Arts center opening a smashing success

15 years ago
By Brenda Ketch

    There was a full house at the evening grand opening performance and formal dedication ceremony of the new Caribou Performing Arts Center Sunday (Jan. 3) at the Caribou High School

ImageAroostook Republican Photo/Brenda Ketch

    Caribou Board of Education Chairman Kenton Nadeau, right, presented a plaque to Caribou Superintendent of Schools Gary Johnston, in recognition of his dedication to the new Caribou Performing Arts Center at Caribou High School. The presentation was made during the evening grand opening ceremony of the Performing Arts Center on Sunday, Jan. 3, 1988.

    The afternoon matinee drew nearly a full audience and featured entertaining performances by the Caribou Choral Society led by Daniel Ladner of Presque Isle, and the New England Vaudevillians, who performed juggling, dancing and comedy acts. The performers were husband-wife team, Benn and denise Reehl, Randy Judkins, David Neufeld, Susan Boyce, Glenn Jenks and Fred Garbo.
    At the formal dedication ceremony and performance Sunday evening, Superintendent of Schools Gary Johnston was presented a pair of bronze masks by Erik Greven of Hariman Associations, architects of the new Performing Arts Center. In his presentation, Greven told Johnston the masks were from the Kennedy Art Center in New York.
    Kenton Nadeau, chairman of the Caribou Board of Education, spoke highly of the superintendent’s untiring efforts for making the new Performing Arts Center a reality for the community. With emotion, he presented Johnston a plaque recognizing the superintendent’s dedication to the project. Nadeau said the plaque will be permanently displayed in a prominent area of the Performing Arts Center. The audience responded to the presentation by giving the superintendent a standing ovation.
    Patricia Collins, former city mayor, was mistress of ceremonies at both grand opening performances. Mayor Roy Doak also spoke briefly at the dedication ceremony, as well as David Haskell, director of the Performing Arts Center, who introduced the evening’s list of entertainers.
    The Caribou Performing Arts Center is expected to feature a variety of fine arts performances since the closest auditorium is located at Orono. The center will seat 828 people Johnston told the audience, and through careful financing and utilization of his own school maintenance crew, many extra items were afforded such as a baby grand piano, a projection television screen, air conditioning, choral reflectors, an elevator and additional lighting.