YESTERDAY …
10 years ago — Dec. 4, 2004
(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)
BANGOR — Maria Mastrorillo walked into a Quiznos sub shop in Bangor on a recent afternoon looking to buy a warm, toasted sandwich. The pink-haired twenty-something or ordered, selected to drink and handed over her debit card. In fewer than 10 seconds, the Quiznos employee swipe the card, printed a receipt and sent Mastrorillo on her way — without asking for her signature or personal identification number.
The cashier was following sandwich selling protocol, using a new kind of credit transaction that is becoming the norm at fast food restaurants and convenience stores nationwide. No signature or or PIN is required.
BANGOR — Standing inside the culinary prep kitchen at Penobscot Job Corps Center, Dan Bailey, wearing pressed black slacks, a crisp white top and matching chef’s hat, looked less like a high school dropout and more like a determined adult making up for lost time.
The 20-year-old from Rockland has been on his own since he was 17, when he left Waldoboro High School and bounced around among myriad odd jobs. He never worried about his lifestyle because he was always able to bounce into something else.
Eventually, it caught up with him.
Now he’s an expert in preparing food, everything from salads and side dishes to split pea with ham soup, his task for this particular day. Bailey, who keeps a portfolio of his culinary projects, said he hopes one day to work as a chef at a resort or a high-end restaurant.
25 years ago — Dec. 4, 1989
BANGOR — Santa Claus made his annual trip to Bangor 22 days before his next scheduled visit, and he was joined by other freezing celebrities.
Thousands of residents lined the parade route in downtown Bangor for the annual parade, which kicked off the schedule of events slated for holiday agenda.
Those who arrived early enough to secure a parking space watched the event from the comfort of a heated car while many others gathered in downtown stores. Those who forgot their thermos of hot chocolate were able to acquire a cup from vendors for a donation to the Bangor on Ice campaign.
The parade moved at a leisurely pace before the throngs of spectators, who tried hard to keep warm in temperatures which never got above 17 degrees.
BANGOR — It’s always the first real snowstorm of the season that creates the most havoc, police say, and Sunday’s storm was proof of that principle as police reported few problems despite heavy snowfall.
The Thanksgiving snowstorm that brought thunder and lightning and power failures throughout the Bangor area, also brought with it scores of traffic accidents and tie-ups, many of them trucks that could not negotiate a snowy, ice slicked I-95.
50 years ago — Dec. 4, 1964
BANGOR — Members of the Beth Israel Sisterhood honored Mrs. Meyer Minsky at a luncheon for her outstanding work in service to the sisterhood and the synagogue. Throughout the years, Mrs. Minsky has helped to develop leadership and to broaden interest of the sisterhood’s growing program.
She has been active in both civic and religious organizations in Bangor. She is a past president of Bangor Chapter of Hadassah, past vice president of the New England District of Hadassah and past president of the Beth Israel sisterhood.
BREWER — Brewer firemen are busily engaged these days in preparing and repairing Christmas presents for area youngsters who otherwise would be without any gifts on Dec. 25.
Chief Raymond Wood, genial department head, has his “elves” busy painting, tightening bolts, replacing new arms on dolls and tying up packages.
There is one item that is badly needed by the crews and that is dolls’ clothes. A doll, although an excellent companion for young girl, would be just so much more fun with pretty dresses.
Chief Wood said that any and all toys will be accepted by his department. “The boys here are real handy when it comes to repairing things,” the chief said, “and they do an especially good job when they know the toy will make some youngsters happy on Christmas Day.”
100 years ago — Dec. 4 1914
BREWER — There is at the present time only one case of diphtheria in two cases of scarlet fever in the city and these two are at South Brewer. Eight families have been released from quarantine and city Marshal Lunt has been busily engaged in this work. The promptness with which these contagious diseases have been handled and the preventive measures taken to stop the spread of the disease has been most credible and at no time has there been danger of a serious epidemic.
BANGOR — An advertisement from the Cigarmakers’ Union of Bangor: In line with the movement to educate the public to purchase Bangor made goods, the cigarmakers union is issuing circular letters to a large list of residents asking consideration of facts presented as follows:
We have the membership of 75 cigarmakers, exclusive of all other workers connected with our trade.
We manufacture cigars in Bangor of a quality surpassed by no city in the world for the money.
We earned in the preceding year $75,000 in every penny was spent in Bangor.
We have sanitary shops and plenty of good fresh air guaranteeing you, above all, a clean cigar.
Now, Mr. Business Man, if you make it a rule to keep Bangor made cigars in your office and call for them in your clubs and hotels and insist on having them at your banquets, it would be the means of increasing the number of people employed in the cigar industry in your city.
Boom the local cigarmaking business in Bangor’s best interest at the same time.
EAST EDDINGTON — Salem D. Copeland is engaged in repairing the foundations of the church in East Eddington. He is the guest of Dr. and Mrs. L.H. Ford.
BANGOR — These ladies will do business for the Red Cross relief of the myriad victims of the great European war in way to campaign in their aid in the streets of Bangor:
Miss Kathleen Hennessey, Mrs. E.E. Jordan, Mrs. Harry M, Smith, Miss Margaret Prentiss, Mrs. John P. Webster, Mrs. Oliver L. Hall, Mrs. F.H. Strickland, Mrs. A.H. Thaxter with Miss Ruby Waterman, and Mrs. James D. Mulvaney at the office of the Bangor Daily News.
Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin