May
• Flooding in Aroostook County put a strain on already limited municipal budgets as melting snow caused spring runoff problems in many communities, causing road and property damage. • Presque Isle stepped up to the plate, with NMCC, UMPI, the Braden Theatre, Elks Lodge, among others, offering assistance to displaced University of Maine at Fort Kent students, following the worst flooding in the St. John Valley in nearly 100 years.
• Fort Fairfield was designated a StormReady community.
• Katahdin Trust Co. donated $10,000 to the American Red Cross, Pine Tree Chapter, and encouraged others to do likewise to help victims of the area’s worst flooding in 100 years.
• The SAD 1 School Board declined the city’s offer of the indoor pool, citing operational costs as a prime concern.
• Presque Isle City Council authorized the release of emergency funds from the Emergency Reserve Account to help city departments, including the Public Works Department, offset the winter’s increased maintenance expenses, following the federal government’s denial of disaster aid funds.
• The Taking Steps to Cure Cystic Fibrosis walk was planned, spearheaded by Kate Campbell, an 8th-grader at PIMS who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as an infant.
• Allisen Donovan, a senior at PIHS, capped off a stellar musical year, receiving the Outstanding Female Vocalist award at the State Jazz Festival, among other honors.
• Presque Isle City Council appointed Downtown Revitalization Committee board members, including: Patty LeBlanc, Gretchen Morse, Craig Green, Billie Brodsky, Rachel Rice, Jay Trainer, Cathy Beaulieu, Virginia Joles and Sandy Gauvin.
• Irving Woodlands LLC’s Nashville Plantation mill announced it would reopen, with 45 workers going back to work at the sawmill by June 3, with more workers possibly returning to work after that. The mill had closed for a time due to a slump in the housing market creating a drop in demand for their wood products.
• The SAD 1 School Board voted to service Mars Hill buses.
• A PACT (Police and Community Together) between Aroostook County law enforcement offices and the communities they serve provided an opportunity for parents to request police keep an eye on their homes and children when the parents planned to be away. The program was designed to reduce underage drinking.
• UMPI President Don Zillman received the unanimous support and approval of the University of Maine System Board of Trustees and Chancellor Richard Pattenaude, with all parties agreeing Zillman should continue as the president of the Presque Isle campus.
• Veterans past and present were remembered during ceremonies and a parade held in Presque Isle on Memorial Day.
• KeyBank employees made a difference in the Star City, during Neighbors Make a Difference Day, helping to spruce up the Vera Estey House, a historical property in Presque Isle.
• The SAD 1 Board of Directors adopted a $22,435,007 2008-2009 budget, with the package slated to go to the voters at a later date for final approval.
June
• A fire destroyed a home on the Houlton Road owned by Kathy Perry.
• The Fort Fairfield Community Market planned to open later in the month, featuring everything from antiques to onions.
• TAMC nurses held a walk through downtown Presque Isle to raise public awareness of their concerns, as negotiations continued with hospital officials. The nurses wanted more input on patient care and an improved wage scale comparable to other hospitals in the state.
• Voters approved a $22.4 million SAD 1 budget, of which just over $6.5 million would be passed on to property taxpayers.
• A motion before the Presque Isle Zoning Board of Appeals to reconsider their May denial of plans by the Aroostook Football League to develop two football fields on property off the Caribou Road failed, leaving AFL organizers questioning the lack of board support and wondering what to do next.
• Golfers from both sides of the border were ‘teed off’ with a border crossing issue that could directly affect business at the Aroostook Valley Country Club in Fort Fairfield. The U.S. Border Patrol is concerned about the possibility of more illegal activity at the site, following an arrest last year when an individual transported drugs across the unsecured border at the club.
• Horizon Wind Energy opened an office in Presque Isle from which officials planned to oversee over $1.6 billion in wind farm projects in Aroostook County in coming months.
• Alyssa Trombley’s Father’s Day essay on her dad, Craig Trombley, was named the winner in the Top Pop Time Warner’s Best Dad Contest.
• Presque Isle faced a $187,000 fuel-related shortfall, due to rising fuel prices and added expenses brought about due to the heavier-than-normal snowfall and the cost to remove it.
