Western Maine Neighborhood News, June 18, 2026
Hi, Neighbors! Welcome to this week’s edition of Western Maine Neighborhood News! This week, everyone can read the news from Locke’s Mills, Newry, and Woodstock for free. Upgrade to a paid subscription to read this week’s Andover, Bethel, East Bethel, and Gilead columns. News from the AFCI—the Age-Friendly Community Initiative—is always free to all.
Locke’s Mills News
Amy Wight Chapman
The Greenwood and Woodstock selectmen met on Tuesday to discuss options for the repair or replacement of Johnny’s Bridge, which has been closed to vehicular traffic since May 22. While the bridge itself is in Greenwood, most of North Pond, which boaters access by going under it, as well as most of the Gore Road, to which Johnny’s Bridge Road provides a shortcut, are in Woodstock, so both towns have an interest in the bridge.
Greenwood’s Roads Committee, which includes the selectmen, will be meeting with Rob Prue of Pine Tree Engineering at the Town Office on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. to discuss both Johnny’s Bridge and the Greenwood Road.
Many of you may have read Chris Dunham’s history of Johnny’s Bridge when he posted it on the “Greenwood as It Was” Facebook page back on April 19, 2024, but some of you may not have seen it (and others, like me, may tend to forget a lot of what you read, no matter how fascinating), so I thought I’d include it here, with thanks to Chris, as always, for the incredible job he does of recording and sharing our town’s history.
This Nettie Maxim photo of Johnny’s Bridge, along with the inset photo of the concrete bridge that later bore the name, appeared in the Bethel Citizen on June 24, 2010. At that time the town was debating what to do about the bridge—a question that had arisen repeatedly over the previous 150 years.
Johnny’s Bridge and its adjacent causeways were completed by September 1844, when the first town way was laid out “Crossing the Bridge to the road leading from Hamblins Gore to Locks Mills.” It was sometimes called the “Estes Bridge” in early records. Both this and its later name honored John Estes, who settled on the “Island farm” nearby in 1848.
The early incarnations of the bridge were built for the convenience of travelers but not of those traveling by water. In perhaps its first acknowledgment of Greenwood’s recreational appeal, the town considered in 1907 whether “to raise Johnny’s Bridge, so called, high enough to admit of easy passage of small launches, row boats and canoes, and to raise money for the same.” Lemuel Dunham went to town meeting and wrote of the debate in the Oxford Democrat of March 12, 1907:
“Johnny’s Bridge extends over the narrows between South and Round Pond, in Greenwood, and North Pond in Woodstock; and by raising the bridge several feet, so as to permit the above mentioned crafts to pass through, it would enlarge the play ground of the summer pleasure seekers by permitting them to navigate the three ponds without disembarking. No one objected to the scheme, providing those who wanted it done would pay the bill; but the rural districts thought it wrong to raise the money for that purpose by taxing the town. But finally those who were in for the scheme carried the day by a small majority, and it was voted to raise $200 for that purpose.”
Work was begun in the late summer of 1908 to raise the bridge three feet. Lemuel wrote in September that farmers were obliged during the construction to “haul their sweet corn round by North Woodstock to get to the Pond” and that some of those farmers were heard to “use words hardly appropriate to be heard in Sabbath School.”
Approaching and crossing Johnny’s Bridge could be perilous. Jeremiah Bartlett, a merchant in Locke’s Mills, was elected a selectman in 1863. He would write years later that, “though doing my duty as well as I understood it (as a republican), I was not allowed to hold that honorable position but one year, but quite long enough to place guide boards in needed places, and have a railing for ‘Johnny’s Bridge,’ all of which have now disappeared, and only the tongue can supply the place of one, and the instinct of the animals that draw the carriages can guard their owners from danger.” In 1894 Capt. John F. Dearborn, formerly co-owner of the spool mill in this town, turned the corner on the Gore Road too short and fast and capsized his buggy near the bridge. When help arrived, the captain was clinging to bushes, up to his neck in water. A Buick touring car went through the fence there in 1919, and a similar mishap occurred at the same spot in the summer of 1922. From the Citizen of Aug. 17:
“It seems that the driver was in a hurry and was travelling at a high rate of speed, and when he came to the turn near “Johnnie’s bridge” he was going so fast that he could not make the turn and the car went through the railing into about three feet of water.”
“This turn in the road is a very bad one,” the reporter cautioned, “and motorists should use less gas and more time in making the turn and thus avoiding accidents.”
A year later a young woman from Rumford would be killed when the National roadster in which she was riding missed the turn and plunged over the embankment. The speeding car had passed John Howe on the Gore Road just moments before. A crowd from Littlefield’s dance pavilion rushed to the scene and extracted the victim. The Portland Evening Express noted that this was “the sixth accident to happen at this curve so far this Summer, and only last Sunday a car with four adults and seven children went over the same embankment.” The lack of proper signs was blamed.
Johnny’s Bridge was made of wood until the fall of 1926, when it was replaced with one made of concrete. The approaches were improved then as well. At that time and until the late 1930s, Route 26 and its traffic passed over this narrow bridge. While building the new highway nearby in 1938, the state sought bids for replacing “Johnnies Bridge over Johnny Brook.” The concrete bridge we all remember was replaced in 2016 by a culvert that, due to ledge being found beneath, sat higher than expected, providing some additional headroom for boaters.
