Editor’s Note: The following is the first of two articles highlighting some of the top news stories from 2014. This article highlights the events from January to June. The second-half of the year will be featured in the Jan. 14 issue.
Another year has come and gone. The first half of 2014 featured a number of memorable news stories. From the town of Houlton’s search for a new town manager, to a couple of devastating fires and the closure of Wellington Elementary School in Monticello, there were certainly many important stories.
January
A 12-year agreement between the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office and the Maine State Police over who patrols what area of the county came to an end. Starting Jan. 4, sheriff’s deputies and state troopers were both patrolling all areas of Aroostook County, according to Deputy Chief Darrell Crandall. Previously, Aroostook County was divided into five separate patrol zones. The Sheriff’s Department was responsible for one of those zones, while the Maine State Police patrolled the other four.
With winter here and snow in abundance, Houlton Police Chief Butch Asselin reminded individuals that it was illegal to plow snow into a roadway. The HPD had received several complaints from residents that people were plowing snow into the street for the town public works crew to clear.
It took a few days, but Houlton Regional Hospital finally had its first baby of the New Year. Jacoby Spencer Pelletier was born 10:14 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 4, to Shauna Guiggey and Spencer Pelletier, both of Sherman.
What was once a hefty surplus account for RSU 29 had considerably dwindled, according to an audit for the school district. According to the audit, the district has $780,778 in its undesignated fund balance.
After about 21 months of offering pizza, pasta and sandwiches to customers in the Star City, and nearly seven months in the Shiretown, Amato’s closed its doors.
A familiar face was selected to be the new superintendent for SAD 70. Scott Richardson of Houlton was unanimously chosen as the district’s new superintendent of schools. He was also named as director of special education for the district. He started in March.
The Houlton Town Council has agreed on a “tight” 2014 municipal budget in the amount of $9,953,105. The municipal side of the budget ($7,088,535) was an increase of $133,264 (1.9 percent) over the previous year. However, when anticipated increases in the RSU 29 school budget and County tax are factored in, the overall budget was up $373,804 (3.9 percent) over the 2013 spending plan.
Should Maine’s forest rangers be allowed to carry firearms as part of their duties in the state? That was the question being discussed in Augusta with the Maine State Legislature. LD 297, an Act to require forest rangers to be trained in order to allow them to carry firearms, was a popular topic of conversation in recent months.
February
A town-owned dump truck that had just finished dumping snow in the Hillview Avenue lot, but failed to lower the bucket before leaving, snapped wires and set off a chain reaction in which two utility poles snapped. The power was knocked out for several hours.
Fans of singing competitions were treated to a spectacular performance at the Houlton Community Arts Center. Kristen Mazur of Linneus and Amira Abouleish of Houlton were both chosen by the audience to advance in this year’s Northern Star competition to benefit the United Way of Aroostook.
Moosestompers Weekend was enjoyed by a large gathering of people in Houlton, with ideal winter weather conditions for all the snow-filled activities.
The Aroostook County Jail was facing a perilous financial situation, prompting jail officials to think outside the box in order to continue housing inmates. Jail officials decided to increase the number of beds in the facility from 86 to 105 in order to receive additional funding and to better reflect the actual number of inmates in the facility on a regular basis.
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians were trying to get a bill passed through the Maine Legislature that would have allowed the tribe to operate a casino in Houlton. The bill did not earn the endorsement by lawmakers in Augusta.
March
Both the Houlton and Hodgdon boys basketball teams brought home gold balls as they won state titles in Class C and D respectively.
The Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce celebrated its 100th birthday with a celebration that also coincided with its annual awards banquet. Deborah Nesbitt received the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. The Meduxnekeag Snowmobile Club of Littleton shared the Community Service Award with the Linneus Sno Sports Club.
Maine State Fire Marshal Joseph Thomas was the guest speaker at the Houlton Fire Department’s annual awards ceremony and dinner. The yearly banquet also recognizes members of the department for their years of service.
The town of Oakfield was beginning to reap the economic benefit of wind power, even though not a single windmill has been completed. First Wind, an independent U.S.-based renewable energy company, announced that it had made the first payment to the town in the amount of $600,000 as part of the community benefit agreement.
Fire officials said they would never know what sparked an early morning blaze that leveled the Ark Animal Sanctuary on 91 Old Woodstock Road, killing 16 cats. The small, one-story building was only open for about four months and marked the culmination of four years of hard work and dedication by numerous volunteers. A bake sale fundraiser and silent auction was held shortly afterward to help raise money for the group. Organized by Kathryn Knapp, the event raised a whopping $12,000 for the Ark.