• A head-on collision on Route 10 claimed the life of Catherine Rock, 77, of Monticello and sent Virginia Smith, 35, and her two daughters, all of Easton, to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
• The 2008-2009 Maine Potato Board budget of $1,490,760 was unanimously approved, an increase of about $229,097 over last year’s figure.
• Mapleton Daze marked its 20th year celebrating the community and its residents.
• Haley Johnston was crowned the first Miss Teen Presque Isle 2008.
• Jordan Buckley was named the first Miss Pre-Teen Presque Isle 2008.
July
• Maine Public Service and Central Maine Power Company announced plans to invest up to $1.9 billion in Maine’s bulk power transmission system, constructing a new transmission line that would run from the northern tip of Aroostook County to central Maine, enabling developing wind farms access to the New England power grid.
• Poor weather prevented a restored B-17 Flying Fortress, known as the “Liberty Belle,” from landing in Presque Isle, but the aircraft did fly over the area on its way to Labrador, Canada.
• Ashland’s mil rate remained at 20, with the 2008 budget set at $1,355,396.
• Cutworms were found in area crops.
• Presque Isle officials were able to resolve the $187,000 budget shortfall, partly through dropping fuel prices and partly through various departments cutting their budgets to keep the budget balanced.
• TAMC nurses took to Main Street, holding a candlelight vigil to bring awareness to the fact their contract with the hospital had run out.
• The 61st annual Maine Potato Blossom Festival kicked off, with added festivities to mark the town’s 150th birthday.
• U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, urged the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to consider establishing a seasonal port of entry at the U.S./Canadian border along the Russell Road in Fort Fairfield.
• Officials with the U.S. Border Patrol’s Houlton sector said plans were under way to construct new border patrol stations in Fort Fairfield, Houlton and Rangeley.
• Members of the Maine Forest Service, Mapleton Public Works and Fire departments teamed up to chip brush and debris to prevent possible wild fires.
• Bridgewater prepared to celebrate its Sesquicentennial July 24-26.
• The Robert Roope family, of Presque Isle, was honored July 18 as the Maine Potato Board’s 2008 Farm Family of the Year.
• Presque Isle’s City Council set the 2008 mil rate at 23, down from 26 for 2007, and agreed to use $550,000 from surplus to keep taxes down for city residents.
• Residents in the area of State and Oak streets weren’t pleased with the Presque Isle Zoning Board’s approval of MPS’s plans to upgrade a substation in their neighborhood.
• An opportunity to promote the Star City and the talents of area artists, as well as support the projects sponsored by the Aroostook Partners in the Arts, was scheduled for August as part of the fifth annual Crown of Maine Balloon Festival.
• Preparations were in high gear for the 154th Northern Maine Fair, including plans for Nerger’s Tigers, featuring 11 tigers and a lion.
• A $200,000 grant from the Maine Technology Institute to a consortium led by InterfaceFABRIC, Inc., a Maine-based manufacturer, was designed to help the business in its venture to create plastics from potatoes.
• Molly Bouchard, of Caribou, was crowned 2008 Miss Maine Potato Blossom.
• Fort Fairfield’s Health Center, slated for closure, will remain open indefinitely, following an agreement between town officials and The Aroostook Medical Center to keep the facility operating to prevent hardship on area residents who rely on the site for their healthcare needs.
• Tim York III married Leanne Levesque at the Mars Hill golf course just an hour before his tee time at this year’s Crime Stoppers Golf Tournament, an event dedicated in the memory of York’s father, Tom York Jr.
• Ashland’s Trotting Park received a $25,000 grant, to be used for upgrades at the site, from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
• James Ferland, a member of the Presque Isle Elks, Lodge 1954, was appointed to the Order’s national Lodge Activities/State Elks Association Committee during the 144th national convention held in California.
• Bridgewater, Fort Fairfield and Mars Hill received grants totaling $24,000 from the Department of Environmental Protection to fund local efforts to improve water quality through updates to failed septic systems that contaminate bodies of water.
August
• The Presque Isle Water and Sewer District began work on moving the water discharge pipeline from the Presque Isle Stream to the Aroostook River, in compliance with DEP water quality guidelines.
• TAMC and its nurses reached agreement on a one-year contract, following months of negotiations.
• Late blight was reported throughout Aroostook County.
• Irving Forest Products, Inc., announced the permanent closure of the Pinkham sawmill at Nashville Plantation, leaving about 60 employees either transferring to other positions with the company or in search of jobs elsewhere.
• Easton’s Michael Osgood graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy.
• For the second year, children of all ages participated in a window-painting contest aimed at drawing interest in the Crown of Maine Balloon Festival Aug. 21-24 in Presque Isle.
• Erin Thomas was honored by Unicel as a “High School Hero” for her commitment to improving her community through volunteer public service.
• SADs 1 and 32 submitted a reorganization plan to the state commissioner of education, despite ongoing concerns by board members.
• Easton’s town manager, Jackalene “Jackie” Bradley, retired after 19 years in the position.
• The quality of local potato crops was a concern, following higher-than-normal rainfall.
• Dr. William F. Bergen promotes his book, written about his experiences with the Yup’ik Eskimos during his five years as doctor in the community of Bethel, Alaska.
• Officials break ground for new Ashland school. The facility will house grades K-12, replacing the two older structures now in use.
• Captain Tracy Coffin, of Mars Hill, was promoted to the rank of major in a ceremony at the Henry Cousins American Legion Post 118 in Mars Hill.
• UMPI President Don Zillman and Dr. Michael Sonntag, vice president of academic affairs, announced the campus’s strategic plan that is designed to streamline the University, allowing students to get the most out of their academic experience as they become more invested in campus life while building strong bonds with the community.
September
• Organizers were pleased with turnout for the fifth annual Crown of Maine Balloon Festival.
• The Spragueville Homemakers Extension were pleased to show off the new vinyl fence at the memorial park at the site of the historic Double Eagle II launch on the Spragueville Road in Presque Isle.
• Presque Isle received a Canopy Grant, enabling the city to replace old and damaged trees and plant some new ones as well.
• Lisa Desjardins, a local artist, teamed up with the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce, creating a painting, circa 1950s, of Green’s Store on Main St. A limited number of reprints were being sold to raise funds for the Chamber.
• Fort Fairfield and Alpha One were honored with the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Project of the Year award.
• Devin Whitmore, a 2-year-old from Ashland, continued to recover at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, after being struck by a vehicle in his driveway Sept. 2.
• BLD Hospitality announced construction of the Hampton Inn hotel, to be located at 768 Main St., had begun, with an expected completion date of July 2009.
• Houlton and Presque Isle police sought the public’s help in locating two missing teenagers, Dustin Smith, 15, and Kassandra LeClaire, 17.
• Unwanted medications were collected in Presque Isle and Houlton, removing about $100,000 worth of drugs from ending up in the environment (primarily the water supply) as well as preventing them from being misused in society.
• Fireman Fred encouraged tomorrow’s heroes, visiting students at Presque Isle Middle School, speaking during Heroes Week, a statewide initiative to recognize the heroic Mainers who live and work in our communities and abroad. The visit coincided with the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on 9-11-01.
• Officials from NMCC planned to use a $101,161 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to renovate the 1,170 square foot Christie Lecture Hall.
• Ashland Fire and Ambulance received two pieces of equipment that will make lifesaving easier for emergency personnel in this rural community. Cape Elizabeth Fire and Rescue donated a defibrillator unit valued at $15,000 to the department. The department also received a Maine Outdoor Heritage grant and donations from local businesses that allowed them to obtain a Polaris Ranger ATV for responding to emergencies where regular vehicle can’t travel.
• E-5 Joe Johnson returned home to Wade for a two-week visit, following two tours in Iraq.
• City Council discussed the feasibility of getting into the ambulance business, with City Manager Tom Stevens emphasizing the idea one of “financial need” to increase revenue for the city – particularly for the fire department – and not concern over “quality of care.” Duane Walton of NMDC helped prepare and reviewed an ambulance business plan with Council, while TAMC officials continued to express concern over response time, the fire department’s ability to man units and quality of service.
• Robert “Rob” Crowley, a teacher at Gorham High School who has ties to the Ashland area, was one of the latest contestants on the CBS show “Survivor.”
