The top news stories of 2019 in southern Aroostook

Editor’s Note: The following is the first of two articles highlighting some of the top news stories from 2019. This article highlights events from January to June. The second installment will appear in the Jan. 1 issue.

 

January

The town of Island Falls’ community center was getting some much needed renovations thanks to a grant from the Gloria C. MacKenzie Foundation. Island Falls Town Manager Jutta Beyer said the town received $125,000 from the foundation to make the building handicapped-accessible.

The Houlton Public Works Department started saving up for additional equipment needs after the town council approved spending up to $120,000 for two dump trucks. The funds were needed as the department’s two 1995 Ford dump trucks had frames that were rusted so badly they would no longer pass inspection

The first baby of the new year for Aroostook County was born to Danielle Doyle and Kyle Williams of Houlton. Karly Drue Williams was born nine minutes after midnight Jan. 1 at Northern Light AR Gould Hospital in Presque Isle.

The Katahdin Valley Health Center filed plans with Houlton’s Code Enforcement Office to build a new $10-$20 million health care center on North Street. The hospital was in the process of purchasing a parcel of land from the Putnam Family Trust, provided the Houlton Planning Board signed off on the project. During a public hearing later in the month, several planning board members expressed deep concern with how traffic would flow into the proposed facility. The board declined to approve the project without a thorough analysis of traffic patterns in that area.

Houlton town councilors voted to establish a moratorium on medical marijuana retail stores, dispensaries and testing and manufacturing facilities. Members of the local planning board asked councilors to consider the moratorium as a result of the Legislature’s enactment of amendments to Maine’s Medical Marijuana Law in the summer of 2018. 

The council also approved an $11.1 million budget for 2019 with little discussion. Municipal spending increased $254,337 over the previous year. To prevent a tax increase, $231,000 was taken from the town’s surplus account.

Shawn Gillen of Blaine was officially sworn in as the newest Aroostook County Sheriff. Former Sheriff Darrell Crandall conducted the swearing in ceremony.

Marian Anderson of Wiscasset was hired as Houlton’s new town manager, becoming only the second female town manager in Houlton’s history. She had served as Wiscasset’s town manager since 2014.

February

A picture-perfect weekend resulted in a big crowd turning out for the 23rd annual Moosestompers winter carnival. With sunny skies, and temperatures in the upper teens, scores of people turned out to cap the three-day event. Horse-drawn sleigh rides, a tractor hay ride, snow sled toboggan rides, ice skating and lots of sliding down Derby Hill created the flavor of the day.

A nighttime fire consumed Bradbury Farms’ historic potato house in Bridgewater. Fire departments from six communities spent six hours trying to control the fire at Bradbury Farms’ potato storage facility.

For years, Cynthia Spellman created elaborate drawings that she shared only with her closest family members. Spellman, a 27-year-old Hodgdon artist who is also austic, developed the courage to share her work with complete strangers with a showing at Wired Houlton cafe in downtown Houlton.

An experienced border patrol and counterterrorism agent who patrolled both the southern and northern borders took the helm at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection sector in Houlton. Jason D. Owens became the 26th chief patrol agent at the sector on Feb. 4.

A federal agency awarded a $1.6 million grant to the Southern Aroostook Development Corporation to help build a processing and testing facility in Houlton to produce food for laboratory research mice.

A year-long renovation project to replace a worn out heating system at Southern Aroostook Community School was finally complete. Members of the RSU 50 board inspected the new heating system and other energy improvements made to the school during a Feb. 11 meeting.

March 

Nearly 50 firefighters and law enforcement officials from eight departments gathered at the Houlton Fire Department to pay tribute to a Berwick firefighter who lost his life in the line of duty. Berwick Fire Department Capt. Joel Barnes died fighting a massive apartment fire in Berwick on Friday, March 1. The Houlton event was prompted by the Aroostook County Fire Chiefs who called for a show of support.

Young vocalists, fiddlers and dancers took center stage as the United Way of Aroostook hosted its third and final regional competition as part of the 15th annual Northern Star event. Held at the Houlton Community Arts Center, Houlton’s competition featured just eight singers in the adult portion of the competition and two from the junior event. Participants hailed from Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Sherman, Cary, Patten and Houlton. Hannah Carter, 11, of Fort Fairfield beat out 9-year-old Kale Morrison of Cary in the junior competition. Both youngsters performed violin pieces. In the adult competition, Emma McGraw, David Dow and Hannah Boone were selected to move on to the regional event.

Hospitals in Aroostook County were at capacity as medical personnel provided health care to patients with the flu and other illnesses. Cary Medical Center staff in Caribou were busy handling an abnormally large number of patients, according to Public Relations Director Bill Flagg, who said the facility had been “virtually full for the past several weeks.” Fort Kent, Presque Isle and Houlton hospitals also reported similar issues.

The Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce held its annual dinner and awards ceremony March 23, at the Houlton Lodge of Elks. Chamber President Kent Good welcomed the 200 guests who enjoyed dinner, the awards presentation and auction. Co-hosts for the evening were Chamber Director Jane Torres and Health Services Foundation Executive Director Lori Weston. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Gary A. Severson; Aroostook Milling was selected as Business of the Year; Ben Adams was presented the Young Professional Award; and The Community Spirit Award was awarded to the seniors of the Putnam House.

Oakfield’s volunteer firefighters had a new home for their equipment and emergency vehicles now that the Oakfield Fire Station was nearly complete. The five-bay building was roughly 7,152 square feet in size. The entirety of the project was funded from the town’s Tax Increment Finance account that was created following the construction of a wind farm in the community. No local tax dollars were used for the construction.

A planned renovation project for the Island Falls Community Center cost taxpayers a bit more than originally anticipated. At the annual town meeting, which drew an audience of about 45 people, residents learned that estimates for the proposed renovation project came in higher than expected. Originally the town hoped to complete the project for $155,103, with only $25,103 raised in taxes. However, once an engineering review was completed, the scope of the project ballooned to nearly $235,000.

April 

A group of about 35 Cary Plantation residents gathered one last time to conduct town business at Hodgdon Middle-High School as the town completed its process of disbanding. In November 2018, residents voted 105-4 to finalize the deorganization process. With a population of 189, the townspeople sought to dissolve because of the dwindling numbers and increasing municipal costs, including for plowing and maintaining 13 miles of roads.

Houlton town councilors opted to have a designated smoking area at two upcoming events at the John A. Millar Civic Center. The Houlton Agricultural Fair Association, which sponsored an Uncle Kracker in concert on April 13, and the annual Blackfly Brewfest, sponsored by the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce in May, both requested a designated smoking area for their events.

Two transport vans collided on U.S.Route 1 on Bunker Hill in Bridgewater as high winds and blowing snow made for treacherous traveling conditions. One van featured a group of church members, including several minors, while the second van was an Aroostook County Jail vehicle transporting prisoners to Caribou for court appearances.

The 2019 Southern Aroostook Trade Show came to the Millar Civic Center, providing a glimpse of potential spring projects and much more. The Houlton show typically attracts between 1,500 and 2,000 attendees over the two-day period and this year’s event was no exception.

Patten Town Manager Raymond Foss resigned from his position after three years with the town. Foss’ resignation came after his contract was the subject of much discussion during the annual town meeting on March 19, and at a special board of selectmen’s meeting immediately afterwards.

Only five residents turned out for Hodgdon’s annual town meeting at Mill Pond Elementary School. The small group spent about 19 minutes approving warrant articles, with little to no discussion. Municipal spending was up slightly for the town as the total budget for 2019-20 of $670,264 features an increase of about $22,000 over last year’s spending plan.

Monticello residents also approved a slightly increased municipal budget and elected two members to the Select Board at their town meeting. The budget of $510,779.96 included increases of $10,000 for the paving account, along with $10,000 more for winter roads, according to Town Manager Ginger Pryor. Residents also agreed to set aside $2,000 to repair broken headstones at the cemetery.

Members of the American Red Cross and Houlton Fire and Ambulance Department honored two sixth-graders at Houlton Middle-High School for their bravery. Landon Wotton and Parker Kowalski were the guests of honor at an assembly as the duo were lauded by the American Red Cross as part of that group’s “Real Heroes” honorees. The two students are among several area residents who will be formally recognized Friday, May 17, at the 21st annual Real Heroes Awards Banquet at the Stone Ridge Event Center in Presque Isle.

Houlton town councilors decided to form a new committee to deal with auto collisions involving town employees after a number of Houlton Ambulance Department crashes the last two years.

Students from Greater Houlton Christian Academy showed off their scientific prowess during the school’s annual science fair. Because it is a Christian school, each student also included a Biblical verse that somehow connects with their project.

Organizers of the Uncle Kracker concert deemed the event a success. Paul Cleary, president of the Houlton Fair, said that he was pleased with the shows, which marked the first time in 10 years that fair organizers have sponsored a concert in Houlton. Two shows were held at the Millar Civic Center. Attendance for the two concerts was estimated at 2,300.

Getting through Hodgdon was a bit more difficult thanks to a bridge replacement project. The Maine Department of Transportation began work on the replacement of the Hodgdon Mills Bridge starting the week of April 15.

As much of the world watched in stunned disbelief online or on their televisions, a group of students from Southern Aroostook Community School had a first-hand view of the devastating fire that ripped through the famed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Flames obliterated the central spire, roof and much of the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral, according to the Washington Post.