Bob Bartlett retired from the Littleton Board of Selectmen after 24 years of service to the community. His son, David, was elected to the board to replace him, becoming the third generation of Bartletts to serve on the town board.
A proposal to have the town purchase the Temple Theatre parking lot for $91,000 was presented by Town Manager Eugene Conlogue. The proposal was the culmination of discussions between the town and theater owner Mike Hurley dating back to before Conlogue was the town manager. The council ultimately decided not to pursue the purchase.
The town had a new animal control officer to help with stray cats and dogs, or other nuisance animals. Cathy “CJ” Virgie took over as Houlton’s animal control officer for Kevin Upton. A native of Cary Plantation and a 1977 graduate of Hodgdon High School, Virgie got her start in animal-control issues when she was living in Thomaston.
April
The RSU 29 school board voted to go ahead with its plans to close Wellington Elementary School during a special meeting. The district cited economic factors and declining enrollment for its reasons to close the school in Monticello.
A cold, rainy day did not dampen the spirits of 44 walkers as they participated in the fifth annual Walk Like M.A.D.D. – Remember Darcie Hutchinson event. Hutchinson was a graduate of the Class of 1993 at Houlton and was killed in Connecticut in 1996 at the age of 21 by a drunk driver.
The Houlton School of Dance was gearing up for its 25th anniversary by inviting former dancers back to participate in the annual recital.
The town was once again without a permanent town manager following the abrupt resignation of Eugene Conlogue. In his stead, the council unanimously appointed Police Chief Butch Asselin as the interim town manager. Asselin would later be selected as the permanent town manager after a several-month search process.
Under the direction of instructor Shelly Bouchard, Houlton High School students in the Breaking Ground program were hard at work learning about growing techniques, identifying species of plants, coming up with homemade agricultural products and planting seeds to grow in the district’s new greenhouse.
“Beneath the Harvest Sky,” a movie filmed in Van Buren, opened with a special screening in Houlton and Presque Isle. The movie tells the tale of two teenage boys who dream of leaving their hometown for Boston.
The snowflake banners that decorated Market Square were taken down in Houlton and were replaced with new Patriotic, red, white and blue banners.
The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office opened a new substation in Island Falls. Thanks to town officials in Island Falls, the town and Sheriff’s Office agreed to share space at the Island Falls Municipal Building.
May
A massive fire destroyed two structures at the industrial park — at 77 and 79 Aviation Drive — which served as the business location for Jackett Enterprises, a commercial line striping company owned by Blaine Jackett of Houlton.
Esther Orr Faulkner’s skill at putting paint to canvas had been celebrated many times throughout her lifetime. Her works showing scenes of the Shiretown have become synonymous with the town of Houlton. Faulkner work graced a new 2015 calendar to benefit the Southern Aroostook Cultural Arts Program, serving as a fundraiser for the group.
It was the end of one era and the beginning of a new one for Sadie’s Bakery in downtown Houlton. The iconic bakery that has served fresh, hot doughnuts, bread, rolls and other pastries in the Shiretown for 66 years has changed ownership. Tim and Sharon O’Donnell, the Hodgdon couple who ran the bakery for the past 36 years, sold the business to Blaine and Sharon Jackett of Houlton.
A confirmed case of whooping cough in a student at Houlton Southside School sparked school officials to notify parents and the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Houlton nursing students enrolled in the Northern Maine Community College’s received a shocking letter in the mail, when they learned nursing classes would no longer be offered in Houlton. The cut was one of several serious reductions made by NMCC officials to help bridge an anticipated $470,000 budget deficit for the 2015 fiscal year.
June
Travis James Humphrey, a native of Houlton, celebrated his latest country music release, “The Roadhouse Gospel Hour,” with a concert event at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Houlton.
It was back to the drawing board for the RSU 29 board of directors after voters rejected a $12.9 million budget for the district. A total of 768 people cast ballots on the proposed budget, which failed 318 in favor and 450 opposed. The budget failed two more times before ultimately passing.
Island Falls’ oldest resident was honored on her 100th birthday with the presentation of the Boston Post Cane. Helen L. Sherman received the cane surrounded by family and friends at the Island Falls Baptist Church.
A new director was holding the baton for McGill’s Community Band when the group embarked on its 29th concert season. Kevin Mania took over the job from Joe Fagnant, who replaced founding band director David McGillicuddy in 2005.
The Maine Potato Board announced that the Albert Fitzpatrick family from Houlton was the 2014 Farm Family of the Year.
The RSU 29 school board signed off on a plan to send the sixth-grade class to Houlton Junior-Senior High School and move third-graders to Houlton Southside School starting in the fall. The restructuring was part of a plan to reduce the 2014-15 school budget by about $150,000 after the spending plan failed at the polls June 10.
