75 Years Ago – Dec. 20, 1945
Honor guard for MacArthur — Pvt. Howard R. De Grass, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. De Grass of Hartland, N.B., and a nephew of Mrs. A. Howard Smith of this city, formerly employed by the A. M. Smith Co., of this city, was chosen as one of three honor guards to Gen. Douglas Mac Arthur.
He was stationed at General Headquarters, about one half mile from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Pvt. De Grass entered the U.S. Army in the spring of 1944, and in August of 1945, he went overseas. He had two sisters that lived in Presque Isle, Mrs. Samuel W. Russell and Mrs. Ralph M. Cary.
Pf. Parker returned home — Pf. James Parker, U.S. Marines received his honorable discharge and had returned home. He served in the South Pacific.
50 Years Ago – Dec. 23, 1970
Two area men named to the Potato Commission — Maine State Commissioner of Agriculture Maynard Dolloff announced the appointment of two new members to the Maine Potato Commission. Dolloff appointed Charles Knight of Limestone and Moe Kimmel of Presque Isle to the positions. Kimmel and Knight replaced Ralph Peabody of Houlton and Herman G. Lamoreau of Easton on the Potato Commission.
Pepin was named Heart Fund chairman– The 1971 Central Aroostook area Heart Fund Drive chairman was Louis Pepin of Presque Isle. Pepin was district manager for the Social Security Administration. The appointment was announced by Bernard D. Shapiro, Biddeford, State Heart Fund campaign chairman. He was a graduate of Maine Central Institute and the University of Maine. This was his second year as area chairman. He was a member of the Kiwanis Club.
$100 gift — Mrs. Warren Horton, treasurer of the Presque Isle Community Christmas Fund, received a gift of 20 five-dollar bills for the fund from J. Patrick Gallagher on Dec. 16. Gallagher, manager of the new Northern National walk-in, drive-in facility on North Main Street, presented Mrs. Horton the ribbon which had been cut during the opening festivities at the new facility. The five-dollar bills were attached to the ribbon.
25 Years Ago – Dec. 20, 1995
Soccer MVP — Seth Weider, of Berwick, the grandson of Alden and Christine Dicker of Mapleton and Bernard and Barbara White of Mars Hill, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of the Year in soccer for the state of Maine. In addition to his excellence in sports, he is an artist. Many of his paintings were on display in museums in Southern Maine. Seth attended Marshwood High School in Eliot.
Caroll honored — Chris Carroll of Bridgewater accepted a certificate of appreciation from Lt. Col. Verne Avery, commander of the 319th U.S. Air Force Recruiting Service in Portsmouth, N.H., for volunteering hundreds of hours to the Presque isle recruiting office. Carroll, an employee at the Maine State Energy Extension Service, served as a reserve Major with the Air Intelligence Agency.
All-tourney team — Making the all-star team at the Washburn District High School Pre-Season Invitational Basketball Tournament held Nov. 28 and 29 were Ben Allen and Matt Townsend, Central Aroostook; Jon Nichols and Don DeMerchant, Fort Fairfield; Trent Cunningham, Washburn; and Paul Harold, Ashland. Townsend was also selected as tourney MVP.
