Keeping the kids close Well, let's see É I had just returned to my job at Van Leer from maternity leave after the birth of our second daughter on Feb. 2, 1987. We lived in Dixmont and I wanted my two young girls close to me at work, so I put my 2-year-old and 2-month-old daughters into our 2-door 1976 Buick LeSabre and headed to their daycare on Pleasant Street in Airfield. After all, it was only raining.

The first obstacle that I met was in Unity. This was before Route 139 had been totally rebuilt between Unity and Benton and the road was totally flooded from just outside of Unity past the racetrack for about 1-1/2 to 2 miles and then between there (Unity) and Benton, I must have driven through at least five other places where the road was entirely obscured by the water but our old beast of a Buick made it through just fine.

When we got to the three bridges between Benton and Fairfield, I thought that maybe I might have made a mistake when we left home that morning. This was just about 7:45 a.m. on April 1, 1987, and the water was lapping at the bridges. Traffic was stopped and drivers were waiting for the bridges to be clear of other vehicles before crossing, so as to have a clear shot and not be stopped on the bridge.

My turn came and I crossed, went up Main Street to Pleasant, dropped the girls off and went to work only to leave shortly afterwards as out sitter did not have power and could not keep the girls. By this time the bridges in Fairfield had been closed, so I put the girls into the Buick and headed northbound on I-95 toward Dixmont.

I first attempted to get off at the Plymouth exit but had to turn around because the causeway over Plymouth Pond was flooded. Luckily I was able to get back to I-95 off at the next exit and finally home. What a journey.

Lois Rowe

Dixmont