Editor’s Note: The following is the second of a two-part series that looks back on some of the more memorable news-related stories of 2010. This article covers July-December.
July
• Thayne Ormsby was arrested in connection with the murder of three individuals in Amity in June. Ormsby was extradited to Maine from New Hampshire, where he had fled. Ormsby was arrested on a fugitive from justice charge in Dover, N.H., after Maine State Police detectives and Dover, N.H. detectives located and interviewed him. The day after the murders, while staying in Orient at a home not far from the homicide scene, Ormsby gave Maine State Police detectives a Dover address where they could reach him during the investigation. According to a police affidavit, the 20-year-old confessed to the alleged stabbing of Jason Dehahn, 30, Jeffrey Ryan, 55, and Ryan’s 10-year-old son, Jesse Ryan. Court-appointed attorneys James Dunleavy and Sarah LeClaire, both of Presque Isle, represent Ormsby, who pleaded “not guilty” to the crime.
• Once again, it was a festival to remember as the 2010 Houlton Agricultural Fair closed with a spectacular fireworks display viewed by thousands. The heat wave that gripped much of the state put a bit of a crimp on attendance, according to Paul Cleary of the Houlton Fair Association, but the numbers were solid nonetheless. The Demolition Derby was once again one of the largest draws during the fair as more than 1,000 spectators lined the hill to watch cars collide in a no-holds-barred event.
• Selectmen accepted the resignation of longtime Ludlow Town Manager Marybeth Foley and said any discussion about her was “off limits due to personnel issues.” The move came during an ongoing state audit and a private audit. The state audit revealed discrepancies of at least $3,500 unaccounted for so far in a preliminary report from State Auditor Neria Douglass. The time frame for the “discrepancy” covers January through May 2008.
• Thanks to a generous donation by Louisiana Pacific, the St. Mary’s Food Pantry was able to provide more meals for area families. LP Houlton supported the St. Mary’s Food Pantry with a donation of $1,000 from the LP Foundation. That money was used to purchase nearly 2,500 pounds of food for the pantry.
• Reunion 2010 – the multi-class reunion sponsored by the Houlton High School Alumni Association was a big success with activities held over a four-day period. The event is held every five years since the first such event in 2000 known as the Centennial Celebration which commemorated the 100th anniversary of Houlton High School. It was decided at that time that a reunion for all classes would be held every five years.
• After four long months of quarantine, the Houlton Humane Society was able to have one of its animals adopted into a loving home. The shelter had been closed due to an outbreak of ringworm, volunteers at the Callaghan Road shelter have worked diligently to cleanse the building of all signs of the ringworm fungus. The group celebrated with a grand re-opening party at the shelter. Visitors to the Houlton Humane Society could see a heartfelt tribute to the many animals that perished in the spring of 2010. A plaque was hung outside the wall of the shelter, while a memorial garden was created for the animals the shelter lost.
• Despite efforts of town officials to keep property taxes down with a cut in the mil rate, property owners had to reach deeper into their wallets because of cuts in the state’s Homestead Exemption. All property owners saw an automatic $65.75 increase on their tax bill because of the cutback.
• Peter Edgecomb of Caribou was settling in as the new interim superintendent for SAD 29 following the abrupt resignation of Steve Fitzpatrick. Edgecomb was no stranger to helping school districts transition from one leader to the next. A retired teacher and superintendent, he was a graduate of the University of Maine in 1963. As interim superintendent, he was charged with helping the district find a new, permanent leader, something he has done twice for districts in the southern Aroostook area.
• After 37 years as an educator, SAD 25 Superintendent John Doe retired from his post and acknowledged that he will miss the children. “My office is in the elementary school,” he said on his last day. “The kids stop and say ‘hello’ and it’s really great to see them and have that contact with them.”
• Jimmie Spellman, a Houlton-born musician, “was quite shocked” when he was notified about his induction into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame. “It was quite an honor. I think Rusty nominated me,” said Spellman. He had appeared with fellow musician Rusty Rogers on local cable television and the shows in Maine had earned awards.
• Pastor Randall Burns said he and members of the Military Street Baptist Church asked God what they “could do more to get outside of the building and be the church in the community.” God answered their questions and their prayers as church members celebrated the one-year anniversary of its Adopt-A-Block program. Every third Saturday of the month, volunteers call on residents of the church’s adopted block to deliver any number of items from food and home baked goods to household supplies and toiletries.