Depending on the water level at any given time, trips to town by boat during my childhood summers always offered one of two challenges: would we have to pull up the motor or risk breaking a shear pin on the rocks beneath the bridge (low water), or would we have to flatten ourselves against the bottom of our aluminum boat and use our hands to push on the roof of the bridge to propel ourselves through (high water)? Sayward Lamb told a great story about being trapped under the bridge for quite some time after a sudden thunderstorm came up one afternoon while he was visiting relatives at Littlefield Beaches, causing the water level to rise suddenly, so that his boat got stuck on the way home.
Upcoming events for your calendar include:
Saturday, June 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Intervale Gateway: Goose Eye No. 6 Launch Party. Join the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society and the Mahoosuc Land Trust to celebrate the launch of the latest edition of the MBHS annual history journal, Goose Eye. The evening begins at 5:30 with a short guided walk around the historic Intervale Gateway. (Meet at the corner nearest Davis Park.) At 6:00, congregate at the tents for light refreshments and a chance to pick up or purchase a copy of the new issue. At 6:30, there will be remarks by Goose Eye editor William Chapman and contributors Kirk Siegel and William B. Krohn.
Friday, June 26, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at True North Adventureware (196 Walkers Mills Road, Bethel): Community Mending Group. This month’s Feature Focus is outdoor gear repair. There will be multiple stations set up. For example, Jonathan Goldberg will be showing how to use a Speedy Stitcher, and Robin Nesbeda will demonstrate ways to work with Tenacious Tape. As always, bring your own project (it doesn’t need to be the Feature Focus) and a few dollars to put into the donation box. If you have a friend who may be interested, bring them along too! This meeting will be held outside, so dress accordingly.
Friday, June 26, at 5 p.m. at the West Parish Congregational Church in Bethel: Potluck supper and program. Sue Radway will talk about her “Hikes for All Ages” initiative. Sue says her program is for “hiker wannabees, new hikers, experienced hikers, and those who wish they could but can’t.” Come hear about the opportunities. Bring a dish to share for the potluck.
Saturday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society: A grand community celebration for America’s 250th birthday!
At the Museums of the Bethel Historical Society, the theme of this summer’s Mornings at the Museum program, which takes place on Thursday mornings in July, will be “Happy Birthday, America!” See details in the flyer below.
Last Saturday, Tony and I went to Portland to see our granddaughter, Lila, perform in her dance recital. She takes ballet lessons at the Casco Bay Movers Dance Studio, and the recital showcased the many different types of dance lessons they offer, which range from traditional ballet to hip-hop and break-dancing. It was fun to see the energy all the dancers displayed, and of course our own little ballet dancer was perfect.
Lila’s eighth birthday was June 16, so we celebrated after the recital with a late lunch of pizza back at her house, followed by a walk to nearby Beal’s Ice Cream for dessert. Her mid-June birthday has led me to start a tradition of making her a “summer survival kit” for her birthday gift, filled with snacks and summer toys, as I used to do for all four of the kids on the last day of school each year.
Lena enjoyed a second play date with her new friend Puck, Betsey Foster’s two-and-a-half-year-old Golden retriever, on Monday. She still didn’t want to go into the lake far enough for her feet to come off the bottom, but she followed him a little further out this time, and got wet all over.
Happy Fathers’ Day to all the wonderful dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles, big brothers, and father figures! Although I never knew my own dad, who died before I was born, I have been blessed to have three wonderful much older brothers who did a great job of filling his shoes.
This online newsletter is intended to keep our communities informed, so if you have news, events, or photos you’d like to have included here, I hope you’ll share them with me! You can reach me by email at amy.w.chapman@gmail.com or by phone or text at 207-890-4812.
“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” —Anne Geddes
Newry News
Amy Henley
Well, that’s a wrap on another school year. It really was a great year and we’re hoping for another amazing year next year after a much needed break.
Haying has commenced in full force and Eliot has been an amazing help and has even learned to mow and bale this year. Pretty impressive for a ten-year-old. We hit it hard on Sunday and almost beat the rain. We had a minor breakdown with a chain on our wrapper but it was fixed fairly quickly and the last four bales finished up. It will be nice to have first crop complete so we can work on other projects.
The garden has been planted and I am just seeing lines of little green sprouts popping out of the ground. I hope I get my passion back for putting up vegetables by the time that needs to be done as well as figuring out the new electric pressure cooker. We are down to the last couple of jars of pickled beets so I definitely need to put up more of those.
I have yet to make my annual visit to Young’s or Mountain Greenery for that matter. Typically, I can’t wait to get a hanging planter but right now I really don’t need one more thing to manage so maybe I’ll skip this year and just enjoy my perennials.
The pool is up and pretty clear but definitely not warm enough for me. I attempted it on one of those humid days but only got my legs in before deciding it was too cold for me. Eliot was in quickly stating it wasn’t cold at all. Oh, to be young again. I used to be in Bear River and didn’t think it was cold at all as a child.
