75 Years Ago – Aug. 8, 1946
Soil Conservation director — At a meeting of Soil Conservation District supervisors from 17 states held in Chicago on July 24th and 25th, Mr. Dennis Getchell of Limestone was selected to serve on the Board of Directors to represent the Northeastern Region of the United States.
Mr. Getchell had been a Supervisor of the Central Aroostook Soil Conservation District for the previous two years and went to Chicago to represent the Supervisors of the State of Maine. Other members of the Board of Directors were: Allen Craig, Springfield, Ohio; Fred A. Prell, Bremen, Kansas; W.A. Groom, Grand Junction, Colorado; R.M. Boswell, Kenedy, Texas; E.C. McArthur, Gaffney, South Carolina; and R. L. Rutter, Ellensburg, Washington.
Presque Isle won baseball title — A threatening rally in the ninth inning with the sacks loaded was nipped in the bud by a brilliant catch that gave the Presque Isle Indians a 4 to 3 decision over the hard-hitting Fort Fairfield Wanderers and the championship of the Northern Maine Fair baseball fanfare. Going into the ninth frame, Bud Henderson, promising Indians right-handler, had held the Fort Fairfield team to one run and six scattered safeties. Three sharp singles and a walk with the bases loaded put Henderson in the hole with two runs across and two out with the sacks reloaded. Facing him for the final out was the most feared sticker in the Fort line-up, Phil Dorsey, rated the outstanding second baseman in Aroostook baseball. With two strikes on him, Dorsey swung from the heels and connected sharply down the hard baseline. It was a sure hit in any man’s league but Ronnie Livingston, who played a bangup game at third all afternoon, dove into the first and rolled over in his desperate dive. He came up with the ball stuck neatly in the top of his glove. It was a superb circus catch that caused his jubilant teammates to pick him up and carry him to the Indians’ bench.
50 Years Ago – Aug. 11, 1971
Easton FFA member won speaking contest — Mike Corey, 17-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Corey, won the tri-state speaking contest held at the New England Leadership Conference Monday, Aug. 2, in Pittsburg, New Hampshire. Corey competed against FFA members from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. This marked the first win for Easton in this event. Corey, Aroostook’s only participant in the three-state contest, researched, wrote and spoke his composition entitled “The Future of the National Potato Industry.” The eight-minute speech was submitted to three judges ten days prior to the contest in order for them to make themselves familiar with the text. Later, the judges asked the author three questions concerning the manuscript.
Local man received a Federal Service award — Blondin J. Frazier was presented a Certificate of Service and Service emblem in recognition of 20 years of faithful service with the Federal Government. The presentation was made by George C. Thorvaldson, Deputy Base Civil Engineer, Loring AFB, on July 29. Frazier was employed as boiler plant operator in the Heating Section of the Civil Engineering Squadron, Loring Air Force Base. Frazier entered Civil Service in 1954 at Presque Isle AFB working in the Heating Section. From 1961 when the base closed until February 1971, he remained at the previous base as an operator in the Laundry Boiler Plant. Since February 1971, he had worked in the Loring Heating Section as a plant operator.
25 Years Ago – Aug. 7, 1996
Hamel, LDA honored by national base reuse group — Representatives of the Loring Development Authority (LDA) were in California to receive awards for achievement in base reuse from the National Association of Installation Development (NAID) at their annual meeting in Sacramento. Selected from a national field of competitors, LDA President Brian Hamel was recognized as Developer of the Year. The LDA’s marketing materials also received numerous NAID Literature and Materials Awards, including Best of Show for its marketing mailer; Excellent for the Loring Commerce Centre promotional video; and an Honorable Mention for its Special Purpose Brochure. In a call from California shortly before the award ceremonies, Hamel called the recognition a plus for the former Air Force base reuse efforts.
DARE donation — Richard Drummond of the Presque Isle Elks Lodge presented a $500 check to officer Tim McCue of the Presque Isle Police Department to benefit the DARE program. The presentation was made during a DARE graduation ceremony in Presque Isle.
Heading to nationals — The Presque Isle boys 11- and 12-year-old 4×100-meter relay team of Kyle James, Zak Smith, Matt Pelletier and Luke Blackstone, qualified for the Hershey Track and Field National Meet in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The four talented runners also ran in the Hershey national meet the previous year, qualified the current year by virtue of their winning time of 58.68 seconds in the state finals held July 17 in Bangor.