October
• A new mural featuring Presque Isle’s educational institutions UMPI and NMCC was unveiled at a downtown celebration on Main St. The murals adorn the wall in front of KeyBank.
• With the first commercial wind farm in Maine located just 14 miles from its campus in Mars Hill, NMCC in Presque Isle was poised to offer the only program in New England to train wind power technicians.
• SAD 1 schools reported enrollment was up slightly, from 2,070 in 2007 to 2,079 in 2008.
• Working with the PIPD tracking team of Officer Kevin Schumacher and Hunter, the department’s Bloodhound, earned Hillary Griffin a trip to California for she and her family, courtesy of Disney and the Youth Service America program, to be part of Miley Cyurs’s (aka Hannah Montana) 16th birthday celebration. Griffin worked with the team to try to determine why tracking dogs have difficulty locating individuals with disorders, such as Down Syndrome.
• Maine Power Connection officials met with local and state leaders, business representatives and community members during a business breakfast held Sept. 23 at UMP, providing an update on the proposed $625 million transmission line that would connect central and northern Maine to the New England power grid. The line is being viewed as a ‘great economic opportunity,’ that will create hundreds of part-time and permanent jobs.
• The Presque Isle City Council agreed to ask the Army Corps of Engineers to hold a public hearing to allow citizens more time to air their concerns before a final decision is made on the proposed bypass.
• Floyd Ellis retired after 32 years of service to Zippel Elementary School, and a combined work history of 45 years with SAD 1, where he worked as bus driver and custodian.
• Presque Isle Postmaster Clint Watson was honored upon his retirement after serving 33 years as a government employee.
• Ducks Unlimited’s annual dinner and auction raised over $10,000 to promote wildlife and habitat preservation.
• Hunting season got off to a good start for bear and moose hunters, with several hunters bringing their big game to Ben’s Trading Post on Main St. in Presque Isle for weighing and tagging.
• Northern Maine’s first allied health simulation center opened at NMCC.
• Potato Picker’s Special, in its 48th year, continued the tradition of providing farmers and workers the latest harvesting news.
• Todd Palin, husband of vice-presidential hopeful, Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska, visited Harry’s Motorsports for a meet and greet.
• A Light the Night ceremony was held at UMPI to raise awareness of domestic violence, as part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
• Potatoes were included as part of the Lunch Box Lectures, as Richard Rand visited students at the Presque Isle Middle School to discuss how crops used to be farmed.
• The Presque Isle Sesquicentennial Committee unveiled to city’s 150th anniversary logo.
• A U.S. Senate debate between incumbent U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and challenger First District Congressman Tom Allen attracted a crowd at the Presque Isle Middle School in Presque Isle.
• Teamwork was deemed the key to an Emergency Management Agency drilled held in the Star City. Emergency personnel from various Aroostook County agencies participated in the session, held at NMCC Sept. 20.
• The SAD 1, SAD 32 and Nashville Plantation School Department urged a ‘no’ vote on the school consolidation referendum.
• SAD 1 adopted a resolution opposing the school reorganization referendum question on the Nov. 4 ballot.
• An inaccurate mailer caused confusion in House District 6, with some versions mistakenly identifying Democratic House hopeful Kyle Green as an incumbent with prior Augusta experience, rather than a first-time candidate.
• James “Jim” Berry retired after 35 years selling advertising for the Star-Herald, many of which were performed as sales manager. A party was held in his honor at the Northeastland Hotel Oct. 2, with family members, friends, past and present co-workers on hand to wish him well.
• SAD 32 Board of Directors approved the low bid of $17,710,710 from Bowman Bros. Inc. of Newport for the construction of the new pre-kindergarten to grade 12 school that will be constructed in Ashland.
• Retired teacher, Glenna Johnson Smith, announced her first book deal, with plans to publish her yet-untitled book through Islandport Press in 2009.
• A fire that destroyed the Northern Maine Truck Stop in Blaine was deemed arson by the Fire Marshal’s Office, with officials asking for the public’s help in finding the person(s) responsible.
November
• Officials from the Aroostook Medical Center, Crown Ambulance, city of Presque Isle and Presque Isle Fire Department continued to debate the pros and cons of the PIFD getting into the ambulance business.
