Business Focus • 2015
Star-Herald on the job
since 1871 and still loving it
From the birth of its predecessors in the mid-1800s, through its growth during the 20th century and up to the present day, central Aroostook County’s local weekly newspaper continues to strive to reflect the concerns of its readers in a resonant, objective manner.
The Star-Herald, which has been published every week since 1871, was preceded by the establishment of several other, relatively short-lived publications — the Aroostook Pioneer which eventually moved to Houlton, the Aroostook Herald and the North Star.
Editor/Publisher George H. Collins would eventually merge the Herald and the North Star and the first edition of the combined papers was printed on January 16, 1890 as The Star-Herald.
Collins’ son-in-law, Charles West, eventually took over the reins and guided the paper until 1946 when he sold the publication to Fort Fairfield native and Colby College graduate, Edward G. Perrier. He published the Star-Herald until late 1962, when he sold the enterprise to Bernard E. Esters of the Houlton Pioneer Times and Charles P. Helfenstein of the Aroostook Republican in Caribou.
Four years later, the partnership sold the weeklies to Northeast Publishing Co., a subsidiary of the Bangor Publishing Company. The firm, which boasted a state-of-the-art offset press, continues to publish the Star City’s weekly newspaper today.
More than 144 years after the first edition, the community newspaper has expanded its reach beyond the Star City to Mapleton, Easton, Ashland, Mars Hill, Blaine, Bridgewater, Fort Fairfield, Washburn and other surrounding towns.
Current staff at the Star-Herald includes reporters Anthony Brino and Kevin Sjoberg, advertising sales representatives Scott Galipeau and Gary Bowden, and receptionist Mary-Alice Boulier.
“It is our goal to create an accurate and appealing weekly newspaper that tells the ongoing story of Presque Isle and central Aroostook County. If someone who had never visited Presque Isle were to read just one edition of The Star-Herald; we would like to believe they would get a real feel for the community and its inhabitants,” said Mark Putnam, the newspaper’s managing editor.