In an effort to continue spreading the word about the dangers of drinking and driving, three representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving visited two southern Aroostook County schools. Maine MADD Chapter leader Nicole Hutchinson, a native of Houlton who now resides in Raleigh, South Carolina, returned to her hometown to speak on April 25 and 26 to middle and high schoolers in both RSU 29 (Houlton) and SAD 70 (Hodgdon).

May 

Downtown Houlton was becoming littered with cigarette butts, and town councilors discussed what to do about it at their regular meeting. Chairman Jane Torres, who is also the executive director of the Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce, said that unsightly cigarette butts were being dropped on the sidewalks, in alleys and even in the flower beds and at the base of trees in Market Square.

Officials from Link for Hope and the Aroostook Mental Health Center told town councilors that a new addiction recovery center was in the works for the community. Trudy Rairdon is one of the co-chairmen of the Link for Hope, a non-profit, community based organization in Houlton that works to create the center to help youths and adults in southern Aroostook with alcohol and drug problems.

Thirteen new members were inducted into the Hodgdon Middle-High School National Honor Society April 24, carrying on a proud tradition at the school. New members were: Kora Lambert, Grace Malone, Martha Wilson, Emma Drew, Sabra Scott, Mallory Williams, Mikyla Howland, Jeremiah Goff, Isaac Jurson,Serena Lufkin, ErinPeters, Allison Winship and Aidynn Woods.

A century-old sandstone structure in Island Falls became the third building in the tiny town to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Town Manager Jutta Beyer announced May 1 that the former town office and jail had been designated as an historic building. Built as a replacement to the Town Office and Post Office, which burned in February 1910, the structure was commissioned the following year by resident George Donham, who served as the town manager/clerk at the time.

Starting in the fall, the next generation of plumbers were able to start the long journey on their preferred career path. Thanks to a collaborative effort between the Region Two Career and Technical Education Center in Houlton and Harbison Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning, a new mechanical services course was offered to area high school students.

The Houlton Town Council was one member short following the resignation of Terry “Joe” McKenna. He was elected to the council in November 2018 and his term was not set to expire until 2021. McKenna’s wife Marty also resigned from the town’s planning board. The couple, who have lived in Houlton for the past five years, have decided to return to their native state of Florida.

The 14th annual East Grand Adventure Race was held May 11 in the communities of Danforth, Weston and Bancroft. Seventy-one entrants participated in the challenging bicycling, running, wall climbing, mud crawling and wood cutting competition hosted by the East Grand School Outdoor Education Program.

The fourth annual Blackfly Brewfest proved once again to be one of the more popular events for the greater Houlton community. Held at the John A. Millar Civic Center, the event attracted close to 500 beer and wine lovers and featured 21 breweries that offered samples of products. This year, more than 100 selections on tap were available for consumers to try.

For the past 95 years, agents with the United States Border Patrol have done their part to keep the boundaries between the United States and foreign countries safe from harm. A celebration was held May 28, at Houlton’s Monument Park to mark the 95th birthday of the department.

The Chiputneticook Lakes International Conservancy hosted its 19th annual salmon stocking event into Grand Lake Friday with middle school students from Houlton, East Grand and Greater Houlton Christian Academy participating.

Walkers and runners turned out in droves for the fourth annual Walk Like MADD event to honor the memory of a Houlton native killed by a drunk driver in 1996. A fundraiser for Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the walk collected $12,500.

Christopher Violette, a 16-year-old sophomore at Houlton Middle-High School, was named the national Border Patrol Explorer of the Year. Violette was selected out of a field of 48 Border Patrol programs for the prestigious award.

June

Two local youngsters were heading to Akron, Ohio, after capturing championship titles in the 24th annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race. Racers between the ages of 8 and 18 converged on Derby Hill in Houlton for the state’s only Soap Box Derby race. Matthew Conley took home top honors in the Super Stock division, while Meghan Peters was crowned champ in the Stock division. The two youths advanced to the national All-American Soap Box Derby July 14-20, in Akron, Ohio.

Another long-standing business in the Shiretown was closing its doors. Company officials announced that the Sears Hometown Store, located at 114 North St., was closing within the next month.

While the Northern Maine Fair was successful in getting dates in late June and early July OK’d for 2019, that approval may have been a one and done deal from the state. On June 14, the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry issued a ruling that denies the Northern Maine Fair’s request to have its festival around the Fourth of July in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Beer and liquor became permissible at establishments in Hodgdon for the first time in the town’s nearly 200-year history after a June 11 referendum vote. Voters approved the sale of liquor to be consumed on premises with a vote of 67 in favor and 37 opposed. Liquor still will not be allowed to be consumed at establishments on Sundays under the new law.