Presque Isle area From our Files – Week of February 16, 2022

57 SENIORS IN 1924 CLASS — The Presque Isle High School senior class featured the week of February 16, 1972 was the graduates of 1924. There were 57 members in all. They included, front row, left to right, John Akely, Raymond Kelley, Grover Gammon, Rene Beaulieu, Stewart Donahue, Lawrence Martin, Ken Brown, Ronald Wight, Merle Stonehouse, George Berry, Bernard Fitgerald. Second row, Verna Kelley, Tena Clark, Amber Sutter, Phyllis Lancaster, Augusta Hayden, Lila Kierstead, Evelyn Craig, Eugenie Condon, Everett Larrabee, Gladys Kierstead, Marion Witham, Elva Johsnson, Murilla Hayden, Virla Bulley, Carl Grant. Third row, Marjorie Waddell, Ethel LIbby, Margaret McEachern, Winnifred Hawksley, Clarice Blanchard, Annabelle Allen, Luella Roix, Muriel Belyea, Virginia Cambridge, Thelma Greenlaw, Lydia Smith, Susie Underwood, Hazel Chandler, Irving Chandler. Fourth row, Elizabeth Cooper, Marion Dewitt, Edna Wilcox, Esther Magill, Elva Duncan, Marjorie Glidden, Alice Webb, Frances Lowery, Lou Weeks, Gladys McGraw, Edward Yule. Back row, Claude Taylor, Clifton Williams, Newcomb Sutherland, Nathaniel Coffin and Elwood Seeley. (File photo 1972/The Star-Herald)

75 Years Ago –   Feb. 13, 1947

Air Scouts elected Dale Morris as squadron pilot — Seven boys were registered as Air Scouts and Dale Morris was elected squadron pilot of the newly formed Presque Isle squadron at the first meeting at the American Legion Home.

Squadron Leader Roy Mosteller presided and introduced Dave Crockett, assistant squadron leader. Ira Munn, George Cummings and G. Irving Brown were guests, representing the Legion, and Field Scout Executive Charles Jackson also was present. Other officers elected were: Richard Jones, assistant quadron pilot; DeWitt Fillmore, communications scribe; Wendell Hanson, airport committee; Burns Weeks, fair weather committee; Thomas Russell, Task committee; Paul Higgins, field committee.

Ray Burnett elected new Abnaki president — Ray Burnett was elected president of the Abnaki club at the annual meeting. The meeting was preceded by a dinner served by the Mary and Martha group of the Congregational church. Other officers elected were: Robert Tate, vice president; John Hussey, secretary; and Gene Everett, treasurer.

50 Years Ago –  Feb. 16, 1972

Silver elected director — At the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Convention held in Chicago, Illinois, Feb. 7-9, Don Silver of the Maine Farmers Exchange was elected director to their board of directors, Potato Division. The directorship was for a three-year term. The duties of the Potato Division were to coordinate long-range thinking and planning between all potato-producing areas in the United States. Silver stated that the Potato Division must relate consumer thinking back to production and marketing people. The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association was the largest of its kind in the world. Its members handled, shipped or marketed approximately 80 percent of the total commercial fruit and vegetable sales in the United States. The association had been serving the industry since 1904. Silver was sales manager of the Maine Farmers Exchange. He was a resident of Presque Isle and graduated from Maine Maritime Academy.

Bishop named assistant — Martin T. Bishop, son of Ada T. Bishop of Presque Isle, had been named assistant manager of the Value House in Augusta. The Value House is a chain of stores consisting of six in Maine, one in New Hampshire and two in Massachusetts. Bishop received his training in the Lewiston Value House after graduating from Auburn Maine School of Commerce in 1970. He resided in Lewiston with his wife and son.

Gagnon appointed chairman — Joseph A. Gagnon, Presque Isle City Civil Defense director, was appointed chairman of the Sergeant-at-Arms Committee of the U.S. Civil Defense Council, according to Emilien A. Levesque, director of Civil Defense and Public Safety for Maine. Mrs. Marguerite Brown, Aroostook County director, had been appointed to a position on the Conference Information Committee. Other Maine natives appointed to National Committee posts of the CD Council included Norman J. Vermette, Androscoggin County director, to the Awards and Recognition Committee.

25 Years Ago –  Feb. 12, 1997

Volunteer lauded for humanitarian effort — Robert Palmer Sr., retired former Gouldville Elementary School maintenance man, and chairman of M&M Ministries in Presque Isle, received a certificate of recognition from Gov. Angus King as one of Maine’s 100 outstanding persons in the areas of community service and volunteerism. Five days a week, Palmer volunteered his time at the M&M Ministries Soup Kitchen. He was nominated for the award by M&M Ministries founders Ronald and Nita Moser, as well as several others in the Presque Isle area. 

Dialysis center support — Nutrite and its employees donated $3,000 to the County Dialysis Center. In lieu of purchasing and sending holiday greeting cards, money was raised to help support the dialysis center, which was a service of The Aroostook Medical Center. The dialysis center was the beneficiary of the 1996 Presque Isle Rotary Auction’s special project fund drive. Thus far, more than $189,000 had been raised.

DARE presentation — Lisa Cray, store manager of KFC, presented a $600 check to DARE officer Gail Griffin. The money was raised for the drug education program through an in-house collection box.

McCain Foods named employee of the year — Maurice Kidd was named the 1996 Employee of the Year by McCain Foods Inc. Kidd had been employed with the company since 1993 at their Easton facility. Kidd had developed graphs and pictures of the packaging shakers and the holding room to help identify problem areas in the company. For being selected, Kidd received a $500 cash award and plaque. He resided in Mars Hill.