YESTERDAY …
10 years ago — Dec. 18, 2004
(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)
BANGOR — The John Bapst girls basketball team opened the Eastern Maine Class A season in a big way — with a 43-31 victory over Big East Conference rival Hampden at the Bangor Auditorium.
John Bapst coach Mike Webb, who coached the Hampden girls for two seasons, said it’s been at least four years and possibly as many as 10, since a Bapst squad beat Hampden.
For players like Crusaders senior Katie Andrle, a four-year team varsity member, it was a memorable way to kick off the season.
For Webb, the most encouraging sign of the win was his team’s defensive effort. The Crusaders played straight man-to-man but with special attention paid to Hampden standouts Tanna Ross and Jill Beal.
BANGOR — The Bangor High boys basketball team turned to a preseason disappointment as motivation for its 76-30 victory over Old Town to open its 2004-2005 Class A campaign at Red Barry Gymnasium.
Senior point guard Jordan Heath paced the Bangor offense, shooting over the top of Old Town’s zone defense to score 15 points on a 5-for-7 effort from beyond the 3-point arc.
25 years ago — Dec. 18, 1989
BANGOR — Avon gifts donated to the Bangor Shelter and Spruce Run were more than cosmetic. They included food and other necessities. Gathered at the Howard Johnson Restaurant on Odlin Road for the donation were Norma Lee Gunn of Hampden, an Avon representative; Paul Fontaine of the Bangor Shelter; Kathleen Hamel, a Spruce Run volunteer; and Rosemary Bates of Bangor, an Avon representative.
BANGOR — It took more than 200 pounds of chocolates and other candies to produce a fudge house. Peter Haviland, manager of The Club, and Ben Silvernail used 40 pounds of confectionery sugar to hold the house together. Work on the sugar fancier’s dream was done in 30 hours. The sweet house will be on display at the Bangor Mall as part of a fundraising effort. Proceeds will go to the children’s unit of Eastern Maine Medical Center.
50 years ago — Dec. 18, 1964
OLD TOWN — Old Town school officials are aiming for next September as completion date for the new $250,000 high school addition here, the president of the school trustees said.
A special referendum authorized the six-classroom addition and industrial shop building.
“We hope to get the addition out to bid by early spring and would like to have it completed by the time school opens in the fall,” according to Abraham Podolsky, president of the trustees.
OLD TOWN — It is said that the Dutch purchased New Amsterdam for $2 worth of beads and trinkets.
According to the first mayor of Old Town, Maine settlers pulled off the same trick with a few friendly overtures and a couple of gallons of gin.
Both New Amsterdam and Old Town have come a long way since residents in both cities took two more respectable and creative pursuits and Old Town is talking about staging a gala 125th anniversary celebration next summer.
Nineteen sixty-five also is likely to see the second million-dollar budget presented for the Canoe City, hardly a historic milestone, but at least an indication of magnitude of transitions that have taken place in the past 100 years or so.
100 years ago — Dec. 18, 1914
BANGOR — One of the most enjoyable gatherings at the Conduskeag Canoe and Country Club for years was held at the attractive clubhouse and was attended by a large number of members and friends, more than 90 sitting down for supper.
The house had been most attractively decorated for the event by Steward Thompson, Christmas trees are adorning each post of the roof veranda and the big living and dining rooms having streamers and hangers appropriate to the glad Christmas season.
A typical New England Christmas dinner was served and many compliments were showered upon the new steward, all of which were deserved. There was everything everyone could ask for in the way of turkey, plum pudding, pumpkin and mince pies, and all the delicacies followed by the cigars.
Wilbur Cochrane presided at the piano after dinner and a most enjoyable musical evening resulted, with singing and good cheer.
BANGOR — The young son of the former Bangor resident recently caused his family temporary uneasiness concerning his safety and whereabouts by decamping from his home in New York with a companion and seeking the deep forests of Maine, there to live the life of a woodsman, or bold, bad men with guns. The boy equipped themselves with the desperado outfit of Bowie knives, six shooters, slouch hats, belts, leggings, bandanna handkerchiefs and all the other things familiar to patrons of the movies, having saved up some $50 with which to purchase the outfits.
The age of these adventurers is about 11 years, and of course with their experience in worldly matters and avoirdupois they expected to mow down the forests with gunshots.
The boys arrived in Bangor on an afternoon train, with the father of one of them in hot pursuit. The police department had been notified to look out for the adventurous spirits and located them at the Maine Central station, where they were enjoying a little snooze before taking the train to Hancock Point, where they were to live a life of thrilling adventure in the woods.
They were kindly cared for and were finally returned to New York none the worse for wear, but with their longing to shoot their guns unsatisfied.
Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin