Local VFW Post named one of five top posts in 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.
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.
The North Haverhill Fair celebrates its 82nd year with perfect weather
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.
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
In its 50th year, the Orford Flea Market still offers a variety of food and neighborly fun.
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!"
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!)
Nice Weather, Happy Crowds Greet Warren Old Home Day Weekend Events
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.
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
Population Of Area Towns Both Up And Down Between 2020 And 2025, Study Shows
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.
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.
Coveted Listen Center Knick Knack Award given to Mt. Prospect students
For Mt. Prospect Academy students who have been traveling to Lebanon, NH to perform several important volunteer work assignments at the Listen Center, an award presentation ceremony was held in their honor during the final week of February, 2026.
By Bernie Marvin
The Knick Knack Award
Pike, NH – For Mt. Prospect Academy students who have been traveling to Lebanon, NH to perform several important volunteer work assignments at the Listen Center, an award presentation ceremony was held in their honor during the final week of February, 2026.
It was a special ceremony at the school campus, where the students were recognized for their excellent work. Presenting the awards were Academic Career Coach Guy Mitchell assisted by The Listen Center’s Marcy Innes, a Retail Volunteer Coordinator.
The students each received a Certificate of Appreciation and a chance to view the impressive gold-colored Knick Knack Award. This special statue was awarded to Life Coach Mitchell “and the students of Mount Prospect Academy for their dedicated service to our Lebanon store. With much gratitude from the entire LISTEN staff,” according to the inscription on the trophy.
Students who were honored included Grant A., Brian L., Logan P., Shane C., Kyle C., Grant A. and Lucian EG. Also participating in the awards ceremony was Kelley MacLean, a Student Transitions Specialist from New Hampshire Vocational Rehabilitation.
Life Coach Mitchell told The Bridge Weekly that Ms. Innes wanted to recognize the students for volunteering weekly at the Listen Store in Lebanon.
He said the students have several responsibilities while they are at the store, including work outside with employees while donations are being accepted. Once a cart is full, they transport the cart with all the items, that include either hard goods or soft goods(clothes).
The students also transported racks of inventory from the pricing department to the sales floor and put items on the display shelves for resale on the sales floor. They also hung clothing on the racks for sales, based on the clothing gender and size.
Some of the students have also sorted donated music Compact Discs and videos to be sold on the sales floor and some of the same students are helping with Meals on Wheels at Horse Meadow Senior Center in North Haverhill.
Every Wednesday a Mt. Prospect Academy a faculty member transported at least two students to pick up meals and deliver them along one of the routes. During all this activity at the school, Life Coach Mitchell noted that it was also Spirit Week and the students and faculty were showing off team sports all day at the school.
Ms. Marcy Innes told The Bridge Weekly “that every week, Academic Career Life Coach Guy Mitchell brings students from Mount Prospect Academy to our large thrift store and donation center in Lebanon to help with a variety of tasks.”
She said the boys help move filled donation carts from outdoors into the donation center to be sorted. “This is a tremendous help to us as we have a very busy, fast-moving donation stream that requires many hands and strong back,” she said.
She noted that the boys also put hardgoods (puzzles, lamps, dishes, etc.) away on the sales floor, as well as help put clothing out on the racks and keep the store organized. She added that “We love having the Mount Prospect Academy students at the store and always look forward to seeing them.”
ROBERT LAWRENCE SALON AND SPA: WOODSVILLE’S ONE-STOP SHOP FOR SELF-CARE AND WELLNESS IN THE NEW YEAR
Since then, the salon has grown to include five more practitioners: Kristy Odiorne, Carmen Graham, Carrie Vogt, Hillary Deschamps, and Mallari Young. They each have their own specialty areas and are self-employed, giving them the autonomy to make their own schedules; however, they share one common thread: a love for what they do.
By Trish Griswold
Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa is Woodsville’s hub for self-care and well-being. They offer a vast array of beauty products and therapeutic services including hair, nail, and skin care. Bridgid Risteen, Hillary Deschamps, and Cassandra Lemieux (pictured L-R) are three of the salon’s five licensed cosmetologists. TBWS/Trish Griswold
WOODSVILLE, NH - Each new year presents an opportunity to reflect on the past and set meaningful intentions for the future. While many New Year’s resolutions are centered around eating better and exercising more, the licensed professionals at Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa in Woodsville understand that living a happy, healthy lifestyle also includes self-care and personal wellness.