August
Celebrating its 150th anniversary, the town of Danforth was bustling with activity for the annual Summerfest Celebration. The three-day event featured such events as a children’s parade, Summerfest pageant, a road rally, parade, children’s games, relay races, street dance, fireworks and a flea market. April Doane, coordinator for Danforth’s Summerfest, said she spent numerous hours organizing the three-day celebration. A highlight of the festival was the presentation of the “Boston Post Cane” to Bertha Carr Saturday following the parade. Carr is a life-long resident of Danforth, born Oct. 2, 1910 on the Reservation Road. According to family members, she worked off and on for Dr. Rex Crocker as a midwife, cleaned the town office for more than 20 years and helped take care of her neighbors.
• The Maine Forest Service and the Danforth Fire Department were busy working to control a stubborn forest fire in a remote area near East Grand Lake. Firefighters from the Moosehorn Wildlife Refuge were also dispatched to the scene. According to Kent Nelson, fire prevention specialist in Augusta, the fire was originally thought to encompass a five-acre area, but spread to 10 acres before it was controlled.
• Officials of Shaw Industries Group in Georgia announced that the Appalachian Katahdin Mill in Patten was to close, resulting in the loss of 18 jobs. A company spokesperson said “the shutdown is, of course, a difficult decision. And, it’s really just due to veneer operations, overall market demand and continuing rising costs of transportation and managing the cost of raw material inventory.”
• In the tight economy, many individuals were seeking more ways to stretch their dollar. According to Captain Irma Pearl of the Houlton Salvation Army, finding new ways to reduce household budgets was widespread in Aroostook County. It has been a tough time financially for the Salvation Army in Southern Aroostook. Financial donations were down during the summer, but the number of people looking for help remained steady
• The town of Merrill celebrated its 100th birthday since incorporation as a town. In 1840, Captain William Merrill purchased a parcel of land in what is now the Town of Merrill; he and his sons built the first frame set of buildings in the area now known as Merrill and occupied the land and buildings for ten years before moving on. A parade, a play, awards, games, exhibits, food, fun and face painting were among the many events that went into Merrill’s centennial celebration. Town Manager Candy Nevers said there were probably 800-1,000 visitors over the weekend and “that’s not bad for a town of only 250 people.” In fact, many residents were directly involved in the events.
• Ailya Webber and Troy Hipsley were crowned the 2010 Peanut Carnival King and Queen at the Houlton Recreation Center.
• The varsity baseball and softball fields at Hodgdon High School will soon bear the moniker of one of the district’s long-time employees. SAD 70 school board members voted to name their baseball and softball fields after custodian Graydon Drake. For the past 16 years, Drake has served as a custodian at Hodgdon High School and been the driving force behind maintaining and upgrading the fields.
• The 51st annual Potato Feast Days were a huge success, according to Lori Weston, executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce. “The weather was absolutely perfect for this end-of-summer event,” she said. “The Community Market, the Friends and Needles Quilt Show, and the Arts and Crafts Show in Monument Park were visited by hundreds of visitors and shoppers.”
• A 200-year-old corner cabinet is now part of the collection in the Aroostook Historical and Art Museum thanks to a donation by a descendant of the town’s founding family. “It is a critical part of our history because it goes back to our earliest family which was the Putnam family,” said Leigh Cummings, Jr one of the museum’s directors.
• Eleven authors from as far away as New Mexico, Michigan and New York along with staff of three regional magazines visited Houlton to autograph books and meet fans in Market Square. About 100 residents and visitors dropped by the event.
September
• Diane Hines was chosen as Ludlow’s new town manager. She was selected by a panel of six townspeople according to Norene Foster, Ludlow town treasurer, who added that the determining factor “was her experience because she is currently the town manager of Hammond.” Ludlow was without a town manager as far back as mid-February when the Board of Selectmen suspended Mary Beth Foley without pay. That came on the heels of a state audit of town finances following the filing of a false financial report. State Auditor Neria Douglass, in a report to the selectmen, found “discrepancies” in Ludlow’s finances. The selectmen announced at their June meeting that Foley, who had served as town manager for 14 years, turned in her resignation.
• What better way to enjoy the summer weather than with a free hot dog lunch? That’s precisely what happened as the Houlton Water Company held its annual Hot Dog Luncheon in Market Square. According to John Clark, general manager for HWC, the company has been holding its free luncheon for more than 10 years as a customer appreciation event.
