January
Caribou city councilors introduced an ordinance on Dec. 27 to sell Hilltop Elementary School to Caribou Senior Living, LLC, for future conversion to a retirement home. The Marshall Avenue school and surrounding 7.14 acres of land will be exchanged for 0.66 acres of land adjacent to the old Sincock administration building on Maine Street. Additionally, the new LLC will tear down the Main Street building.
The unyielding cold contributed to issues that caused administrators to close both Caribou High School and the Limestone Community School on Monday, Jan. 8. While classes resumed the next day in Caribou, students were kept away from the Limestone facility until Jan. 10. According to RSU 39 Superintendent Tim Doak, the CHS wood chip boiler and oil furnace both were out of order Monday, custodians were able to fix the oil furnace by 4 p.m. Monday.
During a March 15 assembly at Woodland Consolidated School, Officer Eric Depner of the Caribou Police Department presents Landan Albair, 11, with a pin for his heroic actions to help a woman having a seizure in a store last summer. (Christopher Bouchard)
Passenger air service to Boston from Presque Isle’s Northern Maine Regional Airport could be changing to a new airline and a new East Coast destination, as city and federal officials consider six new airline proposals. Presque Isle city councilors will hold a discussion and public hearing beginning at 5 p.m. Jan. 22 concerning the options for a new contract at the Regional Airport.
Longtime County radio station announcer and owner Dennis Curley passed away in Florida at the age of 76 on Friday, Jan. 19, following a stroke. Along with Richard Chandler, Curley built the station in Caribou in 1986. He was originally from Glens Falls, New York.
February
Bear crew member Jake Feener of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife moved three bears to a new den in Presque Isle that he and fellow crew member Ethan Lamb constructed. The original den was unearthed by a grooming machine on a ski trail at the Nordic Heritage Center.
Members of the Caribou National Honor Society surpassed their goal of packaging 25,000 meals for the second annual “End Hunger” campaign by packaging 27,000. Through the help of some generous sponsors, the high school organization raised enough money to package 31,000 meals on Feb. 5.
A flu outbreak caused Maine School of Science and Mathematics administrators to send students home in mid-February. About 20 percent of students from the residential magnet school were confirmed to have flu symptoms, so Executive Director Luke Shorty said he and MSSM staff sent all the students home to make sure the “community as a whole was safe” especially since they all live in one building.
High snow banks at the Cove Road and Route 161 intersection in Stockholm contributed to a two-vehicle crash on Feb. 13, according to the Maine State Police. The accident happened at about 9:25 a.m. as Bryan Forbes of Stockholm, who was driving a 2003 Buick sedan attempted to turn onto Route 161 from the Cove Road. High snow banks prevented Forbes from seeing another motorist, Michael Daigle, 44, of New Canada and Forbes pulled out in front of Daigle, according to the MSP.
David Pearson was named MSSM’s new executive director. Pearson is a native of Worcestershire, England, and served recently as president of Carson Long Military Academy from 2013 to 2016. Current Executive Director Luke Shorty will leave MSSM at the end of the 2017-18 academic year for downstate.
A tethered airship may be coming to the Loring Air Force Base in the future. Altaeros, a Boston-based startup consisting primarily of MIT graduates, rented a space at the former Air Force Base last year, where researchers spent months testing a tethered aerostat, or airship, equipped to provide the transmission capability of up to 30 cell towers, according to company officials.
March
RSU 39 officials consider ending the traditional harvest break in the Caribou area after Presque Isle area board members vote to end the harvest break in MSAD 1 in 2019. Only 19 percent of Caribou High School students worked on local farms last year, representing a six percent reduction from 2016’s total of 25 percent.
Police arrested Jeffrey Thibodeau Jr., 41, of Caribou and Matthew Cocheran, 26, Fort Fairfield after the individuals allegedly nabbed a donation jar at North Star Variety in New Sweden.
