Houlton area From our Files – Week of March 20, 2024

1 month ago

75 Years Ago March 24, 1949

Ricker Honors Students for 1949 – Miss Sylan Hawksley Boone has received the valedictory for the class of 1949, according to principal Roy A. Bither of Ricker. She is a member of the National Honor Society, prominent in Dramatics, a member of the Girls’ Dormitory Council, and has been active in the Ricker Choir. The Salutatorian is Clara Leith Wiley. She is president of the National Honor Society and a member of the Ricker Chapter of the Future Homemakers of America. Sybil B. Walker was awarded the First Honor Essay. She has a role in the senior play, president of the romantic Club, a member of the National Honor Society, serves on the Aquilo Staff, has won several honors in Speaking Contests, and has been a prominent member of the Ricker Choir. 

Larry Reece Wins Dux Top Bowling Honors –  Larry Reece with an 107 average won top pin laurels at the Dux Club and Dewey Dewitt was in second slot with a 102.6 average. The high six men will compete in the 27th annual Eastern-Maine Bowling Tournament this year in Millinocket, Dux bowling chairman Clyde Bell announced. The top ten are: Larry Reece, 107; Dewey Dewitt, 102.6; Oscar Grant, 101.1; Walter Burtt, 101; George Pray, 101; Clyde Bell, 100.1; “Dutch” Hagerman, 100; Al Butler, 99.4; Dave Sawyer, 98.6; and Gus Porter, 98.

50 Years Ago April 17, 1974

Pettengill To Be Graduated As Physicians AIde – Theodore Pettengill of Island Falls will be one of 25 men and women to receive certificates of physicians assistants at graduation exercises this Saturday for the third Medex New England class to be trained at the Dartmouth Medical School in Hanover, N.H. All of the graduates, who were selected from among the hundreds of applicants from across the country, have previously had at least four years of experience in patient care in the medical corps of the military services, or as civilian nurses, nurses aides and health workers. 

Thompson Is Valedictorian At Hodgdon High School – The honor parts at Hodgdon HIgh School have been announced by Principal Donald Oliver, with four of the top five scholastic honors going to boys. The top ranking seniors at Hodgdon High School are: Valedictorian, Gene A. Thompson; salutatorian, Anne L. McGillicuddy; first honor essay, James D. Griffin; second honor essay, Patrick L. Harris; third honor essay, Stephen J. Bither. 

25 Years Ago March 31, 1999

Houlton boys runners-up in the volleyball tournament – The Presque Isle girls and the Madawaska boys came away with Division I volleyball championships during tournaments held last Wednesday. The girls tourney, which took place at Presque Isle High School, saw Caribou and PI battle in the finals. During the round-robin portion of the tourney, Caribou had a 7-1 record and the Lady Wildcats were 6-2. The two teams then met in the championship match, with PI winning, two games to one. The boys event was held at Caribou High School, with Madawaska winning the title for the fourth consecutive year. The Owls defeated Houlton in three games, 15-6, 14-16, 15-8 in the finals. 

Oakfield opens a community center – After many years and much hard work, a community center in Oakfield has become a reality. In a ribbon cutting ceremony held March 13, the new building was opened to the public. The residents of Oakfield began allocating money for the project 12 years ago. In 1996, the town was awarded $250,000 in state grant money to move the building forward. Candy Roy, Oakfield town manager said that the total cost of the building was $400,000 which included the cost of the land, engineering, and administrative costs. The ground was broken for the project last fall with completion in February. Roy added that much of the work that has gone into the building has been volunteer efforts.