Editor’s Note: The following is a recap of some of the top news stories around Caribou from 2017, covering the months of July to December.
July
Stockholm selectmen kicked off their town’s Independence Day parade with a ribbon cutting for a new bridge. MDOT funded the $200,000 infrastructure project, which replaced a bridge installed in 1925.
The entrance to Reno’s Family Restaurant remains boarded up after a car struck the building. Joann Blackstone, 60, of Caribou pulled into the restaurant parking lot at 11:40 a.m. on July 16 according to the Caribou PD and failed to stop. The mess was cleaned up and the eatery remained open, according to Nelson Corriveau, one of the restaurant’s owners. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Caribou native Meagan Bossie returns to the area taking a position at Dr. David Smith’s office as a full time dentist just one week after graduating from Tufts University in Boston with a doctorate in dental medicine. Bossie is working alongside her mother, dental hygienist Cheryl Bossie, who rejoined the team soon after Bossie started.
International travelers accustomed to using the Limestone or Bridgewater border crossings will be directed to other ports of entry after 10 p.m. starting Aug. 20. Travelers will be directed to the Fort Fairfield station if they try to cross the border after 10 p.m. Limestone is one of seven stations in the New England area that will be reducing hours of operation to between 6 a.m and 10 p.m.
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- VFW Lister-Knowlton Post 9389 Commander Roger Felix, pictured on the far right, leads the Loring Job Corps Center Honor Guard during the town of Stockholm’s Fourth of July parade. (Christopher Bouchard)
August
After spending more than 300 man hours across seven days searching for retired Rev. Clement Thibodeau, the Maine Warden Service has suspended formal search operations, but not entirely discontinued the investigation. Thibodeau was last seen in Caribou on July 15 and believed to have left his Caribou apartment for central Maine at roughly 8 p.m. that evening.
The Calvary Baptist Church and the Caribou Parks and Recreation Department teamed together to give the Caribou Public Library gazebo a much needed renovation. Gary Marquis, Caribou parks and recreation superintendent indicated that the gazebo has been vandalized multiple times for years and the new signage and motion activated lights will help deter most of the vandals.
A Caribou ambulance sustained extensive damage Friday morning when the driver reportedly fell asleep behind the wheel while traveling north on U.S. Route 1 in Monticello. Power was knocked out to about 300 customers around the Monticello area but was restored by Emera crews the following day.
Christine Lister, left, pushes her daughter Hallie Lister on the Teague Park Elementary School swing set while Haley Powers, right, does the same with her daughter Addilyn Powers, on the first day of preschool at the school on Wednesday, Aug. 16. (Christopher Bouchard)
John T. Noble Construction has begun the groundwork for four duplexes intended to house homeless veterans, regardless of any mental health or substance abuse issues they may have. John DeVeau, president of the United Veterans of Maine said during a July 15 groundbreaking ceremony that the next phase of the project will be an Oct. 14 open house for the four duplexes.
Luke Shorty, MSSM’s executive director, announces he will step down from his position at the end of the 2017-18 school year.
A meet and greet event was held with the newly hired City Manager Dennis Marker on Aug. 24 at the Caribou Recreation Center.
The new preK-8 Caribou school is expecting a February 2020 opening, according to the RSU 39 new school committee. The new school will be built on the same parcel of land as Teague Park Elementary School, but between Teague Park and the existing middle school. At the same time, contractors with J.P. Martin and Sons are working on the foundation of a new RSU 39 administrative building near the old city pool on Teague Street.
More than 11,000 customers of Emera Maine in northern Aroostook County lost power for an hour Tuesday morning. According to Emera Maine, the issue was on the Canadian side of the border and the cause remained unknown.
September
Bill Thomas, 68, of Woodland left The County in a Red Cross emergency vehicle at 5 a.m. Tuesday morning and headed for Texas to help with the devastation and flooding caused by Tropical Storm Harvey. Thomas was joined by Corin Hamlin, 56, of Brownville.
The family of WWII Marine Pvt. Alberic “Brick” Blanchette will finally have closure when his remains are flown to his hometown of Caribou for a Sept. 18 ceremony. Though Blanchette was only 19 when he died, he is still fondly remembered by family members who are relieved that his remains are coming home.
Caribou played host to the second annual Caribou Marathon on Sept. 17. Hundreds came out to support the many runners who took part in this year’s event. Spectators who made signs were eligible to win a $100 Visa gift card from the City of Caribou if they posted a picture of their creation on the Run Caribou Facebook page.