Longtime Caribou resident and political leader, Donald Collins dies at the age of 92 on March 10. Collins, a Republican from Caribou, served five terms in the Maine House and Senate between 1970 and 1992, and as the major of the city of Caribou. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Patricia Collins and their six children, including U.S. Sen. Susan Collins. Community members attended a funeral for Collins on March 16 at the United Methodist Church on Prospect Street.
The American Red Cross honored Landan Albair, 11, of Woodland at a ceremony on March 15 for displaying initiative and courage when he assisted a woman suffering a seizure last year in a Caribou store. Instead of panicking or fleeing, he tried to help the woman, and when he realized she needed medical attention, he immediately alerted an employee of the store, who then called 911. Rescue personnel then arrived to take care of her.
The late Karla Wolters of Madawaska Lake and Zeeland, Michigan, left her entire collection of vintage sleds to the Caribou Recreation Department late last year. According to Parks and Recreation Superintendent Gary Marquis, the only caveat with the contribution is that the collection will stay in one place. The sleds are now hanging in the Caribou Wellness and Recreation Center lobby.
Caribou Police have indefinitely closed a portion of the River Road due to runoff and ground saturation that has severely damaged the road. According to Chief Michael Gahagan, a big crack in the road has grown since this photo was taken and city officials may need to relocate the individuals living in the affected area if the situation grows to the point in which it threatens their safety. (Courtesy of Caribou Police Department)
The U.S. Department of Transportation is awarded United Airlines a federal-subsidized contract to serve Northern Maine Regional Airport with flights to Newark, New Jersey. Starting this July, United will provide 12 round trip flights per week between Presque Isle and Newark Liberty International airport with a 50-seat jet, replacing the Boston-P.I. service that PenAir has provide since 2012.
April
At approximately 10:45 p.m., April 1, the PIFD responded to a fire in the wind turbine at UMPI. The fire occurred in the turbine nacelle, the covered section that houses the motor, generator, gearbox and other mechanical parts, according to Rachel Rice, UMPI community and media relations director. The UMPI campus also lost power during the fire, but the fire was restored at around 1:30 a.m. the next morning.
Limestone recently applied to become an AARP age friendly community, a distinction that indicates a municipality is dedicated to serving residents as they age in their city or town.
Limestone Police Chief Stacey Mahan stepped down as interim manager and the selectmen appoint former Presque Isle City Manager Tom Stevens to take over until a permanent replacement is hired. Mahan continues on as police chief. The new interim manager was announced on April 18.
A bear cub was rescued 160 yards from Route 1 in Caribou on the night of April 3 after a car struck and killed its mother. Maine Game Warden Alan Dudley took the cub home in a dog kennel for a night. The bear cub later found a new home with its new “foster” mother.
May
A section of the River Road in Caribou broke apart due to a combination of rain saturating the soil beneath the road. Waterways in The County continued to push near flood stage. The city asked for federal assistance from FEMA in May. Meanwhile, the Fish River in Wallagrass was at 11.9 feet, a foot above its 11 foot flood level, and already had forced some evacuations and the closing of Soldier Pond Road.
Chris Casavant’s 20-year tenure as varsity basketball coach at Caribou High School came to an end when his resignation was presented to the school board. Last season was marked by some controversy as Casavant was suspended for two games in January and did not make the team’s annual weekend trip to Hancock County for back-to-back games at MDI and Ellsworth.
Organizers announce that the Arootsakoostik music festival will be coming back after a year off. The show typically brings in creators and listeners of music from around the state. This year, the gates opened at 10:30 a.m. on July 7 at Thomas Park with tickets at $25 per person.
Louise Dean, longtime food service director for RSU 39, was recently recognized by the School Nutrition Association with the 2018 Northeast Regional Director of the Year Award. Dean retired from the district at the end of 2017-18 school year.
Members of the Limestone Select Board agree to sign a mutual release and a $1,000 settlement with former Town Manager Matthew Pineo. The town hired Pineo in October of last year and fired him just three months into his probationary period of employment.
Limestone also broke ground on a new water tank, which will replace a tank that has served the town for nearly a century. The new tank will be finished by late August or early September and the existing tank will stay online until the new one is complete.
June
117 seniors graduate from Caribou High School’s graduation exercises on Sunday, June 3. MSSM recently graduated 45. Ten seniors who went to Limestone Community School, which is now a preK-8 institution, walked through the halls of LCS one last time on May 30 before attending graduation ceremonies at their respective high schools.
2008 CHS graduate Kyle Corrigan is named the new varsity boys basketball coach. Corrigan, 28, received the nod out of a field of six candidates to succeed Chris Casavant as the boys’ basketball coach for the Vikings.
Dr. William Ortiz, a Caribou doctor who was reprimanded by the state medical licensing board in 2014 for his role in improperly dispensing medical marijuana certificates, surrendered his license to practice in Maine as part of a consent agreement that resolved a new complaint against him.
High water runoff caused a dam near Collins Pond in Caribou to break earlier this year, resulting in the pond being “drier than it has ever been” according to Caribou Parks and Recreation Superintendent Gary Marquis. Marquis filled out an application for the Department of Environmental Protection to assist in repairing the damage.
July
Firefighters with the Caribou Fire Department managed to save most of a single family home in Caribou after a hot curling iron ignited a bed it was left on, according to Captain Scott Jackson. Firefighters responded to the 10:19 a.m. call Saturday and fought the fire at 31 Plante Road for roughly an hour and forty minutes. Jackson said they called the Limestone Fire Department for mutual aid while Presque Isle’s department covered Caribou’s station.
To assist in the efforts of the severe water runoff damage of the River Road, in late May, Caribou city councilors voted to apply for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster aid in June. Roughly one month later, however, FEMA denied the funding request and Alan and Robyn Jalbert asked city officials to issue them a letter stating the city intends to buy the homes on the unsafe portion of the road.
CHS began $700,000 worth of summer projects to the high school. The work included renovations and replacements of gym floors at Caribou High School and Limestone Community school; renovations to an area of the high school campus for Caribou Adult Education and the Alternative High School programs; and repairs to the roof and structure of the main lobby.
On May 14, dozens of veterans and family members of deceased U.S. service members participate in a flag raising ceremony at the Northern Maine Veterans Cemetery. Twenty-nine flags were flown for specific veterans while one was raised for all the deceased who served their country. At the order of VFW Commander Roger Felix, all flags were raised simultaneously at the ceremony’s conclusion and will be flown through Veterans Day this year.
(Christopher Bouchard)
Hundreds came out for Caribou’s July 5 Thursdays on Sweden street festival in spite of oppressively hot and humid weather. The Adam Ezra Group of Boston kept the music going while guests and vendors lined a closed off portion of the streets. Adults and kids alike cooled off under a fire truck spraying down water from a ladder raised high about the vehicle.
Micmac Farms Marketing Manager Jacob Pelkey holds a trout taken from the Micmac Fish Farm’s land-based aquaculture facility. All trout are fed a natural diet which not only improves the color of the fish, but makes for a healthier meal, according to Pelkey.
(Christopher Bouchard)
The Maine Board of Education has approved an additional $4.8 million for Caribou’s new $45 million preK to eighth grade school project that was jeopardized in May when the only bid on construction came in at $49 million, considerably higher than anticipated. Since that bid came in, officials with the RSU 39 school board, new school building committee, PDT Architects in Portland and the state board of education have worked with the contractor, Bowman Constructors of Newport, to bring the building price down to $41.7 million.
The Central Aroostook Chamber of Commerce is without an executive director on July 19 after Theresa Fowler, who headed the chamber for 10 years, suddenly left the post. Fowler took the helm of what was the Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce in 2008.
Miss Jordyn’s Child Care and Preschool facility had to close its doors recently after eight of the 12 teachers came down with a sudden “extreme illness” that also affected about 42 students and parents, according to owner and director Jordyn Rossignol. The school reopened the next day after all but one of her staff returned following “24 hours with no symptoms” according to Rossignol.
August
The former Birds Eye vegetable processing plant on Route 1 was scheduled for demolition by the end of August, according to city officials. Caribou acquired the property in late 2016 after former owner Steven Nasiff refused to make any repairs on the building or to pay back taxes on the 18-acre site.
