Houlton area From our Files – Week of July 20, 2022

2 years ago

115 Years ago, July 23, 1907

Crowded house – The minstrel benefit for the Baseball Association had a crowded house last night, and the entertainment reflects great credit upon every member, who have developed wonderfully under the supervision of Director S.H. Hanson, who has had many things to contend with, and many difficulties to overcome.

The songs were bright and catchy and the jokes were all good. There will doubtless be a good house tonight, when the second performance will be given.

75 Years Ago, July 17, 1907

Two teams knotted for top in middle league – Thursday the Serpents defeated the Northern Sluggers, 16 to 2, and Friday the Fair Street Boomerangs in the Little League broke into the win column by defeating the Longfellow Bears, 14 to 13, in a free-scoring game. Friday afternoon the Junior Collegians scored 13 runs in the last inning to defeat the Raiders, 24 to 9. Monday morning Longfellow defeated Fair Street in the Little, standing Longfellow five wins and Fair Street two. Monday afternoon in the Middle League the Pirates bested the Raiders, 20 to 9, in a postponed game. 

Basic training in Texas – Pvt. Bryce S. Weeks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel A. Weeks of Amity, who enlisted in the U.S. Air Force April 7, his 17th birthday, is now stationed at San Antonio, Texas, where he is taking his basic training. Pvt. Weeks has been confined to the base hospital for 28 days with a foot ailment and was released July 3 to resume his basic.

50 Years Ago, July 19, 1972

Smyrna youth among delegates to Boys Nation – Michael G. Sawyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. George Sawyer of Smyrna Mills, has joined a group of 100 of the nation’s top youths in Washington, D.C., for a series of activities in connection with the 27th annual Boys Nation program of the American Legion. The young “Senators” have undertaken a weeklong exercise in high level government operations designed to provide an insight into the workings of the three branches of the Federal government. A senior at Lee Academy, Michael earned his trip to Washington as an outstanding graduate of the 1972 Dirigo Boys State program of the American Legion at the University of Maine at Orono in June. Through the process of “Federalist” and “Nationalist” party mock conventions he will participate in the nomination of candidates and the ultimate election of a 1972 boys Nation president and vice president.

Oakfield youth jets to Miami for convention –  Kilburn Swallow of Oakfield was one of five students who attended the Democratic National Convention in Miami. He accompanied Gov. Kenneth Curtis and Senator Edmund Muskie and the other members of the Maine delegation on a jet from Augusta. Kilburn is a student at Bowdoin College in the Upward Bound Project that is designed to interest youngsters from low income families in the advantage of post high school education. He attended the platform committee on Tuesday and the nominating session on Wednesday.

25 Years Ago, July 30, 1997

Joy named to state board – Houlton Regional Hospital, as well as Aroostook County, has another feather in its cap, as Ann Joy, public relations director for the hospital, garners a seat on the Board of Respiratory Care Practitioners in Augusta. “I have been in respiratory therapy for 13 years,” said Joy. “I got involved with the Board of Respiratory Care two years ago when the concern was that hospitals were downsizing and respiratory care was being turned over to the nurses. I wrote letters to the governor expressing my concerns.” At that time, practitioners were touting that they were licensed respiratory care practitioners. “I wrote to the Board of Respiratory Care Practitioners that if they were saying they were licensed in this position,they should be wearing the proper credentials. They wanted to be seen as the ‘other’ bedside licensed health care provider,” said Joy. In June, Joy’s concerns were taken to the legislature, and it is now a law that Respiratory Care Practitioners can only wear their credentials.  

Island Falls receives funds to help finish playground –  The Island Falls Playground project recently received a big boost with a $500 contribution from Katahdin Trust Company. The committee has been hard at work over the past two years making the Island Falls playground a reality. Committee member Lori Brooker said, “We’re really grateful to Katahdin Trust Company for their generous contribution. “We’ve had literally thousands of dollars donated through contributions of money, materials, land and labor.”