Another rhubarb crunch was made and some chocolate chip cookies. It won’t be long and the rhubarb will be gone so I’m making use of it while I can. I don’t tend to bake as much in the summer as I don’t want to heat the house up and we do not have air conditioning.
Just a reminder that the Town Office is closed today, Thursday, June 18, in observance of Juneteenth. The Comprehensive Plan Committee is hosting a Community Engagement Session at the Bear River Grange Hall on Tuesday, June 23, starting at 6 p.m. This is a chance for community to provide feedback to help update the Comprehensive Plan.
Have a great week and remember to take in the little things like the smell of freshly mowed grass or a hay field or for me the beautiful fields and hay bales which I am always stopping to take a picture of.
Send me your news to newrynews24@gmail.com and I’ll add it to my column next week.
Woodstock News
Linda Stowell
June is busting out all over! My rhododendrons are now in full bloom! Columbines, daisies, irises, and more are showing their colors. I finally got all my annuals into pots, and have placed them around the yard. There are five large pots on the patio. The snapdragons and ivies that made it through the winter now look very healthy. Several marigolds reseeded in a pot, so they’ll have a special spot somewhere. I love the daily rituals of watering, and checking all the flowers and plants. Deadheading keeps the annuals blooming all summer. My grandmother Hathaway’s pink roses keep spreading. They do smell wonderful when in bloom. My mother’s climbing rose is budding now, and my Great Aunt Fannie’s white climbing rose needs a better location, but it’s alive! The load of super soil I recently had delivered has been added to the gardens. My flowers bring me joy, and I prefer to see them outside, so I rarely make a bouquet for myself.
My sister and I recently attended our first show of the season at Maine State Music Theater: Hairspray. It was fabulous and howlingly funny! Next up is 1776. MSMT performed that one in 1976. We saw it then, but look forward to seeing it again, all these years later.
Susan and I went to an 80th birthday party for Linda Westleigh on Saturday. It was held in Newry. A beautiful day!
I saw the movie Disclosure Day last week. I enjoyed it, and it left me with some questions…
Last night—Tuesday—I went with my daughters to see Mumford and Sons in Bangor. Our history with Mumford goes back to 2012, when they came to the Eastern Prom in Portland for the Gentlemen of the Road Tour. That was one of the best concerts I’ve ever been to, with several other well-known groups performing too. The Dropkick Murphys made a guest appearance, which was amazing! When Rachel heard they were coming to Bangor, she got tickets, and so we celebrated my birthday! We packed a picnic and stopped at a rest area just outside of Bangor. We parked, and had a leisurely walk to the venue. The show was wonderful, and the best surprise was when our aisle was cordoned off—we became suspicious, and sure enough! Three of the group walked right by us (and we were on the end of the aisle), and then performed on our level, not too far away, doing several acoustic numbers. The show was a solid two hours. We got back to Rachel’s around midnight. I slept on the couch and headed home this morning. There are times when I think I’m too old for that sort of thing, but I guess I’ve still got it!
Enjoy the beautiful days—and also the rainy ones.
A couple of upcoming events for your calendar (the first one is today!):
Send me your news/events: lalalindastowell@gmail.com
AFCI News
Melinda Remington
Hello Folks.
This week I would like to thank Mariann Goff of East Bethel for her many years of service to the Bethel Area Age-Friendly Community Initiative. In her volunteer roles as an AFCI Board member, a Driver, and Rides Coordinator she has dedicated herself to the well-being of our older citizens. You may know her through her active community involvement in the Bethel Rotary Club and WMSC Senior Players. She is the one that plays her characters so well and makes us all laugh out loud! She is certainly a local treasure, and we will miss her as she retires from serving as a Rides Coordinator.
You may have questions about the Neighbor2Neighbor Rides Program
People age 60+ can have free rides to neighboring towns such as: South Paris/Norway, Rumford/Mexico, and Gorham/Berlin, NH. Or they may request rides around the Bethel area and other places within a 30-mile radius.
Volunteer drivers can take you to a variety of places: medical appointments, stores, social events and engagements.
The steps to follow are:
1.If you are a first-time rider, you must first call the AFCI 824-4444 number and leave a name, phone number and message. Someone will call you back and provide an application.
2. At least 3 days before your ride is needed, call the 824-4444 number to leave your name, telephone number, and message requesting the ride. Someone will return your call.
All Rides are free and every effort will be made to fulfil your request. While priority is given to medical appointments, please note that no rides are guaranteed.
We need more volunteer Drivers and Rides Coordinators. Please spread the word to friends and family—this is a rewarding way to serve the community and get to know neighbors. If interested, call 824-4444.
Bethel News
Linda Howe
The upcoming weekend marks the first day of summer, June 21st. It is also Fathers’ Day as well. Happy Fathers’ Day to the many fathers reading this column.
For events in Bethel, June 20th is Saturday Market on Main Street at the Methodist Church on Main Street. Local artisans will be joining church members on the front lawn. The church will be holding a yard sale with church proceeds going into our Capital Account to help maintain the building. Historic buildings always need attention and we have projects lined up for us to complete. Community support is always valued and appreciated!
