100 Years Ago – April 5, 1923
Presque Isle High School debating team — The debating team of Presque Isle High School composed of Clifton Williams, Jack Mooney, Philip Annas and Everett Larrabee, with Miss Cooper as coach, started Thursday morning for Lewiston to participate in the BAtes semifinals and finals Friday and Saturday.
75 Years Ago – April 1, 1948
A. J. Beck elected to head seminary drive — Andrew J. Beck accepted chairmanship of the Presque Isle committee on the drive for funds for the Bangor Theological Seminary’ endowment fund conducted in Aroostook County, the Rev. Clarence W. Fuller, assistant to Seminary President Harry Trust, announced. This is part of the Seminary’s campaign to raise one million dollars to be added to the endowment funds of the school.
St. Croix club lead Eastern Maine Bowling tourney with 11 points — The St. Croix club of Calais held the lead at the close of matches in the twenty-sixth annual Eastern Maine Bowling League tournament here with 11 points in four matches, while the Mooseleuk club, in second place with 10 points, had highest three-string and single string team totals and high single string thus far in the tourney. One tournament record had been broken since the tourney opened Tuesday night, both P. Monaco and R. Monaco of the Millinocket Elks having posted three-string totals of 381 to beat the former mark of 375.
50 Years Ago – April 4, 1973
Local FFA team won state honors — Presque Isle High School came up with a state title as the local Future Farmers of America hoop team won it all at Limestone March 21, defeating the Limestone outfit in the finals, 54 to 48. The Presque Isle club upset Mars Hill in the preliminary contest 62 to 47. That battle was very close the opening quarter, with the local five ahead by 3, 14 to 11. It was even at the half, 24 to 24. A last period drive won the verdict for Presque Isle. Bob Tompkins paced the winners with 22 markers, with teammates Terry Hafford collecting 15, Keith Forbes 12 and Greg Hafford nine. Top scorer for Mars Hill was T. Brooks with 20.*
Mobile home inspection — State Attorney General Jon Lund left a mobile home at the Presque Isle Trailer Park before going on to a hearing on complaints of area mobile home owners held at the University of Maine at Presque Isle March 29. He was accompanied by John Quinn, assistant general, and Marvin Ellis, inspector for the attorney general’s Consumer Fraud Division. Owners of the two mobile homes Lund toured pointed out stained ceilings, insufficient insulation, cracked trim and dangerous electrical situations in mobile homes for about a year. The owners complained that dealers and manufacturers had not honored requests for service.
25 Years Ago – April 8, 1998
Bernier received the Governor’s award — Vince Bernier of Fort Fairfield was selected as the recipient of the 1998 Governor’s Award for Business Excellence. The award recognizes for-profit Maine businesses which demonstrate extraordinary commitment to their employees and manufacturing/service excellence. Bernier owned three IGA grocery stores in Aroostook County, including Hillside IGA in Fort Fairfield, the Mars Hill IGA and Star City IGA in Presque Isle. He employed 110 people and had been in the grocery business for more than 35 years, starting out as a bag boy at the Limestone IGA. Bernier, 57, was presented with his award March 25 at a luncheon at Colby College’s Institute for Leadership by Gov. Angus S. King.
United Way celebrated 40 years — United Way of Aroostook volunteers and donors gathered to celebrate the charity’s 40th Anniversary at its annual meeting at the campus center of the University of Maine at Presque Isle. This event featured musical entertainment and a review of significant success of the year. President Alan Dunn, of The Aroostook Medical Center hosted the year’s General Campaign Chairman, Brett Varnum, owner of Academy Optical and the Presque Isle Quest center.