According to Bridgid Risteen, owner of Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa, in 2016, when Everything But The Cook merged with The Party Store: An Affair To Remember, commercial space in Suite 2 at 91 Central Street became available. Her parents, Kevin and Liz Shelton, owners of the building, began the process of looking for new renters. Bridgid and her friend/personal stylist Cassandra Lemieux were interested in relocating closer to home. One conversation led to another, and a new business venture named in honor of Bridgid’s grandfathers, Robert Shelton and Lawrence Gilbert, opened in November of that same year.
Since then, the salon has grown to include five more practitioners: Kristy Odiorne, Carmen Graham, Carrie Vogt, Hillary Deschamps, and Mallari Young. They each have their own specialty areas and are self-employed, giving them the autonomy to make their own schedules; however, they share one common thread: a love for what they do. Their passion is unmatched, and their kindness and compassion are unwavering as they take great pride in being an integral part of each client’s journey toward improved self-care and overall well-being.
“Being a massage therapist, I feel strong empathy and intuition. It's about trust, being present, and creating connections with my clients,” licensed massage therapist Kristy Odiorne explains. “It reminds me daily of the power of human touch. Helping others feel better, both physically and mentally, is not just my job; it's a purpose that I am very blessed to share.”
For nearly a decade, Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa has been offering clients a vast array of options, adding new, innovative products and services along the way. They currently offer facials, waxing, ear piercing, spray tanning, manicures, pedicures, reiki, massage, lash lifts and tints, dermaplaning, red light therapy, and hair care for the entire family. Product lines include Loma, Paul Mitchell, Moroccan Oil, Matrix, Color Wow, Olaplex, Bain De Terre, Goldie Locks, Redken Brews, It’s a 10, Kenra, Wet Brush, AGlow, Keyano, Dermalogica, and Image Skincare.
However, the personal connections they have with their clients are what make Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa second to none. “This year marks 23 years of doing what I love, helping people, and making them feel heard and safe. My job is so much more than just body work or skincare,” Kristy emphasizes. “It's listening [to my clients] and explaining things in a way they understand. We talk through injuries and body mechanics, and I try to give them the tools to help facilitate movement and manage pain or stress…or maybe it's helping them learn to allow themselves to relax and leave all their worries and stress at the door.”
“When someone is having a crappy day and they sit down to either get their hair done or have a mani-pedi and then leave feeling so much better, it’s like a therapy session,” Cassandra adds. “Sometimes that’s what you need for your mental health.”
This premiere level of care and compassion reverberates throughout the salon, the community, and beyond as the professionals at Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa are actively involved in supporting local school groups, fundraising events, community organizations, and more. They network with Riverbend Career and Technical Center’s cosmetology program in Bradford, VT, offering a high-quality, hands-on apprenticeship experience to promising young cosmetologists.
Most recently, they assisted Brynn Bogie, an eighth grader at Blue Mountain Union School in Wells River, VT, with her science fair project focusing on “Which lasts longer - professional grade hair dye or box dye?” Bridgid donated hairpieces, professional-grade hair dye, foils, applicator brushes, and other supplies. She also spent time with Brynn at the salon, helping her learn the steps to conduct her experiment. “I couldn’t have completed my project without her,” Brynn explains, grateful for the resources and the opportunity afforded to her.
When asked to reflect on the success of her business, Bridgid says, “I like that we can be a resource and a hub for anyone. I love that it’s not the same every day. It’s always something different. Everyone’s personality is different. Everyone's hair is different. Everyone’s needs are different, and we’re always there for them, through the good times and the bad times.”
Author’s Note: Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa is open six days a week with walk-ins and same-day appointments available Tuesday through Friday. Hillary and Mallari are accepting new haircare clients, and Kristy is accepting new skincare clients. For more information about products and services, “like” them on Facebook, reach out via Facebook Messenger, or call the salon at (603) 747-3500. Online booking options are available for some stylists.
Kristy Odiorne specializes in massage therapy (Swedish, deep tissue, warm stone, reflexology, and cupping), facials, extractions, dermaplaning, dermabrasion, high frequency, skin care, spray tanning, red light treatments, lash lift and tint, brow tinting, and waxing. She is seen giving a facial massage to Laurie Dirienzo of Woodsville. TBWS/Trish Griswold
Sara Lang (seated) is a long-time client of Robert Lawrence Salon and Spa owner Bridgid Risteen. “It is a great example of a community business,” Sara says. “The reach of Bridgid’s salon isn’t just within the walls of this salon; it’s outreach and supporting community events. It in itself is a community. When you come here, you see people that you know, and there’s something here for everyone.”
Cosmetologist Cassandra Lemieux is the salon’s mani-pedi specialist. She offers shellac gel polish, gel overlay on natural nails, regular polish, and nail art in an assortment of colors, patterns, and styles.