• The State Police’s highest-ranking officer in Aroostook County has retired. Lt. J. Darrell Ouellette of Stockholm ended his state police career with 33 years of service when he retired this week. Ouellette has been the commanding officer of Troop F in Houlton since 2002. Prior to that assignment, Ouellette spent the majority of his career investigating homicides, including nine years as head of the state police’s northern criminal division, supervising death investigations in Maine’s five northernmost counties.
• Todd Willard, an outdoor education teacher at Houlton High School, said he wanted to create a “pick-your-own pumpkin patch” for people in the Houlton area because the next closest locations are Caribou or Levant.
• Unprecedented warm-weather and unhealthy air quality sent hundreds of SAD 29 students home from school early for three days in a row, adding a few extra hours to their long Labor Day weekend.
• Expanded health care and renovations were in the works at Houlton Regional Hospital thanks, in part, to federal grant money. Tom Moakler, CEO of Houlton Regional Hospital, announced that HRH received a $247,500 federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration to renovate and upgrade its Houlton Family Practice Rural Health Clinic. The hospital will foot an additional $247,500 out of its pocket, bringing the total renovation costs to $494,000.
• The first day of bear hunting season with dogs was marred when Ryan Shepard, 37, of Shin Pond was attacked. A bear estimated to be over 300 pounds charged Shepard, who suffered non-life-threatening injuries to his arm and leg. He was transported to Millinocket Regional Hospital.
• It was back to the drawing board for SAD 29 in its search for a new superintendent. Chairman Liz Anderson informed the school board that a suitable superintendent was not found from the initial pool of candidates. The search committee interviewed only three applicants.
• The Houlton Band of Maliseets held its 30th annual Recognition Day to commemorate the anniversary of becoming a federally recognized tribe. According to Brenda Commander, tribal chief for the Maliseets, the theme of this year’s event is “Gathering of the Clans.”
• A day of fine music, food, games and antique automobiles drew a crowd of about 450 people to Monument Park Saturday for the second annual “Rockin the Doghouse Music Festival and Street Show and Shine.” The event benefited the Houlton Humane Society.
• Residents had a new monument to pay their respects to military veterans who lost their lives in battle. Town officials completed the installation of the new Hodgdon veterans’ memorial. The new monument is located adjacent to the Hodgdon Fire Department on property donated to the town by the family of Bud Estabrook in memory of their father.
• Tom and Beth Quint have been chosen as the 2010 New England Green Pasture’s Program Outstanding Dairy Farm of the Year. The Quint family received their award Sept. 17, at the Big E festival. The New England Green Pasture’s Program Outstanding Dairy Farm of the Year celebrated its 60th anniversary this year. The Quints have been added to a prestigious list of other Maine dairy farmers who have received this award in the past.
• Residents decided at a special meeting last Wednesday night that the town should demolish the former Bridgewater Grammar School. According to Town Manager Amanda Dow, 35 people attended the meeting with all but one voting in favor of the demolition.
• The Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the federal Environmental Protection Agency oversaw the continued demolition of the Patten General Store to allow the removal of three underground petroleum storage tanks and additional contaminated soil discovered during an excavation two months ago.
October
• After nine months of discussions, plans to consolidate with neighboring SAD 70 were scrapped by the SAD 29 school board. SAD 29 unanimously voted to cease its consolidation discussions with little to no discussion at its regular monthly meeting held at Wellington School in Monticello. “SAD 29 has been a willing participant in lengthy discussions [with] SAD 70 concerning the consolidation of our districts as an RSU [Regional School Unit] or a possible Alternative Organizational Structure [AOS]. Our committee and board have reached the conclusion that to pursue this effort any further would not be in the best interest of our school district,” said board chairman Liz Anderson.
• SAD 70, which was back at square one in its efforts to conform to state consolidation requirements, then turned to SAD 14 (Danforth) in hopes of forming an AOS (Alternative Organizational Structure).
• Students in SAD 29 have made considerable strides based on this year’s Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. Houlton High School Principal Marty Bouchard informed the SAD 29 school board that the scores from the May 1 SAT tests showed a significant increase from the previous year’s exams. And because of the good scores, the district is no longer on the AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) watch list for performing below the state average.