• Wintergreen Arts Center planned to move to 149 State St., once the site of Wight’s Furniture.
• Michael Beaulieu, a park ranger who died on the job in August 1996, was posthumously honored in Utah.
• The PIHS Shipmates’ Playhouse prepared for their production of “Seussical,” based on characters created by Dr. Seuss.
• UMPI planned to host its week-long 1968 Retrospective, marking the 40th anniversary of the transformational year.
• The school consolidation referendum was soundly defeated by local voters.
• The Francis Malcolm Science Center, located in Easton, celebrated its 25th anniversary.
• Due to declining enrollment and increasing costs to operate, the Bridgewater Grammar School was slated to close after the 2008-2009 school year.
• A re-dedication ceremony was held at UMPI’s Folsom Hall to mark the completion, on time and under budget, of approximately $2 million in upgrades and renovations, funded by a bond referendum, that made the structure more user-friendly and energy-efficient.
• World War II vets left their impression on PIMS students during a Nov. 7 event held at the school.
• SAD 42 Superintendent Roger Shaw reported that a grant was used over the summer to contract with the Healthy Maine Youth Advisory committee to bring a soccer program to the Mars Hill district.
• To help bring awareness to the problem of domestic violence, the Battered Women’s Project held its annual ceremony and walk in Presque Isle.
• UMPI signed a contract with Lumus Construction Inc., of Massachusetts, to begin a $2 million wind project, making the University the first campus in the state and one of the first in New England to reduce its electricity costs through the use of wind-generated energy.
• The U.S. Border Patrol announced it would be restricting traffic on the Russell Rd. in Fort Fairfield, eventually prohibiting southbound traffic from Canada to enter the U.S. along that stretch of road.
• The State Fire Marshal’s Office determined a Route 10 home fire was intentionally, with charges pending further investigation.
• Veterans were honored at a ceremony at Presque Isle Middle School.
December
• Presque Isle City Council discussed the city’s 2009 budget, looking to cut about $340,000 of the proposed $13.5 million figure. Department heads were able to come up with nearly $200,000 in cuts, leaving councilors debating where to come up with the remaining $144,000, with one option being to replace the full-time fire department staff with volunteers – a measure Councilor G. Melvin Hovey supported, while the other councilors opposed.
• The Presque Isle Rotary Auction got under way, featuring over $35,000 in merchandise up for bid, with funds going to support local organizations, including the United Way of Aroostook’s efforts to help Aroostook County households make it through the winter.
• Harvest help was on the rise at Presque Isle High School.
• Presque Isle Middle School students sent care packages and letters to troops in Iraq.
• Presque Isle and Caribou city councils met with representatives of NMDC to discuss the Corridor Management Plan and access/egress issues along Route 1.
• Aroostook County Tourism’s Web site was revamped to better aid locals, visitors.
• The James School in Presque Isle held an open house.
• Richards Christmas Tree Farm placed wreaths at Fairmont Cemetery and donated 25 Christmas trees to local National Guard units as a way to honor local veterans this holiday season.
• Snow turned to rain as temperatures rose, creating slush and ice that caused flooding when storm drains became blocked by the mixture.
• Maine Woods Co. planned to grow its workforce at its Portage Lake facility, signing an agreement with NMCC to provide customized training to new hires at no cost.
• Central Aroostook volunteers, including students at PIHS, took part in the world’s largest Christmas project, collecting more than 1,800 gift-filled shoeboxes as part of Operation Christmas Child.
• Fires in Easton, Mars Hill, Fort Fairfield, Portage and Perham kept local firefighters busy and destroyed thousands of dollars in property.
• Presque Isle Rotary Club officials were pleased with the 61st annual auction, which raised over $27,500.
• A Presque Isle Police Department cruiser sustained about $3,000 in damage when it was broadsided as the officer responded to another accident call.
• Pine Street students in Presque Isle, stacking cups, helped set a new world record, in conjunction with other participants in several other communities, as part of the World Sport Stacking Association’s third annual WSSA STACK UP! – setting a new Guinness World Record for the “Most People Sport Stacking at Multiple Locations in One Day.”
