YESTERDAY …
10 years ago — Feb. 12, 2005
(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)
BANGOR — Christina Makrides and her daughter Kathleen had no trouble leaving the driveway of their Essex Street home in Bangor on Friday morning, despite the massive snowstorm that blanketed Maine on Thursday and Friday.
Upon returning home from the daily errands, however, they encountered another situation entirely.
“The city had plowed me in,” Makrides said. “There was a three-foot snowbank in front of my driveway, and there was no way I could have gotten in. My husband told me that the city wasn’t allowed to plow people in, but I called them, and apparently that’s not the case.”
Makrides did what anyone used to mean winters would do — she dropped her 12-year-old daughter off at the front of the driveway and had her start shoveling out a path.
BREWER — It’s good to know the ropes and who to talk to in Augusta when looking for state help with economic development projects such as revamping Brewer’s defunct Eastern Fine Paper Co. mill site or revitalizing the city’s waterfront.
Brewer officials knew last year that they would be busy with city projects under development and started back then to solicit D’arcy Main-Boyington to fill a part-time position to help out.
“She’s perhaps one of the best economic development specialist in the state,” City Manager Steve Bost said recently. “We were looking for someone who could hit the ground running.”
25 years ago — Feb. 12, 1990
BANGOR — While other people were curled up on their couches with a cup of hot cocoa during Friday’s snowstorm, Ronnie Kittredge was making sure a woman on Fourth Street received the medication she needs.
Kittredge is a delivery driver for Miller Drug in Bangor and one of many people whose job stops for nothing — not even the weather.
Deb Stevens, a pizza delivery driver, and Tom Dutil, who collects shopping carts at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Brewer, are in the same boat.
Nothing gets in their way, not even a little storm that dumps 23 inches of snow on the area.
Even in bad weather, Kittredge has never become stuck or gone off the road while driving his distinctive Hyundai Accent with studded tires, he said. Maybe that’s why he’s called “Flash,” a nickname his coworkers gave him when he first was hired.
ORONO — The University of Maine Department of Geological Sciences, in cooperation with the Environmental Studies center, has developed a series of lectures on global climate change to be presented during the spring semester.
The series will explore global climate change from three perspectives: A look backward in time to develop a perspective of what type of climate variation has occurred on timescales from a few years to millions of years; human intervention in natural processes, such as the greenhouse effect, how our atmosphere and ocean system determines the weather, and how scientists and policymakers interact to study and control climate; an exploration of the response of future global climate change, including a study of the impact on soil fertility, wetland ecology, and the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the Gulf of Maine.
50 years ago —Feb. 12, 1965
BANGOR — Brent Tracy spends his work days surrounded by toys. His work environment is filled with crayons, video games, board games, dolls, balls of all kinds, bicycles, playhouses and baseball cards.
Tracy works as manager of the Toys R Us store in Bangor. The 48,000-square-foot toy emporium opened last November to large crowds and traffic jams. Tracy says the Bangor location has met his company’s expectations.
Tracy hired 130 employees for the Christmas season, but now the total is down to the year-round figure of 45 workers. According to Tracy, Toys R Us does aprroximately 40 percent of its annual volume during the Christmas shopping season.
The heavy snowfall this winter has resulted in greater than expected sales of plastic sleds and inflatable tubes for sliding, he said.
BANGOR — With 350 attending adult education courses at the new Bangor High School, the facility is a busy place. Taking part in the woodworking class and receiving instruction on a planing machine in the well-equipped shop were Mrs. Joseph Lessard, Old Town; Mrs. Iola Atkins, Bangor; and Willie Watkins, Dow Air Force Base.Class instructor is Charles Zanderkin.
BANGOR — the Bangor High School swimming team will be after its seventh straight victory when it faces Cheverus High of Portland in a meet at the Bangor YMCA.
The Ram mermen are off to a good start in defense of their state title and will have two meets remaining after today before entering the state meet at Brunswick on March 5.
CASTINE — The freshman of Maine Maritime Academy held off a late bid by Bridgton Academy to register an 81-79 cage verdict over the Preppers for their fifth victory in six starts.
The Middies held a 41-34 halftime edge that was sliced by the visitors in the late stages.
Karl Woodman’s 24 points led the Middies with Dave Adams adding 22 and Jim Bennett 21. Alex Bonville with 21 and Sam Graham with 18 topped the losers.
100 years ago — Feb. 12, 1915
BUCKSPORT — The Whiting brothers of Dexter commenced to cut ice for the creamery on Wednesday and were hauling it into the houses.
BREWER — The soloists who will take part in the concert in City Hall are well known to both Bangor and Brewer audiences. These soloists have been secured by the N and N Club and are James Dailey Jr., Miss O’Brien, Cleon Coffin, Miss Frances Donovan and F.M. Toole.
Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin