Houlton area From our Files – Week of April 26, 2023

TENNIS RACKET DONATION -- Larry Tonzi, left, a longtime local tennis enthusiast and past instructor for the Houlton Parks and Recreation Department, and Marie Carmichael, right, program coordinator for the recreational department look over the tennis rackets that were donated tot he Houlton Recreation Department by the Tennis Industry Association in Florida. Tonzi made the contact with the Association for the rackets, which will enable more youth who cannot afford the equipment the opportunity to participate in this lifetime sport. The rackets will be available to youth registered for summer tennis lessons with the recreation center. (File Photo: 1998 | Houlton Pioneer Times)

75 Years Ago April 22, 1948

Air Force Increases Training Classes – The Air Force will increase to 3,000 the number of cadets for pilot training classes in 1948, it was announced today by Capt. Matthew M. Mack, recruiting officer, Presque Isle. Last year, he stated, only 776 candidates were accepted. 

Collegians Cop Gold Medal Basketball Tournament TItle – The second annual Gold Medal Basketball Tournament came to a close Friday evening with the Collegians taking top honors. In the semi-finals Thursday evening the Basketeers took the Flying Saucers, 60-37, and the Collegians took Fitzpatricks, 48-26. In the finals the following evening Fitzpatricks took the Flying game to determine the third and fourth place teams. The Fair Street All-Stars defeated the Bowdoin Street All-Stars, 12-11, in their annual bout. 

50 Years Ago April 25,1973

Brown Is Named Fire Chief – Dana E. Brown, the 31-year- old division manager for Union Mutual in Houlton, was named Monday night by Town Council as Houlton’s new Fire Chief. Mr. Brown has been a regular member of the Volunteer Fire Department, and will replace Donald Fortier who resigned from the post a couple of months ago. The new Fire Chief is a native of Patten and a graduate of Patten Academy. He attended Ricker College and was associated with the Great Northern Paper Company before joining Union Mutual in 1965. Mr. Brown and his wife Brenda are owners of the Maple Grove Nursing home on the Calais road. 

Remember when……. – Houlton IGA Foodliner had chuck roast for .78 lb, one pound of bananas for .13, half gallon of ice milk was only .59, and three pounds of steamer clams for .99. Bread was three loaves for .99, and a five pound bag of grapefruit was only .79!!

25 Years Ago May 13, 1998

Lady Shires undefeated, area teams busy – Bouncing back from an 0-5 start, The Katahdin Lady Cougars won two of four games this week. The Lady Cougars topped Hodgdon, 9-7 and Cougars topped Hodgdon, 9-7 and Ashland 15-13, while failing to Schenck 16-4 and Fort Fairfield 23-3. With the game tied 7 – all after three and a half innings against Ashland, the Lady Cougars scored two key runs in the bottom of the fourth, as both teams scored six runs over the last three innings. 

Aroostook County gets a tourism grant – In a spirit of partnership representing three local organizations in marketing the region as a vacation destination, Aroostook County was awarded $20,000 from the Maine Office of Tourism. The Maine Tourism Partnership Program provides matching funds for marketing proposals that promote the eight designated tourism regions in Maine.