Caribou’s Harvest Hoedown had its largest turnout on Thursday with more than 500 people coming out to take part in the fall-themed festivities. For the past eight years, the hoe-down was held at Hilltop Elementary School and was enjoyed by kindergarten through second-grade students and their parents. One of the highlight attractions of the Hoedown is the hay bale rides driven by Crown Equipment.
Record high temperatures in the high 80s and even 90 degrees Fahrenheit were recorded at the NWS office in Caribou during the past month. In Caribou on Monday, Sept. 25, the temperature of 88 degrees broke a record of 83 degrees set on that date in 2007.
October
Caribou newlyweds survived a country music concert that became the site of the deadliest mass shooting in recent U.S. history. Kristin and Dustin Damboise chose Las Vegas as a honeymoon destination because they wanted to see the Route 91 Harvest Festival, where 37 country bands played for thousands over three days.
Rev. Clement Thibodeau’s remains were found in a remote area of Hancock County on Sept. 30. Hundreds gathered at his service held at the Parish of the Precious Blood Holy Rosary Church on Tuesday, Oct. 10. Bishop Robert P. Deeley of the Catholic Diocese of Portland officiated the Mass, leading friends, family and members of the church in prayer and song to celebrate the life of the 85-year-old priest.
Clement Thibodeau
Around 21,000 Emera Maine customers from Caribou south to around Houlton were left in the dark due to a tree falling on a transmission line in Caribou on Oct. 10. Most of Emera’s customers had power restored after two hours, though some did not get power back for several hours.
Caribou Fire Chief Scott Susi was honored as the state’s fire chief of the year. Caribou city councilors congratulated and applauded Susi’s achievement during an Oct. 10 meeting ,which was held despite a major power outage in the area. A plaque was given to Susi and will be hung in the Caribou Municipal Building at 25 High Street to showcase his work for the city.
MSSM students and the Limestone Chamber of Commerce teamed up on Saturday, Oct. 21, for an electronics recycling event. Twenty two large containers were filled up with discarded electronic devices.
November
The Maine School Superintendents Association names RSU 39 and MSAD 20 Superintendent Tim Doak Superintendent of the Year. Doak was formally presented the award at an Oct. 25 MSSA meeting in Augusta.
County veterans received an overwhelming amount of assistance and compassion on Saturday, Nov. 4, during the region’s first annual Stand Down event at Cary Medical Center In Caribou. VA Community Care Coordinator Katie Michaud said 17 representatives from colleges, community organizations, and businesses were on hand ready to help veterans in any way they could and 20 veterans received assistance.
Allen’s Way Aroostook County’s first recovery house, was welcomed to Caribou with a Nov. 4 ribbon cutting event. With the Caribou Planning Board officially approving the building as a recovery house on Nov. 9, two tenants will be moving in on Nov. 22.
Election results are in, and the people of Caribou overwhelmingly accepted candidates Mark Goughan and Hugh Krikpatrick to the City Council with a respective 1,017 and 1,022 votes. Incumbent Nicole Cote, who served a partial term after Councilor Shane McDougal resigned, also was elected with a total of 588 votes. RSU 39 School Board incumbents Ronald Willey and Jan Tompkins ran unopposed and were re-elected with respective 1,316 and 1,247 votes.
The Caribou Choral Society announce 90-minute Christmas concerts featuring 60 vocalists to be held in Fort Kent, Caribou and Presque Isle early next month. The group’s second performance was at 7 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 9, at Caribou’s Holy Rosary Church. Choral Director Dan Ladner has led the choral society since it began in the mid 1970’s and has selected every song for each group’s performance.
After four decades of teaching at Caribou High School, and seven years in Lubec, Ken Atcheson, retires to deal with recently diagnosed cancer.
While going over the proposed budget, Caribou City councilors discuss the future of funding for the city-owned Nylander Museum. The museum houses the collections of the late naturalist Olof Nylander, including fossils, mineral specimens, insects and taxidermy, according to the nonprofit organization.
Larry Hall plays taps at the conclusion of the Nov. 11 Veterans Day Ceremony at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery in Caribou. (Christopher Bouchard)
December
Santa arrived in Caribou early on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Recreation and Wellness Center. Over 240 people had signed up to decorate gingerbread houses with 35 people on a waiting list, according to Marketing and Events Coordinator Christina Kane-GIbson.
Longtime Caribou locksmith Vaughan Kean was presented a Lifetime Achievement award at the Maine State Locksmith Association annual meeting. Keatan began at the Loring Air Force Base in 1972 as a civilian contractor.
