2007 found July and August busy with area festivals and more

July
• Commissioner Susan A. Gendron tried to alleviate fears of school closures during a public forum at the Presque Isle High School to discuss the School Administrative Reorganization law. • The Presque Isle Elks hosted a variety of events at Riverside Park, with free food and a car show, to celebrate the 4th of July.
• Voters approved a $4.2 million budget for SAD 45 in 2007-2008 .
• Doris Simmons, CFO of The Springing Dog, a Legacy developer based in Swansea, S.C., appeared before the Presque Isle Planning Board expressing interest in developing either apartments, high-end town homes or a hotel.
• SAD 32 voters OKed the 2007-2008 budget for $3.3 million.
• Presque Isle City Council approved a decrease in the city’s mil rate from 26.2 to 26.15 percent, by putting $600,000 from the Undesignated Funds account toward the annual budget.
• Hundreds turned out for Presque Isle Elks Lodge 1954’s annual July 4 celebration at Riverside Park.
• Maine Potato Blossom Festival celebrated its 60th anniversary in Fort Fairfield, featuring pageants, parades, musical events and more.
• A retirement party was held at City Hall to honor retirees Donald “Spike” Savage, the city’s finance director, and Sharon Willette, the city’s tax collector. Savage joined the city staff in 1972 and Willette began working for the city in 1966.
• Priscilla Webb was appointed to the position of city finance director, taking on  duties performed by  retired Donald ‘Spike’ Savage .
• Maine Community College System trustees voted to increase tuition by 2.5 percent or $2 per credit hour, effective fall 2007, for the seven institutions within the system, including at NMCC.
• The Governor’s Potato Plot project came to life again this year, with potatoes planted at Stewart Farms on the Houlton Road. Owner Dan Stewart raised the potatoes for shipping bags to  governors of the 50 states as a promotional tool, increasing interest in Maine produce.
• With the help of United Way of Aroostook Director Claudia Stevens, 2-1-1 Maine kicked off its caravan trip in PI bound for stops in several other communities in the state to spread awareness of the phone service that provides callers with info on health and wellness services throughout Maine.
• Molly Marie Anthony, Little Miss Bridgewater 2007, was named Little Miss Potato Blossom Queen 2007 during a pageant held in FF.
• Officials lauded northern Maine’s economic development efforts, with Laurie LaChance of the Maine Development Foundation speaking on the topic at the annual meeting for APP held at NMCC.
• Sgt. Joey Seeley, of the Presque Isle Police Department, completes FBI training program in Quantico, Va. Seeley said he’d share what he learned with other officers to help improve  service to the community.
• Presque Isle Public Works Department moved into a renovated hangar on Missile Street. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to mark the  move with Sen. Susan Collins and Cong. Michael Michaud joining department staff and city officials for the event.
• A meeting with Maine Community College System President John Fitzsimmons was held at NMCC to see how colleges can help build rural economies.
• Smokey’s Greater Shows was scheduled to return to the Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle. Lynwood Winslow, president of NMFA, looked forward to this year’s event.
• Junior Miss Caribou 2007, Hannah Hebert, was crowned Junior Miss Potato Queen 2007 on July 18 in Fort Fairfield.
• Katie Smith, Miss Caribou 2007, took the title of Miss Potato Queen 2007 on July 21 during the Maine Potato Blossom Festival in FF.
• A fund-raising raffle was held for Homeless Services of Aroostook, with the prize being tickets to a Taylor Hicks Concert, room and gas card for a stay in Portland.
August
• Lynwood Winslow, president of the Northern Maine Fair Association, said the association was pleased with attendance at the 153rd Northern Maine Fair, noting it was probably the best year in the past five or six for the event held annually in Presque Isle.
• A crew from Soderberg Construction, of Caribou, worked on widening a section of Main Street/Route 1 in Presque Isle to add a turning lane to improve the flow of traffic in and out of the parking lot serving Tang’s and the structure housing the Movie Gallery, Family Dollar, CitiFinancial and USDA offices.