• The annual 5K Walk for a Cure for juvenile diabetes was held. Last year, there were 27 walkers who raised about $1,300. This year, more than 50 walkers helped raised more than $2,500.
• Trick or treating in Houlton was a little bit safer this year thanks to the efforts of the Houlton Police Department. In an effort to promote public safety on Halloween night, High Street (between Franklin Avenue and Park Street) were blocked off to through traffic from 4:30-9 p.m. on Oct. 31. Weeks Street was also blocked off by the Fair Street intersection.
• Parents in Houlton were exercising an extra bit of caution after a stranger at the Gentle Memorial Building approached a youngster and tried to give him a ride home. Police began circulating a composite sketch of the individual, but no person was ever located.
• A time-honored tradition returned to Aroostook County this week as a crew of hand-pickers were needed at the farm of David Bartlett to assist with a new variety of potatoes. According to Robert Bartlett, David’s father, two new varieties — Russian banana fingerlings and red French fingerlings — were grown this year at the request of one of their clients in Florida.
• Good news was on the fast track, following the announcement that federal government had awarded over $10.5 million to MDOT through the second round of grants from the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program and, most recently, the governor’s announcement that an agreement between the state and Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway had been reached for the purchase of 233 miles of track between Madawaska and Millinocket.
• A new four-way traffic light at the Marden’s shopping plaza entrance was to be installed after a unanimous vote of the Houlton town council. Town Manager Doug Hazlett was charged with discussin the matter with MDOT to reconfigure entrances and exits for VIP, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Rite Aid and Dunn Furniture along North St. opposite the Marden’s entrance. The installation was also to have a pedestrian crossing light. Hazlett stated that the state will pay to put the light in place and the town will maintain it.
• The Maine State Police Troop F barracks had a new commanding officer following the swearing in ceremony of Lt. Mark Brooks. Brooks takes over for Lt. Darrell Ouellette who retired earlier in the year.
• A clothes dryer was blamed for a fire that destroyed the 16 Fair St. home of David and Pam Nickerson Monday afternoon. According to Houlton Fire Chief Milton Cone, the fire originated from a clothes dryer located in the kitchen and quickly spread throughout the walls of the two-story house, making it difficult for firefighters to attack.
• Young ghosts and goblins were treated to a double dose of Halloween excitement this year as the Houlton Wesleyan Church held its sixth annual Trunk or Treat celebration. Nearly 900 individuals took part in this year’s event, with roughly 500 children enjoying the celebration.
November
• The rocking good times of the 1950s came alive at Houlton High School as the SAD 29 Music Department presented the musical “Grease.” Under the direction of vocal director Jason Anderson, with musical accompaniment led by Joe Fagnant, the stage of Houlton High School’s auditorium was transformed into Rydell High as the feel-good tunes from that era greeted audience members as they entered the auditorium. Roughly 1,800 viewed the performance over a sold-out three-show stand.
• While the search for new full-time superintendent for SAD 29 had failed to produce a suitable candidate, the district is once again welcoming a new interim leader to the fold. The SAD 29 school board named Raymond Freve of Plymouth as its new interim superintendent. He replaced Peter Edgecomb, who had filled this same position since July. Edgecomb stepped down as the interim superintendent at the end of Monday’s meeting.
• Women in the Houlton area could look forward to state-of-the-art digital mammograms in about a year because the Health Services Foundation has set a goal of raising nearly $200,000 to upgrade its current film mammography equipment manufactured under the trade name Sophie by PlanMed.
• The greater Houlton area was mourning the loss of one of its own when Marine 1st Lt. James R. Zimmerman was killed in action by small arms fire during combat operations in Afghanistan on Nov. 2. A motorcade comprised of various local, state and federal law enforcement departments and community residents along the route from Island Falls escorted the hearse bearing the beloved young Marine to Houlton late Tuesday afternoon. A total of 1,600 mourners attend the funeral for the Smyrna native.
• The family of Kirk and Amy Ward were bound for Disney World in Florida thanks to Make-A-Wish. The Wards 18-month-old daughter Makenna was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a rare form of cancer.
• The Rock N’ Roll good times of Rydell High came to the area, courtesy of Houlton High School’s annual play production. The musical “Grease” graced the stage of Houlton High School,ß for three fun-filled performances.