After nearly three years of planning, officials from RSU 39 and PDT Architects of Portland were able to brandish golden shovels during an Aug. 3 groundbreaking ceremony for a new preK-eighth grade school. During the groundbreaking, Doak described the new school project as a “memorable moment in history” to put a new school in Aroostook County”. He and other officials also referred to the project as a once in a lifetime opportunity. The school is scheduled to open in August 2020.
Workers with Lee Merchant Signs of Caribou give the local courthouse cupola a new coat of paint on Saturday, Aug. 11. (Michael Gudreau)
A short-lived, but intense storm left its mark on New Sweden Tuesday morning, Aug. 7, taking down 40 to 60 trees and knocking out power to hundreds of area residents, according to a County emergency official. John Gibson, deputy director of AEMA, said the damage occured on Route 161 roughly one mile north of the four corners where Northstar Variety is located.
Painters from Lee Merchant Signs in Caribou gave the Caribou Courthouse cupola, the white structure and gold dome atop the building, a new coat of paint in mid-August. Aroostook County Facilities and IT Director Bryan Jandreau said the cupola, which was last painted in 2007, needed another coat of paint when discussing their 5 to 10 year capital plan.
Deb Paiement and Phil Andrews recently purchased the iconic Anderson’s Store in Stockholm. While the store has been in the Anderson family for over a century, former co-owner Suzy Anderson said the couple is a “perfect fit” for taking the reins and that she and her cousin Gale Anderson could not be happier with the transition.
City officials picked Hope Rumpca, who formerly served as Caribou’s library assistant, to become the facility’s new director. Former Library Director Anastasia Weigle left her post on Aug. 13 and Rumpca officially took over on Aug. 14.
September
In honor of BikeMaine visiting central and northern Aroostook County this year, the City of Caribou hosted cyclists on Sept. 9 with a special “Sunday on Sweden” event that the city Marketing and Event Coordinator Christina Kane-Gibson said was like “Thursdays on Sweden,” but bigger. The event featured three acts on stage, a 5 p.m. “Wildlife Encounters”, a 6 p.m. performance from the Aroostook Band of Micmacs Mawitanej Ep’itijig drum group, and a performance from La Recolte, a band from Acadiana Louisiana that specializes in traditional Cajun French music.
Burger Boy, the longtime Caribou restaurant, recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with a celebration Sept. 8 featuring a classic 1960’s menu, with french fries, hot dogs, and root beer floats, all on sale for under one dollar. The parking lot was full of games, face painting, hula hoopers, a bounce castle and music from Jerry T. and French Toast, who played hits from the 50s and 60s.
A majority of the 50 residents attending a Sept. 11 public hearing on Limestone’s proposal to withdraw from RSU 39 seemed to favor the effort, which supporters indicated would not cost taxpayers more and would give them back local control of education. The community has been actively seeking withdrawal since before March 2017.
Melody Roller Rink hosted a fundraising event for the Aroostook Roller Derby team “Biohazards” on Sept 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. during which time anyone could skate without paying admission as long as they made a donation at the door.
Temperatures are dropping and the leaves are beginning to change. The early signs of autumn are clearly visible here in Woodland on Oct. 2. (Chris Bouchard)
Caribou broke the cold weather record on Sept. 24 by setting a new low temperature of 26, 1 degree chillier than the old record of 27 set in 1963.
Longtime Madawaska Lake’s Stan’s Grocery owner Stan Thomas passed away Sept. 29 at the age of 82 at his Woodland residence. Kathryn Olmstead, editor and publisher of Echoes, described Thomas as “probably the most generous person you could hope to know,” someone who was “warm, friendly, and generous with a twinkle in his eye.”
October
In an unprecedented case, Colby Conroy, 24, of Woodland, was found guilty on four of seven charges related to sexual misconduct with a 15-year-old female student while he was working as a substitute teacher at the Caribou Regional Technology Center. Police arrested Conroy on May 26, 2017, and he waived the right to a jury trial. That led to a trial on Aug. 29 in front of Superior Court Justice Harold Stewart.
