Year in review: Part I
The first half of 2015 was a great one for Presque Isle new community center. Here are highlights from January to June.
January
Presque Isle City Council met to discuss authorizing city manager Jim Bennett to perform two municipal tasks — to sign a purchase and sales agreement for City Hall, as well as sign a lease agreement for a new City Hall location.
City Clerk Bev Labbe administered the oath of office to Emily Smith and Leigh Smith, who were elected to the Presque Isle City Council last November.
The Crown of Maine Balloon Fest received a $7,000 grant from the Maine Office of Tourism that will be used to market the annual event in both southern Maine and New Brunswick.
A fire at an Allen Street residence resulted in one occupant being sent to the hospital. Keith Antworth, of Presque Isle, injured both arms when he jumped from a first-floor window to escape fire in his home.
The Second Street structure that’s been home to City Hall for decades — and originally built as the A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital — has a new owner, following City Council’s split vote of 4-3 Monday night to authorize City Manager Jim Bennett to sign a purchase and sales agreement with C&N Rentals, with the agreement being final within 90 days.
The Jump closed its doors for good at the close of business on Monday, Jan. 19, with owner Jenna Spoto citing rent rates and other reasons for the departure from the Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle.
February
Cancer patients in northern Maine benefited from a $2 million gift awarded to TAMC by the Next Generation Foundation. One million dollars was designated to support efforts currently underway to establish the new Aroostook Cancer Care Center, and the other $1 million established an endowment for the Aroostook Cancer Care Patient Assistance Fund.
A topic of discussion the SAD 45 school board has been dealing with since last year came up again at a board meeting: the proposal to move the Washburn seventh- and eighth-graders over to the Washburn high school. Parents of soon to be seventh- and eighth-graders showed their concern at the Feb. 10 meeting during public comment.
Poor visibility and blowing snow were blamed for a crash on Route 1 in Westfield that sent a father and daughter to the hospital. On Monday, Feb. 16, sheriff’s deputies responded to a two-vehicle crash at what is commonly referred to as the ‘four corners.’
March
Thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation, an archive room in the E. Perrin Edmunds Library at NMCC has been transformed into the One Button Studio.
A two-vehicle accident on Route 161 near the turnoff to Rainbow Cove on Madawaska Lake resulted in the death of four travelers, including three in one family with ties to Fort Fairfield. A man from Madawaska was the only survivor of the Monday morning crash which caused traffic to be re-routed along Lakeshore Road most of the day.
Brian M. Carpenter was approved as the next SAD 1 superintendent. He replaced Gehrig Johnson.
Forest Ranger Steve Wipperman, of the Maine Forest Service, investigated a case of illegal dumping in Mapleton, involving about 500 pounds of trash discarded on private property.
Gov. Paul R. LePage was held the fourth in a series of town hall meetings designed to present his proposed budget and the respective changes it will bring, if approved, to citizens across the state.
April
The sale of the Second Street property that serves as home to City Hall did not go through, following the buyers’ decision to cancel the deal.
City Council had its first opportunity to discuss recently-opened bids for the Community Center, pool and splash pad during a regular meeting. Coming in higher than expected, councilors had to determine the best way to proceed with the projects.
It was announced that the World Cup biathlon was returning to the Nordic Heritage Sport Club for the first time in five years and will serve as the only stop in the United States for the nine-race circuit.
May
Councilors took the next step in the hiring process for a new officer at the Presque Isle Police Department, approving the buyout of an officer commitment for $30,000, pending a successful background check.
City officials continued to work with contractor Nickerson & O’Day and others to look for ways to cut costs and keep the Community Center, pool and splash pad projects as close to original estimates as possible.
U.S. Sen. Angus King delivered the keynote address at the County Cancer Conference held May 9 at TAMC. King shared his personal cancer survivorship story and spoke about the importance of affordable health insurance for early detection.
An Ashland educator was named Aroostook County’s Teacher of the Year. Susan Beaulier, an art teacher at Ashland District School, was announced as the region’s top teacher during a May 7 ceremony at the State House.
At a budget meeting, residents gave their initial approval of SAD 1’s $24,138,091 budget for 2015-16.
June
U.S. News & World Report announced the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, highlighting top-performing public schools on a state and national level, and Presque Isle High School was deemed the 14th best high school in Maine.
The Presque Isle City Council approved the total budget that included construction costs and financing for the future Presque Isle Community Center. The agreement will allow the councilors and city staff to officially begin planning and construction for the long-awaited project.
Steve and Lucy Richard, co-chairs of the Community Center Fund-raising Committee, held a press conference to announce the donation of more than $1 million toward the project. An anonymous donor donated $1.5 million in memory of Rodney Smith, which brought the group to nearly $3.8 million raised. The Committee was tasked with raising $3,750,000 through donations to match the voter-approved bond issue — the fundraising portion of the estimated $7.5 million cost to build the structure.
