101 Years Ago – May 24, 1917
New dental office — Eben Brown, son of A. J. Brown, who had been practicing dentistry in Bridgewater since graduating from the University of Ohio and receiving his Maine state certificate, opened an office in the Klein block well equipped for his business.
Best advertisements — B.S. Green Brothers offered three prizes for first, second and third best advertisements written for the firm by students of the high school. The prizes were awarded as follows: first, Thelma Christie; second, Aliar Michaud; and third, Ruth Chandler. The judges were E. P. Wilkins and Miss Avis Thompson.
75 Years Ago – May 27, 1943
Heroism — Mr. and Mrs. Fred McGuire received word that their son, Staff Sgt. George L. McGuire, who had been stationed in North Africa since the invasion as a radio operator and acting gunner in the Air Corps, received the Airman’s Medal and two Oak Leaf Clusters for extraordinary heroism in line of duty. McGuire enlisted in the Air Corps in July 1941 and was trained at Daniel Field, Augusta, Georgia, and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He went to England in September of the previous year. He received national mention for having brought down a German plane in action over Tunisia.
Master’s in English — Avis Edna Merritt, B.A. Colby 1935, was awarded a master of arts degree at the University of Maine in English. The degree was given for the thesis entitled: “A History of Aroostook Newspapers from 1857 to 1940, with a Record of the Social Life of the County from 1857 to 1900.”
50 Years Ago – May 22, 1968
Food drive — William H. Ramsay, manpower coordinator for the Central Aroostook Action Program, was named to head an area-wide food collection for the Poor People’s March by CAAP employees, Lydia N. Dennie, CAAP executive director announced. The program, a collaboration of the Department of Economic Opportunity and the Maine Truck Owner’s Association at the request of Governor Curtis, would run through May 31, with the truckers scheduled to pick up the food in Aroostook County and take it to the Lewiston-Auburn Occupational Training center, the central collection point.
Consolidate agency ownership — Gerald Simon, 25, vice president and sales manager of Northland Motors Inc. of Presque Isle, bought out the stock of his brother, Theodore Simon, 29, in their jointly owned Volkswagen agency located on the Caribou Road in Presque Isle. The younger Simon thus became the sole owner of the agency, the only franchised VW dealer in Aroostook County. Ted disclosed that he had applied for a Volkswagen dealership elsewhere, and in the meantime will continue at the local agency.
25 Years Ago – May 26, 1993
Joins USAR — Dorothy-Ann Shannon of Westfield was inducted into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps Reserves as a first lieutenant. The oath was administered by Lt. Col. Crawford, junior recruiting battalion commander of the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion in Brunswick. Also in attendance were Crawford’s wife, Betsy, and Shannon’s recruiter, Sgt. First Class Timothy Pickett, U.S. Army Reserve Nurse Recruiter of South Portland. Shannon’s son, Roger Gamblin Jr., pinned on her lieutenant’s baron, and Ghislaine Soucier, friend, pinned on her medical insignia.
Won two events — Ray DeMerchant of the Presque Isle boys track team took first place in a pair of events and was third in another to help the Wildcats take the team championship at the county meet held in Presque Isle. DeMerchant set a county mark in the pole vault with a mark of 12 feet, one inch, and he also won the discus while placing third in the long jump.