Limestone interim town manager Tom Stevens announced during an Oct. 17 meeting that he would be leaving his post, and thanked the board and community for the experience. Stevens spent the majority of his career as the Presque Isle City Manager, but got his start in the town of Limestone when he was “at the ripe age of around 23 or 24 years old.”
Dozens came out to race during an Oct. 14 Color Run hosted by Caribou High School’s JMG (Jobs for Maine Graduates) despite the 38 degree weather. Students received about $1,500 worth of contributions through monetary donations, volunteer work, services, and facility usage to support Anah Shriners in aiding local children dealing with illness.
(Chris Bouchard)
Construction has begun on the new Maine Army National Guard readiness center in Presque Isle The 43,400-square-foot building will replace an older, smaller building in Caribou and is expected to be completed by the end of 2020 and will host the Maine Army National Guard’s 185th Engineer Support Company.
Plans are in place for a new, standalone Dunkin’ restaurant on Bennett Drive in Caribou, between the Irving gas station and recreation center, and across the street from the elementary school that is under construction. Currently, the plan is to begin construction in the spring of 2019 with an opening mid-summer.
November
Limestone’s Dollar General held its grand opening on Nov. 3 with gift cards, goodie bags and a complimentary hot dog lunch. Limestone is the third central Aroostook community to receive a Dollar General as the company came to Caribou last year and a Washburn store opened in late September.
On Election Day, the people of Limestone showed overwhelming support for leaving RSU 39. According to a town official, 445 residents voted in favor of withdrawal while only 198 supported remaining in RSU 39. Talk of withdrawal began on April 6, 2017, when the RSU 39 board voted to send Limestone’s grade 9 to 12 students to Caribou in an effort to close the gap on a $1.4 million funding shortfall.
After winding down this fall, the ReEnergy biomass plant in Fort Fairfield ended operations on Sunday, Nov. 11, amid a falling market for biomass electricity. The 37-megawatt plan on Cheney Grove Road opened in 1987 to generate electricity from lumber mill residues and wood chips.
Councilors quickly approved an ordinance to rezone the former Hilltop Elementary School property and several surrounding lots during a special meeting on Nov. 20. With the ordinance approved, eight lots along Paris Snow Drive and four along Marshall Avenue have changed from a R1 (or Residential One) classification to an R2. The primary difference is that an R1 category is for “mostly high density single family dwellings” while R2 also accommodates “multi-family dwellings” as well as single family residences.
During a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 26, Caribou city councilors voted 4-3 to move forward with major changes to River Road and surrounding properties to repair damage to the road that occurred earlier this year.
December
Since 2015, Caribou and Limestone have received three awards for best tasting water from the Maine Rural Water Association. The town of Limestone won in 2015, Caribou Utilities District won the following year, and this year an ACAP site on the Bowles Road in Caribou took home the award.
During their Dec. 5 meeting, members of the RSU 39 board narrowed their possible school names for the new preK-8 school to two choices, Caribou Community School or Caribou Century School. Superintendent Tim Doak said the board’s final decision regarding the new facility’s title will be made in January 2019.
Subway staff in Caribou were surprised to learn that one of their bills sent to the bank for their deposit was counterfeit. The bank notified the restaurant and the $50 was traced to a purchase made at 1:58 Tuesday, Dec. 11.
The head of Caribou’s Caribou statue appears to be checking out a welcome sign on a clear, cold afternoon Nov. 23 in front of City Hall. (Christopher Bouchard)
Caribou middle schoolers joined forces with the Caribou Fire Department on Dec. 13 and purchased 52 toys for their toy project as well as 68 food items to help community members in need. Students from Holly Rhinebolt’s classes got on a bus to go shopping at Dollar General, Family Dollar and Save-A-Lot. After shopping, the students took a bus to Pines Food Cupboard, Catholic Charities, and the Bread of Life Kitchen to make deliveries. All the toys went to the Caribou Fire and Ambulance Dept. to distribute.