• Maine Drug Enforcement Agency officials arrested five individuals in connection with an alleged methamphetamine manufacturing operation in Houlton. MDEA agents arrested Kenneth Williams, 41, of Lakeland, Fla. in Bangor. Williams was accused of teaching Houlton residents how to make methamphetamine and assisting them with the process. Also charged were 28-year-old Melissa Tidd, of Houlton; Nancy Hardy-Boles, 31, of Houlton; Kenneth Moore, 33, of Bangor; and Brian Flewelling, 22, of Houlton and Dexter. All were charged in connection with the meth operation.
• Two-month-old Makinlee Margison was the center of attention at Houlton Elementary School (HES) when area residents attended a benefit supper for the tiny tyke battling a non-malignant tumor and a hemangioma. Alisa Margison, the baby’s appreciative mother said the event went well considering the bad weather that brought with it the area’s first snowfall. “I am very grateful for all the donations, for the support of the community and the prayers for Makinlee.”
• Michael Jenkins took the oath of office as the newest member of the Houlton Town Council, in a unanimous vote. The council also appointed him as a director of the Shiretown Development Corporation. Jenkins moves into those two positions following the resignation of Fred Grant who was elected to the SAD 29 school board in the Nov. 2 election.
• A single clue to the identity of a man whose badly decomposed body was discovered in Stacyville left state police asking the public for help to determine who he was. Deer hunters discovered the body in woods off Route 11. The man is believed to have been in his 50s, about 5 feet, 9 inches tall weighing about 150 pounds.
• The Houlton Fair Association announced it would once again be bringing one of the rising stars in comedy to the Millar Civic Center this spring when Ralphie May comes to the Shiretown for a performance Saturday, April 23, 2011.
• A time-honored tradition in Houlton was alive and well as the 55th Houlton Rotary Radio and TV Auction had yet another successful campaign.
December
A light afternoon snow provided the perfect backdrop for the annual Holiday Light Parade in Houlton and residents turned out in droves to watch the annual yuletide tradition. Children played in the new-fallen snow as they waited patiently for the parade to wind its way from the Houlton Shopping Plaza, down North Street and up Market Square.
• The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians broke ground to replace their current health center and add six new units of affordable housing with financial assistance from USDA Rural Development, Indian Health Service and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• John R. “Jack” Faulkner, a “hands-on” manager for Northeast Publishing Co. in Presque Isle for more than 30 years, died Dec. 6 at his home. He was 79. Faulkner graduated from Colby College in 1953 and, before joining Northeast Publishing, worked as associate editor for the Maine Potato Council. At Northeast, he was ad manager and editor of the Houlton Pioneer Times from 1963-68, and was business manager for all of Northeast’s papers from 1968-81. From 1981 until his retirement in 1994, Faulkner was director of newspaper operations and executive editor of the weekly papers in Presque Isle, Caribou, Houlton and Dover-Foxcroft. He was named to the Maine Press Association Hall of Fame in 2004.
• Island Falls officials were set to formally open a new bridge that spans the Mattawamkeag River in Island Falls. Brady Hatch, chairman of the town’s selectmen, said re-opening the bridge meant “a new look and new infrastructure for the town.”
• The state Department of Education signed off on a proposed reorganization plan that will unite central offices in SADs 70 and 14, as well as Orient and Bancroft, residents will have an opportunity to ask questions of their respective school boards. Public hearings were scheduled in three of the four communities in mid-January for the purpose of giving residents an opportunity to ask questions on the plan to form an Alternative Organizational Structure (AOS) between SADs 70 and 14.
• The school boards of SAD 25 and Hersey authorized SAD 25 Supt. John Doe to submit a school reorganization plan on their behalf in conjunction with CSD 9 and Moro Plantation. The move came at SAD 25’s and Hersey’s annual joint meeting on Dec. 8.
• Jeffrey Holmes of Houlton was home celebrating Christmas with his family after a year-long tour of duty in Afghanistan.
• With no real sticking points to drag out the process, the Board of Budget Review agreed to send their proposed budget of $9,078,811 to the Houlton Town Council. The proposed budget maintains services while reducing the bottom line to taxpayers thanks, in part, to revenue from state-approved Tax Increment Financing (TIF), one less payroll period in the calendar year, elimination of a part-time position in the assessor’s office and savings in several departments.
• The Houlton Salvation Army was devastated to learn several large ticket items intended for area children in need had been stolen from their Court Street location. An outpouring of support followed, with numerous community members bringing in replacement items or monetary donations.
