Another exciting year for the country’s most northeastern city. Here are some highlights of what happened in the Caribou region during the second half of 2016.
July
Staff and supporters of the Robert Frost Memorial Library celebrated the institution’s 75th anniversary on July 1 as part of the town’s Independence Day weekend festivities.
A 6-year-old drove a vehicle through the doors of the Caribou Cigaret Shopper on Bennett Drive on June 24, after the vehicle’s owner entered the store.
After 16 years as Aroostook County Administrative Assistant and 20 years as Diane Gove, deputy tax collector for the City of Caribou, retired.
After conducting an on-the-ground survey of Woodland and Perham, the National Weather Service found 100 yards of trees knocked down in a pattern that indicated tornado damage. The damage, which was 30 yards wide, took place just north of the Tangle Ridge Road in Perham.
Local volunteers and Lowe’s employees donated their time to build a new playground at Trafton Lake in Limestone as part of the home improvement chain’s “Heroes” project.
August
Sweden Street was packed with guests, local and otherwise, on August 12 when the stars of Animal Planet’s “North Woods Law” reality show made an appearance. The cast met fans across from the Caribou Post Office near a studio trailer with pictures, items, and memorabilia from the show.
September
The Loring Time Trials were abruptly shut down after a Texas woman competing in the annual speed contest was injured in a crash on the runway’s shoulder. Motorcyclist Brenda Sue Carver of Seguin, Texas was driving at 223 miles per hour at the 1-mile mark but her speed quickly decreased to 140 mph as she approached the 1 ½-mile mark just moments before the crash.
The inaugural Caribou Marathon brought road racers from across the United States and Canada, and the festival at the Rec Center brought music, food, and a variety of community organizations the country’s most northeastern city.
A Caribou man was injured in a midmorning tractor-trailer crash after police say the bulk truck he was operating overturned and spilled its load of potatoes in Connor Township.
October
For 20 years, Cary Medical Center has hosted the “Walk for Care,” an event dedicated to raising money for breast cancer. This year’s effort, while being held at the same time, was the first to be called the “Walk for Hope,” with the main difference being a focus on all forms of cancer.
The Loring Development Authority and Yarmouth-based Ranger Solar moved ahead with a lease agreement that paves the way for New England’s largest solar power project.
A vehicle went airborne and caused extensive damage in the downtown mall parking lot after the driver hit an island at the intersection of Hatch and Main Streets. According to a State of Maine Crash Report, Matthew Skidgel, 28, of Caribou was heading north on Main Street and struck an island after leaving the roadway to the left.
Local and state efforts to build a new preK-8 school in Caribou are moving forward. The State Board of Education gave RSU 39 and PDT Architects of Portland the green light to place the new school on Bennett Drive, where Teague Park is currently located.
November
The Aroostook Republican & News office moved to its new home several hundred yards south and across the street. The newspaper staff moved to 92 Bennett Drive location, taking up residence in freshly revamped space with Dobbs Realty.
Just under 100 Caribou, Stockholm and Limestone residents attended a straw poll regarding the proposed preK-8 school in Caribou. An overwhelming majority of the RSU 39 voters who turned out were in favor of not only a new school, but also for approximately $2,337,949 worth of additions funded via local contributions.