• A proposed bill included federal funding to the tune of $150,000 for an NMCC health education center.
• A two-vehicle crash in Castle Hill along Route 163 resulted in the deaths of Julia Saucier, 35, and Jerry Caron, 36, both of the Ashland area. Also injured in the crash was Dustin Eastman, 21. Chad Junkins, 28, was uninjured.
• Maine legislators were exposed to the potato industry during a tour of local farms hosted by the MPB.
• Severe weather struck Aroostook County August 3, with heavy rains and winds up to 60 mph that downed trees and power lines, causing power outages and considerable property damage.
• Christopher Johnston, 20, donated a kidney to his younger sister, Shauna Johnston, 18, of Mapleton. The girl was diagnosed in 1996 with chronic renal failure (kidney disease) and had been placed on a transplant list in the fall of 2006.
• Five Uruguayans, in Aroostook County as part of a U.S. Seed Potato Industry Tour, visited area potato farms.
• A two-vehicle accident at the intersection of North Main Street and the Aroostook Centre Mall entrance claimed the life of Harold Lainey, 78, of Presque Isle.
• Presque Isle High School announced its fall schedule and hours for activities.
• SAD 1 eyed an alternative plan to school consolidation. Having no success joining forces with other school systems for superintendent duties, SAD 1, in order to meet guidelines set by the state’s Department of Education, looked to improve efficiencies and cost savings within the district.
• The Northern Maine Fair Association received the 2007 United States Fair Association’s Blue Ribbon Fair Award. The honor was bestowed based on its long history with harness racing and how the it presents itself.
• Stormy weather during the last few days of the fair did little to dampen fair officials’ enthusiasm. Lynwood Winslow, president of the Northern Maine Fair Association, said gate attendance was up by nearly 20 percent from a year ago for the 153rd Northern Maine Fair in Presque Isle. He credited exhibits, better rides and music by local entertainers for patrons’ increased interest and attendance.
• The annual Baby Beef Auction at the 153rd Northern Maine Fair netted $47,880, with Amanda Hotham and her Angus-cross steer, Uncle Buck, earning the title of Grand Champion at the annual event.
• Caribou’s City Council approved administration moving ahead with the tax increment financing process and credit enhancement agreement with Maine Biofuels International, operated by Nasiff Lands LLC, at the industrial complex formerly home to Maine Frozen Foods along Route 1 (the bypass).
• SAD 1 soccer teams were anxious to play on new field turf at the Dr. Gehrig T. Johnson Athletic Complex located at Presque Isle Middle School.
• Ashland’s mill rate dropped to the lowest level in three years, down from 25.75 in 2005 to 20 this year. Town Manager Jim Gardner credited recent revaluation, economic growth and careful spending.
• Over 20 volunteers stepped forward at a Mapleton Daze Committee meeting, ensuring the survival of the annual event.
• An unidentified Presque Isle man was declared the holder of the winning $9.875 million ticket for the August 15 Megabucks drawing. The ticket was purchased at Ray’s Corner Variety on Academy Street; store owners Barry and Raylene Shaw saw an increase in business following news of the sale.
• Floyd Harding, a retired attorney from Presque Isle, donated $1 million to NMCC’s Campaign for the County’s College. Harding is one of the founders of the college. The presentation was made the dedication of a gazebo on campus – a dedication made in honor of his late wife, B. Jean Harding.
• A window-painting contest was the highlight of the annual Balloon Fest, with various youth decorating store windows with balloon designs in downtown Presque Isle.
• The Presque Isle Historical Society held a fund-raising barbecue, as part of Balloon Fest activities, raising about $500 that will be used toward restoring the old firehouse on Church Street.
• Eight people were injured in a two-vehicle accident on the Centerline Road in PI during a heavy rain storm. Two children and an adult male were transported to EMMC for treatment.
• The PIPD speeding detail had drivers slowing down or facing a ticket as officers worked to reduce the number of speeding vehicles traveling through downtown Presque Isle.