YESTERDAY …
10 years ago — Dec. 11, 2004
(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)
HERMON — The town audit which counselors will discuss next month, can be hard to understand. That’s in part why Town Manager Clint Deschene prepared a report presented to councilors that highlights and simplifies audit information for all town departments from solid waste treatment to cemetery maintenance.
The biggest surprise in the audit, which officially will be completed shortly after Christmas, was a $500,000 surplus in the town’s fund balance, Deschene said.
“That shows this town’s headed in the right direction, and we’re budgeting very frugally,” Deschene said.
ORLAND — When Aubrey Ayer was a boy growing up in Orland his family never put up outdoor holiday lights. They had Christmas, but it was a small, quiet, country event.
These days, Christmas is an electric event in his household — literally. He and his wife Linda have 38,000 lights on their lawn near the town office during Christmas.
Aubrey and Linda were sitting in the kitchen at their house, which is just across the street from the one where Aubrey grew up. With smiles and twinkling eyes, Aubrey recalled the years it snowed on Christmas eve. At those times, his father, who worked for the state, stayed out all night on the roads. Aubrey would wake up early and sit at the window waiting to catch a glimpse of his father.
Then, the family would open gifts and Aubrey’s father would head back out or went to work.
25 years ago — Dec. 11, 1989
BANGOR — It’s true that freedom has its price — in Bangor it sells for about nine dollars. Specifically, the freedom for sale here comes in the form of small pieces of the Berlin Wall, dismantled a month ago after the Communist East German government relaxed travel restrictions to be West.
The pieces, about the size of a golf ball, come in their own protective pouch, complete with a certificate of authenticity. They sell for $8.97 at Service Merchandise.
The day the wall was introduced into the Bangor marketplace, various responses were heard from those looking at the display table. One man appeared to be amused by the item, while another expressed indignation.
BANGOR — During the holiday season, Ed Callahan leads at the double life. When he’s not working as a car salesman, he is donning a familiar red suited, a white fluffy beer, and thick bushy eyebrows. He carries with him a large, red, totally filled pack slung over his shoulder.
For the past eight years, Callahan has spent Christmas time spreading the holiday spirit to shut-ins, children in hospitals and schools. As Santa Claus, Callahan has brought smiles to many children who often don’t get a chance to get out and see and feel Christmas.
Each time Santa Claus makes a visit, he leaves the present. Sometimes the presents have been left out front for Callahan to pick up. Most of the time, however, the presents are donated, or Callahan pays for them himself. Last year he said he spent approximately $500 on presents.
50 years ago — Dec. 11, 1964
ETNA — A busy Etna farmer’s wife, after 44 years in the teaching profession, retired in September to count farms instead of students.
Mrs. Crawford Carter is now a crew chief for the Farm Bureau Census in Hancock and Penobscot counties.
Behind her she leaves a fine career in education which includes 10 years teaching in rural schools, 23 years as school superintendent in Etna area schools and 11 years as director of education for handicapped children for the State Department of Education.
BANGOR — Bangor and Eastern Maine seems to be successfully weathering a fashion perversity — the growing tendency of men both adolescent and mature to imitate British hairstyles.
Male hair in the smoggy island nation grows longer than that of women, many observers report. The trend is best illustrated by English singing groups and their popularity in this country.
Bangor barbers are pleased that the current infatuation with long mops is not “in” here. The reason — more hair, More haircuts.
Even the college crowd, traditionally the province of bearded, long-haired types, seems to be resisting what is apparently a national trend.
100 years ago — Dec. 11, 1914
INDIAN ISLAND — Among the visitors to Augusta says the Kennebec Journal, was Percy F. Paul, a member of the Penobscot tribe and a cousin of the famous [Louis or Andrew] Sockalexis, is now returning to his home it Indian Island, Old Town, after a somewhat out of the ordinary career for a man of 26 year years of age.
Paul has seen service in both the Army and Navy. During the Spanish-American war he was a coal passer aboard the battleship Massachusetts, which was in Cuban waters at the time of the Battle of Santiago.
It was in the Philippines, that a brother of Paul, who was aboard the Concord, contracted disease and died.
At the close of the war Paul retired from the Navy and worked for a while it his trade in a shoe factory. He then enlisted in the Army. The last post at which he was stationed was Fort Riley, Kansas, under the command of Col. Gaston. He was there seven months as a private of battery D, 6th New York regiment of field artillery. Illness forced him to leave the service and he was given honorable discharge.
With his returning good health, Paul’s desire to be again with the men in uniform was evidenced by his application at both the Charleston and Portsmouth Navy yards to re-enlist in the Navy.
BANGOR — The Bangor post office already displays considerable activity in the line of Christmas business. Every effort will be made by Postmaster Oak to keep things moving during the holidays. Some extra clerks will be employed and the public is encouraged to make their Christmas shipments of parcel post packages early.
The Christmas business, coming with an extra rush, is felt as more of a hardship in the small offices than in the big cities, is in the latter instance large crews and reserves are employed the year round. Even in Augusta the extra rush is not felt as much as an Bangor is at the state capital there is a tremendous amount of mail on account of the huge circulation of the publications which have plants there [Augusta was known then as the magazine publishing capital of the United States]. The advice which is given to shop early will apply also to Christmas parcels — mail early.
Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin