fluctuation of winters going from freezing temperatures to warm and back to freezing again overnight. Sadly, the destruction caused by pollution may never be undone.

Continual Deficit

Both wild bees and commercial honeybees face a new struggle: recovery of their recent population loss. Over time there has been a “45% increase in human managed bee colonies globally over the past 50 years” (Coallier et al.). Many of these beekeepers buy new hives every year and by the end of the season, they create new hives out of what they bought. With the recent heightened loss of hives, there are not enough bees to go around, making it difficult for beekeepers to repopulate. If the trend of bee deaths continues, bees may never see a full recovery. 

Unless Vermont winters become safer for bees, the population may continue to drop. The same trend holds true for wild bees. When there are fewer wild bees, they have a difficult time repopulating and recovering from their losses. This is dangerous because it is the culmination of all of the threats bees face, causing a situation that could be the sign of a decline for years to come in pollinator health and population.

You Can Help

How can you help Vermont bees? Some of the simpler and easier ways to help can still make a difference.  1) Plant native flowering plants such as: Wild Geranium, Wild Bergamot, Goldenrod, and New England Aster. 2) Leave old stumps, stems, and leaves in your lawn because “70% of all bee species are ground nesting species” (“10 Ways to Save the Bees”). This allows bees an ideal environment to create homes for the summer and winter.  3) Raise bees yourself and/or buy local honey from one of our many independently owned apiaries.  4) Lobby for change to help bees. Contact your state representatives and tell them that you are against pesticides and want money allocated toward Vermont’s invasive species problem. 5) Support local bee conservation efforts to preserve our local wildlife. Some local organizations that participate in research and efforts to conserve bees are: The University of Vermont’s Vermont Bee Lab, the Vermont Pollinator Working Group, and the Vermont Beekeepers Association.

Your effort in conserving bees can make all the difference in whether these necessary creatures will continue to support us and the environment. Remember that while bees have stingers, they are the ones being stung.

Kurtis Brooks is a Senior attending Blue Mountain Union High School. He is a native Vermonter who lives on a three acre field with many kinds of bees.

Talent and hard work make the WHS Three-Day CRASH effort sadly realistic

By Bernie Marvin

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Woodsville, NH – A three-day project produced last week by many dedicated people from around the area ended up as a life-like experience with a death-like result located adjacent to the Woodsville High School parking lot.

With superb play-acting right from the early morning opening scene, wailing sirens from responding emergency vehicles to an indescribably wild scene of two mangled vehicles, an assortment of emergency vehicles, medical personnel, and rescue responders poured onto the tarmac of Woodsville High School parking lot to go to work and hopefully save a life and reduce suffering of other souls involved in the madness of a seriously bad mock motor vehicle crash. The entire scenario was planned, set up, and executed with the same seriousness as a real crash.

In the mayhem playing out before more than 200 people, who included students, staff, parents, and members of the public, watched and commented on the work being done close to the observers' view. The action going on was described over the school's sound system by long-time medical responder and Emergency Medical Technician Richard Guy.

I can't count on both hands and feet times two the number of years EMT Guy has been at the scene of the Woodsville High School mock crash scenes from the past, but I know my first experience with this type of program was in the early 1980's, and he was there at the locus of the accident set-up for that school project at the old Butson's Supermarket parking lot.

That means that Mr. Guy and others of the Woodsville Fire Department and medical team have been doing this for a long time and have lots of experience with both the actual, fatal crash scenes and the fake crash scenes, like this one, as well.

Injured passengers in varying degrees of moulage (mock accident injury applications) in each crash vehicle were high school students who included Trent Alling, who was deceased as a result of his injuries, along with others who were injured, including Grace McLellan, Katie Houston, and Makayla Walker.

In the second involved vehicle, students suffering immensely realistic moulage injuries included Taylor McFarland, Maddie Monterosso, Jill Roy, and Eyrleigh Hambrick.

Woodsville Fire and Medical units arrived on scene at 8:30 sharp on the first day of the three-day program. The injured were cut loose from the wreckage and transported to Cottage Hospital by ambulance. The deceased student driver was transported from the scene in a Ricker Funeral Home hearse. Ensuring that proper legal requirements were intact, the Medical Examiner, in a role played by Haverhill Recreation Director Sherri Sargent, was on the scene.

Also, on scene for the one-hour action staging was Grafton County Attorney Martha Ann (Marcie) Hornick. She was on board later in production as the prosecutor who led the proceedings against the impaired vehicle operator that the deceased student was in.

With the shrouded body of the Alling student lying in plain view of the 200 observing students, the scene was solemn and remained so until the hearse had cleared the parking lot. But the sadness of that incident would be returned for Part Two, as creators at the school had also scheduled a full funeral for the deceased student at the Dr. John A. Bagonzi Community Building that was held the next day with flowers, music and testimonials, including an officiant Melissa Gould, pall bearers, and a visiting speaker, Derek Curtis of Groton, who had lost a child, Blue Mountain Union High School student "TC" Curtis, as a result of injuries suffered in an auto crash in 2018.

The Community and State partners who are assisting with the Mock Crash include: Haverhill Police Department, Grafton County Sheriff Department, Grafton County Attorney's Office, Ricker Funeral Home, Woodsville Cottage Hospital, Woodsville Emergency Medical Services, Woodsville Fire Department, AAA Northern New England, NH Liquor Commission, NH Department of Transportation Driving Toward Zero, NH Department of Highway Safety, Woodsville High School Band, Haverhill Recreation Department, JTB Towing and Recovery, Hatchland Farm, Copies and More, Private Citizens and WHS Students.

Day Two of the program opened inside the Dr. John A. Bagonzi Community Building, where the high school classes once again assembled to observe and some to participate in the funeral of the student killed in the mock fatal crash that played out before the students who gathered at the school's parking lot early the previous day.

Student and faculty pallbearers included Principal Hayden Coon, Teachers Robert Scianna and Glen Page, also Assistant Principal Matt Kelly, and students Maddox Furyes and Grace McLellan.

The casket, memorial photos, flowers, and signs were placed around the gym as seniors and staff made their entrance and took their seats in designated areas. An intermittent slideshow was held to commemorate the life of deceased student Trent Alling, with appropriate background music provided by Music Director Wright.

Opening the service was Derek Curtis, father of BMU student TC Curtis, who was killed in a vehicle crash in 2018. The students listened intently to his words as a father who had experienced the death of a child.

Student speakers were Grace McLellan, Josie Drake, and Mila Townsand.

Vocalist Mila Townsend sang Amazing Grace, as the vista of flowers and students marked the realistic setting of a memorial service for a student loved by friends and classmates, his short life snuffed out the previous day in a motor vehicle crash. Melissa Gould was an officiant throughout the program, something she does professionally with great feeling and love.

The service was closed with a reading and a poem recitation by Melissa. Pallbearers assembled once again to carry the casket out of the Community Building, and students returned to the Roundhouse with their teachers.

Teachers then facilitated discussions on the mock funeral they had just witnessed.

Day Three of the three-day event began at noon on Friday, May 1, 2026, and included a mock court trial, featuring Grafton County Attorney Marcie Hornick, Defense Attorney Amanda Jacobson, a Lead Assistant County Attorney, and Judge Tara Heater, a Deputy County Attorney.

During the court proceedings, students observed and heard the arraignment and bail hearing for the defendant charged in the staged mock crash scene. Also, they witnessed the trial proceedings, including witness testimony, evidence presentation, closing arguments, and the defendant's sentencing.

An important part of the program included the day's activities on the final day, Friday, May 1, 2026. It included large-group sessions on safe driving, reducing impaired and distracted driving crashes, a lunch period, and the mock trial from noon to 1:30 PM.

Assembled in the parking lot for student visits and discussions were AAA Northern New Hampshire and programs that included distracted-driving glasses, impaired-vision goggles, and a program by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission that included a golf-cart operation activity and impairment glasses.

The New Hampshire Department of Transportation cargo trailer was set up alongside other outdoor stations for student access during student rotations. The program ended at 3 PM.

At the mock crash produced recently at Woodsville High School, Woodsville Fire Department rescue crews work to free injured students trapped in a wrecked vehicle. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

Injured Woodsville High School student is loaded into a Woodsville ambulance, after being freed from a crashed vehicle during a school-wide mock accident, funeral, and court trial awareness exercise held at the school over April 29, 30, and May 1, 2026. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

During the funeral services staged for a victim of a mock motor vehicle crash at Woodsville High School, pallbearers bring in the coffin of student Trenton James Alling for funeral services at the Dr. John A. Bagonzi Community Building. From left to right, seen are Teacher Bob Scianna, Maddox Furyes, Principal Hayden Coon, Teacher Glen Page, Grace McLellan, and Assistant Principal Matthew Kelly. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin.

At trial on the third day of the WHS Crash program, defendant Taylor McFarland, a Woodsville High School student, at center, listens as Grafton Country Attorney Marcie Hornick, at right, and defense lawyer Amanda Jacobson, argue the charges leveled against McFarland. The Bridge Weekly/Bernie Marvin

New Model A club forms for Northern NH and NE Kingdom

By Bernie Marvin

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Lisbon, NH – A newly chartered Model A club has been formed for New Hampshire’s North Country and Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The club’s membership has been accepted by the Model A Ford Club of America (MAFCA).

The new club held its first meeting earlier in April, which marked the official launch of the club that will be serving the Granite and Green Mountain States’ Model A enthusiasts. The Northern Valley A’s, a 501(c)7 social club was created to bring together owners and admirers of the 1928–1931 Ford Model A. The club plans to host seasonal tours, informal gatherings, technical troubleshooting sessions, and showcase the vehicles at community events in the area.

“We are excited to build a friendly, local community around these cars. Model A owners are invited to join us as we explore back roads, share knowledge, and keep these historic vehicles on the road,” said Club President Eric Zaharee.

Club members are anxiously waiting for the weather to warm as bit and hopefully the final mud will dry, and members can drive their vehicles. The group will be holding monthly meetings through October. Members are planning each month but there are no trips in the schedule, yet.

If you live in the area and own or are restoring a Model A, you are welcome to connect with the club and participate in upcoming activities. For more information or to get involved, contact the Northern Valley A’s at northernvalleyas@gmail.com. Visit us on Facebook facebook.com/NorthernValleyAs.

A long line of Model A vehicles lined up in front of the Mount Washington Hotel during a recent club meeting of the Worcester County Model A Club. The trip was arranged by members of the Northern Valley A’s Club, a new club in the North Country. Courtesy photo