Caribou area From our Files (week of August 1, 2018)

6 years ago

115 Years Ago – Aug. 4,  1903

Around town The telephone poles around town have been painted during this past week, Frank Riley has recently installed a fine new cash register in his up-to-date grocery store, and it is reported that two more automobiles will soon be purchased by Caribou parties.

Vote The town of Caribou voted last week to raise and appropriate $25,000 towards the construction of an electric road from Caribou to Washburn and Perham.  The vote was unanimous.

100 Years Ago – Aug. 7, 1918

Move The Caribou Water, Light & Power Company has moved its offices into its new building on Vaughan Avenue and the rooms so long occupied by the company are now being occupied by Judge John B. Roberts as a law office.

Blaze — A blaze on the roof of the Caribou Laundry was discovered a few minutes before five on Wednesday afternoon.  The Fire Department was quickly on the scene and the fire was soon under control.

75 Years Ago – Aug. 4, 1943

High post — Melvin E. Anderson of New Sweden was recently appointed to the position of deputy secretary of state and left on Monday morning for Augusta to assume his new duties.  Mr. Anderson was appointed to this position by Secretary of State Harold I. Goss on a recent visit to New Sweden.

Canning Center opens — The Caribou Canning Center is now open to assist local housewives in the latest approved methods of canning and conserving surplus garden foods in the “Food-for-Victory” program.  Although all canning is free, a charge of 4 cents is made to cover the cost of each can used. Housewives may use their own jars or cans, if desired. The center this year is under the direction of Miss Emily Bouchard, home economics instructor at Rumford High School.

50 Years Ago – Aug. 7, 1968

“An exhausted rooster” — The latter is what the Caribou Jaycees call 32-year-old Keaton Nadeau, but they say it’s a compliment and part of the reason why he was awarded a Jaycee International Senatorship at Monday evening’s meeting.  Nadeau is the fourth to receive the award in the history of the local organization. The new recipment has been a member of the Caribou organization for about 10 years. Nadeau is employed with Anderson Beverage of Caribou.  He and Carol are the parents of three children.

Now available The purchase of the launcher area of the former NIKE Hercules site, located on the Van Buren Road about a mile north of Caribou’s business district, is under consideration by the City Council.  Council gave thought, at its Tuesday meeting, to notification by the U.S. gGovernment that the area has been determined as a surplus property and is available for disposal. Altogether, the area comprises 20.75 acres with .23 of an acre access and utility easement.

25 Years Ago – Aug. 4, 1993

Disbanded The Save Loring Committee, after a 17-year struggle to prevent the closure of Loring Air Force Base, said “enough is enough.”  The committee voted at a meeting Monday at the Northern Maine Development Commission in Caribou to disband. The vote followed the advice given in a telephone conference during the meeting with its lawyer, Severin Beliveau of Augusta.  The base is scheduled for closure for Sept. 30, 1994.

Promoted Franklin R. McElwain of Caribou has been chosen assistant principal of Caribou High School.  McElwain was chosen from a field of 11 candidates. He has experience as a high school teacher at Central Aroostook High School in Mars Hill and at Limestone Jr.-Sr. High School and as a department chairman in Limestone.  He replaces David Ouellette, who was recently named principal of CHS, replaced James Ugone who retired. McElwain, 38, is a 1973 graduate of Caribou High School and holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from the University of Maine.  He is currently working on an advanced degree in educational administration at the university.