101 Years Ago – Dec. 12, 1918
Moving the stable — Mr. Lewis Whitten bought the stable and lot of E. O. Johnson on Main Street and had had the stable moved nearer the street. It was understood that he was to move the phair stable and connect the two, making a large sized sales stable.
75 Years Ago – Dec. 14, 1944
Presque Isle Wildcats split in downstate junket — In a two-day downstate junket, the Presque Isle Wildcats defeated Lincoln 29-26, and lost to the strong experienced Guildford five 48-20. A smooth functioning Guildford High five impressively turned back invading Presque Isle, 48-20, at Guilford Saturday night to post its second win of the season. Paced by Fred Blake and John Leathers, the quintet raced away from its Aroostook rival in the second half with a heavy scoring surge. Blake tallied 18 points; Leathers tossed in 10. Presque Isle held a narrow 6-5 margin at the end of the first period. But the tide turned in the second half and thereafter the game was never in doubt.
Wheeler, Parkhurst won seats in City Council election — Edwin E. Parkhurst, a newcomer in local politics, won a City Council seat, when he ran second to veteran Clifford Wheeler, who received 415 votes. Parkhurst garnered 411 votes. Sidney Cook, candidate to succeed himself, received 233 votes in the race for two seats of three terms each. Also defeated was Dr. Eugene Griffiths, who received 222 votes. The uncontested candidates for Warden and City Clerk, Holie Rutland and Bernard Thibodeau, received 508 and 476 votes respectively, 728 votes were cast in the election.
50 Years Ago – Dec. 10, 1969
Groundbreaking ceremony held — Official groundbreaking ceremonies were held Dec. 3 at the construction site of the Presque Isle branch of the First National Bank of Fort Fairfield in the Presque Isle Shopping Plaza. Attending were Jack Burlock, president of General Supply Corp., Edward Gavel, design engineer; Alonzo J. Harriman Assoc.; David Dorsey, vice-president, First National Bank of Fort Fairfield; Dana Connors, Presque Isle City manager; Elliott Bates, Alonzo J. Harriman Assoc.; and Aubrey Briggs, executive manager, Presque Isle Chamber of Commerce.
Ruth Stengel named new BPW president — Mrs. Ruth F. Stengel, office manager of the Suburban Propane LP-gas sales, service and distribution center in Presque Isle, was elected president of the Presque Isle Business and Professional Women’s Club. For the previous two years, she had been corresponding secretary of the Federation of Maine Business and Professional Women.
25 Years Ago – Dec. 14, 1994
P.I. Rotary auction generated nearly $111,000 — A well-coordinated, collaborative effort between the Presque Isle Rotary Club and a number of area business donors from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2, culminated in nearly $111,000 of funds being generated to support Aroostook County students, The Aroostook Medical Center’s gold brick program and a number of other worthwhile ventures.
Grand opening — Maine Potato Growers Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its MPG Food Mart on Parsons Street. Some of those that attended the ribbon cutting ceremony were Bruce Walton, manager of the Main Street Food Mart; Carol Fournier, Main Street Food Mart; Cindy Ackerman, MPG; Terry Case, store manager; Pat Kelly, MPG energy department; Gerald Sytsema, general manager of MPG; Gordon Sprague, assistant manager of MPG; Tom Stevens, city manager; and Claudia Stevens, executive director of the Presque Isle Area Chamber of Commerce.
Hay elected president of trade association — Susan Hay, a paraoptometric, employed at Dr. Catherine Varnum’s office in Presque Isle, was elected president of the Maine Paraoptometric Association. Hay, a Presque Isle resident, was selected over 100 other members of the association to serve as its president and previously served as the association’s vice president for two years.
